on september 6, 2009, the advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer ( aster ) instrument on nasa ’ s terra satellite captured this simulated natural color image of the station fire, burning in the san gabriel mountains north of los angeles. the fire started on august 26 in la canada / flintridge near nasa ’ s jet propulsion laboratory in pasadena ( seen at the bottom of the image ), and soon grew to become the largest fire in los angeles county ’ s history. ten days after its start, the fire had consumed more than 160, 000 acres ( 251 square miles ) of forest, leaving behind a charred, blackened landscape, as it spread eastward. smoke from the actively burning area can be seen on the right side of the image ; the large dark gray area dominating the image is the evidence of forest and chaparral destruction. with its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters ( about 50 to 300 feet ), aster images earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. aster is one of five earth - observing instruments launched december 18, 1999, on nasa ’ s terra satellite. the instrument was built by japan ’ s ministry of economy, trade and industry. a joint u. s. / japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the data products. the broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of aster provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. example applications are : monitoring glacial advances and retreats ; monitoring potentially active volcanoes ; identifying crop stress ; determining cloud morphology and physical properties ; wetlands evaluation ; thermal pollution monitoring ; coral reef degradation ; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology ; and measuring surface heat balance. the u. s. science team is located at nasa ’ s jet propulsion laboratory, pasadena, calif. the terra mission is part of nasa ’ s science mission directorate, washington, d. c.


old oaks face the axe, a major loss to the city ’ s ecosystem a small stand of rare black oak, across from high park, may soon be clear - cut. the houses have been torn down ; all that remains on the lot are the trees, black oak and red oak and also some others, but it is the oak that are important. they are nine in number and tall and their limbs are stark and muscular and they have been standing for 200 years. they may not stand much longer. the lot, on bloor west at — irony alert — oakmount, awaits development by the daniels corp. hearings at the ontario municipal board have just ended ; if the site plan is approved, the trees will be cleared. the deeper irony is that, should this happen, real estate agents will make their sales while bragging about the view of the trees in the park across the street. this is an emergency. the trees are part of the rare black oak savannah, and they are kin to the trees in high park ; their loss would be ecologically, genetically and culturally devastating to the savannah in the park, and also to you and me ; these trees are our patrimony. eric davies is a doctoral student in forestry at the university of toronto. sandra smith, his supervisor, is a professor of forest health at u of t. we were on bloor the other day, looking up at the old oak, when a flutter in the sky caught eric ’ s eye. eric said, “ look there, juncoes, more of them coming over, this is what you want to see. ” why were juncoes what i wanted to see? he said, “ they ’ re migratory birds. they ’ re coming from high park. ” he explained that the black oak savannah in the park is a rare and precious ecosystem ; it has been declared an “ area of natural and scientific interest. ” that designation — ansi — means it is important to the city, the province, the country, and the continent ; of interest to the whole damn world. eric said, “ the periphery around any ecosystem is called a buffer ; here, the birds use it to hopscotch in and out of the park. when the trees are gone, they won ’ t be able to do that. ” a larger point : because of the way pollination works, the trees under threat ensure the genetic health of the trees across the street. you would think that, if we protect the park, we would protect that which the


able to do that. ” a larger point : because of the way pollination works, the trees under threat ensure the genetic health of the trees across the street. you would think that, if we protect the park, we would protect that which the park relies on. i asked about planting new trees. eric said, “ these trees are the genetic stock of toronto ; you can ’ t just call up a nursery and get them. ” if you do order black oak seedlings from a nursery, they are likely from oregon ; last time i looked, oregon was there, not here. sandra said, “ the challenge is, how do we keep these unique ecosystems in the city? ” i pushed her : who cares? apparently, lots of cities do. she said, “ chicago, manhattan, seattle — really forward cities — they ’ re protecting their urban forests. ” eric said, “ they ’ re making their buffers larger, extending the natural ecosystem. ” but he also noted the presence on the lot of some norway maple, some austrian pine and siberian elm. that ’ s also good, is it not? as if he had been waiting a long time for anyone to ask, eric said, “ there is a recent study looking at insects and birds in native and non - native trees ; the native trees have 50 per cent more biodiversity — insects, birds, fungi, mammals. ” now let me tell you some more about those oak : aboriginal people would have boiled the acorns and ground them for flour ; the leaves and bark, high in tannin, would have been used to cure hides ; the wood is strong and suitable for tool handles. ok, we don ’ t tan a lot of hides around here any more. but sandra has talked to many of her colleagues in forestry and she said, “ no one can believe this is happening. ” the issue remains with the ontario municipal board ; there has been some strong testimony about the trees. a decision will be made soon. i fear the worst. joe fiorito appears monday, wednesday and friday. email : email @ example. com - updated wedding gift spat spirals out of control after bride demands to see receipt - toronto man sentenced to 9 years in cuba on corruption charges - video twa flight 800 crash was caused by missile, say ex investigators - rob ford case could get supreme court green light tomorrow - my first brazilian wax : my mother was right - saudi women jailed for trying to help a canadian woman - video updated bob rae stepping down as liberal mp - new d


katherinebecker middle school, nv, united states mandibecker middle school, nv, united states jameybecker middle school, nv, united states 12 & under dana schutzebecker middle school, nv, united states health & safety first, we brain stormed together about ways to lead a healthy life. then, we each picked a topic we are believe and feel most strongly about. for an example : one of us loves to exercise so she decided to research about healthy ways to get fit. that is how we got our research done. then we started to write paragraphs about our topic on a new page on thinkquest. after that, we started focusing on conventions to make sure there are no errors with puncutation, grammar, capitalization, ect. we went over each others work to revise, edit, and make sure all facts are true and percise. once that was complete, we made drafts for each of the paragraphs we chose to write about. finally, once all the editing was finished, we typed our paragraphs on a new page. diversity enhanced our website strongly. we all believe in the same things but look at it in a different way. that gives us three points of view. that is really helpful. some of us look at life in different ways, so we know how to really touch other peoples lives in various manners. we all believe in the same basic religion, but different details. for an example ; one of us is lutheran, one of us is non - denominational, and the other is baptist. all of which are christion. every person in our team has different every day diets, ways to exercise, and genes. each of those things affect our health. in our narrative piece, we will include things to do, things not to do, and facts all about ways to lead a healthy life.


pacific northwest national laboratory in richland was picked friday as part of a new batteries and energy research hub that will bring together the nation ' s top expertise on the subject. " this is a partnership between world - leading scientists and world - leading companies, committed to ensuring that the advanced battery technologies the world needs will be invented and built right here in america, " said energy secretary steven chu in a statement. the department of energy is investing $ 120 million in the new joint center for energy storage research, which will be based at argonne national laboratory in illinois. the state of illinois will provide $ 35 million to construct a home for the project. pnnl will receive $ 15 million during five years to spend on materials science research and to develop scientific tools that others also can use. it ' s one of five national laboratories, five universities and four private firms in the joint center. " energy storage is a transformational technology that can help bring new clean resources onto the grid, " said sen. patty murray, d - wash., in a statement. " competition for this award was stiff, and i ' m thrilled the pacific northwest national laboratory is part of the winning team. " improving energy storage is an essential building block of a smarter, cleaner and more diverse electricity system, said sen. maria cantwell, d - wash., in a statement. if the nation wants to reduce its dependence on foreign resources like oil, it will have to use its own resources, including coal, natural gas and renewables, said jud virden, associate laboratory director for the energy and environmental directorate. but that energy will need to be converted to electricity, including for electric vehicles, and there ' s not a good way to store it in that form now. car batteries need to be developed that can be produced at a reasonable cost and that last a decade or more. the challenge for renewables, such as wind, is to store intermittently produced electricity until it ' s needed. in the northwest, the wind typically blows at night, but most electricity is used during the day. a battery could be used to store that electricity, but it would need to be long - lasting and would be expensive at a size able to store thousands of times the kilowatts of a car battery. pnnl ' s expertise will be used to understand the chemistry of materials at the molecular level in conventional batteries to learn more about the performance of the materials and why the materials change, virden said. " we will try to understand what happens that


pnnl ' s expertise will be used to understand the chemistry of materials at the molecular level in conventional batteries to learn more about the performance of the materials and why the materials change, virden said. " we will try to understand what happens that limits performance over time, " he said. researchers will look at how to make materials, at how to characterize and model materials, and the interface between materials, he said. one - of - a - kind scientific imaging instruments on the pnnl campus will be used and further developed for the work, including instruments at the environmental molecular sciences laboratory. the challenge is to develop batteries that can be produced in high volume and are long lasting for vehicles and grid energy storage, virden said. " if we can do that we could use less foreign oil and use our own natural gas, coal and renewables, " he said. the goal of the new joint center will be to bring together renowned researchers at the chosen labs and universities across the nation to break through obstacles in basic research, according to doe. they will work with industrial partners to convert that new knowledge to market - ready energy storage technologies. " based on the tremendous advances that have been made in the past few years, there are very good reasons to believe that advanced battery technologies can and will play an increasingly valuable role, " chu said.


a pesticide is any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest. though often misunderstood to refer only to insecticides, the term pesticide also applies to herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, molluscicides and various other substances used to control pests. under united states federal law, any substance or mixture of substances intended for use as a plant regulator, defoliant or desiccant is also considered a pesticide. pests are living organisms that occur where they are not wanted or that cause damage to crops or humans or other animals. examples include : - mice and other animals, - unwanted plants ( weeds ), - microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses, and - prions. ( see this pdf ) many household products are pesticides. all of these common products are considered pesticides : - cockroach sprays and baits ; - insect repellents for personal use ; - rat and other rodent poisons ; - flea and tick sprays, powders, and pet collars ; - kitchen, laundry, and bath disinfectants and sanitizers ; - products that kill mold and mildew ; - some lawn and garden products, such as weed killers ; and - some swimming pool chemicals. types of pesticides - algicides - control algae in lakes, canals, swimming pools, water tanks, and other sites. - antifouling agents - kill or repel organisms that attach to underwater surfaces, such as boat bottoms. - antimicrobials - kill microorganisms ( such as bacteria and viruses ). - attractants - attract pests ( for example, to lure an insect or rodent to a trap ). ( however, food is not considered a pesticide when used as an attractant. ) - biocides - kill microorganisms. - disinfectants and sanitizers - kill or inactivate disease - producing microorganisms on inanimate objects. - fungicides - kill fungi ( including blights, mildews, molds, and rusts ). - fumigants - produce gas or vapor intended to destroy pests in buildings or soil. - herbicides - kill weeds and other plants that grow where they are not wanted. - insecticides - kill insects and other arthropods. - miticides ( also called acaricides ) - kill mites that feed on plants and


- herbicides - kill weeds and other plants that grow where they are not wanted. - insecticides - kill insects and other arthropods. - miticides ( also called acaricides ) - kill mites that feed on plants and animals. - microbial pesticides - microorganisms that kill, inhibit, or out compete pests, including insects or other microorganisms. - molluscicides - kill snails and slugs. - nematicides - kill nematodes ( microscopic, worm - like organisms that feed on plant roots ). - ovicides - kill eggs of insects and mites. - pheromones - biochemicals used to disrupt the mating behavior of insects. - repellents - repel pests, including insects ( such as mosquitoes ) and birds. - rodenticides - control mice and other rodents. the term pesticide also includes these substances : - defoliants - cause leaves or other foliage to drop from a plant, usually to facilitate harvest. - desiccants - promote drying of living tissues, such as unwanted plant tops. - insect growth regulators - disrupt the molting, maturity from pupal stage to adult, or other life processes of insects. - plant growth regulators - substances ( excluding fertilizers or other plant nutrients ) that alter the expected growth, flowering, or reproduction rate of plants. some examples of chemically - related pesticides are organophosphate pesticides - these pesticides affect the nervous system by disrupting the enzyme that regulates acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter. most organophosphates are insecticides. they were developed during the early 19th century, but their effects on insects, which are similar to their effects on humans, were discovered in 1932. some are very poisonous ( they were used in world war ii as nerve agents ). however, they usually are not persistent in the environment. carbamate pesticides affect the nervous system by disupting an enzyme that regulates acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter. the enzyme effects are usually reversible. there are several subgroups within the carbamates. - organochlorine insecticides were commonly used in the past, but many have been removed from the market due to their health and environmental effects and their persistence ( e. g. ddt and chlordane ). ( see chlorinated pesticides ) - pyrethroid pesticides were developed


past, but many have been removed from the market due to their health and environmental effects and their persistence ( e. g. ddt and chlordane ). ( see chlorinated pesticides ) - pyrethroid pesticides were developed as a synthetic version of the naturally occurring pesticide pyrethrin, which is found in chrysanthemums. they have been modified to increase their stability in the environment. some synthetic pyrethroids are toxic to the nervous system. biopesticides are certain types of pesticides derived from such natural materials as animals, plants, bacteria, and certain minerals. for example, canola oil and baking soda have pesticidal applications and are considered biopesticides. at the end of 2001, there were approximately 195 registered biopesticide active ingredients and 780 products. biopesticides fall into three major classes : microbial pesticides consist of a microorganism ( e. g., a bacterium, fungus, virus or protozoan ) as the active ingredient. microbial pesticides can control many different kinds of pests, although each separate active ingredient is relatively specific for its target pest [ s ]. for example, there are fungi that control certain weeds, and other fungi that kill specific insects. the most widely used microbial pesticides are subspecies and strains of bacillus thuringiensis, or bt. each strain of this bacterium produces a different mix of proteins, and specifically kills one or a few related species of insect larvae. while some bt ' s control moth larvae found on plants, other bt ' s are specific for larvae of flies and mosquitoes. the target insect species are determined by whether the particular bt produces a protein that can bind to a larval gut receptor, thereby causing the insect larvae to starve plant - incorporated - protectants ( pips ) are pesticidal substances that plants produce from genetic material that has been added to the plant. for example, scientists can take the gene for the bt pesticidal protein, and introduce the gene into the plant ' s own genetic material. then the plant, instead of the bt bacterium, manufactures the substance that destroys the pest. the protein and its genetic material, but not the plant itself, are regulated by epa. - biochemical pesticides are naturally occurring substances that control pests by non - toxic mechanisms. conventional pesticides, by contrast, are generally synthetic materials that directly kill or inactivate the pest. biochemical pesticides include substances, such as insect sex ph


in increasing numbers. regulation of pesticides in the united states, pesticides are regulated by the u. s. environmental protection agency ( epa ) under the federal insecticide, fungicide, and rodenticide act ( fifra ). in addition, under fifra, a substance used as a plant regulator, defoliant, or desiccant is defined as a pesticide and regulated accordingly. all pesticides must be registered and carry a label approved by epa. the u. s. definition of pesticides is quite broad, but it does have some exclusions : - drugs used to control diseases of humans or animals ( such as livestock and pets ) are not considered pesticides ; such drugs are regulated by the food and drug administration. - fertilizers, nutrients, and other substances used to promote plant survival and health are not considered plant growth regulators and thus are not pesticides. - biological control agents, except for certain microorganisms, are exempted from regulation by epa. ( biological control agents include beneficial predators such as birds or ladybugs that eat insect pests. ) - products which contain certain low - risk ingredients, such as garlic and mint oil, have been exempted from federal registration requirements, although state regulatory requirements may still apply. for a list of ingredients which may be exempt, and a discussion of allowable label claims for such products, see epa ' s pesticide registration notice 2000 - 6, " minimum risk pesticides exempted under fifra section 25 ( b ) " ( 33 kb, pdf ). unlike pesticides, epa does not require devices to be registered with the agency. devices are subject to certain labeling, packaging, record keeping, and import / export requirements, however. in addition, the establishment where a device is produced must be registered with epa who will assign an establishment number. - about the epa pesticides program - frequent questions about pesticides - pesticides : topical and chemical fact sheets - agricultural pesticide contamination - pesticides and wildlife - health effects of chlorophenols - regulation of toxic chemicals


whitefish creek. whitefish creek rises near alanreed in southern gray county ( at 39°12 ' n, 100°47 ' w ) and flows southeast for twenty - two miles to its mouth on the salt fork of the red river, in eastern donley county ( at 34°60 ' n, 100°36 ' w ). in 1879 whitefish creek and its tributaries were occupied by the quarter circle heart ranch, but in 1880 alfred rowe added them to his ro ranch. the area is flat to rolling with local escarpments. the soils are deep, fine, sandy loams that support hardwood forests, brush, and grasses at the head. the creek later reaches a flat area with local shallow depressions, where clay and sandy loam soils support water - tolerant hardwoods, conifers, and grasses. pauline d. and r. l. robertson, cowman ' s country : fifty frontier ranches in the texas panhandle, 1876 – 1887 ( amarillo : paramount, 1981 ). pauline d. and r. l. robertson, panhandle pilgrimage : illustrated tales tracing history in the texas panhandle ( canyon, texas : staked plains, 1976 ; 2d ed., amarillo : paramount, 1978 ). the following, adapted from the chicago manual of style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this article. " whitefish creek, " handbook of texas online ( http : / / www. tshaonline. org / handbook / online / articles / rbw80 ), accessed june 16, 2013. published by the texas state historical association.


biographer describes background of wallace ’ s segregation speech published : friday, january 18, 2013 at 3 : 30 a. m. last modified : thursday, january 17, 2013 at 11 : 31 p. m. montgomery | the year 1963 marked a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement, with events in alabama at the forefront. the year began with new gov. george c. wallace ’ s jan. 14 “ segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever ” speech. the year included wallace ’ s infamous “ stand in the schoolhouse door ” in june at the segregated university of alabama, where the governor symbolically opposed a federal order to enroll two blacks students. in september, four black girls were killed when dynamite was detonated at the sixteenth street baptist church in birmingham. on thursday at the alabama department of archives and history ’ s architreats program, wallace biographer and historian dan carter explained the background of wallace ’ s speech, which contained major contributions by the late racist, libertarian and anti - communist writer asa carter. dan carter wrote, “ the politics of rage : george wallace, the origins of the new conservatism and the transformation of american politics, ” among other books. dan carter said asa carter penned major portions of wallace ’ s speech, which transformed the governor from being one of the most racially liberal politicians. “ his speech had to do with the defense of segregation, ” dan carter said. the brief portion of wallace ’ s 17 - page speech that made the television network news was : “ in the name of the greatest people that ever trod this earth, i draw the line in the dust and toss the gauntlet before the feet of tyranny. i say segregation now, segregation tomorrow and segregation forever. ” the speech included departures from asa carter ’ s rants to include wallace saying he wanted to help blacks. but that wasn ’ t what his speech was remembered for, dan carter said. dan carter said wallace was one of the “ great caravan of dixie demagogues. ” “ it is the one thing that george wallace is most remembered for, ” dan carter said. “ it ’ s difficult to put ourselves back in what it was like in the late 1950s and early 1960s, ” dan carter said. “ even though he was a racial moderate in his life, it was always within the system of segregation. ” wallace was elected in 1962 after losing the 1958 governor ’ s race to john patterson. “ politicians see their job to represent the people and, in the case of george wallace in 1962, the white


, it was always within the system of segregation. ” wallace was elected in 1962 after losing the 1958 governor ’ s race to john patterson. “ politicians see their job to represent the people and, in the case of george wallace in 1962, the white people, he was representing them, ” dan carter said. “ when black people began demanding rights, there was no question he had this visceral response, this anger and frustration. ” asa carter “ disappeared ” and in the 1970s re - emerged as forrest carter to write novels, including “ the rebel outlaw, josey wales, ” the basis for a clint eastwood movie. “ asa carter was an absolute doctrinaire libertarian who hated government, ” dan carter said. he died in the late 1970s. wallace, who died in 1998, served as governor four times. his last two terms included significant support by blacks, whom he had asked for forgiveness for his segregationist past. wallace was shot in 1972 while campaigning for president. the shooting left him paralyzed, and he used a wheelchair. “ it certainly changed him, ” dan carter said. “ the family points out it made him a different person. ” dan carter said wallace had already begun changing to suit the political winds that no longer saw racism as popular or morally correct. “ he, like any good political figure, picked up on the wind, and when the wind changed, he did, ” dan carter said. “ i think he was sincere about it. ” he said that even during his segregationist period, if wallace spoke at a country club, he made it a point to go into the kitchen and speak and greet the black cooks and help. “ racism wasn ’ t that deep in him, ” said dan carter. “ he wanted everyone to love him. i think he always tried to temper that talk, and that ’ s why he wanted to put in those sections ( in his speech ) about helping black folks. “ there are many things that wallace did for the state, but i think it was flawed in part by the corruption involved, a fair amount of that, ” dan carter said. “ i think that whole turning of almost every issue into a political issue damaged wallace ’ s efforts, probably hurt the state. ” reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. all rights reserved. this copyrighted material may not be re - published without permission. links are encouraged.


in jainism, there is a great deal of importance given to leshya. leshya refers to the state of mind. our activities reflect our state of mind. the following illustration shows how our activities vary with the state of our mind. once there were six friends who were going on a trip, but along the way got lost in a forest. soon they became hungry and thirsty. they searched for food for sometime and finally found a fruit tree. as they ran to the tree, the first man said, " letis cut the tree down and get the fruits. " the second one said, " donit cut the whole tree down, cut off a big branch instead. " the third friend said, " why do we need a big branch? a small branch has enough fruit. " the fourth one said, " we do not need to cut any branches, just climb up and take the bunches of fruit. " the fifth man said, " why pick that many fruits and waste them, instead just pick the fruits that you want to eat. " the sixth friend said quietly, " there are plenty of good fruits on the ground, so letis just eat them first. " you can see that the states of minds of these six friends cause a range of thoughts which begin with the destruction of a tree and end with picking up what is on the ground. the six friendsi minds represent six types of leshyas. the first friendis state of mind represents krishna ( black ) leshya. the second friendis state of mind represents neel ( blue ) leshya. the third friendis state of mind represents kapot ( brown ) leshya. the fourth friendis state of mind represents tejo ( red ) leshya. the fifth friendis state of mind represents padma ( yellow ) leshya. the sixth friendis state of mind represents shukla ( white ) leshya. the first leshya is the worst and the sixth leshya is the best. the first three leshyas lead the soul to ruin and the last three lead the soul to spiritual prosperity. therefore, people should strive for the white leshya and not the red leshya. it is not so that a personis state of mind remains the same at all times and therefore, it can be changed for the better or for the worst. the popular story of king prasanraj, who lived during lord mahavirais time, illustrates the effects of one day king shrenik was on his way to pay homage to lord mahavira and on the


the better or for the worst. the popular story of king prasanraj, who lived during lord mahavirais time, illustrates the effects of one day king shrenik was on his way to pay homage to lord mahavira and on the way he saw a sage who was meditating and illuminating very brightly. he bowed down to the sage and continued on his way to pay homage to lord mahavira. after reaching lord mahavira, king shrenik asked the lord, " oh lord, i saw a very illuminated sage who was engaged in meditation on the way here. supposing he died at that moment, what state would he have acquired? " the lord replied, " he would have been hurled down to the seventh the king was much astonished to hear this reply from the lord. he " why would such a sage go to hell? perhaps the lord might have misunderstood me. " he asked the lord again, " oh lord, if the sage leaves this body just now, then what state will he attain? " the lord replied, " he will be an angel in sarvarthasidha, a heavenly the king was much surprised at this reply, too. he thought, " the lord first said he would attain the seventh hell and now he says that the sage would be an angel. " the king was perplexed. at that very moment drums began sounding in the sky and voices of ` victory ' were proclaimed. the king asked the lord, " what is the cause of these the lord said, " oh, king, the sage about whom you were inquiring has omniscience and so the angels are beating the drums and proclaiming the king was extremely surprised by these answers and therefore, he requested the lord to explain them. thereupon the lord said, " oh king, right before you approached the sage, two soldiers leading your procession diverted the mind of the sage by their conversation. his mind began thinking about his kingdom where his ministers turned out to be untrustworthy and would eventually kill his son. he was inflamed with rage and he lost his mental equanimity. therefore, he started mentally fighting against his ministers. he very violently discharged his weapons one after the other against his ministers. soon his weapons were exhausted and his foes were not destroyed. so, he thought of throwing his steel helmet against them in order to destroy them. you bowed down to him at that time when he was reflecting on such thoughts. i, therefore, replied that he would attain the


his foes were not destroyed. so, he thought of throwing his steel helmet against them in order to destroy them. you bowed down to him at that time when he was reflecting on such thoughts. i, therefore, replied that he would attain the 7th hell. thereafter, when the sage placed his hand on his head for the steel helmet, he realized that he was not king prasanraj but that he was a sage. his anger calmed down immediately. he remembered that he has been initiated into the vow of equanimity and of non - violence to any living being mentally, verbally, and physically. he deeply regretted and repented for the breach of his vow and indulgence in acute anger. he further thought that he ought to have maintained love for all creatures of the world, ought to have no malice for the ministers, and no attachment for his son. he severely condemned his mental act. he despised it and withdrew himself from such a feat of anger and malice. oh king, when he thought this way, you asked me the next question and i replied that he would be born in the savartha siddha ( heaven ) as an angel. even thereafter, he continued the purification of his mental reflections and gradually he reached the stage of ` kshapaka ', where he annihilated all of his ghati karmas, and attained omniscience. " king shrenikis doubts were resolved and he learned how mental reflections can fluctuate. he also learned that not only can physical acts or verbal abuses have such devastating effects, but so can mental acts. we too must learn from this episode. let us understand the characteristic of personalities and the outcomes resulting different 1 ) krishna ( black ) leshya : people in this state of mind do not show no compassion or mercy. everyone is afraid of them as their anger turns into violence. they always burn with jealousy and have ill - will for everyone. they are filled with animosity and malice and do not believe in religion. this state of mind is the worst and most dangerous. if anyone dies in this state of mind, they will go to hell. 2 ) neel ( blue ) leshya : people in this state of mind are proud, haughty, and lazy. they are unreliable and other people avoid their company. they are cheaters, cowards, and hypocrites. such people also avoid the religious lectures. if anyone dies in this state of mind, they will be reborn as 3 ) ka


. they are unreliable and other people avoid their company. they are cheaters, cowards, and hypocrites. such people also avoid the religious lectures. if anyone dies in this state of mind, they will be reborn as 3 ) kapot ( brown ) leshya : people in this state of mind always remain sad and gloomy. they find faults in others and are vindictive. they boast about themselves, become excited over small matters, and lack mental balance. if anyone dies in this state of mind, they will be reborn as a bird or an animal. 4 ) tejo ( red ) leshya : people in this state of mind are very careful about their actions and discriminate between good and evil. they know the difference between what is right and what is wrong. they are kind, benevolent, and religious and lead a harmonious life. if anyone dies in this state of mind, they will be reborn as a human being. 5 ) padma ( yellow ) leshya : people in this state of mind are kind and benevolent and forgive everyone, even their enemies. they observe some austerities and are vigilant in keeping their vows till their last breath. they remain unaffected by joys and sorrows. if anyone dies in this leshya, they will be reborn in heaven as a celestial being. 6 ) shukla ( white ) leshya : people in this state of mind strictly observe the principles of non - violence, truth, non - stealing, celibacy, and non - attachment. they are trustworthy, treat every soul as if it was their own soul, and do not have ill feelings even for their enemies. they remain calm even if someone abuses them. if anyone dies in this state of mind, they will be reborn as a human being or an angel. people who perfect this state of mind have no attachment or hatred and treat everyone alike. they do not become happy or sad. their state of mind is the purest. if anyone dies in this perfected state of mind, they will be liberated from the cycle of birth and death. back to chapters list. back to the home page.


heart disease - activity getting regular exercise when you have heart disease is important. it can help you in these ways : always talk with your doctor before starting an exercise program to make sure the exercise you would like to do is safe for you. this is especially important if : your doctor will tell you what exercise is best for you. talk with your doctor before you start a new exercise program or before you do an activity that is much harder than what you have been doing. aerobic activity uses your heart and lungs for a long period of time, helps your heart use oxygen better, and improves blood flow. you want to make your heart work a little harder every time, but not too hard : during hot weather, exercise in the morning or evening. be careful not to wear too many layers of clothes. you can also go to an indoor shopping mall to walk or to a fitness center. when it is cold, cover your nose and mouth when exercising outside. go to an indoor shopping mall or fitness center if it is too cold or snowy to exercise outside. ask your doctor if it is okay for you to exercise when it is below freezing. resistance weight training, using nautilus and similar machines, may improve your strength and help your muscles work together better. this can make it easier to do daily activities, like lifting groceries. these exercises are good for you, but keep in mind they do not help your heart like aerobic exercise does. check out your weight - training routine with your doctor first. go easy, and do not strain too hard. it is better to do more lighter sets of exercise when you have heart disease than to work out too hard. good weight - training exercises may include the chest press, shoulder press, triceps extension, biceps curl, pull - down ( upper back ), lower back extension, abdominal crunch / curl - up, quadriceps extension or leg press, leg curls ( hamstrings ), and calf raise. you may need advice from a physical therapist or trainer on how to do the exercises the correct way. make sure you breathe steadily, switch between upper and lower body work, and rest often. if your exercise puts too much strain on your heart, you may have pain and other symptoms, such as : it is important that you pay attention to these warning signs, stop what you are doing, and rest. if you have symptoms, write down what you were doing and the time of day. share this information with your doctor. if these symptoms are very bad or do not go away


attention to these warning signs, stop what you are doing, and rest. if you have symptoms, write down what you were doing and the time of day. share this information with your doctor. if these symptoms are very bad or do not go away when you stop your activity, let your doctor know about these right away. your doctor can give you advice about exercise during your regular medical appointments. know your resting pulse rate and a safe exercising pulse rate. try taking your pulse during exercise to see if your heart is beating at a safe exercise rate. if it is too high, slow down. then, take it again after exercise to see if it comes back to normal within about 10 minutes. you can take your pulse in the wrist area below the base of your thumb. use your index and third fingers of the opposite hand to locate your pulse and count the number of beats a minute. drink plenty of water, and take frequent breaks during exercise or other strenuous activities. call your doctor if you feel : changes in your angina may mean your heart disease is getting worse. call your doctor if your angina : also call your doctor if you cannot exercise as much as you are used to being able to. © 2011 university of maryland medical center ( ummc ). all rights reserved. ummc is a member of the university of maryland medical system, 22 s. greene street, baltimore, md 21201. tdd : 1 - 800 - 735 - 2258 or 1. 866. 408. 6885


as thousands of delegates arrive in durban for the start of the cop17 climate summit today ( 28 november ), unicef is urging them to prioritise the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable, especially women and children, who often suffer the brunt of climate change. the cop17 talks will see governments come together to work towards a new legally - binding climate deal, and take forward discussions on protecting children from climate change. children already face climate risks such as cyclones, storm surges and extreme temperatures, which affect their survival and wellbeing. so it ' s critical that their voices are heard during the negotiations and their needs factored into the response to climate change. there ' s also hope that progress will be made toward extending the kyoto protocol, to maintain a climate regime that includes emissions reduction targets. this will be vital in securing a low - carbon future for children. governments are expected to agree to the establishment of the new green climate fund. this will channel the $ 100 billion a year of new and additional climate finance to help people in vulnerable countries adapt to climate change. this is something that unicef uk have campaigned on in 2011 with our get children climate ready campaign. " the durban climate talks present an opportunity for world leaders to come together to work towards an agreement that will safeguard children ' s futures from climate impacts, said jazmin burgess, unicef uk ' s climate change policy officer. " the uk has long been a progressive player in the climate change negotiations and we hope that they will continue this in durban. " find out more


thousands of children and adolescents die because of violence every year in latin america and the caribbean panama city, 16 november 2006 – in latin america and the caribbean, violence transcends cultural borders, class differences, education, ethnic origin or age, and threatens or even kills thousands of children and adolescents. a large part of this violence, which includes physical, sexual and psychological violence, discrimination and abandonment, remains hidden and is occasionally socially sanctioned. the high level of violence in latin america and the caribbean is related to a combination of extreme economic and social inequalities, the predominant culture of “ machismo ” which characterizes the region, as well as to the failure to implement existing legal protection mechanisms. the tolerance of violence against children in many cases favours the impunity of the aggressors and the lack of real political commitment to put an end to these grave human rights violations. further, the absence of reliable information - gathering systems hampers any ability to analyse the situation, evaluation of the impact of adopted policies, and calls into question the political commitment of governments to put an end to this unacceptable situation. these are some of the conclusions of the study on violence against children, launched today at a regional level for latin america and the caribbean in panama city by professor paulo sergio pinheiro, the independent expert appointed by the un secretary general to lead the study. the study documents the nature and the impact of violence against children and adolescents on a global scale within the family, school, detention and protection institutions, workplaces, and the community, and presents general and specific recommendations primarily directed at governments, urging them to take immediate action. the social and health consequences associated with violence represent an annual cost of approximately us $ 145 billion, or 12 percent of gross domestic product, to the countries of latin america and the caribbean. the global study, presented to the un general assembly on 11 october 2006, was conducted at the request of the secretary general following a recommendation of the committee on the rights of the child. some two years ago, a global data - gathering process was initiated in consultation with regional and national analysis, as well as field visits. the office of the high commissioner for human rights of the united nations ( ohchr ), the world health organization ( who ), unicef, and an advisory ngo panel have supported the study ’ s development from the outset. in latin america and the caribbean, two regional consultations were organized, involving more than 300 representatives of governments, civil society organizations, united nations agencies, academic institutions, experts on


an advisory ngo panel have supported the study ’ s development from the outset. in latin america and the caribbean, two regional consultations were organized, involving more than 300 representatives of governments, civil society organizations, united nations agencies, academic institutions, experts on violence, as well as children and adolescents. two regional desk reviews and consultations involving more than 2, 000 children and adolescents from 22 countries were conducted. “ we were the voices of those whose voices are never heard. it was a big responsibility for us to be able to take this message of many children that want to be heard, but are not heard because of injustice and marginalization. we could convey that voice to people who, relatively speaking, have the power to change things and break the silence of this alarming situation that we are living around the world, ” say cinthia karina reyes and ondina lourdes mazier chavez, two adolescents from nicaragua, representing children and adolescents from latin america who participated in the study. the coordination of this entire process was led by the regional secretary for the study, created ad - hoc and composed of un organizations and international ngos ( world vision, save the children, plan international, and defence for children international ). regional groups, such as the inter - american commission on human rights and the caribbean community and common market ( caricom ) organization, have been strategic allies as well helping mobilize the region. “ in this region, around 80, 000 children and adolescents die every year as a result of violence within the family. the high levels of violence violate the rights of children and halt the democratic and economic development of the countries. the violence that is lived and learned in the home and the violence that exists in society are intertwined ; the transmission of intergenerational violence, which is a grave obstacle to achieve the millennium development goals to create more just and stable societies, has to be stopped, ” affirms nils kastberg, unicef ’ s regional director for latin america and the caribbean. “ the violence that children live is an expression of moral, social and cultural deterioration. the humanization of our societies and the pursuit of protection measures for children are urgent. we as civil society organizations can count on the impressive capabilities of children who constitute a historic force on this continent in this century. this study compiles their voices of pain and proposals, which we must listen to and incorporate in alternative solutions, ” adds corinna villacorta, vice - president of world vision. the general recommendations of the study are primarily targeted at


. this study compiles their voices of pain and proposals, which we must listen to and incorporate in alternative solutions, ” adds corinna villacorta, vice - president of world vision. the general recommendations of the study are primarily targeted at governments which have to become proactive with the support of united nations agencies, civil society organizations, regional organizations, professional associations, communities, parents, and children themselves. the recommendations include the development of a national strategy of prevention of and combat against violence, which should be integrated into national development plans, no later than 2007, and the appointment of a ministerial - level authority to be responsible for the coordination of such strategy ; the legal prohibition of all forms of violence against children, including corporal punishment, and the creation or improvement of national systems to compile disaggregated data by 2009. as throughout the process of information gathering, the study stresses the need to listen to the opinion of children and adolescents in the design of prevention strategies and protection services as well as the recuperation of victims. during the consultations in latin america and the caribbean participants emphasized the importance of improving legal protection services, maintaining strategic partnerships with the media to generate changes in attitudes and behaviour, and including programmes to reduce and prevent violence in social and economic development strategies. “ all countries can and must put an end to violence against children. this doesn ’ t mean being limited to punishing the aggressors, but it is necessary to transform the mindset of societies and the underlying social and economic conditions of violence, ” concludes professor paulo sergio pinheiro. those participating in the regional launch, conducted under the auspices of the presidency of the republic of panama, include : the chancellor of the republic of panama, samuel lewis navarro ; unicef ’ s regional director for latin america and the caribbean, nils kastberg, on behalf of the united nations ; daniela salazar, human rights expert from the inter - american commission on human rights ; deputy programme director of the caribbean community and common market, ( caricom ) organization, halima kassim ; vice - president of world vision on behalf of the secretariat of ngos which support the study — world vision, save the children, plan international, defence for children international — and cinthia karina reyes and ondina lourdes mazier chavez, nicaraguan adolescents who have participated in the process of the study, representing the region to position themselves against all forms of violence. for 60 years unicef has been the world ’ s leader for children, working on the ground in 156 countries and


##zier chavez, nicaraguan adolescents who have participated in the process of the study, representing the region to position themselves against all forms of violence. for 60 years unicef has been the world ’ s leader for children, working on the ground in 156 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. the world ’ s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, unicef supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and aids. unicef is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. for more information : panama ’ s ministry of foreign affairs : alina guerrero, + 507 511 4189 edith gough, + 507 511 4189 isabel benlloch, firstname. lastname @ example. org, + 507 301 7483, cel : + 507 645 61 289 miguel cuellar, email @ example. com, + 507 301 7456 michael klaus, firstname. lastname @ example. org, + 507 301 7484 camilo palacios, email @ example. com, + 507 317 1700, mobile + 507 667 70 958 ofelia da silva, ofelia _ dasilva @ wvi. org, + 506 2575151 ext. 108 save the children ramon meneses, firstname. lastname @ example. org, + 505 2667101


deerfield, ill., jan. 7 ( upi ) - - an early ancestor of today ' s birds had teeth - - and not just any teeth, but ones evolved for a special diet, u. s. paleontologists say. writing in the journal of vertebrate paleontology, researchers say a study of a species of early bird, sulcavis geeorum, suggests it had a durophagous diet, meaning the bird ' s teeth were capable of eating prey with hard exoskeletons like insects or crabs. the new specimen, a fossil from the the early cretaceous period of 121 million to 125 million years ago, greatly increases the known diversity of tooth shape in early birds and hints at previously unrecognized ecological diversity, they said. the fossil from an early group of birds known as enantiornithines was found in china and has robust teeth with grooves on the inside surface that likely made them stronger to deal with harder food items, researchers said. no previous bird species have been found with such grooves, ridges, striations, serrated edges or any other form of dental ornamentation, researchers said. " while other birds were losing their teeth, enantiornithines were evolving new morphologies and dental specializations, " lead study author jingmai o ' connor said. " we still don ' t understand why enantiornithines were so successful in the cretaceous but then died out - - maybe differences in diet played a part. " | additional science news stories |


hot enough for you? the world ' s poor face an even bleaker future than polar bears, thanks to global warming. global warming has proved one of the rare issues capable of uniting christians of all persuasions into a more or less coherent chorus for change. a lot of folks have been moved to a call for action on global warming and the related phenomenon of climate change by a biblical understanding of their responsibilities as stewards of creation. according to this perspective, we are mere trustees of a creation and a future that is not our own. now, as ice caps melt and polar bears paddle furiously for an icy safe haven perpetually receding just out of their reach, a lot more folks have awakened to their responsibilities vis - a - vis climate change. but if creation stewardship isn ' t enough to motivate your christian conscience, the catholic agency for overseas development ( cafod ) in great britain has come up with a whole new angle on climate change that should bring more righteous attention to the problem. intervening now to restrain the worst climate effects of global warming is the right thing to do not just because of how it affects the environment but because of its impact on the world ' s most vulnerable people. according to " up in smoke, " a report prepared by cafod and the other members of the working group on climate change and development, global warming promises to reverse decades of social and economic progress in asia, where 60 percent of the world ' s people live. it could make commitments to halve global hunger and poverty by 2015, the millennium development goals, essentially unattainable. the report predicts that specific regions of asia are likely to experience both climate extremes of devastating drought and typhoon - driven flooding owing to the cruel vagaries of global warming. individual climate catastrophes will be accompanied by an overall breakdown of weather patterns, ending a meteorological predictability upon which the rhythms of asian agriculture have been built over millennia. in the future more temperamental monsoons may be just as likely to demolish as nurture a southeast asian growing season. that means regional resources that could have been dedicated to economic growth or to improve living, health, and education standards will have to be redirected to climate and crisis response as disaster and crop failure take precedence over social investment. the timing could not be worse for many asian nations finally on the verge of emerging from the broad economic and social deprivation of the past. some of the effects of global warming can now only be mitigated, but to prevent the absolute worst from happening, citizens of the


be worse for many asian nations finally on the verge of emerging from the broad economic and social deprivation of the past. some of the effects of global warming can now only be mitigated, but to prevent the absolute worst from happening, citizens of the affluent world have to do more than greenwash their homes and domestic industries. individual actions to reduce " carbon footprints " will always be welcome and worthwhile, but it ' s time for citizens to start issuing " come to jesus " calls to their national governments and demand a comprehensive, globally integrated blueprint for change. national emissions cuts, according to cafod ' s report, must move substantially beyond even the most ambitious targets of the kyoto protocol. even as they invest in advanced alternative energy and infrastructure for reducing greenhouse emissions, industrialized powers also must develop a mechanism for sharing the wealth, so the world ' s poorest, and often rapidly industrializing, nations can do the same. as the world ' s largest producer of greenhouse gases ( perhaps now surpassed by china ), a good opening salvo in the war on warming for the united states might be at least embracing kyoto ' s spirit of international cooperation and compromise. unfortunately during recent u. n. - sponsored talks in bali, the u. s. continued to play an obstructionist role. the poor of the world can ' t wait for the wealthy to worry about global warming any longer. the floodwaters and drought that will obliterate what progress has been achieved will not wait on more debate and political grandstanding. the time for talk is rapidly ending ; the time for real change is now. the last thing this particular global dilemma needs is more hot air.


- prayer and worship - beliefs and teachings - issues and action - catholic giving - about usccb capture of demetrius ii. 1in the one hundred and seventy - second year, * king demetrius assembled his army and marched into media to obtain help so that he could fight trypho. 2when arsaces, * king of persia and media, heard that demetrius had entered his territory, he sent one of his generals to take him alive. 3the general went forth and attacked the army of demetrius ; he captured him and brought him to arsaces, who put him under guard. 4the land was at rest all the days of simon, who sought the good of his nation. his rule delighted his people and his glory all his days. a 5as his crowning glory he took joppa for a port and made it a gateway to the isles of the sea. b 6he enlarged the borders of his nation and gained control of the country. 7he took many prisoners of war and made himself master of gazara, beth - zur, and the citadel. he cleansed the citadel of its impurities ; there was no one to withstand him. 8the people cultivated their land in peace ; the land yielded its produce, the trees of the field their fruit. c 9old men sat in the squares, all talking about the good times, while the young men put on the glorious raiment of war. d 10he supplied the cities with food and equipped them with means of defense, till his glorious name reached the ends of the earth. 11he brought peace to the land, and israel was filled with great joy. e 12every one sat under his vine and fig tree, with no one to disturb them. f 13no attacker was left in the land ; the kings in those days were crushed. 14he strengthened all the lowly among his people and was zealous for the law ; he destroyed the lawless and the wicked. 15the sanctuary he made splendid and multiplied its furnishings. alliance with rome and sparta. 16when people in rome and even in sparta heard that jonathan had died, they were deeply grieved. * 17but when they heard that his brother simon had become high priest in his place and was master of the territory and its cities, 18they sent him inscribed tablets of bronze to renew with him the friendship and alliance that they had established with his brothers judas and jonathan. g 19these were read before the assembly in jerusalem. 20this is a copy of the letter that the spartans


, 18they sent him inscribed tablets of bronze to renew with him the friendship and alliance that they had established with his brothers judas and jonathan. g 19these were read before the assembly in jerusalem. 20this is a copy of the letter that the spartans sent : “ the rulers and the city of the spartans send greetings to simon the high priest, the elders, the priests, and the rest of the jewish people, our brothers. 21the ambassadors sent to our people have informed us of your glory and renown, and we rejoiced at their coming. 22in accordance with what they said we have recorded the following in the public decrees : numenius, son of antiochus, and antipater, son of jason, ambassadors of the jews, have come to us to renew their friendship with us. h 23the people have resolved to receive these men with honor, and to deposit a copy of their words in the public archives, so that the people of sparta may have a record of them. a copy of this decree has been made for simon the high priest. ” official honors for simon. 25when the people heard of these things, they said, “ how shall we thank simon and his sons? 26he and his brothers and his father ’ s house have stood firm and repulsed israel ’ s enemies, and so have established its freedom. ” so they made an inscription on bronze tablets, which they affixed to pillars on mount zion. 27the following is a copy of the inscription : “ on the eighteenth day of elul, * in the one hundred and seventy - second year, that is, the third year under simon the great high priest in asaramel, 28in a great assembly of priests, people, rulers of the nation, and elders of the region, the following proclamation was made to us : 29 “ ‘ since there have often been wars in our country, simon, son of the priest mattathias, descendant of joarib, and his brothers have put themselves in danger and resisted the enemies of their nation, so that their sanctuary and law might be maintained, and they have thus brought great glory to their nation. 30jonathan rallied the nation, became their high priest, and was gathered to his people. 31when their enemies sought to invade and ravage their country and to violate their sanctuary, 32simon rose up and fought for his nation, spending large sums of his own money to equip his nation ’ s forces and give them their pay. 33he fortified


to invade and ravage their country and to violate their sanctuary, 32simon rose up and fought for his nation, spending large sums of his own money to equip his nation ’ s forces and give them their pay. 33he fortified the cities of judea, especially the border city of beth - zur, formerly the site of the enemy ’ s weaponry, and he stationed there a garrison of jewish soldiers. 34he also fortified joppa by the sea and gazara on the border of azotus, a place previously occupied by the enemy ; these cities he settled with jews and furnished them with all that was necessary for their restoration. 35when the people saw simon ’ s fidelity and the glory he planned to bring to his nation, they made him their leader and high priest because of all he had accomplished and the justice and fidelity he had shown his nation. in every way he sought to exalt his people. 36 “ ‘ in his time and under his guidance they succeeded in driving the gentiles out of their country and those in the city of david in jerusalem, who had built for themselves a citadel from which they used to sally forth to defile the environs of the sanctuary and inflict grave injury on its purity. 37in this citadel he stationed jewish soldiers, and he strengthened its fortifications for the security of the land and the city, while he also built up the wall of jerusalem to a greater height. 38consequently, king demetrius confirmed him in the high priesthood, 39made him one of his friends, and conferred great honor on him. i 40this was because he had heard that the romans had addressed the jews as friends, allies, and brothers, that they had received simon ’ s envoys with honor, 41and that the jewish people and their priests had decided the following : simon shall be their leader and high priest forever until a trustworthy prophet arises. j 42he shall act as governor over them, and shall have charge of the sanctuary, to make regulations concerning its functions and concerning the country, its weapons and strongholds. 43he shall be obeyed by all. all contracts in the country shall be written in his name, and he shall be clothed in purple and gold. k 44it shall not be lawful for any of the people or priests to nullify any of these decisions, or to contradict the orders given by him, or to convene an assembly in the country without his consent, to be clothed in purple or wear a gold buckle. 45whoe


the people or priests to nullify any of these decisions, or to contradict the orders given by him, or to convene an assembly in the country without his consent, to be clothed in purple or wear a gold buckle. 45whoever acts otherwise or violates any of these prescriptions shall be liable to punishment. 46 “ ‘ thus all the people approved of granting simon the right to act in accord with these decisions, 47and simon accepted and agreed to be high priest, governor, and ethnarch * of the jewish people and priests, and to have authority over all. ’ ” 48it was decreed that this inscription should be engraved on bronze tablets, to be set up in a conspicuous place in the precincts of the sanctuary, 49and that copies of it should be deposited in the treasury, where they would be available to simon and his sons. * [ 14 : 1 ] the one hundred and seventy - second year : 141 / 140 b. c. the expedition began most probably in the spring of 140. * [ 14 : 2 ] arsaces : arsaces vi, also called mithridates i, the parthian king ( 171 – 138 b. c. ). parthians had overrun persia and now held babylonia, both of which had hitherto belonged to the seleucid empire. the greeks and macedonians in these countries had appealed to demetrius for help. * [ 14 : 27 ] eighteenth day of elul : september 13, 140 b. c. asaramel : perhaps a hebrew name meaning “ court of the people of god. ” * [ 14 : 47 ] ethnarch : a subordinate ruler over an ethnic group whose office needed confirmation by a higher authority within the empire. by accepting this message, you will be leaving the website of the united states conference of catholic bishops. this link is provided solely for the user ' s convenience. by providing this link, the united states conference of catholic bishops assumes no responsibility for, nor does it necessarily endorse, the website, its content, or


late breaking news researchers re - defining the concept of a cure for diabetes bethesda, md — much of the discussion surrounding diabetes concerns day - to - day treatment and how a patient can manage symptoms and keep the disease from progressing. rarely does anyone discuss the possibility of a cure. speaking on the campus of the national institutes of health here last month, dr christopher saudek did just that. a researcher at johns hopkins university and director of the comprehensive diabetes center, dr saudek outlined the different approaches that researchers are taking in the search for a cure. he also pointed out that the definition of a cure is not a fixed point. “ there are various ways to conceptualize a cure, ” dr saudek noted. “ one is a simple procedure, device, or drug that eliminates diabetes permanently. one is a periodically repeated procedure, device, or drug that eliminates diabetes. or a procedure, device, or drug that has risk and morbidity but also eliminates diabetes. ” these devices and drugs could make diabetes forgettable, allowing patients to go about their daily lives with no conscious acknowledgement of their disease, he added. and there are devices that could make diabetic self - care much easier than it is now. parsing the word “ cure ” is not a trivial question, dr saudek declared. “ [ this question ] drives our resources and expectations. do we plan research looking for the sudden dramatic cure, or an incremental one? ” doctor saudek divided the current research initiatives into two areas : biological approaches and mechanical approaches. the most invasive and radical example of the former has been whole - organ pancreas transplantation, a more common procedure than might be expected, with 400 - 500 occurring in the us every year. while the procedure can be a short - term solution to glucose control, the long - term prognosis is poor. “ the 10 - year graft survival is under 50 % and doesn ’ t seem to be improving, ” dr saudek explained. “ it ’ s a long and difficult surgical procedure with significant morbidity. ” since a full organ transplant isn ’ t a solution, researchers have been examining the viability of islet transplantation. islets are clusters of cells that exist within the pancreas. these clusters include beta cells that make insulin. insulin is the hormone that helps the body use glucose for energy, and must be taken daily by those with type 1 diabetes and by those with a more progressed type 2 diabetes. in


the pancreas. these clusters include beta cells that make insulin. insulin is the hormone that helps the body use glucose for energy, and must be taken daily by those with type 1 diabetes and by those with a more progressed type 2 diabetes. in islet transplantation, the cells are taken from the pancreas of a deceased organ donor, purified, processed, and transferred to the diabetic patient. once implanted, the beta cells in these islets begin to make and release insulin. researchers hope that this process will help people with type 1 diabetes treat the condition without daily injections. the breakthrough for islet transplantation came in 2000, when seven patients with type 1 diabetes survived islet cell transplantation and showed immediate improvement in blood glucose and insulin production. “ it ’ s a simple infusion procedure, but each of these patients required more than one and in some cases three infusions of islets, ” dr saudek explained. “ that is a major barrier when you think of waiting lists for one organ, and in this case you need two or more whole organ donors for [ infusion ]. ” a follow - up in 2006 showed that the patients had a loss of insulin independence within a year, needing a follow - up transfusion. “ that certainly took the blush off the rose of the idea that islet transplants were going to be a ready cure, ” dr saudek said. another potential use for islets is the implantation of sequestered islets. islets are placed in microcapsules that could then be infused into the patient. glucose goes through the wall of the capsules and insulin should be released, but antibodies would be blocked from entering. a clinical study on mice in 2009 showed that glycemia greatly improved following implantation of sequestered islets. “ if you can encapsulate islets, then you can think of transplanting xenotransplants, ” dr saudek explained. “ if you ’ re not going to be destroying the foreign body, you can think of using pig islets or beef islets that can be put inside these capsules. and if you have this infinite supply of islets, you ’ d be much more ahead of the game than having to harvest them out of humans. ” there is also research into the regeneration of beta cells. one rat regeneration model showed post - partial pancreatectomy beta cell regeneration, as if the rat were regrowing its pancreas following


having to harvest them out of humans. ” there is also research into the regeneration of beta cells. one rat regeneration model showed post - partial pancreatectomy beta cell regeneration, as if the rat were regrowing its pancreas following surgery. researchers hypothesized that pancreatic ductal cells were the progenitors of new beta cells, and follow - up research demonstrated this to be true. there is also research underway on adult stem cells and the possibility of taking pancreatic cells and turning them into beta cells. “ anything you can do to augment your beta cell supply [ is a research target ] ” dr saudek said. “ if you can regenerate islets endogenously, you can theoretically cure all diabetes. ” mechanical and surgical approaches for type 2 diabetes, the most effective surgical approach has been bariatric surgery — using methods to constrict or shrink the stomach to allow for only minor intake of food. weight loss over one 2 - year study period was around 20 % of body weight. in that study, there was remission of type 2 diabetes in 73 % of the participants. “ i think we have to admit, it was effective, ” dr saudek said. “ i still think we have to talk it over with the patient. and i wouldn ’ t recommend it for anyone with bmi under 35. and i wouldn ’ t recommend you start talking about it for people over 40. and they have to understand what it does … it changes your whole approach to food. you can ’ t eat in large amounts. if losing the weight is more important than having normal eating patterns to food, then it ’ s a viable approach. ” mechanical approaches to glucose control are all variations on the insulin pump. the external insulin pump, which is partially dependent on how it is programmed, is not always accurate. a variation on the external pump is a simple, cheap - er pump worn on the arm or the abdomen that communicates with an external palm device. this pump is disposable and thrown away every 3 days or so. there are also implantable insulin pumps, more common in europe than in the united states. in this case, there is a refill procedure where insulin is injected through the skin and into the pump. one relatively new system uses a continual glucose - monitoring device with a sensor applied to the skin that sends read - outs to a handheld device. “ it ’ s a niche market now for people who are very involved in their diabetes


and into the pump. one relatively new system uses a continual glucose - monitoring device with a sensor applied to the skin that sends read - outs to a handheld device. “ it ’ s a niche market now for people who are very involved in their diabetes. the technology is by no means perfect, but it ’ s an interesting approach to care now, ” dr saudek said. the long - range goal for this system is a fully - implanted closed loop insulin delivery system, with an intravenous glucose sensor mated to the pump with a mathematical algorithm linking the two. the sensor tells the pump when insulin injection is needed. “ everybody asks when you talk about glucose pumps and glucose sensing, why can ’ t you make it automatic? it sounds easy. it ’ s not, ” doctor saudek declared. “ even the linking algorithms, which we thought were going to be the easiest part of that, are not so easy. for example, the blood glucose normally goes up very rapidly when you start a meal. [ so ] if you only do it based on blood glucose, how does that blood glucose sensor know that the insulin shooting up is the two lifesavers you just ate or the thanksgiving dinner you just ate? and that seems to be a very critical distinction. ” the answer might be to design a way for the patient to tell the internal pump that he or she is eating a large or small meal and for the sensor to take that into consideration. “ so, closing the loop is the holy grail of mechanistical approaches, ” dr saudek said. doctor saudek added that there is no way to predict when any of these still - in - the - works approaches will be available to patients and said, “ in the meantime, we need to take advantage of what is available, which is a great deal, to avoid complications, and be ready as each step comes across. ” as for the initial question of how researchers should define the idea of a “ cure ” for diabetes, dr saudek opined, “ i think it ’ s naive to believe that any of these approaches is going to have a headline one day saying ‘ diabetes cured. ’ i think it will be incremental. ”


capture the flag this is one of the most popular outdoor games for scouts. from the 1947 scoutmaster ' s handbook, pp 447 - 8 : space - large type - strenuous teams - half troop formation - informal equipment - two signal flags each team has its own territory in which its scouts are free to move as they please, but on which opponents enter at their peril. the territories are separated by a boundary line such as a brook or a trail, etc. any scout crossing this line may be captured by the enemy. the teams assemble close together at a starting point near the center of the line, each team in its own territory. on a signal the teams proceed to set their flags at any point within 200 steps of the starting point the flags must be visible, although it is permissible to place them as inconspicuously after three minutes another signal is given for start of game. the object now is to enter the enemy ' s territory, capture the flag, and carry it across the line into home territory without being caught. scouts may be posted to guard the flag, but not get nearer than 50 feet to it, unless an enemy scout goes within the 50 - foot circle. they may then follow him. any scout found in the enemy ' s territory may be captured by grasping him long enough for the captor to say " caught! " three times. when a scout is captured he must go with captor to the " guard house " - a tree or rock from the boundary line. a prisoner may be released by a friend touching him, provided the prisoner at that time is touching the guard house with a hand or a foot, whereupon both return to their own territory. if the rescuer is caught by the guards before he touches the prisoner, he, too, must go to the guard house. a rescuer can rescue only one prisoner at a time. if the flag is successfully captured, it must be carried across the line into home territory. if the raider is caught before he reaches home, the flag is set up again at the point where it was rescued and the game as before. if niether side captures the enemy ' s flag within the time agreed up on ( say, 1 / 2 hour ) the game is won by the team with the most prisoners. - allow each team to hide their flag out of sight. before starting the game allow a scout from each team to be shown where the flag is. he must describe accurately, to his team, where the flag is. this requires that the


prisoners. - allow each team to hide their flag out of sight. before starting the game allow a scout from each team to be shown where the flag is. he must describe accurately, to his team, where the flag is. this requires that the scout be get out of jail free - all team members caught in the jail can be set free when a single teammate touches the jail. but, they do not have free passage back to their territory. - if the game begins to stall, allow the judges to yell " jail break. " at this moment all players in both jails are free to escape. orienteering skills 1 - leaders hide flags and give 2 starting points for each team along a base line. teams are split in two and sent to the starting points. at the starting point each group is given a compass bearing to their own flag. each group follows its bearing - if they do it correctly the flag will be near where the bearings cross. once each team locates its flag they will also find a map with bearings to the " enemy flag " which was left there. the game then procedes as usual. ( contributed by mike mullen, troop 6, boston orienteering skills 2 - give both teams maps with starting points marked and bearings, and let them work it out on the map rather than having to actually walk the bearings. ( contributed by mike mullen, troop 6, boston minuteman council ).


beyond better cosmetics and tennis rackets college of sciences on track to develop programs involving nanotechnology a utsa physics professor is overseeing a number of research projects involving nanotechnology that are in line with the university ’ s 21st century vision of becoming a tier one institution. “ my challenge in particular is to develop new techniques and materials that can be used for many applications, ” says miguel yacaman, ph. d., physics professor and chair of the department of physics and astronomy. “ we are trying, among other things, to apply physics technology to the development of materials to use for health. ” according to the u. s. department of labor occupational safety and health administration web site, nanotechnology involves the manipulation and control of matter at dimensions of roughly 1 to 100 nanometers. the development of unique nanoscale structures has the potential to revolutionize industries, including electronics, medicine and consumer products. examples of materials developed with nanotechnology include carbon buckeyballs, or fullerenes ; carbon nanotubes, and metal oxide nanoparticles and quantum dots, which are nanoscale semiconductor materials. examples of products that are currently produced using nanotechnologies include sunscreens and cosmetics ; longer - lasting tennis balls and lightweight, stronger tennis rackets ; stain - free clothing and mattresses, and protective and glare - reducing coatings for eyeglasses and cars, among other materials. important collaborations with other institutions yacaman, meanwhile, is working with about 10 graduate students on projects in collaboration with various institutions, ranging from the national institutes of health to centro de materiales avanzados to the welch foundation and the national science foundation. in the first collaboration, the college of sciences is working with centro de materiales avanzados on a project titled “ international center for nanotechnology and advanced materials. ” icnam is an institution dedicated to promoting partnerships, networking and interactions between scientists of the university of texas system and preeminent education and research institutions of latin america. the goal is to produce world - class research and develop technologies based on materials science that will launch new high - tech industries. the institute also provides an opportunity for scientists to use research equipment at utsa and latin american institutions. “ this is an international collaboration with mexico, ” yacaman says, adding that the project is funded by a $ 100, 000 grant from the university of texas at austin and conacit. “ we get $ 60, 000 for mexican students to come here and for u. s. students to go


more about ellipses steven dutch, natural and applied sciences, university of wisconsin - green bay first - time visitors : please visit site map and disclaimer. use " back " to return here. find the center of an ellipse sometimes you have an ellipse but don ' t know the center. finding the center is easy. - draw two arbitrary parallel lines cutting chords across the ellipse ( in - bisect the chords and draw a line through the midpoints of the chords - bisect the resulting line. the biscting point is the center. proof is to imagine doing this construction on a circle, the shearing the circle out of shape into an ellipse. find the axes of an ellipse since you can easily find the center of an ellipse, finding the axes is just - given an ellipse with unknown axes and center, find the center as above. - construct a circle with center at the center of the ellipse and intersecting the ellipse at four points. - bisect the arcs of the circle ( not shown ), or - construct the rectangle joining the points where the ellipse and - construct the perpendicular bisectors of the sides of the rectangle, or connect opposing pairs of arc bisectors. find the foci of an ellipse | | given the major and minor axes of an ellipse, you can always find the foci. you need the foci for some construction methods. just draw radii of length a from the ends of the minor axis. given the foci, however, you can ' t uniquely determine the axes. you need additional information such as the length of one axis. however, the major axis is always along the line through the foci and the minor axis always perpendicularly bisects the line between the foci. access crustal movements notes index return to professor dutch ' s home page created 28 december 1998, last update 30 january 2012 not an official uw green bay site


whipworm infections in dogs what are whipworms? whipworms are intestinal parasites that are about 1 / 4 inch ( 6 mm ) long. they live in the cecum and colon ( large intestine ) of dogs where they cause severe irritation to the lining of those organs. whipworm infection results in watery, bloody diarrhea, weight loss, and general debilitation. they are one of the most pathogenic worms found in dogs. how do dogs get whipworms? whipworms pass microscopic eggs in the stool. the eggs are very resistant to drying and heat, so they can remain viable ( alive ) in the environment for up to 5 years. once laid, they embryonate ( mature to an infective stage ) in the environment and are able to re - infect the dog in 10 - 60 days. the embryonated eggs are swallowed and hatch and mature to adults in the lower intestinal tract, completing their life cycle ( see illustration ). how are whipworms diagnosed? " parasites pass small numbers of eggs on an irregular basis, so some samples may be falsely negative. " whipworms are diagnosed by finding eggs with a microscopic examination of the stool. however, multiple stool samples are often required because these parasites pass small numbers of eggs on an irregular basis, so some samples may be falsely negative. in addition, it takes approximately 11 - 12 weeks after hatching for a female adult to begin to lay eggs. any dog with chronic large bowel diarrhea should be suspected to have whipworms, even if the stool sample was negative. thus, it is an accepted practice to treat chronic diarrhea by administering a whipworm dewormer. response to treatment is an indication that whipworms were present but could not be detected on fecal examination. how are whipworms treated? there are several drugs that are very effective against whipworms. at least two treatments are needed, spaced at a three to four week interval. the most frustrating aspect of whipworm infections is the high rate of re - infection because the eggs are extremely hardy in the environment. therefore, if a dog is diagnosed with a whipworm infection, it is advisable to treat again every three to four months. the other option, which is much simpler, is to use a heartworm preventative that contains a whipworm medication. whipworms are not nearly as common today because of widespread use of these modern heartworm prevention products. can i get whipworms from my dog? no


there exists a widespread view that having banks use more equity capital ( and relatively less debt ) to finance the assets they hold creates substantial costs, costs that may be so great as to make more capital infeasible. i believe that these costs are very substantially exaggerated. but the benefits of having banks that are far more robust – in the sense of having a balance sheet structure that makes them much less likely to come near to insolvency once actual and suspected losses on their assets come along – are likely to be large. scepticism about costs i want to focus on the cost side of this and briefly explain why i am sceptical that those costs are likely to be so large. i begin with a simple point : in many countries, banks used to finance a very much higher part of their activities with equity than is considered acceptable today. this was certainly the case in the uk. figure 1 shows a measure of assets relative to equity and reserves for uk banks over the past 100 years or so. between 1880 and 1960 bank leverage was, on average, about half the level of recent decades. spreads between reference rates of interest and the rates charged on bank loans were not obviously higher then when banks made very much greater use of equity funding. bank of england data show that spreads over reference rates on the stock of bank lending to households and companies since 2000 have averaged a bit above 2 %. evidence indicates that the spread over bank rate of much bank lending during the first half of the 20th century was consistently below 2 % – though bank leverage was generally very much lower then, as figure 1 shows. until proven otherwise, this is evidence that much higher levels of bank capital do not cripple development or seriously hinder the financing of investment. evidence from the us the absence of any clear link between the cost of bank loans and the leverage of banks is also evident in the us. figure 2 shows a measure of the spread charged by us banks on business loans over the yield on treasury bills. the chart shows that the significant increase in leverage of the us banking sector over the 20th century was not accompanied by a decrease in lending spreads, indeed the two series are mildly positively correlated so that as banks used less equity to finance lending, the spread between the rate charged on bank loans to companies and a reference rate actually increased. of course such a crude analysis does not take in to account changes in banks ’ asset quality, or in the average maturity of loans, or changes in the degree of competition. nevertheless, this evidence provides little support for claims that


reference rate actually increased. of course such a crude analysis does not take in to account changes in banks ’ asset quality, or in the average maturity of loans, or changes in the degree of competition. nevertheless, this evidence provides little support for claims that higher capital requirements imply a significantly higher cost of borrowing for firms. figure 1. uk banks ’ leverage source : united kingdom : sheppard, d ( 1971 ), the growth and role of uk financial institutions 1880 - 1962, methuen, london ; billings, m and capie, f ( 2007 ), ' capital in british banking ', 1920 - 1970, business history, vol 49 ( 2 ), pages 139 - 162 ; bba, ons published accounts and bank calculations. notes : ( a ) uk data on leverage use total assets over equity and reserves on a time - varying sample of banks, representing the majority of the uk banking system, in terms of assets. prior to 1970 published accounts understated the true level of banks ' capital because they did not include hidden reserves. the solid line adjusts for this. 2009 observation is from h1. ( b ) change in uk accounting standards. ( c ) international financial reporting standards ( ifrs ) were adopted for the end - 2005 accounts. the end - 2004 accounts were also restated on an ifrs basis. the switch from uk gaap to ifrs reduced the capital ratio of the uk banks in the sample by approximately one percentage point in 2004. figure 2. leverage and spreads of average business loan rates charged by us commercial banks over three - month treasury bills source : homer and sylla ( 1991 ) a history of interest rates, rutgers university press. according to the theory none of this evidence relies on any clever academic theorising – it just points to what banks used to be like. there is, of course, a bit of theory – not especially complicated and pretty much in line with common sense – which also suggests that the costs to banks of using more equity financing are not likely to be great. the idea here is that while the required return on equity is likely to be greater than the required return on debt – because it is more risky – the extra cost of financing from using more equity is small because extra equity reduces risk and lowers the required return on both debt and equity. i doubt that this offset is so great as to make the cost of debt and equity to a bank the same - the modigliani - miller theorem is not likely to hold exactly. but nonetheless the cost of using more equity on


and equity. i doubt that this offset is so great as to make the cost of debt and equity to a bank the same - the modigliani - miller theorem is not likely to hold exactly. but nonetheless the cost of using more equity on the overall cost of funding a banks ’ assets is, even on pessimistic assumptions, not likely to be great. let me be more specific and run through a very simple calculation ( see miles, yang, and marcheggiano 2012 ). suppose a bank can raise debt at an interest rate of 5 %. suppose the bank has leverage of 30 ( that is, assets are 30 times greater than equity funding ). suppose also that at this degree of leverage the required rate of return on equity is around 15 %. these figures are roughly representative of where many banks have been in recent years. the weighted average cost of funds would then be 5. 33 %. suppose that if leverage halves to 15, there is some reduction in the required return on equity, but only around half of the reduction implied by the modigliani - miller theorem. that would suggest that the required return on equity would fall to 12. 6 %, and the average cost of funds would rise to 5. 5 %. if the modigliani - miller theorem did not hold at all, the required return on equity would have stayed at 15 % and the weighted average cost of capital would have risen to 5. 66 %. so a doubling in capital, halving leverage, might cause the cost of bank funding to rise by between 17bp and 33bp. these numbers are nontrivial but hardly enough to do substantial damage to banks and their customers. the ‘ capital requirements are costly ’ argument so why do so many people seem to think that having banks use more equity is so costly? one reason is that some people seem to think that capital is money that is forced to lie idle, that it is ‘ tied up ’. this obviously makes no sense at all. equity funding helps finance the acquisition of assets. it is a source of funding for bank lending in exactly the same way that debt is. you might think this is so self - evident that no one could ever believe the notion that requiring banks to use more equity is withdrawing funds from the economy. but i think you would be wrong, at least judging from the number of times you hear the view that higher capital requirements are sucking money out of the economy and starving firms and households of credit. a rather more subtle argument is that, while in


. but i think you would be wrong, at least judging from the number of times you hear the view that higher capital requirements are sucking money out of the economy and starving firms and households of credit. a rather more subtle argument is that, while in some circumstances equity is not an exceptionally costly form of finance for banks, today it is because bank equity is trading at a huge discount. one version of this argument is that because the ratio of the market value of equity to its book value is well beneath unity, a bank which raises equity is imposing huge costs on those that provide it. i find this argument hard to understand. one interpretation of the argument is that because the market value of existing equity sits well below book value, a bank that raises one pound of new equity and invests in new assets will immediately find that the market value of those assets will fall to well under one pound. but why should one believe that the management of a bank is doomed to repeat whatever historical mistakes have created a situation where assets acquired in the past are now valued at less that the cost of acquisition? is not a bank manager convinced of this so pessimistic of their own ability that they are in need of therapy, or a change of career? another interpretation of the price to book argument is that it shows that required returns on new equity are very high. but a far more natural interpretation is that investors believe that existing assets on a bank ’ s balance sheet are worth less than their acquisition cost rather than that the required return on new investment is very high. this interpretation is consistent with the analysis on the latest bank of england financial stability report ( bank of england 2012 ) : “ in june 2012, the market value of the four largest uk banks ’ equity was around £90 billion less than the book value. this magnitude is similar to the difference between banks ’ own estimates of the fair value of their loans and their book value at the end of 2011. before the crisis there was little difference between these values. but since 2007, the fair value of uk banks ’ loans has fallen significantly below the book value. the fair value of loans should reflect the present value of expected cash flows. for example, expected credit losses, over and above current provisions or losses priced into loans, reduce the fair value of loans below their book value. ” one convincing argument the argument as to why raising more equity capital is problematic for banks that i think makes most sense is that the benefit of extra capital may substantially accrue to those with debt claims, making it unattractive to new


value. ” one convincing argument the argument as to why raising more equity capital is problematic for banks that i think makes most sense is that the benefit of extra capital may substantially accrue to those with debt claims, making it unattractive to new shareholders. this is a debt overhang problem : - first, while it may help explain difficulties for banks in raising more equity it also means that failure to raise more equity is a huge obstacle to a bank being able to function properly. not raising more equity would leave a bank with a cushion against losses too low to make it able to raise debt easily – that is precisely the debt overhang phenomenon in another guise. - second, one way to handle the debt overhang problem is to have some debt convert to equity. that is why regulators are surely right to think that having banks issue more convertible debt is one means to make them more robust. what are the people that run banks really saying if they argue that it is very costly – even unfeasible – to use more equity funding? one interpretation is that this argument is an admission that they cannot run a private enterprise in a way which makes people willing to provide finance whose returns share in the downside and the upside. in other words, they are not able to convince people who will face the full consequences of their commercial decisions to provide funding. it is as if banks cannot play by the same rules as other enterprises in a capitalist economy – after all, capitalists are supposed to use capital. you might expect that if this is the assessment of many people who currently run banks, then they would not wish to proclaim it so loudly. disclaimer : the views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the institutions with which he is affiliated. miles, d, j yang, and g marcheggiano ( 2012 ), “ optimal bank capital ”, the economic journal, june. bank of england ( 2012 ), “ financial stability report ”, 32, november.