critical role in the success of the alger hero. the alger hero never takes revenge on those who mistreated him. he secures what is rightfully his, but he is never vindictive. alger heroes never have romantic interests. as they leave adolescence, these heroes leave his books except to play the role of mentors for the new generation of alger 12. what libraries / museums have horatio alger archives? of congress simmons college archives and special collections northern illinois university library founders library at niu has acquired a comprehensive collection of more than 2, 000 books and periodicals by and about horatio alger, and the library now is the official repository for the archives and other papers of the horatio alger society. all materials received from the society will be cataloged and made available to interested parties through computer networks. a complete catalog of alger ' s works will be prepared, and the library will continue to acquire all alger - related monographs and dissertations, in addition to mounting periodic exhibits of the collections and hosting future conventions of the society. stanley lieberman memorial collection of american juvenile literature, princeton university university of south florida tampa campus library a. frank smith, jr. library center special collections department - emory university popular culture library at bowling green state de grummond childrens ' literature collection at southern mississipi 13. what does the horatio alger " strive and succeed " philosophy consist of? are there contemporary versions of it? there are several elements in the horatio alger " strive and the alger success formula seems very like what one finds in _ the autobiography of benjamin franklin _. alger ' s code is less pragmatic and more altruitstic than poor richard ' s. alger ' s code imposes significant personal obligations, but it is not at all individualistic. the alger code does not seem to have much in common with those individuals labeled " horatio alger success stories. " some modern conservatives object to alger ’ s liberal philosophy. w. s. ross even provides an example of an alger novel ( _ struggling upward _ ) with all that pernicious liberalism - hard work - study ( informal rather than formal ) - loyalty to superiors and subordinates - abstaining from alcohol - frugal living - importance of dress and personal grooming - personal integrity - speaking and writing effectively - non - credal religious values ( unitarian ) - avoidance of violence and revenge - speaking the whole truth - brotherhood of males ( family without a mother ) - obligation to


importance of dress and personal grooming - personal integrity - speaking and writing effectively - non - credal religious values ( unitarian ) - avoidance of violence and revenge - speaking the whole truth - brotherhood of males ( family without a mother ) - obligation to help and protect the weak and unfortunate - duty to mother and / or sisters - courtesy to all - accepting the success of others - emphasis on a secure home - accept assistance of benefactors - expectation of own success, acceptance - eschew class hatred 14. what were the major milestones in alger ' s life? - 1832 born january 13, friday - 1833 birth of sister olive agusta - 1842 enters grade school at age 10 - 1844 horatio alger, sr has close brush with bankruptcy - 1847 passes entrance exam and enters harvard, nickname " toodles " - 1849 essay " chivalry " in boston national pictorial - 1852 graduates from harvard, phi beta kappa, eighth in class - 1853 freelance journalist, enters and leaves harvard divinity - 1854 taught at boys boarding school - 1857 re - enters harvard divinity, publishing in magazines for - 1860 graduates from harvard divinity - 1861 - 1862 supply preacher for unitarian churches - 1863 flunked induction physical, near - sighted, short, asthmatic contributor to harper ' s magazine, putnam ' s, etc. - 1864 frank ' s campaign - 1866 accusation of sexual misconduct with thirteen year old and fifteen year old males, resigns from the ministry - 1866 horatio alger in new york city as journalist his publisher, joseph h. allen, a unitarian elder, shielded him horatio cultivates the street boys aged 12 to 16 - 1867 raises money for five points mission, newsboys lodging, ymca, children ' s aid society charles o ' connor gives alger free access to newsboys lodging - 1867 _ ragged dick _, his eighth novel, is a best seller - 1868 phil the fiddler describes the plight of children as street musicians, attack on the padrone system - 1872 starts to work for the seligman family, as a tutor and guardian for their boys, continued until 1877 - 1873 grand tour of europe with his parents, his brother, his sister augusta and her husband - 1877 life of edwin forrest ( serious biography ) published street boy fiction moves west - 1880 - 1890 alger informally adopts three street boys who serve as models for characters in his books : charlie davis ( _ the young circusrider _, 1883 ), john downie, a newsboy ( _ mark mason ’ s mission _ 1886 ) and ( _ chester rand


of the committee implies there may have been other boys involved. alger did not reply specifically to the charges. rather he admitted to acting " imprudently. " the charges did not use clinical language. rather they mention " unnatural familiarity with boys. " to avoid a public hearing on the charges, the church board allowed alger to resign from his post and the ministry and leave town immediately. subsequent to leaving brewster, alger continued to publish in youth journals affiliated with the church. when a member of the brewster church complained that alger ' s influence over young boys was dangerous, the publisher of the journal, joseph h. allen, a church elder familiar with the brewster incident, replied that alger was entitled to earn a living. scholars did not unearth evidence of the brewster incident until more than one hundred years later. apparently, the records of the local church in brewster and the unitarian convention were incomplete on this point. this is to be expected since the mater did not proceed to a formal hearing. part of the horatio alger formula is that the hero is falsely accused and loses his job because of manufactured evidence. the motivation for the false evidence is that someone wants the hero ' s job. the horatio alger hero leaves quietly without responding to the charges. later events exonerate the hero. this element of the formula dates from before the time of the brewster episode. shortly after the brewster incident, alger wrote a poem " friar anselmo " whose subject had committed some significant sin and devoted the rest of his life to good works as atonement. the friar achieves some sort of peace, realizing the world will be a better place if he continues to live and continues his ministry. for alger, writing for boys was his ministry. 16. what authors have updated or parodied the horatio alger theodore dreiser frequently parodies alger. _ the financier _ is an attempt to modernize the alger myth. its hero is frank algernon cowperwood. raymond feist, the science fiction writer, has used some horatio alger themes in the serpent war saga. f. scott fitzgerald ’ s the great gatsby is an alger parody. gatsby is the antithesis of the typical alger hero. lawrence sanders, the writer of hard - boiled detective fiction, wrote two stories for _ playboy _, " the adventures of chauncey alcock " ( april, 1972 ) and " the further adventures of chauncey alcock " ( december, 1972 ).


the writer of hard - boiled detective fiction, wrote two stories for _ playboy _, " the adventures of chauncey alcock " ( april, 1972 ) and " the further adventures of chauncey alcock " ( december, 1972 ). the stories are sex comedies in the horatio alger style. a nathaniel west novel, _ a cool million _ parodies the alger formula quite mercilessly ( literally tearing a classic alger hero into pieces, limb by limb ) and simultaneously uses his language ( whole paragraphs out of alger novels ). hunter s. thompson, _ fear and loathing in las vegas _ parodies the ager myth. raoul duke, thompson ' s alter ego, refers to himself as a " monster reincarnation " of horatio alger. in the movie, johnny depp plays thompson. or, more precisely, raoul duke, the alias thompson uses while he and acosta scam their way from glitter gulch to the strip in search of " free enterprise. the american dream. horatio alger gone mad on drugs in las vegas. " 17. what is the horatio alger society? the horatio alger society is a group organized " to further the philosophy of horatio alger, jr., and to encourage the spirit ofstrive and succeed that for half a century guided alger ' s undaunted the members of the society are alger collectors and scholars. many collect other juvenile series as well as horatio alger. the newsboy is the official newsletter of the horatio alger society. it is published bi - montly ( six issues per yearthe horatio alger society has its own web site : http : / / www. ihot. com / ~ has the e - mail address for the horatio alger society is 18. did any of alger ’ s juvenile novels have female protagonists? two of the juvenile novels had female protagonists : _ helen ford _ ( 1866 ) ( prior to ragged dick ) and _ tattered tom _ ( 1871 ) ( after ragged dick )


study examines biomass harvesting, water quality by larry dreiling it ' s been said that one man ' s trash is another ' s treasure. the " trash, " or residue, left in no - till fields is considered valuable for soil preservation. grain sorghum, a crop becoming more popular on the high plains because of its low moisture needs and heat tolerance, is rich in residue. with the construction of the abengoa bioenergy refinery near hugoton, kan. - - the nation ' s first commercial - scale cellulosic ethanol refinery - - expected to be fully completed by 2011, the dream of producers selling the refuse of their crops to make ethanol from cellulosic biomass to reduce both dependence on imported fossil fuels and emissions of greenhouse gases is within reach. the hugoton facility will process about 700 tons per day of crop residues - - corn stover, wheat straw and, yes, sorghum stubble - - as well as other feedstocks, like switchgrass, into ethanol. it ' s seen as a big change in ethanol production, away from the use of grains for feedstocks and toward cellulosic biomass. it is seen to likely reduce the controversy over the use of grains causing an increase in food prices and accelerating food insecurity. a different controversy one controversy not being examined by many experts is how the large - scale removal of crop residues would affect water quality. this is because crop residues are the early targets as cellulosic ethanol feedstocks, according to a kansas state university researcher. " identifying and growing lignocellulosic - rich plant biomass and developing technologies for processing cellulosic biomass into ethanol are receiving more attention than ever before, " said dr. humberto blanco, assistant professor of agronomy and soil scientist at the kansas state university agricultural research center - hays. " while producing ethanol from renewable biomass feedstocks is a plausible goal to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, excessive removal of crop residues may adversely impact water quality by increasing transport of non - point source pollutants in runoff, such as sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus ( n and p ), to downstream water bodies. " although termed by some people as wastes, crop residues are essential to conserve soil and water and improve crop production, blanco said. crop residue mulch increases water infiltration and thus reduces the amount of rainfall available for runoff. it filters pollutants from runoff and also increases soil organic matter content, which is essential for adsorbing and retaining pollutants. a


said. crop residue mulch increases water infiltration and thus reduces the amount of rainfall available for runoff. it filters pollutants from runoff and also increases soil organic matter content, which is essential for adsorbing and retaining pollutants. a good idea? one crop rich in residue is grain sorghum. blanco, along with students in an agronomy class at fort hays state university, led by dr. bob stephenson, is working on a project designed to advance the understanding of the potential impacts that harvesting crop residues for ethanol production may have on water quality. the project was funded by grants from the kansas department of health and environment and the u. s. environmental protection agency section 319 grant program through the kansas waterlink initiative, blanco said. " crop residue is in high demand in some areas of kansas and other states, either as feedstocks for cellulosic ethanol production, industrial uses, livestock feed, or other uses, " blanco said. " producers can get paid for selling their crop residue for these uses. but, we had to ask, is it really a good idea to remove and sell crop residue? what is the cost of crop residue removal in terms of loss of soil quality and productivity, and potential impairment of surface water quality? " leaving crop residue on the soil surface is the best and simplest way of reducing water and wind erosion, blanco added. widespread residue removal for other uses may accelerate soil erosion and increase the loss of sediments, nutrients, and pesticides in runoff water. sediment and nutrients leaching into runoff water are the main culprits of non - point source pollutants into downstream water bodies. " but crop residue removal may not be all or nothing. the producer may want to remove some residue and leave some. we have to ask : how much residue can be removed from crop fields without creating erosion and runoff problems? " crop quality question the answer is a hard one to grasp, blanco admits. he said it partially depends on the level of crop productivity. in some cases, particularly in semiarid regions such the high plains, not enough residue is produced, most years, to protect soil from water and wind erosion and maintain adequate levels of soil organic matter. " in those cases, any removal of residues may further degrade soil quality, increase water pollution, and reduce crop production, " blanco said. the blanco project is out to demonstrate to watershed partners the beneficial role of crop residue mulch in plowed and no - till soils in reducing runoff transport of non - point source polluta


increase water pollution, and reduce crop production, " blanco said. the blanco project is out to demonstrate to watershed partners the beneficial role of crop residue mulch in plowed and no - till soils in reducing runoff transport of non - point source pollutants. in some watersheds, a fraction of crop residue may be available for removal without negatively affecting water quality. " we also have to look at excessive mulch cover, because in some soils, it reduces crop production, " blanco said. " so we need to find a balance of how much residue we can take off the field. " in some regions, crop residue production is often limited and not sufficient to protect soil from erosion and maintain adequate levels of soil organic matter. thus, a study of the impact of a partial removal of crop residues was developed, in turn, to bring about guidelines to manage residues in a way that their removal does not adversely impact water quality. " the objectives of the project are to quantify the impacts of wheat and sorghum residue removal on runoff, soil loss, and nutrient loss from two gently sloping soils in western kansas and suggest the threshold of removal of residues for biofuels production, " blanco said. the challenge was in finding a long - term no - till field, then asking the producer if, in the interest of science, he ' d mind having a small plot of land torn up to help conduct the study. leave it to local producer harold kraus, a member of the national biodiesel board, who, along with stepson, lance russell, have been no - tilling at their farm a few miles south of ksu - arch for more than 20 years to come to the scientists ' assistance. the combination of a study of biodiesel feedstocks and crop residue was very intriguing to the cooperating producers and they readily offered a small plot for the experiment. the project was keyed to variable rates of residue removal from wheat and sorghum fields on water erosion in two soils late last fall. a 20 - year no - till field under continuous winter wheat and a three - year conventional - till grain sorghum field ( plowed in the spring before planting ) were selected. the soil in both fields is silt loam with a slope of six 6 percent for wheat and three 3 percent for sorghum. the stubble remaining after harvest was removed at 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 percent. the average height of the standing stubble was 12 inches for wheat and 23 inches for sorghum


for wheat and three 3 percent for sorghum. the stubble remaining after harvest was removed at 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 percent. the average height of the standing stubble was 12 inches for wheat and 23 inches for sorghum. the plots were parallel to the dominant slope. simulated rainfall was applied to the plots to give the effect of a rainstorm with a return period of 25 years for western kansas. in addition, a second set of plots within each field was established by tilling the soil a few days before rainfall simulation. concentrations of sediment, soil organic carbon, and nutrients in runoff were measured. runoff samples were collected from each plot under simulated rainfall to quantify the amount of runoff and sediment as well as n and p loss. results of this study showed that wheat and sorghum residue removal after harvest exponentially increased loss of sediment, soil organic carbon, and nutrients in runoff regardless of tillage system, blanco reported. " the single rainstorm of high intensity caused large and immediate runoff loss of sediment and nutrient pollutants when residues were removed. where most or all of the residue was left intact after harvest, the runoff water after the high - intensity rainstorm was clearer. where half the residue was removed, sediment loss increased after the rainstorm, " blanco said. meanwhile, the freshly tilled wheat plots ( tilled immediately after the residue removal ) lost more sediment, soil organic carbon, and nutrients than no - till wheat plots for the same level of residue removal. " this suggests that residue removal in combination with intensive tillage can accelerate soil erosion to unsustainable levels, " blanco said. " differences in soil slope affected the amount of pollutants lost in runoff. more runoff, sediment, soil organic carbon, and nutrients were lost from the freshly tilled wheat plots with six 6 percent soil slope. " another finding, which may surprise many, was that removing 75 percent or more of the residue after harvest can negate many of the benefits of no - till in reducing runoff. we found that the loss of non - point source pollutants from no - till soils was equal to those from plowed soils when residues were removed at or above 75 percent. " this indicates that no - till may be no better than plow tillage if residues are removed at high rates. excessive residue removal from no - till soils can negate the erosion control benefits attributed to no - till. no - till benefits for controlling soil erosion are quickly lost when residue is removed at rates above 25 percent.


if residues are removed at high rates. excessive residue removal from no - till soils can negate the erosion control benefits attributed to no - till. no - till benefits for controlling soil erosion are quickly lost when residue is removed at rates above 25 percent. residue cover is needed to keep the soil in place. " making a choice the study also showed removing residue after harvest also has a negative effect on soil carbon, even in no - till wheat systems. the large losses of soil organic carbon with residue removal at rates as low as 50 percent indicate that a single rainstorm of high intensity could eliminate all the gains in the soil organic carbon pool attributed to no - till. " the large losses of soil organic carbon with sediment may have large soil, agronomic, and environmental implications, " blanco said. " soil organic carbon is essential to increase the soil ' s ability to absorb and filter non - point source pollutants and improve the productivity of the soil. " residue removal also increased losses of essential nutrients - particularly total n and p. loss of nutrients in runoff increased with residue removal above 50 percent in no - till wheat and reduced nutrient pools through nutrient removal with residues and via increased runoff. " results of this study show that crop residues are indeed essential to reduce sediment, soil organic carbon, and nutrient loss in runoff, regardless of tillage system, blanco added. " crop residue removal is not recommended if soil and water conservation, non - point source pollution control, and soil carbon buildup are high priorities. residue left on the soil surface protects the soil against impacting raindrops, helps maintain the integrity of soil aggregates, and improves rainwater infiltration. " the bottom line : only a small fraction - - about 25 percent - - of residue may be available for removal for biomass energy production from no - till soils. " further studies that will look at pollutants losses under different scenarios of rainfall intensities as well as soil and topographic characteristics are needed to more fully determine the amount of harvestable residue, blanco said. larry dreiling can be reached by phone at 785 - 628 - 1117, or by e - mail at firstname. lastname @ example. org.


( ara ) - today ' s service men and women are facing particularly challenging circumstances. many soldiers have been deployed several times to the wars in afghanistan and iraq, often serving in prolonged combat operations. army secretary john mchugh recently told congress that, for perhaps the first time in history, there are more than 50, 000 soldiers in uniform who have had at least four deployments, and some have even served 10 or more. the full impact of multiple deployments is still unknown. a recent study by the national institute on drug abuse reveals growing trends in a range of mental health issues, as well as prescription drug and alcohol abuse, among soldiers and veterans. a 2012 report from the u. s. army public health command found that, since the start of the iraq war in 2003, the rate of suicide among u. s. army soldiers has increased. this coincides with a rise in other conditions including depression, anxiety and post - traumatic stress disorder ( ptsd ). " our men and women in uniform are making the world a better place and their contributions are invaluable, " says dr. joseph hullett, a vietnam - era marine corp veteran and senior medical director of clinical strategy for optumhealth ' s behavioral health business. " but many soldiers, veterans and their families may have trouble recognizing the signs of a mental health condition or may even be afraid or embarrassed to reach out. " a mental health condition is not a weakness and it ' s nothing to be ashamed of, " says hullett. " the good news is there is help available to support soldiers and veterans so they can enjoy a full, healthy life. " hullett offers military families tips for recognizing a mental health condition and knowing when it may be time to seek help : * signs of depression : depression often manifests itself in feelings of hopelessness, lack of interest in the things you once loved, and having trouble sleeping or sleeping too much. * signs of anxiety : anxiety is marked by needless worrying, indecisiveness, difficulty concentrating, irritability and physical symptoms such as sweating, heart pounding and dizziness. * signs of ptsd : ptsd is not limited to combat experiences. in fact, women veterans suffer disproportionately high rates. moreover, people suffering from ptsd often don ' t talk about the traumatic events. look for : - intrusive memories and nightmares - emotional extremes - anxiety and guilt - unreasonable or disproportionate fear - substance abuse " if you or a loved one


( ara ) - it ' s a surprising statistic, but data from the united states environmental protection agency ( epa ) shows that indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air, including the air in your home. with the average american spending as much as 90 percent of their lives indoors, taking relatively easy steps to improve air quality should be a priority. " using a well - engineered vacuum, which precludes harmful particles from launching into the air, is a matter of health and hygiene, " explains susan goldsmith, managing director at ibr ( interbasic resources ), a nationally recognized independent testing laboratory which conducts emissions tests on various brands of vacuum cleaners. even more surprising is what actually causes the deterioration of a home ' s air quality. common pollutants include furnaces, fireplaces, gas stoves and even your vacuum cleaner. unless you take the proper precautions, dangerous pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and particles are left accumulating in your home. according to the epa and the sierra club, exposure to these pollutants and numerous others is a major source of health problems. the good news is you can dramatically improve indoor air quality with simple actions. by making the effort to improve your home ' s air quality, you can protect your health. to get started, implement these tips in your own home. * do a full clean sweep. dust hard surfaces regularly, launder bedding and towels frequently and go beyond the carpet when vacuuming. drapes and other window treatments, as well as your furniture, also need habitual cleaning to prevent the collection of polluting particles. * make sure your cleaning tools are helping, not hurting. it might not seem to make sense that a vacuum could worsen your home ' s air quality, but in many cases, that ' s the truth. the structural design and filtration of the vacuum are essential to ensuring cleaner air. without proper filtration or a " sealed system " design, the vacuum can emit dangerous carbon particles into the air. even hepa - filtered bagless vacuums can emit over 175, 900 lung - damaging particles per minute. vacuum models offered by miele are among the best options for ultra - clean in - home air because they feature airclean filterbags and the airclean sealed system, which together will capture and retain harmful particulates and eliminate the possibility of virtually anything escaping from the machine. * keep pets and their toys and accessories clean. if you have a four


hugh lane is best - known for establishing dublin ' s municipal gallery of modern art in 1908 ( the first known public gallery of modern art in the world ) and for his remarkable contribution to the visual arts in ireland. born in county cork on 9 november 1875, lane was brought up in cornwall in england. he began his career as an apprentice painting restorer and later became a very successful london art dealer. through regular visits to coole, co. galway, the home of his famous aunt, lady augusta gregory, lane remained in contact with ireland. he counted among his family and friends those who collectively formed the core of the irish cultural renaissance in the early decades of the 20th century. on a visit to dublin in 1901, lane viewed an exhibition of paintings by nathaniel hone and john butler yeats and soon after began a campaign to establish a gallery of modern art in dublin. he became passionate that the best of national and international art should be on public view in dublin. to further his campaign, in 1904, lane organised the first ever exhibition of contemporary irish art abroad, at the guildhall in london. the exhibition was a great success. in the preface to the catalogue, lane stated " there is something of common race instinct in the work of all original irish writers of to - day and, it can hardly be absent in their sister art. " on his return to dublin, lane persuaded leading artists of the day to donate a representative work to form the nucleus of the collection, as well as personally financing many acquisitions including a number of major impressionist masterpieces. he was to become one of the foremost collectors of impressionist paintings in these islands, and amongst those outstanding works purchased by him for the new gallery were la musique aux tuileries and eva gonzales by manet, sur la plage by degas, les parapluies by renoir and la cheminee by vuillard. the municipal gallery of modern art opened in january 1908 in temporary premises in harcourt street, dublin. however, lane did not live to see his gallery permanently located as he died tragically in 1915 on board the lusitania, off the west coast of cork, the county of his birth. following lane ' s death in 1915, a long dispute ensued between dublin and london over possession of his valuable collection of continental pictures. constant difficulties and delays in locating a permanent home for his collection in dublin resulted in lane loaning his continental paintings to the national gallery in london in 1913 and although he refused to confirm it, made a will leaving them to london


who gets this important job of making laws? congress! this is the legislature ( or lawmaking group ) for our country. congress is divided into two parts, the senate and the house of representatives. when the constitution was written, this was the topic of a huge fight! the large states wanted a legislature where representation was based on a state ' s population ; the more people, the power the state would have. guess who disagreed? the small states! they wanted a legislature where each state had an equal say. how was this resolved? by creating a congress with two houses. let ' s see how this actually works! congress includes the u. s. house of representatives, which is based on population. the more people a state has, the more votes it has in the house of representatives. each house member represents a district. the map to the right uses color to show the house districts in each state. the more colors, the more districts and people a state has. how many house members does your state have? click on the link, and then go to the 2nd drop down menu that allows you to see members by state. find your state and click " view. " how does your state compare with its closest neighbors? click on those states to see who has more votes in the house! your house member cares what you and the other people in your district think. why? because you vote for him or her every two years! you can choose to re - elect that person or you can vote for someone else. even though you may not actually vote yet, this person still represents you! who is your house member? click on the link, and look in the top right corner where it says, " find your represenatives by zip. " enter your zip code. note : if the + 4 digits of your zip code are needed, the website will redirect you to the u. s. postal services website to find it. remember, we said there were two houses in congress? the u. s. senate is the place where each state gets the same number of votes. in fact, each state gets two senators, which means two votes! the smaller states really like this because it gives them equal power with the large states. just like in the house of representatives, a senator ' s job is to look out for people ' s interests. but this time, they must think about more than just the people in a town or city. they are responsible for an entire state! click on the link to see who


, a senator ' s job is to look out for people ' s interests. but this time, they must think about more than just the people in a town or city. they are responsible for an entire state! click on the link to see who your two senators are! select your state, and then click on the links to see your senators ' webpages. house and senate members have a really, really important job. they are in charge of making the laws that run this country! how is a law made? it starts with having an idea on how to deal with a problem facing the country. house members and senators are called legislators because they have the unique ability to write bills or legislation that could become laws. watch the video clip to see how this happens! remember that large and small states wanted to make sure they each had a voice when laws were made? well, the law making process guarantees this! how is this guaranteed, you may ask? it ' s guaranteed because the same bill must pass the house of representatives and the senate to become a law. you can imagine that with 435 house members and 100 senators, there are a lot of different opinions on how problems should be solved. that ' s why compromise is a key ingredient in bills becoming law. congratulations! the house of representatives and senate have done the difficult job of creating a compromise bill and getting it passed through both houses. it ' s a law now, right? not so fast! the constitution also guarantees " checks and balances. " the president, a member of the executive branch, gets to decide whether to sign the bill into law or veto it. if he signs it, then the bill is law. if he vetoes it, then the congress can override the veto with a two - thirds majority and the bill will become law. time for congratulations! watch the video clip to see how this works.


brain function discoveries support creation by jeffrey tomkins, ph. d. * a pair of recent reports in the journal science have added new insight into the incredible design and function of the human brain. 1, 2 the studies focused on the cortex — the part of the brain in the forefront that controls behavior, cognitive processes, and perception. both studies used advanced brain scanning and genetic techniques. one study analyzed the organizational system of the various structure ( s ) in this area, while the other study explained the fiber network pathways that connect various sub - parts within the cortex to other parts of the brain. the cortex itself is a highly complicated region of the brain with various types of sub - regions that show differences in cell morphology, cell density, cell distribution, and process variation. one study showed that these sub - regions were arranged in a logical and geometrical hierarchy. 1 while many other parts of the nervous system show a more simplified segmental organization, the cortex had a much more complex structure. furthermore, the hierarchically arranged sub - regions had areas of intersection and overlap for the various sub - networks to interact. the researchers also found that the whole hierarchy and geometry of the system were strongly associated with complex networks of coordinated gene expression, which refers to the amount, placement, and timing of gene - to - protein manufacture in cells. the second study discovered how a fascinating topographical network of fiber pathways was layered in highly organized sheets of communication channels across the surface of the cortex in spectacular geometric configurations. 2 these fiber sheets are the basis for highly organized networks of complex signal communications required for brain function. the pathways not only connected regions within the cortex to other areas on the corresponding side of the brain, but also cross - connected to other areas on the opposite side of the brain. channels of fiber sheets, like immense wiring harnesses, communicate over wide - ranging areas across the brain. when visualized using color coding for the different sheets of fibers, the complex geometry and organizational patterns are startlingly clear evidence for divine engineering. the outcome of these projects adds to the incredible irreducible complexity of the human brain and its amazing architecture. 3 and it is interesting that the evolutionary verbiage so often accompanying many biological publications is largely absent from these papers. - chen, c - h. et al. 2012. hierarchical genetic organization of human cortical surface area. science. 335 ( 6076 ) : 1634 - 1636. - wedeen, v. j. et al. 2012. the geometric structure of the brain fiber pathways. science. 335


the international diabetes federation ( idf ) today launched the first ever charter setting out the fundamental rights of more than 300 million people living with diabetes. the landmark document places the rights of people with diabetes and their parents and carers into three focus areas ; the rights to care ; information and education and social justice, whilst at the same time acknowledging the responsibilities held by people with diabetes. the publication of the international charter of rights and responsibilities of people with diabetes comes at a crucial time. as the global diabetes epidemic continues to escalate, idf estimates that the number of people with diabetes will rise to 500 million within a generation, killing 4 million people each year and costing the global economy us $ 378 billion in health care spending. idf will use the charter as a powerful campaigning tool to counteract the discrimination and stigma millions of people with diabetes still face, largely due to ignorance and misconceptions surrounding the disease. in many parts of the world, this promotes a culture of secrecy that can create barriers to services, employment, and even marriage, and may stop people with diabetes playing an active role in society. raising awareness about the rights of people with diabetes is a key element of idf ’ s demand for coordinated and concerted international action to tackle the diabetes epidemic before, during and after the un high level summit on non - communicable diseases ( ncds ) to be held this september in new york. “ both children and adults alike are denied both the rights to life and health when their diabetes goes undetected or they lack access to affordable technologies and medicines such as insulin, oral blood glucose lowering agents and other necessary medications ” said sir michael hirst, president - elect, idf. “ this is a ground - breaking document that gives governments and organisations clear guidance on what the fundamental rights to life, health and freedom from discrimination mean to people with diabetes. it is a gold standard to which they should aspire. ” articles contained within the charter urge governments and public authorities to commit to making health care accessible for all and creating conditions that allow people with diabetes to have as normal a life as possible idf encourages all governments and organisations to sign up to and aspire to the charter principles which underpin the rights to life and health for all people with diabetes. for more information contact : media and pr coordinator international diabetes federation + 32 ( 0 ) 496 12 94 70 about the international diabetes federation the international diabetes federation ( idf ) is an umbrella organisation of over 200 national diabetes associations in over 160 countries. it represents the interests of the growing number of


as your jewish friends celebrate hanukkah this year, let this commemoration also remind you that preparations are presently underway to set the stage for the final countdown. each year, around the time we prepare to celebrate christmas, our jewish friends celebrate hanukkah. this year it starts at nightfall on december 8th and continues for eight days through december 16th. it may come as a surprise to many of our readers that this holiday is alluded to in the new testament. ( whereas christmas is not : the observation of christmas began in 354 a. d. from an adaptation of established pagan holidays. while there are several defendable estimates regarding the birthday of christ, we know it was not in winter : the flocks were in open field, indicating sometime prior to october. ) in fact, hanukkah highlights an historical event that jesus himself pointed to as the key to understanding the prophecies concerning his return! the mystery in john 10 john chapter 10 is, of course, the famous good shepherd discourse. it clearly speaks for itself and won ’ t be dealt with here. verse 22, however, seems to be a strange inclusion : right in the middle of this chapter the holy spirit notes the following : and it was at jerusalem the feast of dedication, and it was winter. — john 10 : 22 why is this reference here? read more at khouse. org. by dr. chuck missler. by alansf ( creative commons ) - happy holidays ©2011 rick mckee, the augusta chronicle … continue to post … - ‘ ny times ’ trigger happy on israel gilead ini in february 2009, a few veterans of the … no related posts.


| developmental milestones for a 4 years old child | | | | a wide spectrum of changes can be observed in the development aspects of a 4 year old preschooler. as he begins to grow, he gains a better control over his motor skills. being able to stand on one foot for a couple of seconds, turning somersaults to being able to catch that bounced ball most of the times, he manages it all. he now runs in a more controlled manner, understanding the dangers or obstacles in his way. pauses or completely stops while turning to the corners of the room and then continues. | your bonding session with your 4 year old awaits newer happenings. he manages to sit still for some time. listens to your command and copies few capital letters, squares and triangles in his book. teach him and show him once, on how to hold small blunt scissors and cut on the line in the paper. and you might observe? he is able to grasp and easily cuts around an object in the picture. | your bonding session with your 4 year old awaits newer happenings. he manages to sit still for some time. listens to your command and copies few capital letters, squares and triangles in his book. teach him and show him once, on how to hold small blunt scissors and cut on the line in the paper. and you might observe? he is able to grasp and easily cuts around an object in the picture. | | self care and hygiene | | | | the ability to do things or an activity more confidently and by himself reflects even in his daily chores for self care. his clothes and the floor are less messy than it was before. he finishes his bowl of cereal porridge with minimal spilling. brushing his teeth, dressing up, combing, washing hands and face requires only little assistance from your end or the part of a caregiver. gets more inquisitive about the different utensils on the dining table. on carefully watching the others, he begins to imitate the ways of handling them. for e. g. he might arrange the small bowl used for dal on his plate on seeing his elder brother doing it. | | at around 4 years of age, a child does have better control on his bladder and bowel movements. he gets toilet trained and does keeps the parent informed, when he desires to attend to his needs. only if your child is ill or has been psychologically tensed over an issue, then it can affect his bowel and bladder movements. it ’ s apt to


toilet trained and does keeps the parent informed, when he desires to attend to his needs. only if your child is ill or has been psychologically tensed over an issue, then it can affect his bowel and bladder movements. it ’ s apt to discuss these issues with your child ’ s doctor. also a child may feel shy or embarrassed, indicating a stranger or even a not so familiar relative about his urgent need to defecate or using the toilet. so even in these instances, he is likely to feel constipated or may not be able to control his bladder movement thereby messing up his clothes. | | social, emotional and intellectual development | | | | a 4 year old ’ s activity or a play thrives solely on imagination, his thoughts, observations, experiences and ideas. for e. g. trying to picture her mum, as she plays with her kiddo kitchen set. even stepping in her shoes, carrying a small handbag and pretending to be going out. at times, you would even find him imagining an object to be something else and playing with it. for e. g. a small steel container can be a car zooming along the edges of the sofa. | | they like playing with an imaginary friend as well as real one of their same age group. believe inanimate objects to be alive. while playing with other children, he may playfully make use of a teasing language and words heard from elsewhere. he may not understand its meaning but would experiment to see the gestures from his fellow mates. he would like to boast about the newly purchased doll and brag about his toys. on being taught by his parents, does understand that telling lies is not good. but he might still stick to saying one in the course of not being caught and punished. | | many children when asked will also be able to tell where they live. remembers and recalls some parts of stories which he had found interesting, when heard. a 4 year old child can express his needs and feelings in more complex sentences, builds a vocabulary of about 1, 400 to 1, 500 words. speaks in a clear tone to be easily understood by others. his sentences are often linked with few past tense verbs, such as drank & went or a continuous tense ending with ‘ ing ’ for e. g. drawing. he can tell simple stories, count around eight to ten objects and be able to list names of four colours. a child may also be able to draw a simple picture representing a human being with two or four body parts. |


. g. drawing. he can tell simple stories, count around eight to ten objects and be able to list names of four colours. a child may also be able to draw a simple picture representing a human being with two or four body parts. | | a child around 4 years of age also begins to develop understanding of the following concepts : - | - number and space concepts - more, less, smaller, bigger, under, behind. - similar and different things. - past, present and future but cannot understand the duration. | his developing intellect also allows him to believe that pictures in books do represent real objects. he begins to differentiate the different textures of the objects. he begins to understand that his mum stores food in the refrigerator and keeps his clothes in the cupboard. thus he becomes more familiar with common household items like furniture and fridge. | | parents often tend to forewarn a particular behaviour of their children by threatening them through tales of monsters. so many a times it becomes quite apparent in their fears for darkness or a fictitious monster old man hidden in that closet. a child ’ s problem solving ability also begins to develop at around this age. | | being slow does not mean your child is facing any major developmental concern. it might be so that he is scaling up in some other area of development and would steadily catch up to that of where earlier he was lagging behind. discuss the alarming issues with your child ’ s doctor. as a parent, always focus on providing ample opportunities that fosters your child ’ s developmental skills. | - use new words and phrases in conversations. - let your child enjoy the mess with some colours. draw a picture, let him hold the colour brush or crayon and paint the picture or the paper in his own way. he would thus be able to express his own ideas or thoughts freely. - make play time an opportunity to interact with fellow children of his age. | it is quite obvious that in the process your child may or may not be able to accomplish a certain activity completely and successfully. but what really counts is giving him that conducive space for exploring his creative instincts and self expression. |


ankylosaurus ( ) [ key ], [ gr., = crooked lizard ], genus of heavily armored, herbivorous quadripedal dinosaurs, the best known of which is the species a. magniventris, the largest and heaviest of the ankylosaurs. sturdy and built low to the ground, the largest ankylosaurs are estimated to have been 33 ft ( 10 m ) from head to tail. ankylosaurus was covered by tough, rounded bony plates that were keeled, like the bottom of an overturned boat. bony plates were also embedded in the upper eyelids. the dinosaur was characterized by a large club of fused plates that it carried aloft at the end of the tail. the vertebrae of the end of the tail were fused to support the club, which is thought to have been used in defense. like other ornithischian dinosaurs, ankylosaurus was beaked. it also had small teeth toward the back of the jaws and an intricate system of nasal sinuses, the purpose of which is unclear. ankylosaurus flourished in the late cretaceous period. specimens have been found in montana, wyoming, and in the red deer river area of alberta, canada. the columbia electronic encyclopedia, 6th ed. copyright © 2012, columbia university press. all rights reserved. more on ankylosaurus from infoplease : see more encyclopedia articles on : vertebrate zoology


all posts by scott andes this november, california voters will be asked to decide whether food that has been “ genetically modified ( gm ) ” should come with a special gm label. proponents of proposition 37, or the “ right to know ” initiative, argue that “ in a democratic, free - market society, consumers get to make informed choices about what we eat and feed our families, ” i. e., a gm label will help consumers make informed choices. sounds simple enough. what could possibly be the downside to a small label that presumably enables greater consumer decision making? first, labels such as this are never about education and open consumer choice, but about limiting people ’ s interest in harmful substance. labels are one of many public policies that aim to “ nudge ” consumer behavior away from a product. as richard thaler and cass sunstein outline in their well - known book nudge, consumers are fickle, uncertain, and look for cues to make decisions. thaler and sunstein use the example of putting fruit first in cafeteria lines. because people irrationally fill up their trays with things at the beginning of cafeteria lines, one way to “ nudge ” people to eat healthy is to put healthy food first. mandatory labels … read the rest the food and drug administration seems to be moving closer to approving genetically modified salmon for sale in the united states. while 80 to 90 percent of corn and cotton in the united states are genetically modified ( gm ) this would be the first time a gm animal is sold for human consumption. the fish developed by aquabounty technologies has an added growth gene that enables it to grow twice as fast and fifty percent larger. opponents, ranging from fishermen and their regional elected officials to environmentalists and religious groups, have begun calling aquabounty ’ s salmon “ frankenfish ” and claiming that a gm fish would endanger consumers, infect local stocks, destroy the environmental ecosystem, and generally constitute playing god. two pieces of legislation have been introduced in congress that would either ban the fish outright or require a “ transgenic ” label. read the rest many of the facts relating to the globalization of intellectual property ( ip ) theft over the last decade are not debatable. for example, ip theft has decreased the market share of u. s. firms and destroyed or prevented the creation of millions of u. s. jobs. while currently 18 million americas are employed in ip - intensive industries, the u. s. economy loses over $ 20 billion annually to ip theft and in 2007 ip


s. firms and destroyed or prevented the creation of millions of u. s. jobs. while currently 18 million americas are employed in ip - intensive industries, the u. s. economy loses over $ 20 billion annually to ip theft and in 2007 ip theft reduced global trade by 5 to 7 percent. however once one gets beyond a simple fact - based analysis the debate over ip theft becomes more contentious. specifically when it comes to policy prescriptions such as the true societal cost of ip theft, enforcement strategies and stakeholders rights, there is significant disagreement. one of the most contentious elements of ip theft is how to deal with developing countries. as technology spreads to emerging markets, specifically in eastern europe and asia, faster than legal frameworks to prosecute ip violations, theft has steadily risen. for example, although emerging markets only account for 20 percent of the software market, they make up 45 percent of software piracy. china is a particular conspicuous violator. according to the … read the rest budget cutting fever has officially reached the uk. last week chancellor of exchequer george osborne announced that the government would be cutting spending by £83 billion ( on average 19 percent of agency budgets ) and increasing taxes by £29 billion a year to reduce britain ’ s £245 billion deficit. as usual, there is no consensus amongst economists what the economic effects of the budget cuts will be. some argue doing so is a timely and necessary step towards austerity while others warn with the uk economy expected to only grow at a lackluster rate of 1. 2 percent this year now is not the time to risk damping demand through budget cuts and the job cuts associated with them. but as itif has argued in the past ( here, here and here ), when it comes to deficit reduction, the devil is in the details. while fiscal discipline can help spur growth, it ’ s only if it doesn ’ t come at the expense of key investments to support innovation and productivity growth. sacrificing programs and policies that support innovation does more harm than good. so how will … read the rest last month the world economic forum released its 2010 - 2011 global competitiveness report. among the 131 countries analyzed, the united states ranks fourth overall for global competitiveness ( down from ranking second in 2009 and first in 2008 ) but ranks number one for innovation. such a finding should comfort policy analysts and policy makers who have long augured america is losing its innovation edge. it seems, while we could do better in overall global competiveness, when it comes to innovation the


ranks number one for innovation. such a finding should comfort policy analysts and policy makers who have long augured america is losing its innovation edge. it seems, while we could do better in overall global competiveness, when it comes to innovation the united states is the gold standard. all is well. but what are studies like the global competitiveness report actually measuring? according the methodology section of the report, over two - thirds of the indicators are derived from what the wef calls the “ executive opinion study. ” the survey asks business leaders throughout the world questions such as, “ how would you rate the protection of property rights, including financial assets, in your country? [ 1 = very weak ; 7 = very strong ]. ” for the report ’ s innovation subsection only one of the indicators — utility patents per million population — is based on hard data. the wef argues surveys help form qualitative data for metrics that hard data are otherwise unavailable. … read the rest budget deficits are emerging as one of washington ’ s chief economic obsessions, with both liberal and conservative economic camps opining about the deficit ’ s effect on the economy. robert samuelson ’ s recent column in the washington post describes how the major economic doctrines — particularly keynesian and monetarists ( or supply - siders ) — interpret the fiscal impact of budget deficits. keynesians believe budget deficits ( either from increased spending or reduced taxes ) can stimulate the economy, leading to more demand and therefore more jobs. as paul krugman ’ s recent arguments have demonstrated, they believe that when unemployment rates are high job creation should not be sacrificed on the altar of deficit reduction. in contrast, many neoclassical economists, especially conservative supply - siders, argue that big government deficits reduce national savings and increase interest rates while also contributing to financial uncertainty and reducing private sector investments. while samuelson rightly points out the differing perspectives of the keynesian and supply - siders, he misses what they have in common. neither of them considers the role of innovation in their growth models or distinguishes between spending and investment. and with this omission they fail to see what particular types of deficit spending can be harmful to the economy … read the rest


" that ' s not what i meant " : human communication is fraught with misinterpretation. written out in longhand, words and letters can be misread. a telegraph clerk can mistake a dot for a dash. noise will always be with us, but at least a new jqi ( * ) device has established a new standard for reading quantum information with a minimum of uncertainty. success has come by viewing light pulses not with a single passive detector with but an adaptive network of detectors with feedback. the work on jqi ' s new, more assured photonic protocol was led by francisco becerra and carried out in alan migdall ' s jqi lab. they report their results in nature photonics ( * * ). here are some things you need to know to appreciate this development. how to modulate? digital data, in its simplest form, can be read with a process called on - off keying : a detector senses the intensity of incoming bursts of electrons in wires or photons through fibers and assigns a value of 0 or 1. a more sophisticated approach to modulating a signal ( not merely off / on ) is to encode data in the phase of the pulse. in " phase - shift keying, " information is encoded in the amount of phase shift imposed on a carrier wave ; the phase of the wave is how far along the wave cycle you happen to be ( say, at the top of a crest or the bottom of a trough in a sinusoidal, as in this figure ). what kind of alphabet? larger words can be assembled from a small suite of symbols. the roman alphabet has 26 letters, the greek only 24. binary logic, and most transistors, makes do with just a two - letter alphabet. everything is a 0 or a 1, and larger numbers and letters and words are assembled from as many binary bits as are necessary. but what if we enlarged the alphabet from two to four? in quaternary logic more data can be conveyed in a single pulse. the cost of this increase is having to write and read 4 states of modulation ( or 4 symbols ). even more efficient in terms of packing data, but correspondingly more difficult to implement, is logic based on 6 states, or 8, or any higher number. digital data at its most basic - - - at the level of transistor - - - remains in binary form, but for communicating this data, higher number alphabets can be used. in fact, high - definition television delivery


any higher number. digital data at its most basic - - - at the level of transistor - - - remains in binary form, but for communicating this data, higher number alphabets can be used. in fact, high - definition television delivery already involves high - level logic. no matter what kind of logic is used, errors creep in. a detector doesn ' t just unequivocally measure a 0 or a 1. the reading process is imperfect. and even worse, the state of the light pulse is inherently uncertain, and that is a real problem when the light pulses belong to a set of overlapping states. this is illustrated in the figure below for binary and quaternary phase states. on the left side of the figure, the measurement of the phase of a light pulse is depicted, where there are only two choices. is the pulse in the alpha state or the – alpha state? because the tails of one overlap the other there is a slight ambiguity that leads to uncertainty in which state a measurement indicates. on the right, four possible states are depicted on a complex - number graph ( with real ( re ) and imaginary ( im ) axes ). here the overlap of the states is more complicated, but results in similar ambiguities of the measured states, seen mostly near the borders ( decision threshold lines ) between the states. standard quantum limit decades ago communications theory established a minimal uncertainty for the accurate transmission and detection of information encoded in overlapping states. the hypothetical minimal detection error using conventional schemes is called the standard quantum limit and it depends on things like how many photons of light comprise the signal, how many levels ( binary, quaternary, etc. ) need to be read out, and which physical property of light is used to encode the information, such as the phase. but starting in the 1970s with physicist carl w. helstrom, some scientists have felt that the standard quantum limit could be circumvented. the jqi researchers do exactly this by using not a single passive photo - detector, but an active detection process involving a series of stages. at each stage, the current light signal strikes a partially - silvered mirror, which peels off a fraction of the pulse for analysis and the rest goes on to subsequent stages. at each stage the signal is combined with a separate reference oscillator wave used as a phase reference against which the signal phase is determined. this is done by shifting the reference wave by a known amount and letting it interfere with the signal wave at the beamspl


the signal is combined with a separate reference oscillator wave used as a phase reference against which the signal phase is determined. this is done by shifting the reference wave by a known amount and letting it interfere with the signal wave at the beamsplitter. by altering that known shift, the interference pattern can reveal something about the phase of the input pulse. by combining many such stages ( see the figure below ) and using information gained by previous stages to adjust the phase of the reference wave in successive stages, a better estimate of the signal phase can be obtained. detecting phase in this adaptive way, and implemented in a feedback manner, the jqi system is able to beat the standard quantum limit for a set of 4 states ( quaternary ) encoding information as a phase. these states are represented as fuzzy distributions arranged at different angles around a circle as seen in the figure above where the angles represent the phase of the light pulses. the jqi noise - reduction achievement is depicted in the graph below. the error rate is plotted as a function of the mean number of photons used to deliver the information. the standard quantum limit ( sql ) is the red line. the light gray line is the sql line if you take into account that individual photon detector stages used were ~ 72 % efficient rather than 100 % ( with the detector efficiencies being 84 %. in the business of detecting single photons, 84 % is top of the line. ) the error probabilities measured for the system ( black points with error bars ) fall well below the quantum limit, by about 6 decibels in the center of the curve. this is equivalent to saying that the jqi receiver is performing better than the sql by a factor of about 4 in determining the phase of an incoming signal. that is, the jqi receiver achieves an error probability that is 4 times lower than the so - called " standard quantum limit. " this graph shows results for a system that implements 10 adaptive measurements. the two other lines on the chart show what the expected uncertainty would be for a perfect system ( 100 % efficient detectors ) and without any of the imperfections that would be encountered in any realistic implementation, and a hypothetical ultimate - limit on uncertainty derived by helstrom. to conclude, the jqi photon receiver features an error rate four times lower than perfect conventional receivers, over a wide range of photon number, and with discrimination for four states. the only previous detection below the quantum limit was for a very narrow range of photons and with only a 2


receiver features an error rate four times lower than perfect conventional receivers, over a wide range of photon number, and with discrimination for four states. the only previous detection below the quantum limit was for a very narrow range of photons and with only a 2 - state protocol and only slightly below the sql. ( * ) the joint quantum institute ( jqi ) is operated jointly by the national institute of standards and technology in gaithersburg, md and the university of maryland in college park. ( * * ) " experimental demonstration of a receiver beating the standard quantum limit for multiple nonorthogonal state discrimination, " by f. e. becerra, j. fan, g. baumgartner, j. goldhar, j. t. kosloski, and a. migdall, nature photonics, published online 6 january 2013. alan migdall, firstname. lastname @ example. org, 301 - 975 - 2331 press contact at jqi : phillip f. schewe, email @ example. com, 301 - 405 - 0989. http : / / jqi. umd. edu / phillip f. schewe | source : eurekalert! further information : www. umd. edu more articles from physics and astronomy : “ out of this world ” space stethoscope valuable on earth, too 22. 05. 2013 | johns hopkins storms on uranus, neptune confined to upper atmosphere 21. 05. 2013 | university of arizona a fried breakfast food popular in spain provided the inspiration for the development of doughnut - shaped droplets that may provide scientists with a new approach for studying fundamental issues in physics, mathematics and materials. the doughnut - shaped droplets, a shape known as toroidal, are formed from two dissimilar liquids using a simple rotating stage and an injection needle. about a millimeter in overall size, the droplets are produced individually, their shapes maintained by a surrounding springy material made of polymers. droplets in this toroidal shape made... frauhofer fep will present a novel roll - to - roll manufacturing process for high - barriers and functional films for flexible displays at the sid displayweek 2013 in vancouver – the international showcase for the display industry. displays that are flexible and paper thin at the same time?! what might still seem like science fiction will be a major topic at the sid display week 2013 that currently takes place in vancouver in canada. high manufacturing cost and a short lifetime are still a major


that are flexible and paper thin at the same time?! what might still seem like science fiction will be a major topic at the sid display week 2013 that currently takes place in vancouver in canada. high manufacturing cost and a short lifetime are still a major obstacle on... university of wurzburg physicists have succeeded in creating a new type of laser. its operation principle is completely different from conventional devices, which opens up the possibility of a significantly reduced energy input requirement. the researchers report their work in the current issue of nature. it also emits light the waves of which are in phase with one another : the polariton laser, developed... innsbruck physicists led by rainer blatt and peter zoller experimentally gained a deep insight into the nature of quantum mechanical phase transitions. they are the first scientists that simulated the competition between two rival dynamical processes at a novel type of transition between two quantum mechanical orders. they have published the results of their work in the journal nature physics. “ when water boils, its molecules are released as vapor. we call this... researchers have shown that, by using global positioning systems ( gps ) to measure ground deformation caused by a large underwater earthquake, they can provide accurate warning of the resulting tsunami in just a few minutes after the earthquake onset. for the devastating japan 2011 event, the team reveals that the analysis of the gps data and issue of a detailed tsunami alert would have taken no more than three minutes. the results are published on 17 may in natural hazards and earth system sciences, an open access journal of... 22. 05. 2013 | life sciences 22. 05. 2013 | ecology, the environment and conservation 22. 05. 2013 | earth sciences 17. 05. 2013 | event news 15. 05. 2013 | event news 08. 05. 2013 | event news


| | | medical myths | | | do alternative treatments and vitamin supplements work? march 11, 2013 by robert h. shmerling, m. d. beth israel deaconess medical center in recent years, the popularity of complementary and alternative medicine ( cam ) and vitamin therapy has increased dramatically. this led the national institutes of health ( nih ) to create the national center for complementary and alternative medicine ( nccam ). it provides funding a lot of funding to study many of these treatments. fourteen years and more than $ 3 billion later, what have we learned? as you might predict, it ' s a bit of a mixed picture. well - designed research studies found that some treatments were effective. but most of the funded studies found no benefit for an array of popular treatments. back to top treatments that work well - designed studies have found only a few cam treatments to be beneficial : - ginger for nausea associated with chemotherapy - acupuncture for knee arthritis or low back pain ( although studies of sham acupuncture for back pain found similar benefit to actual acupuncture ) - yoga, massage and meditation for fatigue, pain and anxiety - tai chi for fibromyalgia back to top treatments that don ' t work the disappointing truth is that most of the nccam - funded trials have found no evidence of benefit ( as compared with a placebo ) for some of the most commonly accepted treatments. these include : - echinacea to treat colds - ginkgo biloba to improve memory - glucosamine and chondroitin to improve joint health - black cohosh for hot flashes - saw palmetto for prostate disease - shark cartilage to treat cancer - soy for improving bone density yet, people spend millions of dollars a year for these treatments. creating the nccam was, at first, controversial. many scientists who are skeptical of cam wondered why we should spend scarce research dollars to study these treatments. they had little or no " biologic plausibility " the idea that the association makes biologic sense. and for many of the treatments studied, there had been little or no scientific evidence of benefit. after all, the nih typically uses biologic plausibility and at least preliminary scientific evidence as starting points to make funding decisions. but supporters of studying cam argued that the popularity of these treatments made it imperative that we study them. the largely negative findings could affect the future of the nccam. still, every negative study has limitations that could justify additional study. for example, there are


supporters of studying cam argued that the popularity of these treatments made it imperative that we study them. the largely negative findings could affect the future of the nccam. still, every negative study has limitations that could justify additional study. for example, there are more than 100 brands of black cohosh. a negative study using one does not necessarily prove that other brands are ineffective for hot flashes. back to top health claims for vitamins several recent studies have called into question the health claims of taking vitamins. for example : - multivitamin use did not reduce the risk of cancer or heart disease among postmenopausal women. - calcium and vitamin d did not reduce women ' s risk of breast cancer or bone fractures. - vitamin e, vitamin c and selenium did not lower men ' s risk of prostate cancer or other cancers. however, not all vitamin studies have been negative. for example, trials of a combination of antioxidants ( vitamin c, vitamin e, beta - carotene and zinc ) concluded that they were somewhat helpful in preventing severe macular degeneration in older adults at high risk for this condition. and, of course, individual circumstances may make one or more vitamins particularly helpful. examples include : - pregnant women should take folic acid, as it dramatically reduces the risk of birth defects. - people with osteoporosis and a diet low in calcium and vitamin d should take these supplements. - anyone whose nutrition is questionable should take a multivitamin as a bit of insurance that they ' re getting the vitamins they need. for many people taking supplements, the results of these studies may not matter. in fact, people seem content to perform " n of 1 " trials. in research studies, the letter " n " refers to the number of research subjects enrolled. in an " n of 1 " trial, there is only one person in the study. for example, researchers may treat a person with arthritis with a different pain reliever each week. they rate the effectiveness of each medicine to see if one medicine is clearly better or worse than another. in " real life " ( as opposed to research trials ), we do this all the time. we try a medication and if it seems to work, we tend to stick with it. if it doesn ' t work, we try something else. many people care little about research findings. they care only about their own experience with a particular treatment. that ' s understandable. a given treatment may not work well on average for a group


if it doesn ' t work, we try something else. many people care little about research findings. they care only about their own experience with a particular treatment. that ' s understandable. a given treatment may not work well on average for a group of people. but it may help some individual people in the group feel better. back to top are the studies worth funding? was the nccam ' s $ 3 billion well spent? skeptics of cam would say no because : - most studies have been negative. - the negative results could have been predicted based on lack of biologic plausibility and lack of preliminary data showing effectiveness. - these billions of dollars would have been better spent on other, more pressing diseases, such as aids, cancer and heart disease. - funding studies of cam should not be a priority for governmental agencies, such as the nih. let others fund these studies. supporters of cam or the nccam might say that these studies were worthwhile and appropriate because : - it ' s in the interest of public health to know whether cam approaches are safe and effective. - some treatments that turn out to be effective had little biological plausibility when first used. one example that comes to mind is gold injections for rheumatoid arthritis. - governmental agencies are in the best position to evaluate and fund research proposals of cam. - as a major purchaser of health care ( through medicare, medicaid and other government - based health care insurers ), the government has an interest in knowing whether cam approaches are safe and effective. - if this research is left to other funding sources, the results may not be as readily accepted. for example, a study funded and performed by proponents or practitioners of cam might be viewed as tainted or biased. i think there are valid points on both sides of the issue. in my view, the nccam serves a useful purpose. but, clearly it should be highly selective about the studies it chooses to fund. grants approved by nccam to study treatments without a biological foundation ( such as prayer for weight loss ) are unlikely to provide definitive findings. studies of vitamins are a bit easier for me to justify. most vitamins are compounds known to serve some physiologic role in the body. as a result, it is biologically plausible that vitamins might help to treat or prevent illness. identifying which vitamins and which doses are helpful for which diseases seems a worthy goal, regardless of the funding source. back to top the bottom line i have long agreed


adenocarcinoma of the lung what is it? adenocarcinoma of the lung is a type of lung cancer. it occurs when abnormal lung cells multiply out of control and form a tumor. eventually, tumor cells can spread ( metastasize ) to other parts of the body including the : - lymph nodes around and between the lungs - adrenal glands compared with other types of lung cancer, adenocarcinoma is more likely to be contained in one area. if it is truly localized, it may respond to treatment better than other lung cancers. adenocarcinoma is the most common form of lung cancer. it ' s generally found in smokers. however, it is the most common type of lung cancer in nonsmokers. it is also the most common form of lung cancer in women and people younger than 45. as with other forms of lung cancer, your risk of adenocarcinoma increases if you : - smoke. smoking cigarettes is by far the leading risk factor for lung cancer. in fact, cigarette smokers are 13 times more likely to develop lung cancer than nonsmokers. cigar and pipe smoking are almost as likely to cause lung cancer as cigarette smoking. - breathe tobacco smoke. nonsmokers who inhale fumes from cigarette, cigar, and pipe smoking have an increased risk of lung cancer. - are exposed to radon gas. radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas formed in the ground. it seeps into the lower floors of homes and other buildings and can contaminate drinking water. radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer. it ' s not clear whether elevated radon levels contribute to lung cancer in nonsmokers. but radon exposure does contribute to increased rates of lung cancer in smokers and in people who regularly breathe high amounts of the gas ( miners, for example ). you can test radon levels in your home with a radon testing kit. - are exposed to asbestos. asbestos is a mineral used in insulation, fireproofing materials, floor and ceiling tiles, automobile brake linings, and other products. people exposed to asbestos on the job ( miners, construction workers, shipyard workers, and some auto mechanics ) have a higher - than - normal risk of lung cancer. people who live or work in buildings with asbestos - containing materials that are deteriorating also have an increased risk of lung cancer. in addition to having a higher risk of adenocarcinoma, people who have been exposed to asbestos


risk of lung cancer. people who live or work in buildings with asbestos - containing materials that are deteriorating also have an increased risk of lung cancer. in addition to having a higher risk of adenocarcinoma, people who have been exposed to asbestos have a greater risk of developing mesothelioma. this is a type of cancer that starts in the tissue surrounding the lungs. - are exposed to other cancer - causing agents at work. these include uranium, arsenic, vinyl chloride, nickel chromates, coal products, mustard gas, chloromethyl ethers, gasoline, and diesel exhaust. all lung cancers, including adenocarcinoma, have similar symptoms. they include : - a cough that doesn ' t go away - coughing up blood or mucus - shortness of breath - trouble breathing - chest pain - discomfort when swallowing - weight loss - poor appetite if the cancer has spread beyond the lungs, it can cause other symptoms. for example, you may have bone pain if it has spread to your bones. many of these symptoms can be caused by other conditions. see your doctor if you have symptoms so that the problem can be diagnosed and properly treated. your doctor will start by taking your health history. he or she will ask about your smoking habits and whether you live with a smoker. your doctor also will ask whether you may have been exposed to asbestos or other cancer - causing agents at work. next, he or she will order imaging tests to check your lungs for masses. in most cases, a chest x - ray will be done first. if the x - ray shows anything suspicious, a computed tomography ( ct ) scan will be done. as the scanner moves around you, it takes many pictures. a computer then combines the images. this creates a more detailed image of the lungs, allowing doctors to confirm the size and location of a mass or tumor. you may also have a magnetic resonance imaging ( mri ) scan or a positron emission tomography ( pet ) scan. mri scans provide detailed pictures of the body ' s organs, but they use radio waves and magnets to create the images, not x - rays. pet scans look at the function of tissue rather than anatomy. lung cancer tends to show intense metabolic activity on a pet scan. some medical centers offer combined pet - ct scanning. if cancer is suspected based on these images, more tests will be done to make the diagnosis, determine the type of cancer, and see if it has spread. these tests may include the following : -


some medical centers offer combined pet - ct scanning. if cancer is suspected based on these images, more tests will be done to make the diagnosis, determine the type of cancer, and see if it has spread. these tests may include the following : - sputum sample. coughed - up mucus is checked for cancer cells. - biopsy. a sample of abnormal lung tissue is removed and examined under a microscope in a laboratory. the tissue is often obtained during a bronchoscopy. however, surgery may be necessary to expose the suspicious area. - bronchoscopy. during this procedure, a tube - like instrument is passed down the throat and into the lungs. a camera on the end of the tube allows doctors to look for cancer and to remove a small piece of tissue for a biopsy. - mediastinoscopy. in this procedure, a tube - like instrument is used to biopsy lymph nodes or masses between the lungs. ( this area is called the mediastinum. ) a biopsy obtained this way can diagnose the type of lung cancer and determine whether the cancer has spread to lymph nodes. - fine - needle aspiration. with a ct scan, a suspicious area can be identified. a tiny needle is then inserted into that part of the lung. the needle removes a bit of tissue for examination in a laboratory. the type of cancer can then be diagnosed. - thoracentesis. if there is fluid build - up in the chest, it can be drained with a sterile needle. the fluid is then checked for cancer cells. - vats ( video - assisted thoracoscopy ). in this procedure, a surgeon inserts a flexible tube with a video camera on the end into the chest through an incision. he or she can then look for cancer in the space between the lungs and the chest wall. abnormal lung tissue can also be removed. - ct, pet, and bone scans. these imaging tests can detect lung cancer that has spread to the brain, bones, or other parts of the body. after the cancer has been diagnosed, it is assigned a " stage. " the stage indicates the tumor ' s size and how far it has spread. stages i through iii are further divided into " a " and " b " categories. stage i tumors are small and have not invaded surrounding tissues. stage ii and iii tumors have invaded surrounding tissues and / or organs and have spread to lymph nodes. stage iv tumors have spread beyond the chest.


" and " b " categories. stage i tumors are small and have not invaded surrounding tissues. stage ii and iii tumors have invaded surrounding tissues and / or organs and have spread to lymph nodes. stage iv tumors have spread beyond the chest. adenocarcinoma of the lung will continue to grow and spread until it is treated. to reduce your risk of adenocarcinoma and other forms of lung cancer : - don ' t smoke. if you already smoke, talk to your doctor about getting the help you need to quit. - avoid secondhand smoke. choose smoke - free restaurants and hotels. ask guests to smoke outdoors, especially if there are children in your home. - reduce exposure to radon. have your home checked for radon gas. a radon level above 4 picocuries / liter is unsafe. if you have a private well, have your drinking water checked, too. kits to test for radon are widely available. - reduce exposure to asbestos. because there is no safe level of asbestos exposure, any exposure is too much. if you have an older home, check to see if any insulation or other asbestos - containing material is exposed or deteriorating. the asbestos in these areas must be professionally removed or sealed up. if the removal isn ' t done properly, you may be exposed to more asbestos than you would have been if it has been left alone. people who work with asbestos - containing materials should use approved measures to limit their exposure and to prevent bringing asbestos dust home on their clothing. treatment depends on the cancer ' s stage as well as the patient ' s condition, lung function, and other factors. ( some patients may have other lung conditions, such as emphysema or copd - - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. ) if the cancer has not spread, surgery is usually the treatment of choice. there are three types of surgery : - wedge resection removes only a small part of the lung. - lobectomy removes one lobe of the lung. - pneumonectomy removes an entire lung. lymph nodes are also removed and examined to see if the cancer has spread. some surgeons use video - assisted thoracoscopy ( vats ) to remove small, early - stage tumors, especially if the tumors are near the outer edge of the lung. ( vats can also be used to diagnose lung cancer. ) because the incisions for vats are small, this technique is less invasive than a traditional " open " procedure.


the tumors are near the outer edge of the lung. ( vats can also be used to diagnose lung cancer. ) because the incisions for vats are small, this technique is less invasive than a traditional " open " procedure. because surgery will remove part or all of a lung, breathing may be more difficult afterwards, especially in patients with other lung conditions ( emphysema, for example ). doctors can test lung function prior to surgery and predict how it might be affected by surgery. depending on how far the cancer has spread, treatment may include chemotherapy ( the use of anticancer drugs ) and radiation therapy. these may be given before and / or after surgery. when the tumor has spread significantly, chemotherapy may be recommended to slow its growth, even if it cannot cure the disease. chemotherapy has been shown to ease symptoms and prolong life in cases of advanced lung cancer. radiation therapy can relieve symptoms, too. it is often used to treat lung cancer that has spread to the brain or bones and is causing pain. it can also be used alone or with chemotherapy to treat the lung cancer that is confined to the chest. people who may not withstand surgery due to other serious medical problems may receive radiation therapy, with or without chemotherapy, to shrink the tumor. in specialized cancer centers, cancerous tissue may be tested for specific genetic abnormalities ( mutations ). doctors may then be able to treat the cancer with a " targeted therapy. " these therapies can derail the cancer ' s growth by preventing or changing chemical reactions linked to particular mutations. for example, some target therapies prevent cancer cells from receiving chemical " messages " telling them to grow. knowing about specific genetic mutations can help predict which therapy will be best. this strategy can be especially helpful in certain patients, such as women with adenocarcinoma of the lung who have never smoked. even after treatment has been completed, lung cancer patients must return for regular follow - up appointments. even if the cancer was initially " cured, " it can return months or even years later. when to call a professional call your doctor promptly if you have any symptoms of lung cancer, especially if you smoke or have been exposed to asbestos. the outlook depends on the cancer ' s stage and the patient ' s overall health. in general, the prognosis is poor, especially if the lung cancer has spread beyond the chest or has invaded lymph nodes between the lungs. adenocarcinoma of the lung can only be cured if the entire tumor is


what is it? thyroid cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the thyroid gland. the thyroid gland is shaped like a butterfly. it is located under the adam ' s apple in the front of the neck. most cases of thyroid cancer can be cured. one of the functions of the thyroid gland is to make thyroid hormone, which requires iodine. the gland collects iodine from foods, concentrates it and produces thyroid hormone. doctors often exploit this important function when treating thyroid cancer. thyroid hormone helps regulate the body ' s metabolism and energy level. an overactive thyroid can lead to hyperactivity, the " jitters " and an irregular heart rhythm. an underactive thyroid, fatigue and sluggishness. cancer can affect the thyroid and cause these changes. nestled against the thyroid gland are four very small glands called parathyroid glands. they play a role in regulating the body ' s use of calcium. the nerve that controls the voice box is also very close to the thyroid. if you need a thyroid operation, your surgeon needs to identify and avoid damaging these structures. if the voice box nerve is damaged, for example, your voice may sound hoarse permanently. the thyroid has two types of cells. they produce hormones that help regulate body functions : - follicular cells produce a thyroid hormone called thyroxine, or t - 4. it controls the body ' s metabolism and may affect the function of various organs. - c - cells, also called parafollicular cells, produce calcitonin. this hormone helps regulate the level of calcium in the blood. there are five types of thyroid cancers : - papillary carcinoma ( papillary adenocarcinoma ). this is the most common type of thyroid cancer, accounting for 75 % of thyroid cancers. it develops from follicular cells and usually grows slowly. in most cases, the cancer only affects one of the thyroid gland ' s two lobes, but it can affect both. papillary carcinoma often spreads to nearby lymph nodes in the neck. it can also spread to other parts of the body. - follicular carcinoma. the second - most - common type of thyroid cancer, follicular carcinoma starts in follicular cells. it often affects just the thyroid gland, but it can spread to other parts of the body, especially the lungs and bone. only about one - third of tumors beginning in follicular cells are cancerous. some thyroid cancers are mixtures


cells. it often affects just the thyroid gland, but it can spread to other parts of the body, especially the lungs and bone. only about one - third of tumors beginning in follicular cells are cancerous. some thyroid cancers are mixtures of papillary and follicular cells. - hurthle cell neoplasm ( follicular adenocarcinoma ). this poorly understood cancer seems similar to follicular carcinoma. - anaplastic carcinoma ( undifferentiated thyroid cancer ). this is the rarest form of thyroid cancer, and it has the worst prognosis. scientists believe that it develops from existing papillary or follicular carcinoma. anaplastic carcinoma is aggressive, spreading quickly to other parts of the body. because the thyroid is so close to the wind pipe ( trachea ), patients with this type of cancer may experience sudden shortness of breath. they may need to have a tube inserted into the windpipe to help them breathe. - medullary thyroid carcinoma ( mtc ). this is the only type of thyroid cancer that develops from the c - cells. it can spread to the lymph nodes, the lungs and the liver before an abnormal lump in the thyroid has even been detected. mtc produces the hormone calcitonin, as well as a protein called carcinoembryonic antigen ( cea ). both of these chemicals are released into the blood. there are two main types of mtc : sporadic mtc ( 80 % of all mtc cases ) is not inherited. it usually develops in only one thyroid lobe. familial mtc ( 20 % of cases ) can affect several generations of the same family. rarely, tumors arising from connective tissue ( sarcomas ) and lymph nodes ( lymphomas ) can start in the thyroid gland. they are treated differently than other thyroid cancers. although scientists have not identified the exact cause of thyroid cancer, some studies have shown that people exposed to nuclear fallout or nuclear power plant accidents have a higher risk of developing thyroid cancer. in part, this is due to the presence of radioactive iodine. because the thyroid has an attraction for iodine, the thyroid tissue accumulates this radioactive substance. over time, it may cause cancer. others who have a higher risk of thyroid cancer include people who : - received high - dose radiation for acne or swollen adenoids as a child - have a diet


the thyroid tissue accumulates this radioactive substance. over time, it may cause cancer. others who have a higher risk of thyroid cancer include people who : - received high - dose radiation for acne or swollen adenoids as a child - have a diet that ' s very low in iodine - have certain medical conditions, such as cowden ' s disease and familial polyposis individuals who have received radiation therapy to the chest ( to treat hodgkin ' s disease, for example ) have an increased incidence of thyroid abnormalities, including cancer. this is even more likely if the thyroid was included in the radiation field. such people will need life - long follow up to assess thyroid function and check for cancer. some forms of thyroid cancer are inherited. these occur alone ( inherited mtc ) or as part of a familial cancer syndrome known as multiple endocrine neoplasia ( men ) type 2. patients with men - 2 develop tumors in other parts of the body, such as the adrenal gland and peripheral nervous system. some forms of thyroid cancer may be caused by genetic changes ( mutations ) that occur after birth. thyroid cancer is rare, accounting for only a small percentage of all cancers. however, it does strike more women than men. usually, a lump in the neck is the only symptom of thyroid cancer. when other symptoms occur, they may include : - pain in the neck that may shoot up into the ears - difficulty swallowing - difficulty breathing - a persistent cough often, a patient has no symptoms ; the disease is diagnosed based on a test done for another reason. having some of these symptoms does not mean you have thyroid cancer. symptoms can be caused by other conditions. if you have symptoms, see your doctor so that the problem can be diagnosed and treated. your doctor will examine you, feeling your neck to evaluate the size and firmness of the thyroid and to check for lumps and enlarged lymph nodes. your doctor also may order the following tests and procedures : - thyroid ultrasound. in this test, sound waves, not x - rays, create images of the thyroid. the pictures can help your doctor determine whether a lump is a cyst or a tumor. - fine - needle aspiration ( fna ) of a thyroid nodule. if your doctor finds a thyroid nodule in your neck, he or she can determine if it is cancerous by doing an fna. during this procedure, he or she injects a local anesthetic to numb the skin


nodule. if your doctor finds a thyroid nodule in your neck, he or she can determine if it is cancerous by doing an fna. during this procedure, he or she injects a local anesthetic to numb the skin over the nodule. next, he or she inserts a thin needle into the nodule to withdraw cells and fluid. these samples are sent to a laboratory and examined under a microscope. in most cases, fna shows that the nodule is not cancerous ( benign ). only a small percentage fna samples are cancerous. in some cases, the findings are suspicious, meaning that cancer may be present. - blood calcitonin test. your doctor will order this test if he or she suspects mtc. - thyroid scan. for this test, you swallow a small amount of a radioactive substance or have it injected into a vein. your thyroid gland soaks up the chemical. a special camera positioned next to your neck measures the amount of radioactive chemicals in the thyroid. these scans can help doctors to determine whether a nodule in the gland is actively producing thyroid hormone. if it is producing the hormone, cancer is less likely. if you have thyroid cancer, this test may determine whether it has spread to other parts of your body, especially after the thyroid gland has been removed surgically. - computed tomography ( ct ) or magnetic resonance imaging ( mri ). ct uses a modified x - ray beam to make cross - sectional images of the thyroid gland and nearby structures. mri also creates cross - sectional, computer - generated images of the thyroid gland and nearby structures, but it uses large magnets and radio waves, not x - rays. ct scans have become a common way to assess many medical conditions. because the neck is imaged as part of an abdominal scan, thyroid cancer may be detected even though the test was done for another reason. thyroid cancer can develop slowly, remaining undetected for years. like other cancers, it will continue to grow until treated. many people have no risk factors for thyroid cancer but develop it anyway. that ' s why this cancer usually can ' t be prevented. however, genetic blood tests can be used to identify people who have a high risk of developing the familial types of mtc. when inherited mtc strikes one family member, all family members can be tested. those who test positive but have no symptoms of thyroid cancer may decide to have their thyroid removed to prevent the disease. after surgery, these patients need to take thyroid


sickle cell anemia what is it? sickle cell anemia is an inherited blood disorder. chronic destruction of red blood cells episodes of intense pain vulnerability to infections in some cases, early death hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. people with sickle cell anemia have a type of hemoglobin that forms long rods. the long rods stretch the red blood cells into long, abnormal " sickle " shapes. in contrast, normal red blood cells are disc - shaped. sickle - shaped red blood cells cannot easily pass through the body ' s blood vessels. instead, they clog blood vessels. they block the flow of blood and cut off the oxygen supply to tissues and organs. this lack of oxygen can damage the body ' s organs and limbs. it causes severe pain in any affected area. sickled blood cells last only 10 to 20 days in the bloodstream. a normal red cell ' s lifespan is 120 days. so, sickling causes chronic anemia - - an abnormally low level of red blood cells. the spleen is an organ that helps clear infections. sickle cell disease damages the spleen. by the time a child with sickle cell anemia is 4 years old, the spleen has usually stopped functioning. as a result, people with sickle cell disease have an increased risk of developing life - threatening infections. to have fully developed sickle cell anemia, you must inherit one gene for the illness from each parent. sometimes a person inherits only one sickle cell gene from one parent. this person is said to have sickle cell " trait " rather than sickle cell anemia. people with sickle cell trait usually have no symptoms. but, they can pass the gene to their children. symptoms of sickle cell anemia include : fatigue, shortness of breath, pale skin and fingernails due to anemia recurrent bouts of pain in the abdomen, chest, back, arms or legs a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes slowed growth and delayed puberty in children eye problems, including blindness when sickled red cells block blood vessels, the oxygen supply to body cells is obstructed. this causes painful episodes called crises. painful sickle cell crises can affect many different joints and organs. the back, chest, extremities and abdomen are affected most commonly. the level of pain varies, from trivial to excruciating. the episodes typically last from two to seven days. in about half the cases, the