barack obama speaks of the time before the civil war, when the founding fathers made the declaration of independence. the declarations of independence were good, but not perfect, it had been left unfinished. the great question of slavery wasn ’ t properly answered. but separation isn ’ t over ; obama wants this generation to keep fighting for equal rights among gender, creed and color. obamas tells about his past, how he grew up with his white grandparents, in a very poor neighborhood, but still went to one of the best schools in america. the texts main themes are separation and hope. through the speech barack obama tires to give the american people the hope, that all can reach “ the american dream ”, if they are willing to work for it, and change the society, for an america there is open to all races and beliefs. the second theme separation is important for obama because, america has become more isolated among races and beliefs, even though america is a “ melting pot ” of different cultures. he wants to stop labels like majority and minority to be used, to describe a person ’ s place in society. he enhances his message by telling about his own childhood, and family, because he was raised with his white grandparents, in a very poor part of america, and still went to some of the best schools on america, which at the time he went to them, were the majority of the students at the finest schools white. he was a black man, who grew up with white people, in a black neighborhood. he communicates his message about tolerance mainly using ethos. he tells us about his childhood, where he grew up in a multicultural society. that makes us connect to him, and we begin to think, that he has a point, because he been in the good and bad part of america. therefore he must know what he is talking about, which also makes the mode of persuasion logos, because he speaks to our logic, by using his own childhood as an excellent argument. and last... [ continues ] cite this essay ( 2013, 01 ). barack obama : a more perfect union. studymode. com. retrieved 01, 2013, from http : / / www. studymode. com / essays / barack - obama - a - more - perfect - union - 1338610. html " barack obama : a more perfect union " studymode. com. 01 2013. 01 2013 < http : / / www. studymode. com / essays / barack - obama - a - more -


are you entangled in difficult relationships or painful emotions? do you suffer from childhood trauma? do you suffer from your parents ' drama, your partner ' s demands, your boss ' s moods? systemic solutions can help you untangle your life and reclaim your freedom. delay, prevent and reverse aging people are born with an energy for living that, unless continuously restored, will fade with age. after about age 25, unless care is taken to replenish energy, many people stop growing up and begin growing old. aging is optional and controllable for most motivated people, and degeneration may be delayed, and, in some cases, reversed. degenerated body tissues are unlikely to be replaced, except perhaps by major surgery. the degeneration of aged tissues is far easier to prevent than to repair. aging & life coaching the deterioration of bodily functions that accompany old age is often considered a one - way road towards suffering and death. although many theories explain one or two aspects of aging ; no single theory explains all aging phenomena. yet many changes associated with old age are not from natural aging - but from diseases which occur more frequently with increased age. with appropriate care, people can delay, prevent many of the problems of old age, and even reverse the aging process. systemic coaching can help you delay and prevent your fragmentation and loss of mental resources associated with ageing. as time passes, cellular damage accumulates and impairs the function of a tissue. if the damage interferes with metabolism, whole organs may malfunction. an example of this is adult - onset diabetes, which can often be controlled by diet and exercise. one theory of aging assumes that the life span of a cell or organism is genetically determined. another theory of aging assumes that cell death is the result of the formation of enzymes that do not work efficiently. yet another theory assumes that aging is due to the gradual accumulation of mutant cells that do not perform normally. ( the natural mutation may be increased dramatically by toxins, radiations and carcinogens associated with diseases of old age old age & the cardiovascular system the heart changes with advancing age, gradually losing muscle, and reducing in performance. heart diseases are the biggest cause of death after age 65. - the heart does not contract as rapidly in older people. in response to exercise, the heart can double or triple the amount of blood pumped, although the maximum output diminishes with age. - arteriosclerosis ( hardening of the arteries ) is a progressive disorder and is present in most people


response to exercise, the heart can double or triple the amount of blood pumped, although the maximum output diminishes with age. - arteriosclerosis ( hardening of the arteries ) is a progressive disorder and is present in most people by middle age, and increases markedly with age. - blood vessels become less elastic with age, with a progressive thickening of the walls of blood vessels. these changes may increase blood pressure, increasing the work of the heart. old age & digestion the overall digestion of sugar, proteins, vitamins, and minerals are similar to young people. most nutritional deficiencies can be avoided if the diet assures all nutritional elements. deficiencies are most likely to develop from poor eating habits, such as excessive sugars and refined flour. the loss of teeth in elderly people is often a result of long - term neglect. old age & the nervous system human behavior requires the brain to integrate information from the eye and ear, skin and internal organs. there is only a slight loss of brain cells in old age, however, brain cells are extremely sensitive to oxygen deficiency. consequently, it is likely that loss of brain cells results from heart disease, which reduces oxygen delivery to the brain. old age & vision from about age 50 there is an accelerated decline in the ability to discriminate detail, usually compensated for by spectacles and increased illumination. aging reduces the ability to focus the eyes for viewing near objects, so that distant objects can be seen more clearly than close objects. sensitivity to darkness and glare is also greater in the old than in the young, and the incidence of eye disease, such as glaucoma and cataracts, increases with age. a rare childhood disease is characterized by many aspects of aging, such as baldness and thin skin. children with this disease rarely usually die of old age - as teenagers. premature aging is associated with lifestyle - such as sunlight, smoking, alcohol and overeating. causes of aging people exposed to hard radiation die younger, although the only definite effect of continuous irradiation throughout life is cancer. diseases such as leukemia increase after irradiation. natural radioactivity in the body, from the earth and from cosmic rays, are not major contributors to aging, but increase the incidence of cancer. many organisms live longer at low temperatures. a rate - of - living theory holds that an organism ' s life span depends on critical substances that are used faster at higher temperatures. some aging may occur as a result of heat destruction of proteins, but this does


organisms live longer at low temperatures. a rate - of - living theory holds that an organism ' s life span depends on critical substances that are used faster at higher temperatures. some aging may occur as a result of heat destruction of proteins, but this does not seems to be a strong contributing factor. the psychological features of aging are impaired short - term memory and longer reaction times. yet some aged people become fearful and depressed, withdraw from social contact, or act like children to their own children. some aged people commit suicide or passively invite death with self - destructive, unhealthy lifestyle choices. elderly people can acquire new information and remember it as well as the young. age differences in learning increase with the difficulty of the material to be learned. people who “ age successfully ” often maintain their mental alertness by continuing to learn and by social contacts with younger people. stress. depression. suicide. anxiety parenthood and aging human life, including old age and death, is focused on successfully creating and raising children. old age is linked to the reproductive process. although the onset of old age is gradual, without specific systemic or environmental cause ; an early manifestation of age is a decline in sexual performance. the proportional contribution of an individual to a family or community diminishes as the number of living children increases. this implies an optimum number of children that reflects the survival of those children to maturity. in many developing countries, the number of living children is proportional to the food supply. before medical advances, an optimum number of children would balance those who could be expected to die from disease. in modern industrial countries, the optimum number of children reflects the beliefs and values of the parents. children, and later grandchildren, provide a natural focus and purpose for older people. in many cultures, there is a special relationship between grandparents and grandchildren. the children often gain indulgent " second parents ", while most grandparents enjoy caring for their children ' s children. advantages of aging in most traditional cultures, the elders represented the knowledge of the community, and were the teachers of the young. in western cultures, old people are often seen as liabilities, and inexperienced young adults teach " academic subjects " instead of the wisdom of life experience. if older relatives are perceived to limit the freedom of the young ; then " old folks homes " may be perceived older people tend to have more time and patience, acting as family and community mentors. they have seen more of life ; they have solved more problems and they are not so easily shocked. they have seen


swedish ngos reported 65 antisemitic incidents in 2004, mostly cases of harassment, but also 4 of physical assault. in a report rating intolerance among students in relation to jews, muslims, homosexuals and immigrants, the living history forum found a high degree of tolerance toward the jewish minority in sweden. the jewish community sweden has a jewish population of about 18, 000, or 0. 2 percent, out of a general population of 9 million. the majority, approximately 10, 000, live in the larger cities – stockholm, goteborg and malmo. smaller jewish communities can be found in boras, uppsala, norrkoping and helsingborg. the various communities are independent, but linked through the council of swedish jewish communities. a stockholm - based magazine, judisk kronika, appears bi - monthly, as well as tachless, the magazine of the jewish congregation. shechita ( jewish ritual slaughter ) is prohibited and kosher meat is imported from abroad. according to a report of the swedish animal welfare agency, while they saw no obstacles to the performance of ritual slaughter, the laws made it impossible for the time being. political organizations and groups since the 2002 elections when they won 1. 44 percent ( 76, 000 votes ) of the vote, the sverigedemokraterna ( sweden democrats – sd ) have remained the undisputed nationalist alternative in sweden and the single largest party outside parliament. more than half of the 50 seats they hold in local councils are located in the southern region of scania. sd propaganda focuses on three populist themes : anti - immigrant rhetoric claiming that immigrants are behind most violent crime and that muslim fundamentalism is a threat to swedish culture and the swedish judicial system ; conspiracy theories alleging that mainstream democratic organizations, the media and politicians are ‘ betraying ’ or ‘ selling out ’ the nation to a foreign ‘ army of occupation ’ – the immigrants ; and anti - european union campaigning in which the eu is perceived as a threat to democracy in europe. mikael jansson, the party chairman from 1995 till 2005, invested considerable effort into changing the fascist image of the party in order to make it more attractive to populist voters dissatisfied with the mainstream parties ( see asw 1998 / 9 ). however, the party has been plagued by power struggles in recent years. ( national democrats – nd ), have four seats in local councils in the greater stockholm area, are a breakaway group formed in 2001 by hardcore sd activists who were expelled after clashing with jansson ’


been plagued by power struggles in recent years. ( national democrats – nd ), have four seats in local councils in the greater stockholm area, are a breakaway group formed in 2001 by hardcore sd activists who were expelled after clashing with jansson ’ s faction over ‘ liberalization ’ of the party. the nd split in late summer 2004 following an internal power struggle and half the executive left, taking three of the local stockholm area seats with them. part of the conflict centered on handling of the ‘ jewish question ’, with the antisemitic line prevailing. the new leader, thomas johansson, is trying to rebuild the party. those who left returned to sd or moved to more hard - core neo - nazi organizations. the nd view the sd as their main enemy and are extremely contemptuous of former comrades and party leaders. although sweden remains a major producer of white power music, a growing portion of records, videos and other merchandise is sent to overseas markets. the nordic publishing house was the main white power propaganda disseminator in 2004, replacing nordland, owned by the late us white supremacist william pierce, and ragnarock records, run by erik blucher and blood & honour / scandanavia, which dominated in for many years the fastest growing national socialist organization in sweden, nationalsocialistisk front ( national socialist front – nsf ) suffered a serious setback in 2000 when its founder and charismatic party leader anders hogstrom left the nazi movement ( see asw 2001 / 2 ). the organization is now led by anders arleskog and daniel hoglund. in 2003 propaganda chief bjorn bjorkqvist also defected but in 2004 he returned to the party and remains influential. the vehemently anti - jewish nsf calls for a return to a more traditional national socialism, and has adopted much of the style of the original brown shirt ideology of the 1930s. the nsf base has been moved from southern to mid - west sweden, near the town of vara. during 2004 the front arranged several white power music nights with hundreds of motstandsrorelsen / nationell ungdom ( swedish resistance / national youth – smr / nu ) are one of the most professionally organized and impenetrable groups on the extreme right. svenska motstandsrorelsen ( smr ) was formed in 1997 as an umbrella organization for pro - terrorism hardliners of the splintered stockholm neo - nazi milieu. among its founders was the convicted criminal, former white aryan


svenska motstandsrorelsen ( smr ) was formed in 1997 as an umbrella organization for pro - terrorism hardliners of the splintered stockholm neo - nazi milieu. among its founders was the convicted criminal, former white aryan resistance ( vam ) activist klas lund. after its merger with nordland records, smr expanded rapidly, until the death of nordland owner william pierce in 2002. in 2004 klas lund was convicted of possession of an illegal firearm. shortly after beginning his jail sentence he escaped and hid for more than six months until the police found him in norway with the norwegian resistance movement. national youth ( nu ) was originally launched to pose as a ‘ patriotic ’ and ‘ nationalistic ’ youth club. its cover was almost immediately blown and nu has become the leading neo - nazi organization in the greater stockholm area. several members of smr / nu were convicted of involvement in various violent crimes and terrorist offenses in 1999, among them the assassination of an anti - nazi trade unionist. nu activities, mainly in the larger cities of stockholm and goteborg, increased in 2004 after two years of a negative spiral. smr / nu was once closely aligned with the so - called secretive anti - afa ( anti - fascist ) organization, which claims to be the ‘ intelligence apparatus ’ of the neo - nazi world. anti - afa compiles lists of ‘ anti - nationalist enemies ’, including journalists, police officers, politicians and anti - racist activists. police raids have secured several files from the computers of neo - nazis, containing hundreds of these names. a key individual in the anti - afa network is believed to be robert vesterlund, a former skinhead and sd youth leader, and publisher of the magazine info - 14 2001 / 2 ). following conviction of the compiler of the enemy list in 2003, 280 out of the thousand persons on it sued him for at least 10, 000 sek each. since the murder of 17 - year - old skinhead daniel wretstrom by a youth gang of mixed swedish and immigrant background in the town of salem, south of stockholm, in december 2000, the town has become a rallying point for neo - nazis and extreme rightists in sweden on the anniversary of his death. the salem fund, set up by the nazi prison organization yellow cross, together with the pro - terrorist info - 14 and blood & honour for organizing the annual commemoration, is supported by the entire nationalist spectrum, except the sweden democrats. there was a decline in the number of participants


up by the nazi prison organization yellow cross, together with the pro - terrorist info - 14 and blood & honour for organizing the annual commemoration, is supported by the entire nationalist spectrum, except the sweden democrats. there was a decline in the number of participants, from 2000 in 2003 to 1, 400 in 2004. led by curt linusson, a former un peace - keeping officer in bosnia, the legion wasa is a paramilitary unit made up of a criminal neo - nazi hardcore, many of whom are associated with the nsf. linusson says his force is preparing for a “ forthcoming racial conflict ” against the jews. the legion, which holds maneuvers in forests in central sweden, has organized several rallies against the construction of a mosque in the town of skovde. in early 2003 linusson held abortive negotiations with the iraqi embassy in order to send an armed volunteer squad to assist saddam husayn in his conflict with the us. in 2004 a former activist of the legion was prosecuted for creating a terrorist cell in sweden aimed at launching a holy racial war. begun as a publishing house in 2002, nordiska forbundet ( nordic association ) became an organization in 2004. it is influenced by the us national alliance and especially by former ku klux klan leader david duke, who has interviewed leading activists from the association on his radio show. the publishing house distributes antisemitic books such as duke ’ s jewish supremacy and lars adelskogh´s holocaust denying work an empty sack. the organization, in cooperation with the publishing house, circulates the magazines nordic freedom and peoples ' annual statistics compiled by the office for defense of the constitution of the national police board ( npb ) were not published for the year 2004 due to a change in monitoring methods. the year 2003 witnessed a rise of 5 percent in hate crimes, from 3, 736 in 2002 to 3, 914. of the total, 1, 539 crimes were linked to the far right wing, compared to 1, 374 the previous year. many in the jewish community feel it wise to hide their identity, although they believe only a small percentage of the 400, 000 muslim immigrants to be a threat, according to an assessment of antisemitism in sweden published in israel ' s leading newspaper ha ’ aretz. lena posner - koeroesi, president of the stockholm jewish community, claimed that whenever officials want to take action on antisemitism, they group it together with islamophobia and homophobia. researcher


newspaper ha ’ aretz. lena posner - koeroesi, president of the stockholm jewish community, claimed that whenever officials want to take action on antisemitism, they group it together with islamophobia and homophobia. researcher mikael tossavainen drafted a report issued by the council against anti - semitism that surveyed antisemitism among muslim immigrants. the report aroused controversy due to tossavainen ' s interviewing of school teachers, who noted muslim pupils ’ objection to studying the holocaust. he also stated that swedes were unaware of what was going on in the large muslim communities in the suburbs. swedish islamic studies scholar jan samuelsson claimed in the mainstream dagens nyheter ( 20 oct. 2004 ) that arabs would hate the jews as long as israel occupied arab lands, an idea that met with understanding among swedes. prof. henrik bachner of lund university, said events in the middle east might sharpen antisemitism but were not the origin of it. bachner stressed that analogies between israel and the nazis and the use of terminology drawn from the christian tradition, such as “ the crucifixion of arafat ” in aftonbladet before easter 2003, reflected tolerance of antisemitism ( amiram barkat, “ jews in sweden are afraid to be known as jews, ” ha ’ aretz, 10 feb. there were 65 unofficial reports of antisemitic incidents in 2004, mostly cases of harassment ( threats and verbal abuse ), and 4 of physical assault. this compares with police reports for 2003 of 3 cases of minor assault, 35 cases of harassment and 9 cases of vandalism of jewish sites. most offenses were committed in the metropolitan areas of stockholm, goteborg and malmo where the majority of jews reside. violence, vandalism and harassment much antisemitic crime in 2004, particularly violence and vandalism, appeared to be triggered by the israeli - palestinian conflict. on 30 march, for example, four youths of middle east origin entered a jewish - owned shop in malmo and assaulted the shopkeeper and a jewish customer. the shopkeeper was hospitalized. a jewish boy was also attacked by youth of middle east extraction in goteborg, in february. at a soccer match held on 13 june between a local maccabi team and a team of immigrant players, spectators shouted “ death to the jews ” and “ crush zionism. ” after the game the coach of the opposing team approached one of the jewish players and hit him in the face, starting a


a local maccabi team and a team of immigrant players, spectators shouted “ death to the jews ” and “ crush zionism. ” after the game the coach of the opposing team approached one of the jewish players and hit him in the face, starting a brawl that ended with the hospitalization of one of the jewish a group of youths shouted “ we ’ ll kill you ” at a jew standing near a synagogue in malmo. the police arrested one of them. the jewish cemetery in stockholm was desecrated twice ; 17 gravestones were broken in april and 4 in september. since the september 11 attacks antisemitism has remained a cornerstone of neo - nazi ideology while islamphobia is primarily the province of the more ‘ respectable ’ sweden democrats. the national democrats propagate both, although when discussing conspiracy theories, jews are usually referred to indirectly as ‘ illuminati ’, ‘ free masonry ’ and ‘ international capitalism ’. jews are seen as ‘ the threat from above ’, controlling the political establishment, the media and the police, while muslims are viewed as ‘ the threat from below ’, seeking an immigrant takeover. the white population is therefore perceived as being squeezed in a grip between the two. the nordic association was the most dominant among ultra - conservative and xenophobic organizations in disseminating anti - jewish propaganda in 2004. as noted, it is greatly influenced by us extreme rightists, such as david duke. holocaust denier ahmed rami, the operator of radio islam, remains the chief disseminator of propaganda denying the holocaust, although most of his activities in recent years have been limited to the internet. in spite of his moroccan background, rami has gained the approval of several white power groups, including the nsf. in 2004 rami was invited to speak at the nordic association where he accused judaism of “ everything that is evil. ” the malmo city library hosted an exhibition in april 2004, which presented israel as a state built on “ expulsion and terror ” and which justified suicide bombing. at its inauguration, the display was supported, inter alia, by a malmo politician from the conservative party, who said killing jewish children was justified, and a social democrat, who said bombing jewish civilians was self - defense, jewish terrorists had created the state of israel and the task of his party was to represent muslims, not jews, in malmo ’ s high - immigrant density suburb of rosengard. in 2004 the living history forum published a major survey on intolerance which was distributed among 10, 000 students in sweden aged 14−1


his party was to represent muslims, not jews, in malmo ’ s high - immigrant density suburb of rosengard. in 2004 the living history forum published a major survey on intolerance which was distributed among 10, 000 students in sweden aged 14−18. over 75 percent of the students actually completed the survey, which covered antisemitism, homophobia, islamophobia and xenophobia. eighty - three percent of respondents agreed with the statement that most jews were good people and 72 percent said they would not mind living next to a jew. twenty - two percent, however, opposed jews having the right to build religious buildings, while 23 percent opposed muslims having the right to build mosques. twelve percent agreed with the statement that there were too many jews in sweden. ninety percent did not support the statement that jews were in order to measure the level of antisemitism, the compilers of the survey inserted a number of prejudices, such as “ a jew is a stingy person. ” ten similar statements formed a battery of measurable parameters. five percent agreed with certainty or with some certainty that the scurrilous portrait was correct. the general index of intolerance against jews was 1. 04 ( 1. 00 marking absolute tolerance ). thus, the majority of the students felt positively toward jews in sweden ; just under 6 percent, however, had an index higher than 2. 5, indicating high intolerance. the findings indicate that the rate of antisemitism among muslim immigrants was no higher than among other sectors of society that identified themselves as non - religious. responses to extremism and in may 2004 the jewish central council in sweden wrote to archbishop k. g. hammar, breaking off contacts with the swedish ( lutheran ) church. hammar had initiated the decision of the swedish church to boycott products originating in the territories occupied by israel. his campaign had the backing of 12 organizations that want the eu to break its trade agreements with israel. the council letter protested a lack of sympathy with the jews of sweden and pointed out that singling out israel for boycott, when many other states could be accused of the same infractions, was an expression of antisemitism. seminars and other events were held during 2004 under the auspices of sweden ’ s living history project, initiated by prime minister goran persson following the january 2000 stockholm international forum on the holocaust. the project has become a model for holocaust education in europe. sweden initiated and remains an active member of the international task force on holocaust education, remembrance


objectivescommunication | collaboration | team strategy - 1 ’ x 1 ’ squares of cardboard or foam or rubber baseball bases work well also ( half to two - thirds as many squares as people in the group ) - you can also substitute 8. 5 " x 11 " pieces of paper - 2 pieces of rope ( or masking tape or 4 cones ) - several blindfolds ( optional ) create a river by marking two river banks with the rope. make the river wide enough to be a challenge for the group to get from one side to the other ( look at about 15 – 25 ft. ). distribute the cardboard squares – 1 piece for every 2 people. the object of the activity is to get all members of the group safely across the river. they must go as one big group, not multiple smaller ones. also stress that everyone must be on the river before anyone can get off the river, forcing the entire group to be engaged at once. participants cannot touch the water ( floor / grass ) and therefore must use rafts ( cardboard squares ) to cross. the water is filled with piranhas. therefore if someone loses their balance and touches a hand in the water it gets eaten ( put behind the back ). same goes for a foot. if a person completely comes off the raft they are gone and since this is a team exercise everyone must start over. i recommend using this motto with the group, " start as a team end as a team. " you can also be creative and add challenges in as the group crosses. for instance you can say a fish jumped up and tail slapped someone in the eyes so now they cannot see ( blindfolded ). tell them the river is acidic and when two people share a raft it tipped and now their legs are fused together ( tie ankles together ). use these tools to help take away the natural leaders or more outspoken participants and it forces the others to step up and take on more substantial roles. no scooting or sliding on the squares. this can be a safety issue and it emphasizes individual work versus teamwork. rafts must be in contact with a human at all times or they will be swept away with the current. once the group has started the process, your role is to take cardboard squares that are “ swept away by the current ” and to watch for safety issues. use this to your advantage as well. the participants will invariably slip up and leave some rafts here or there with no one contacting them, those you should steal. when the first group members get


the current ” and to watch for safety issues. use this to your advantage as well. the participants will invariably slip up and leave some rafts here or there with no one contacting them, those you should steal. when the first group members get to the other side immediately start to encourage them to hurry and get off the river. nearly every time the first few people will rush off the rafts leaving them unattended for you to steal and stranding some of their team - mates. work this into your debrief, when working with a team you can ' t forget about your mates. just because you have made it to the finish line someone else may not have. - participants must stay in constant contact - each raft represents a symbol named by participants - river sections - the tiles can only go forward. they cannot move backwards - no one can finish until everyone has left the “ bank ” of the river - choose to add challenges like muting individuals, using only 1 arm, eyes closed / blindfolded, no one can talk, others can be " gators " in the river and try to impede those crossing the river, stand in front of the group with arms outstretched to simulate tree they must go around. - give group an object that they need to carry with them to safety and discuss what that might represent - create situations for them to draw from that are connected directly to their group - what happened during the process? what worked? what didn ’ t or what hindered the process? - what leadership was demonstrated during the process? how so? what did you observe? - what were the individual roles people played? were members comfortable with their roles? - who knew what the process for crossing was? who didn ’ t? how did you communicate the plans to group members? - what might the different aspects of the exercise represent in your group : the squares, the river, the loss of squares, the facilitator, etc? - when the first people rushed off the river and stranded some of you how did that feel?


at the peak of the technology bubble in march of 2000, spending on internet infrastructure had exploded, cisco systems had a market cap of $ 578 billion, and venture capitalists were pumping millions into anything that ended in “. com. ” over the next three years, 655 telecom companies would go bankrupt, and $ 5 trillion in market cap would vanish from stock exchanges. a disaster, right? it felt like one at the time. raising money for an internet startup became nearly impossible on silicon valley ’ s sand hill road. yet all that investment in the infrastructure of the internet — the switches, the routers, and the fiber optic cable — drastically reduced the costs of bandwidth and made possible the applications layer, the things we love about the internet — twitter, streaming movies, cloud computing. today we use information technology to do things we didn ’ t imagine circa 2000, like buying shoes without trying them on first. all this was accomplished with software and clever ideas for better using the available infrastructure. we see in this story important analogies with clean energy. advanced biofuels, electric cars, and solar power are living through their own boom and bust times. the cost of solar panels has fallen from over $ 4. 00 per watt to less than $ 1. 00 in just four years. that ’ s bad for solar investors, and panel makers are struggling to survive. some have gone out of business. but at the same time, infrastructure is being built. spending on solar, wind, and other forms of renewable energy has exploded, reaching $ 250 billion per year. raising venture capital for capital - intensive clean tech, especially for early - stage companies involved in new types of energy production, has become increasingly difficult. that has investors like us thinking about new ways to apply our dollars to the energy problem. we believe the next opportunity is what we call the “ cleanweb ” — a form of clean tech that takes advantage of the internet, social media, and mobile communications to alter how we consume resources, relate to the world, interact with each other, and pursue economic growth. we think that it and fast - growing web business models can expand the use of renewable energy. these days the challenges that industries like solar, wind, and biofuels face are often not about fundamental science. many of the big breakthroughs have already taken place, and in some circumstances, electricity from wind and solar is already cheaper than electricity from fossil fuels. what hampers these industries now is poor sales channels, complex financing and incentives, and a failure to communicate


of the big breakthroughs have already taken place, and in some circumstances, electricity from wind and solar is already cheaper than electricity from fossil fuels. what hampers these industries now is poor sales channels, complex financing and incentives, and a failure to communicate with consumers. that makes them ripe for disruption by the application of information technologies, which will drive the next phase of cost reduction and implementation, especially for solar. the price of a rooftop solar installation has dropped by half in the last few years, but the reductions in panel prices can ’ t continue. now more than half the price of a home solar array is made up of soft costs like site evaluation, customer acquisition, and financing. on average, solar companies spend $ 2, 500 to acquire each new customer. imagine the frustration when after sending a truck out to a home, an installer discovers that a tree shading the roof makes the project uneconomical or that the customer doesn ’ t qualify for financing. that ’ s a significant waste of time and money. better information can reduce these inefficiencies. oneroof energy, for example, a solar company we ’ ve invested in, uses satellite imagery to remotely work up a customer ’ s project, determining its cost and viability long before a truck ever rolls out to the house. another company we ’ re backing, solar mosaic, is raising money for solar installations via online crowdsourced loans. we estimate that it - driven solutions alone can reduce solar costs by another 75 percent ; if so, solar could become decisively cheaper than electricity from coal. eventually it could account for 15 to 20 percent of u. s. electricity needs.


a dramatic drop in the population of puffins at their main north sea breeding site has alarmed scientists. - global warming blamed for decline of puffins - britain ' s oldest puffin resurfaces - british birds face potential eco - disaster after almost 40 years of breeding success puffin numbers on the isle of may have plummeted by 30 per cent. it is not known whether the sudden decline is merely a blip or whether the tiny iconic bird has joined the list of sea birds in long term decline in the north sea. the sudden drop in numbers was revealed in a survey carried out every five years on the island off scotland ' s east coast by scientists from the centre for ecology & hydrology. the isle of may is home to the largest colony of puffins in the north sea and has been the centre of the uk science community ' s research into the bird for over three decades. numbers have increased dramatically from a handful of pairs 50 years ago to more than 69, 000 pairs at the time of the last count in 2003. scientists had expected numbers to soar to more than 100, 000 pairs this year and are baffled by the loss of almost one in three birds. professor mike harris, emeritus research fellow at the centre for ecology & hydrology, who has studied puffins for 36 year, said : " something worrying appears to have happened over last winter and probably the one before. " puffins appear to be joining the ranks of other seabirds in the north sea that are suffering reduced breeding success and decline in numbers. " the puffin ( fratercula arctica ) is instantly recognisable by its bright red and black eye markings and vivid orange legs and is known as the clown of seabirds. but its comical looks and endearing traits has made it one of the world ' s favourite birds. adults arrive back at their breeding colonies in the shetland and orkney islands, northumberland, anglesey and the isle of may in march and april and they leave again in mid - august. they nest in burrows on the cliff tops and rely mainly on sand eels to feed their young. the disappearance of the sand eel due mainly to industrial fishing by factory ships in the north sea is believed to be one of the main factors in the puffin ' s decline on may. bird numbers are assessed by carefully examining burrows for signs of occupation in late april after the birds have cleaned them out ready for breeding. in past surveys the occupancy rate was nearly 100 per cent, but this year it was down to only 70 per


patient education : symptoms of back and neck pain description of the symptoms of back and neck pain the word doctor comes from the latin root " doctos " – meaning to teach, and this is an important part of what any doctor should do. unfortunately, many of us only really begin to learn about our body once something has gone wrong with it. patient education on the symptoms of back and neck pain is an ongoing process that takes on many forms. back and neck pain conditions treated patient education applies to all spinal problems concerning the symptoms of back and neck pain. what does patient education involve? - the basics of patient education involve providing patients with information about their condition, diagnostic tests that may be performed, and possible treatment options. there are many forums for patient education, which include discussions with care providers, reading brochures and other printed materials, viewing videos and visiting websites. for patients experiencing symptoms of back and neck pain, an educational program called " back school " may be used. this is a comprehensive, organized session in which information is provided about anatomy, body mechanics, diagnostic tests, treatments and many other spine - related topics. - one note of caution : the quality and accuracy of information on websites varies greatly. if you read something that gives you concern, discuss it with your care provider. one of the key components of effective patient education is for the patient to take an active role in the educational process : - this involves applying the materials learned by making lifestyle changes. - perhaps one of the most important aspects is for patients to ask questions until they feel confident they understand the information provided answers their questions about the symptoms of back and neck pain.


adding color to the freshwater aquarium : going for gold ( full article ) author : philip purser the glowing, sun - like radiance of gold and yellow fish is sure to pop in the freshwater aquarium. yellow is a common color in some aquariums ( perhaps too common in the african cichlid tank ), yet getting just the right species of fish to shine its radiant splendor in your aquarium is, perhaps, even more touch - and - go than it is with some other color choices. yellow species come in the form of peaceful schoolers, as well as sensitive, scaleless loners that require a mature tank and very specific water chemistry parameters. a splash of golden sunshine in an otherwise green or earth - toned aquarium environment can truly be a sight for sore eyes, however. few things are as dramatic as the gilt - finned flash of a gold - nugget pleco swimming past the front of your tank or as eye - catching as a school of lemon tetras, with their canary - yellow finnage shining in golden relief against an earthen background. so, let ’ s go for gold and discover what species of yellow fish are available for the freshwater community aquarium. the first species up for consideration is the gold barb ( puntius semifasciolatus ). native to the red river in china, the gold barb is, in its naturally occurring coloration, greenish olive and very rarely appears in aquaria. the cultivated form, made popular in the late 1960s, wears a golden color on the body, often with a broken line of high - contrast black speckles running the length of the flanks, and bears yellow or orange finnage. when healthy and kept under superior water chemistry, the gold barb is a relatively long - lived species. its lifespan may exceed six years. as a barb ( a member of the family cyprinidae ), p. semifasciolatus thrives best when kept in schools. i recommend no fewer than five in a school, though six or more is certainly advantageous to the stress levels and happiness of the fish themselves. growing to a maximum length of roughly 3 inches, the gold barb is a peaceful grazer that does well in tanks planted with live vegetation — this species especially likes to graze on algal accumulations in the tank. a mid - level swimmer that seldom sits still, the gold barb is a high - visibility species that, when kept in a school, will definitely add the splash of sunshine to your


likes to graze on algal accumulations in the tank. a mid - level swimmer that seldom sits still, the gold barb is a high - visibility species that, when kept in a school, will definitely add the splash of sunshine to your tank you may be looking for. these very active fish can, indeed, become the dominant species in view at any given time. most species of barbs are notoriously tough fish that tend to be tolerant of a very wide range of water chemistries. maintain the ph from 6. 0 to 7. 8 and kh at 6. 0 to 20. 0. because they can tolerate a wide range of temperatures, these barbs may be kept in either heated or unheated aquaria. maintain temperatures of 65° to 77°f. when selecting gold barbs for purchase in pet shops, remember that males ( and this is true for most fish species ) are considerably smaller and more colorful than females. bigger specimens are likely to be less attractive in the long run than their smaller counterparts. a school consisting of both sexes is an active, viable, and striking addition to the home aquarium. while they might get a little nippy with elaborately finned species, such as fancy guppies or bettas, these barbs are highly disease resistant and very hardy. as a general rule, you simply can ’ t go wrong with gold barbs. gold nugget pleco if aquarium oddities are your thing and you prefer loner species or non - schooling varieties, look no further than the gold nugget pleco. gold nugget plecos ( baryancistrus spp. ) may actually be one of several closely related fishes. so similar in form, coloration, and life habits are these species that many importers and wholesalers are either unable or unwilling to differentiate. thus, many hobbyists simply order or describe the gold nugget by the l number they have been assigned, l18 ( sometimes l018 ), as this is how it is imported from south america. two other forms, l177 and l81 ( or l85 ), are supposed by many to be the same species ( or adult or juvenile forms of l18 ), but, owing to larger or smaller spots on the body and geographically different collection sites, these fish may be considered subspecies or different species altogether. as the plecos are still coming into their own within the worldwide aquarium hobby, more differentiation and classification should accompany these wonderful fish. as


smaller spots on the body and geographically different collection sites, these fish may be considered subspecies or different species altogether. as the plecos are still coming into their own within the worldwide aquarium hobby, more differentiation and classification should accompany these wonderful fish. as a member of the community tank, the gold nugget pleco is one of the most stunningly gorgeous plecos available. wearing a base coat of chocolate brown to near black with almost perfectly round yellow to golden spots freckling the entire dorsum and much of the fins, this fish is also adorned with a wide, golden band trimming both the dorsal and caudal fins. such a bold, striking contrast of coloration makes this peaceful bottom feeder a particularly handsome addition to the home aquarium. growing to an adult length of approximately 8 inches, the gold nugget pleco appears in pet shops typically between 2 and 3 inches in size. know that the 3 - inch specimen you purchase today could more than double in size. also know that this species is an extremely long - lived aquarium fish. specimens living in excess of 25 years are not unheard of. unlike many species of plecostomus, which may grow to over two feet in length, this jewel stays small throughout its lifespan. a 30 - gallon or larger tank should be enough room for one for its entire life. like most plecos, the gold nugget is not a picky eater — both vegetable and meaty fare are taken with relish. vegetable - based flakes or pleco - specific pellets / flakes work well, as do cubes of freeze - dried brine shrimp or bloodworms. diet may be supplemented with wheels or wedges of zucchini squash dropped ( weighted down, as they tend to float ) directly into the tank. another benefit to adding this brilliantly colored species to your tank is that it is extremely peaceful and will coexist well with virtually any other species that can tolerate the pleco ’ s water chemistry requirements. speaking of water chemistry requirements, this is one of the few drawbacks to keeping this species. it requires warmer water temperatures and softer water than most community tropicals. the gold nugget pleco should be housed under the following conditions : ph 6. 7 to 7. 5, kh 1. 0 to 10. 0, and temperatures of 78° to 87°. see what i mean? while many species can mix with the ph requirements of the gold nugget plec


ph 6. 7 to 7. 5, kh 1. 0 to 10. 0, and temperatures of 78° to 87°. see what i mean? while many species can mix with the ph requirements of the gold nugget pleco, the low water hardness and very high temperature requirements make for a narrow pool of potential tankmates. south american cichlids and tropicals hailing from the amazon basin are great community choices for mixing with the gold nugget pleco. of course, not all the golden and yellow fish on the market are so difficult to acquire. there are plenty of low - priced pet shop staples that can give you the nuclear color blast you ’ re looking for. the family poeciliidae has two such species : the swordtails and the fancy guppies. these long - time favorites of both young and old hobbyists alike come in all manner of golds and yellows, and they can easily, and inexpensively, add a solar flare of beauty to your aquarium. since i ’ ve already covered fancy guppies in a previous article, i will discuss only the swordtails here, but do note that if your aquarium community is peaceful enough to support them, the fancy guppies are a wonderful choice. cousin to the guppies is the swordtail. hailing from central america, the swordtail is a wonderful little species that tends to blend very well in the tropical community tank. drawing its common name from the long, sword - like projection of rays growing on the lower edge of the caudal fin, this species is peaceful and seldom exceeds 5 inches in length. as is typical of community tropicals, the males are the smaller and much more elaborately colored of the two sexes. sexual dimorphism exists in that the males alone have swords on their tails. these fish come in both designer and natural colors. most natural specimens are olive in coloration, while many pet shop varieties have been bred for their golds, yellows, and oranges. particularly handsome specimens may be a creamy, lemon meringue color with a black - edged sword of the same color. conversely, i have seen many specimens wearing radiant coats of golden hues highlighted in softer yellows and even silvers. the swordtail is truly an often - unsung beauty in the freshwater world. maintain swordtails under water conditions similar to those preferred by guppies. keep the ph around or just above neutral and the water hardness moderate, with the temperature in the middle


the only drawbacks to the lemon tetra ( tetras, in my opinion, are the perfect tropical community fishes because they have very few drawbacks ) is that, when housed singularly or in inadequately small schools, these fish seem to languish away. their movements will slow, their colors will fade, and their overall vitality will lessen when deprived of schooling tankmates. lemon tetras are mid - level swimmers that do best in a planted aquarium with a ph of 6. 2 to 7. 5, a kh of 5. 0 to 24. 0, and temperatures of 68° to 78°. specimens kept under less - than - ideal conditions may appear faded or washed out in color. when housed properly, however, the full splendor of a school of lemon tetras is like the rising sun. virtually all other non - aggressive, non - predatory species make fine tankmates with the lemon tetra. golden pristella tetras a close cousin to the lemon tetra is the golden pristella tetra ( pristella maxillaris ). while its bodily coloration is much more subdued than the lemon tetra, the dorsal and anal fins of the golden pristella are, as the name implies, golden flags edged in black and tipped in white. these features make this fish a less gaudy, more subdued flash of radiance within your aquarium. growing to a demure maximum length of typically less than 2 inches, this minuscule tetra is, like the lemon tetra, a shoaling species. it is best kept in schools of six or more members. wild diets include all fry and invertebrates, while a captive diet heavy in bloodworms, brine shrimp, and other such meaty foods is preferred. unlike many species of tetra, however, the golden pristella can thrive in a very wide range of ph and water hardness values. found in both acidic, inland rivers as well as in coastal, semi - brackish estuaries, the golden pristella tetra is one of the most widely adaptable species of community tropical available. this attribute makes this species at home in virtually any community tropical tank. so long as predatory fish cannot eat it, and so long as it is kept in schools of its kindred, the golden pristella tetra can mix well with a very wide range of tankmates. other yellow options while there are other species of yellow or golden fish available ( some of the gouramis,


stem cells could deliver tumor - busting drugs, repair damaged brains, and even mend a ( literally ) broken heart. but first, scientists must figure out how to get these jacks - of - all - trades where they ’ re needed and ensure that they survive long enough to do their work. achieving this objective requires being able to observe the cells after they ’ re set loose inside a living, breathing animal. of course, scientists can make tissue slices and use histology to look for the cells, but that offers only a snapshot of one final time point. “ if you want to understand what happens to these stem cells, it ’ s important to track the fate of these cells without having to kill the animal, ” says joseph wu, a cardiologist at stanford university school of medicine in palo alto, california. stem cell transplants may settle down, proliferate, and differentiate as desired ; they may form dangerous tumors ; or they may simply falter and die. researchers are harnessing advanced imaging to look inside their animals, or even inside patients, and track stem cells as they travel through tissues. some techniques rely on inert tags the stem cells carry with them, and others use genetic markers that prove a cell is actually alive and making protein. each method has its advantages and disadvantages. “ depending on the research question, you may even want to combine different approaches, ” says frank bengel, a nuclear medicine physician at hannover medical school in germany. here, the scientist profiles four methods used to track stem cells once they ’ re on their own inside a new body. optical imaging : bioluminescence xiaoyuan ( shawn ) chen, chief and senior investigator, laboratory of molecular imaging and nanomedicine, national institute of biomedical imaging and bioengineering, bethesda, maryland. ultimately, chen hopes to develop personalized medical therapies, including those relying on stem cells. for now, he ’ s simply trying to understand the fate of transplanted stem cells, and how they home in on tumors — targets to which they might someday custom - deliver chemotherapy ( stem cells, 27 : 1548 - 58, 2009 ). mesenchymal stem cells home in on tumors and divide there, promoting remodeling of the tissue — suggesting they might be good drug - delivery vehicles. before transplanting mouse mesenchymal stem cells into breast tumor - bearing mice with lung metastases, the researchers engineered the cells to express luciferase. by injecting the mice with luciferin


they might be good drug - delivery vehicles. before transplanting mouse mesenchymal stem cells into breast tumor - bearing mice with lung metastases, the researchers engineered the cells to express luciferase. by injecting the mice with luciferin — the enzyme ’ s substrate — they caused the transplanted cells to light up. the researchers also included the gene for green fluorescent protein, so they could double - check their results by histology. although most of the stem cells got stuck in the lung ’ s capillaries, a few not only survived, but also proliferated and differentiated near the tumor sites. - “ bioluminescence imaging is the workhorse for small - animal imaging : it ’ s cheap, it ’ s easy to do, it ’ s high - throughput, ” wu says. - only living cells light up. - the method is highly sensitive, detecting 1, 000 or fewer cells. “ the background is very low, ” chen adds. - bioluminescence can only penetrate through a few millimeters of tissue ; it won ’ t work for large animals or people. - the resulting image is flat, not 3 - d. - some cells may turn off the transgene, producing false negatives. bioluminescence imaging requires a light - tight box with fluorescence filters and camera. caliper life sciences ’ version costs $ 100, 000 – $ 400, 000, depending on the features chosen. - fluorescent proteins - quantum dots magnetic resonance imaging marcel daadi, neuroscientist and instructor in the neurosurgery department, stanford university school of medicine, palo alto, california. daadi hopes to use stem cells to repair the neural networks of people who ’ ve suffered strokes or have parkinson ’ s disease, thus improving their ability to move normally. an early step is to examine what happens to neural stem cells once grafted into the brains of rats that had had induced strokes ( mol ther, 17 : 1282 - 91, 2009. ) daadi ’ s team used both bioluminescence and mri to follow the fate of human neural stem cells transplanted into the rats ’ brains. to make the cells visible in an mri, the researchers first filled them up with tiny magnetic beads. many cell types readily take up these superparamagnetic iron oxide ( spio ) particles. such grafts show up in the image as low - intensity areas. the researchers used bioluminescence imaging to confirm that the stem cells did indeed survive


cell types readily take up these superparamagnetic iron oxide ( spio ) particles. such grafts show up in the image as low - intensity areas. the researchers used bioluminescence imaging to confirm that the stem cells did indeed survive, and settled near the site of the stroke for as long as three months. the mri results indicated that the more cells transplanted, the larger the graft that was formed. - anatomical information is built in. “ it gives you great resolution of the brain … we see where the stroke is, where cells are in relation to the stroke, ” daadi says. - some spio particles are already fda - approved, so the technique could be used in humans. - it ’ s possible to use mri in the operating room, so surgeons could confirm exactly where they injected the spio - labeled cells. - low sensitivity : wu often asks his mri - expert colleagues to blindly detect injected spio versus background. “ a lot of times, they can ’ t, ” he says. - mri gives no indication of cell viability — dead cells can hang around for weeks. or, macrophages clean up the area, ingesting the spio and producing a false signal. “ you could see the ghosts of cells, but not living cells, ” says eduardo marban, director of the cedars - sinai heart institute in los angeles, california. - as the cells proliferate, the iron particles get diluted. for preclinical imaging, a 9. 4 tesla magnet is the “ sweet spot, ” says rob robinson, global business development manager for mri at agilent technologies. those machines, which range in price from $ 1. 5 million to $ 3 million depending on size, are available at research institutions, hospitals, and at medical schools. clinical - grade magnetic nanoparticles are available from amag pharmaceuticals, which markets feraheme to treat anemia, and miltenyi biotec makes iron dextran beads for cell separation. biopal and genovis provide experimental - grade spio for approximately $ 200 – $ 500 / 2 ml, according to joe frank of the national institutes of biomedical imaging and bioengineering. - perfluorocarbon particles that show up when an mri is tuned for fluorine - mri reporter genes that increase the iron content of cells ( see below ). radionucleotide imaging : positronemission tomography eduardo marban, director and mark siegel family foundation chair, cedars - sinai heart


tuned for fluorine - mri reporter genes that increase the iron content of cells ( see below ). radionucleotide imaging : positronemission tomography eduardo marban, director and mark siegel family foundation chair, cedars - sinai heart institute, los angeles, california. marban, a cardiologist, aims to use stem cells to repair the muscle damage resulting from a heart attack. he hopes stem cells will provide the necessary signals to make the heart convert scar tissue into healthy muscle. unfortunately, the heart is a tricky target for stem cells — once injected, the heart pumps them right back out again. within an hour, only 10 % of the graft is left in the heart, and only 1 % of cells remain after three weeks, he laments. “ if we could boost those values, then we could get more bang for the buck with stem - cell therapy, ” marban says. in a recent study, he and his colleagues managed to improve retention rates by slowing or stopping the heart or dabbing a bit of fibrin glue in the injection site. ( j am coll cardiol, 54 : 1619 - 26, 2009 ). the scientists transplanted cardiac - derived stem cells from healthy rats into the hearts of those that had undergone surgically - orchestrated heart attacks. to label the transplanted stem cells, they first incubated them with the radioactive tracer 18fdg, a form of glucose toting a radioactive fluorine, that was internalized by the cells. using a pet scanner, they were able to follow the cells and show that after an hour, 20 – 75 % of the transplanted cells remained in the heart if its beat was slowed by drugs or if glue was dabbed into the injection site. - “ it ’ s the only reliable quantitative method, other than destructive methods, ” marban says, because the half - life of the tracer is known. - pet is already available in clinics. - minimal background signal. - pet is limited by the half - life of the tracer ; signals from 18 - fluorine, for example, last for six to eight hours because the isotope ’ s half - life is 110 minutes. - pet does not indicate cell viability — the tracer could leak out of the cell or show up in macrophages that devoured the original stem cells. - this method requires the use of radioactive substances, with the associated risks to cells, animals, and personnel. a pet scanner from philips healthcare runs between $


out of the cell or show up in macrophages that devoured the original stem cells. - this method requires the use of radioactive substances, with the associated risks to cells, animals, and personnel. a pet scanner from philips healthcare runs between $ 1 million and $ 1. 5 million, and the machines have become standard equipment in hospitals. radioactive tracers are also required ; a human - size dose of 18fdg costs $ 200 - 250 at cedars - sinai. to acquire the tracers, one needs to be within a few hours of a cyclotron that can generate the radioactive fluorine ion for coupling to the glucose ; most major universities have one, wu says. - single - photon emission computed tomography ( spect ) - combining pet with computed tomography helps scientists localize the radioactive signal within the animal ’ s anatomy. genetic reporters for pet frank bengel, chairman of the department of nuclear medicine, hannover medical school, germany both pet and mri only reveal where the labels are. “ the cell may die and you may still get the signal, ” bengel says. plus, preloading the cells only works as long as the tracers last — hours or days for pet tracers. bengel is developing reporter genes that allow living cells to produce their own pet signal at any time. the technique relies on genes whose products force the cell to grab onto radioactive tracers. for example, the herpes simplex virus enzyme thymidine kinase ( hsv - tk ) phosphorylates a guanine homolog called fhbg. unphosphorylated fhbg travels freely in and out of cells. but once phosphorylated — as only happens in cells having the hsv - tk gene — it ’ s negatively charged, and stuck on the inside. by engineering stem cells to express the transgene before transplantation, then treating the animal with radioactive fhbg, researchers can observe the transplants on a pet scan. - only live cells show up : “ if you don ’ t see a signal, there are no cells, ” wu says. - with promoters specific for different cell types, these reporters could also indicate whether the stem cells go on to differentiate. - hsv - tk provides a built - in fail - safe : the viral kinase phosphorylates the antiviral drug ganciclovir, turning the drug cytotoxic. should transplanted cells cause trouble — for example,


in the midst of a general audience in the vatican last october, pope john paul ii said : " if a man gazes on his wife lustfully, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart. " the statement caused an immediate sensation. reconsidered, though, it may have been one of the pope ' s more enlightened pronouncements on women and sex. john paul had simply insisted that, in conjugal relations, a woman is the equal of a man — a subject, not an object, of sex. that is an attitude that has not flourished in the church historically ; nor does it today. a misogynistic prejudice has pervaded the church ' s moral thought down through the ages, based on the incident of eve as the temptress in genesis, and confirmed by the stoic rhetoric in which the early christian thinkers were trained. it reflected the platonic conviction that man ' s proper activity was contemplation. churchmen from tertullian and cyprian in the third century to jerome and john chrysostom in the fifth delighted in denigrating womanhood as the source of the human race ' s downfall. while attributing mankind ' s woes to the lubricious enticements of woman, preachers with awe - inspiring inconsistency harped upon a wife ' s rendering the conjugal debt contracted in marriage by giving her husband the sole use of her body. that the contract worked both ways was also on the books, but little attention was paid to this consideration because it was taken for granted that the sex act had been created for the man ' s convenience. most women in the christian tradition were taught that there was something distasteful about sex. they had to submit to their husband ' s advances with some regularity to keep peace in the household and beget children. few christian wives, even the educated ones, had any idea that, biologically, the sex act was made for the woman. fewer still seem to have achieved the earthy wisdom of the wyf of bathe, who said : in wyfhode i wil use myn instrument as frely as my maker hath me it sent, if i be dangerous, god give me sowre myn housband shall have it at eve and at mowre when that him lis com forth and pay his dette. st. paul ' s injunction " husbands love your wives as christ loves the church


god give me sowre myn housband shall have it at eve and at mowre when that him lis com forth and pay his dette. st. paul ' s injunction " husbands love your wives as christ loves the church " was interpreted in a mystical sense, divorced from any connection with conjugal affection and coital satisfaction. despite the heavy use of sexual imagery throughout the old testament to describe the relations between yahweh and his chosen people, christian exegetes avoided the canticle of canticles as mysteriously salacious, or interpreted it in such a fashion that it reinforced a propensity for sexual asceticism in conjugal relations. this puritanical tendency infected christian thinking from the late second century until shortly before vatican council ii ( 1962 - 1965 ). traditional teaching on sexuality had been reduced in most preconciliar moral textbooks to the inhuman prescription : " it is grievously sinful in the unmarried deliberately to procure or to accept even the mildest degree of true venereal pleasure ; secondly, it is equally sinful to think, say or do anything with the intention of arousing even the smallest degree of this pleasure... " as late as 1944, pius xii had said : " if the exclusive aim of nature or at least its primary intent had been the mutual giving and possessing of husband and wife in pleasure and delight ; if nature had arranged that act only to make their personal experience joyous in the highest degree, and not as an incentive in the service of life ; then the creator would have made use of another plan in the formation of the marital act... " in direct opposition to that papal statement vatican council ii declared : " [ conjugal ] love is uniquely expressed and perfected within the marital act. the actions within marriage by which a couple are united intimately and chastely are noble and worthy ones. expressed in a manner that is truly human these actions signify and promote the mutual giving by which the spouses enrich each other with a joyful and thankful will. " with pope john ' s council, the catholic church had made a heroic effort to look realistically at the signs of the times. turning its theological thinking upside down, the council decided to consult the facts of life before applying moral principles to the regulation of human conduct. it acknowledged love and mutual assistance as fundamental features of the marital union ; and, while continuing the ban on sexual indulgence, it acknowledged the necessity of responsible parent


to consult the facts of life before applying moral principles to the regulation of human conduct. it acknowledged love and mutual assistance as fundamental features of the marital union ; and, while continuing the ban on sexual indulgence, it acknowledged the necessity of responsible parenthood. the council ' s pastoral constitution described marriage as a " togetherness in love and life, " acknowledging that carnal affection was endowed by the creator with " special gifts of healing, perfecting and exalting " the spouses in grace and charity. despite this achievement of fifteen years ago, a preconciliar sexophobia seems to have resurfaced within the church ' s hierarchy. to be sure, the polish pontiff has frequently denied that a manichaean streak of sexual embarrassment predominates in vatican thinking, and he has attempted in the course of weekly audiences over the past year to stress the personal rather than the procreative aspect of married love. nevertheless, the result of the 1980 world synod of bishops on " the role of the christian family in the world of today " has been an attempt to restore the notion of procreation as the primary end of marriage to its preconciliar dominance. at the same time, both pope and synod ignored the pleas made by diocesan cardinals and prelates for a compassionate approach to the marital problems of their people. the synodal structure was dominated by intransigent vatican functionaries still wedded to a pre - copernican concept of the universe, and behind all lay the obsessive dread of hedonism — represented by sex — that still afflicts many rome - oriented prelates and theologians. as cardinals, bishops, theologians, and journalists descended on the eternal city for the synod in late september, they were involved in a tradition that went back beyond the practice of the primitive church to the administrative customs of the roman empire. a synodos was a meeting of roads where the civil and military governors of the colonial provinces gathered to discuss problems and policies in the light of the emperor ' s instructions. almost immediately after achieving a relative catholicity, early church leaders found it necessary to imitate imperial practices by holding local meetings of bishops to evaluate difficulties regarding doctrine and discipline. there is evidence of this practice during the latter half of the second century. under bishop denis of corinth, around 180 a. d., a series of synods was inaugurated to deal precisely with an alleviation of the church ' s rigorist attitude toward adultery and other marital problems. the


second century. under bishop denis of corinth, around 180 a. d., a series of synods was inaugurated to deal precisely with an alleviation of the church ' s rigorist attitude toward adultery and other marital problems. the oriental churches, particularly at constantinople, established a so - called synodos endemousa, or permanent synod, imitated today in the sobornost of russian and other orthodox synodal assemblies. in these gatherings, the testimony of prelates, theologians, and lay experts regarding doctrinal and disciplinary problems is weighed in the light of tradition and of contemporary necessities under the guidance of the patriarch. gradually a consensus is achieved and attributed to the assistance of the holy spirit. only then can the patriarch make a pronouncement, which has to be in keeping with the mind of the synod. pope paul vi sought to reintroduce this synodal machinery into the government of the catholic church immediately after vatican council ii in compliance with the assembly ' s call for collegiality — the rule of the church at the top by the bishops with and under the pope. the first of these triennial roman synods was held in the fall of 1967. its path was not smooth. curial cardinals, particularly alfredo ottaviani and michael browne of the ancien holy office, sought to intimidate pope and prelates with the charge that heresy was rife throughout the church. but the bishops in attendance rejected this contention and achieved a substantial independence in their discussions and decisions. a permanent secretariat of elected noncurial prelates was established with headquarters in rome to prepare for future synods. the special synod of 1969 — called to discuss the use and abuse of authority in the church — achieved an explicit acknowledgment of the new orientation of catholic theological thinking. the synod rejected a priori reasoning in the solution of pastoral problems ; consideration was given instead to the sensus fidelium ( " the mind of the faithful " ) in the formulation of the church ' s teaching. this procedure was actually a return to the origins of christian theology, in which the elements of the church ' s ethical teaching were adapted to the cultural practices of the local communities — judaic, greek, and oriental — to constitute the christian way of life. thus a pluralism in its ethical thinking characterized the christian church from its beginnings. at vatican council ii the eastern churches played a decisive part in their witness to pluralistic solutions for doctrinal and disciplinary problems. it was therefore


christian way of life. thus a pluralism in its ethical thinking characterized the christian church from its beginnings. at vatican council ii the eastern churches played a decisive part in their witness to pluralistic solutions for doctrinal and disciplinary problems. it was therefore taken for granted that pope paul wanted the synod to develop into a true sounding board for the church ' s universal self - awareness. eventually, it was to be hoped, the assembly would grow into a sort of parliament. it would relieve the holy father of the present curial structure, which governs the church through countless directives regarding the sacraments, clerical conduct, education and marriage, and so forth, to which the pope lends his authority. a comparative freedom of discussion was exercised by the bishops at the 1969 synod. however, with the synod of 1971, which concentrated principally on the problems of the priesthood, curial control suddenly reasserted itself. debate on the request for optional celibacy in the western church was curtailed and the synodal conclusions were dictated by " higher authority " within the papal household. the curia employed similar though less obvious tactics in the synods of 1974 and 1977, which discussed, respectively, evangelization and catechesis, or christian formation. a political truth quickly surfaced in the postconciliar period. when rome consulted the diocesan bishops individually, the vatican authorities usually obtained answers in keeping with their desires. but when these prelates were assembled in a council or a synod, they achieved the courage to speak their minds. in dealing with this phenomenon, curial officials had learned to allow a free discussion of synodal issues during the general sessions and only gradually to exercise a refined guidance in the inner group discussions. by reserving the publication of the synod ' s decisions to the pope, they had full control over its results.


in the simplest of terms, a virus is an infectious agent. it operates like a computer virus, replicating and dispersing itself in all directions, while crippling the normal function of the host. a virus has genes, but no cellular structure, so it ' s not considered a living organism. and like parasites, viruses can ' t survive on their own. bacteria, on the other hand, are tiny cells that reproduce and can survive independently, with the ability to transport dangerous toxins. epidemiologists generally rely on an international but informal network of colleagues to get wind of a disease outbreak fast, even when it starts in a remote corner of the world. but while patients may be lining the hospital corridors in jakarta, veracruz or pittsburgh, activating a worldwide emergency response protocol is not instantaneous. laboratory tests must first isolate the virus, microbe, toxin or other mechanism of injury. usually, scientists in the field must collaborate with researchers in other countries to identify the culprit. and only when the team is absolutely sure about the agent and its cause will entities like the centers for disease control ( cdc ) and world health organization ( who ) spring into action. that ' s when the country alerts go out, a vaccine ( or other remedy ) gets developed, and the counterattack begins. getting ahead of the curve in 1999, the cdc initiated the laboratory response network ( lrn ), a group of local, state, federal, and international labs that can test for disease agents and develop vaccines in a fast, efficient manner. an estimated ninety percent of the u. s. population now live within a 100 miles of a designated lab. this close proximity insures a quick turnaround as evidence in the field is procured, then shipped to epidemiologists ready to analyze it. to help get a jump on the next global pandemic, the cdc also dispatches scientists worldwide each year to sniff out virulent strains that may be on the prowl. the epidemic intelligence service ( eis ) recruits 70 - 80 college graduates annually for two - year, post - graduate assignments performing surveillance and study in the field. influenza viruses that affect humans are divided into two basic groups. " a " viruses have pandemic potential. " b " viruses don ' t. to qualify as a pandemic, an " a " virus must also be " novel ", which means there ' s no pre - disposed immunity to it and no existing vaccines. furthermore, the bug must have the potential for human to human


. to qualify as a pandemic, an " a " virus must also be " novel ", which means there ' s no pre - disposed immunity to it and no existing vaccines. furthermore, the bug must have the potential for human to human transmission. diagram of the 1918 h1n1 spanish flu virus. photo : university of washington school of medicine other things to note about pandemic virus : according to the u. s. department of health and human services, the continued spread of the avian h5n1 virus across much of eastern asia, russia, and eastern europe represents the most significant pandemic threat out there today. human avian h5n1 influenza infection was first recognized in 1997 when it infected 18 people in hong kong, causing 6 deaths. concern has increased in recent years as avian h5n1 infections have killed poultry flocks in countries throughout asia and in parts of europe. since 2003, over 100 human h5n1 cases have been diagnosed in thailand, vietnam, cambodia, and indonesia. hhs believes the virus is worrisome because : reports of new cases worldwide have continued to pour in through 2011. in march alone, egypt reported its 131th case, bangladesh reported its 67th outbreak, while public health officials in japan, myanmar, south korea, india, israel and gaza all discovered its presence in poultry and other species. see the timeline ( pdf ) prepared by who. while cases of human infection are rare, avian influenza is very contagious among birds and some of these viruses can sicken certain domesticated species, like chickens, ducks, and turkeys. while h5n1 remains the top pandemic threat today, additional avian flu subtypes are entering the fray. in 1999, h9n2 infections were identified in hong kong ; in 2003, h7n7 infections occurred in the netherlands ; and in 2004, h7n3 infections occurred in canada. such outbreaks have the potential to generate a pandemic, the cdc claims, reinforcing the need for continued surveillance and ongoing vaccine research. in the case of a major nationwide pandemic, the cdc has established the following priority groups for vaccine distribution : vaccines are produced by pharmaceutical companies, often under a contract from the u. s. government. over 200 million doses, for instance, were ordered at the start of the h1n1 pandemic. in addition to pandemic vaccines, drug manufacturers produce the annual flu shot vaccine and chilhood im


u. s. government. over 200 million doses, for instance, were ordered at the start of the h1n1 pandemic. in addition to pandemic vaccines, drug manufacturers produce the annual flu shot vaccine and chilhood immunization drugs for polio, chicken pox, german measles, etc. immunizations for adults include hepatitus, malaria and tetanus. some of these shots have only a short - term effectiveness. in the case of tetanus, for instance, a " booster " shot is recommended every ten years. vaccines are divided into other categories based on how the drug intends to destroy the targetted microbe or pathogen. since viruses, bacteria and toxins attack the body in different ways, the epidemiologist must design a solution that works best for the circumstances. here are his choices : live, attenuated vaccines these contain a version of the living microbe that has been weakened in the lab so it can ’ t cause disease. like firefighters setting small fires in advance of a mega - blaze, this small dose of the killer pathogen is easy for the immune system to fight off, thereby achieving lifelong immunity with one or two doses. however, people with compromised immune systems are considered too weak to overcome a live vaccine. besides that, the microbe that ' s injected may on occasion morph into something worse than it was initially. these vaccines are likewise not suitable for some geographical locations, since a " live " vaccine must be kept alive through refrigeration. samples of the disease - causing microbe are first destroyed with chemicals, heat, or radiation. these vaccines are more stable and safer than live vaccines, since the dead microbes can ’ t mutate back to their disease - causing state. inactivated vaccines usually don ’ t require refrigeration, and they can be easily stored and transported in a freeze - dried form, which makes them accessible to people in developing countries. on the down side, they trigger a weaker immune system response and therefore require multiple doses over time or booster shots to be effective. these use only parts of the killer microbe, specifically the antigens, which are responsible for triggering the production of antibodies to fight the microbe. it takes a long time to develop a subunit vaccine, but once it ' s perfected, adverse reactions are much lower than with live or inactivated vaccines. these vaccines are a good choice for people with compromised immune systems. some bacteria secrete toxins or harmful chemicals, which can cause a serious


vaccine, but once it ' s perfected, adverse reactions are much lower than with live or inactivated vaccines. these vaccines are a good choice for people with compromised immune systems. some bacteria secrete toxins or harmful chemicals, which can cause a serious illness all by themselves. the toxins can in some cases be neutralized by treating them with formalin, which is a solution of formaldehyde and sterilized water. such “ detoxified ” toxins are called toxoids and are safe for use as vaccines. when injected, the toxoid causes the immune system to fight off the natural toxin and produce antibodies that will block the real toxin. diphtheria and tetanus are examples of diseases that toxoid vaccines can prevent. the immature immune systems of infants and younger children don ' t always recognize or respond to certain types of coatings around bacteria, so this special type of subunit vaccine has been developed to address the problem. still in the experimental stages, these vaccines show great promise ( according to nih ), and several types are currently being tested in humans. these vaccines dispense with the microbe and its parts, and instead use the genes of those all - important antigens. recombinant vector vaccines also in the experimental stage, these are similar to dna vaccines, but they use an attenuated virus or bacterium to introduce microbial dna to cells of the body. “ vector ” refers to the virus or bacterium used as the disease carrier. ( for instance, mosquitoes carry malaria, so it ' s considered a " vector - bourne " disease. ) in addition to antigens that alert the immune system to an infectious agent, vaccines may also contain substances called adjuvants, which nih says improve the immune response produced by the vaccines. currently, the only adjuvant licensed for human use in the united states is an “ alum ” adjuvant, which is composed of aluminum salts. vaccines may also contain substances to prevent contamination, as well as maintain a vaccine ’ s potency at less - than - optimal temperatures, or act as a preservative. one such controversial ingredient in this catgegory is a compound call thimerosal. autism advocacy organizations oppose the use of thimerasol and other mercury - based additives in vaccines. they allege that autism is caused in part by these ingredients when multiple childhood immunizations are administered at one time. the claim is virulently rejected by the cdc and much of the


and human svs weekly epidemiological record latest disease news from who global influenza virological surveillance who global alert and response oklahoma state univ. center for health sciences dvd ' s, videos and tv programs preventative tips to limit exposure to viruses, bacteria and flu outbreaks youtube mega disasters : " pandemics and alien infection " - season 2, episode 7. the history channel at amazon... after armageddon. 2 - hour docudrama examines the potential of a lethal flu virus spreading quickly across the united states. the history channel at amazon... the plague. 2 - hour documentary tracks the 15th century pandemic that killed tens of millions. the history channel buy at amazon... how a virus invades your body h1n1 virus and the 1918 pandemic the bubonic plague epidemics - old and new the plague, which still claims thousands of victims each year, has been traced not to a virus but to a bacteria called yersinia pestis. it typically originates in the indian rat flea, known scientifically as xenopsylla cheopsis, of which only the adult females live off their hosts. this dreaded world traveler can survive up to a year on a host ( especially rodunts ), in dung, an abandoned rodent ' s nest or in textile bales. xenopsylla cheopsis, the killer flea. historically, human infection has occurred in three different ways : bubonic plague - caused when the victim gets bit by an infected flea. here, the trademark symptom is painful swelling of the lymph glands in the armpits, groin or neck. the swelling creates ball - like buboes, hence the name bubonic plague. red spots also appear on the skin and eventually turn black. victims usually vomit blood and die within about three days without antibiotics. pneumonic plague - the bacteria in this case is transmitted primarily through air, usually coughing, thus entering the respiratory tract. people who dissect or handle contaminated animal tissue are also susceptible. symptoms include fever, coughing up blood and pneumonia leading to respiratory failure and shock within a few days. most modern cases have occurred in africa. septicemic plague - most often transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected rodent or bug, or through an opening in the skin or by cough from another infected human. this is the rarest type of plague but the deadliest, as it causes sepsis. cities along trade routes, especially venice and


of an infected rodent or bug, or through an opening in the skin or by cough from another infected human. this is the rarest type of plague but the deadliest, as it causes sepsis. cities along trade routes, especially venice and florence, were hit hardest during the medieval epidemic. symptoms include stomach ache, diarrhea, fever, nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure and lack of blood clotting. today, most cases of plague occur in africa, but 10 - 15 reports are logged in the united states annually, mostly in rural areas of the western states. bats and rats are known to carry the flea. now for the big epidemics caused by viruses : 1918 spanish influenza - still cloaked in mystery, this virus was responsible for infecting half a billion people worldwide, killing 50 million. unlike other pandemics, this one struck on multiple continents on the same day. the infectious agent triggers an overreaction in the human immune system of mostly young, healthy adults. like the simultaneous appearance, this feature of h1n1 ( 1918 ) also also diverges from the usual pattern. the lungs often became inflamed, leading to death. the original virus struck remote corners of the world, especially alaska, leading a few researchers to suggest that it must have passed down through the atmosphere from outer space. a theory known as panspermia alleges that microbes are transmitted onto earth via passing comets. microbes may even be the source of all biological life on the planet. professor chandra wickramasinghe of the buckingham centre for astrobiology is the leading authority on comet - based microbes and viruses. ( for more on his work, here ' s the school ' s website. ) smallpox - an estimated 300 million deaths were recorded in the 20th century alone. because naturally occurring smallpox was wiped out worldwide by the 1970 ' s, vaccinations stopped. according to the cdc, a case of smallpox today would be the result of an intentional act. strains of the virus are kept in two approved labs in the u. s. and russia. the cdc also states that " credible concern exists that the virus was made into a weapon by some countries and that terrorists may have obtained it. " polio - largely unrecorded until the 19th century, recurring epidemics of the poliomyelitis virus continued into the 20th until a vaccine was discovered. the disease is also known as infantile paralysis, but affects adults as well as children. in a typical case, a


until the 19th century, recurring epidemics of the poliomyelitis virus continued into the 20th until a vaccine was discovered. the disease is also known as infantile paralysis, but affects adults as well as children. in a typical case, a fever and other flu symptoms set in, followed eventually by paralysis in the lower half of the body. viral hemorrhagic fevers - a mostly rodunt - borne set of viruses made its first curtain call in the latter twentieth century, appearing on all continents. however cases usually remain localized. ticks and mosquitoes may also carry the bug, which targets the vascular system, along with several organs in the body. the bleeding for which the disease is named is itself rarely life - threatening. slaughterhouse workers have a much greater chance of contracting the virus than others. hiv - human immunodeficiency virus is a retrovirus discovered in the 1980s by robert gallo, but that identification was immediately surrounded in controversy. in particular, the so - called " father of retroviruses " peter duesberg dismissed gallo ' s conclusions, claiming there was no virological evidence to back - up the hiv - aids connection. ( this led many african governments to ban the use of anti - hiv drugs. ) duesberg believes hiv is biochemically inactive and harmless, and that the cause of aids may be toxicological ( i. e. a toxic substance ). there is still no satisfactory treatment, although a variety of new drugs has vastly reduced the number of fatalitiies. west nile virus - carried by mosquitoes, this virus first appeared in the united states in 1999, but got its start seventy years earlier in uganda. it can produce a mild fever and other flu symptoms, and sometimes a rash, but 80 percent of those infected have no adverse reaction. in severe cases, encephalitis or meningitis may develop, but only one person out of every 150 infected falls into this category. here ' s a cdc map of most recently reported cases. sars - severe acute respiratory syndrome started in hong kong in 2002 and eventually infected a relatively small number of individuals in 37 countries. it targetted the lungs, caused fever and low white blood cell counts. there were appoximately 8, 500 cases and 900 deaths. sars is considered contained and there ' s no screening for it. h1n1 swine flu - first appearing in veracruz, mexico, this 2009 version of an h1n1virus is thought to be a mutation or combination of previous bird


sars is considered contained and there ' s no screening for it. h1n1 swine flu - first appearing in veracruz, mexico, this 2009 version of an h1n1virus is thought to be a mutation or combination of previous bird, swine and human flu viruses. a eurasian pig flu virus was also involved, hence the term " swine flu ". h1n1 was not spread through eating pork products, however, but contracted through respiratory droplets circulating in the air ( like other most other forms of influenza ). in a small percentage of people exposed, the virus caused pneumonia or acute respiratory problems. the widespread public emergency surrounding it was offically put to rest by who in 2010. valley fever - while not a contagion, valley fever is carried by spores of the fungus coccidioides immitis, found in soils of the southwestern united states and central valley of california, as well as parts of africa, central and south america. wind is generally credited with transporting the spores, but digging, construction work or farming can likewise cause the spores to become airborne. dust containing the spores enters a person ' s lungs, which can sometimes lead to illness. exposure is most common in the dry, late summer months, with most cases reported to medical personnel in the fall and early winter. it takes 5 - 21 days on average for flu - like symptoms to show up. those exposed to dust while working outside should consider wearing a close - fitting mask. early recognition and treatment of valley fever ' s flu - like symptoms is important to avert more serious complications. flesh - eating bacteria - formally known as necrotizing fasciitis, it ' s caused by a toxin found in several types of bacteria. infection is rare, with 500 - 1, 000 cases per year reported in the united states. aimee copeland, a young georgia woman, recently put this dirge on the map after a zipline accident and 22 stitches led to an infection. open wounds and hospital surgery are the prime vehicles, with 25 percent of victims dying. if you get a cut or wound that becomes increasingly painful, red and swollen, the bacteria may be present. go to the emergency room immediately, as time is of the essence. first aid for any wound should always include thorough washing of the exposed area with soap and water, and if possible, application of an anti - biotic ointment. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


q. we are in the preliminary stages of bidding on what designers hope to be a leadership in energy and environmental design ( leed ) structure. we are considering developing a “ green ” concrete mix design using blended cements. in our research, we discovered there have been recent changes to the astm standards for blended cements. what were these changes? a. interest in blended cement products has been increasing, with many producers finding these premixed cements useful in customizing mix designs. experts define blended cements as “ portland - based cements that include supplementary cementitious materials ( scms ), such as ground granulated blast furnace slag, fly ash, or other pozzolans, such as silica fume or meta - kaolin. ” delivered as a premixed blend, producers need to only use one silo in their plant. recognizing this increased use, astm c 595 - 06, standard specification for blended cements, was released in august 2006 with some important changes to nomenclature. the committee responsible for the specification simplified the document, hoping to make it easier to use. the committee also wanted to eliminate a problem with producing cements near the boundaries. for example, under the previous standard, the old type ip cement contained between 15 % and 40 % pozzolan, while a type i ( pm ) cement contained between 0 % and 15 % pozzolan. these definitions made it almost impossible for a manufacturer to produce a blended cement with about 15 % fly ash, since as with normal process variation, it would sometimes be classified as a type ip and sometimes a type i ( pm ). to solve this, the new standard eliminates both classification types. they were replaced by type ip ( x ) classification, where the x stands for the nominal percentage of the scm included in the blended cement. for example, a cement designated as type ip ( 20 ) contains 20 % pozzolan by mass. this change will facilitate communication between the cement suppliers, producers, and engineers for quantifying the amounts of scm in concrete mixes. it will help producers when considering adding scms on projects where the mix may be subject to restrictions on the total amount of scms in the concrete. here is a summary of the changes found in the new document : type i ( pm ), i ( sm ), i ( pm ) - a, i ( sm ) - a, and s were eliminated. new portland - pozzolan cement, type ip ( x ), can include between 0