through the aorta and out into the body again. if your baby is born with hlhs, the chambers and arteries on the left side of the heart are small and underdeveloped with valves that don ' t work properly. since the left side can ' t pump effectively, the right side of the heart must take on double the work and pump to both the lungs and the rest of the body. a newborn baby with hlhs may appear to be well during the first hours or even days of life. however, a day or two after birth, the natural openings between the right and left sides of the heart close. that is normal, but in a baby with hlhs, it can be fatal because it leaves the overworked right side of the heart no way to pump blood to the body. what causes hlhs? hypoplastic left heart syndrome occurs during the first eight weeks of fetal growth when the baby ' s heart is developing. the cause is unknown. however, if your family has one child with hlhs, the risk of having another with the same condition is higher than the recurrence rate for other congenital heart defects. this may mean genetics play a role. it ' s possible for a fetus to be diagnosed with hlhs through an ultrasound exam as early as the first trimester. hlhs comprises 4 - 8 % of all congenital heart defects. it occurs in up to four out of every 10, 000 live births. hlhs appears slightly more often in boys than in girls. beyond family history, there are no clear risk factors for it, and no known way to prevent it. what are the signs and symptoms? usually, babies born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome are critically ill right away. signs and symptoms vary, but may commonly include : - cyanosis : a blue ( or gray ) tone to the skin, lips, or nails - pale, cool or clammy skin - difficulty breathing - accelerated heart rate - fainting or loss of consciousness - poor feeding - cold hands and feet if the natural connections between the heart ' s left and right sides are allowed to close naturally a day or two after birth, the child may go into shock. symptoms of shock include : - dilated pupils ; eyes that seem to stare blankly - slow and shallow ( or very rapid ) breathing - a weak and accelerated pulse - pale, cool, and clammy skin a baby in shock may be either conscious or unconscious. if you suspect your baby


pupils ; eyes that seem to stare blankly - slow and shallow ( or very rapid ) breathing - a weak and accelerated pulse - pale, cool, and clammy skin a baby in shock may be either conscious or unconscious. if you suspect your baby is in shock, dial 911 right away. how is it diagnosed? a clear diagnosis is the first step to treatment. a pediatric cardiologist ( a children ' s heart doctor ) can use several tests to confirm your child ' s diagnosis. these tests may include : - chest x - ray : a beam of electromagnetic energy creates images on film that show the inside structures of your baby ' s body. - cardiac magnetic resonance imaging ( mri ) : this test produces a three - dimensional image of the heart so you ' re your child ' s doctors can examine blood flow and functioning of the heart as it is working. - electrocardiogram ( ecg or ekg ) : this test, conducted by attaching patches with wires ( electrodes ) to your baby ' s skin, records the heart ' s electrical activity. it will show if there are abnormal heart rhythms ( arrhythmias or dysrhythmias ) and / or stress on the heart muscle. - echocardiogram ( echo ) : this test uses sound waves to make a moving image of the heart on a video screen. it is similar to an ultrasound, if your baby has hlhs, the echocardiogram may show a smaller than normal left ventricle and aorta, as well as a reversed blood flow. the echo can also identify any related heart defects. - cardiac catheterization : during this procedure, your doctor inserts a thin flexible tube ( a catheter ) into a blood vessel in the groin, then guides it up to the inside of the heart. a dye injected through the catheter makes the heart structures visible on x - ray pictures. the catheter also measures blood pressure and oxygen levels. how is it treated? due to the advances in medical science in recent years, babies born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome today have a much improved outlook. once diagnosed, your child ' s specific treatment may vary, depending on his or her individual needs. your child will probably be admitted to the intensive care unit ( icu ) or special care nursery and may be placed on oxygen or a ventilator to help with breathing. intravenous ( iv ) medications may be given to assist heart and lung function and stop the two sides of


the intensive care unit ( icu ) or special care nursery and may be placed on oxygen or a ventilator to help with breathing. intravenous ( iv ) medications may be given to assist heart and lung function and stop the two sides of the heart from closing naturally. your baby ' s doctor may also recommend an atrial septostomy, which is a procedure to create a helpful opening between the heart ' s upper chambers. for babies born with hlhs, there are two treatment options : a heart transplant, or far more commonly, a series of surgeries to reconstruct the heart to compensate for the otherwise - fatal defects. the procedures, which children ' s helped pioneer, are : - a norwood operation : performed within two weeks of birth, this surgery reconstructs and reconnects the aorta and the lower right chamber of the heart. your baby ' s skin will still have a blue tone, as oxygen - rich and oxygen - poor blood continue to mix in the heart. - a bi - directional glenn or hemi - fontan : performed between four to six months of age, this surgery reduces the burden on the heart ' s right chamber. after the surgery, blood with more healthy oxygen will be pumped to organs and tissues throughout the body. - the fontan procedure : performed between 18 months and three years of age, this surgery stops oxygen - rich and oxygen - poor blood from mixing in the heart. after the surgery, your child ' s skin will no longer look blue. the second surgical option is a complete heart transplant. babies with hlhs may need special medications while waiting for a donor heart to become available. after surgery or a transplant, your baby will need lifelong follow - up care with a heart doctor who specializes in congenital heart disease. some medication may be necessary to regulate heart function. if your baby receives a heart transplant, he or she will need to take anti - rejection medication for the rest of his or her life to combat rejection of the new heart. later in life, children who have had either treatment for hypoplastic left heart syndrome sometimes tire easily from exercise, experience heart rhythm abnormalities or blood clots, or have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( adhd ). your child ' s cardiologist may also recommend that your child limit physical activity and take antibiotics before dental procedures to prevent infections. about treatment for hypoplastic left heart syndrome at children ' s hypoplastic left heart syndrome is treated through children ' s cardiovascular program one of the


safety issues for oxygen therapy - oxygen on its own will not explode, but it will feed a flame. therefore, it is important that extra care is taken when using and storing oxygen in the home, and when using portable oxygen outside. - no oil or grease should be applied to any part of the oxygen equipment. - no oil – based moisturisers should be used on the skin of the nose or face, such as petroleum jelly ; instead a water - based product should be used, such as aqueous cream. - there should be no smoking around oxygen by anyone as clothing and hair can easily be ignited. - oxygen should be stored in a well – ventilated room, away from open or gas fires, water heaters or any other source of heat or flame. - oxygen cylinders should be stored upright and if possible in stands ( available through your dolby service engineer ). cylinders are under high pressure and a crack in them can be dangerous. - when travelling with an oxygen cylinder in your car it should be safely secured in an upright position. - if you are intending to travel on public transport ( e. g. buses, taxis, aeroplanes or ferries ) with your oxygen you must check their regulations before travelling as different transport methods have different regulations. back to top


prepare and protect your pets published on : oct 27 2011 03 : 19 : 38 pm cdt updated on : may 26 2009 11 : 40 : 18 am cdt the following information was provided by the houston spca and the houston humane society. - identification : make sure your pet wears a collar and i. d. tag with up - to - date information. - vaccinations : all pets should be current on their shots. keep a copy of the vaccination records in a sealed / waterproof plastic bag. - sleeping quarters : help your animals avoid shattering glass and falling objects. don ' t place a pet ' s bed below windows or shelving. - have crate ready : every animal in your house should have a crate - - a molded plastic carrying kennel. familiarize your pet with the crate before disaster strikes. - check the yard make sure all fencing is secure and all holes and potential escape routes blocked. - plan ahead : identify animal shelters ( in case your pet becomes lost ), local boarding facilities, veterinarians, motels, and friends or relatives that may temporarily house your pet after a disaster. - evacuate : if you evacuate, take your pet. disaster preparedness checklist : ( use this as a guide for building your own disaster preparedness kit for your pets. ) - molded plastic pet carrier - copy of your pet ' s rabies and vaccination records sealed in a plastic bag - pet first aid book and kit - two - week supply of pet food - three - day supply of bottled water - one - month supply of your pet ' s regular medications - non - spill food and water bowls - cat litter - cat litter pan - plastic bags ( for pet waste disposal ) - sheets ( one to cover each pet carrier ) - non - electric can opener - paper towels


5 things about friday ' s space events nasa says objects traveling in different directions at least 1, 000 people have been injured in russia as the result of a meteor exploding in the air. the energy of the detonation appears to be equivalent to about 300 kilotons of tnt, said margaret campbell - brown of the department of physics and astronomy at the university of western ontario. meanwhile, an asteroid approached earth but did not hit it, coming closest at about 2 : 25 p. m. et. you probably have some questions about both of those events, so here ' s a brief overview : 1. are these events connected? the meteor in russia and the asteroid that passed by on friday afternoon are " completely unrelated, " according to nasa. the trajectory of the meteor differs substantially from that of asteroid 2012 da14, nasa said. estimates on the meteor ' s size are preliminary, but it appeared to be about one - third the size of 2012 da14. the term " asteroid " can also be used to describe the rock that exploded over russia, according to the european space agency and nasa, although it was a relatively small one. 2. what ' s the difference between an asteroid and a meteorite and other space rocks? according to nasa, here ' s how you tell what kind of object is falling from the sky : asteroids are relatively small, inactive rocky bodies that orbit the sun. comets are also relatively small and have ice on them that can vaporize in sunlight. this process forms an atmosphere and dust and gas ; you might also see a " tail ' of dust or gas. meteoroids are small particles from comets or asteroids, orbiting the sun. meteors are meteoroids that enter the earth ' s atmosphere and vaporize, also known as shooting stars. meteorites are meteoroids that actually land on the earth ' s surface. the pieces of the meteor that exploded in russia are meteorites. generally meteorites are smaller than grains of sand and vaporize on passage through the atmosphere. but there are also larger meteorites. comets and asteroids are left over from when the solar system formed. there used to be more of them, but over time they ' ve collided to form major planets, or they ' ve got booted from the inner solar system to the oort cloud or have been ejected from the solar system entirely. 3. why didn ' t we see the russian meteor coming? only one space rock that impacted the planet has ever been observed before it hit the earth, campbell - brown said. that ' s because objects


have been ejected from the solar system entirely. 3. why didn ' t we see the russian meteor coming? only one space rock that impacted the planet has ever been observed before it hit the earth, campbell - brown said. that ' s because objects that do hit the earth tend to be smaller, and it ' s too hard to see them. the one sighting before impact happened in 2008, a day before a meteor exploded over sudan. current estimates suggest that the russian meteor was about 15 meters ( 49 feet ) across, which is too small for telescopic surveys. " unfortunately the objects of this size have to be very close to earth for us to be able to see them at all, " campbell - brown said. the asteroid that approached earth today, which nasa has been tracking, is about 45 meters long, which is relatively small for an asteroid. 4. how does this compare to other earth impacts? the earth picks up tons of meteoric debris every day, but big pieces are fairly uncommon, said david dundee, astronomer at tellus science museum in cartersville, georgia. an object the size of the russian meteor comes in about once every 50 years, but none has been recorded since 1908, when an asteroid exploded and leveled trees over an area of 820 square miles - about two - thirds the size of rhode island - in tunguska, russia. " this is the largest event that we know of that ' s happened since tunguska, " campbell - brown said. the tunguska event did not leave a crater. if there are craters as a result of friday ' s meteor, they would be very small, resulting from the debris from the midair explosion. " it ' s unfortunate that this occurred over a populated area, " campbell - brown said. over a desert or ocean, it would have done very little damage. this is much smaller than the event thought to have wiped out the dinosaur population, she said. the meteor was moving through space at about 33, 000 miles per hour. when it suddenly decelerated above russia, the energy was converted into heat and sound, which resulted in a shock wave of energy and a sonic boom, dundee said. about three years ago, a woman in cartersville, georgia, discovered a baseball - sized meteorite in her home, which had flown straight through the roof. it is now at the tellus museum, dundee said. 5. why shouldn ' t you touch a meteorite? as a meteor comes through the atmosphere, it gets very hot, but this


30 january 2012 sister cincy joseph, msj, a medical sister of st. joseph, visits with daisy choorakattu, a cancer patient in the pain and palliative care center at st. george ’ s hospital. daisy and her family have been forced to sell their home to pay for her treatment, a last resort option for kerala ’ s poor. ( photo : peter lemieux ) countless cancer patients around the world seek solace and intercession from a special patron, the seventh - century abbess st. aldegonde ( sometimes called aldegunais ), whose feast is 30 january. aldegonde herself reportedly died from cancer at the age of 54. today, those battling this disease find a more earthly kind of help from modern - day religious, like the medical sisters of st. joseph working in kerala. these sisters work to provide care and comfort, often under difficult circumstances. we told their story in the september 2011 issue of one : with limited resources, the sisters do what they can. these days, the hospital mostly cares for terminally ill cancer patients. sister cincy enters one such patient ’ s room. she walks to the bed and takes the woman ’ s hand, checking her vitals. the woman, daisy john, hardly notices. she is in her final hours. around the bed stand mr. john, the couple ’ s son and extended family members. the room is itself spartan : no sophisticated medical equipment, just an assortment of basic medical supplies. sister cincy visits with the family briefly and then exits the room. “ after their treatment elsewhere — chemotherapy and radiation — they suffer a great deal of pain, ” sister cincy explains. “ we give them free accommodations and medication. we try to help relieve their suffering. ” you can read more at this link. and visit this page to learn some of the ways you can help support the work of the church in india. tags : india sisters poor / poverty leave a comment


george barton simpson compiled by columbian staff in 1989 george barton simpson, who opened a law office in vancouver in 1907 and went on to become chief justice of the washington state supreme court, was a man who never could seem to do enough for his community. simpson ' s list of achievements went far beyond the legal field. during his almost half - century of residency here, he was at various times a founder of the local boy scout movement, founder and president of the clark county golf and country club, first chairman of the clark county game commission and a leader in numerous other civic and service organizations. because of his long work with the boy scouts, simpson was awarded the silver beaver, scouting ' s highest honor. another indication of his interest in youth was the fact as juvenile court judge he helped reduce the rate of juvenile appearances in court from 12 percent in 1932 percent to 3. 2 percent in 1936. simpson also is credited with having initiated the local trout hatchery. born aug. 12, 1881, in pomeroy, wash., simpson came to vancouver in 1907 right after graduation from the willamette university school of law. he was elected vancouver city attorney in 1915 and in three years in that position never lost a case. in 1920, simpson became a judge of the superior court and held this position until 1937 when he was appointed to the state supreme court. he was elected in 1938 and again in 1944 and served two terms as chief justice. in the election of 1950, simpson finally was defeated for re - election. he returned to vancouver, where he practiced law with his son donald, until his death in june of 1954 at age 72.


most children associate sand with fun with on the beach or happy times in the sandpit. but for basanta, age 12, and his younger brother karma, sand is part of a gruelling day ’ s work. despite his young age, basanta is a sand miner - which means he spends his days shovelling and filtering sand so it can be used for building materials. it ’ s dusty, sweaty, back - breaking work – and can be extremely dangerous too. recently, a mother and child were killed when a makeshift mine collapsed. basanta and his brother are just two of the estimated 215 million children around the world who have to work to make ends meet. without the extra cash he brings in, his family simply could not afford to eat. unfortunately, they still don ’ t have enough money to pay for basanta to go to school. but thanks to the help of the child welfare scheme, which is funded by comic relief, things are starting to change for basanta. the project has provided him and his brother with a dedicated social worker who makes sure they know how to keep safe at work. she ’ s also supporting their mother to cut down on the children ’ s working hours, so they can get a vital education as well as having time out just to play. basanta is now working less and studying more, giving him the chance to turn his life around so he can look forward to a much brighter and more secure future. “ before, i used to work all day ; now i have time to rest and learn. ”


from physics research archive - page 4 the physics classroom : total internal reflection - sep 16, 2010 the optical fiber in the photo above doesn ' t just guide the beam - - the fiber produces the beam. instead of a tube of helium and neon gas, or a piece of ruby, the " active medium " of this laser is added to the glass in the fiber. since the mirrors are just the polished ends of the fiber, there is nothing to go out of alignment, and maintenance is easy. network theory : a key to unraveling how nature works - sep 1, 2010 you are looking at a network diagram that shows the interconnectedness of the world economy. to learn more about this network, visit mapping the world economy. making a supersonic jet in your kitchen - aug 16, 2010 what exactly happens when an object makes a splash in water? the disk shown above was pulled into water in a reproducible way to investigate the splash. the real sea monsters : on the hunt for rogue waves - aug 1, 2010 this " rogue wave " broke over the deck of an oil tanker, and was much taller than the other waves on the ocean at the time. see freak waves, rogue waves for graphs of rogue waves building up in the ocean, and for the measurement of one that struck an oil platform in the north sea. from soap bubbles to technology - jul 16, 2010 the soap film you see here, made in between two metal rings, is called a catenoid, and it uses the minimum area to enclose a given volume. click on the image to see another example of a " minimal surface " soap film. about dust - jul 1, 2010 this satellite image shows a recent dust storm in china that was so large it spread out to neighboring countries. for more on this storm, see this time magazine article and also about dust. shock diamonds and mach disks - jun 16, 2010 when the speed of the gases in a jet or rocket exhaust exceeds the speed of sound, a dazzling pattern results called " shock diamonds " or " mach disks, " as shown in this photo of the sr - 71 blackbird. the diamonds are created by crisscrossing shock waves in the exhaust. image credit : nasa, esa, h. bond ( stsci ), r. ciardullo ( penn state ), and the hubble heritage team ( aura / stsci ) ; image source ; larger image stellar evolution - jun 1, 2010 when the sun reaches the end of its life, its outer layers will


you might guess that the carbon footprint from a carton of orange juice is largely due to packaging, transportation and disposal, but the findings from a recent pepsico study may surprise you. when the entire life cycle of orange juice was included, growing the oranges turned out to contribute the most to the carbon footprint — mainly due to the production and application of nitrogen based fertilizers. it ' s important for designers to recognize the impact made in every phase of a product ' s life cycle. in this case, shifting agricultural practices may result in the most significant emission reductions, but designers are far from powerless to make improvements. the same study states that packaging and distribution represented 37 % of the carbon footprint. with that in mind, how could a designer accurately test new scenarios to create an orange juice distribution strategy that has fewer impacts on the environment? how would he or she know if a plastic bottle is better than a gable - top carton or not? how do concentrated juice products size up? these types of questions are challenging because of the complexity of real world factors ; the formulation of appropriate answers requires powerful analyses, databases and tools. fortunately, within the last year, applying life cycle thinking has come within the reach of any designer. we now have the tools to help us assess the life cycle environmental impacts of our designs before they are produced and to improve upon products that already exist. this gives us insight into the orange juice delivery problem, at least for a start. life cycle assessment in brief, life cycle assessment ( lca ) is a way to quantify the human and environmental impacts of products from raw material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, use, maintenance, recycling and end - of - life. every stage in the product ' s life cycle has potential impacts on the environment ; lca gives designers the ability to make informed decisions to reduce those impacts. for an in - depth background on lca, the united nations environment program ' s life cycle initiative provides a training kit. as lca continues to evolve, so too do its key issues. to gain a better understanding of these, i interviewed consultants in the life cycle field and asked them to share stories from their work. the resulting case studies follow ; after that, i ' ll introduce several tools designers can use to systematically assess the environmental impacts of their products. an example of timberland ' s green index label. image : the lazy environmentalist. timberland ' s green index tom gloria of industrial ecology consultants has worked with timberland to determine the impacts of footwear production and track improvements


of their products. an example of timberland ' s green index label. image : the lazy environmentalist. timberland ' s green index tom gloria of industrial ecology consultants has worked with timberland to determine the impacts of footwear production and track improvements for the company. they now maintain a green index rating system for their footwear products — a ' nutritional label ' to quantify the impacts of every pair of shoes they sell. each shoe is rated from best to worst in three environmental areas : climate impact, chemical use and resource consumption. after setting a baseline green index score, timberland set targets for reductions in energy use, waste generation and solvent use. they have goals to increase the use of organic cotton, renewable materials, recycled content and improve the environmental performance of their factories. gloria says that most consumers still evaluate a companies ' products by performance, function and price, but a growing number of customers want to know a company is making progress in environmental areas. the green index labeling can help show this progress. well before timberland ' s customers started to see the green index rating system and corporate - wide, quarterly key performance indicators, there were internal discussions about the most significant environmental aspects as a company. questions were raised about the data sources in lca tools. was the data representative of the factories that timberland sourced material from? after investigating, timberland decided to use average industry data to calculate the climate impact of raw material production and factory - specific data on energy use that accounts for the power delivered from the regional electricity grid. according to gloria, using industry averages in lca as a proxy definitely has its benefits due to the relatively low costs of obtaining the data. yet, when it comes to making some large capital expenditures to change materials, processes or suppliers, the argument is much better if you ' ve got the factory - specific data to back it up. seventh generation detergent is specially formulated for equal effectiveness in both cold and hot water washing. tim greiner of pure strategies talked about his work on detergents with seventh generation, specifically addressing the company ' s initiative to advocate greener products and behaviors. greiner looked closely at the life cycle impacts of seventh generation ' s detergent. he had greenhouse gas factors for nearly all of the product formula and transport stages. data had to be calculated for the use and disposal phases, including : washing machine use, hot water heating, drying and treatment of the waste water generated by washing. greiner found that the consumer use phase — washing machine use, heating hot water and


had to be calculated for the use and disposal phases, including : washing machine use, hot water heating, drying and treatment of the waste water generated by washing. greiner found that the consumer use phase — washing machine use, heating hot water and drying the load — used the most energy and had the highest greenhouse gas impact — roughly 95 % of the greenhouse gas emissions generated for an average load of laundry in the us. with these findings and the strong communication channels seventh generation had with their customers, it became clear that changing customer behavior was a top priority, as the detergent is specially formulated to have the same cleaning effectiveness in both hot and cold water cycles. greiner also touched on his experiences with data sources in lca tools. to help determine data quality requirements for materials, he often considers the percentage of a total product ' s weight. for example, a material that makes up 40 % versus 1 % of a product ' s weight may need greater attention. the company could then take this information to its suppliers to determine if the data was representative of their operations or if there were marked differences. he pointed out that there many limitations to gathering better data, and the further a company goes up its supply chain, the less leverage it has. for commodity materials such as detergent surfactants, a purchaser generally only knows the region, and in some cases may not even know that. regional specificity and thresholds for emissions and water use from production processes are not usually available. when a number of companies are interested in the attributes of a specific commodity material - palm oil, for instance — greiner believes industry standards can play a role, much like we buy ' green ' power. when a number of companies collaborate on industry standards, the benefits become more compelling for suppliers. products from biomass - based crops melissa hamilton of earthshift, an organization focused on lca capacity building within corporations, talked about the different methodologies used in lca and results that often surprise clients. according to hamilton, companies that create products from biomass - based crops often think their products are naturally better than the petrochemical - based alternatives, but discover the impacts from intensive land use, fertilizer use and pesticide application are much higher than expected. this depends on the resources used in growing those plants, and lca can help identify critical areas to focus on during the production of these products. she also points out that there is variability produced by the impact methodologies within lca. these are consensus - based approaches decided upon by life cycle practitioners


plants, and lca can help identify critical areas to focus on during the production of these products. she also points out that there is variability produced by the impact methodologies within lca. these are consensus - based approaches decided upon by life cycle practitioners and scientists that convert emissions into human and environmental impacts. there are many to choose from, but each yields different results depending on value choices and the emissions measured. it is important for companies to select one that is relevant for the product studied, and to compare results across methods. treatment of biomass - based crops might produce either favorable or unfavorable results for a product depending on the selected methodology, for example. the control of this variability grows with the sophistication of the lca tool. in more advanced systems, the user may specify how emissions are translated into impacts. summary of the uses of lca to summarize, key uses of lca by practitioners include determining and monitoring the most significant environmental aspects ; establishing a baseline for comparison, labeling impacts and setting corporate goals ; and considering all life cycle impacts, including changing customer behavior in the use phase. these same practitioners are making important contributions to lca by seeking industry standards to create more compelling benefits for suppliers to change practices ; mastering the selection of appropriate data sources ( industry - averages versus factory - specific ) ; and becoming aware of the need for and developing transparent methodology. in a design studio i taught at pratt institute last fall, i used one of the new lca tools called sustainable minds. with no download needed, the students signed in to the web - based tool and quickly got into testing their design concepts. projects ranged from a vertical grow - light system for plants to a vermicomposting bin. after establishing which elements each product should be evaluated and compared by ( e. g., providing light for indoor plants or the material for containment of food scraps ), users also indicate how long this service will be delivered. next, data pertaining to material selection, production methods, transport distances and end - of - life assumptions are entered. sustainable minds makes it easy to upload a bill of materials from autodesk ' s inventor ( as well as other 3d modeling programs ), so no manual entry is necessary for the material selection stage. once the life cycle stages are filled in, the results are broken down in easy - to - read to charts, giving a quick idea about where the impacts are in the product life cycle. add as many concepts as you want and compare any two of them side by side.


are filled in, the results are broken down in easy - to - read to charts, giving a quick idea about where the impacts are in the product life cycle. add as many concepts as you want and compare any two of them side by side. sustainable minds also has an expansive section of the website dedicated to helping designers understand eco - design strategies that may help reduce the impacts revealed by the software. sustainable minds screenshot in sustainable minds, the impact methodology is limited to one approach, in which all the environmental impacts are rolled into a single number, or single - indicator. this simplifies the results and provides clear information to act on, which is very handy for lca beginners or students. more detail on this impact method can be found at sustainable minds. what might one learn from sustainable minds? in the simple case of the vermicomposting bin, for instance, my student had to make an argument for the extra materials and processes that went into her more user - friendly, visually pleasing design. do - it - yourself worm bins simply use a plastic bin with a lid and some holes cut out. she designed her bin to be left out in the kitchen instead of tucked away in a closet. but would her worm bin last longer before being tossed out? though her design was relatively worse for the environment, she used sustainable minds to show when things would tip in her favor due to a long - lasting product that people wanted to keep. greenfly is another web - based tool with a user - friendly interface that allows one to specify key attributes for life stages. scenarios are viewed individually and charts are broken down into results for a product ' s carbon footprint, energy demand, water use and solid waste generation, but there is no way to compare two scenarios side - by - side to view relative differences. greenfly includes a set of design guidelines that prompt users to think about goals related to : dematerialization, low impact material selection, cleaner production, optimized distribution, design for durability, use phase impact reduction, and design for waste avoidance and resource recovery. next, solidworks has taken another direction by including an add - on called sustainabilityxpress directly in the modeling environment. in this version individual parts are assessed with the environmental impacts shown right within the ' impact factor dashboard '. a more advanced version, solidworks sustainability, is available for purchase. it allows users to assess entire assemblies, enter data on the use phase and transport modes, and determine components with the highest impacts from the bill of materials.


impact factor dashboard '. a more advanced version, solidworks sustainability, is available for purchase. it allows users to assess entire assemblies, enter data on the use phase and transport modes, and determine components with the highest impacts from the bill of materials. both versions allow users to set baselines for comparison and generate reports in a couple key impact areas. the products mentioned above are relatively new when compared to simapro from pre consultants and gabi from pe international. these sophisticated software products have been around for many years, and are widely used by life cycle assessment professionals. the user interface for both of these products is challenging and there is a steeper learning curve than sustainable minds and the solidworks tools. as i learned how to use these two programs — both equally challenging — it became clear that many features are for people that want to go deeper into a product ' s life cycle. gabi requires users to build a ' process - tree ' to connect materials, energy and processes to parts. after building the product system in gabi, users can check if inputs and outputs match up for the assemblies. in simapro, after data for the product system is entered in, users can switch to a flow chart view to easily see the relative impacts from materials and processes. both tools can display inputs / outputs and impacts in what appears to be every conceivable format. training and / or tutorials are available for gabi through pe international and simapro through earthshift. both packages utilize data sets made up of industry averages for thousands of processes ; industry - specific and custom data sets are also available. simapro pulls information from numerous external sources, while gabi builds datasets from internal client sources as well — pe international is also an lca consultancy. pricing for both vary based on the customer ' s individual selection of data sets. simapro and gabi allow users to select from a number of impact methodologies. the single - indicator systems, like the one used in sustainable minds, can also be utilized here, along with common individual impact categories such as global warming potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, etc. the bottom line on lca tools sustainable minds works well for students, design firms and manufacturers that need to compare a range of product systems in any design stage, and for benchmarking existing product systems. at $ 10 per month for students and $ 58 per month for professionals, plus a free 30 - day trial, it ' s also highly accessible. greenfly remains free, though there are plans to


, and for benchmarking existing product systems. at $ 10 per month for students and $ 58 per month for professionals, plus a free 30 - day trial, it ' s also highly accessible. greenfly remains free, though there are plans to move to subscription - based licensing. however, its interface doesn ' t presently allow a comparison of two scenarios side - by - side. for schools or companies with a solidworks license, the advanced version, which allows users to specify projections for the use phase, is more useful than the xpress version. contact your local reseller for a price. both gabi and simapro are ideal for companies or graduate students requiring access to larger databases of materials and processes, different impact methodologies, and increased options to view impact results. pricing greatly depends on the size of the databases included, so it ' s best to check the company ' s website. temporary licenses are available and educational versions are discounted ( or free in the case of gabi ). whatever your preference, all of these tools offer greater access to information at critical points in the design process. they empower designers to make meaningful changes that reduce the impacts of products on humans and our environment, at all scales. this helps bring lca to the fore of the discipline, promoting its adoption as an important practice in the design process. lloyd hicks is the founder of new leaf strategic consulting. he teaches part - time at the new school and pratt institute.


microsoft office 2010 ( 5 courses ) microsoft office 2010 improves on office 2007 to make your working day even more efficient and effective. new image - editing tools help you design documents that stand out from the crowd. new social networking tools help you connect with colleagues. you can post documents to the internet, and then view or edit those documents through a web browser or mobile phone. you can embed and edit videos within slide presentations, and turn slide presentations into videos themselves. you can track trends in spreadsheet data with new filtering and visualization tools. flash and audio provide animated, interactive lesson introductions, activities, and simulations. audio accompanies each lesson page throughout the course. mindnotes provide printable quick - reference sheets and other files to be used as learners apply their skills on the job. show me hows allow learners to access instructional demonstrations from all courses in the series. simulations teach learners to perform specific tasks in applications through guided, multi - step exercises. activities allow learners to apply course concepts in an interactive questioning environment. full - page images allow learners to experience an application as if it were open on their computer. exercises allow learners to practice in the actual application being studied. a course topics list contains active hyperlinks, permitting quick access to specific topics. find - a - word allows learners to look up an unfamiliar term in the glossary, on the web, or in a dictionary. in addition, it lets them find other occurrences of the term in the same course. search text enables learners to rapidly search all text within a course to easily retrieve information required. courses challenge the learner with a variety of question formats, including multi - step simulations, true / false, multiple choice, and fill - in - the - blank. a skill assessment generates a customized learning path based on the results of a pre - test. a glossary provides a reference for definitions of unfamiliar terms. bookmarking tracks the learner ' s progress in a course.


the battle of stones river : the soldiers ' story - - by looking at the battle of stones river : the soldiers ' story, students recall one of the civil war ' s bloodiest battles as told in eyewitness and personal accounts. those interested in learning more will find that the internet offers a variety of interesting materials. battle of stones river resources : stones river national battlefield stones river national battlefield is a unit of the national park system. visit the park ' s web pages for more information about the park and stones river national cemetery. the civil war preservation trust the civil war preservation trust web pages provide an account of the of stones river, including links to extensive biographies on both confederate gen. braxton bragg and union gen. william s. rosecrans. civil war resources : the american battlefield protection program : the american battlefield protection program, a division of the national park service, provides detailed on - line publications featuring different topics in the civil war. included is a battle summary of the battle of stones river. national park service civil war website visit the official national park service civil war web site. offering the current generation of americans an opportunity to know, discuss, and commemorate this country ' s greatest national crisis, while at the same time exploring its enduring relevance in the present, the website includes a variety of helpful features and links such as the about the civil war page that offers a timeline and stories from various perspectives. also included are links to civil war parks, nps education programs, and much more. historic places honoring those who served the national register of historic places online itinerary civil war era national cemeteries : honoring those who served commemorates the 150th anniversary of the civil war. this itinerary explains where the idea of national cemeteries came from and their meaning today. civil war soldiers & sailors system the national park service ' s civil war soldiers & sailors system is a recently created database containing facts about civil war servicemen, lists of civil war regiments, and descriptions of significant civil war battles. also on this site is a descriptive history of african - americans in the civil war. library of congress the library of congress created a selected civil war photographic history in their " american memory " collection. included on the site is a photographic timeline of the civil war covering major events for each year of the war. the united states civil war center louisiana state university maintains a civil war center that locates, indexes, and makes available all appropriate private and public data on the internet regarding the civil war. the site features over 4, 500 links that promote the study of the


" during the earthquake i couldn ' t walk, i couldn ' t stand. i held on to a tree as the ground swayed, " says murni, a 51 - year - old woman living in a village in west sumatra, indonesia. " my head hurt from the shaking. " though murni and her family made it through the september 2009 quake alive, their house collapsed. for weeks they lived in their yard under plastic sheeting. across the palm - dotted countryside, thousands of villagers were doing the same. all in all, the earthquake affected almost a million indonesians, many of whom make a meager living farming rice or coconuts. some villagers ' houses were still standing, and looked okay. but telltale diagonal cracks and falling plaster showed that the homes were unsafe. the government determined that 249, 000 were damaged. few villagers were willing to risk sleeping in the old structures. living next to the ruins of their houses, villagers tried to salvage materials like doors to build new homes. but they rarely had enough to make a safe, livable building. knowing that their needs would vary based on which scrap materials they could save, catholic relief services ' partner walhi designed an innovative shelter program to help villagers help themselves. building safe homes the program gives cash grants to eligible villagers so they can create a " pondok " — a small transitional shelter that is durable and comfortable. beneficiaries can use the money for roofing, walls, cement, carpentry work and more. the program also ensures that the pondoks can withstand future shocks. in the island nation of indonesia, where minor and major tremors strike every few months, constructing quakeproof homes is a straightforward matter of life and death. the first few feet of a house can be built with concrete or bricks, but the upper half of the walls should be made out of lightweight material like wooden planks or tough woven reeds. bracing the corners of the house and creating a stable foundation are also critical. the home of anise, 44, is a stark reminder of why building materials matter. she was cooking when the quake struck, and immediately ran out of her kitchen, whose walls were made entirely of stone. the kitchen crumbled down, along with a brick wall that might have buried her son if he had woken up from his nap five minutes later than he did. much of the rest of her house — the wooden parts — stayed standing, though the house is still not safe enough to live in. rebuilding entire communities anise didn '


son if he had woken up from his nap five minutes later than he did. much of the rest of her house — the wooden parts — stayed standing, though the house is still not safe enough to live in. rebuilding entire communities anise didn ' t take advantage of the crs shelter program just for her own family ; she joined a committee that helps her neighbors apply for pondok grants and ensures the money is spent as intended. outside her new wooden home hangs a large crs banner, telling villagers how to get started with the program. " if it weren ' t for crs, my family would still be living in a tent, " she says. she wants the families around her to have better options too. when families are identified as eligible — meaning their house is unsafe — they receive the first installment of cash, plus instructions on how to build sturdy pondoks. when they ' ve made progress, they receive the second installment. the total amount is slightly over $ 250. at one cash distribution, a crowd of more than 100 people chatters as crs staff arrive. one by one, villagers come forward with their id cards and vouchers, sign their names or leave a thumbprint, and receive the money and a poster about safe shelters. jawiya, an 80 - year - old grandmother, is using the cash to pay for cement, timber and labor. her husband is disabled — when the quake struck, he crawled out of their old house because his legs are paralyzed. jawiya herself is frail, so help from construction workers is a necessity. safety and security midway through the building process, crs staff visit homes and run down a checklist of questions, including " are the walls and frame plumb? " and " are the corners braced? " people ' s attitudes have been changing about brick houses, which were once seen as a status symbol. " they know now to pick wood and not bricks, " says wahyu widayanto, crs ' community mobilization manager. more than 11, 000 quake - affected families have roofs over their heads as a result of the crs program. no longer forced to choose between sleeping in an unstable ruin or sleeping exposed in their yards, " they feel safer, " says widayanto. ramuni, a disabled woman who walks with great difficulty, managed to hobble out of her house when the quake hit. after three months in a tent and time at her in - laws ' house, she now has a home she doesn ' t need to be afraid of


foreign students are an economic asset to the american educational system. they also introduce a welcomed diversity to the lives of their peers. students pursuing academic degrees are generally given f - 1 visas. those enrolled in vocational institutions receive m - 1 visas. spouses and children of these visa holders may be eligible for visas and entry for the same length of time as the student. admission to the united states as an f - 1 student will generally be for the amount of time they ' re pursuing a full course of study in any educational program. this time period will also include an additional 60 days to give the student time to leave the united states. an m - 1 student will be admitted to the u - s for the period of time necessary to complete the course of study plus 30 days, or for a period of one year, whichever is less. students who are part of an exchange program involving study, receive j - 1 visas. often, there ' s a two - year home residence requirement for anyone who ' s in the united states on a j - 1 visa. this means that the student must return to his or her home country for at least two years before applying for a different immigration status in the united states. to obtain a student visa, you must first be accepted by an accredited institution, get an i - 20 - a - b form from the institution, and document your financial ability to attend the school without employment. there ' s a relatively complex set of rules which apply only to foreign students. these rules must be followed in order to maintain your status. usually, your foreign student advisor at school can help you. for more information, contact an attorney qualified as a specialist, in this area of the law.


heat rash is an annoying condition that occurs when a person is exposed to extremely warm temperatures. people who work outdoors or reside in humid, warm climates are more prone to getting heat rash. as the skin begins to sweat under clothing, the layers of garment may disrupt this process, causing sweat to become trapped and skin to chafe as it rubs against damp clothes. the result can be prickly, red bumps that rise up on the skin ' s surface. there are several ways to avoid heat rash, and ways to treat it at home, if you have to contend with this condition. one of the best ways to avoid a rash is to avoid heat and sweating. whenever possible, stay indoors during the summer, especially during the hottest part of the day. when it ' s not possible to stay indoors, dress in light layers. sweating is the body ' s natural cooling mechanism, and allowing this process to occur with minimal interruption will help. if heat rash occurs, thankfully, it will heal on its own given time. there are, however, several things you can do to relieve the discomfort and aid in faster healing in the meantime. - cool skin down by showering in cool water, applying ice packs, or sitting in air conditioned spaces. - soothe skin by taking a bath with colloidal oatmeal, which has soothing properties. - air dry skin rather than towel dry to minimize irritation. - apply a powder, such as gold bond, talcum, or baking soda to absorb moisture and soothe chafed skin. - apply a healing lotion or gel, such as calamine or aloe vera. once heat rash has developed, it will usually dissipate quickly, but individuals with more sensitive skin may take longer to see complete relief. during the healing process, follow the above regimen daily and avoid scratching the skin.


emeka barclay, a seventh - and eighth - grade language arts teacher, and scott smith, a seventh - grade civics teacher, teamed up to involve their students in a project based learning project. project based learning is a teaching tool that incorporates four skills – collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking, and requires students to work together to produce a presentation that reflects what they have learned. “ pbl takes major elements in curriculum standards and objectives and use them to answer questions about what they have learned to produce projects, ” barclay said, “ and to see relevance of what they have learned and apply it in life. ” smith ’ s students took part in the project by producing public service announcements and airing them on local media outlets. students also were responsible for writing thank you notes, smith said. the student - led program featured students welcoming and explaining pbl. student logan lackey introduced a video capturing students involved in their project. the video showcased the skills employed to produce the project and how they were able to apply the principles they learned in their studies into what the video described as “ real life experience ” and results. while responsible for planning the presentation, students also brought canned goods, clothing and toys, and encouraged others to make contributions. students named the canned food drive “ tiny tim ’ s kitchen ” after the main character in charles dickens ’ “ a christmas carol. ” “ anne ’ s toy chest ” is taken from lucy maud montgomery ’ s book “ anne of green gables. ” anne shirley is an orphan and is the central character. barclay announced to students, teachers, parents and guests gathered in the school auditorium that over 700 canned goods, over 200 toys and over 200 clothing items were donated. “ this exceeded my expectations, ” barclay said. “ this will be a yearly thing. we will contribute to our community every year. ” as student chance butts presented the canned goods he said, “ no one should have to lay their head down and be hungry. ” on behalf of safe, lecia whiteside said, “ i am so happy to receive these donations. your gracious giving will help a lot of children in talladega county. ” care house representative lisa wood thanked the students for their generosity and said, “ with your hard work we will start 2013 with full shelves. ” principal judson warlick said he appreciated the hard work of the seventh - and eighth - graders and thanked them for their effort. after the presentation, smith said the driving need of the project was to involve students in helping others. “ we wanted


oceanic and atmospheric administration ' s ( noaa ) most of the climate report, released on september 8, claims that the summer of 2010 was the summer on record for the united states. noaa has been conducting the state of the climate report since 1895, taking factors into account such as storm patterns, precipitation and temperature. results are compiled at noaa ' s national climatic data center in the lower 48 states, only seven had normal temperatures through the months of june, july and august. 10 were classified as " above normal, " 29 were " much above normal, " and two were the summer of 2010, 10 states experienced their warmest summer ever. these states were alabama, georgia, south carolina, tennessee, north carolina, virginia, maryland, delaware, new jersey and rhode island. the southeast had their warmest summer ever while the northeast had their fourth warmest and the central states had their third warmest. above normal warmth occurred mostly on the eastern side of the country, setting temperature records in cities like asheville, nc, tallahassee, fl, wilmington, de, tenton, nj, philadelphia and new trends were off as well. for the first five months of the year, the upper midwest received no rainfall. when the summer months hit, heavy rainfall swarmed the area. states like minnesota, south dakota, nebraska, illinois, iowa and michigan had their wettest summer in the top 10 this year, while wisconsin experienced their wettest yet with 6. 91 inches of rainfall above average. on the other hand, the mid - atlantic and southeast experienced below average levels of precipitation due to a lack of tropical weather activity and a high far as weather goes, minnesota is set to break its record of 74 tornado ' s from 2001 while wildfires have settled down in the western states due to milder weather. of the climate report for august can be seen here.


we have run numerous articles about school districts banning chocolate - and strawberry - flavored milk on lunch lines. against this backdrop, it is interesting to note what is happening in los angeles. last fall, the los angeles unified school district eliminated flavored milk in an effort to promote better eating habits in children. besides flavored milk, the district eliminated chicken nuggets, corn dogs, nachos and other foods perceived to be high in sodium, fat or sugar. the initiative flopped. according to this item by two professors at cornell university, instead of making kids healthier by substituting in healthy items like fresh pears and vegetable curry, “ there have been reports of a thriving trade in black - market junk food, of pizzas delivered to side doors and of family - sized bags of chips being brought from home. “ garbage cans are filling up with the more nutritious food, even if kids aren ’ t, ” say the professors, who are co - directors of the cornell center for behavioral economics in child nutrition programs. now there is word that los angeles officials are relenting a bit and allowing some foods back in, such as hamburgers and pizza. flavored milk won ’ t be returning, however. regardless of where flavored milk fits into the equation, there is a larger point : you can ’ t force kids to eat foods they don ’ t like. “ as the los angeles example makes clear, trying to teach students to eat more healthful foods by removing other choices can backfire, ” say the cornell professors, david just and brian wansink. “ when children ( or even adults ) feel restricted or forced into a decision, they naturally rebel, ” the professors said. it will be interesting to watch how this plays out as the u. s. department of agriculture implements new standards for school meals, which were announced in late january. the government will require schools to offer 8 ounces of milk with each school lunch or breakfast. but low - fat flavored milks are out. any flavored milk needs to be fat - free. “ eliminating low - fat flavored milks, which kids like, and still allowing a wide variety a la carte beverages like juice beverages, sports drinks and soda at schools will reduce milk consumption, ” says connie tipton, ceo of the international dairy foods association. certainly, there are unintended consequences when you start telling people what they can or cannot eat or drink.


year end is always a time of forecasts and predictions, and technology giant ibm is wading in with its fifth annual “ next five in five, ” its list of innovations that have the potential to change the way people work, live and play over the next five years. the list, according to ibm, is based on market and societal trends as well as on emerging technologies percolating in ibm ’ s global labs. here ’ s what big blue sees in our future as part of its drive towards a “ smarter planet ” : hanging out in 3 - d. in the next five years, ibm says 3 - d interfaces, like those in the movies, will let people interact with 3 - d holograms in real time. the trend, enabled by more sophisticated and miniaturized 3 - d holographic cameras finding their way into cell phones as well as new video chat capabilities along the lines of 3 - d telepresence, will let give people new ways of interacting with photos, browsing the web or chatting with friends. scientists at ibm research are working on new ways to visualize 3 - d data, including technology that would allow engineers to step inside designs of everything from buildings to software programs, running simulations of how diseases spread across interactive 3 - d globes, and visualizing trends happening around the world on twitter – all in real time and with little to no distortion. battery power. ibm says scientific advances in transistors and battery technology over the next five years will allow devices to last about 10 times longer than they do today. in some cases, ibm predicts batteries may disappear altogether in smaller devices. how can that happen? the way ibm explains it, in lieu of the heavy lithium - ion batteries used today, scientists are working on batteries that use the air we breath to react with energy - dense metal, eliminating a key inhibitor to longer lasting batteries. if successful, the result will be a lightweight, powerful and rechargeable battery capable of powering everything from electric cars to consumer devices. ibm prognosticators are even going as far as to suggest the elimination of batteries all together by rethinking the basic building block of electronic devices, the transistor. ibm is aiming to reduce the amount of energy per transistor to less than 0. 5 volts, making batteries obsolete in some devices like mobile phones or e - readers. these devices could leverage a concept called energy scavenging, used today in some watches, which would let them charge by simple movements like shaking.


than 0. 5 volts, making batteries obsolete in some devices like mobile phones or e - readers. these devices could leverage a concept called energy scavenging, used today in some watches, which would let them charge by simple movements like shaking. we ’ re all data collectors. ibm says that in five years, sensors in phones, cars, wallets and even tweets will collect data that will give scientists a real - time picture of the environment. this data will be leveraged to fight global warming, save endangered species or track invasive plants or animals that threaten ecosystems around the world. in the next five years, ibm says a whole class of “ citizen scientists ” will emerge, using simple sensors that already exist to create massive data sets for research. personalized commutes. in the next five years, advanced analytics technologies will provide personalized recommendations that get commuters where they need to go in the fastest time. adaptive traffic systems will intuitively learn traveler patterns and behavior to provide more dynamic travel safety and route information to travelers than is available today. specifically, ibm researchers are developing new models that will predict the outcomes of varying transportation routes to provide information that goes well beyond traditional traffic reports, which ibm researchers say only indicate where you are already located in a traffic jam, and web - based applications that only give estimated travel time in traffic. using new mathematical models and ibm ’ s predictive analytics technologies, the researchers will analyze and combine multiple possible scenarios that can affect commuters to deliver the best routes for daily travel, including many factors, such as traffic accidents, commuter ’ s location, current and planned road construction, most traveled days of the week, expected work start times and local events, including weather, that may impact traffic. computers : the new energy source. ibm is working innovations in computers and data centers, including its novel on - chip - water - cooling systems, which will enable the excessive heat and energy that data centers give off to be redeployed to do things like heat buildings in the winter and power air conditioning in the summer. ibm officials point to a pilot project in switzerland involving a computer system fitted with the technology as a prime example. the project is expected to save up to 30 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, the equivalent of an 85 percent carbon footprint reduction.


in isis unveiled, h. p. blavatsky wrote : if the pythagorean metempsychosis should be thoroughly explained and compared with the modern theory of evolution, it would be found to supply every " missing link " in the chain of the latter. but who of our scientists would consent to lose his precious time over the vagaries of the ancients. notwithstanding proofs to the contrary, they not only deny that the nations of the archaic periods, but even the ancient philosophers had any positive knowledge of the heliocentric system. the " venerable bedes, " the augustines and lactantii appear to have smothered, with their dogmatic ignorance, all faith in the more ancient theologists of the pre - christian centuries. but now philology and a closer acquaintance with sanskrit literature have partially enabled us to vindicate them from these unmerited imputations. in the vedas, for instance, we find positive proof that so long ago as 2000 b. c., the hindu sages and scholars must have been acquainted with the rotundity of our globe and the heliocentric system. hence, pythagoras and plato knew well this astronomical truth ; for pythagoras obtained his knowledge [ [ vol. 1, page ] ] 10 the veil of isis. in india, or from men who had been there, and plato faithfully echoed his teachings. we will quote two passages from the aitareya brahmana : in the " serpent - mantra, " * the brahmana declares as follows : that this mantra is that one which was seen by the queen of the serpents, sarpa - rajni ; because the earth ( iyam ) is the queen of the serpents, as she is the mother and queen of all that moves ( sarpat ). in the beginning she ( the earth ) was but one head ( round ), without hair ( bald ), i. e., without vegetation. she then perceived this mantra which confers upon him who knows it, the power of assuming any form which he might desire. she " pronounced the mantra, " i. e., sacrificed to the gods ; and, in consequence, immediately obtained a motley appearance ; she became variegated, and able to produce any form she might like, changing one form into another. this mantra begins with the words : " ayam gauh pris ' nir akramit " ( x., 189 ). the


became variegated, and able to produce any form she might like, changing one form into another. this mantra begins with the words : " ayam gauh pris ' nir akramit " ( x., 189 ). the description of the earth in the shape of a round and bald head, which was soft at first, and became hard only from being breathed upon by the god vayu, the lord of the air, forcibly suggests the idea that the authors of the sacred vedic books knew the earth to be round or spherical ; moreover, that it had been a gelatinous mass at first, which gradually cooled off under the influence of the air and time. so much for their knowledge about our globe ' s sphericity ; and now we will present the testimony upon which we base our assertion, that the hindus were perfectly acquainted with the heliocentric system, at least 2000 years b. c. in the same treatise the hotar, ( priest ), is taught how the shastras should be repeated, and how the phenomena of sunrise and sunset are to be explained. it says : " the agnishtoma is that one ( that god ) who burns. the sun never sets nor rises. when people think the sun is setting, it is not so ; they are mistaken. for after having arrived at the end of the day, it produces two opposite effects, making night to what is below, and day to what is on the other side. when they ( the people ) believe it rises in the morning, the sun only does thus : having reached the end of the night, it makes itself produce two opposite effects, making day to what is below, and night to what is on the other side. in fact the sun never sets ; nor does it set for him who has such a knowledge.... " * * this sentence is so conclusive, that even the translator of the rig - veda, dr. haug, was forced to remark it. he says this passage contains " the denial of the existence of sunrise and sunset, " and that the author supposes the sun " to remain always in its high position. " * * * * from the sanskrit text of the aitareya brahmanam. rig - veda, v., ch. ii., verse 23. * * aitareya brahmanam, book iii., c. v., 44. * * * ait. brahm., vol. ii.,


veda, v., ch. ii., verse 23. * * aitareya brahmanam, book iii., c. v., 44. * * * ait. brahm., vol. ii., p. 242. [ [ vol. 1, page ] ] 11 ancient astronomical calculations. in one of the earliest nivids, rishi kutsa, a hindu sage of the remotest antiquity, explains the allegory of the first laws given to the celestial bodies. for doing " what she ought not to do, " anahit ( anaitis or nana, the persian venus ), representing the earth in the legend, is sentenced to turn round the sun. the sattras, or sacrificial sessions * prove undoubtedly that so early as in the eighteenth or twentieth century b. c., the hindus had made considerable progress in astronomical science. the sattras lasted one year, and were " nothing but an imitation of the sun ' s yearly course. they were divided, says haug, into two distinct parts, each consisting of six months of thirty days each ; in the midst of both was the vishuvan ( equator or central day ), cutting the whole sattras into two halves, etc. " * * this scholar, although he ascribes the composition of the bulk of the brahmanas to the period 1400 - 1200 b. c., is of opinion that the oldest of the hymns may be placed at the very commencement of vedic literature, between the years 2400 - 2000, b. c. he finds no reason for considering the vedas less ancient than the sacred books of the chinese. as the shu - king or book of history, and the sacrificial songs of the shi - king, or book of odes, have been proved to have an antiquity as early as 2200, b. c., our philologists may yet be compelled before long to acknowledge, that in astronomical knowledge, the antediluvian hindus were their masters.


i know i say it and i ’ m sure you have heard others say it, “ when eating fruits and veggies, pick the colorful produce because they are the most nutrient - dense. ” while this statement is very true, it unfortunately leaves out a very plainly colored, but healthy veggie, the mushroom. people enjoy mushrooms for its versatility in foods, from a pizza topping, to an ingredient in soup, pastas, meat dishes, and more. mushrooms offer many essential nutrients ( a nutrient required for normal body functioning that cannot be synthesized by the body and thus must be obtained from a dietary source ), including : - b vitamins riboflavin and niacin - pantothenic acid - plus antioxidants selenium and ergothioneine - a good amount of potassium - white button mushrooms are a surprising and commonly unrecognized source of vitamin d the mushroom provides you with all these great nutrients and only 20 calories! as mentioned above, mushrooms provide you with selenium, but according to the american dietetic association, mushrooms are actually the leading source of selenium in the fruit and veggie aisle. this powerful antioxidant ( selenium ) helps fight off dangerous free radicals that are responsible for cellular damage, which contributes to cancer and other chronic diseases. to incorporate this nutrient - dense veggie, try some of the following recipe ideas : - slice and saute mushrooms to top a pizza, pasta dish, omelet or have a mushroom quesadilla - sauteed veggies go great with cooked poultry, beef, or veggie dishes - in place of a hamburger, try a portabella cap veggie burger remember there are a variety of mushrooms to pick from and add to your meals. some include white button mushrooms, brown ( crimini ) mushrooms, portabellas, enoki mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, maitakes, and shiitake mushrooms. try them all to find your favorites. more information on mushrooms can be found in a pdf from the american dietetic association website. march 20th, 2009


zombie fungus rears its ugly head photograph courtesy david hughes a stalk of the newfound fungus species ophiocordyceps camponoti - balzani, grows out of a " zombie " ant ' s head in a brazilian rain forest. originally thought to be a single species, called ophiocordyceps unilateralis, the fungus is actually four distinct species — all of which can " mind control " ants — scientists announced wednesday. the fungus species can infect an ant, take over its brain, and then kill the insect once it moves to a location ideal for the fungi to grow and spread their spores. ( related pictures : " " zombie " ants controlled, decapitated by flies. " ) all four known fungi species live in brazil ' s atlantic rain forest, which is rapidly changing due to climate change and deforestation, said study leader david hughes, an entomologist at penn state university. hughes and colleagues made the discovery after noticing a wide diversity of fungal growths emerging from ant victims, according to the march 2, 2011 study in the journal plos one. " it is tempting to speculate that each species of fungus has its own ant species that it is best adapted to attack, " hughes said. " this potentially means thousands of zombie fungi in tropical forests across the globe await discovery, " he said. " we need to ramp up sampling — especially given the perilous state of the environment. "


graph the asymptote of a tangent function an asymptote is a line that helps give direction to a graph of a trigonometry function. this line isn ’ t part of the function ’ s graph ; rather, it helps determine the shape of the curve by showing where the curve tends toward being a straight line — somewhere out there. asymptotes are usually indicated with dashed lines to distinguish them from the actual function. the asymptotes for the graph of the tangent function are vertical lines that occur regularly, each of them π, or 180 degrees, apart. they separate each piece of the tangent curve, or each complete cycle from the next. the equations of the tangent ’ s asymptotes are all of the form where n is an integer. under that stipulation for n, the expression 2n + 1 always results in an odd number. by replacing n with various integers, you get lines such as the reason that asymptotes always occur at these odd multiples of is because those points are where the cosine function is equal to 0. as such, the domain of the tangent function includes all real numbers except the numbers that occur at these asymptotes. the preceding figure shows what the asymptotes look like when graphed alone. the first figure isn ’ t all that exciting, but it does show how many times the tangent function repeats its pattern. now take a look at the second preceding figure, which shows one cycle of the tangent function on a graph. the tangent values go infinitely high as the angle measure approaches 90 degrees. the values go infinitely low as the angle measure approaches – 90 degrees. in the third figure, there is more of the tangent on a graph, asymptotes included, to give you a better idea of what ’ s going on. as you can see, the tangent function repeats its values over and over. the main difference between this function and the sine and cosine functions is that the tangent has all these breaks between the cycles. as you move from left to right, the tangent appears to go up to positive infinity. it actually disappears at the top of the graph and then picks up again at the bottom, where the values come from negative infinity. graphing calculators and other graphing utilities don ’ t usually show the graph disappearing at the top, so it ’ s up to you to know what ’ s actually happening, even though the picture may not look exactly that


banders are responsible for ensuring that they have all valid permits and licences, in addition to their federal scientific permit to capture and band birds, that may be necessary for their project. federal banding permits will be issued without confirmation that all authorizations have been obtained, but the permits are valid only if the other necessary permits or authorizations have been obtained. additional permits which you may require include but are not limited to the following : - provincial or territorial banding permits : some migratory birds such as owls, hawks, falcons, and eagles require provincial banding permits in addition to federal scientific permits to capture and band migratory birds. ptarmigan, quail, pheasants, and grouse are excluded from the north american bird banding program because they are non - migratory. contact your local provincial or territorial authority regarding these species. - other provincial and territorial permits : many of canada ' s provinces and territories have wildlife legislation that requires those who work with wildlife to hold appropriate permits. it is advisable to check with the provincial or territorial authorities where you will be banding to ensure that you have all necessary permits in place. - protected areas banding permit : banding in a provincial / territorial park or protected area may require approval or permits from the provincial / territorial government. authorization to band in provincial or territorial protected areas may be obtained through provincial conservation officers. if you will be banding in a national park, please contact the local park superintendent for a research permit. authorization to band in federal migratory bird sanctuaries or national wildlife areas may be requested from your cws regional office. telemetry : applicants wishing to use radio - telemetry must have a permit from industry canada. contact your nearest regional office for more information. federal scientific permits : if the project involves collection of biological material such as blood samples or eggs, banders must hold a federal scientific permit specifically for these activities as well as a federal scientific permit to capture and band migratory birds. contact your cws regional permits officer for more permit details. species at risk : applicants wishing to band a threatened or endangered migratory bird listed under the species at risk act must apply for a sara permit from the bird banding office. animal care committee approval : all banding projects involving fitted collars, nasal saddles, patagial / wing tags, or radio and satellite transmitters or other auxiliary markers other than colour bands must be approved by an animal care committee. banding permits outside of north america : the bird banding office issues permits to canadians conducting banding projects on


with 40 - hour - plus work weeks the norm and no signs of that trend reversing, seeing well in the office at any time of day or night is necessary to get the job done. illumination in the office can mean a combination of different types of light, artificial and natural. but the big story in lighting centers on new products and control systems that bring the discipline to the forefront of commercial integration. just as heating, ventilating and air - conditioning ( hvac ) has become one with building management and energy savings, lighting has stepped up to take its place as part of the integrated control environment. it makes perfect sense. most of a building ’ s energy costs come from the use of lighting. statistics continue to show uncon - trolled lighting can raise the temperature inside the building and cause hvac systems to operate more frequently. lighting also has become closely tied to energy efficiency and the green building movement, epitomized in the leadership in energy and environmental design ( leed ) program administered by the u. s. green building council, washington, d. c. there are other drivers of widespread changes in lighting. depending on the location and the type of facility, local or state energy codes may be mandated, and usage must be curbed inside and out — such as the case with the dark - sky initiatives, which are part of a movement to avoid the effects upward lighting has on the environment. up to the task lighting for commercial offices takes many different forms and performs multiple functions. the end application for deployed lighting is critical. task areas require high illumination, both direct and indirect, but the amount of light, of course, depends on the nature of the business. lighting should not interfere with computer screens by causing unwanted glare. close work on production tables or other processing areas must illuminate clearly and evenly. office areas with displays or showrooms need task lighting and illumination, which puts light on key areas of the facility. proper deployment of lighting is a science. the key performance characteristic of a light source is its output or lumen rat - ing. the intensity distribution or candle power also must be known, and many variables must be considered. numerous re - sources are available to the electrical contractor ( see box on page 92 ). one study of task lighting in offices conducted by the national research council ( nrc ) canada suggests office workers prefer to have light on all room surfaces, not just on their desks, which may be due to low levels of ambient lighting and high levels of task lighting, creating uncomfortable lighting conditions


by the national research council ( nrc ) canada suggests office workers prefer to have light on all room surfaces, not just on their desks, which may be due to low levels of ambient lighting and high levels of task lighting, creating uncomfortable lighting conditions. according to nrc, it found no link between organizational productivity and vertical surface brightness. however, their studies have demonstrated that when lighting conditions differ from occupant preferences, there can be a negative impact on comfort and satisfaction. task or ambient light for office buildings has been a staple of design for many decades ; fluorescent or metal halide use has been the primary components of these markets. they still hold their own, providing lighting integral to work spaces and buildings. but these disciplines have evolved into lamps, ballasts and controls that can save energy by being dimmable or being able to shut down quickly and return to service at a moment ’ s notice or within a preset time. a ballast supplies the ini - tial electricity that creates the light and then regulates the amount of electricity flowing through the appliance, so the lamp emits the right amount of light. ballasts also are integral to the use of occupancy sensors, and instant - start types are not rec - ommended for use with these detectors. new developments in fluorescent and high - intensity discharge ( hid ) ballast technology focus on improved system perform - ance, control capability for dimming, daylighting integration, energy management functions, and solutions to some long - standing problems that occur when certain lamps reach end of life, such as those containing mercury. the most energy - efficient fixtures, according to the american council for an energy efficient economy, are t8 or t5 fluorescent lamps, low - wattage and ceramic metal halide lamps, white leds or electronic ballasts. according to tom leonard, director of marketing and product management, leviton lighting management systems, tuala - tin, ore., fluorescent lighting is still the unsung hero of efficiency. “ fluorescent lighting is definitely not a ‘ shop light ’ anymore, ” he said. “ users need to know that it ’ s not just cool white bulbs anymore. there ’ s a perception on the part of many that all fluorescents look like that. fluorescent lighting provides high performance and a reasonable cost and a wide array of different tones, ” he said. because fluorescent lamps don ’ t use heat to create light, they are far more energy - efficient than incandescent bulbs. but how do they compare to leds? “


a reasonable cost and a wide array of different tones, ” he said. because fluorescent lamps don ’ t use heat to create light, they are far more energy - efficient than incandescent bulbs. but how do they compare to leds? “ leds will become more cost - effective once efficiency targets are reached on a production scale and economies of scale are realized, ” leonard said. “ in office lighting, leds are the next advancement. their high efficiency makes them perfect for task lighting, ” he said. continued production is needed for the price to drop to lower levels, leonard said. ge consumer & industrial, cleveland, is working on a number of next - generation products, including white leds, which are near the illumination strength of incandescent and provide a true white light versus blue. they are smaller - than - ever t2 com - pact fluorescents and high efficiency incandescent lighting comparable to cfls, which ge plans to roll out in 2009, accord - ing to michael petras, vice president of lighting and electrical distribution. in leds, there are downlight and cove light appli - cations, and these products will see more application in task operations, especially as their price tumbles. lighting, like many other solutions, is definitely driven by the use of the computer in the office environment. “ if it ’ s done right, you can direct lighting properly for the application, ” petras said. “ there ’ s a lot of indirect lighting be - ing used with task and direct. there ’ s even task lighting built into office furniture. a key trend is that you don ’ t need to put everything in the ceiling to get the right lighting. ” another trend, he said, is the development of fixtures that produce more daylight - like light, such as ceramic metal halide. another growing trend in the area of commercial office building lighting is the use of lighting control subpanels, according to scott jordan, product marketing manager - lighting controls for square d / schneider electric, nashville. these panels can be installed in an out - of - the - way place, such as a ceiling. best of both worlds “ outfitting a conference room or suite with a light - level sensor, for example, allows a lighting control subpanel to automati - cally dim lights to capitalize on available natural light. plus, using lighting control subpanels can reduce cost for wire / conduit and can make labor easier for a contractor by being able to run circuits to the subpan


##mati - cally dim lights to capitalize on available natural light. plus, using lighting control subpanels can reduce cost for wire / conduit and can make labor easier for a contractor by being able to run circuits to the subpanel and not all the way back to the panelboard. ” jordan said another trend is load shedding. load shedding, he said, is a concept where selected electrical loads, including lighting, in a commercial building are reduced during various times of a day because of a desire to save energy or due to a utility request. “ for example, lighting can be dimmed a certain percentage during times when traffic is lighter, thus reducing energy costs. in more extreme circumstances, the local power utility may demand that a building owner / facility manager reduce loads due to a strain on the power grid and the possibility of a brownout or blackout. “ multiple technologies are appropriate to achieve load shedding for commercial buildings, ” he said. “ whole - building, sched - ule - based lighting control system that are web - enabled provide perhaps the best opportunity to dim or turn off selected lighting loads because a facility manager is able to access the lighting control system via a common web browser, no matter the time of day or week. occupancy sensors can also play a significant role in load shedding due to the ability to automatically turn off lights in non - essential areas when no one is present. ” lighting is critical in office environments, but the real challenge is controlling it to raise energy efficiency while giving the user options in its operation. innovation by manufacturers continues to provide the right product that performs in an effi - cient manner and meets the application end use. ec o ’ mara is the president of dlo communications in park ridge, ill., specializing in low - voltage. she can be reached at 847. 384. 1916 or email @ example. com.


this lesson introduces the concept of monopoly. it calls upon students to consider how monopoly power might affect the quality and price of goods and services offered to consumers. in light of what they learn about the history of trusts and the sherman antitrust act, the students write editorials, stating and explaining their views about laws prohibiting monopolies. finally, students consider the effect that the internet has had on the potential of companies to become entrenched as monopolies in our national and global economies. - define monopoly. - explain the market power that monopolies can exert. - evaluate american laws prohibiting monopolies. this lesson is intended to help students will develop an understanding of economic monopolies. it introduces the sherman anti - trust act, which forbade the establishment and practices of economic monopolies in the united states. working as newspaper editorialists, students explain whether or not they believe that monopolies should be prohibited in free market economic systems. the students also consider the ways in which today ' s technological infrastructure has influenced the capacity of companies to establish themselves as monopolies. finally, the students create radio broadcasts explaining the nature of monopolies today. monopoly : this econedlink glossary provides a large number of definitions of economic concepts. monopoly defined : this page provides a print - out for students that defines monopolies. monopoly defined handout standard oil and the sherman anti - trust act : this econedlink worksheet provides information and questions for students to answer related to monopolies. student responses to editorials : this worksheet allows students to write if they felt that the editorial that they read was well - written or not. student responses to editorials edublogs : at this site, students and teachers can set up their own blogs and post their own editorials. technology and monopolies : this worksheet helps students to understand how advances in technology are related to monopolies. technology and monopolies odeo enterprise : this site allows students to create their own podcasts. creating a monopoly : this econedlink worksheet asks students to develop their own monopoly. creating a monopoly to begin this lesson, tell the students that you want to purchase a pen from somebody. ask whether any of them would be pen that they would be willing to sell. after the students have completed this short exercise ask them what they wrote willing to sell you a pen. tell them to write down on a piece of paper the price that they would charge for a pen - - using the down


would be willing to sell. after the students have completed this short exercise ask them what they wrote willing to sell you a pen. tell them to write down on a piece of paper the price that they would charge for a pen - - using the down. also ask them to help you decide which pen to purchase : what information should you think about in making your decision about which pen to purchase? the students may suggest that you should think about which pen you want, and that you should try to purchase it for the lowest possible price. if the students do not suggest these ideas on their own, raise them for the students. ask them to explain why these ideas make sense. now tell the students to imagine that one student in the class owned all of the pens in the classroom. and you have decided that you would buy a pen only from somebody in the class. ask them how this scenario might influence the price of the pen and the quality of the pen being sold. here you would like to thear the students state that if one person owned all of the pens, that person could charge more money for them and sell lower - quality pens. ask the students to explain why this is true. they should recognize that since only one person was selling pens, this individual would not have to worry about either the price set by other people or the quality of the pens that other people were selling. tell the students that this scenario is an example of a monopoly. now show the students the definition of monopoly and use it as a transparency. ask the students to explain this definition in their own words. then shift the discussion : ask the students if they think it is fair for monopolies to exist. urge them to support their opinions. as the students share their opinions take notes on the board. encourage the students to express ideas that both support and oppose monopolies. now tell students that they should learn how the u. s. government views economic monopolies. invite them to read and complete the worksheet entitled standard oil and the sherman anti - trust laws, available here. after the students have completed this work, reconvene the class. call on students to share their answers with one another. click here to view possible answers to the standard oil and sherman anti - trust laws worksheet. ask the students why companies might to be monopolies. help them understand that in a free - market economic system, people work to make money and companies exist to make profit : individual companies want to make as much profit as possible. certainly companies


. ask the students why companies might to be monopolies. help them understand that in a free - market economic system, people work to make money and companies exist to make profit : individual companies want to make as much profit as possible. certainly companies would love to be monopolies if this meant that they could make greater profits, as it most certainly would. ask the students how companies might try to become monopolies. there are several possible answers. companies might lower their prices in order to attract customers away from their competition. companies might also try to produce the best product or service available at the lowest cost in order to attract new customers. companies can also become monopolies by inventing new products and acquiring a patent to prevent others from copying their products. at times the government establishes monopolies when policy makers believe it is in the public ' s best interest. for example, municipalities typically grant monopoly status to electric companies since it would be too expensive for several electric companies to compete in the same community. when the government does establish monopolies, it typically regulates them to insure that they do not unfairly raise prices or lower quality. help the students understand that, without government regulation, companies that become monopolies may lower the quality of their products or services ( perhaps by spending less money producing them ), or they may raise the price of the goods and services that they sell. ask the students why companies might do this. the students should recognize that companies can reduce quality or raise prices if they no longer face competition. as appropriate refer to the pen - selling example to underscore this point. introduce the point that the u. s. government seeks in various ways to foster competition. help the students understand that while individual firms might want to be monopolies and enjoy the benefits of monopoly status u. s. government does not think that monopolies are good for our nation since monopolies can raise prices and lower the quality of goods and services. now introduce a writing assignment. tell the students that for the next part of this assignment they should pretend they are newspaper editorialists. to clarify the task, ask the students what they know about the job of a newspaper editorialist. if anybody states that editorialists write opinion pieces for the newspaper, underscore that response. if the students do not know this, tell them. remind the students, however, that editorialists cannot simply write their opinion and expect others to accept it. they must justify their opinions with high quality reasoning. remind the students that editors write