results, d. boll. c code for finding dense packings of circles in circles, circles in squares, and spheres in spheres. - pennies in a tray, ivars peterson. packing on a circle and on a sphere, - points on a sphere. paul bourke describes a simple random - start hill - climbing heuristic for spreading points evenly on a sphere, with pretty pictures and c source. constellations. sort of a dynamic version of a sphere packing problem : how to arrange a bunch of satellites so each point of the planet can always see one of them? schramm ' s mathematical picture gallery primarily concentrating in square tilings and circle packings, many forming fractal patterns. j. a. sloane ' s netlib directory includes many references and programs for sphere packing and clustering in various models. see also his of sphere - packing and lattice theory publications. - soddy ' s hexlet, six spheres in a ring tangent to three others, bowl of integers, a sphere packing combining infinitely many hexlets, - sphere distribution problems. page of links to other pages, collected by anton sherwood. and lattices. razvan surdulescu computes sphere volumes and describes some lattice packings of spheres. - spheres with colorful chickenpox. digana swapar describes an algorithm for spreading points on a sphere to minimize the electrostatic potential, via a combination of simulated annealing and conjugate gradient optimization. patterns in disk packings, lubachevsky, graham, and stillinger, visual mathematics. a procedure for packing unit disks into square containers produces large grains of hexagonally packed disks with sporadic rattlers along the grain boundaries. - waterman polyhedra, formed from the convex hulls of centers of points near the origin in an see also paul bourke ' s waterman polyhedron page. - what is arbelos you ask? from the geometry junkyard, and recreational geometry pointers. send email if you know of an appropriate page not listed here. from a common source file.


1. what is bmi? bmi ( body mass index ) is a measurement of body fat of an individual based on weight and height. 2. what is normal bmi? bmi of 18. 5 to 24. 9 is considered normal bmi of 25 - 29. 9 is considered overweight bmi of greater than 30 is considered obese click here to calculate your bmi 3. what is lifestyle modification? it is a combination of dietary changes and physical activity in daily life. obesity is a chronic disease and needs life style modification on a day today basis. it plays a very important role in weight loss in addition to medications. it is very crucial part in keeping the weight off. 4. what is obesity? obesity results from complex interaction of genetic, behavioral and environmental factors causing an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. a body weight of 20 % or more above the desired weight loss is the point at which excessive weight becomes an established health hazard. 5. what are the health consequences of obesity? obesity is associated with the following diseases : - high cholesterol - heart disease - sleep apnea - liver and gallbladder disease - abnormal menses and infertility 6. what tests will be done during initial evaluation? you will have blood tests for sugar, thyroid, liver and kidney function. these results will be discussed with you at your first follow - up visit. an ekg will be done to make sure that the heart rate and rhythm is normal. a body composition analysis will be done using inbody 230. the results will be discussed with you and will help you to focus on your diet and exercise needs. 7. how frequently will i need to follow up? you will be seen one week after the initial visit to discuss the lab results and to address your concerns and any questions you might have about your medicine. thereafter, you will be seen every two weeks to ensure that the treatment is effective. body composition analysis will be repeated as indicated. 8. what type of medicines will be used? appetite suppressants are the most commonly prescribed medications for weight loss. these include medicines like phentermine. the medicine will be dispensed to you, only, at the time of the visit. in addition to oral medicines, such as vitamins, will be given at the visit. 9. how effective is the treatment for weight loss? weight loss medicines along with life style modification are a very effective way of losing weight. you can lose 1 - 2 pounds every week in the first month on an average


first west nile virus related death reported in illinois first human southern illinois west nile virus case also reported ; idph urges vigilance protecting against infection chicago – the illinois department of public health ( idph ) is reporting the first west nile virus related death in illinois for 2012. a dupage county man in his 70s, who had underlying health conditions, was diagnosed with west nile virus earlier this month and died last weekend. the first human case of west nile virus also was reported in southern illinois. the crawford county health department confirmed that a woman in her 80s tested positive for west nile virus. “ this year there are record levels of west nile virus activity nationwide and very high mosquito activity in illinois, ” said idph director dr. lamar hasbrouck. “ we urge people to continue to protect themselves by following the three r ’ s – reduce exposure to mosquitoes, repel them by wearing insect repellent, and report areas where mosquitoes typically breed. ” through the second week in august, 693 cases had been reported to the centers for disease control and prevention ( cdc ). that is the highest number of west nile virus disease cases reported to cdc through the same period since west nile virus was first detected in the u. s. in 1999. more than 80 percent of the cases have been reported from six states ( texas, mississippi, louisiana, oklahoma, south dakota, and california ). idph currently is reporting 21 human cases of west nile virus in illinois. the first human case of west nile virus was reported on july 24 — about a month earlier than most human cases in previous years. there were 34 human cases for the entire year in 2011. so far this year, 38 counties have reported mosquito batches, birds or people testing positive for west nile virus. the first west nile virus positive bird, a crow, was collected on may 16 in chicago, and idph and dupage county health department environmental health staff collected positive mosquito samples on may 17, 2012 from lemont and norridge in cook county, and clarendon hills, hinsdale, lisle, westmont and woodridge in dupage county. west nile virus is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. common west nile virus symptoms include fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches. symptoms may last from a few days to a few weeks. however, four out of five people infected with west nile virus will not show any symptoms. in rare cases, severe illness including meningitis or en


objectives and roadmap the objectives this subtask is addressing are the following : - to establish and demonstrate, with comprehensive and transparent studies over the full life cycle, that pv systems are environmentally friendly compared to other energy systems. - to show that future very large - scale implementation will provide clear environmental benefits. the activities to achieve the announced objectives are the next : - compare the environmental impact profiles of pv technologies with those of other energy technologies - show the trends in pv environmental profiles by certain indicators ( e. g., energy pay - back time, green - house gas emissions, environmental impacts, waste reduction, materials ’ recycling and recovery ). - continue showing such progress in annual updates over the course of task 12 ( 5 years ). - valuate the environmental benefits of pv by showing avoided impacts or avoided “ external ” costs. - credible communication and dissemination of results. these activities have started with developing guidelines for a consistent methodological approach in lci ( life cycle inventory ) databases and life cycle assessment ( lca ), enabling well - balanced and transparent comparisons among pv and other energy technologies. this will allow : - benchmarking of the pv technology performance against other energy technologies - monitoring and reporting progress in the environmental area ( process and product ) - benchmarking of individual company performance within the whole pv industry - credible communication and dissemination of results


this project aims to inform the public policy debate on higher education funding and access. the researchers will analyse several datasets to help shed light on the drivers of the socio - economic gap in higher education participation, as well as key features of the university experience. specifically, the project will focus on exploring these seven commonly held beliefs : - ' many talented 18 year olds from poorer backgrounds are not going to university ' - ' young people from poor backgrounds do not aspire to go to university ' - ' qualified 18 year olds from poorer backgrounds do not apply to university - and if they do, they face discrimination ' - ' tuition fees prevent students from poorer backgrounds from going to university ' - ' poorer children do badly at university ' - ' university is for full - time students ' - ' all degrees are worth the same ' the data that the researchers will analyse include : - newly available waves of data from the longitudinal study of young people in england ( lsype ), which follows pupils first eligible to enter university in 2008 - 09. - data from the avon longitudinal study of parents and children ( alspac ) - household survey data from the labour force survey ( lfs ) and the british household panel study ( bhps ) - administrative records for entire cohorts of students in england from the national pupil database ( npd ) linked to databases from further and higher education, e. g. higher education statistics authority ( hesa ) data and applications records from ucas. the researchers aim to bring together existing research and their new analyses of these datasets. the findings will be disseminated widely to policy makers, prospective students and their parents. in addition, the researchers plan to publish a short accessible book aimed at the general public. this research will be carried out in collaboration with professor john micklewright and professor anna vignoles from the institute of education.


cornell university geneticist ray wu, a pioneer in genetic engineering who developed pest -, drought - and salinity - resistant rice strains that are poised for widespread use throughout the world, died of cardiac arrest feb. 10 at cayuga medical center in ithaca, n. y. he was 79. the new strains have the potential to sharply increase the supply of rice, which is the staple food for more than half the world ' s population. " where rice is grown, everyone knows ray wu, " said cornell geneticist susan mccouch. " he made enormous contributions to the development of rice transformation systems that are widely used to address crop production constraints throughout the rice - growing world. " in 1970, wu developed the first method for determining the nucleotide sequence of dna. his technique was adopted and made more efficient by frederick sanger, who received the 1980 nobel prize in chemistry for his efforts. during the 1980s, wu pioneered techniques for transferring foreign genes into rice. in one study, he inserted into rice a potato gene for a protein called proteinase inhibitor ii. the rice then produced the protein, which interferes with the digestive process of the pink stem borer, a common rice pest. in a second study, he inserted a barley gene that enabled rice plants to produce a protein that makes them salt - and drought - resistant so they can grow in salty soil and recover quickly from dry conditions. a third study increased the tolerance of rice for drought, salt and heat by introducing the bacterial gene for a sugar called trehalose. special promoters were inserted along with the gene so that the sugar is produced only when the rice plants need it. wu said the technology could easily be extended to a variety of other grain crops to improve their output. the strains of rice produced by wu are now being cross - bred with commercial rice varieties in countries to introduce these desirable traits into widely used strains. the resultant varieties could be in commercial use within as few as five years, mccouch said. wu also founded the china - united states biochemistry and molecular biology examination and application program, which during the 1980s brought more than 400 top chinese students to the u. s. for graduate study. that program produced more than 100 faculty members for chinese universities. in advisory roles to both the chinese and taiwanese governments, wu was instrumental in establishing the institute of molecular biology, the institute of bioagricultural sciences of academica sinica in taiwan and the national institute of biological sciences in beijing. he also served as a scientific advisor to several other chinese


finance & development, listen to our podcast : managing the pain of fiscal consolidation although advanced economies need medium - run fiscal consolidation, slamming on the brakes too quickly will hurt incomes and job prospects when british prime minister david cameron announced his government ’ s deficit reduction plans earlier this year he said, “ those who argue that dealing with our deficit and promoting growth are somehow alternatives are wrong. you cannot put off the first in order to promote the second ” ( cameron, 2011 ). the challenge facing the united kingdom and many advanced economies is how to bring debt down to safer levels in the face of a weak recovery. will deficit reduction lead to stronger growth and job creation in the short run? recent imf research provides an answer to this question. evidence from data over the past 30 years shows that consolidation lowers incomes in the short term, with wage - earners taking more of a hit than others ; it also raises unemployment, particularly long - term unemployment. for the advanced economies, there is an unmistakable need to restore fiscal sustainability through credible consolidation plans. at the same time, we know that slamming on the brakes too quickly will hurt the recovery and worsen job prospects. hence the potential longer - run benefits of fiscal consolidation must be balanced against the short - and medium - run adverse impacts on growth and jobs. the twin challenges the great recession of 2007 – 09 has led to the most pronounced increase in unemployment the advanced countries have seen in the post – world war ii period. unemployment averaged 5 percent in 2007 but shot up to 8 percent by 2009 and has remained high since then ( see chart 1, left panel ). in many countries, such as ireland and spain, unemployment is at double - digit levels ; in the united states, two year after the recession was officially declared to have ended, unemployment remains above 9 percent and net job creation is at a virtual standstill. the great recession has also been a factor in increasing public debt, in large part because of the collapse in tax revenues as incomes fell. other contributors to the debt buildup were the costs of financial bailouts of banks and companies and the fiscal stimulus provided by many countries to stave off a depression. in advanced economies public debt has increased from 70 percent of gdp in 2007 to about 100 percent of gdp — its highest level in 50 years ( see chart 1, right panel ). looking ahead, population aging could create even more serious problems for public finances ( see f & d, june 2011 ). will it hurt? many governments are already undertaking or planning policies to reduce government debt and deficits


chart 1, right panel ). looking ahead, population aging could create even more serious problems for public finances ( see f & d, june 2011 ). will it hurt? many governments are already undertaking or planning policies to reduce government debt and deficits ( fiscal consolidations ), through a combination of spending cuts and tax hikes. what are the likely short - term effects of these plans? because such plans have been quite common, history offers a good guide. over the past 30 years, there have been 173 episodes during which 17 advanced economies undertook budgetary measures aimed at fiscal consolidation. ( the countries are australia, austria, belgium, canada, denmark, finland, france, germany, ireland, italy, japan, the netherlands, portugal, spain, sweden, united kingdom, and the united states. ) the average size of fiscal consolidation was about 1 percent of gdp a year. to obtain estimates of the effects of fiscal consolidation, the imf research draws on historical accounts and records of policy actions — tax hikes and spending cuts — motivated by a desire to bring about deficit reduction. this is a more accurate measure of policy actions than those used in previous studies, which often rely on the observed change in the budget deficit adjusted for the economic cycle ( see box ). using this better measure, the evidence from the past is clear : fiscal consolidations typically have the short - run effect of reducing incomes and raising unemployment. a fiscal consolidation of 1 percent of gdp reduces inflation - adjusted incomes by about 0. 6 percent and raises the unemployment rate by almost 0. 5 percentage point ( see chart 2 ) within two years, with some recovery thereafter. spending by households and firms also declines, with little evidence of a handover from public to private sector demand. in economists ’ jargon, fiscal consolidations are contractionary, not expansionary. this conclusion reverses earlier suggestions in the literature that cutting the budget deficit can spur growth in the short term. no pain relievers? the reduction in incomes from fiscal consolidations is even larger if central banks do not or cannot blunt some of the pain through a monetary policy stimulus. the fall in interest rates associated with monetary stimulus supports investment and consumption, and the concomitant depreciation of the currency boosts net exports. ireland in 1987 and finland and italy in 1992 are examples of countries that undertook fiscal consolidations, but where large depreciations of the currency helped provide a boost to net exports. unfortunately, these pain relievers are not easy to come by in today ’ s environment. in


italy in 1992 are examples of countries that undertook fiscal consolidations, but where large depreciations of the currency helped provide a boost to net exports. unfortunately, these pain relievers are not easy to come by in today ’ s environment. in many economies, central banks can provide only a limited monetary stimulus because policy interest rates are already near zero ( see “ unconventional behavior ” in this issue of f & d ). moreover, if many countries carry out fiscal austerity at the same time, the reduction in incomes in each country is likely to be greater, since not all countries can reduce the value of their currency and increase net exports at the same time. simulations of the imf ’ s large - scale models suggest that the reduction in incomes may be more than twice as large as that shown in chart 2 when central banks cannot cut interest rates and when many countries are carrying out consolidations at the same time. these simulations thus suggest that fiscal consolidation is now likely to be more contractionary ( that is, to reduce short - run income more ) than was the case in past episodes. the historical evidence also shows that fiscal consolidations based on spending cuts are less painful than those based on tax hikes. this is largely because central banks have cut interest rates more after spending cuts. again, this avenue is not one that many countries can rely on today. fiscal consolidation may also seem less painful when markets are more concerned about the risk of a government defaulting on its debt. this could reflect so - called confidence effects : the fact that the country is tackling the fiscal situation can impart confidence to financial markets and to consumers and firms, leading them to spend more. but the imf research found that even in such cases, on average, the effects are contractionary, with no evidence of any surge of consumption and investment. fiscal contractions raise both short - term and long - term unemployment, as shown in chart 3, but the impact is much greater on the latter. long - term unemployment refers to spells of unemployment lasting more than six months. moreover, within three years the rise in short - term unemployment due to fiscal consolidation comes to an end, but long - term unemployment remains higher even after five years. fiscal consolidations thus add to the pain of those who are likely to be already suffering the most — the long - term unemployed. this is a particular worry today since the share of long - term unemployed increased in most organization for economic cooperation and development countries during the great recession. and even in countries where it did not increase —


already suffering the most — the long - term unemployed. this is a particular worry today since the share of long - term unemployed increased in most organization for economic cooperation and development countries during the great recession. and even in countries where it did not increase — such as france, germany, italy, and japan — the share had already been very high even before the recession. job loss is associated with persistent earnings loss, adverse impacts on health, and declines in the academic performance and earnings potential of the children of displaced workers ( see “ the tragedy of unemployment, ” in f & d, december 2010 ). these adverse effects are exacerbated the longer a person is unemployed. moreover, long spells of unemployment reduce the odds of being rehired. for instance, in the united states today, a person unemployed for more than six months has only a 1 in 10 chance of being rehired in the next month, compared with 1 in 3 odds for a person unemployed less than a month. the increase in long - term unemployment thus carries the risk of entrenching unemployment as a structural problem because workers lose skills and become detached from the labor force — a phenomenon referred to as “ hysteresis ” ( blanchard and summers, 1986 ). long - term unemployment also threatens social cohesion. an opinion survey conducted in 69 countries around the world found that an experience with unemployment leads to more negative opinions about the effectiveness of democracy and increases the desire for a rogue leader. the effects were found to be more pronounced for the long - term unemployed. a traditional way of splitting the economic pie is into wages, profits, and rents. this harks back to times when the roles of workers, capitalists, and landlords were fairly distinct. although these distinctions have eroded somewhat over time, the split between wages and other forms of income represents a starting point for describing how income is divided between main street and wall street. how does fiscal consolidation affect the distribution of income between wage - earners and others? the research shows the pain is not borne equally. fiscal consolidation reduces the slice of the pie going to wage - earners. for every 1 percent of gdp of fiscal consolidation, inflation - adjusted wage income typically shrinks by 0. 9 percent, while inflation - adjusted profit and rents fall by only 0. 3 percent. also, while the decline in wage income persists over time, the decline in profits and rents is short - lived ( see chart 4 ). the reasons wage income declines more than profits and rents have not yet been studied much by


. 3 percent. also, while the decline in wage income persists over time, the decline in profits and rents is short - lived ( see chart 4 ). the reasons wage income declines more than profits and rents have not yet been studied much by economists. some fiscal austerity plans call for public sector wage cuts, thus providing a direct channel for this effect. but there could be indirect channels as well, for instance because consolidations increase unemployment, and particularly the share of long - term unemployed in the total. ( see “ unemployed in europe ” in this issue of f & d for evidence that unemployment raises income inequality. ) the bottom line the research described here shows that it is important to have realistic expectations about the short - term consequences of fiscal consolidation : it is likely to lower incomes — hitting wage - earners more than others — and raise unemployment, particularly long - term unemployment. these costs must be balanced against the potential longer - term benefits that consolidation can confer — such as reducing interest rates and lightening the burden of interest payments, permitting cuts to distortionary taxes ( those that discourage desirable behavior ). accordingly, fiscal measures that are approved now but kick in to reduce deficits only in the future — when the recovery is more robust — would be particularly helpful. examples include linking statutory retirement ages to life expectancy and improving the efficiency of entitlement programs. in contrast, fiscal consolidations that are unduly hasty risk prolonging the jobless recovery in many advanced economies. so countries with the scope to do so should opt for a slower pace of consolidation combined with policies to support growth ( lagarde, 2011 ). in countries such as the united states, where unemployment remains at historical highs and long - term unemployment is at alarming levels, more active policies are needed to spur job creation and increase consumer confidence, including measures such as mortgage relief for distressed homeowners. fiscal consolidation plans should also spell out how policies would respond to shocks, such as slower growth than envisaged in the plan. for instance, plans could specify that unemployment benefits would be shielded from cuts in the event of slower growth than assumed in the plan. history shows that fiscal plans succeed when they permit “ some flexibility while credibly preserving the medium - term consolidation objectives ” ( imf, 2011 ; see also mauro, 2011 ). ■ laurence ball is professor of economics at johns hopkins university. daniel leigh is an economist and prakash loungani is an advisor, both in the imf ’ s research department. this article draws


, 2011 ; see also mauro, 2011 ). ■ laurence ball is professor of economics at johns hopkins university. daniel leigh is an economist and prakash loungani is an advisor, both in the imf ’ s research department. this article draws on research one of the authors conducted jointly with jaime guajardo and andrea pescatori. alesina, alberto, and silvia ardagna, 2010, “ large changes in fiscal policy : taxes versus spending, ” in tax policy and the economy, vol. 24, ed. by jeffrey r. brown ( cambridge, massachusetts : national bureau of economic research ). blanchard, olivier j., and lawrence h. summers, 1986, “ hysteresis and the european unemployment problem, ” nber macroeconomics annual 1986, vol. 1 ( cambridge, massachusetts : mit press ), pp. 15 – 90. cameron, david, 2011, “ full transcript : speech to world economic forum annual meeting 2011, ” new statesman, january 28. giavazzi, francesco, and marco pagano, 1990, “ can severe fiscal contractions be expansionary? tales of two small european countries, ” in nber macroeconomics annual, vol. 5, ed. by olivier jean blanchard and stanley fischer ( cambridge, massachusetts : mit press ), pp. 75 – 122. guajardo, jaime, daniel leigh, and andrea pescatori, 2011, “ expansionary austerity : new international evidence, ” imf working paper 11 / 158 ( washington : international monetary fund ). international monetary fund ( imf ), 2010, “ will it hurt? macroeconomic effects of fiscal consolidation, ” world economic outlook ( washington : october ). — — —, 2011, “ what failed and what worked in past attempts at fiscal adjustment, ” appendix 4 in fiscal monitor ( washington : april ). lagarde, christine, 2011, “ don ’ t let fiscal brakes stall global recovery, ” the financial times, august 15. mauro, paolo, ed., 2011, chipping away at the public debt : sources of failure and keys to adjustment in public debt ( hoboken, new jersey : john wiley & sons, inc. ).


( last updated on : 04 / 02 / 2011 ) chamar, dalit sub caste from india, are generally involved with leather works. the word chamar is derived from the sanskrit word ` charmakara ` meaning tanner. they generally reside in certain parts of the northern states of india. some are scattered around himachal pradesh, western punjab, uttar pradesh and in nepal. in fact, they are mostly found in hindi speaking states of the country. the chamars are also called by the names of chambar boli, chambari and chamari. the chamars are considered as a scheduled caste in india. though the name of the chamar suggest the meaning of hide workers, the people of this community are also engaged in some other occupations like agricultural activities, field workers, weaving etc. sometimes they work as coolies and some are engaged in taking care of the hides and the animals and some related works for making hide materials. though the chamars are engaged in other jobs, basically their main occupation is agriculture. it has been said that the chamars residing in some parts of nepal are of indo - aryan lineage. 300 years ago, this group migrated from bihar and uttar pradesh. the chamars residing in punjab are ramified in groups like ravidasis and ad - dharmis. most of the chamars are concentrated in punjab near the doaba region. in this region, the chamars have proper education and are affluent. some of them are engage din different services in india and some are migrated to abroad. thus the economic status of the chamars of this region is better from the other groups residing in different parts of india. there are several traditions suggesting the origin of chamars. the name ravidasi chamars basically derived from the term ` ravidasias `. the people of this group were influences by the saint ravidass and those who follow the paths said by the saint are called ravidassia chamars. another group of chamars are called raigar, which is considered as the sub caste of the chamars. though raigar is not directly the sub caste of chamars, but there are similarities in economic and occupation that made them similar to the chamars. the people of raigar community are leather tanners inhabiting in some parts of delhi. the raigar community is divided in three major groups namely lashkaria raiger, sindhi raiger and raigar and these sub groups have a number of clans


people of raigar community are leather tanners inhabiting in some parts of delhi. the raigar community is divided in three major groups namely lashkaria raiger, sindhi raiger and raigar and these sub groups have a number of clans. as per history, the chamar group either came from the aryans or there is a chance that they are the descendants of the original community of the chamars. according to manu, the kara vera or worker in leather has descended from a nishada father and vaidiha mother. again, on the same authority, the nishada is the offspring of a brahman husband and sudra wife. and vaidiha has been born of a vaishya husband and brahmin wife. if the workers in leather of the present day are lineal descendants of the workers in leather in manu ` s time, the chamars may fairly consider themselves of no mean degree as they may hold up their heads boldly in the presence of the superior castes. the chamars of the past were the followers of hinduism. apart from following hindu religion, the chamars also follow islam. some of the chamars are the part of smaller religious groups namely ravidasi, ad - dharm and arya samaj. they took part in the small movements that were conducted by these groups. the chamars are divided into various endogamous sub - castes and some of these sub - castes are of occupational nature. further, chamar community is also divided into a number of exogamous groups or sections, whose names suggest huge diversity of character. like for example, some are taken from rajput clans, as suryavanshi, gaharwar and rathor ; while others have been taken from gond tribe. they have certain indigenous customs and they are religious by nature. apart from being engaged in some other professions, the chamars take active parts in politics. history says that a huge number of chamars were involved in military service and took active part in several major wars. during the british rule, many were recruited in the army for world war i and ii in british india army.


equine - assisted psychotherapy : a mental health promotion / intervention modality for children who have experienced intra - family violence source : health & social care in the community, volume 15, number 3, may 2007, pp. 265 - 271 ( 7 ) abstract : equine - assisted psychotherapy ( eap ) is a specialized form of psychotherapy using the horse as a therapeutic tool. this modality is designed to address self - esteem and personal confidence, communication and interpersonal effectiveness, trust, boundaries and limit - setting, and group cohesion. substantial numbers of children witness family violence. there is evidence that violence between parents has adverse effects on the children in the family. these children are at greater risk of behavioural problems and mental health disorders, including anxiety, anger, depression and suicidal ideations, withdrawal, low self - esteem, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. the purpose of the present pilot study was to test the efficacy of eap in a cross - sectional group of children referred to a psychotherapist for various childhood behavioural and mental health issues over an 18 - month period ( june 2003 - january 2005 ). sixty - three children received a mean number of 19 eap sessions. scores on the children ' s global assessment of functioning ( gaf ) scale were determined pre - and post - treatment. the mean ( ± standard deviation, sd ) pretreatment score was 54. 1 ( sd 3. 2 ) and post treatment mean score was 61. 7 ± 5. 0 ( t = 9. 06, d. f. = 96, p < 0. 001 ). all children showed improvement in gaf scores, and there was a statistically significant correlation between the percentage improvement in the gaf scores and the number of sessions given ( r = 0. 73, p = 0. 001 ). univariate analysis showed that the greatest improvement in the gaf scores occurred in the youngest of the subjects. children in the group who had a history of physical abuse and neglect had a statistically significant greater percentage improvement in gaf scores after treatment than those who did not have a history of abuse and neglect. this study has demonstrated a quick response to eap, especially in younger children, but it remains to be determined what kind of long - term effects this type of intervention may provide. document type : research article publication date : 2007 - 05 - 01


technology and technology changes what are the types of technology changes? there are three types of trends and conditions — technology diffusion and disruptive technologies, the information age, and increasing knowledge intensity — through which technology is significantly altering the nature of competition and in doing so, is contributing to unstable competitive environments. technology diffusion is the rate at which new products become available and are used. for example, when consumers switched to computers or other types of word processing technology, it caused a decrease of sales for typewriters. perpetual innovation is how fast and consistently new information technologies replace their predecessors. the product life cycles are shorter, and as a result these rapid diffusions of new innovations place a competitive premium of being able to quickly introduce new, innovative goods and services into the market place. when products become somewhat impossible to differentiate because of the extensive and rapid diffusion of technologies, rapidity to market with innovative products may be the primary source of completive advantage. another pointer of rapid innovation diffusion is that today, it may take only 12 to 18 months for firms to gather information about their competitor ’ s research and development and product decisions. disruptive technology is an innovation that destroys the value of an existing technology and creates new market for a particular product or service. new markets are created by the technologies underlying the development of products such as ipods and pdas, but based on price or image, appeal to a different target demographic than what the pioneer products of the technologies may have initially been marketed to. products of these types are thought by some to represent breakthrough innovations. a disruptive innovation technology can create what is essentially a new industry or can harm a learning process for a particular industry. some industries are able to adapt based on their superior resources, experience, and ability to gain access to the new technology through multiple resources ( such as acquisitions, alliaces, and ongoing internal basic research ). when a disruptive technology creates a new industry, competitors usually follow. one example for disruptive innovation is amazon. com – amazon. com ’ s launching created a new industry by making use of the disruptive technology we know as the internet today! in addition to making innovative use of the internet to create amazon. com, jeff bezos also uses core competence in technology to study information about its customers. these efforts result in opportunities to understand individual consumers ’ needs and then target goods and services to satisfy those needs. ( amazon. com : using technology to create change ).


a discovery reported in the august 5 issue of science could speed the design of materials that approach the hardness of diamond yet remain supple enough to be worked like metal. in a massive computer simulation involving 128 computer processors and nearly 19 million atoms, materials scientist izabela szlufarska of the university of wisconsin - madison and colleagues at university of southern california demonstrated the precise atomic mechanisms that explain why " nanostructured " ceramic materials - some of the hardest substances known - also exhibit unusual pliability. unlike other exceptionally hard materials, these advanced ceramics tend to bend rather than break, meaning they could be shaped into extremely long - lasting yet lightweight parts for everything from automobile engines and high - speed machining tools to medical implants in the body. but they are also notoriously difficult to engineer, because as their name implies they possess a grain structure that falls into the nano - size range of molecules and atoms. " how to optimize their design is an open question, " says szlufarska, who is also a professor of engineering physics. " people have used a trial and error approach to make these materials harder. but there is still much to be understood as to why they are harder. " simulations can help to answer this by providing a level of detail unavailable to experiments. using atomic - scale simulations, the team observed for the first time how atoms moved and interacted as a super - hard ceramic deformed under stress. the advance has not only provided unprecedented insight into the properties of these materials, but also a tool that researchers can use to systematically nano - engineer them. " this study is just the first step, " says szlufarska. " the goal is to design the strongest material possible. " the particular nanostructured ceramic szlufarska focuses on, called nanocrystalline silicon carbide, is also exceptionally resistant to high temperature and radiation, which has nasa eyeing it as a coating for the space shuttle. another important application is micro - electro mechanical systems ( mems ), tiny machines that are currently made of silicon. " todays mems cant have two surfaces rubbing against one another because the silicon is brittle and tends to break, " says szlufarska. " if we could instead make mems out of silicon carbide, the sky would be the limit in terms of applications. " normal ceramics, like clays, become brittle when fired. but when ceramic is made from particles spanning mere atoms in diameter, the material exhibits dramatically


mems out of silicon carbide, the sky would be the limit in terms of applications. " normal ceramics, like clays, become brittle when fired. but when ceramic is made from particles spanning mere atoms in diameter, the material exhibits dramatically improved ductility after bonding at high temperature and pressure. this unusual combination of strength and suppleness is derived from the materials two - phase nature. in nanocrystalline silicon carbide, says szlufarska, highly ordered, crystalline grains are surrounded by a more disordered, or amorphous, matrix of grain boundaries - much like tiny stones cemented by a semi - fluid mortar. and the volume of grain boundaries exceeds that in other nanostructured materials such as metals. to understand, at the atomic scale, how nanocrystalline silicon carbide deforms under force, the team performed a simulation in which they pressed a tiny, virtual probe, called an indenter, into the materials surface and watched how the atoms moved in response. initially, the grains deformed and then sprang back as a unit, an illustration of the materials hardness. " at this point, the grains all moved together because the grain boundaries held them together like glue, " says szlufarska. but as the probe pressed deeper and exerted greater pressure, the researchers witnessed a surprising shift in the materials response. at a specific indentation depth, the grain boundaries began to yield, allowing individual grains to rotate and glide independently under the probes force. " because the grain boundaries are flowing, the material is more ductile than normal ceramic would be, " says szlufarska. " and the grain boundaries initially take part of the deformation, so in essence they protect the grains from breaking. " in contrast, nano - structured metals go through no such phase ; instead their grains take the brunt of the force, immediately developing defects, like tiny cracks, when the material begins to yield. " once defects occur in the system, the system is just weaker and its going to break, " says szlufarska. this crossover in response - from cooperative grain movement and hardness, to individual movement and ductility - is unique to nano - structured ceramics, she says. the researchers next want to learn how to control the crossover point so as to engineer greater hardness into nano - crystalline silicon carbide without compromising pliability. for example, they could vary the volume of the grain boundaries or the size of the grains. impurities


to learn how to control the crossover point so as to engineer greater hardness into nano - crystalline silicon carbide without compromising pliability. for example, they could vary the volume of the grain boundaries or the size of the grains. impurities, or dopants, might also be added to the grain boundaries to make the material stronger. key to it all is the enormous computing power that allows scientists to simulate the materials atomic details. " the experiments and devices have become smaller and smaller, while the simulations have grown larger and larger, " says szlufarska. " this is a unique time when the leading edge of materials design is exactly at the same length scale where fully atomic simulations are possible. " izabela szlufarska | source : eurekalert! further information : www. wisc. edu more articles from materials sciences : new filtration material could make petroleum refining cheaper, more efficient 24. 05. 2013 | national institute of standards and technology ( nist ) innovation could bring flexible solar cells, transistors, displays 23. 05. 2013 | purdue university this morning at 05 : 45 cest, the earth trembled beneath the okhotsk sea in the pacific northwest. the quake, with a magnitude of 8. 2, took place at an exceptional depth of 605 kilometers. because of the great depth of the earthquake a tsunami is not expected and there should also be no major damage due to shaking. professor frederik tilmann of the gfz german research centre for geosciences : " the epicenter is exceptionally deep, far below the earth ' s crust in the mantle. such strong... the ring nebula ' s distinctive shape makes it a popular illustration for astronomy books. but new observations by nasa ' s hubble space telescope of the glowing gas shroud around an old, dying, sun - like star reveal a new twist. " the nebula is not like a bagel, but rather, it ' s like a jelly doughnut, because it ' s filled with material in the middle, " said c. robert o ' dell of vanderbilt university in nashville, tenn. he leads a research team that used hubble and several ground - based telescopes to obtain the best view yet of... new indicator molecules visualise the activation of auto - aggressive t cells in the body as never before biological processes are generally based on events at the molecular and cellular level. to understand what happens in the course of infections, diseases or normal bodily functions, scientists would


indicator molecules visualise the activation of auto - aggressive t cells in the body as never before biological processes are generally based on events at the molecular and cellular level. to understand what happens in the course of infections, diseases or normal bodily functions, scientists would need to examine individual cells and their activity directly in the tissue. the development of new microscopes and fluorescent dyes in... a fried breakfast food popular in spain provided the inspiration for the development of doughnut - shaped droplets that may provide scientists with a new approach for studying fundamental issues in physics, mathematics and materials. the doughnut - shaped droplets, a shape known as toroidal, are formed from two dissimilar liquids using a simple rotating stage and an injection needle. about a millimeter in overall size, the droplets are produced individually, their shapes maintained by a surrounding springy material made of polymers. droplets in this toroidal shape made... frauhofer fep will present a novel roll - to - roll manufacturing process for high - barriers and functional films for flexible displays at the sid displayweek 2013 in vancouver – the international showcase for the display industry. displays that are flexible and paper thin at the same time?! what might still seem like science fiction will be a major topic at the sid display week 2013 that currently takes place in vancouver in canada. high manufacturing cost and a short lifetime are still a major obstacle on... 24. 05. 2013 | life sciences 24. 05. 2013 | ecology, the environment and conservation 24. 05. 2013 | physics and astronomy 17. 05. 2013 | event news 15. 05. 2013 | event news 08. 05. 2013 | event news


we would appreciate your feedback to help with continued improvement of this resource. ms merrin angwin dr dee nandurkar date last modified : july 16, 2009 a thyroid scan is a nuclear medicine test that provides information about the function and structure of the thyroid gland. the scan involves injection of a radiopharmaceutical into a vein in your arm and imaging with a gamma camera. the thyroid gland consists of two lobes ( rounded parts or divisions ) and is located in the lower part of the front of the neck. the thyroid gland takes up iodine from the bloodstream. iodine is found in foods we eat such as sea fish, milk, eggs and iodised salt. it stores the iodine and makes thyroid hormones. thyroid hormones are responsible for controlling the body ' s metabolism ( where food is converted into energy ) and growth. sometimes you may need to stop taking certain medications before you have a thyroid scan. when you need to stop taking it will depend on the type of medication. you should consult with your doctor about the need to stop any medication. it is also very important that you have not had any other radiology procedures that require the injection of a contrast medium containing iodine ( such as a computed tomography ( ct ) scan with contrast injection ) at least 8 weeks prior to a thyroid scan. if you have had a test using iodine contrast medium, your thyroid scan may need to be rebooked for a later time. it is important that you let staff at the hospital or radiology practice where you are having the scan done know if you are ( or think you could be ) pregnant or are breast feeding. this study may not be suitable for pregnant women because of the radiation dose to the growing foetus. please discuss this with your doctor. women who are breastfeeding and people who are the primary or sole carer for small children may need to make special preparations for after the test, to stop breastfeeding for a short time, and to avoid close contact with young children. this is due to the small amount of radioactivity your body may release for a while after the test. talk to your referring doctor or the nuclear medicine practice where you will have the test for details. the australian radiation protection and nuclear safety agency has recommendations about breastfeeding and close contact with children after nuclear medicine tests. certain foods, vitamin supplements and medicines containing iodine can also affect the scan. examples are kelp, cough mixtures, betadine and fish oil tablets. it is important that you check with


what is it? a knee sprain is an injury of the ligaments, tough bands of fibrous tissue that connect the bones of the upper and lower leg at the knee joint. the knee joint has four major ligaments. - anterior cruciate ligament ( acl ). the acl and the posterior cruciate ligament ( pcl ) bridge the inside of the knee joint, forming an " x " pattern that stabilizes the knee against front - to - back and back - to - front forces. the acl typically sprains during one of the following knee movements : a sudden stop ; a twist, pivot or change in direction at the joint ; extreme overstraightening ( hyperextension ) ; or a direct impact to the outside of the knee or lower leg. these injuries are seen among athletes in football, basketball, soccer, rugby, wrestling, gymnastics and skiing. - posterior cruciate ligament ( pcl ). the pcl works with the acl to stabilize the knee. it most often sprains because of a direct impact to the front of the knee, such as hitting the knee on the dashboard in a car crash or landing hard on a bent knee during sports. in athletes, pcl injuries are most common among those who play football, basketball, soccer and rugby. - medial collateral ligament ( mcl ). the mcl supports the knee along the inner side of the leg. like the acl, the mcl can be torn by a direct sideways blow to the outside of the knee or lower leg, the kind of blow that can happen in football, soccer, hockey and rugby. the mcl can be injured by a severe knee twist during skiing or wrestling, particularly when a fall twists the lower leg outwards, away from the upper leg. - lateral collateral ligament ( lcl ). the lcl supports the outer side of the knee. it is the least likely knee ligament to be sprained because most lcl injuries are caused by a blow to the inside of the knee, and that area usually is shielded by the opposite leg. like other types of sprains, knee sprains are classified according to a grading system : - grade i ( mild ). this injury stretches the ligament, which causes microscopic tears in the ligament. these tiny tears don ' t significantly affect the overall ability of the knee joint to support your weight. - grade ii ( moderate ). the ligament is partially torn, and there is some mild to moderate instability ( or periodic giving out


in the ligament. these tiny tears don ' t significantly affect the overall ability of the knee joint to support your weight. - grade ii ( moderate ). the ligament is partially torn, and there is some mild to moderate instability ( or periodic giving out ) of the knee while standing or walking. - grade iii ( severe ). the ligament is torn completely or separated at its end from the bone, and the knee is more unstable. when one knee ligament suffers a serious sprain, there is a good chance that other parts of the knee may also be injured. for example, because the mcl helps to protect the acl from certain types of extreme knee forces, the acl can become vulnerable to injury when the mcl is torn. in more than half of moderate or severe mcl sprains, the acl also is sprained. knee sprains are very common. acl sprains tend to cause more significant symptoms compared to mcl injuries. many mcl sprains are so mild that they don ' t result in a visit to a doctor. more than any other group, competitive athletes have a very high risk of knee sprains and other types of knee problems. in u. s. high schools, the knee is the most frequently injured joint among athletes who compete in football, soccer or wrestling. symptoms of a knee sprain vary depending on the specific ligament that is torn : - a pop inside your knee at the moment of injury - significant knee swelling within a few hours after injury - severe knee pain that prevents you from continued participation in your sport - black - and - blue discoloration around the knee - knee instability - - the feeling that your injured knee will buckle or give out if you try to stand - mild knee swelling, with or without knee instability - mild difficulty in moving the knee - mild pain at the back of the knee that worsens when you kneel - knee pain and swelling - knee buckling toward the outside - an area of tenderness over the torn mcl ( at the inner side of the knee ) - knee pain and swelling - knee buckling toward the inside - an area of tenderness over the torn lcl ( at the outer side of the knee ) your doctor will want to know exactly how you hurt your knee. he or she will ask about : - the type of movement that caused the injury ( sudden stop, twist, pivot, hyperextension, direct contact ) - whether you felt a pop inside your knee when the injury happened - how long it took for


or she will ask about : - the type of movement that caused the injury ( sudden stop, twist, pivot, hyperextension, direct contact ) - whether you felt a pop inside your knee when the injury happened - how long it took for swelling to appear - whether severe knee pain sidelined you immediately after the injury - whether your knee immediately felt unsteady and could not bear weight the doctor will examine both your knees, comparing your injured knee with your uninjured one. during this exam, the doctor will check your injured knee for signs of swelling, deformity, tenderness, fluid inside the knee joint and discoloration. if you don ' t have too much pain and swelling, the doctor will evaluate your knee ' s range of motion and will pull against the ligaments to check their strength. during the exam, you will bend your knee and the doctor will gently pull forward or push backward on your lower leg where it meets the knee. if the results of your physical exam suggest you have a significant knee injury, you will need diagnostic tests to further evaluate your knee. these may include standard x - rays to check for ligament separation from bone or fracture. tests may also include a magnetic resonance imaging ( mri ) scan or camera - guided knee surgery ( arthroscopy ). how long a knee sprain lasts depends on the type of knee sprain, the severity of your injury, your rehabilitation program and the types of sports you play. in general, milder grade i and grade ii mcl or lcl sprains heal within 2 to 4 weeks, but other types of knee sprains may take 4 to 12 months. to help prevent sports - related knee injures, you can : - warm up and stretch before you participate in athletic activities. - do exercises to strengthen the leg muscles around your knee, especially the quadriceps. - avoid sudden increases in the intensity of your training program. never push yourself too hard, too fast. increase your intensity gradually. - wear comfortable, supportive shoes that fit your feet and fit your sport. if you have problems in foot alignment that may increase your risk of a twisted knee, ask your doctor about shoe inserts that can correct the problem. - if you play football, ask your sports medicine doctor or athletic trainer about specific types of shoe cleats that may help reduce your risk of knee injuries. - if you ski, use two - mode release bindings that are properly installed and adjusted. make sure that the binding mechanism is in good working


or athletic trainer about specific types of shoe cleats that may help reduce your risk of knee injuries. - if you ski, use two - mode release bindings that are properly installed and adjusted. make sure that the binding mechanism is in good working order and that your boots and bindings are compatible. if you have a grade i or grade ii knee sprain, your doctor probably will recommend that you follow the rice rule : - rest the joint. - ice the injured area to reduce swelling. - compress the swelling with an elastic bandage. - elevate the injured knee. your doctor may suggest that you wear a knee brace for a short period of time and that you take a nonsteroidal anti - inflammatory drug ( nsaid ), such as ibuprofen ( advil, motrin and others ), to relieve pain and ease swelling. as your knee pain gradually goes away, your doctor will prescribe a rehabilitation program to strengthen the muscles around your knee. this program should help to stabilize your knee joint and prevent you from injuring it again. if you have a grade iii knee sprain or if multiple ligaments are injured, treatment depends on the specific type of sprain : - grade iii acl or pcl sprain. your torn ligament may be reconstructed surgically using either a piece of your own tissue ( autograft ) or a piece of donor tissue ( allograft ). almost all knee reconstructions use camera - guided ( arthroscopic ) surgery. - grade iii mcl sprain. this injury usually is treated conservatively with rice, nsaids ( such as ibuprofen ) and physical therapy. in certain cases, surgery may be used to repair a torn mcl. - grade iii lcl sprain. in a severe lcl sprain, the torn ligament often is repaired surgically. - simultaneous injury of multiple ligaments. your doctor will discuss the various surgical options available. when to call a professional if you injure your knee, call your doctor to request an urgent evaluation if the knee : - becomes very painful or swollen - cannot bear weight - feels as if it will buckle or give out about 90 % of people with acl injuries and 80 % with pcl injuries can expect a full recovery after proper treatment and a good physical therapy program. almost all mcl sprains and most lcl sprains have an excellent prognosis. as a long - term complication, some people with acl or pcl sprains eventually


energy storage economics 101 readers offer expert insights on storage applications, costs we have illuminated numerous angles on the subject of energy storage over the past two weeks. our astute readers added several thought - provoking angles to the discussion that in themselves are worthy of attention. expert reader input ranged from the big - picture economics of storage alternatives to life - cycle environmental impacts to project - specific evaluations of cost effectiveness. " energy storage research just published, " discussed a new epri report that suggested that " energy storage " is a meaningless term because it ' s all about the application and location - specific needs first. then a utility can assess the business value of applying a storage medium or process, compare competing technologies ( traditional and nascent ) and determine the most cost - effective alternative. this approach makes generalizations difficult. one reader provided a bracing ( to borrow a phrase ) " it ' s the economics, stupid. " " there ' s no question storage will work and many of the options outlined in the epri report will work just fine, " one reader, focused on the california market, wrote. " the issues are cost and value. " for vertically integrated utilities operating in a stand - alone mode, value is likely determined by the long - run cost of alternatives that are avoided if storage is installed, " this reader suggested. " those estimates are uncertain, they rely on a number of critical assumptions and they typically assume storage will displace some other peaking plant. " however for utilities and others who operate in regional wholesale markets, the important but missing factor is that value is determined largely based on the price of capacity, energy, frequency regulation and contingency reserves that can be sold from a storage project. when regulators step in to guarantee reliability or minimize the cost of capacity by mandating new build, their actions have the effect of artificially depressing prices for these grid level services, which makes storage look less cost effective. " another correspondent illuminated the cradle - to - grave environmental impacts of storage options. " you have not touched on the potential lifecycle environmental impact of storage, " this reader wrote. " all energy solutions, including storage solutions, have an environmental footprint and some are more significant than others. pumped hydro requires that land be set aside for holding the water that is used in that technology. batteries have significant environmental impacts both in their manufacturing and their eventual disposal. that is not to say that these technologies do not have a net positive environmental impact, but it is important that the entire lifecycle impacts of each technology be evaluated and compared.


. batteries have significant environmental impacts both in their manufacturing and their eventual disposal. that is not to say that these technologies do not have a net positive environmental impact, but it is important that the entire lifecycle impacts of each technology be evaluated and compared. " in one specific case in iowa, discussed in " the business case for compressed air, " one reader dialed in on the caes ( compressed air energy storage ) project ' s goal of providing energy for the " intermediate use cycle " — that is, to meet load between baseline and peak from 6 a. m. to 6 p. m. " i ' m glad to see that [ the iowa stored energy plant agency is ] planning an intermediate use cycle, because ( mysteriously ) some caes analyses put it in the peaking column, which would seem to be a waste of generating capacity and high efficiency, " our correspondent wrote. " being recognized for its intermediate generation capabilities means that [ caes ] is competing against a combined cycle rather than simple - cycle combustion turbines, which is more fair, given the much higher cost of combined cycle than simple - cycle cts. " finally, in " four ways to think about energy storage, " we listened in on the testimony of four leading california utilities before the california energy commission that agreed on two major themes : it ' s all about the application and mandates or set - asides for storage technologies lead to ill - considered investments and higher end - user costs. our readers applauded. " pg & e has it right! " one reader exulted. " first a utility should ' identify the need ' in the form of a written problem statement. potential solutions can then be evaluated based upon how well they solve the problem. a benefit - to - cost ratio for each solution that solves the problem can then be calculated. " because the practical approach to " energy storage " ( and discussions of the options ) is highly application - and site - specific, we ' ll be bringing you details on more actual projects in the near future. here are two more articles you might enjoy : intelligent utility daily


london - when we see their spindly legs scuttling across the floor, many of us quake with fear. scientists believe they may have worked out why we fear spiders more than other creepy - crawlies. psychology professor jon may says their angular shaped legs, dark colours and the fact they move unpredictably are all things we are hard - wired to fear. he said studies have shown that people tend to dislike angular shapes and prefer curved ones, have bad associations with dark colours, and prefer creatures we feel we can “ understand ”. professor may, from plymouth university, added : “ spiders just tick all these boxes, and like any phobia, when it builds up in someone ’ s mind they can become scared even seeing a picture. we like bright - coloured butterflies and ladybirds, but spiders are dark coloured with long angular legs – and the shape and colour both have strong negative associations. “ we are also very sensitive to seeing things moving out of the corner of our eye and immediately notice it, and insects move quickly and unpredictably. people scared of spiders will often report them being bigger than they were or say they saw one crawl into someone ’ s mouth, which spiders never do. we don ’ t understand their behaviour. ” professor may said fear is also ‘ socially conditioned ’, which means we are more likely to develop it as children if we encounter it at home from our parents or siblings. he added that arachnophobics can be deal with their fears by trying to sympathise with the insects and learn about them. he and dr adam hart, a reader in science communication at the university of gloucestershire, are to hold a public session at cheltenham science festival looking at the reasons people fear insects. other people have phobias about insects such as moths, beetles and cockroaches. dr hart said small children are happy to handle creepy - crawlies in the garden and find them fascinating, but become scared of them as they get older. he said one of the ways to learn to appreciate them is to eat them – and he will be cooking a mealworm stir fry for visitors to the festival. - daily mail


over a century ago, tanganyika had virtually no port facility. though there was the indian ocean, indigenous tanganyikans used the waters specifically for fishing with extremely low technology. other uses were slave trade from mainland to zanzibar. in tanga, for example, the area where the present port is was initially a military base during the german colonial era. in course of time, it was decided that a port facility be built in 1889 to serve the local economy, particularly sisal, brought to the colony several years earlier. from then on, tanga grew rapidly. it was at this time that a railway line was built with tanga, which later earned township status in 1891, established as railway terminus far the usambara railway line, then stretching from tanga to moshi. a few years that followed, tanga port was handling agricultural exports - - sisal, coffee and tea - - from estates primarily owned by settlers. the commodities were loaded into railway wagons at various rail heads and railed downwards to the port. but a few decades later, it was discovered that congestion at the port was the order of the day as traffic, mainly imports, choked the maritime facility. the other reason was the onset of the era of containerization - - a preferred mode of transport which was moving very fast - - compared with the traditional modal, when bulk transport was commonplace. noticing the seemingly turn of events, tanga ports authority ( tpa ) embarked on an ambitious programme to expand the container stacking yard to counter the growing demand of containerised traffic. under the programme, old warehouses not in use would be demolished to pave way for extension of the port yard. at a forum where two consultants presented an interim report of the feasibility study for development of the new mwambani port recently, the stakeholders were told that expansion of present port programme notwithstanding, the port would be congested by around 2016. the consultants, alan stacey and christopher fewtrell from the uk - based united research services ( urs ), whose specialist is in ports engineering and environment, said in the report that soda ash exports from lake natron in manyara region, would only be possible with the new port facilities. “ the new port should be predominantly relocated to a new development at mwambani bay, the existing fishing activities remaining at tanga, ” according to the report. “ the port will not be connected to the rail network until the natron soda ash project is confirmed, ” says the report, adding that the rail will


process or product monitoring and control 6. 4. introduction to time series analysis 6. 4. 4. univariate time series models seasonal subseries plots 1993 ) are a tool for detecting seasonality in a time series. this plot is only useful if the period of the seasonality is already known. in many cases, this will in fact be known. for example, monthly data typically has a period of 12. this seasonal subseries plot containing monthly data of co2 concentrations reveals a strong seasonality pattern. the co2 concentrations peak in may, steadily decrease through september, and then begin rising again until the may peak. this plot allows you to detect both between group and within group patterns. if there is a large number of observations, then a box plot may be preferable. seasonal subseries plots are formed by the user must specify the length of the seasonal pattern before generating this plot. in most cases, the analyst will know this from the context of the problem and data collection. sometimes the series will need to be detrended before generating the plot, as was the case for the co2 data. the seasonal subseries plot can provide answers to the following questions : | importance | | it is important to know when analyzing a time series if there is a significant seasonality effect. the seasonal subseries plot is an excellent tool for determining if there is a seasonal pattern. | run sequence plot | software | | seasonal subseries plots are available in a few general purpose statistical software programs. it may possible to write macros to generate this plot in most statistical software programs that do not provide it directly. seasonal subseries plots can be generated using both dataplot code and r code. |


value of loans in 1986, the average pell grant covered 98 % of average tuition. by 1999, the same pell grants covered only 57 % of average tuition. in 1980, grants made up 55 % of financial aid and loans made up only 41 % of financial aid. by 2000, these numbers were reversed with grants providing only 41 % of financial aid and loans providing 58 % of financial aid. given the rise in the cost of education, the reduced purchasing power of pell grants, and the shift from grants to loans, many students and families have turned to student loans to pay for postsecondary education. if they cannot borrow money through the federal student loan program, they may borrow it from other sources. compared to home equity loans, personal loans, and credit cards, student loans are the cheapest way to borrow for postsecondary education. according to the u. s. department of education, in 1987, an undergraduate student who graduated with $ 8, 000 in student loan debt and an interest rate of 9 percent could expect to pay about $ 4, 200 in interest costs. today, if an undergraduate student graduates with $ 18, 000 in student loan debt, thanks to lower interest rates and tax deductibility of student loan interest, the student still pays only $ 4, 200 in interest. this information provided by america student loan providers.