, as moses, the servant of the lord, had commanded. e 13however, israel did not destroy by fire any of the cities built on their mounds, except hazor, which joshua burned. 14all the spoil and livestock of these cities the israelites took as plunder ; but the people they put to the sword, until they had destroyed the last of them, leaving none alive. 15as the lord had commanded his servant moses, so moses commanded joshua, and joshua acted accordingly. f he left nothing undone that the lord had commanded moses should be done. survey of the conquest. 16so joshua took all this land : the mountain regions, the entire negeb, all the land of goshen, the shephelah, the arabah, as well as the mountain regions and shephelah of israel, g 17from mount halak that rises toward seirh as far as baal - gad in the lebanon valley at the foot of mount hermon. all their kings he captured and put to death. 18joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time. 19with the exception of the hivites who lived in gibeon, no city made peace with the israelites ; all were taken in battle. i 20for it was the lord ’ s doing to make their hearts obstinate to meet israel in battle, that they might be put under the ban without mercy, and be destroyed as the lord had commanded moses. j 21 * at that time joshua penetrated the mountain regions and exterminated the anakim in hebron, k debir, anab, the entire mountain region of judah, and the entire mountain region of israel. joshua put them and their cities under the ban, 22so that no anakim were left in the land of the israelites. however, some survived in gaza, in gath, and in ashdod. 23l thus joshua took the whole land, just as the lord had said to moses. joshua gave it to israel as their heritage, apportioning it among the tribes. and the land had rest from war. * * [ 11 : 1 – 3 ] hazor, madon, shimron, and chinneroth : cities and their surrounding districts in eastern galilee. achshaph and naphath - dor : southwest of galilee. the mountain regions : in central and northern galilee. * [ 11 : 5 ] the waters of merom : of uncertain identification, perhaps tel


- prayer and worship - beliefs and teachings - issues and action - catholic giving - about usccb questions for reflection and discussion of forming consciences for faithful citizenship | preguntas para el diologo sobre formandao la conciencia para ser ciudadanos fieles - a discussion guide and questions for reflection. prayer and reflection resources | oracion general y materiales para la reflexion - prayer and reflection resources that help parishioners understand more deeply these connections : how to recognize christ in the poorest and most vulnerable, and then how to respond to the call to act on their behalf through political involvement. graphics for forming consciences for faithful citizenship - these graphics are available with permission to reproduce or reprint on material that promotes forming consciences for faithful citizenship. novena for faithful citizenship - this novena, rooted in the biblical tradition and the church ' s social teaching, is intended to promote justice and peace in our neighborhoods, our country, and our world family guide to faithful citizenship | guia familiar de ciudadanos fieles para la responsabilidad civica - a guide for discussing political matters your family members of all ages. videos for faithful citizenship - view examples of faithful citizenship, take a video quiz and more by accepting this message, you will be leaving the website of the united states conference of catholic bishops. this link is provided solely for the user ' s convenience. by providing this link, the united states conference of catholic bishops assumes no responsibility for, nor does it necessarily endorse, the website, its content, or


- prayer and worship - beliefs and teachings - issues and action - catholic giving - about usccb migration and refugee services office of migration policy and public affairs the united states conference of catholic bishops the religious worker visa program allows u. s. religious denominations to fill critical religious worker positions for which there are no qualified candidates in the u. s. with qualified religious workers from abroad. the program provides for two types of visas : ( 1 ) the special immigrant visa, which allows qualified religious workers to immigrate to the u. s. permanently and later become citizens if they so choose and meet the qualifications ; and ( 2 ) the nonimmigrant visa, which allows qualified religious workers to enter temporarily and perform services in the u. s. for a proscribed period. religious worker visas ( both the special immigrant visa and the non ‐ immigrant visa ) may be granted to both ministers and non ‐ minister religious workers. ministers covered by the program are those who are authorized by a recognized religious denomination to conduct religious worship and perform other duties usually performed by members of the clergy, such as administering the sacraments or their equivalent. the provision of the immigration and nationality act ( ina ) that provides for the admission of ministers to the united states is a permanent part of u. s. immigration law. the non ‐ minister religious workers are those who are called to a vocation or who are in a traditional religious occupation with a bona fide nonprofit, religious organization in the united states. examples of those who are called to a vocation include nuns, monks, and sisters. examples of those in religious occupations include missionaries, counselors, translators, religious instructors, cantors, and other pastoral care providers. some non ‐ minister religious workers are pursuing studies in a seminary or are otherwise in formation. the provision of law that provides for the admission of non ‐ minister special immigrant religious workers is not a permanent part of u. s. immigration law. instead, its provisions sunset every few years. the special immigrant non ‐ minister religious worker visa program, codified in ina § 101 ( a ) ( 27 ) ( c ), was first enacted as part of p. l. 101 ‐ 649, the immigration act of 1990. its chief sponsors in congress at the time were representative lamar smith ( r ‐ tx ) and the late senator edward m. kennedy ( d ‐ ma ). the program provides for up to 5, 000 special immigrant visas per year which religious denominations or organizations in the united states can use to sponsor foreign nationals to perform religious service in the


) and the late senator edward m. kennedy ( d ‐ ma ). the program provides for up to 5, 000 special immigrant visas per year which religious denominations or organizations in the united states can use to sponsor foreign nationals to perform religious service in the united states. once granted, this type of visa allows religious workers to immigrate permanently to the united states. among the important tasks non ‐ minister religious workers perform are : providing human services to the most needy, including shelter and nutrition ; caring for and ministering to the sick, aged, and dying in hospitals and special facilities ; working with adolescents and young adults ; assisting religious leaders as they lead their congregations and communities in worship ; counseling those who have suffered severe trauma and / or hardship ; supporting families, particularly when they are in crisis ; offering religious instruction, especially to new members of the religious denomination ; and helping refugees and immigrants in the united states adjust to a new way of life. when first enacted, this program was set to expire in three years. it has been reauthorized five times since then. under current law, unless congress acts to prevent it, the special immigrant non ‐ minister religious visa program will expire on september 30, 2012, leaving many religious denominations or congregations with no effective way of meeting their need for religious workers. prior to enactment of the immigration act of 1990, nonprofit, united states ‐ based religious organizations requiring the services of foreign ‐ born non ‐ minister religious workers were forced to undergo a burdensome labor certification process and / or fit their needs into the business, student, and missionary visa categories. these visa categories were mainly designed for the needs of profit ‐ making businesses and other employers and not the specific needs of religious organizations. religious organizations faced sometimes insurmountable obstacles in using traditional employment immigration categories, which did not fit their unique situations. the resulting consequences were that religious entities found that they could not sponsor workers at all or could not do so within a time frame that corresponded to the actual need for their much ‐ needed services. by enacting the non ‐ minister religious worker visa program, congress recognized both the problems with asking non ‐ minister religious workers to fit the requirements of the employment based immigration categories and the genuine and critical need for foreign non ‐ minister religious workers to perform pastoral and other services in the united states. since its initial enactment in 1990, the special immigrant non ‐ minister religious worker visa program has been extended five times. while up to now, the program has been extended each time it has faced expiration, the process leading to


in the united states. since its initial enactment in 1990, the special immigrant non ‐ minister religious worker visa program has been extended five times. while up to now, the program has been extended each time it has faced expiration, the process leading to that extension has often created uncertainty within the department of state and department of homeland security, the agencies that administer the program, about whether the program would be extended. this uncertainty also has wrought havoc in the religious community as religious organizations find themselves unsure about whether or not they will have the staff to carry out critical functions. and, the uncertainty has caused local communities to worry about losing vital services that religious organizations provide. a permanent legislative extension would ensure the continuation of this important program, and would provide a measure of stability that would allow religious organizations to plan ahead. with the rapid decrease in the number of americans turning to religious vocations, religious organizations are experiencing an acute shortage of non ‐ minister religious workers in the united states. in these times of uncertainty, it is more important than ever that faith ‐ based organizations be able to serve the community through the essential services provided by religious workers. the u. s. conference of catholic bishops urges the 112th congress to make this possible by permanently extending the non ‐ minister religious worker visa program. by accepting this message, you will be leaving the website of the united states conference of catholic bishops. this link is provided solely for the user ' s convenience. by providing this link, the united states conference of catholic bishops assumes no responsibility for, nor does it necessarily endorse, the website, its content, or


parashat ha ’ azinu - shabbat shuvah september 15, 2007 – 3 tishrei 5768 annual : deuteronomy 32 : 1 – 32 : 52 ( etz hayim, p. 1185 ; hertz p. 896 ) triennial : deuteronomy 32 : 1 – 32 : 52 ( etz hayim, p. 1185 ; hertz p. 896 ) haftarah : hosea 14 : 2 – 10 ; joel 2 : 15 – 27 ; micah 7 : 18 – 20 ( etz hayim, p. 1235 ; hertz p. 891 ) prepared by rabbi avram kogen summary of the parashah moses is aware that his life is nearing its end. joshua has already been designated as his successor. the israelites have been wandering for 40 years, and moses knows well that the 40 - year sentence of wandering has been served. having given several prose speeches, moses couches his final farewell as a poem. as the israelites ’ leader for two generations, he has more to say than “ you ’ re all wonderful ; goodbye. ” he has some stern warnings to convey about the pitfalls of complacency. he therefore wants to designate enduring witnesses to his words, so that no one can credibly say after his death that moses had not put the israelites on notice. this may be what he has in mind when he opens with the words : give ear, o heavens, let me speak ; let the earth hear the words i utter! ( deuteronomy 32 : 1 ) it is hard to imagine witnesses that are more enduring than heaven and earth. moses ’ farewell poem fills most of this week ’ s parashah. the poem is followed by a brief paragraph that says, in essence, ” pay attention to the above. ” then, in the concluding paragraph of our parashah, god directs moses regarding his impending death. topic # 1 : material wealth and religion so jeshurun ( israel ) grew fat and kicked – you grew fat and gross and coarse – he forsook the god who made him and spurned the rock of his support. ( deuteronomy 31 : 15 ) moses fears that material wealth and personal comfort may undermine religious loyalty. is there necessarily a negative correlation between a person becoming wealthy and a lack of religious loyalty? can only poor people be religiously devout? we all have seen people of limited means who pour out their hearts in straightforward sincerity. such people ’


religious loyalty. is there necessarily a negative correlation between a person becoming wealthy and a lack of religious loyalty? can only poor people be religiously devout? we all have seen people of limited means who pour out their hearts in straightforward sincerity. such people ’ s pure and unadorned acts of religious devotion speak for themselves. there is another, contrary, viewpoint that posits that only people who are affluent have the opportunity to devote time to religion. the theory assumes that poor people, who must spend every waking moment assuring their own survival, could not possibly have time to cultivate the inner life of the spirit, while those who have wealth also have the leisure time for such pursuits. ( some faiths require those who are involved at the most serious level to take vows of poverty, to avoid this very issue. ) what do you think? we are aware that some aspects of religious participation / education / celebration require that people spend money. is there a difference between having money to pay for participation and being religious? if, indeed, there are doors closed to people of modest means in our congregations or community organizations, what can we do to make communal judaism more available to them? at the same time, we are concerned, as moses seems to be, that wealth may breed complacency. is there anything that we can / should do to make judaism a more compelling force in the lives of those with greater material resources? topic # 2 : as your brother aaron died that very day the lord spoke to moses, saying : ascend these heights of avarim to mount nebo, which is in the land of moab facing jericho, and view the land of canaan, which i am giving to the israelites as an inheritance. you shall die on the mountain that you are about to ascend, and shall be gathered to your kin, as your brother aaron died on mount hor and was gathered to his kin. ( deuteronomy 31 : 48 - 50 ) it is not entirely clear whether these words were intended gently or harshly. when viewed together with the two verses that follow, this paragraph initially appears to be a merciless punishment. moses must pay, just as aaron had paid, for the sin that they had committed jointly. on the other hand, moses was well aware of how dignified and gentle aaron ’ s death had been, because he witnessed it himself. ( see numbers 20 : 23 - 29. ) assuming that no human being can live forever, aaron ’ s departure from this world was as benign as


the obesity epidemic has touched the lives of millions of adults in the united states and around the world. children, however, have not been immune to it. just like for adults, obesity puts children at a risk for conditions such as type 2 diabetes. this, and the steady rise in diabetes cases, has prompted the american academy of pediatrics to issue the first - ever set of diabetes guidelines for children. “ we ’ re seeing it much more [ childhood diabetes ] than we did before, ” dr. janet silverstein, co - author of the new american academy of pediatrics guidelines on diabetes and professor of pediatrics at the university of florida, told time. “ many pediatricians were never trained in managing type 2 because it just wasn ’ t a disease we used to see. it was a disease of adulthood. but as we ’ re seeing more obesity in kids, we ’ re seeing adult diseases in childhood. ” the new diabetes guidelines, published in the february issue of pediatrics, address children between the ages of 10 and 18, and place an emphasis on increasing exercise time to 60 minutes a day and decreasing time spent in front of a television or computer to less than two hours a day. nutrition is also an important aspect to prevent diabetes in children. in the guidelines, doctors assessing pediatric diabetics are advised to immediately start the patient on insulin if there is a ketoacidosis or marked hyperglycemic issue or if the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes is not clear. other recommendations include monitoring glucose levels with regular glucometer checks, starting the drug metformin, which helps restore the body ’ s natural response to insulin, and placement on a modified diet as developed by a dietician. “ for both children and adolescents, the bottom line is lifestyle changes if they are overweight ; working on nutrition and working on activity, try to get them to eat healthier, smaller portion sizes, to increase activity to 60 minutes a day, ” silverstein told cnn. “ no matter what medications we give, it won ’ t work unless there are other changes too. ” according to the american diabetes association, approximately one in every 400 children under the age of 20 has diabetes, with hispanics having some of the highest prevalence rates in the country. a study conducted by the university of southern california found, not only is there a high rate of obesity and diabetes among the hispanic population, hispanic children are at a significant risk for pre - diabetes, a condition marked as having higher - than - normal blood glucose


most active stories - cheerios commercial leaves bitter taste - breaking the sound barrier - npr labs brings radio to hearing impaired - dr. dorothy peteet, columbia university – hudson river and climate records - dr. sara konrath, university of michigan – age and empathy - mass. medical marijuana regulations approved, communities prepare for dispensaries science & technology wed march 20, 2013 scientists : ' no options ' to stop massive asteroids on collision course originally published on wed march 20, 2013 4 : 40 pm without " a few years " warning, humans currently have no capacity to stop an asteroid on a collision course with the planet, scientists told a senate panel wednesday. " right now we have no options, " said former astronaut ed lu. " if you dont know where they are, there ' s nothing you can do. " scientists are calling for continued funding and support for nasa satellites and observation programs that look for " near earth objects. " the scenario from hollywood blockbuster armageddon is on the minds of lawmakers after two hulking rocks exploded in the air over russia in february. more than 1, 000 people were injured, bringing the risks of future incidents — and measures to prevent them — into clearer focus. " i was disappointed that bruce willis was not available to be a fifth witness on the panel, " joked ted cruz, r - texas, during the hearing. while scientists put the odds of asteroids one kilometer in diameter or larger colliding with the earth as " once every few thousand year " event, they said cuts in space funding to monitor and detect space rocks could have devastating consequences. " what [ the film armageddon ] did was basically convince the american people that if anything bad happened, people would get in a shuttle and fix it, " said joan johnson - freese, a professor at the u. s. naval war college. " that is myth. that is not reality. " scientists were simply sharing a grim reality npr and others have written about in recent weeks — that the rules of physics mean there ' s almost no way to stop asteroids and debris from hurtling toward earth. it didn ' t stop the doomsday - scenario questioning from sen. bill nelson, d - florida : " what would an asteroid that is a kilometer in diameter, what would it do if it hit the earth?, " nelson asked. " that is likely to end human civilization, " said lu, who is now ceo of the b612 foundation, which aims to hunt devastating asteroids. decades of lead time is the


the air battles the luftwaffe ' s priorities shifted time and again, usually connected to the odds on the ground. at the 14th of may the positions of the french at the region sedan had become the centre - point of luftwaffe operations. virtually the entire tactically employed airforce was focussed on that theatre. the german supreme command had in the late evening of the 13th demanded the quickest possible decision in the dutch theatre. the army units involved were urgently required as operational reserves in the belgian theatre and the luftwaffe strongly desired the front - width to be minimized. the loss of about 1, 000 planes thusfar stretched their decreasing capacity over an ever deeper and wider front. in order to facilitate the ground forces in holland deciding things, kg. 30 [ ju - 88 ] and kg. 54 [ he - 111 ] were dedicated to the dutch theatre for the 14th. the latter was specifically shifted from the central front in belgium - and resupplied with replacement heinkels - to execute the planned decisive air offensive against rotterdam and possibly other cities. that was a direct consequence of hitler ' s weisung no. 11, which had been prepared on the 13th and was issued in the early morning of the 14th. air activity in zeeland the air activity by the luftwaffe over zeeland was quite low this fifth day. the germans pushed the buttons in the areas where it mattered most and beyond the front in belgium and the north of france, theses sectors of focus only included the area around rotterdam. zeeland was not specifically on the menu, but did see some recce sorties as well as return flights from the rotterdam and antwerp sectors. a ju - 88 - a1 [ reports contradict - some say it was a he - 111 ; both types were in use with this unit ] - this time in the recce role and serving with the 1 ( f ) / 121 [ strategic recce group ] was destroyed by a british or french fighter [ around 0600 hrs ] and crashed into the ground close to aardenburg [ zeeuws vlaanderen ]. the entire crew was killed. around 1400 hours a he - 111p from the staff squadron of kg. 54 was shot down by french fighters and crashed at yerseke. this plane had definitely been part of the group of bombers that had bombed rotterdam 30 minutes before [ during which the entire force of kg54 participated ]. as we know possibly around 27 bombers of the rotterdam armada may not have dropped their bombs on the city after they had been waived off by red flare


they are used to wicked winds, and monday was another classic weather day atop mount washington. " it ' s pretty crazy out, " mount washington weather observer / education specialist rebecca scholand said about the conditions. " we had a peak wind gust of 129 mph wind gust around 8 a. m. monday morning. " the mount washington observatory sits atop the highest mountain peak in the northeastern united states and is famous for dangerously erratic weather. the wind gust doesn ' t come close to reaching the all - time record set at the summit of the 6, 288 foot mountain peak. during a wild april storm in 1934, a wind gust of 231 miles per hour ( 372 kilometers per hour ) pushed across the summit of mount washington. this wind speed still stands as the all - time surface wind speed observed by man record. most of the doors open inwards, to help the staff get the doors open. " just the pressure difference between the outside of the building and the inside of the building when the wind is this strong is incredible. " scholand says it is far more difficult to walk outside the observatory on a day like this, with extremely powerful gusts, versus a day when sustained winds are very strong. " you can just lean into it and go for it. when they start to get very gusty like they are today, its very difficult, because your hit by a 40 mph wind, and then a gust over a 100 mph. " the observers at the summit are not worried about any damage outside the building. " the only real damage comes is if too much ice accumulates onto things, " scholand said.


sept. 13, 2010 - a blood test may soon be able to detect early alzheimer ' s disease, new findings suggest. the blood contains no single marker for alzheimer ' s disease, says texas tech health sciences center researcher sid e. o ' bryant, phd. but by looking at a number of different proteins in the blood, o ' bryant and colleagues have found a " biomarker profile " typical of people with alzheimer ' s. by adding some basic demographic information about a patient, the test becomes even more accurate. " in the near future, we will be able to provide a rapid, cost - effective, and accurate diagnosis of alzheimer ' s disease using blood tests as well as some simple questions, " o ' bryant tells webmd. " it won ' t require a half day assessment in specialty clinic. " an earlier effort to develop a blood biomarker test for alzheimer ' s disease showed promise in preliminary studies. but that test proved difficult to verify. o ' bryant says he ' s more hopeful about the current test, as samples were tested at a large commercial laboratory - - and as other researchers have begun to report results similar to his. indeed, the test was highly accurate at distinguishing people with alzheimer ' s disease from people with no mental impairment. when combined with demographic data, it detected 94 % of patients with alzheimer ' s disease. however, it also had a false - positive rate of 16 %. blood test for alzheimer ' s : urgent need for more work nobody would be happier to see a simple blood test for alzheimer ' s disease than ralph nixon, md, phd, director of the silberstein alzheimer ' s institute at new york university. but nixon cautions that the o ' bryant test needs more work. " this test is not ready for the clinic at this point, " nixon cautions. " it would only add a modest amount of support to the currently available tools we have now. but the importance of this finding is that it is one step on the path to finding a blood test that able to indicate early alzheimer ' s disease with some degree of certainty. " o ' bryant notes that so far, the blood test has only been used to tell people with alzheimer ' s disease from people who are mentally intact. he agrees with nixon that the test ' s true test will be to see whether it can tell people with alzheimer ' s disease from people with other forms of dementia - - and, more importantly, to see if it can tell whether or not a person with mild cognitive impairment is going to


' s true test will be to see whether it can tell people with alzheimer ' s disease from people with other forms of dementia - - and, more importantly, to see if it can tell whether or not a person with mild cognitive impairment is going to develop alzheimer ' s disease. that ' s o ' bryant ' s next step. his team already has patient blood samples and is ready to start testing them. all that ' s missing is the necessary funding. nixon, who was not involved in the o ' bryant study, hopes that funding comes soon for this and for other important areas of alzheimer ' s research. " it is incredibly important that we develop these biomarkers for early diagnosis and put in the necessary research to make this happen sooner rather than later, " nixon says. " we are falling behind in our need to address this alzheimer ' s epidemic that is upon us right now. if we don ' t do it right now, we are going to suffer the consequences later. " o ' bryant and colleagues have filed for a patent on their alzheimer ' s blood test, but declare no other relevant financial interests. the findings are reported in the september issue of the archives of neurology. o ' bryant, s. e. archives of neurology, september 2010 ; vol 67 : pp 1077 - 1081. sid e. o ' bryant, phd, director of research, rural institute, texas tech university health sciences center, lubbock. ralph nixon, phd, md, professor of psychiatry and of cell biology, new york university ; director, nyu center of excellence on brain aging and the silberstein alzheimer ' s institute at nyu langone medical center, new york.


3d animation workshop : lesson 22 : getting started in 3 - d | 2 lesson 22 - getting started in 3 - d - part 2 so what do we mean, when we speak of " professional - level " 3 - d, and why should we care? let ' s take the second question first. professional level 3 - d graphics is a gold rush fully comparable with the internet as a revolutionary economic phenomenon. demand for persons with skills in this arena overwhelms supply, and this situation is only going to become more extreme. in the past, the cost of the necessary hardware and software inherently limited the market for 3 - d graphics, as we have just said, to the entertainment industry ( and its stepchild, the games industry ). but affordable 3 - d opens up vast new vistas. print graphics will increasing go 3 - d. 3 - d technology is sweeping through architecture and product design. realistic 3 - d animation as a learning or demonstrative tool is taking off in educational cd ' s, corporate presentations and courtroom demonstrations. the range of possibilities for this new medium has barely begun to be explored. in my view, the largest element of growth will be on the internet. the web will become a video medium like television and suddenly all of the hundreds of thousands of corporate web sites will require broadcast quality graphics and titling. 3 - d graphics and animation will be ubiquitous. thus, 3 - d graphics represents a most realistic career move, and not just an indulgence. take myself as a simple example. although i had been a 3 - d enthusiast and hobbyist for some years, i began pursuing the medium professionally only about a year ago, studying at a couple of schools and picking up freelance work. today, it ' s my full - time employment, and the future is very promising. so back to the first question. what is " professional - level " 3 - d? the 3 - d professional or aspiring professional has command over at least one, and preferably more than one, of those applications that are recognized as " professional. " the idea is a little bit arbitrary, but it is valid nonetheless. although, as we will discuss, many previously lower - end applications are improving radically, a certain tradition has been established for the present. the packages designed to run on sgi workstations are the ultimate professional standard. to oversimplify only a little, they are alias ( meaning alias poweranimator ) owned by sgi itself and softimage, owned by microsoft. these applications are


to run on sgi workstations are the ultimate professional standard. to oversimplify only a little, they are alias ( meaning alias poweranimator ) owned by sgi itself and softimage, owned by microsoft. these applications are the standard of the entertainment industry and cost about $ 15, 000. real command over either of these packages means instant employment at a very respectable salary. even where an major employer, such as pixar or pacific data images, uses primarily its own proprietary software, expertise in alias or softimage is considered a necessary qualification. by the way, softimage is always pronounced in the french manner, with the accent on the last syllable, as the company is based in montreal. softimage was ported to windows nt a couple of years ago and, as we mentioned in an earlier lesson, this was the breakthrough event in establishing that operating system as a professional alternative. people have been hotly debating whether alias would also be so ported, and sgi ' s recent decision to move their own hardware to nt means, obviously, that their software will move over as well. $ 15, 000 may sound like a lot of money ( and there are annual licensing fees as well! ), but for someone already making a living in the business, the price is hardly impossible. but the audience for whom i write here is not likely to be able to make such a commitment. thus, to learn this software, they will likely find some educational institution where these applications are taught and available to work with in a lab. in any case, both of these applications are so sophisticated that formal training is essential. these are lifetime artist tools of the highest order. so you don ' t have $ 15, 000, and you still want to get started with professional level tools. what are your choices? | to continue to part 3, or return to part 1, use arrow buttons | | created : september 23, 1997 revised : september 23, 1997


the colon and rectum are parts of the body ’ s digestive system and together form a long, muscular tube called the large intestine. the colon is the first 6 feet of the large intestine and the rectum is the last 8 - 10 inches. the last part of the rectum contains the rectal sphincter or anus. the rectal sphincter is the muscle that controls defecation. preservation of the rectal sphincter during surgery for rectal cancer is necessary in order to maintain control of bowel function. treatment approaches differ between cancers of the colon or rectum, and are therefore discussed separately. a separate section has been created for colon cancer. adenocarcinoma is the most common type of cancer that originates in the cells that line the rectum or large intestine. it accounts for over 90 - 95 % of cancers originating in the rectum. other types of cancer including carcinoid and leiomyosarcoma also originate in the rectum, but are not referred to as rectal cancer. this treatment overview deals only with adenocarcinoma of the rectum, which will be referred to as rectal cancer. the treatment of rectal cancer may involve several physicians, including a gastroenterologist, a surgeon, a medical oncologist, a radiation oncologist, and / or other specialists. care must be carefully coordinated between the various treating physicians involved in management of your cancer. in order to understand the best treatment options available for treatment of rectal cancer, it is important to first determine where the cancer has spread in the body. the initial spread of rectal cancer occurs circumferentially around the rectum and laterally into the adjacent fat and muscles. rectal cancer can then invade nearby organs and spread through the lymph and blood systems. rectal cancer cells may spread via the blood throughout the body to the liver, lungs and other organs. determining the stage of the cancer or the extent of the spread requires a number of tests and is ultimately confirmed by surgical removal of the cancer and exploration of the abdominal cavity. computerized tomography ( ct ) scan : a ct scan is a technique for imaging body tissues and organs, during which x - ray transmissions are converted to detailed images, using a computer to synthesize x - ray data. a ct scan is conducted with a large machine positioned outside the body that can rotate to capture detailed images of the organs and tissues inside the body. this method is more sensitive


to detailed images, using a computer to synthesize x - ray data. a ct scan is conducted with a large machine positioned outside the body that can rotate to capture detailed images of the organs and tissues inside the body. this method is more sensitive and precise than the chest x - ray. magnetic resonance imaging ( mri ) : mri uses a magnetic field rather than x - rays, and can often distinguish more accurately between healthy and diseased tissue. mri gives better pictures of tumors located near bone than ct, does not use radiation as ct does, and provides pictures from various angles that enable doctors to construct a three - dimensional image of the tumor. colonoscopy : a colonoscopy may be used to identify whether a second cancer is present in the colon or rectum prior to surgery. during a colonoscopy, a long flexible tube that is attached to a camera is inserted through the rectum, allowing physicians to examine the internal lining of the colon for polyps or other abnormalities. the physician may perform a biopsy during a colonoscopy in order to collect samples of suspicious tissues or cells for closer examination. endorectal ultrasound ( eus ) : endorectal ultrasound ( eus ) involves the use of a special probe that is inserted into the rectum to help determine the thickness of the cancer. by determining the thickness of the cancer, eus can help determine the stage. doppler ultrasound : one technique that may help predict an increased risk of cancer recurrence is doppler ultrasound. doppler ultrasound has been used to measure blood flow in the artery to the liver ( hepatic artery ) and total liver flow in patients with rectal cancer. this measurement may be helpful because abnormalities occurring in hepatic artery blood flow can be used to detect early cancer metastasis to the liver. upon completion of the clinical “ staging evaluation ”, surgery is performed to remove the cancer, along with part of the normal adjacent tissues of the rectum. surgery also helps to further determine the level of spread within the rectal wall and abdomen. the type of surgery performed depends on the size and the location of the cancer. surgery is commonly performed through an abdominal incision. in some cases, the rectal cancer is located close to the anus and the anus is removed with the cancer. large rectal cancers close to the anus that cannot be removed without damaging anal function are sometimes treated with chemotherapy to help shrink the cancer before surgery. this is referred to as neoad


the anus and the anus is removed with the cancer. large rectal cancers close to the anus that cannot be removed without damaging anal function are sometimes treated with chemotherapy to help shrink the cancer before surgery. this is referred to as neoadjuvant chemotherapy. if there is enough shrinkage of the cancer, surgery may be performed that preserves anal function. however, in some cases, the cancer is too close to the anus and the anus is removed with the cancer. in other instances, the cancer may be localized, but too large to remove surgically. in these cases, administration of chemotherapy and / or radiation before surgery may shrink the cancer and allow complete surgical removal. for more information, go to surgical management of rectal cancer. following surgical removal of rectal cancer, a final “ pathologic ” stage will be given. this is based on extent of spread of cancer after looking at the removed tissue under a microscope. the stage may be a letter or a number, as several different staging systems are used to describe rectal cancer. all new treatment information concerning rectal cancer is categorized and discussed by the stage. in order to learn more about the most recent information available concerning the treatment of rectal cancer, click on the appropriate stage. stage i ( a - b1 ) : cancer is confined to the lining of the rectum. stage ii ( b2 - 3 ) : cancer may penetrate the wall of the rectum into the surrounding fat or muscles or other adjacent organs, but does not invade any local lymph nodes. stage iii ( c1 - 3 ) : cancer invades one or more of the local lymph nodes, but has not spread to other distant organs. stage iv ( d ) : cancer has spread to distant locations in the body, which may include the liver, lungs, bones or other sites. recurrent / relapsed : the rectal cancer has progressed or returned ( recurred / relapsed ) following an initial treatment.


more u. s. mamas are breastfeeding their babes — that ' s according to a new report released by the centers for disease control and prevention ( cdc ). researchers from the cdc reviewed the national immunization survey from 2002 - 2011 to uncover feeding trends of african american, white, and hispanic infants born from 2000 to 2008. they found the number of mothers who nurse their newborns increased more than 4 percentage points. and mothers who still nursed at 6 months rose nearly 10 percentage points — from 35 percent to 45 percent — during the same time. the american academy of pediatrics recommends moms breastfeed newborns for 12 months — exclusively for the first 6 months, then in combination with the introduction of foods to the baby ' s diet. ( they encourage continuing past 12 months as long as it works for mom and baby. ) more good news : the gap between african american and white women who breastfeed is narrowing. the report showed the gap shrunk from 24 percentage points in 2000 to 16 percentage points in 2008. " the striking news here is, hundreds of thousands more babies are being breastfed than in past years, and this increase has been seen across most racial and ethnic groups, " says cdc director tom frieden, md, in a press release issued by the cdc. here, the key findings from the report : - from 2000 to 2008, breastfeeding at six and 12 months increased significantly among african american, white, and hispanic infants. - while numbers are rising across all groups, all mothers need more support to continue breastfeeding since less than half of mothers are breastfeeding at six months ( 45 percent ) and less than a quarter of mothers ( 23 percent ) are breastfeeding at 12 months. although rates of breastfeeding at six months increased by more than 13 percent among african american mothers, this group still had the lowest rates of breastfeeding duration, indicating that they still need more targeted support. " despite these increases, many mothers who want to breastfeed are still not getting the support they need from hospitals, doctors, or employers. we must redouble our efforts to support mothers who want to breastfeed, " said frieden. in order to provide more support to african american mothers, the cdc is funding the project, best - fed beginnings. the project will provide support to 89 hospitals, many serving minority and low - income populations, to improve hospital practices that support nursing mamas. the cdc has also funded six state health departments to develop support


valles marineris, the grand valley of mars named after the mariner program which first took close - up images. click on image for full size image from : usgs valles marineris is a large system of canyons, shown in this image, that stretches 4000 km ( 2500 mi ) along the equator of mars. it was first imaged in detail by mariner 9. the scene to the left ( centered at : lat - 8, long 78 ) shows the entire valles marineris canyon system, over 2000 kilometers long and up to 8 kilometers deep. this system extends from noctis labyrinthus ( check the large topographic map of mars ) - the arcuate system of grabens to the west, to chaotic terrain to the east. as can be seen in the image, many huge ancient river channels originate at chaotic terrain, from north - central canyons in the image, and extend north. the three tharsis volcanoes ( dark red spots ), each about 25 kilometers high, are visible on the leftmost ( western ) edge of the image. to the south are the highlands ; very ancient terrain, covered by many impact craters. high resolution images returned by the mars global surveyor spacecraft allow closer examination of this unusual canyon. these images show slopes descending steeply to the north and south debris - filled gullies with intervening rocky spurs. layered rocks on earth form from sedimentary processes ( such as those that formed the layered rocks now seen in arizona ' s grand canyon ) and volcanic processes ( such as layering seen in the waimea canyon on the island of kauai ). both origins are possible for the martian layered rocks seen in valles marineris. in either case, the total thickness of the layered rocks seen in these images indicates that there may have been a complex and extremely active early history for geologic processes on mars. shop windows to the universe science store! learn about earth and space science, and have fun while doing it! the games section of our online store includes a climate change card game and the traveling nitrogen game you might also be interested in : how did life evolve on earth? the answer to this question can help us understand our past and prepare for our future. although evolution provides credible and reliable answers, polls show that many people turn away from science, seeking other explanations with which they are more comfortable.... more this image shows the steep slopes of valles marineris at higher resolution. very high resolution images returned by the mars global surveyor spacecraft allow closer examination of this unusual canyon.


science, seeking other explanations with which they are more comfortable.... more this image shows the steep slopes of valles marineris at higher resolution. very high resolution images returned by the mars global surveyor spacecraft allow closer examination of this unusual canyon.... more the surface of mars can be broken into two main regions : highlands and lowlands. the highlands are in the southern hemisphere ( the bottom of the figure ), and the lowlands are in the northern hemisphere... more the presence of water near the surface of mars, or lack of water, is a big factor in determining the climate of mars, and the suitability of mars to support life. finding out what has happened to the water... more over the course of time there are many things which can cause the surface of a planet to change its appearance. winds can slowly wear erode a planet ' s surface. the surface of mars is affected by wind.... more this is an example of the cratered terrain on mars. almost the entire surface of mars is cratered to various degrees. the tharsis ridge, where the volcanoes of mars are located, is lightly cratered. the... more the mission of mars global surveyor ( mgs ) is to map the surface of mars from space, a mission somewhat akin to the magellan mission to venus. the mgs probe is also suppose to explore the topmost portion... more this view of valles marineris shows debris - filled gullies with intervening rocky spurs, reminiscent of terrestrial canyons. layered rocks on earth form from sedimentary processes ( such as those that formed... more


the regular expressions of chanukah many of you have likely stumbled upon regular expressions. those oddly formulated text strings that specify a general shape to the text that you ’ re looking for. for example, want to find any time two digits are next to each other? then simply use [ 0 - 9 ] [ 0 - 9 ]. or, want to find any word that begins with at least one ‘ a ’ and ends in ‘ vark ’? use the regular expression \ ba +. + vark \ b regular expressions consist of a simple language and are used by programmers and others who analyze large texts and datasets. and they are actually rudimentary computers. regular expressions are the embodiment of certain types of abstract machines known as finite automata, simple computational engines that can match patterns. they can ’ t do complicated calculations or run microsoft word, but they are one simple step on the path to turing completeness. and regular expressions can also be used to deal with the word ‘ chanukah. ’ or maybe it ’ s ‘ hanukkah ’? you see where i ’ m going with this. there are so many ways to spell this holiday, we shouldn ’ t be using lots of alternate spellings ; we should be using regular expressions. for those celebrating this weekend, happy chanukah! bonus : regular expressions can also be used for the many spellings of ghaddafi : \ b ( kh? | gh? | qu? ) [ aeu ] ( d [ ' dt ]? | t | zz | dhd ) h? aff? [ iy ] \ b top image : terry babij / flickr / cc samuel arbesman is an applied mathematician and network scientist. he is a senior scholar at the ewing marion kauffman foundation and author of the book the half - life of facts. his research and essays explore how to quantify all aspects of society. follow @ arbesman on twitter.


learn something new every day more info... by email mulch keeps a garden healthy and plants happy by providing a ground cover to retain moisture, tamp down weeds. and protect soil from heat or cold. there are dozens of types of mulch, from common ones such as wood chips, straw, and leaves to unusual varieties including cocoa hulls, black plastic, and newspaper. some gardeners choose to make their own mulch from household materials as a way to adopt greener gardening methods. gardeners also may have mulch brought into their yard in bulk for large jobs. wood is among the most common types of mulch. this variety comes in chips made from branches and bark. some gardeners prefer wood mulch because it looks pleasing and, depending on type of wood selected, can be color coordinated. for instance, cedar mulch can provide a deep red garden cover. wood mulch is heavier than other types ; it may better withstand rainy or windy conditions, although others object to the clearcutting of trees that may be required to produce some wood mulches. some gardeners opt to use materials that may be less aesthetically pleasing, but offer other benefits. straw and dead leaves, for example, are standard types of mulch. straw provides a stable ground cover that ’ s easy to walk over, making it a good choice for vegetable gardens. straw decays quickly and must be replaced throughout the gardening season it nourishes the soil as it decomposes, however. dead leaves, also not the most attractive choice, are thick enough to prevent weed growth, inexpensive, and also nourish the soil as they decay. gardeners looking " outside of box " for types of mulch may turn to smooth glass, which comes in different colors. shells from pecans, walnuts, and oysters also provide stable ground cover. some gardens feature cocoa hull mulch, which has the added benefit of smelling like chocolate for several weeks. sheets of newspaper or black plastic also are among types of mulch. the latter is especially effective at heating the soil in early spring and preventing weed growth. even with so many types of mulch available, some gardeners have moved away from store - bought varieties to produce their own ground cover. newspaper mulch is easily crafted by individuals. gardeners can create their own glass mulch by smashing up bottles, i. e., recycling in action. creating one ’ s own mulch reduces demand on materials such as wood chips and may help protect the environment. some


some of south mississippi ' s tiniest creatures are getting a lot of help surviving in the wild. sixth graders at one pascagoula school are working on a project to monitor and protect a bayou that ' s right in their own backyard. just a few blocks from trent lott academy is grant bayou, a vital habitat for baby shrimp, crabs, and fish. " this is the nursery of the world. this is where our food starts. this is probably the most important wetlands ecosystem that there is, " said michael henderson, mississippi power maintenance specialist. twice a year, the sixth graders at the school walk over to the bayou to track the health of the fragile watershed. " this is our backyard. i don ' t want a dump in my backyard. the only way it ' s going to be cleaned up, the only way it ' s going to be maintained in a good healthy way, is if we do it, " said henderson. with guidance from environmental and compliance specialists at mississippi power, the students waded in the water to collect samples. they measured the water ' s ph and dissolved oxygen levels. they also tested to see if the water was clear and recorded its temperature. " this is actually good useful data, and it teaches them the basics of the importance of math, science, and environmental stewardship, " said henderson. the school has been keeping a close watch over grant bayou since 2002. " to help save the fish and keep them alive, " said sixth grader anna barlow. " for the environment and help the world be clean, " said sixth grader geo garnica. some students have taken a personal role in this project. " i usually come out here and help clean up this area back here, because there ' s a bunch of debris. and i like to feed the fish and the pelicans, " said sixth grader aston smith. they are learning early to take responsibility in protecting their backyard bayou. " this is a healthy water system. it may not be the prettiest in the world, but it is healthy. our monitoring will help us make sure that it stays that way, " said henderson. the project is part of " world water monitoring day ". the data collected will be entered into a national database. the students will use the information to track any changes to the bayou ' s health over the years. be the first to find out about breaking news! to sign up for email alerts from the wlox newsroom, just enter your email address below. your


to preserve the structure and ensure the watertight integrity of wooden hulls, tree resins, natural tar, animal fats and vegetable oils were all used by the early boat builders, and the addition of pigments to these materials gave the colours encouraging owners to decorate their vessels. nowadays there are three types of marine paint protective coatings : - oil - based paints which dry by the evaporation of some of the oil ; - polyurethane, which include varnishes and cure when in contact with the air ; - and two - part epoxies which cure by chemical reactions between the two parts. to bring out the natural colour of all wooden surfaces, including the on - deck varnished woodwork or ' bright work ', varnishes were produced without pigments mainly used on the darker varnished mahogany of cabin sides, hatches and cockpit. teak structures, such as grab rails, are treated with teak oil penetrating the wood and preserving its natural oiliness. wooden boat interiors of were often finished with contrasting white planking and varnished beams and furniture with matt finishes often giving a better contrast than the bright finishes which show up areas of wear. the bilge area is usually treated with coal tar derivatives, or bilge marine paints containing fungicides, to prevent the onset of dry rot. the bilge is a difficult area to keep clean, and is a repository for stagnant water and engine oil spillages. the topsides of the boat demanded finishes which could be applied evenly and would dry to a perfect, hard gloss finish. white has been a favourite but is one of the most difficult to apply because it shows up blemishes, especially older gpp hulls requiring painting to prevent the ingress of water into the laminate through a deteriorating gel coat. the boot topping is the area starting at the junction between sea and air and three inches above the waterline on the hull. boot top paints require a mixture of the harder topside paints and the softer, leaching anti - fouling and most owners use a contrasting colour for boot tops. the battle to keep the hull and the elements apart is below the waterline, where fouling resulting from the growth of weed and barnacles results in loss of performance. tropical waters, have harmful marine borers which penetrate wooden hulls decimate the wooden structure. copper sheathing and copper and arsenic - impregnated antifouling paints were successful in combating growth and borers, but hulls still needed periodic scrubbing


harmful marine borers which penetrate wooden hulls decimate the wooden structure. copper sheathing and copper and arsenic - impregnated antifouling paints were successful in combating growth and borers, but hulls still needed periodic scrubbing. the introduction of tributyl tin ( tbt ) in the 1970s were excellent antifouling agents, but their harmful effects on marine life resulted in a complete ban on their use in the late 1980s and a return to the copper and arsenic based paints. two grades of antifouling are produced : - the hard racing finishes which can be sanded smooth and leach slowly, - the softer cruising versions which form a thicker protective coating which leaches quickly to prevent weed and barnacles from gaining a foothold. the most skilled boat maintenance tasks is the application of paint and requires considerable time, patience and perfect working conditions. successful finishes rely upon particular preparation of the surface to be protected or decorated, along with surfaces that must be filled and sanded so that all blemishes are removed on unpainted wood and grp surfaces. this surface has to be cleaned several times with degreasers and thinners, to ensure that the first phase of the paint system can key into the porous structure and the whole finish does not flake off. throughout the application process each successive must be sanded down with and - dry paper and cleaned with a ‘ tack rag ' to remove all traces of dust so that the many layers of paint can be applied. paint systems start with a primer, acting as a keying agent and filler and sometimes the primer is combined with an undercoat. after priming and undercoating, a number of top coats are applied to give the desired finish and brushes, rollers and mohair pads used to assist in producing the result. there is a need to balance the quick - drying properties of the product along with a need to prevent runs and to preserve a ' wet edge ' that allows successive strips of painted boat to merge into one smooth skin free of brush marks. grp hull treatment is best left to the professional spray shop where two part epoxies to replace the original gel coat finish with an impervious coating, require a certain amount of expertise. treating the undersides of the hull to remove blistering caused by fiberglass osmosis requires the removal of the entire gel coat by grit blasting or sanding. fiberglass osmosis is the slow seepage of water into the laminate causing


restorative justice comes in a variety of different forms. one approach involves a meeting of the victim and offender. for the victim, it gives him or her a chance to tell the offender about the impact of the offence. as well as offering some element of catharsis on the part of the victim, the argument is that restorative justice can bring home to the offender the impact of his or her actions. the victim might also receive an apology from the offender, something that can have a big impact on both parties. alongside these direct forms of restorative justice other, more mediated, versions are possible : a letter of apology for example. as an approach that encourages talking and resolution over punishment and vengeance, restorative justice has much to recommend it. it may not be for everyone though. a victim of petty vandalism or burglary might be open to meeting the offender. a survivor of a violent and traumatic assault perhaps less so. the offender too needs to be open to engaging in the process. an unwilling participant is unlikely to deliver the desired result, as a recent example illustrates. but if talking and resolution is a good thing, what other models are available? the recent my story project by the centre for crime and justice studies is a case in point. drawing on in - depth discussions with young people who as children were convicted of serious acts of violence, my story presents a series of vivid, disturbing and challenging first person accounts of violence and trauma they themselves experienced. these stories were made possible through a series of in - depth conversations between the young people and one of my colleagues, dr roger grimshaw. the conversations were open - ended. the young people were invited to share and reflect on their experiences in a therapeutic, rather than restorative, framework. there was no expectation, for instance, that the conversations might result in an apology being proffered to the victim. indeed greater self - understanding, and enhanced insight into the roots of violence, was the purpose of exercise, not the offer of an apology or feelings of remorse. given the profound victimisation these young people had themselves endured prior to inflicting violence on others, it is in any case worth asking in what way it might make sense, morally or otherwise, to expect them to apologise for their offences? at the very least, if they were to apologise for their actions, would they not equally deserve an apology from those who violated them so grievously as part of a collective acknowledgement of fault? there must


for their offences? at the very least, if they were to apologise for their actions, would they not equally deserve an apology from those who violated them so grievously as part of a collective acknowledgement of fault? there must also be many situations where a victim would like to talk about the harm they experienced, but not with the person who victimised them. if the value for victims in restorative justice is in a therapeutic outcome, why not offer a unambiguously therapeutic service, rather than a difficult, potentially stressful, confrontation with an individual who has violated them? if the purpose of restorative justice is to contribute to the rehabilitation of the offender, why assume that the victim has a role to play in this process? in the face of violence and victimisation, talking and reflecting are valuable and important. restorative justice appears to facilitate this, and at lower cost than traditional criminal justice sanctions. as a result it has gained increased support over recent years. the minister for policing and criminal justice nick herbert gave a speech in support of restorative justice earlier this year. more recently the criminal justice alliance has published a pamphlet calling for its much wider application. but whatever its merits, restorative justice remains relatively narrow in its focus : facilitating a transaction between victim and offender in which an apology can be proffered and heard. what is needed is a broader vision of the role that a range of talking therapies - such as counselling, psychological treatments and psychotherapy - might play in repairing the hurt and damage experienced by victims and offenders alike. it is time to start thinking beyond restorative justice.


six years ago, hope koch ' s life began to change dramatically. a pianist since the age of 5, she knew something was wrong when listening to music became difficult. that ' s when the 70 - year - old wife and mother of three clearly remembers her hearing loss began. " that ' s the first thing that got all jumbled. i couldn ' t understand it anymore and then i couldn ' t understand my children, my adult children and then the grandchildren came along and i missed out what they were saying. " at first she didn ' t tell anyone, not even her husband frank. she pretended nothing was wrong. but soon she could no longer understand movies, and needed closed captioning. she lost her confidence and began to shy away from people because she couldn ' t understand them. eventually she stopped answering the phone. " i felt like i was putting them to a lot of trouble to have to repeat and repeat, " koch said. " all of the things that you enjoyed doing, you shied away from. " koch saw an audiologist and was fitted for hearing aids. they helped, for a while. but the hearing loss continued. at the end of last year, her audiologist presented her with one final option. since the hearing aids couldn ' t help her any more, he suggested she consider a cochlear implant. cochlear implants are electronic hearing devices for people with profound deafness or severe hearing loss who get no benefit from a hearing aid. there is an external part that is worn behind the ear with a microphone that picks up sounds from the environment, a speech processor and a transmitter that gets signals from the processor and turns them into electric impulses. it is attached to a receiver and electrode system which is surgically implanted into the inner ear. it ' s typically done as an outpatient procedure. an implant does not restore normal hearing and is very different from a hearing aid. hearing aids amplify sound so that damaged ears can hear them. implants bypass the damage and directly stimulate the auditory nerve which then sends the signals to the brain. koch had the surgery at the university of maryland medical center in baltimore in september. " it was easy, comfortable, the recovery was good. i mean i ' m very pleased with it. i had no negative effects from the surgery, no pain. "


two studies on the deadly h5n1 avian flu virus have been steeped in controversy because some experts view them as a threat to biosecurity. now, the u. s. government is saying they should be published. the papers suggest ways that manipulation of the virus could heighten its virulence and ability to be transmitted. " this line of research is critically important because it will help public health officials understand, detect, and defend against the emergence of h5n1 virus as a human threat, a development that could pose a pandemic scenario, " according to a statement by dr. francis collins, director of the national institutes of health. the scientific saga has been unfolding since late last year. research by ron fouchier, a virologist at the erasmus medical center in the netherlands, is at the center of the controversy. with just a few genetic tweaks to h5n1, fouchier and colleagues were able to make the virus go airborne, infecting a population of ferrets with alarming speed, according to reports. after reviewing the data, the national science advisory board for biosecurity, which advises the nih and other federal agencies, voted 12 - 6 in favor of releasing fouchier ' s research, with the caveat that " scientific clarifications " are made ; and voted unanimously that research authored by yoshihiro kawaoka, a professor of virology at the university of wisconsin - madison, be released in its entirety. the u. s. government previously advised that the research not be published in the journals science and nature. a committee at the world health organization said in february that the the papers should be published, but did not specify when. " these particular manuscripts include the important finding that the h5n1 virus has greater potential than previously believed to gain the capacity to be transmitted among mammals, " collins said. " the manuscripts describe some of the genetic changes that appear to correlate with this potential. " h5n1 is a virus that has inspired major concern, due to high global death rates associated with it. according to the latest data released by the world health organization, of the 602 cases reported to the agency, 355 people have died. although some scientists question the veracity of the almost 60 % mortality rate associated with h5n1, many agree that the virus poses a potentially huge threat to humans if it spreads.


dave dildine, wtop. com washington - the weather during past presidential inaugural ceremonies has run the gamut from fierce snowstorms to blinding rain to mild temperatures and sunny skies. winter has not been kind to many presidents and the inaugural committees in charge of coordinating the day ' s events. since president franklin d. roosevelt ' s second term, the inaugural ceremonies have been held outdoors during the heart of the winter season, normally on jan. 20. the average high temperature on jan. 20 in washington is 43 degrees. typically the coldest time of the year, late january can also be the most tempestuous period for washington weather. a few inaugurations have been marred by strong storms and fierce winds. franklin roosevelt ' s second inauguration took place on a raw, soggy day with heavy rain and temperatures hovering just above freezing. a record 1. 77 inches of precipitation fell, much of it recorded around mid - day and during the swearing - in. a major january blizzard the day before president john f. kennedy ' s inauguration caused near white - out conditions in washington through the early morning. crowds waded through 8 inches of wind - blown snow during the swearing - in as temperatures hovered in the low 20s. of the past 19 january inauguration days, six have featured some form of measurable precipitation. still, some of the nation ' s past presidents have enjoyed mild weather on their first day in office. president ronald reagan was greeted with a daytime temperature of 55 degrees - making his the warmest january inauguration - and mostly cloudy skies for his ceremony in 1981. his second inauguration, however, was the coldest on record, with a noon temperature of 7 degrees above zero. george h. walker bush ' s ceremony was held on a breezy afternoon with temperatures in the low 50s. according to the wtop weather center, president barack obama ' s second inauguration will be cold with temperatures in the 30s. january presidential inauguration weather | 2009 | | barack obama | | 28 f | | sunny, breezy, very cold | | 2005 | | george w. bush | | 35 f | | mostly cloudy | | 2001 | | george w. bush | | 36 f | | rain, changing to light snow late, with fog | | 1997 | | william jefferson clinton | | 34 f | | partly sunny | | 1993 | | william jefferson clinton | | 40 f | | sunny, seasonably cold | | 1989 | | george bush | | 51 f | | mostly cloudy and mild | | 1985 | | ronald reagan | | 7


| | partly sunny | | 1993 | | william jefferson clinton | | 40 f | | sunny, seasonably cold | | 1989 | | george bush | | 51 f | | mostly cloudy and mild | | 1985 | | ronald reagan | | 7 f | | sunny, bitterly cold. | | 1981 | | ronald reagan | | 55 f | | mostly cloudy and mild | | 1977 | | jimmy carter | | 28 f | | sunny and cold | | 1973 | | richard nixon | | 42 f | | cloudy and windy | | 1969 | | richard nixon | | 35 f | | cloudy, late rain and sleet | | 1965 | | lyndon b. johnson | | 38 f | | cloudy | | 1961 | | john f. kennedy | | 22 f | | heavy snow early, very cold | | 1957 | | dwight d. eisenhower | | 44 f | | light snow early, flurries | | 1953 | | dwight d. eisenhower | | 49 f | | cloudy | | 1949 | | harry s. truman | | 38 f | | mostly sunny and windy | | 1945 | | franklin d. roosevelt | | 35 f | | light snow early | | 1941 | | franklin d. roosevelt | | 29 f | | sunny and cold | | 1937 | | franklin d. roosevelt | | 33 f | | cold, heavy rain, sleet | ( copyright 2013 by wtop. all rights reserved. ) ed koch planned every detail of his funeral - except one crucial date. james franco wants fans to spot him half a million for a film trilogy. katy perry talks about russell brand and says she loves john mayer. cory and topanga are back, and they ' re all grown up.


cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the u. s. this podcast discusses risk factors for cardiovascular disease, how to control and prevent them. created : 12 / 20 / 2012 by mmwr. date released : 12 / 20 / 2012. series name : a minute of health with cdc. a minute of health with cdc cdc grand rounds : the million hearts initiative recorded : december 18, 2012 ; posted : december 20, 2012 this program is presented by the centers for disease control and prevention. cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the us. each year, more than two million people suffer a heart attack or stroke and over 800, 000 die from these conditions. survivors are often faced with serious illness or disability. it ’ s important to know your risk factors for cardiovascular disease. most can be controlled or prevented. they include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle. you can cut your risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke in half with a healthy diet, physical activity, regular checkups, and treatment, when needed. thank you for joining us on a minute of health with cdc. for the most accurate health information, visit www. cdc. gov or call 1 - 800 - cdc - info.


restoring celilo falls celilo falls has always been phantom of history to me, since i born a few years after the u. s. army corps of engineers buried the falls behind the dalles dam in 1957. my understanding of the falls and the loss it now represents has come from old photos and maps, and a few shaky film images. yet for many, the falls and the native culture surrounding them are alive and vibrant in their memories, thanks to seeing and experiencing them first - hand. for native americans, the vivid memories only add to the pain of losing a place that quite literally defined a people for millennia. the idea of restoring the falls — even temporarily — has been suggested over the years, usually to be slapped down quickly by the corps of engineers as unfeasible, or even dangerous. in the late 1980s, a brief, 30th anniversary movement to temporarily draw down the pool behind the dam briefly gained local momentum before the federal agencies killed any talk of the idea. the corps likely realized that revealing the falls to the public even once could make it politically impossible to ever refill the dam again. the hostility of the federal agencies toward even acknowledging the falls fanned the rumors among the local tribes that the falls had, in fact, been purposely destroyed by the corps of engineers just before they were inundated. this rumor persisted until last year, when a new mindset among corps managers spurred the agency to compile a comprehensive sonar map of the falls to show that they are quite intact, beneath the still surface of the reservoir. the sonar confirmation of the intact falls has breathed new life into the hopes of many that the falls will not just someday be restored, but perhaps someday soon. this is where the restoration of celilo falls fits within the scope of the mhnp campaign : the emerging environmental theme in the coming century is restoration, and no place in the pacific northwest is more deserving — perhaps even the nation, considering that 11, 000 years of native american culture at celilo makes it the oldest continuously settled place in north america. but the connection to mount hood is even more elemental : the mountain towers over the celilo country like a beacon, and has been a similarly important feature in the culture of lower columbia tribes. celilo and wyeast are connected, and so their restoration should be. a joined effort to heal these places expands the possibilities for both. what will a restored celilo falls look like? initially, it will likely be mineral - stained and muddy. but the new


##ast are connected, and so their restoration should be. a joined effort to heal these places expands the possibilities for both. what will a restored celilo falls look like? initially, it will likely be mineral - stained and muddy. but the new sonar maps confirm that silts have not overtaken the falls, so if the pool behind the dalles dam were simply lowered today, we would see a largely intact falls — perhaps even with traces of the cantilevered dip net fishing structures that once clung to the rocks around the falls. and over time, the falls would quickly recover to blend again with the surrounding landscape. what would a restored celilo falls mean for the mid - columbia economy? the immediate impact would be on power supplies, and it is unlikely that the falls could ever be restored without some alternate energy supply — perhaps a wind farm of equal wattage? — ensuring that no net loss in energy production would result. the next big question would be impacts on shipping, but the good news here is that barges were already using the celilo canal to bypass the falls long before the dam was erected. the canal system would conceivably resume this function, if the falls were reborn, albeit with likely improvements and modernization. what kind of protection should the restored celilo falls receive? that part is easy. the astonishing scope of history tied to the falls easily qualify the site for world heritage status within the u. s. national park system, perhaps as a national historic site. this would put the restored falls in a category with places like mesa verde, in colorado, and provide the needed framework to preserve and understand the historic resources that lie beneath today ’ s reservoir. restoration of celilo falls is a long - term dream of so many, but movement in that direction really began as soon as the falls disappeared in 1957. the falls has never left our collective consciousness, and thus demands restoration. another small step toward restoration will occur in 2009, when the commemorative confluence project will bring an art installation to celilo. the project is marking the two centuries since lewis and clark passed through the region, and the millennia of human history that makes celilo unique. a small step, but also a bit more progress toward what i believe will be the inevitable restoration of celilo falls — under the gaze of a restored mount hood. explore posts in the same categories : cultural history, natural history, proposals comment below, or link to this permanent url from your own site.


source : dang td, tang m, choo s, et al increasing the accuracy of peanut allergy diagnosis by using ara h 2. j allergy clin immunol. 2012 ; 129 ( 4 ) : 1056 - 1063 ; doi : 10. 1016 / j. jaci. 2012. 01. 056. see aap grand rounds commentary by dr. sai nimmagadda ( subscription required ). question : among infants, does ara h 2 antigen testing accurately diagnose peanut allergy? question type : diagnosis study design : randomized controlled i just finished a handful of peanuts ( roasted, unsalted of course ) and count myself among the lucky folks who don ' t have peanut allergy. for those that might have allergy, diagnosis has long been plagued by lack of an easy, accurate means of diagnosis. the gold standard is an oral food challenge ( ofc ), but this is a costly and prolonged process that carries a risk of anaphylaxis. this study of 200 children, half with ofc - positive peanut allergy and half without, found that measurement of serum ara h 2 - specific ige antibody was better than measurement of serum whole peanut - specific ige antibody ( sige ). when cutoff values were set for equal specificities of 98 % for both assays, the ara h 2 antibody was 60 % sensitive ( 95 % ci 50 - 70 % ), compared to 26 % ( 18 - 36 % ) for the sige. that ' s an improvement, but very far from what is needed to replace ofc. a screening test for a serious illness needs to achieve high sensitivity, to avoid missing any cases, accepting a few more false positive results as a tradeoff. as noted by dr. nimmagadda in his commentary, ara h 2 is the predominant peanut allergen in europe, north america, and southeast asia, but ara h 9 predominates in spain. it ' s clearly not a simple problem to be solved. on a final note, this study was performed by the healthnuts study group in australia. normally i ' m a bit nonplussed with cute names for study groups, but this one seems to hit an appropriate, nice tone.


by jennifer molidor the university of wisconsin is at it again with the renewal of horrific “ maternal deprivation tests. ” recently in hot water for their horrendous experiments on cats, the uw ’ s psychological tests on monkeys top the list of sadistic treatment of sentient beings. what do the tests do? infant monkeys are immediately removed from their mothers after birth and kept in total isolation. they will be given “ surrogate ” materials known to provoke heightened anxieties. for 42 days, the confused infants will be subjected to relentless fear and panic - inducing tests while totally isolated. these tests include being intentionally terrified by human researchers, being left alone with a live king snake, and being left alone in a strange room with a strange monkey. they will then be killed and dissected. haven ’ t we done this before? a 10 - year study by the national institutes of health ( nih ) has already determined that isolating infant monkeys leads to self - mutilation. surely we could establish this common - sense observation without tormenting monkeys. mammals, particularly primates, rely upon their mother for safety and nurturance crucial to their psychological well - being. one only needs to observe humans, or animals in the wild, to see that distressing experiences, while deprived of one ’ s mother, are terrifically destructive. there is no justification for continually frightening baby monkeys and depriving them of basic care. in the late 1950s, harry harlow ’ s infamous university of wisconsin tests, in which he psychologically tortured baby monkeys by separating them from their mothers, caused a public outcry. yet, here we go again. continue reading …


ever had an urge to once in a blue moon buy me an icom - 706? well, lands sake & glory be, your time opportunity has arrived! on new years eve we will be treated to a blue moon. the current definition of a blue moon is a second full moon in a calendar month. blue moons occur every two and a half to three years, the next one being on august 21, 2012. new years eve blue moons are more rare, the last being in 1971. where the term “ blue moon ” originated no one knows, but it dates to the days of shakespeare. back then it had little to do with the calendar cycle, but with an actual visibly blue moon appearance, which of course signaled global calamities in the near future. sort of a middle ages version of y2k, the 2012 mayan calendar end of the world & global warming. so enjoy the moon and thank you in advance for my new radio. i hope you had the opportunity to participate in the graduate storm spotter training webinar that was held earlier this month. it was very well done and very informative. if you missed it, they are hoping to do another one later in 2010. in the activity we participate in it ’ s important that we obtain a good working knowledge of meteorology so we can understand what is being said in the forecast office & so we can make sense of the reports we receive, some of which may sound loopy if we don ’ t understand what one is trying to describe. some online resources are : http : / / www. training. disasterweather. org / nsr online training. on this site, you will find a number of online courses originally targeted towards first responders including fire fighters, emergency management, law enforcement, dispatchers, public works, and search and rescue personnel. the training has been expanded to provide training for the spotter network community. http : / / training. fema. gov / emiweb / is / is271. asp is - 271 anticipating hazardous weather & community risk. this course is operated by the cooperative program for operational meteorology, education, and training ( comet ). designed for emergency managers, this course has four main sections : weather : provides a basic introduction to meteorology, particularly as it relates to hazardous weather. hazards : describes the factors that can turn inconvenient weather event into a weather disaster. forecasting : explains the forecast process and what limits forecast accuracy warning partnership : discusses the various pieces that go into producing


particularly as it relates to hazardous weather. hazards : describes the factors that can turn inconvenient weather event into a weather disaster. forecasting : explains the forecast process and what limits forecast accuracy warning partnership : discusses the various pieces that go into producing an effective response to a hazardous situation the most comprehensive site i ’ ve found is http : / / www. theweatherprediction. com / which heavily covers the subject, including interpreting skew - t charts, models and other more advanced items. as for books, try these : weather : a golden guide by paul e. lehr, r. will burnett & herbert s. zim. this small non - technical book at first glance may seem like a “ child ’ s book ”, but actually gives thorough, readable overview of the subject. national audubon society field guide to north american weather by david ludlum covers every type of weather system, cloud formation, and atmospheric phenomenon common to north america with 378 photographs capturing cloud types, precipitation, storms, twisters, and optical phenomena such as the northern lights, along with essays on these items. i would add that any meteorology book by david ludlum is worth the effort. especially his historical works. when someone says “ strange unheard of things are happening ” you will remember reading in his books that these same “ strange unheard of things ” also happened in 1928, 1935, 1947, 1956, 1969, 1972, 1981, & 1999 also, and so maybe these “ strange and unheard of ” things aren ’ t so strange after all. peterson field guide to atmosphere by john a. day, vincent j. schaefer, roger tory peterson gives 400 photographs and line drawings illustrating every kind of atmospheric phenomenon : clouds of every type ; storms, from cloudbursts to hurricanes ; and sky colors. these books i ’ ve recommended are heavy on the visuals and scarce on the mathematical hieroglyphics, for i don ’ t need a mathematical formula, or algorithm, as formulae are now properly called, to tell me that a cumulus cloud is chubby. i figured that out by own little self a few years ago. check out these resources and the many others out there. l find it an endlessly fascinating subject. hopefully you will too. january is named for the roman god janus, the god of gates and doors, and so openings and beginnings. january receives more sunlight than december, but the equilibrium between incoming solar heat and the heat radiated into space by the northern


you will too. january is named for the roman god janus, the god of gates and doors, and so openings and beginnings. january receives more sunlight than december, but the equilibrium between incoming solar heat and the heat radiated into space by the northern snowfields does not peak until late january and early february, six weeks after winter solstice. so the weather continues to cool, with january 8 – 20 being the coldest part of the year. one of the most tragic outbreaks of cold weather in alabama occurred january 10 - 18, 1982, when 20 people died and 300 were injured. 16, 000 people were forced into emergency shelters and storm damage totaled 78 million dollars. at least 5 people perished in the extreme cold of january 19 - 22, 1985, that rewrote low temperature records over much of alabama. this storm brought ice accumulations up to one foot in lauderdale county. bridges were coated with ice well into central alabama and four people were killed in traffic accidents on icy roads. on saturday january 19, 2008 central alabama enjoyed a rare snowfall, with trussville getting 0. 8 inch, and central alabama getting from 2 to 5 inches from dallas to chilton county. typically in january there is a 53 % chance of up to one inch of snow & a 25 % chance of over one inch of snow. barometric pressure is highest in january. this january ’ s first full moon is “ wolf moon ” in native american folklore. interestingly, the saxons called january wulf - monath or wolf month. so you might watch out for wolves. this month ’ s meeting will be on january 12 at 7pm at the national weather service forecast office at the shelby county airport. i hope to see you there. mark / wd4nyl


what ’ s the difference between long and short grain rice? and what is medium rice? can you use the different types interchangeably? does size even matter? rice can be confusing. not only are there grain sizes to contend with, but there are colors, varieties, and types to sort through. according to the usa rice federation, there are more than 120, 000 varieties of rice worldwide! here ’ s a basic rice primer, so you can learn when to use a long grain, or when to stick to short. long grain rice tends to separate when cooked. that means your rice will fall apart, rather than stick together. use long grain rice when you are making dishes that call for separate, loose grains, such as pilafs. it also has a firmer, dryer texture and feel in the mouth. chinese restaurants usually serve a side order of long grain rice with the food. so if you hate trying to pick up those grains individually with chopsticks, you might decide to use a shorter, stickier rice instead, to serve with your stir fry. medium grain rice is more likely to stick together. the grains are softer and moister than long grain rice when cooked. this type of rice is the preferred type in hawaii, where the mix of cultures enjoys rice with every meal : breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks! yes, we really do eat rice for snacks. one of the most popular local foods is musubi, a ball of cooked rice, wrapped in nori, or seaweed “ paper. ” often these will have a slice of fried spam luncheon meat on top. calrose rice, a variety grown in california, is a medium grain rice. this is the type to get if you want a bland, clean taste. short grain rice is the most sticky and soft. the grains have a bit of chewiness to them. the extra starch in them gives them these properties. specialty rice types one famous type of medium grain rice is arborio, used to make italian risotto. the starch thickens the liquid as it cooks, creating a creamy texture that gives the dish its signature style. you can substitute other short or medium grain rice, but never long grain rice, and get a similar finished product. sushi is made with short or medium grain rice. this is another of the exceptions to the substitution rule. you cannot substitute long grain rice when making sushi, or everything will just fall apart and not feel right in the mouth. for the most part,


is made with short or medium grain rice. this is another of the exceptions to the substitution rule. you cannot substitute long grain rice when making sushi, or everything will just fall apart and not feel right in the mouth. for the most part, if you are just making a pot of rice, or you run out of one kind of rice or another, you can relax. the different types can be substituted equally in most dishes, without ruining them. there are a few exceptions to the rule, however. use a short or medium grain for sushi, risotto, rice pudding, and molded rice dishes. use medium grain for paella. use long grain for pilafs. use glutinous or sticky rice to make rice cakes, or mochi. use black glutinous rice to make malaysian sticky black rice pudding. use thai sticky rice for sticky rice with coconut milk and mango, or to eat with thai food, like those in the northern parts of thailand, and laos, do. what rice to use for fried rice? any type can be used, but most commonly, white rice is used. it is usually kept in the refrigerator, or left out for a day, which dries the rice a bit. otherwise, if you use fresh rice, you get a steamy, soggy mess.


giardiasis is a protozoan infection that is one of the most prevalent causes of diarrhea. it has been recognized in approximately 100 countries in various parts of the world. isolated cases and even epidemics of this illness have occurred in the united states. beavers are the main carriers of this parasite, which is transmitted by water supplies contaminated with the excrement of beavers. cysts of these protozoa are removed by sand filters, but also require chlorination. they are also killed by heating to 122 degrees fahrenheit ( 50 degrees celsius ) or by chemicals that contain iodine. the usual symptoms are diarrhea with watery, foul - smelling stools, abdominal distension and pain, and loss of weight. in most cases symptoms are mild to severe, lasting from a few days to a period of weeks, though occasionally there are no symptoms at all. in many persons both parasites and symptoms disappear without treatment. identifying the causative organism under the microscope makes the diagnosis. your physician will prescribe and appropriate and effective medication which you can tolerate. giardia lives inside the intestines of infected humans or other animals. individuals become infected through ingesting or coming into contact with contaminated food, soil, or water. the giardia parasite originates from contaminated items and surfaces that have been tainted by the feces of an infected animal.


what were once two feasts, corpus christi and precious blood, are now one celebration. originally one feast honored the body of christ, which was first broken, then glorified and is now given to us in sacramental form. the other feast praises the blood of christ, poured out for our salvation. together, they celebrate the incomparable love that christ has for us. they remind us that “ the mercies of the lord are new every morning. ” breaking bread together is a familiar act. besides satisfying our hunger, this basic act of survival signifies that we share the very means of our sustenance. in a sense, we are bound together by this simple yet profound communal action. when jesus took bread, broke it and gave it to his disciples to eat, he was enacting this fundamental ritual — people surviving together on the same food. though he must have performed this ritual on numerous occasions, it took on extraordinary meaning when he did it the last time. the ritual was the same ; the original meaning was not lost. it was the character of the bread that made the difference. by his own words, this broken bread was now his own body that would be broken and then raised to glory. this simple yet profound action signifies that as we share this sustenance, we are bound to him and to one another. contemporary society espouses at least two attitudes toward the use of blood. the role that it plays in the ritual described in today ’ s first reading probably repels most modern people. if we sometimes shield ourselves from the ritual sprinkling of holy water, we will hardly endure the sprinkling of blood. on the other hand, blood is recognized as a life force, and so generally we value blood transfusions and the possibilities envisioned by the use of blood in stem cell research. blood relationships are some of the most cherished bonds that we know, and they have both social and legal ramifications that are quite binding. thus blood and blood bonds continue to play important roles in our lives today. today we see god making a binding pact with us and sealing this pact with blood. we stand speechless before the reading from hebrews, when we discover that the blood that seals our fate as christians is actually the blood of jesus. in the gospel he invites us to renew this pact whenever we partake of the blood of the covenant. as we take the broken bread transformed into jesus ’ body and drink from the cup that he offers us, we realize that indeed the mercies of the lord


the origins of racism in america – from slavery to the foundation this site was created for the great works symposium winter 2008 - 2009 course at drexel university on civil rights. since our class was on civil rights, we decided to trace back the origins of racism in america - - and we wanted to delve into the foundations of what created the need for so many movements by those who have had their rights taken away. we decided that the time period from before slavery to the foundation of the country would be suitable for an explanation of the creation of racism, especially since this time period included the creation of racist laws in america. check out our forum! please join our forum and post to discuss the topic further! to navigate the site, you can click on the links at the top of the page. they go through different time periods, covered by each member of the group. chuck longen covers the background of slavery, before it made its way to america. stacy litz describes the transition from indentured servatude to slavery. danielle martin explains the many ways that slaves showed resistance. tyler frazier analyzes the founders ' reaction to slavery in regards to the establishment of the country. abhishek sengupta pulls it all together by covering some key laws that promote racist ideas in america.


a recent series of papers [ 1 - 3 ] have prompted me to write about the cancer stem cell ( csc ) hypothesis, since during the last years there has been a lot of controversy regarding the existence, function and clinical implications of cancer stem cells. this confusion stems ( no pun intended ) from the lack of clarity in the field nowadays, arising mainly from misconceptions regarding the origin and function of these cells. on top of all of this is the confusion derived from media - hype and some not - so knowledgeable scientific journalists. the classical view of tumor biology is that transformed cells, which carry mutations that confer them selective advantages under certain conditions, divide continuously forming a homogeneous tumor. this concept entailed the idea that every clone of the original tumor proliferates indefinitely as an autonomous entity within the whole malignant cell population, and if removed from the tumor and placed somewhere else it could generate a new tumor. the cancer stem cell hypothesis challenges the aforementioned idea by stating that there is a distinct subset of cells within the whole population capable of initiating and sustaining the growth of the tumor. the descendants of these tumor stem cells are the so - called “ tumor bulk ”, which are only short lived cells. this then means that it is only these ‘ cancer stem cells ’ that could lead to the formation of new tumors. 2. experimental evidence from different models of cancer the evidence for this hypothesis came from the group led by john dick, which showed that acute myeloid leukemia ( aml ) cells differ in their tumor initiating abilities. the experimental approach was straightforward : sorting the cells of the whole tumor through facs, and then injecting different subpopulations into immunocompromised mice. they later followed which subpopulation was able to reconstitute the original tumor and saw that a small fraction of them had this ability. the subpopulations arise from using surface markers to separate them. i will come back to this point later to point out the technical problems and advantages associated to this approach ). this pioneering work showed that tumors possess a hierarchical organization, and suggested the existence of cancer stem cells. it is noteworthy that at this point the authors only referred to tumor initiating cells ( the term cancer stem cell was coined later ). 2. 2 solid tumors early work on the hematopoietic system ( mainly through the clear characterization of surface markers ) allowed tracing of populations with high accuracy. in the case of solid tumors much less is known about the differentiation process, and even less is known