three known cases of bas - congo fever actually occurred three years ago. but tissue samples from the victims languished in a laboratory freezer in kinshasa until an astute doctor called the cases to fair ' s attention. that time lag, along with the inability to keep some tissue samples from thawing out, has hampered the researchers ' ability to track the virus through other possible cases in mangala village. there are some other striking things about the new virus. it doesn ' t belong to any of the four families of previously known hemorrhagic viruses – arenaviridae, bunyaviridae, filoviridae and flaviviridae. these families harbor such notorious bugs as ebola, marburg, lassa fever, crimean - congo hemorrhagic fever, dengue fever and rift valley fever. instead, bas - congo belongs to the rhabdovirus family, which has never been known to include human hemorrhagic fever viruses, although it does contain one that affects fish. " that in itself is astonishing, " chiu says, " but even within the rhabdovirus family, it ' s very divergent. " that is, it doesn ' t resemble any other rhabdovirus. and where did it come from? that ' s still a mystery, but one clue is that its closest relatives are insect viruses. so researchers are trapping mosquitoes, sandflies, ticks and other insects to see if they can find where bas - congo virus hangs out when it ' s not threatening humans. the discovery of bas - congo is only the latest instance of a powerful new - ish technology that is proving crucial in the identification and characterization of new infectious organisms. it ' s called deep sequencing, and it allows scientists to spell out the millions of nucleotide sequences in any new microbe without reference to those of known pathogens. deep sequencing was also used recently to characterize the new coronavirus that has infected two men in saudi arabia ( and possibly others ). once scientists have their hands on the complete genome of these new organisms, they can place it on the right family tree relative to known microbes, providing crucial clues on where it may have come from and what species it likes to infect. they can also, as in the case of the saudi virus and bas - congo, make diagnostic tests to see who else has been infected. " by knowing the genetic identity, now we will add this to our battery of tests for hemorrhagic fever


as early as the mid - 17th century, the boundaries of the sheridan - kalorama historic district as it is known today were being formed by property lines of the early land grants. during the 40 - year period between 1663 and 1703, 18 landowners acquired by grant or sale all of the land which eventually became the district of columbia. among the earliest purchases was the land which includes the present sheridan - kalorama neighborhood. the lindens, 2401 kalorama rd. photo courtesy of dc shpo known in the 19th century for its idyllic landscape, the area underwent rapid development in the early 20th century as the city of washington ' s growing population moved away from the established urban center in its quest for the suburban ideal. today, sheridan - kalorama is comprised of a network of cohesive town and suburb - like streetscapes. the streets are lined with a variety of housing forms, each of which contributes to a sophisticated residential image that is unique within dc. this distinctive area, a verdant residential enclave nestled in the midst of the city, contains buildings erected between 1890 and 1988. individually, the neighborhood ' s buildings are among the most distinguished residential examples of late 19th and early 20th century revival style architecture in the united states. major streets and minor roads alike hold naturally significant buildings by some of the country ' s most celebrated architects juxtaposed with the urbane work of accomplished urban designers. the earliest urban architecture in this area dates to the victorian period. the queen anne and romanesque revival once dominated the neighborhood. also, examples of the english arts and crafts can be found as can the english gothic revival. in the 20th century, more disciplined interpretations derived from historic precedents dominated the architecture. the colonial revival style was a major movement in this period as was beaux arts classicism and italian and french classicism. some of the most distinguished buildings are listed below : codman - davis house ( the louise home ) nr 2145 decatur place 1906 - 7 ogden codman the house designed in an english georgian stylistic manner is u - shaped and set back from the street. just west of the house connecting s and 22nd sts. is a neighborhood landmark, the spanish steps. the steps and their lion - head fountain were designed and constructed by the municipal office of public works in 1911. woodrow wilson house nhl 2340 s street 1915 waddy wood operated by the national trust for historic preservation it is open to the public tuesday through sunday from 10 : 00 am to 4 : 00 pm. it is closed thanksgiving, christmas and new


1911. woodrow wilson house nhl 2340 s street 1915 waddy wood operated by the national trust for historic preservation it is open to the public tuesday through sunday from 10 : 00 am to 4 : 00 pm. it is closed thanksgiving, christmas and new years this house was occupied by president and mrs. wilson subsequent to his presidency. it is a georgian revival house with adamesque interiors. the textile museum ( tucker and myers house ) nr tucker house 2320 s street, 1908 wood, donn and deming myers house 2310 s street, 1912 john russell pope the textile museum is open to the public monday through saturday from 10 : 00 am to 5 : 00 pm, and sundays from 1 : 00 pm to 5 : 00 pm. an eclectic mixture of georgian revival to beaux arts styles. the lindens ( king hooper house ) nr 2401 kalorama road the lindens was erected in danvers, massachusetts in 1754 by an unknown architect. it was moved to kalorama in 1935 and rebuilt under the guidance of walter macomber. friend ' s meeting house nr 2111 florida avenue 1930 walter price fieldstone buildings similar to those in pennsylvania characterize this church. st. margaret ' s church 1820 connecticut avenue 1895 ; 1900 james g. hill ; 1913 arthur b. heaton tiffany windows and exposed roof trusses on the interior contribute to the charm of this church. charles evans hughes house ( chancery of burma ) nhl 2223 r street 1907 george oakley totten home of charles evans hughes, 10th justice of the u. s. supreme court windsor lodge ( william e. borah apartment ) nhl 2139 - 41 wyoming avenue apartment 21e was the residence of idaho senator william e. borah, leading republican progressive and a powerful force in promoting isolationist foreign policy during the 1920s. 2126 connecticut avenue 1909 albert beers dumbarton bridge ( buffalo bridge ) nr q street over rock creek park 1914 glenn brown, architect ; alexander proctor, sculptor roughly bounded by connecticut ave., nw and florida ave., nw on the east ; p st., nw on the south ; and rock creek park on the west and north. all the buildings listed above are private and not open to the public unless noted. metro stop : dupont circle.


scaevola taccada is a dense, spreading shrub that generally grows up to 3 meter in height. the light green leaves are somewhat succulent with a waxy covering and are alternately arranged along the stem. the blades are elongated and rounded at the tips, 5 to 20 cm long and 5 to 7 cm wide and the edges are often curled downward. the flowers are white or cream colored, often with purple streaks, 8 - 12 mm long, and have a pleasant fragrance. they have an irregular shape with all five petals on one side of the flower making it appear to have been torn in half. the flowers grow in small clusters from the leaf axils near the ends of the stems. the fruits of scaevola taccada are fleshy berries. they are white, oblong, and about 1 cm long. the seeds are beige, corky and ridged. the inside of the fruit is spongy or corky and the fruits are buoyant. they can float for months in the ocean and still germinate after having been in salt water for up to a year. one study showed that the seeds germinated best after 250 days in salt water. ( national tropical botanical garden ( ntbg ). 1994. naupaka. in native hawaiian plant information sheets. lawai, kauai : hawaii plant conservation center. national tropical botanical garden. unpublished internal papers. ) ( rauch, fred d., heidi l. bornhorst, and david l. hensley. 1997. beach naupaka, ornamentals and flowers. ) ( wagner, warren l., darrel r. herbst, and s. h. sohmer. 1990. manual of the flowering plants of hawai ' i. ) ( bornhorst, heidi l. 1996. growing native hawaiian plants : a how - to guide for the gardener. )


stopping carbon pollution whether you live in a city, on a farm, or anywhere in between, climate change is affecting your weather and damaging the natural world around you. in order to work towards a clean energy future, america needs carbon pollution controls on the largest industrial sources. the u. s. environmental protection agency is taking long overdue steps to limit greenhouse gas emissions from oil refineries and coal - fired power plants, but right now, these highly polluting sources are allowed to release carbon into the atmosphere without any limits. the national wildlife federation ’ s top priority is to stop the primary cause of climate change – carbon pollution – before it ’ s too late. nwf is currently fighting major campaigns to : electricity generation is the single largest source of global warming pollution in the united states, representing 41 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions. epa ’ s newly announced plan to set standards for this sector could require the clean - up of our oldest, dirtiest, least efficient coal power plants. nwf is engaged in a major effort to finalize these rules and dramatically ratchet down our carbon pollution, and we are also supporting epa ' s work to address emissions from oil refineries - - the second largest " stationary source " ( as opposed to mobile sources like cars and trucks ) of global warming pollution in the united states. strong controls over these big sources will begin holding polluters accountable for their contribution to the climate crisis. reducing emissions in the us and worldwide recognizing that this is a global problem that demands national and international leadership, nwf ’ s long - term goal is to adopt a national plan that rapidly cuts carbon pollution from all major sources in the us, and safeguards communities and wildlife from the mounting impacts of climate change. the last effort at national legislation – the american clean energy and security act – passed the house of representatives in 2009 but stalled in the senate. since that time, the impacts of climate change have rapidly escalated. nwf is working hard to get congress to step up and take action to solve our nation ’ s most urgent environmental issue. avoiding the worst consequences of this disaster also requires a global solution. nwf is partnering with organizations around the world to promote an international agreement that clamps down on carbon pollution, while ensuring that all countries can protect their citizens and wildlife from the impacts of climate change.


graphene membranes may lead to enhanced natural gas production, less co2 pollution, says cu study engineering faculty and students at the university of colorado boulder have produced the first experimental results showing that atomically thin graphene membranes with tiny pores can effectively and efficiently separate gas molecules through size - selective sieving. the findings are a significant step toward the realization of more energy - efficient membranes for natural gas production and for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from power plant exhaust pipes. mechanical engineering professors scott bunch and john pellegrino co - authored a paper in nature nanotechnology with graduate students steven koenig and luda wang detailing the experiments. the paper was published oct. 7 in the journal ’ s online edition. the research team introduced nanoscale pores into graphene sheets through ultraviolet light - induced oxidative “ etching, ” and then measured the permeability of various gases across the porous graphene membranes. experiments were done with a range of gases including hydrogen, carbon dioxide, argon, nitrogen, methane and sulphur hexaflouride - - which range in size from 0. 29 to 0. 49 nanometers - - to demonstrate the potential for separation based on molecular size. one nanometer is one billionth of a meter. “ these atomically thin, porous graphene membranes represent a new class of ideal molecular sieves, where gas transport occurs through pores which have a thickness and diameter on the atomic scale, ” said bunch. graphene, a single layer of graphite, represents the first truly two - dimensional atomic crystal. it consists of a single layer of carbon atoms chemically bonded in a hexagonal “ chicken wire ” lattice - - a unique atomic structure that gives it remarkable electrical, mechanical and thermal properties. “ the mechanical properties of this wonder material fascinate our group the most, ” bunch said. “ it is the thinnest and strongest material in the world, as well as being impermeable to all standard gases. ” those characteristics make graphene an ideal material for creating a separation membrane because it is durable and yet doesn ’ t require a lot of energy to push molecules through it, he said. other technical challenges will need to be overcome before the technology can be fully realized. for example, creating large enough sheets of graphene to perform separations on an industrial scale, and developing a process for producing precisely defined nanopores of the required sizes are areas that need further development. the cu - boulder experiments were done on a relatively small scale


professor morse as a christian ( originally published 1902 ) professor samuel morse was as faithful and efficient as a christian as he was conspicuous as an inventor. his success in life under great difficulties was another illustration of the fact that the children of ministers usually turn out well. being thoroughly indoctrinated in a christian home, he early entered upon the earnest discharge of religious duties. he took a special interest in the spiritual tuition of the young, becoming superintendent of one of the first sunday schools in america. while he taught fine art in the recitation room, he taught, by precept and example, the highest art of noble living. he was a conspicuous and potential member of the madison square presbyterian church, of new york city, being constant in his attendance at the church services, and taking as deep interest in the temporal and spiritual success of the charge as the pastor himself. his personal knowledge of god was very distinct, and his consciousness of an indwelling christ was exceedingly precious to him. at about the time the world was showering its honors upon him, he nestled up to the heart of his pastor to say to him, that the favor of christ was so much better than the praise of kings. at the close of the solemn communion service, one sabbath morning, he took the hand of the pastor, and with voice trembling with deep emotion that filled his soul, said : " o, this is something better and greater than standing before princes. " he felt that he had had audience with the king of kings, and that seated at the table with his lord, he had been fed upon the bread of life. the love of god, in the death of christ, gave him the sweetest enjoyment and divinest inspiration a mortal can have in this world. he was always of a generous disposition ; even when he was struggling with poverty, he divided his scanty income with the church of christ and with the general causes of charity. the first money he ever earned by his new invention was forty - seven dollars, which was his share of the right to use his instrument in the communication between the post office and the national observatory in washington, every penny of which he sent to the rev. dr. sproll, as a thank - offering to god, to be used for church purposes. this was the first sheaf of ripe wheat which was waved before the lord, as a pledge that the harvest belonged to him. and as his financial ability increased, his benevolences were multiplied in every direction. while he was in paris he


was the first sheaf of ripe wheat which was waved before the lord, as a pledge that the harvest belonged to him. and as his financial ability increased, his benevolences were multiplied in every direction. while he was in paris he took quite an interest in the american chapel there, and subscribed the first thousand dollars to lift the debt upon it. as might have been expected, his old age was sweet in contentment, beautiful in the advancement of christian graces, glorious in the hope of immortality. he read his bible constantly, prayed unceasingly, and revelled in the consciousness of christ ' s presence, and in the prospect of heaven. he said : " i love to be studying the guide - book of the country to which i am going ; i wish to know more and more about it. " a little while before he died, his pastor reminded him of god ' s special goodness to him through his eventful life, and he responded : " yes ; so good, so good, and the best part of all is yet to come. " it is a beautiful thing to see a character so symmetrically developed as that of professor morse. there are some men of genius, who are so engaged with the material forms and forces that they do not reach the spiritual personality behind them. their intellects grow to be large, but their religious natures remain very small. they become great scholars, artists, scientists, discoverers, but are very small christians. there are others, whose study of nature brings them closer to the author of nature, and as they become great scholars, artists, scientists, inventors, they grow to be correspondingly great in their christian character and experience. it is impossible to calculate the religious influence of men thus splendidly equipped in their intellectual powers ; who advance in divine favor as they grow in earthly honor, who pay a due regard to the realities of the next life, while they busy themselves with the practical concerns of this one. the great inventor, while he handled the subtle current, and made it do his bidding, saw to it that his own spirit was constantly charged with the electric current of love divine ; and while he spoke in a flash of lightning, to cities, and to distant continents and islands of the sea, he whispered perpetually in the ear of the absolute and received continual messages in return from him.


five # greenreads to enjoy by candle or ipad glow during earth hour. carl zimmer in national geographic on second chances : extinction is forever. isn ' t it? scientists are working to bring long - gone species back to life ( think jurassic park but without the dinosaurs ). it ' s been nicknamed " de - extinction, " and it has already happened. geneticists cloned a wild european goat known as a bucardo that went extinct a few years ago. the resulting newborn, which suffered from birth defects, lived for a few minutes, and then went extinct ( again ). so the science still has a way to go, but the question remains : should we? are we playing god, or do we owe it to the species that we helped send into oblivion in the first place? philosophical questions aside : where do we put ' em? and will they upset the survival of earth ' s current roster of plants and animals? the only question that ' s easy to answer : wouldn ' t it be cool to see a real, live woolly mammoth? yes, yes it would be. jeremy miller in orion on finding your center : imagine you are trying to balance a flat, rigid map of the united states on your finger. now place the 300 - plus million americans on the exact spots where they live. the point where this imaginary, teetering map would stabilize ( assuming everyone weighed the same ) is called the centroid, and it ’ s calculated every decade during the national census. in 1790, the centroid was near baltimore, but since then has headed more than 800 miles to the southwest. “ to trace the path of the centroid " writes miller, " is to skim a great narrative spanning 220 years. ” much of u. s. history can be seen in how we ' ve pushed and pulled our centroid : dogged westward expansion, the influx of european immigrants to the northeast, a southerly tug after the invention air - conditioning. as he joins census workers in the search today ’ s centroid ( somewhere in missouri ), miller wonders where our center will shift once climate change begins to tip the scale. kenneth chang for the new york times on a sunny storm : in 1859, the sun exploded. the eruption wasn ' t a universe - annihilating catastrophe, but more of a solar hiccup directed straight at earth. " the sun hurled billions of tons of electrons and protons whizzing toward earth, and when those particles slammed into the planet ’ s magnetic field


annihilating catastrophe, but more of a solar hiccup directed straight at earth. " the sun hurled billions of tons of electrons and protons whizzing toward earth, and when those particles slammed into the planet ’ s magnetic field they created spectacular auroras of red, green and purple, " describes chang. back then, the damages from this geomagnetic barrage were slight, with some telegraph operators getting shocked and papers going aflame after electric wires shot out sparks. but a similar storm in today ' s high - tech world would disable satellites, scramble gpss, and leave entire continents in the dark - - maybe even for months. small solar flares hit earth all the time - - 20 in the past year - - but a big one is bound to strike sometime in the future. and until then, says one electrical engineer, " we ’ re playing russian roulette with the sun. " ted genoways at onearth on a long goodbye : scientist and poetess eva saulitis has studied, listened to, and bonded with alaska ' s killer whales since 1986. sadly, in the years since the exxon valdez spilled its oily payload into prince william sound, she ’ s watched the surviving members of the at1 orca pod vanish one by one. the population ' s demise is especially regrettable because the whales seem to be genetically distinct from the rest of the orcas in the eastern pacific - - and even have their own special dialect of whale song. “ what haunts her, saulitis said, was no longer the prospect of a world without the at1s but rather the day when there is only one - - that last whale, calling out in its lost language to an ocean that will never yield a reply. ” mariya karimjee at the globalpost on a recycling wreck : gaddani beach, pakistan isn ’ t a sunbather ’ s paradise. metal saws rent the air, “ and the whole place smells of a four - car pileup. which is essentially what it is, ” explains karimjee. gaddani is a ship - breaking site, where cargo ships and oil tankers that once ferried goods across the oceans are dismantled into scrap. “ hidden among their viscera " she writes, " are some of the most hazardous substances known to commerce : complex petrochemicals, asbestos, heavy metals and random poisons. ” navigating through the sprawling wrecks are gaddani ' s poor - - desperate, un


ieps are created by a multidisciplinary team of education professionals, along with the child ’ s parents, and are tailored to the needs of the individual student. the iep is a blueprint for everything that will happen to a child in school for the next year. special and general education teachers, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, school psychologists, and families form the iep team and meet intermittently to discuss student progress on iep goals. before the iep team meets, an assessment team gathers information together about the student to make an evaluation and recommendation. the school psychologist, social worker, classroom teacher, and / or speech pathologist are examples of educational professionals who conduct educational assessments. a neurologist may conduct a medical evaluation, and an audiologist may complete hearing tests. the classroom teacher also gives input about the academic progress and classroom behavior of the student. parents give input to each specialist throughout the process. then, one person on the evaluation team coordinates all the information, and the team meets to make recommendations to the iep team. the iep team, which consists of the school personnel who work with the student and families, then meets to write the iep based on the evaluation and team member suggestions. ieps always include annual goals, short - term objectives, and special education services required by the student, as well as a yearly evaluation to see if the goals were met. annual goals must explain measurable behaviors so that it is clear what progress should have been made by the end of the year. the short - term objectives should contain incremental and sequential steps toward meeting each annual goal. annual goals and short - term objectives can be about developing social and communication skills, or reducing problem behavior. please note : while iep officially stands for “ individualized education program ”, the word “ plan ” is often used interchangeably with “ program ”. appendix e ( page 61 ) of oar ’ s guide for transition to adulthood provides more information on iep and transition planning, including writing objectives and developing measurable iep goals for learners with autism and asperger syndrome. pop - up iep : this web site can help parents find the right words to communicate with the school during challenging spots in the iep process. wrightslaw special education and advocacy : includes recommended reading, information about laws and regulations, strategies for negotiating with your child ’ s school, and answers to frequently asked questions about ieps.


peck ’ s milkvetch is a prostrate perennial with a deep taproot. the reddish stems reach 1 - 3 dm long, and leaves are pinnately compound with 8 - 14 leaflets per leaf. leaf petioles persist from year to year, giving plants a skeletal look during winter dormancy. ( interestingly, peck ’ s milkvetch is the only north american milkvetch to have persistent petioles. ) mature plants produce small, cream or pale yellow flowers in numerous axillary racemes of 5 - 9 flowers. as is typical of plants in this family, flowers are papilionaceous ( shaped like butterflies ), and fruits resemble very small pea pods. fruits are 5 - 8 mm in length at maturity, and typically contain one or a few seeds, although many fruits produce no seeds at all. plants begin to produce new leaves in march, and flowers begin to open in late may or early june and can continue blooming through july. astragalus purshii ( woollypod milkvetch ) frequently co - occurs with a. peckii. as the name of this more common associate implies, plants of a. purshii produce densely hairy or woolly pods ( and dark purple flowers ), making distinguishing between the two species relatively easy. astragalus lemmonii is similar in appearance to a. peckii and occurs within the same general area. however, lemmon ’ s milkvetch typically prefers moister soils in wet meadows and the riparian areas around streams and lakes, and is not known to inhabit any of the dry, barren pumice sites that support its rarer cousin. astragalus lemmonii is characterized by a terminal leaflet that is generally much broader than the rachis, while the terminal leaflet of peck ’ s milkvetch is not noticeably different than the rachis and appears to be a continuation of it. when to survey peck ’ s milkvetch is recognizable throughout the growing season ( march - september ). however, because fruit and flowers are required to identify species of astragalus using a technical key, surveys for a. peckii should take place when plants are in flower and fruit ( june - july ). peck ’ s milkvetch grows in natural openings of sagebrush - juniper woodlands, lodgepole pine forests, and ponderosa pine forests. soils in preferred sites are sandy with little organic matter and varying amounts of pumice deposition from the eruption of mt.


s milkvetch grows in natural openings of sagebrush - juniper woodlands, lodgepole pine forests, and ponderosa pine forests. soils in preferred sites are sandy with little organic matter and varying amounts of pumice deposition from the eruption of mt. mazama. vegetation is characteristically sparse and associated species include artemisia tridentata, purshia tridentata, festuca idahoensis, stipa occidentalis, eriogonum umbellatum, and eriophyllum lanatum. peck ’ s milkvetch occurs east of the cascades from cline buttes south to a few miles south of chiloquin. populations can be broadly grouped into three population centers, with the largest concentration occurring along highway 97 between sisters and bend. a second grouping inhabits the barren pumice flats near chemult, and a southern group occurs in openings in ponderosa pine stands east of chiloquin. deschutes and klamath species of concern urbanization and agricultural development near the towns of bend and sisters have historically threatened populations of a. peckii. currently, disturbance due to off - road vehicle use is probably the greatest threat to persistence of this species, although weed infestations and rapid urban development continue to concern conservation planners. did you know? astragalus peckii is one of eight oregon taxa named to honor morton e. peck. dr. peck, professor of biology at willamette university from 1908 – 1941, contributed 21, 515 collections to the willamette herbarium ( now part of oregon state university herbarium ), and authored the popular manual of the higher plants of oregon, which is still widely used today. current / recent oda projects astragalus peckii disturbance ecology study demography, reproductive ecology, and community analysis of peck ' s milkvetch amsberry, k. and r. j. meinke. 2003. life history and conservation status of astragalus peckii piper ( fabaceae ). report for u. s. forest service, fremont - winema national forest, and bureau of land management, prineville district. native plant conservation program, oregon department of agriculture, salem, oregon. barneby, r. c. 1964. atlas of north american astragalus. memoirs of the new york botanical garden 13 : 468 - 469. carr, m., k. amsberry, and r. meinke. 2007. astragalus peckii disturbance ecology study. report for


spinach is one of the most satisfying cool - weather crops to grow, producing large yields of vitamin - rich, dark green leaves that are excellent for salads and for cooking. since both hot weather and long days trigger spinach to bolt ( send up a seed stalk ) quickly, the secret to success with this crop is to start sowing seeds as soon as possible in spring, to make small, frequent plantings during late spring and summer, and to concentrate on fall as the season for the main crop. planting : spinach does best when growing in moist, nitrogen - rich soil. spinach plants form a deep taproot ; for best growth, loosen the soil at least 1 foot deep before planting. sow spinach seed as early as 6 weeks before the last frost or as soon as you can work the soil. prepare the soil the previous autumn, and you can drop the seeds in barely thawed ground. in areas with a long, cool spring, make successive plantings every 10 days until mid - may. in warm climates, plant spinach in the shade of tall crops such as corn or beans. the young plants will be spared the hottest sun and be ready for harvest in fall or winter. using cold frames or heavyweight row covers, you can grow spinach all winter in many parts of the country. in colder regions, try planting in fall ( october ) and protecting the young plants through winter for a spring harvest. in regions where the soil doesn ’ t freeze, try planting spinach in february for a march harvest. spinach seed doesn ’ t store well, so buy fresh seeds every year. sow them ½ inch deep and 2 inches apart in beds or rows. if the weather isn ’ t extremely cold, seeds will germinate in 5 to 9 days. spinach produces beautifully in cool fall conditions, but it ’ s tricky to persuade the seed to germinate in the hot conditions of late summer. sow seed heavily, because the germination rate drops to about 50 percent in warm weather, and water the seed beds frequently — even twice a day — because watering helps to cool the soil. growing guidelines : overcrowding stunts growth and encourages plants to go to seed. to avoid crowding, thin seedlings to 4 to 6 inches apart once they have at least two true leaves. fertilize with compost tea or fish emulsion when the plants have four true leaves. since cultivating or hand pulling weeds can harm spinach roots, it ’ s best to spread a


apart once they have at least two true leaves. fertilize with compost tea or fish emulsion when the plants have four true leaves. since cultivating or hand pulling weeds can harm spinach roots, it ’ s best to spread a light mulch of hay, straw, or grass clippings along the rows to suppress weeds instead. water stress will encourage plants to bolt, so provide enough water to keep the soil moist but not soggy. cover the crop with shade cloth if the temperature goes above 80°f. problems : since most spinach grows in very cool weather, pests are usually not a problem. leafminer larvae can burrow inside leaves and produce tan patches. prevent leafminer problems by keeping your crop covered with floating row cover. for unprotected plants, remove and destroy affected leaves to prevent adult flies from multiplying and further affecting the crop. slugs also feed on spinach. spinach blight, a virus spread by aphids, causes yellow leaves and stunted plants. downy mildew, which appears as yellow spots on leaf surfaces and mold on the undersides, occurs during very wet weather. reduce the spread of disease spores by not working around wet plants. avoid both of these diseases by planting resistant cultivars. harvesting : in 6 to 8 weeks you can start harvesting from any plant that has at least six leaves 3 to 4 inches long. carefully cutting the outside leaves will extend the plants ’ productivity, particularly with fall crops. harvest the entire crop at the first sign of bolting by using a sharp knife to cut through the main stem just below the soil surface.


p2pnet. net news : - does the idea of using your body as a data transmission path appeal to you? then a new nippon telegraph and telephone corporation project will grab your attention. it ’ s called redtacton, described by ntt as han ( human area networking ) technology that, “ safely turns the surface of the human body into a data transmission path at speeds up to 10 mbps between any two points on the body. ” the japanese company has already made a small pcmcia card - sized prototype transceiver it says allows the first practical han between “ body - centered ” electronic devices and pcs, or other network devices, “ embedded in the environment via a new generation of user interface based on totally natural human actions such as touching, holding, sitting, walking, or stepping on a particular spot ”. redtacton can be used to run computer - based systems, for temporary one - to - one private networks based on touch, device personalization, security and other applications based on new behavior patterns, says ntt, continuing, “ human society is entering an era of ubiquitous computing, when networks are seamlessly interconnected and information is always accessible at our fingertips ”. it believes practical implementation calls for : - wide area networks ( wan ), typically via the internet, to remotely connect all types of severs and terminals ; - local area networks ( lan ), typically via ethernet or wifi connectivity among all the information and communication appliances in offices and homes - human area networks ( han ) for connectivity to personal information, media and communication appliances within the much smaller sphere of ordinary daily activities – the last one meter. “ ntt ’ s redtacton is a break - through technology that, for the first time, enables reliable high - speed han, ” it states. “ in the past, bluetooth, infrared communications ( irda ), radio frequency id systems ( rfid ), and other technologies have been proposed to solve the ‘ last meter ’ connectivity problem. “ however, they each have various fundamental technical limitations that constrain their usage, such as the precipitous fall - off in transmission speed in multi - user environments producing network congestion. ” redtacton ’ s approach is different, says ntt. instead of relying on electromagnetic or light waves to carry data, redtacton uses weak electric fields on body surfaces as a transmission medium. this means a coms path can be created by simply touching something, “ automatically initiating the flow of data between a body - centric electronic device


light waves to carry data, redtacton uses weak electric fields on body surfaces as a transmission medium. this means a coms path can be created by simply touching something, “ automatically initiating the flow of data between a body - centric electronic device and a pc embedded in the environment, ” it continues. “ using a redtacton electro - optic sensor, two - way communication is supported between any two points on the body at a throughput of up to 10 mbps. ” it can also travel through users ’ clothing to a redtacton device in a pocket, or through shoes to communicate with a redtacton device embedded in the floor. “ unlike wireless technologies, the transmission speed does not deteriorate even in the presence of large crowds of people all communicating at the same time in meeting rooms, auditoriums or stores, ” promises ntt. “ because the body surface is the transmission path, increasing the number of connected users directly increases the available number of individual communication channels. ” redtacton can tap a wide range of materials for transmission including water and other liquids, various metals, certain plastics, glass, etc, says ntt. using yourself as a pc peripheral / interface has obvious advantages, but could there perhaps be, well, disadvantages as well? “ redtacton transceiver electrodes are covered with an insulating film, so there is no way that current from redtacton can flow into the user ’ s body, ” says ntt, adding : “ note however that, just like the weak electromagnetic waves produced by most common electrical appliances, a faint modulating displacement current does pass through the body when using redtacton. “ the level of displacement current involved is considered harmless and is in full compliance with the ministry of internal affairs and communications ( mic ) safety guidelines ( rcr std - 38 ). ” something you think we should know? tips [ at ] p2pnet. net < - - - - - my software never has bugs - just undocumented features - - - - > redtacton – an innovative human area networking technology that uses the surface of the human body as a transmission path, february 18, 2005


diverticulitis develops when feces become trapped in pouches ( reference diverticula opens new window reference opens new window ) that have formed along the wall of the large intestine. this allows bacteria to grow and cause an infection or inflammation and pressure that may lead to a small perforation or tear in the wall of the intestine. reference peritonitis opens new window, an infection of the lining of the abdominal wall, may develop if infection spills into the abdominal ( peritoneal ) cavity. the reason diverticula form in the wall of the large intestine ( colon ) is not completely understood. doctors think diverticula form when high pressure inside the colon pushes against weak spots in the colon wall. uncoordinated movements of the colon can also contribute to the development of diverticula. normally, a diet with adequate fiber ( also called roughage ) produces stool that is bulky and can move easily through the colon. if a diet is low in fiber, the colon must exert more pressure than usual to move small, hard stool. a low - fiber diet also can increase the time stool remains in the bowel. this adds to the high pressure. pouches may form when the high pressure pushes against weak spots in the colon where blood vessels pass through the muscle layer of the bowel wall to supply blood to the inner wall. it is not known why some people who have these diverticula ( a condition called reference diverticulosis opens new window ) develop diverticulitis and others do not. | by : | | reference healthwise staff | | last revised : reference october 25, 2012 | | medical review : | | reference adam husney, md - family medicine reference jerome b. simon, md, frcpc, facp - gastroenterology


no doubt about it : the federal government wants the northern goshawk to survive. so every national forest in the west wrote into its forest plan detailed rules to protect critical habitat the bird - and rodent - hunting raptors need to survive. forest service administrators apply those prescriptions to every thinning project, timber sale, off - road vehicle analysis and pipeline construction plan that comes along. but what if goshawks don ’ t actually need the closed forest canopy, tree thickets and nearby underbrush full of scuttling rodents that biologists had assumed? turns out, the guidelines the u. s. forest service has applied to millions of acres in the west to protect the goshawk don ’ t help the beleaguered bird at all, according to a study by researchers from northern arizona university and published in the journal of applied ecology. in fact, a decade - long study of 13 goshawk nesting areas in the apache sitgreaves national forest yielded the startling conclusion that the more closely the area resembled forest service guidelines for goshawk heaven, the fewer chicks the feathered pairs actually produced. the researchers confessed themselves confounded by “ these surprising results. ” authors of the paper included paul beier, erik rogan, michael ingraldi and steven rosenstock, all with the nau school of forestry or the arizona department of game and fish. “ contrary to expectation, ” the researchers concluded, “ goshawk breeding areas that resembled most closely the forest structure prescribed by the goshawk guidelines tended to have lower goshawk productivity. ” the research demonstrated the limits of common sense when it comes to predicting something as complicated as the relationship between an adaptable predator like the forest - dependent goshawk and either its habitat or its prey base. the goshawk guidelines now in effect on millions of acres start with the reasonable assumption that goshawks need clusters of big trees in which to build their nests close to the kinds of underbrush that harbor the rabbits, mice, squirrels and other creatures on which they prey. many biologists have assumed that goshawks have moved into forests in the southwest as those forests have grown thicker in the past century, shifting from big trees separated by grassy swales to fire - prone tree thickets. therefore, the forest service has struggled to shift back toward an open, fire - adapted forest without exterminating species that prefer a closed canopy with interlocking tree branches — like the goshawks and the mexican spotted owl. the nau research now throws into question many


has struggled to shift back toward an open, fire - adapted forest without exterminating species that prefer a closed canopy with interlocking tree branches — like the goshawks and the mexican spotted owl. the nau research now throws into question many key assumptions built in ponderous legal strictures of existing forest plans. “ the results raise questions about the decision to implement the goshawk guidelines on most forest service lands in arizona and new mexico, ” the researchers concluded. however, the forest service remains legally bound to the detailed guidelines now cast in the legal concrete of adopted forest plans. that applies even to vital efforts like the 4 - forests restoration initiative, an ambitious plan intended to dramatically thin millions of acres of forest across central arizona. the u. s. forest service recently picked pioneer forest products to thin an initial 300, 000 acres over the next decade. the project relies on completing a single environmental assessment on nearly a million acres as a way to streamline the thinning process. the forest service would then train the pioneer subcontractors to create with their chain saws a more healthy, diverse, fire - adapted forest. the prescription attempts to also protect critical habitat for a host of species, including goshawks. that means implementing the current goshawk guidelines, which will leave many dense patches of forest as nesting areas for goshawks and mexican spotted owls. 4fri forest service team leader henry provencio expressed surprise at the nau findings, which cast doubt on the goshawk guidelines embedded in the current approach. but he said that once the guidelines get written into the forest plans, the forest service remains legally required to abide by them. “ our forest plans require it, ” he said. “ but that would be a pain ” if the existing guidelines don ’ t actually help the goshawks successfully rear more chicks. “ we do have different prescriptions for the goshawk areas. in those breeding areas we know they typically have a higher ( tree ) density. so we have prescriptions for that. we ’ re trying to manage the future forest. one of the big concerns is whether we ’ re going to have adequate canopy cover — so we ’ re really managing groups of trees and also providing for those interspaces and managing for their prey. ” but the nau study raises questions about whether biologists yet know enough to micro - manage the forest for the benefit of any individual species. the goshawk and the mexican spotted owl for years have fluttered about at the center of the legal and political


but the nau study raises questions about whether biologists yet know enough to micro - manage the forest for the benefit of any individual species. the goshawk and the mexican spotted owl for years have fluttered about at the center of the legal and political fight about the future of the forest. the agile, crazy - orange - eyed goshawk is nearly as large as a red tailed hawk, but can maneuver deftly through the thick forest. in open areas, they tend to lose out to the red tails — which circle overhead looking for prey rather than perching on tree branches for a quick swoop to the ground. the now nearly defunct timber industry in arizona made most of its money on cutting the big, old growth trees associated with those species and others like the kaibab squirrel and the allen ’ s lappet - browed bat. with most of those trees reduced to two - by - fours, the timber industry had a hard time making money on the smaller trees that remained in dangerous profusion. the centers for biological diversity has repeatedly sued to prevent timber sales that included a large number of old growth pines greater than 16 inches in diameter at about chest height. for instance, earlier this year the centers for biological diversity successfully blocked a timber sale on the north rim of the grand canyon on the grounds that the 25, 000 - acre sale would include about 8, 000 old - growth trees — even though such trees account for only about 3 percent of the trees. the nau study demonstrated that biologists still don ’ t really understand what species like goshawks need. none of the sites studied very closely matched the guidelines, which call for clusters of giant, old - growth trees and nearby areas with underbrush likely to result in high populations of 14 different prey species. although little true old - growth ponderosa pine forest remains in arizona, the researchers expected to find that the more closely the conditions around the nest area resembled that prescription — the more chicks the goshawks would produce. in fact, the more closely the forest matched the prescription the fewer chicks the hawks reared. that doesn ’ t mean the goshawks don ’ t prefer nesting in big, old growth trees. but it does mean that they ’ re not as sensitive to the prey populations in the area or the nearby forest conditions as biologists had expected. the study did find that goshawks produce more chicks in years when conditions produce a bumper crop of rodents, but that accounted for year - to - year variations — not a consistent difference between nesting areas. the results “


as biologists had expected. the study did find that goshawks produce more chicks in years when conditions produce a bumper crop of rodents, but that accounted for year - to - year variations — not a consistent difference between nesting areas. the results “ were remarkably consistent in documenting that goshawks use forest structures characterized by relatively dense canopy and many large trees, but do not use sites with higher prey abundance, ” the researchers concluded. the moral of the story would seem to support an approach that produces a diverse, healthy forest — without trying to micromanage the details. moreover, the researchers concluded that many seemingly common - sense assumptions must be challenged — and the impact of changes in management monitored. that conclusion might also raise red flags when it comes to the current approach to the 4fri effort, which many consider the last best hope to both avert catastrophic wildfires and restore forest health. as it happens, the forest service rejected the bid of the 4fri contractor that pledged to spend about $ 5 million monitoring the ecological effects of the massive thinning effort in favor of a contractor that included no money for monitoring in the bid. however, the nau researchers concluded, “ our study suggests that goshawks did not respond as expected and the monitoring and adaptive management approach recommended in 1993 ( when the goshawk guidelines were first adopted ) is equally important today. ”


you can say many things about william shakespeare, but it is quite apparent that he never let the truth get in the way of a good story. he was a genius who wrote plays that entertained and if that meant that historical veracity had to give way, on occasion, to dramatic impact or poetic notions then so be it. it has a certain sense of inevitability then, to the fact that so many people are so eager for a good story that they will deny he wrote anything at all. there are many theories extant today about who may have been the actual author of the works we attribute to shakespeare. if you ’ re new to this field of conspiracy you may be suprised to find out that such people as sigmund freud, mark twain and helen keller believed that it could not have been shakespeare. there are several theories on the authorship question but they ’ re united by one thing : a refusal to believe that such a literary genius could have been a humble playwright from stratford - upon - avon. the core of any shakespearean authorship conspiracy is that, because of his origins and education, he could not have had the knowledge or ability, to write as he did. you can almost hear the naysayers mumbling “ can there any good thing come out of stratford? ” the theory that first rose to prominence was that the emminent elizabeathean philosopher francis bacon wrote the plays under a pseudonym to allow him freedom to write without jepordising his standing at court. the theory was brought to the fore by delia bacon and furthered by whitman, emerson, twain, hawthorne and helen keller. the fact that a lady born in a log - cabin in the middle of ohio decided that she was in a position to question a great english playwright ’ s authorship due to his background amuses me greatly ; someone call miss morisette, we finally found something that ’ s ironic for her song. the other theory that is presently favoured by anti - stratfordian scholars is that the plays were written by edward de vere, earl of oxford. the main evidence for this is that people think oxford was kind of cool but he didn ’ t real do that much worth writing home about so they have to give him credit for something – clearly that pleb from stratford couldn ’ t have written well so it must be his work. oh, did i over simplify it? sorry. but the oxfordian view is undone by many facts, not least that oxford died in 1604, while new shakespeare plays were continuing to appear until


t have written well so it must be his work. oh, did i over simplify it? sorry. but the oxfordian view is undone by many facts, not least that oxford died in 1604, while new shakespeare plays were continuing to appear until 1613. it ’ s not the place of this blog to detail in depth the evidence in favour of shakespeare as the genuine author. all contemporary evidence available points to him and all of the presented alternate authorship theories rest heavily on conjecture. james shapiro has written an excellent book on the subject entitled ‘ contested will ’. the subject has only been pushed to the front of my mind at present by the forthcoming film ‘ anonymous ’ that is set to give mass publicity to the oxfordian cause. the main problem i have with this, beyond the fact that it ’ s just another conspiracy theory, is the fact that here is possibly the greatest literary figure of the last millennia being attacked and assailed, post mortem, by people who simply refuse to accept that someone so seemingly pedestrian as the bard could have reached such hieghts of achievment. the film itself looks highly entertaining, i may well go and watch it, but please, please, please, don ’ t suggest that it is anything more than a fiction. we have a large body of evidence to say that shakespeare of stratford was the author of the works attributed to him, just because our vision of him doesn ’ t meet the vision of an author in our celebrity obsessed time doesn ’ t make him any less the author. if, over the course of human history, we have learned anything about genius it should surely be that it crops up often in the least expected people and the least expected places. it is not dependant on education or on high birth or anything else ; the truth is that you can ’ t predict when and where genius will appear or how it will show itself, which makes it all the more important that every soul gets given the opportunity to fulfil their potential.


breeding timing in cats breeding timing to maximize fertility in cats breeding timing refers to a technique that may be utilized to ensure conception in cats by the purposeful timing of insemination during the estrus ( heat ) period. a fertile female cat is referred to as a queen. symptoms and types in order to maximize the odds of conception with properly timed breeding, it is best to pin - point, as close as possible, the day of ovulation for the queen. symptoms of estrus in the queen are evident by her rubbing against objects, being vocal ( much more than usual ), and an interest shown by the male cat. however, timing of breeding is less critical with cats and ultimately depends on the amount of luteinizing hormone ( lh ) released, which is triggered via stimulation of the queen ’ s vagina and cervix. breeding timing and related fertility - maximizing techniques may be utilized for a number of reasons. this may be deemed necessary if there is an apparent failure to achieve conception in the queen. for cats, the most reliable method of determining the ovulation cycle is by progesterone testing. a hormone that is created at the time of pregnancy the process of the maturation and release of eggs the period that an animal is pregnant in which the fetus develops from conception to birth the time period in which a female is receptive to male attention ovarian tumors in cats there are three kinds cat ovarian tumors : epithelial tumors ( skin / tissue ), germ cell... reproductive genetic abnormalities in cats sexual development disorders in cats can occur due to errors in the genetic coding,...


the solubility of an api plays a crucial role in drug disposition because the main pathway for drug absorption is a function of permeability and solubility. poor aqueous solubility is caused by two main factors : high hydrophobicity and highly crystalline structures. the aqueous solubility of a compound plays a role in its success or failure as a drug candidate. better solubility results in better absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, reduced dosage - level requirements, and better bioavailability. in the development phase, poor solubility can lead to inadequate exposure in efficacy and toxicity studies. higher dosages required to compensate for poor solubility can lead to side effects, food effects, and intersubject variability. it may drive up overall costs for drug development and production and lead to poor patient compliance because of the higher doses required to achieve a therapeutic effect ( 1 ). as pharmaceutical companies attempt to resolve these issues, contract - service providers and excipient suppliers are seeking to meet these challenges through targeted offerings. strategies for improving solubility both physical and chemical methods can be used to improve drug solubility, chemical methods to improve solubility include developing more soluble prodrugs or improving solubility through salt formation. physical methods include micronization or nanosizing, producing a polymorph, changing the crystal habit, complexation, solubilization through self - microemulsifying drug - delivery systems, and solid dispersions ( 1 ). the terms solid solution and solid dispersion define related compositions in which at least one active ingredient is dispersed in an inert matrix. in solid dispersions, separate regions of drug and polymer exist throughout the matrix, and the drug may be crystalline or be rendered in its amorphous state. a special subset of solid dispersions, solid solutions, refers to the case in which drug – polymer miscibility is attained at the molecular level, and the drug exists in its amorphous form. pharmaceutical polymers are used to create this matrix. polymer selection is based on many factors, including physicochemical ( e. g., drug – polymer miscibility and stability ) and pharmacokinetic ( e. g., rate of absorption ) constraints ( 1, 2 ). solid dispersions may be made through mechanical activation ( i. e., cogrinding ), coprecipitation, freeze drying, spray drying, melt extrusion


posted by esc on april 21, 2003 the word of the day for april 20, 2003, is : kith \ kith \ noun : familiar friends, neighbors, or relatives friends and family are important to jared, so he makes a point of keeping in touch with kith and kin even when his schedule gets hectic. did you know? " kith " has had many meanings over the years. in its earliest uses it referred to knowledge of something, but that meaning died out in the 1400s. another sense, " one ' s native land, " had come and gone by the early 1500s. the sense " friends, fellow countrymen, or neighbors " developed by the 1300s, a time when the word was also used as a synonym of " kinsfolk. " that last sense got " kith " into hot water after people began using the word in the alliterative phrase " kith and kin. " over the years, usage commentators have complained that " kith " means the same thing as " kin, " so " kith and kin " is redundant. clearly, they have overlooked some other historical definitions, but if you want to avoid redundancy charges, be sure to include friends as well as relatives among your " kith and kin. " to subscribe to the html version of merriam - webster ' s word of the day, featuring audio pronunciations, interactive surveys, and more :


this research undertaken by barbara n tapela of the african centre for water research ( and now at plaas ) highlights issues of ' social water scarcity ' in south africa, which refers to the construct of resource management determined by political, economic and social power dynamics. since secure access to water is an integral part of people ' s multi - faceted livelihoods, social water scarcity becomes most obvious at micro - levels, especially at community and household level, where people perceive scarcity in terms of their inability to access the quantity and quality of water they need to meet their multiple - use requirements. people who are water scarce are usually aware of the power dynamics surrounding water access and see social water scarcity as an end - product of dominance by more powerful political, economic and social forces. where such relations ( and the related institutions ) are seen as sub - optimal they mobilise their individual and collective livelihood assets to cope with water insecurity and / or engage institutions around the need for change. although, in post - apartheid south africa, the government has broadened access to water, many rural and informal urban dwellers still lack adequate, safe drinking water, often due to institutional ineptitude or the lack of access to formal housing. besides the amplified strategy of social protest, people with poor access to water continue to develop coping and adaptive strategies. you are here water research commission research report : social water scarcity and water use by barbara n tapela in 2012


the general council of the judiciary was set out in the 1978 constitution ( article 122 ), following the model of other neighbouring countries such as france, portugal, and italy, in particular. its creation was then a true innovation of the spanish constituent, since it is impossible to find any direct precedent in our history of an autonomous government organ of the judiciary which guarantees the independence thereof. in the history of spain, there are some remote precedents of institutions and attempts to create an organ which would guarantee the auto - government of the judiciary, at least partially, however, none of these attempts had the same nature and aim as the general council of the judiciary. especially because an organ of such type only finds its true raison d ' etre within a democratic system, based on the separation of powers and the effective protection of the fundamental rights and freedoms of the persons. among these remote precedents there are the central or supreme board ( 1849 ), the organising board of the judiciary ( 1923 ) or the judicial council, created pursuant to the royal decree dated 18 may 1917, although it never started to work as it was revoked in july of the same year. it was re - established in june 1926, to be revoked in may 1931. none of these examples was a precedent stricto sensu. neither was the judicial council created pursuant to the act dated 20 december 1952, which worked until the implementation of the democratic constitutional system. the spanish constituent was influenced by the french constitution of 1946, which regulates the high council of judicature in accordance with the provisions of title ix. it constituted the precedent for the remaining organs with similar aims, set out later in the italian constitution of 1947 ( pursuant to articles 104 and 105 ), and in the portuguese constitution of 1976 ( article 220 ). the italian model has been imported by the first parliament in its fundamental aspects, with exception of its components, which, in the spanish case, was set out in the constitution. the statutory development of the constitutional provisions has taken place through the organic act on the judiciary mentioned in the carta magna. however, first the organic act 1 / 1980, dated 10 january, on the general council of the judiciary, due to the need to make the constitutional court operational, since two of its members should be appointed on a proposal by the general council of the judiciary, in accordance with the constitution ( article 159. 1 ). subsequently, the organic act 6 / 1985 on the judiciary, dated 1 july, was enacted, whereby the council was definitely regulated, thus repealing the organic act


by jim chu, chief constable, vancouver police department, vancouver, british columbia, canada n february 2010, the winter olympic and paralympic games were successfully staged in the city of vancouver, british columbia, canada ; the resort community of whistler ; and adjoining municipalities. vancouver became the largest metropolitan area to host the winter games, and an unprecedented number of athletes, officials, spectators, and celebrants participated in the event, which also was watched by record television audiences. when the olympics concluded, many compliments were extended to the games ’ organizers, the volunteers, and, notably, the law enforcement agencies that kept the games safe. this article will highlight the key policing challenges and offer lessons learned on public order – policing practices that apply to any large - scale public event. security is always a paramount consideration during the olympics, and the lead responsibility for the security of the vancouver 2010 games was given to canada ’ s national police service, the royal canadian mounted police ( rcmp ). early in the process, the rcmp realized that an operation of this scale and magnitude required strong partnerships with local police agencies of jurisdiction and, hence, created the vancouver 2010 integrated security unit ( isu ), which primarily comprised police and military security planners. the overall security budget for the isu was approximately $ 555 million. | officers work at the vancouver police department ' s | emergency operations center. the policing story of the 2010 winter olympics can be broken down into three components : - the protection of olympic games participants ( athletes, officials, and spectators ) - the right to freely assemble and protest - the management of large celebratory crowds the isu took responsibility for the security of the official competition venues and several noncompetition venues, including the athletes ’ villages, the main media center, and the vancouver international airport. in addition, the isu was responsible for athlete transportation security and the protection of internationally protected persons. it is well known that past olympic games have attracted terrorists ( for example, the 1972 hostage taking and killing of israeli athletes in munich, west germany ) and lone - wolf criminals ( for example, the 1996 atlanta park bombing ). numerous heads of state and other internationally protected persons attend. more than 6, 000 police officers ; 4, 500 private security personnel ; and 4, 000 canadian military resources were utilized to ensure these official olympic sites were secure. to fortify venues such as the hockey stadium and ski hills, the isu created airport - style screening checkpoints for staff and spectators and constructed fence lines with perimeter detection systems and closed -


resources were utilized to ensure these official olympic sites were secure. to fortify venues such as the hockey stadium and ski hills, the isu created airport - style screening checkpoints for staff and spectators and constructed fence lines with perimeter detection systems and closed - circuit television cameras. outside the fence lines, security fell to the local police of jurisdiction with isu resources for support and for national security incidents. the hosting jurisdictions received funding through the isu to help cover the associated costs of policing the games. this high level of readiness and security delivered by the isu resulted in a great outcome of no terrorist or serious criminal acts occurring in any official olympic site. overall, venues were safe and secure, and the policing story of the 2010 winter olympics shifted from security of the official sites to policing protests and the large celebratory crowds. within the city of vancouver, both of these challenges were the responsibility of the vancouver police department ( vpd ). the city of vancouver is considered one of the world ’ s most liberal cities. it has a large concentration of illicit drug users ( including users of crack cocaine and heroin ) and is home to the first supervised drug - injection site in north america. during the lead - up to the games, activist groups in vancouver made public accusations that vancouver police would cleanse the city and suppress dissent by - sweeping the streets clean of the mentally ill and poor people, - kidnapping homeless people and shipping them out of town, - kicking in doors of homes and businesses to take away signs that criticized the olympics, and - beating and arresting protesters. the local branch of the canadian civil liberties association initiated a legal observer program for volunteers to receive special training in law ; first aid ( to help people beaten by the police ) ; and use of video recorders to capture what the association claimed would be inevitable instances of excessive force by police. to counter these allegations, senior police officers from the vpd and the isu went on public record and met with these groups to reiterate that the right to protest, which is guaranteed under canadian law, would be upheld by the police and that no special measures to sweep the streets would occur. the activist groups remained relentless with their condemnations of the police, and the news media reported on these criticisms. the canadian constitution guarantees rights such as freedom of assembly, thought, religion, and expression. approximately three times a week and throughout the year, protests are held in vancouver with causes ranging from local issues ( for example, the environment and homelessness ) to international issues ( for example, oppression in iran


assembly, thought, religion, and expression. approximately three times a week and throughout the year, protests are held in vancouver with causes ranging from local issues ( for example, the environment and homelessness ) to international issues ( for example, oppression in iran and antiglobalization ). one of the larger critical mass rides for freedom to ride bicycles occurs in the city ’ s downtown core. all of these events take place without serious incident, and, overall, the vpd has a strong track record of facilitating lawful protests. | police face protesters at the 2010 winter olympics | the first test of the vpd approach to protests occurred two days before the 2010 winter olympics opening ceremony. prime minister stephen harper was in vancouver and wanted to attend a chinese new year celebration in a chinatown community center. protesters who were in disagreement over his administration ’ s opposition to the supervised injection site quickly marshalled 200 agitated protesters and blocked the entrance to the community center. they used chains and tape to lock the doors. the vpd police commander at the scene decided to allow the protest to continue, and after the protesters made their point with the news cameras, they withdrew and vpd officers removed the tape and chains from around the doors. the next day had protest groups looking for key places along the olympic torch relay to disrupt the procession. they laid down barbed wire and blockaded intersections. the torch was rerouted around these blockades and instead of the image of armed and helmeted police arresting protesters, the media reported on school children and war veterans who missed the once - in - a - lifetime opportunity to see the torch because of the “ selfish ” protesters. 1 the next day, just prior to the opening ceremony, 1, 500 chanting protesters wound their way through vancouver streets and were shadowed by vpd bicycle patrol officers. while traffic disruptions were tolerated, a preplanned decision was made that the opening ceremony would not be interrupted. the proverbial “ line in the sand ” was drawn on the street outside a stadium that was filled with 60, 000 spectators and athletes. the protesters were stopped by 350 officers from the vpd and the isu / rcmp. the vpd officers were specially trained officers from the crowd control unit ( ccu ), who locked arms and would not let the crowd move closer to the stadium. they were backed by officers on horseback and arrest teams. the ccu commander deployed his officers in soft hats without face shields. as the night went on, the composition of the protest groups became clearer. some were idealistic people who


to the stadium. they were backed by officers on horseback and arrest teams. the ccu commander deployed his officers in soft hats without face shields. as the night went on, the composition of the protest groups became clearer. some were idealistic people who wanted to peacefully express their personal beliefs. this included native indian elders, seniors against poverty, and environmentalists. the same crowd also contained approximately 100 anarchists and criminals who practiced a technique called black bloc. this tactic is used by anarchists who cover their faces and heads with black, ninja - style masks to make it difficult to identify them when they commit criminal acts. as dusk descended, this large crowd surged several times, but the police line held steady. the criminal protesters became frustrated. they wanted police officers to wade into their ranks and start fights with them. they wanted the image of a police officer hitting a protester with a baton. they wanted to get tear gassed. they wanted the news media to record images of the police battling protesters, like what happened at the 1999 seattle world trade organization ( wto ) riots, the 1997 vancouver asia pacific economic conference ( apec ) confrontations, and the 2001 quebec city summit of the americas riots. the anarchists spat into the faces of the frontline officers. they threw barricades and tried to incite the legitimate protesters to violence by shouting “ the police are beating the elders! ” and other lies. one woman on the front line was 53 - year - old shena meadowcroft, who was personally against the government spending on the olympics. her account in an e - mail to the vancouver police chief provides the best description of the restraint shown by the integrated public - order officers. i myself spent the better part of an hour or more face to face with several police officers. i will never forget how extraordinarily well i was treated by them. i wish that i could personally thank each and every one of the police officers who showed the utmost concern to my well - being that night. i was continually offered an opportunity to leave, and when i expressed my need to remain where i was, my needs were respected. even while there was intense pushing and shoving on both sides, several of the officers kept asking me if i was ok. your officers were continuously insulted and spat upon, screamed at. at no time did i see any of them respond with anything but civility and politeness. what i can say is that no one deserves the continual berating and harassment, obscenities and personal attacks that these officers were


, screamed at. at no time did i see any of them respond with anything but civility and politeness. what i can say is that no one deserves the continual berating and harassment, obscenities and personal attacks that these officers were subject to that night. the opening ceremony protest was volatile and could have erupted into violence and mass arrests that would have overshadowed the event. fortunately, the night ended peacefully. there was only one arrest ; no protesters were injured, although two police officers had minor injuries. the news media reported on the exceptional restraint shown by the police, and the civil liberties “ legal observers ” had nothing to record. | officers approach protesters in the heart attack march | in vancouver ' s downtown. the disciplined police response during the preceding week reduced the number of protesters that turned out the following morning for the so - called heart attack protest march designed to “ clog ” downtown streets. the attendance from legitimate protesters was low because during the last few days, the vpd had upheld the rights to free assembly and the expression of personal beliefs. instead of the anger towards the police growing like it did in the seattle wto, vancouver apec, and quebec city conflicts, the enmity towards the police and state institutions waned significantly. on the contrary, the public resentment towards the protesters was increasing. the heart attack march began with several anarchists openly encouraging criminal acts to provoke the police. instead of being backed by 1, 400 legitimate protesters like the night before, the approximately100 criminal anarchists had only about 100 legitimate protesters to hide behind. the criminals again used the black bloc technique and as they marched along vancouver streets, they started to damage cars and buildings. they arrived in the downtown core and began to smash the windows of a retailer that sold olympic clothing. it was at this point that the vpd ccu officers, backed up by isu / rcmp tactical troop officers, were deployed onto the streets to make arrests. ccu members heard citizens on the street applaud them as they exited their vans. the people on the streets shouted “ go, vpd, go get them ” as the officers made arrests and dispersed the protesters. after about 90 minutes of physical confrontations, the criminal protesters were under police control and seven arrests were made at the scene. the news media covered these arrests extensively and the public sentiment was overwhelmingly supportive of the police actions. afterward, the police media statements were careful to distinguish that the police arrested the “ criminal protesters ” and still respected the rights of the “ peaceful protesters ” to express


news media covered these arrests extensively and the public sentiment was overwhelmingly supportive of the police actions. afterward, the police media statements were careful to distinguish that the police arrested the “ criminal protesters ” and still respected the rights of the “ peaceful protesters ” to express their views. the death of a georgian luge athlete in a training run, the warm weather and lack of snow, and the disruptions by the criminal protesters had prompted a british reporter to label that particular olympics as the “ worst games ever. ” 2 however, by the end of the second day, the wind in the sails of the anti - olympic protest movement had dissipated. in subsequent days, the protest movement broke further apart with the anarchists being shunned by those who respected canadian laws. at one meeting, the head of the local branch of the civil liberties association received an actual pie in the face because he had criticized the law breakers. | people protest homelessness during the 2010 winter | olympics closing ceremony. there were still two or three protests each day of the olympics, but each was poorly attended with only a dozen or so participants and drew minimal media attention. by the last few days, the police had to protect protesters from exuberant canadian hockey fans who were shouting “ get a job. ” the tide definitely turned against protesters on the second day of the olympics, thanks to police restraint, shifting the media ’ s and the public ’ s attention to the athletes and the actual sporting events. the celebratory crowds there were several free pavilions and live sites where the public could soak up the olympic atmosphere. tickets were not necessary and as the week went on, the number of people converging in the downtown core approached several hundred thousand. it was impossible to walk around without seeing wall - to - wall people with red mittens and olympic and canadian clothing. local residents showed unprecedented patriotism and support for the games, and visitors also enjoyed the streets of vancouver. the weather was the warmest winter on record for vancouver, and people basked in the sunshine. vancouver bore the legacy of the 1994 stanley cup riots. after the local hockey team lost the final playoff game, thousands of rampaging youths broke windows, looted stores, overturned police cars, and damaged property. furthermore, concerns over potential riotous behavior caused vancouver police spokesperson constable anne drennan to tell the public not to come downtown for new year ’ s celebrations for the year 2000. 3 this gave rise to the label “ no fun city ” and for many years ; the vpd was criticized for starting


police spokesperson constable anne drennan to tell the public not to come downtown for new year ’ s celebrations for the year 2000. 3 this gave rise to the label “ no fun city ” and for many years ; the vpd was criticized for starting the “ no fun ” reputation. during the games, the large day and evening crowds were concentrated in the blocks comprising the downtown granville street entertainment district ( ged ), which is populated by numerous restaurants and bars. the crowds in the ged got larger each night as people flocked to celebrate medal and hockey team wins. up to three hockey games per day would bring 18, 000 spectators into the ged. the vpd media spokespersons encouraged people to come downtown and celebrate and talked about the fun and family - oriented atmosphere. the ged came into existence around 10 years ago when 1, 700 liquor seats were added to the area, along with extended hours. at first, the ged became known as the street of shame because of the large number of fights, drunken hooliganism, and rowdy behavior. the beat officers working the ged called the weekends “ fight nights. ” police commanders ordered officers to practice zero tolerance and to enforce all laws to crack down on the aggressive behavior. four years ago, the vpd adopted new strategies in the ged. instead of zero tolerance, the vpd adopted a meet - and - greet strategy with officers in visible vests making eye contact with people and encouraging people to have fun in a responsible manner. street closures created more walking room and people started to come to the ged to experience the nightlife and street ambience. the meet - and - greet strategy was ideal for the massive olympic crowds, and the experienced ccu members formed the bulk of the ged policing contingent. even though hundreds of thousands of people were staying downtown in the evening hours, there was only one problematic night. midway during the games, a disk jockey named deadmau5 ( pronounced “ deadmouse ” ) played at a city - run outdoor concert site. thousands of people arrived in the early afternoon to line up to get into the venue. thousands more were turned away and decided to party in the street. deadmau5 turned up the volume so that people outside the venue would hear his performance. the vpd then had to police large and potentially unruly crowds both inside and outside the venue. a significant amount of illicit drug and liquor consumption took place that night. people refuelled their exuberance by swarming nearby


his performance. the vpd then had to police large and potentially unruly crowds both inside and outside the venue. a significant amount of illicit drug and liquor consumption took place that night. people refuelled their exuberance by swarming nearby liquor stores. when the concert ended, 15, 000 youth headed to the ged, which was already full of intoxicated people. the canadian men ’ s hockey team had lost to the united states in a game earlier that evening, and flag carrying americans were harassed. there was a tenor of violence in the air. many fights occurred. fortunately, as the night went on, the situation stabilized and no major problems were experienced, thanks to proactive police intervention. the next day, the vpd approached the provincial liquor board and obtained an emergency order for liquor stores to close early, at 7 p. m., for the remainder of the olympics. this was a strategy identified in the 1994 stanley cup riot review report. vpd ccu officers on the ged were backed up with additional isu / rcmp resources. in addition, a perimeter policing strategy was put into place using 100 additional police officers to monitor the laneways, the transit stations, and the pedestrian corridors. people who appeared to be consuming alcohol were stopped. liquor was poured out and those who were uncooperative received $ 230 fines for consuming liquor in public. this strategy, coupled with the inability of celebrants to refuel on alcohol, created greater calm on the remaining nights. an important component of the vpd policing strategy was the media messaging. vpd media spokespeople encouraged people of all ages to come downtown and enjoy the street party. attempts by the news media to paint the ged as unsafe were rebuffed. the vpd reasoned that if the general public was told to worry about drunken hooligans, they would be deterred from coming downtown, which would mean that crowds would be dominated by drunken hooligans, and vancouver would be the “ no fun city ” again. instead, the vpd encouraged people of all ages and backgrounds to come downtown, have fun, and enjoy the street ambience. vpd ccu officers facilitated crowd movements, shook hands, and posed for many pictures. | fans of team canada celebrate a gold medal win in hockey. | the last day of the olympics saw canada win the men ’ s hockey gold medal in overtime. two hundred thousand people poured into the downtown core, and revellers engaged in impromptu renditions of


team canada celebrate a gold medal win in hockey. | the last day of the olympics saw canada win the men ’ s hockey gold medal in overtime. two hundred thousand people poured into the downtown core, and revellers engaged in impromptu renditions of the canadian anthem and other cheers. the relationship between the police and the celebrants was extremely positive. the police were viewed as cocelebrants and were constantly high - fived and thanked for keeping everyone safe. the smiles of the officers, their discretionary approach to public liquor consumption ticketing, and the message to come downtown because the police would ensure the public ’ s safety created many fans of policing. celebrants would chant “ can - a - da, ” and when they saw vancouver police officers, they would chant “ v - p - d. ” | a vpd officer poses with a | member of the public in the downtown granville street the major lessons that were learned or reinforced during the games include the following : - ensure there is a clear division of responsibility. an event as large as the olympics has many overlapping issues and resources. the isu, of which the vpd was an integral part, established a clear chain of responsibility and accountability. the isu engaged in detailed planning, kept the athletes and venues safe, and offered significant support to the local police. - don ’ t give a reason to protesters to hate the police. many changes in unjust laws and policies have come about because of legitimate protests. the police should facilitate freedom of expression and make arrests only when the actions are clearly criminal. - create balanced crowd dynamics. the more you can encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in an event, the more likely hooliganism will look out of place and be considered inappropriate. the crowd can help police itself with the condemnation of bad behavior. drunken people behave better when there are children and seniors in proximity, and the police can help create this healthy balance of celebrants with positive media messages. - training is critical. the vpd created a highly trained crowd control unit, and senior personnel were trained with overseas agencies. the vpd has a public order commander certification program. new commanders are mentored and are certified for command only after adequate performance in real situations. the patience and discipline shown by frontline ccu members on the opening night was a significant turning point in the policing of the games. - discourage festival seating. for performers who attract a crowd that is more prone to irresponsible behavior, do not permit organizers


discipline shown by frontline ccu members on the opening night was a significant turning point in the policing of the games. - discourage festival seating. for performers who attract a crowd that is more prone to irresponsible behavior, do not permit organizers to offer festival seating. this will give rise to lengthy lineups and large numbers of frustrated concertgoers who cannot gain admission into the venue. this doubles the problem as the police have to secure both inside and outside a venue. if tickets for general admission are used instead, lineups and problems can be minimized. - meet and greet people. vpd officers were well versed in making eye contact with visitors to the ged. they wore visible reflective vests and worked in pods to disperse unruly gatherings. they used a relaxed approach, and their goal was to calm situations. as the games went on, the officers felt like part of the celebration and smiled and posed for many pictures. - prepare for the unexpected. the vpd and the isu were able to address shifting needs for resources. in spite of the best forecasting and planning, the games had more people congregating downtown than was expected. because of the ability of the police agencies to work together and adjust to changing dynamics, the public was kept safe and no major incidents occurred. - set reasonable boundaries on behavior. many celebrants wanted to consume liquor in public places, which is permitted in some jurisdictions. striking the right balance between enforcement ( it is against local laws in the provincial liquor control and licensing act to consume liquor in public ) and warnings can keep the crowd in check, while also creating goodwill. - lead your staff. over the 17 days of the olympics, the vpd chief and his command staff walked the front lines meeting officers, members of the public, and the news media. while reports up the chain of command are helpful, it is also important to see and experience the situations firsthand and talk directly to officers on the front lines to better understand and interpret what is going on. for extended deployments, encouraging tired officers and bolstering their spirits are critical. fatigue and associated impatience was a significant concern, and the frequent sightings of command officers helped staff morale. | a vpd officer is pictured with members of the public | during the 2010 winter olympics. the victory lap the story of the 2010 vancouver winter olympics was not about security, crime, or stifling of legitimate dissent. it was rightly about the athletes and public celebration. during and after the olympics, kudos


the 2010 winter olympics. the victory lap the story of the 2010 vancouver winter olympics was not about security, crime, or stifling of legitimate dissent. it was rightly about the athletes and public celebration. during and after the olympics, kudos and compliments flowed into the vpd in the form of letters, e - mails, and phone calls. vpd officers had strangers offer to pay their dinner tabs. people openly praised the police and the local newspaper printed “ police deserve a medal for their performance. ” 4 even the civil liberties association complimented the police and noted that not one instance of wrongdoing was observed by their legal observers. the combined efforts of the vpd - and the rcmp - led isu created a high benchmark for policing. new orleans saints owner tom benson, in a letter to a vancouver newspaper, wrote, “ as a native and lifelong citizen of the great city of new orleans, which knows how to put on a world - class event, i would like to so express how impressed i was with your city when i visited for the 2010 winter olympics. ” 5 nbc nightly news anchor brian williams expressed his thanks for “ securing this massive event without choking security and without publicly displaying a single automatic weapon. ” 6 people from everywhere had the time of their lives because of the gold medal performance of the vancouver police and the policing partners in the isu. ■ law enforcement agencies can obtain a detailed report on policing the 2010 winter olympics in vancouver by contacting the author at firstname. lastname @ example. org. | vancouver police department members ( from left ) | deputy chief doug lepard ; chief constable jim chu ; and deputy chief bob rolls walk through the downtown granville street entertainment district. 1quoting british columbia premier gordon campbell ; canwest olympic team, “ anti - olympic protesters clash with police in vancouver, ” vancouver sun, february 22, 2010, http : / / www. vancouversun. com / sports / anti + olympic + protesters + clash + with + police + vancouver / 2561450 / story. html ( accessed august 17, 2010 ). 2lawrence donegan, “ vancouver games continue downhill slide from disaster to calamity, ” the guardian, february 15, 2010, http : / / www. guardian. co. uk / sport / 2010 / feb / 15 / vancouver - winter - olympics - 2010 ( accessed august 17, 2010 ). 3craig jones, “ the mayor, the police, and the ‘ culture of arrogance, ’ ” british


co. uk / sport / 2010 / feb / 15 / vancouver - winter - olympics - 2010 ( accessed august 17, 2010 ). 3craig jones, “ the mayor, the police, and the ‘ culture of arrogance, ’ ” british columbia civil liberties association ( from the vancouver sun, january 14, 2000 ), http : / / www. bccla. org / othercontent / 00craignewyears. html ( accessed august 17, 2010 ). 4 “ police deserve a medal for their performance, ” vancouver sun, march 4, 2010, http : / / www. vancouversun. com / sports / police + deserve + medal + their + performance / 2639788 / story. html ( accessed august 13, 2010 ). 5tom benson, “ saints owner impressed, ” vancouver sun, march 23, 2010, http : / / www. vancouversun. com / entertainment / saints + owner + impressed / 2715023 / story. html ( accessed august 13, 2010 ). 6brian williams, “ leaving behind a thank you note, ” the daily nightly on msnbc. com, february 26, 2010, http : / / dailynightly. msnbc. msn. com / _ news / 2010 / 02 / 26 / 4372324 - leaving - behind - a - thank - you - note ( accessed august 13, 2010 ). please cite as : jim chu, " an olympic medal for policing : lessons and experiences from the vancouver 2010 winter olympics, " the police chief 77 ( september 2010 ) : 20 – 28, http : / / www. nxtbook. com / nxtbooks / naylor / cpim0910 / index. php # / 20 ( insert access date ).


a sweet problem : princeton researchers find that high - fructose corn syrup prompts considerably more weight gain posted march 22, 2010 ; 10 : 00 a. m. a princeton university research team has demonstrated that all sweeteners are not equal when it comes to weight gain : rats with access to high - fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same. in addition to causing significant weight gain in lab animals, long - term consumption of high - fructose corn syrup also led to abnormal increases in body fat, especially in the abdomen, and a rise in circulating blood fats called triglycerides. the researchers say the work sheds light on the factors contributing to obesity trends in the united states. " some people have claimed that high - fructose corn syrup is no different than other sweeteners when it comes to weight gain and obesity, but our results make it clear that this just isn ' t true, at least under the conditions of our tests, " said psychology professor bart hoebel, who specializes in the neuroscience of appetite, weight and sugar addiction. " when rats are drinking high - fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they ' re becoming obese - - every single one, across the board. even when rats are fed a high - fat diet, you don ' t see this ; they don ' t all gain extra weight. " a princeton university research team, including ( from left ) undergraduate elyse powell, psychology professor bart hoebel, visiting research associate nicole avena and graduate student miriam bocarsly, has demonstrated that rats with access to high - fructose corn syrup - - a sweetener found in many popular sodas - - gain significantly more weight than those with access to water sweetened with table sugar, even when they consume the same number of calories. the work may have important implications for understanding obesity trends in the united states. ( photo : denise applewhite ) photos for news media in results published online feb. 26 by the journal pharmacology, biochemistry and behavior, the researchers from the department of psychology and the princeton neuroscience institute reported on two experiments investigating the link between the consumption of high - fructose corn syrup and obesity. the first study showed that male rats given water sweetened with high - fructose corn syrup in addition to a standard diet of rat chow gained much more weight than male rats that received water sweetened with


- fructose corn syrup and obesity. the first study showed that male rats given water sweetened with high - fructose corn syrup in addition to a standard diet of rat chow gained much more weight than male rats that received water sweetened with table sugar, or sucrose, in conjunction with the standard diet. the concentration of sugar in the sucrose solution was the same as is found in some commercial soft drinks, while the high - fructose corn syrup solution was half as concentrated as most sodas. the second experiment - - the first long - term study of the effects of high - fructose corn syrup consumption on obesity in lab animals - - monitored weight gain, body fat and triglyceride levels in rats with access to high - fructose corn syrup over a period of six months. compared to animals eating only rat chow, rats on a diet rich in high - fructose corn syrup showed characteristic signs of a dangerous condition known in humans as the metabolic syndrome, including abnormal weight gain, significant increases in circulating triglycerides and augmented fat deposition, especially visceral fat around the belly. male rats in particular ballooned in size : animals with access to high - fructose corn syrup gained 48 percent more weight than those eating a normal diet. " these rats aren ' t just getting fat ; they ' re demonstrating characteristics of obesity, including substantial increases in abdominal fat and circulating triglycerides, " said princeton graduate student miriam bocarsly. " in humans, these same characteristics are known risk factors for high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cancer and diabetes. " in addition to hoebel and bocarsly, the research team included princeton undergraduate elyse powell and visiting research associate nicole avena, who was affiliated with rockefeller university during the study and is now on the faculty at the university of florida. the princeton researchers note that they do not know yet why high - fructose corn syrup fed to rats in their study generated more triglycerides, and more body fat that resulted in obesity. when male rats were given water sweetened with high - fructose corn syrup in addition to a standard diet of rat chow, the animals gained much more weight than male rats that received water sweetened with table sugar, or sucrose, along with the standard diet. the concentration of sugar in the sucrose solution was the same as is found in some commercial soft drinks, while the high - fructose corn syrup solution was half as concentrated as most soda