, and eaten with a little salt. quite delicious. digression - i ' ve always been impressed by the huge biological range covered by japanese cuisine. it ' s not at all fanciful to imagine a meal including : angiosperms ( cabbage ), gymnosperms ( ginkgo nuts ), pteridophytes ( fern shoots ), algae ( seaweed ), vertebrates ( fish ), molluscs ( squid ), echinoderms ( sea urchin ), arthropods ( crab ). that ' s eight phyla, or major divisions! the traditional methods i mentioned include burying the " fruit " in the soil, so that the outer flesh rots away. some reports suggest that this is a rather slow process, so i ' ll be looking for alternatives ( rubber gloves come into most of them ). watch for an update. in addition to use as a delicacy, the ginkgo has been used in traditional chinese medicine, and is enjoying popularity now in " alternative " health circles. ( perhaps half of the websites about the ginkgo are herbal remedy sites of one sort or another. ) generally infusions from the leaves are used, and these are claimed to improve one ' s brain power to an amazing degree. they do contain substances which are known to improve circulation to the brain in particular ; rather less believable is the original chinese theory that the leaves must be good for the brain, because they resemble a section of the brain in shape. also fascinating : a good number of sites advocating use of ginkgo leaf infusions claim that the seeds are toxic. ( an identical list appears in part 2 ) more ginkgo pages part 2 - ginkgo origins " a reunion of trees " - review of spongberg ' s book, including kaempfer ' s story my jekai entry for ginkgo ginkgo tiling background created january 2001


a recession is a prolonged period of time when the nation ’ s economy is slowing or it is the reduction of the gross domestic product ( gdp ) for at least six months. the producers and consumers are the two basic people upon whom the whole economy revolves. the value of goods and services is determined by supply and demand. in case the price is too high there will be less demand and the producer reduces the price to increase supply. increasing demand leads to an increase in the production thereby increased supply which in turn results in increased labour, materials and overall increase in price. now the general feeling is good. you want to make investments and consequently the stock markets go up. consequently this leads to overproduction and the supply exceeds consumption. now the attitude of the people changes to saving mentality and this can lead to a contracting economy. people spotting a negative trend on one area fears the same to happen in other areas and suddenly recession is on. in a market economy the market is determined by demand and competition putting it beyond any control. a government has the fiscal and monetary policies in controlling the recession. while the former is on collecting and spending money and latter on manipulating the available money. both can either improve the situation or worsen it. according to the halfway rule past recessions lasted only for 13 months. so continuing with the trends the present recession is predicted to last till 2010. a recession in us should worry india as it has major outsourcing deals. the strengthening rupee is another cause of concern. oil prices coming down is at present keeping inflation down. the way out of the present crisis is only through a massive fiscal stimulus either by monetizing or by tax cuts. indian government is relying on private investments and resurrection in agriculture. but the stress should be on public spending as advocated by keynes who argued that the solution to recession is through reduced interest rates and increased public spending. image credit : azrainman


central kalimantan, dominated by the indigenous dayaks, is known as the lung of the world for its vast and fertile tropical jungles and forests. the northern mountain chain, the schwaner range, is home to some of the most pristine forests in kalimantan. certain areas are within wwf ’ s heart of borneo conservation initiative signed by the 3 nations, indonesia, malaysia and brunei. these mountains are the source of 11 mighty rivers intersecting the vast lowland peat swamps and finishing their journey in dense, crocodile infested mangroves along the estuaries of central kalimantan. peat swamps are home to iconic bornean fauna, the orangutan, the proboscis monkey and red leaf eating monkey and many bird species. deer, clouded leopards, porcupines, sun bears, giant pythons, magnificent hornbills, monitor lizards and wild civet cats also share this jungle habitat. its capital, palangkaraya is the natural starting point for exploring the region, having numerous daily flights to and from java, and further into the interior. it is also the centre of a web of public road transport to all areas and to south kalimantan. palangkaraya, or honoured and sacred great place, is the capital city. growing from pahandut, a small stilt village on the banks of the kahayan river, the first president of indonesia, sukarno, had decided that that it would become the next site of indonesia ’ s capital. the new city was completely designed from scratch and built in grand proportions in the 1960 ’ s. after the passing of the sukarno era, palangkaraya was left as a back water, a tiny capital in a brand new province. only in recent years has it realized its potential after the de - centralization of government to the provinces and the secret of its great natural bounty of resources was uncovered, ushering a period of break neck development. the idea of palangkaraya as indonesia ’ s capital has recently re - surfaced after jakarta has become overcrowded and its traffic severely congested. eco tourism is yet to develop in the mountains, but in the lowland areas, orangutan and river eco tourism is well established. palangkaraya has it own eco tourism pioneers in kalimantan tour destinations, who have introduced a comfortably remodeled traditional ‘ rangkan ’ river boat. cruises encompass the natural beauty and magnificent fauna, particularly the orangutan, of borneo. working with local communities to create a true ecotour


in kalimantan tour destinations, who have introduced a comfortably remodeled traditional ‘ rangkan ’ river boat. cruises encompass the natural beauty and magnificent fauna, particularly the orangutan, of borneo. working with local communities to create a true ecotourism experience, one guest rated it as an iconic indonesian experience, and went on the say : the rahai ’ i pangun jungle river boat journeys offer minimal impact viewing of its rainforest, wildlife, especially orangutans, and riverside dayak villages from the vantage point of a traditional river mode of transportation. it also benefits local communities by generating alternative livelihoods and teaching new skills that contribute to the development of a sustainable local eco - tourism economy ( click www. wowborneo. com for details ). about 700km southwest of palangkaraya lies the town of pangkalan bun which is an entrance to the tanjung puting national park. tanjung puting national park has long been a centre for orangutan research and rehabilitation. founded by noted orangutan expert and former richard leakey student, birute galdikas, arrangements for cruising canals in the park, and disembarking to walk through forests to orangutan feeding stations are beautifully established and maintained. rehabilitated orangutans are free at the stations and jetties. many tour companies operate cruises on local boats with simple sleeping arrangements, or use the rimba eco lodge on the park boundary. for 3 or 4 days, enjoy the natural beauty of this park, and come face to face with the orangutan. ( contributor : gaye thavisin )


the university of technology in sydney recently unveiled a new type of graphene nano paper that is ten times stronger than a sheet of steel. composed of processed and pressed graphite, the material is as thin as a sheet of paper yet incredible durable — this strength and thinness gives it remarkable applications in many industries, and it is completely recyclable to boot. photo by wikimedia commons to make graphene paper, raw graphite is milled and purified using a chemical bath, which reshapes its structure, allowing it to be pressed into thin sheets. these graphene sheets boast excellent thermal, electrical and mechanical properties – including excellent hardness and flexibility. graphene offers many advantages over steel – it ’ s two times as hard, six times lighter and ten times higher in tensile strength. this translates into a next - gen material that could immensely benefit the automotive and aviation industries. lighter planes and cars use less fuel and create less pollution. companies such as boeing have already begun using carbon - based materials, so graphene paper would be the next logical step. raw graphite is a relatively plentiful material in australia, where the research is being conducted. the researchers welcome the industry boost that increased demand for raw graphite for graphene paper would provide. lead photo © lisa aliosio


ted samson at infoworld ’ s sustainable it blog writes today about the advantages of automatically adapting cooling in your datacenter to meet actual ( not theoretical ) load without totally retooling your facility however, we live in the real world where the pizza gets cold while datacenter admins have to put out ( preferably figurative ) fires, and datacenter operators waste precious electricity and thousands of dollars — if not tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars — creating unnecessarily chilly meat - locker - like conditions in their datacenters. sure, tools do exist for better regulating temperature on a rack - by - rack basis, such as sophisticated sensor - based offerings from companies such as hp and synapsense. however, not all datacenter operators have the budget or the level of need to justify investing in that sort of additional technology hardware. fortunately, datacenter operators may have just about everything they need to automatically optimize cooling in real time using the it and cooling equipment they already own. such is the outcome of a recent project by intel, ibm, hp, emerson, and lawrence berkeley national labs called advanced cooling environment ( ace ). using existing sensor technology built into the servers, the organizations devised a way for servers to communicate their cooling needs on a granular basis to existing crahs ( computer - room air handlers ) to automatically adjust their output. the project links the temperature sensors in the servers to the control systems of the air handlers ( with some translation in between ) so that the air handlers could adjust fan speed and air temperature to meet the actual demand of the servers in the room. the test environment was of limited size, but the project team determined that potential fan energy savings were as high as 90 percent for particular crahs in the test. that ’ s not bad, considering that datacenters are known to spend as much as $ 1 to cool datacenters for every dollar they spend running it gear. more in the article. what i like about this is that it is a realistic approach to managing energy costs. in my organization the it and facility funding are still separate, and we don ’ t have much incentive or funding to go out and retool the existing facilities to allow for better energy management ( although we are pushing pretty hard whenever we build new or retrofit existing computer space ).


malaria vaccine development is aimed at preventing malaria infection by helping the body develop immunity against the malaria parasite. scientists who are developing new malaria vaccines have several challenges to overcome, such as : finding a vaccine is vital to decreasing the illness and death caused by malaria infection. more study is needed before people can rely on vaccines to protect them from malaria infection. until a more effective vaccine is available, avoiding mosquito bites and using medicines are the only ways to prevent malaria infection. ( for more information, see the prevention and medications sections of the topic malaria. ) blood - stage vaccines prevent or contain the malaria infection by limiting the growth of the malaria parasite in the bloodstream. some vaccines are showing promise in clinical trials. 1, 2, 3 but no blood - stage vaccine that can prevent malaria is available to the public yet. are being tested that prevent the spread of malaria. 4 the vaccine works by preventing the malaria parasites from developing inside a mosquito. so a mosquito that bites a person infected with malaria cannot pass the infection on to another person. the vaccine does not prevent or treat malaria in a person already infected. citationsbejon p, et al. ( 2008 ). efficacy of rts, s / as01e vaccine against malaria in children 5 to 17 months of age. new england journal of medicine, 359 ( 24 ) : 2521 – 2532. abdulla s, et al. ( 2008 ). safety and immunogenicity of rts, s / as02d malaria vaccine in infants. new england journal of medicine, 359 ( 24 ) : 2533 – 2544. roestenberg m, et al. ( 2009 ). protection against a malaria challenge by sporozoite inoculation. new england journal of medicine, 361 ( 5 ) : 468 – 477. kubler - kielb j et al. ( 2007 ). long - lasting and transmission - blocking activity of antibodies to plasmodium falciparum elicited in mice by protein conjugates of pfs25. proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america, 104 ( 1 ) : 293 – 298. april 20, 2011 kathleen romito, md - family medicine & w. david colby iv, msc, md, frcpc - infectious disease how this information was developed to help you make better health decisions. to learn more visit healthwise. org © 1995 - 2013 healthwise, incorporated. healthwise, healthwise for every health decision, and the healthwise


these feather - like crystals are both ingested by humans for health and used by them to scrub floors and get the gunk off tiles. take a look at what they are, and why polarized light makes them look so amazing. the picture above is citric acid crystals, viewed through a polarization microscope. everyone reading this has had either citric acid or scurvy sometime in their life. citric acid, as you might imagine, is in most citrus fruits, as well as a few berries, is used by companies as a way to serve vitamin c, and is the powder that you see on the outside of sour balls and other sour candy. the acid also dissolves a lot of grime, and thus is used in household cleaners, which is why many cleaners contain ' lemon oil. ' it ' s a useful molecule, but who expected that it could be prettied up? a polarization microscope shoots polarized light at objects, especially crystals. crystals tend toward double refraction. they split beams of light which aren ' t polarized into two beams, travelling at right angles to each other and polarized at right angles as well. when the beams exit the crystal the two waves, which have traveled at different speeds, are out of phase with each other. a second polarization filter combine, the peaks and valleys merging together to either create huge peaks of light or dark areas, and we get the image above. it ' s not often we see the beauty in the everyday, so let us take a quick moment to appreciate the lovely thing we put in our mouths and use to clean our toilets. image : jan homann


largest salmon in the world edges toward extinction 19 october 2012 | news story an international team of scientists have released assessment reports on the precarious status of a group of asian salmon, taimen, which are recognized as the largest species of salmon in the world. the reports conclude that all species of taimen are now listed as threatened or data deficient on the iucn red list of threatened species™, and point to a host of ongoing and emerging threats, including habitat loss and over - harvest. the reports warn that if key conservation actions are not taken, the species will be steadily pushed toward extinction. five species of taimen exist in asia, and they are thought to represent the evolutionary branch that gave rise to modern day trout and salmon. taimen have been observed to reach sizes over two meters in length and can live over 30 years. perhaps the best known among them is hucho taimen, known by its common name siberian or mongolian taimen. the species is coveted for sport fishing around the world. the species will appear for the first time on the iucn red list as vulnerable. “ the species natural range is vast, amounting to nearly 1 / 8 of the land area on earth. despite this, human impacts have been at a level of intensity and duration that taimen now can be considered threatened, ” said pete rand, conservation biologist at wild salmon center and chair of the iucn ssc salmonid specialist group that carried out the assessments. “ this conclusion is sobering, and underscores the need to take immediate action, at a broad, international level, if these fish are to survive into the future. ” known by the moniker “ river wolf, ” these species serve as the top predator in river systems in europe and asia. given their enormous size and voracious appetite, these predators feed on a host of prey, including waterfowl, bats, adult salmon, and even small ground mammals that enter the river. the siberian taimen has two lesser known cousins that have a tenuous toehold in china and north korea. the sichuan taimen ( hucho bleekeri ) range is restricted to a river system in the upper yangtze river in china, in the same mountain region that is home to the iconic giant panda ( ailuropoda melanoleuca ). this taimen species will be added to the iucn red list as critically endangered, the highest level of extinction risk used by iucn. “ we have not been able to estimate their current population, but we suspect the population is very small and declining


). this taimen species will be added to the iucn red list as critically endangered, the highest level of extinction risk used by iucn. “ we have not been able to estimate their current population, but we suspect the population is very small and declining. it is hard to remain optimistic that we can save this species given current trends, ” said zhaobin song, a professor at sichuan university in chengdu, china, who led the status assessment for the species. key factors responsible for their decline include logging, erosion and illegal fishing. even less is known about korean taimen ( hucho ishikawae ) found only in one river system in the remote border region of china and north korea. the assessment team concluded there is currently not enough information to assess their status, and the species will be added to the iucn red list as data deficient. two other species of taimen have been assessed by iucn in recent years, sakhalin taimen ( hucho perryi ) and danube salmon ( hucho hucho ) and these species continue to be threatened. this effort represents a capstone of assessment work on taimen that began over five years ago. “ it is an important milestone for our iucn specialist group, but the real conservation work has only just begun, ” said pete rand. one of the primary recommendations from the assessment team is pushing for establishment of protected areas with special regulations to protect taimen habitat and minimize risk of overfishing. “ if we are serious about conserving the world ’ s largest salmon, we need to continue to push for establishing protected areas throughout their range, ” said olaf jensen, a member of the assessment team and a professor at rutgers university, new jersey, usa. “ protected areas with proper regulations and enforcement provide the only real, durable solution to controlling poaching and habitat loss. ” freshwater protected areas is still a relatively new concept in conservation, but it is recognized as one of the most effective means to protect species dependent on free flowing, natural river systems. these watersheds are home to many other imperiled species, including mammals, amphibians and birds. “ because of their ecological sensitivity, taimen can serve as an ideal bellwether for the overall health of many of the great rivers in northern asia, ” adds olaf jensen. the assessment team hopes these reports encourages governments, non - governmental organizations, and community stakeholders to work together to implement high priority conservation activities, like establishing a protected area network, to conserve this unique group of fishes. taimen conservation efforts led by w


if you liked the post, share on facebook, tweet and google plus ( use buttons above ). you can also subscribe to our feed via email for free. computer forensics as a career computer forensics also known as cyber forensics or digital forensics is pertaining to legal evidence found in computers & digital storage media. computer forensics is the analysis done to collect evidence during crime investigations to detect illegal or unauthorized activities or frauds which are done using computers and internet. demand for computer forensics although computer forensics is relatively a new field, computer forensics experts have been in high demand for jobs since this field first appeared few years back ( around 1985 ), but that demand is growing even larger as both government security agencies and private firms are recruiting cyber investigators in a huge amount. we know that cyber crimes like identity theft, email hacking, child pornography, cyber - stalking, copyright infringement, spamming, cyber terrorism etc. are on a rise. due to this dark side of internet, various companies are hiring computer forensics experts to root out the cyber criminals. the scope of computer analysic can vary from simple information retrieval to reconstructing a series of events. although it is mostly associated with the investigation of a wide variety of computer crime, computer forensics may also be used in civil proceedings. generally speaking, there are huge differences between the salaries of public sector forensic examiners ( government employed ) and private sector forensic examiners. the average annual salary of someone working in this field ranges from $ 40, 000 to $ 100, 000. also note that salary pay scales may differ in different countries. to start a computer forensics career, you will likely need a computer forensics degree or a related degree ( e. g., computer science, criminal justice or engineering ). post - degree certification may help you to get recruited quickly. technical and analytical skills are must for all computer forensics careers. knowledge and technical skills in vast range of computer storage devices, operating systems, programming languages and software applications gives more opportunities. if you have obtained degree qualification or certified training which is recognized internationally, you have the privileges to work in any country as you like. it is easy for you to get job offers wherever you go. you may need knowledge in following things to become a successful computer cyber investigator : - computer networking & routing - communication protocols and security - reverse engineering - computer forensics tools such as : - password crackers - forensic toolkit ( ftk ) software applications - ptk forensics - the sleuth


assignment option 6 ( using second life : e - learning ; 20 - 50 min. class time ) second life is for 18 - year - olds and older goals : 1. encourage active learning by having the students ( virtually ) enact the rituals commonly performed at japanese shinto shrines and buddhist temples ; 2. encourage creative and visual learning by having the students use second life and the website to study these topics these objectives are better reinforced if this assignment is completed with one or more specific reading assignments and / or lectures / class discussions. students are more likely to appreciate and participate in this assignment if it is for a grade. ( note : this assignment requires more setup time and is best completed in more than one class period. this assignment also requires that all the students have access to a computer with an internet connection and one that they can download new software too — you might need to get permission from a computer lab to download second life to a set of computers for your students to use, or assign groups with one personal computer per group. ) day 1 class work ( 10 min. ) 1. in class, show the students how to download second life and how to create an avatar. ( hint : it is best to go through the process at least once on your own before you show the students. ) 2. give the students the following homework assignment ; warn them that they will need to use a personal computer or one that they can add software to ( often, computers in school labs are restricted against adding programs and they won ’ t be able to download second life ). suggest they work in small groups with one personal computer if they cannot access a public use computer with second life on it. homework : ( about an hour, depending on computer speed and student computer familiarity ) 2. follow the instructions in the middle of that page to create an avatar in second life and download the software. if you are working in a group, each of you needs to create and avatar, but second life only needs to be downloaded once. 3. once you ( or everyone in your group ) has created an avatar, follow step 3 on the jpnreligion. weebly. com website and visit our shinto shrine and buddhist temple. 4. spend at least 10 - 20 minutes looking around. use right - click or click on the sign - posts and read them to learn about the buildings ’ structure and use. also, click on the “ pose balls ” ( e. g., “ meditation ”, “ do ritual ” ) to make your avatar do some


or click on the sign - posts and read them to learn about the buildings ’ structure and use. also, click on the “ pose balls ” ( e. g., “ meditation ”, “ do ritual ” ) to make your avatar do some of the rituals that are common in these sacred spaces. 5. answer the following questions and bring your answers to your next class. - - - - - 1. list 3 - 5 specific differences between the shrine and the temple. they can be architectural, the kinds of rituals, what ’ s inside them, etc. - - - - - 2. what is the main ritual at a shinto shrine ( note : this is common at most shrines ; though, there is variation and not everyone knows the “ correct ” ritual. this is what the shinto shrine association recommends as proper behavior — but it has changed over time and per region. ) - - - - - 3. look at the picture inside the buddhist temple ( or look at some of the temple pictures on the website ). how does the inside of the temple in that picture differ from the one in second life? - - - - - 4. you can ’ t go to japan today to do and see these things, but how might using second life to “ visit ” this shrine and temple help you learn more about religiousness in japan? how does this kind of assignment differ from a reading assignment or hearing a lecture? ( if you want to learn more on your own, visit the some of the other pages on this website — for research papers, see the “ references ” page on the website : 3. ask volunteers to give you and the class their responses to the questions and move your avatar ( s ) around the shrine and temple to show the rest of the class what each student is talking about. encourage the other students to write down these responses in their notes or in their homework. 4. show the students other things you noticed and conclude the class by asking them to write a brief reflection on this assignment ( about 5 - 10 minutes ) or to address overlap between what they did in second life and what they read about, heard from lecture, or discussed in class. give them time to reflect upon these different learning experiences and try to put it altogether. they can turn that in for a grade or just write it in their notes as self - reflection.


remission. it ' s probably one of the most beautiful words you can hear when your child ' s been fighting cancer. remission is defined as a period of time when the cancer is under control. sometimes it ' s described as " partial, " which means the cancer is responding well to treatment and being held at bay. sometimes it ' s " complete, " which means the cancer is no longer detectable by doctors ' tests. when cancer has been in complete remission for several years, doctors may consider a child to be cured. remission is a huge milestone in cancer treatment. physically, it means your child is likely to feel better, eat better, and have more energy. emotionally, it serves as a beacon of hope. it ' s not surprising that many families with a child in remission feel empowered to make lifestyle changes that could benefit their child ' s health in the future. changes for the long run many of the health recommendations for a child in remission are the same ones that apply to the rest of us : eat well, exercise, go for regular checkups, don ' t smoke. but for many parents, they seem to take on new urgency after a child ' s been sick. of course, a child in remission shouldn ' t be held to different standards than the rest of the family. after all, you can ' t put a plate of veggies in front of one child while everyone else has cheeseburgers. the goal is to make healthy habits a family affair. by weaving — sometimes one strand at a time — healthy behaviors into the fabric of your family ' s everyday life, everyone benefits. here are some specific tips to get you started on the right track : make sure your child gets good follow - up care checkups and well visits are important for all of us, but for kids in remission they ' re an absolute necessity. your child ' s oncologist will recommend a schedule of follow - up care that might include physical exams, blood tests, and imaging tests. stick to this schedule, even if your child seems perfectly well and has no symptoms whatsoever. this careful monitoring is the best way to detect and treat any potential problems — whether related to the cancer or the late effects of treatment — as early as possible. as kids get older and start to manage their own medical care, provide them with all medical records so that they can maintain their scheduled follow - up visits for years to come. monitor your child ' s health ask your child to tell you whenever he or she isn


get older and start to manage their own medical care, provide them with all medical records so that they can maintain their scheduled follow - up visits for years to come. monitor your child ' s health ask your child to tell you whenever he or she isn ' t feeling well or something just doesn ' t seem right. many kids in remission often wait to tell their parents if they ' re not feeling well, for fear that the cancer has come back. reassure your child that most kids in remission stay that way and are eventually cured of the cancer. like everyone else, they ' re likely to get colds and bouts of sickness from time to time, but if the illness is something more than that, it ' s best to see a doctor early on. now that your child is getting his or her appetite back and many of the unpleasant side effects of treatment are subsiding, it ' s important to make healthy eating a priority. a well - balanced diet can help your child regain strength and repair the tissue damage caused by chemotherapy, radiation, or both. it also may help to reduce your child ' s risk of developing other cancers later in life. keep these tips in mind : aim for at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily, of all kinds and colors. select high - quality protein sources, such as lean meats, fish, nuts, and eggs. choose foods rich in fiber, like whole - wheat pastas, breads, cereals, and rice. cut down on fat by switching to low - fat milk and yogurt, and by baking, broiling, or grilling foods instead of frying them. avoid processed foods, which can be loaded with salt, fat, and chemical preservatives. drink plenty of water and keep soda to a minimum. if you ' re unsure about where to start, ask your doctor to put you in touch with a nutritionist who can help you develop a family meal plan that works for everyone. encourage regular exercise people who exercise and maintain a healthy weight are less likely to develop heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers later in life, so ask the doctor to recommend suitable activities. your child may have to take it slowly at first, perhaps starting with 20 or 30 minutes of exercise each day and working up to the goal of 60 minutes at least 5 days a week. ( strength and flexibility training are great to include in these workouts. ) once your child is feeling better, you can also ask the doctor if and when your child can resume any sports


to the goal of 60 minutes at least 5 days a week. ( strength and flexibility training are great to include in these workouts. ) once your child is feeling better, you can also ask the doctor if and when your child can resume any sports played before the cancer diagnosis. and if your child needs proof that people who ' ve had cancer can indeed be competitive again, just point to cycling champion lance armstrong! be sun safe. whenever out in the sun, your child should use a sunscreen with an spf of at least 30. tanning salons are also a big no, as they can cause skin damage that can eventually lead to cancer. for older kids, it ' s particularly important that they learn how to check their own skin for any new growths or moles that look different in color, shape, or size. kids are the most resilient of us all. even after cancer, most are able to return to their friends and activities, some even happier than before because they realize how the things we take for granted can often change in an instant. as a parent, don ' t lose sight of this optimism when your child is in remission. even though you can ' t predict the future, you can still make the here and now the best it can be for your child. and part of that is doing whatever you can to give your child the best possible chance of a healthy tomorrow.


more than half of all people with cancer are treated with radiation therapy, a type of cancer treatment that is used to shrink tumors and stop the growth of cancer cells. keep reading to get the facts on radiation therapy, including what it is, what to expect, and how to cope with side effects. what is radiation therapy? cancer is a disease that causes cells to grow abnormally and out of control. in radiation therapy, high - energy x - rays are directed at a person ' s body to kill cancer cells and keep them from growing and multiplying. most people have been exposed to radiation in the form of an x - ray — most likely at a dentist ' s office. and just like the x - rays given in the dentist ' s office, radiation therapy is painless. but unlike a typical x - ray, the radiation isn ' t used just to create a picture of a tooth or broken bone. radiation therapy delivers higher doses of radiation so that the radiation will kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. while it ' s killing the cancer, radiation therapy also can damage normal cells. the good news is that normal cells are more likely to recover from the effects of radiation. doctors take precautions to protect a person ' s healthy cells when they ' re giving radiation treatments. how is radiation given? doctors can give people with cancer radiation therapy as the only form of treatment. or they may use a combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy ( a treatment that uses medications or chemicals to destroy cancer cells ) to fight the cancer. other people with cancer may have surgery to remove tumors or cancer cells first and then have radiation therapy. each person ' s situation and treatment is different. a person who has cancer will see an oncologist ( pronounced : on - kah - luh - jist ), a doctor who specializes in cancer treatment. a radiation oncologist is a doctor whose specialty is using radiation to treat cancer. the radiation oncologist will work with other health care professionals to decide on the type and dose of radiation therapy that will best treat a person ' s cancer. radiation therapy can be given two ways — externally, through the skin, or internally, through injection or by implanting a radioactive pellet in the body. internal radiation therapy is very rare in teens — it ' s usually adults who get this form of treatment. with external radiation therapy, doctors use a large machine and special equipment that aims specific amounts of radiation directly at the cancer. people who are having external radiation treatments usually don ' t need to stay in the hospital


usually adults who get this form of treatment. with external radiation therapy, doctors use a large machine and special equipment that aims specific amounts of radiation directly at the cancer. people who are having external radiation treatments usually don ' t need to stay in the hospital overnight. they usually visit the hospital or treatment center 5 days a week ( with weekends off ) for 2 to 8 weeks. getting small daily doses of radiation helps to protect the normal cells from damage. the weekend breaks help the normal cells to recover from radiation. if you ' re being treated using external radiation therapy, at each appointment, you ' ll dress in a hospital gown or robe and enter the radiation treatment room. after settling you into position on a table or other flat surface, the radiation therapist will leave the room ( just as an x - ray technician does when you ' re having an x - ray at the dentist or hospital ). then a large machine called a simulator will deliver the exact amount of radiation necessary to kill the cancer cells in the area, which has usually been outlined with ink or a faint tattoo. it usually takes only a few minutes for a teen to receive the daily dose of radiation. while the simulator is on, you ' ll have to lie very still so the radiation is directed to the right place on your body. you don ' t have to worry that you ' ll glow in the dark after radiation treatment : people who receive external radiation are not radioactive. you ' ll be able to have normal contact with family and friends after you leave the treatment room. although radiation therapy is painless, it is powerful, and people who receive it might have some problems during and after treatment. these problems ( called side effects ) are different from person to person, depending on age, the type of treatment, and where the cancer is located. for example, some people who have radiation therapy may feel more tired than usual, not feel hungry, or lose their hair. some of the more common side effects of radiation therapy include : fatigue. fatigue, or feeling tired, is the most common side effect of radiation treatment, both during treatment and after. you may feel tired for up to 6 weeks after radiation therapy has ended. skin damage or changes. the skin around the treatment area may be red, sensitive, or easily irritated in the days, weeks, and months during and after treatment. the skin may swell or droop or the texture may change. ( most symptoms of skin damage are temporary, although a person may get permanent changes in skin tone or texture. ) hair loss. people


, weeks, and months during and after treatment. the skin may swell or droop or the texture may change. ( most symptoms of skin damage are temporary, although a person may get permanent changes in skin tone or texture. ) hair loss. people who receive radiation therapy to the head and neck can lose their hair. usually, their hair will grow back within 3 months after radiation treatment ends. sore mouth and tooth decay. if you received radiation therapy to the head and neck, your mouth might be sore and sensitive and you may get more cavities. your doctor may prescribe a mouth rinse to reduce pain. to help reduce these side effects, see the dentist during radiation therapy. stomach and digestive problems. if you receive radiation treatment to the pelvis or abdomen, you might feel sick to your stomach, not feel like eating, have diarrhea, or throw up after radiation treatment. some people who receive radiation therapy to the head and neck can also experience nausea and vomiting. blood changes. radiation therapy can kill the germ - fighting cells in the blood. this may temporarily make it harder for a person ' s body to fight off infection and may increase the need for blood transfusions. depending on how old someone receiving radiation therapy is, there may be some long - term side effects. some people may notice they ' re not growing as fast as their friends. this happens because normal tissues, especially areas that are still growing, might be damaged during radiation treatments. teens who receive radiation to the pelvic or abdominal region might have problems having children later in life, although doctors do everything they can to prevent this. some people who have had radiation therapy can also be more likely to develop a second cancer later in life. anyone who has been successfully treated for cancer should be extra careful to have regular checkups and avoid smoking and sun exposure. it ' s important to tell a nurse or doctor about any side effects so they can help treat the problem. if you ' re receiving radiation therapy as a cancer treatment, your doctors will work to cure you, but they ' ll also want you to be as comfortable as possible while you ' re being treated. although radiation therapy itself doesn ' t hurt, it can be scary to think about. if you want, talk to your doctor about taking a tour of the hospital or radiation treatment center. meeting the radiation technologists who will be helping you every day and seeing the radiation equipment may help you feel more comfortable during treatment. many hospitals set up routine treatment planning visits to prepare patients for


about taking a tour of the hospital or radiation treatment center. meeting the radiation technologists who will be helping you every day and seeing the radiation equipment may help you feel more comfortable during treatment. many hospitals set up routine treatment planning visits to prepare patients for treatment. these include a tour of the facilities and an opportunity to ask questions. in a lot of hospitals, you can talk to a parent or the radiation therapist on an intercom during external radiation treatment. someone will always be watching you during treatment, and the machine can be stopped at any time if there ' s a problem. some treatment centers even provide closed - circuit tvs so your parent can watch you during the procedure. as you go through radiation treatment, you may feel like you ' re all alone — but you ' re not. your parent, friends, doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and other members of the cancer treatment team are there to reassure you before, during, and after radiation therapy. friends make you feel good when you ' re healthy — so surrounding yourself with your buds when you ' re sick is sure to be a pick - me - up. if you ' re too tired to head to the mall after school, plan a video - fest at your place instead. sometimes people worry that their friends will feel weird or uncomfortable around them. a parent, nurse, or counselor may be able to give you tips on how to help with this situation. many camps, support groups, and other activities are available to teens with cancer. your nurse or hospital social worker can help you find these opportunities. who knows? your treatment for cancer might lead you to a lifelong friend. in addition to coping with the many emotions you ' ll feel, you have to deal with the physical stuff, too. try these tips for chilling out more comfortably during treatment : sleep long, sleep often. your body needs plenty of rest to recover from radiation and to keep up with basic activities. so scale back on strenuous stuff, and make time to get a good night ' s sleep every night. opportunities to get your family to wait on you hand and foot don ' t come along often! focus on good nutrition. your appetite may be in the toilet from all that nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, so try to eat foods that are high in nutrients. also, eat a balanced diet to prevent weight loss. several small meals might be easier to eat than a fewer larger ones — you may find it helps to eat every few hours so you don ' t get


to eat foods that are high in nutrients. also, eat a balanced diet to prevent weight loss. several small meals might be easier to eat than a fewer larger ones — you may find it helps to eat every few hours so you don ' t get too hungry. at times when your stomach is upset, try foods like crackers, toast, broth, and juice pops. if you ' re frequently sick to your stomach, ask your doctor about anti - nausea medicine. get your doctor ' s ok before taking any medications, including herbal medicines or over - the - counter drugs. wear loose - fitting, soft clothes, especially around the treatment area. this can help you feel more comfortable, so dig those sweatpants out of the closet or ask the radiation tech if you can borrow some scrubs! your skin is more sensitive to sunlight during and after radiation treatment. avoid exposing the treated area to the sun during the weeks you ' re getting radiation therapy. and when the treatment ' s over, wear an spf 30 sunscreen on the treated area. if you lose your hair because of radiation therapy, protect your head from sun exposure and irritation by wearing soft hats or scarves. wash sensitive areas of skin gently using only lukewarm water — no soaps or skin products, including creams and lotions, until you get your doctor ' s ok. pat your skin dry after bathing. if your skin is itchy and irritated, your doctor may prescribe ointments or cream to speed healing and reduce irritation. once you ' ve finished radiation treatment, it ' s still important to visit the doctor for follow - up appointments. during these checkups, the doctor will want to know how you ' re feeling, whether you ' re having any continuing side effects, and whether there are any signs of the cancer coming back. undergoing treatment for cancer can be time - consuming, scary, and sometimes painful — both for the teens going through it and their friends and families. the good news is that radiation therapy can be an effective cancer fighter that enables many people to go on to live healthy, full lives.


the nguni peoples are classified into three large subgroups, the northern nguni, the southern nguni, and the ndebele. the zulu and the swazi are among the northern nguni. the xhosa are the largest southern nguni society, but the neighboring thembu and mpondo are also well known southern nguni societies, often described as subgroups of the xhosa. each of these groups is a heterogeneous grouping of smaller ( also heterogeneous ) ethnic groups. four of south africa ' s official languages are nguni languages ; isizulu, isixhosa, siswati, and isindebele are spoken primarily by the zulu, the xhosa, the swazi, and the ndebele peoples, respectively. each of these languages has regional variants and dialects, which are often mutually intelligible. before the nineteenth century, the dominant nguni settlement pattern was that of dispersed households, as opposed to villages. the typical household was centered on a patrilineage ; it also included other relatives through a variety of kinship ties, and people who had attached themselves to the household - often as indentured laborers who were rewarded in cattle. cattle were central to most nguni economies, which ranged from almost complete dependence on herding to mixed pastoralism and crop cultivation, often supplemented by hunting. nguni political organization generally consisted of small chiefdoms, sometimes only a few hundred people loyal to a person chosen by descent, achievement, or a combination of factors. until the eighteenth century or later, historians believe, these chiefdoms were not united under a king or monarch. each chiefdom typically included a group of related patrilineal clans, or descent groups united by common ancestry only a few generations deep, and others who had chosen to attach themselves to a particular chief. a chief could demand support and tribute ( taxes ) from his followers, could reward those he favored, could form political alliances, and could declare war against his enemies. a chief ' s followers, in turn, usually had the right to leave and to join another chiefdom, if they wished. larger chiefdoms sometimes exercised limited control over smaller ones, but such hegemony generally did not last for more than a generation or two. the term ndebele, or amandebele, in the 1990s refers primarily to about 800, 000 south africans whose forebears have inhabited areas of the northern transvaal ( now northern province ) for more than a century


generation or two. the term ndebele, or amandebele, in the 1990s refers primarily to about 800, 000 south africans whose forebears have inhabited areas of the northern transvaal ( now northern province ) for more than a century. the ndebele language, isindebele, is classified among the nguni languages, although sotho influences are strong enough in some areas that isindebele is sometimes also classified as a variant of sesotho. most ndebele trace their ancestry to the area that became natal province, later kwazulu - natal. some began moving northward well before the early nineteenth - century mfecane, and many of these settled in the northern transvaal. others, subjects of the zulu leader mzilikazi, fled north from natal after his defeat by shaka in 1817. ndebele peoples throughout the region were forced to move several times after that, so that by the end of the nineteenth century, the ndebele were dispersed throughout much of natal, the transvaal, and adjacent territory. many ndebele became formidable warriors, often subjugating smaller chiefdoms and assimilating them into ndebele society, and ndebele clashed repeatedly with voortrekker militias around pretoria. the late nineteenth - century afrikaner leader paul kruger jailed or executed many of their leaders, seized their land, and dispersed others to work for afrikaner farmers as indentured servants. some of the land was later returned to a few ndebele, often as a reward for loyalty or recognition of status. under apartheid, many ndebele living in the northern transvaal were assigned to the predominantly sesotho - speaking homeland of lebowa, which consisted of several segments of land scattered across the northern transvaal. others, mostly southern ndebele, who had retained more traditional elements of their culture and language, were assigned to kwandebele. kwandebele had been carved out of land that had been given to the son of nyabela, a well - known ndebele fighter in kruger ' s time. the homeland was, therefore, prized by ndebele traditionalists, who pressed for a kwandebele independence through the 1980s. kwandebele was declared a " self - governing " territory in 1981. very few of its 300, 000 residents could find jobs in the homeland, however, so most worked in the industrial region of pretoria and johannesburg.


independence through the 1980s. kwandebele was declared a " self - governing " territory in 1981. very few of its 300, 000 residents could find jobs in the homeland, however, so most worked in the industrial region of pretoria and johannesburg. at least 500, 000 ndebele people lived in urban centers throughout south africa and in homelands other than kwandebele through the 1980s. during the 1980s and the early 1990s, many ndebele recognized a royal family, the mahlangu family, and the capital of kwandebele was called kwamahlangu. the royal family was divided, however, over economic issues and the question of " independence " for the homeland. these disputes were overridden by the dissolution of the homelands in 1994. at that time, in addition to the estimated 800, 000 ndebele people in south africa, nearly 1. 7 million ndebele lived in zimbabwe, where they constituted about one - sixth of the population and were known as matabele ; about 300, 000 lived in botswana. about 1. 6 million swazi people live to the south of the biosphere - almost 900, 000 in swaziland and the remainder in south africa, especially in the area of the former homeland, kangwane. until the late eighteenth century, swazi society consisted of a group of closely related nguni chiefdoms organized around patrilineal descent groups. at that time, a powerful chief, ngwane i, seized control over several smaller neighboring chiefdoms of nguni and sotho peoples to strengthen his own army ' s defense against the mthethwa forces led by dingiswayo. the greatest rival of the mthethwa, the ndwandwe, later subjugated the mthethwa and killed dingiswayo. ngwane i, under pressure from the ndwandwe, then withdrew into the mountainous territory that would later become swaziland. ngwane i was able to resist incorporation into the zulu empire during the reign of shaka, and the swazi maintained generally peaceful relations with shaka ' s successors. some swazi clans were forced to move north, however, as regional upheaval spread, and together with displaced zulu clans, they established aristocratic dynasties over herdsmen and farmers as far north as areas that would later become malawi and zambia. in the twentieth century, the swazi kingdom retained its autonomy, but not total independence, as the british protectorate of


with displaced zulu clans, they established aristocratic dynasties over herdsmen and farmers as far north as areas that would later become malawi and zambia. in the twentieth century, the swazi kingdom retained its autonomy, but not total independence, as the british protectorate of swaziland in 1903 and as a british high commission territory in 1907. in 1968 swaziland became an independent nation led by king sobhuza ii. swaziland has pressured pretoria for the return of swazi - occupied areas of south africa since the 1960s. in 1982 pretoria agreed, but that decision was reversed by the south african supreme court. kangwane was carved out of land adjacent to swaziland during the 1960s and was declared a " self - governing " territory with a population of about 400, 000 in 1984. kangwane ' s chief minister enos mabuza tried to build an agricultural and industrial economy in the small, segmented territory, and he became the first homeland leader to grant full trade union rights to workers in his jurisdiction. mabuza also led the fight against the incorporation of kangwane into swaziland. during the late 1980s, he clashed with pretoria by expressing strong support for the anc, although many kangwane residents remained uninvolved in south african politics. an estimated 8 million south africans consider themselves zulu ( amazulu ) or members of closely related ethnic groups in the 1990s. by the eighteenth century, zulu society encompassed a number of nguni - speaking chiefdoms north of the tugela river. the zulu homestead ( imizi ) consisted of an extended polygynous family and others attached to the household through social obligations. this social unit was largely self - sufficient, with responsibilities divided according to gender. men were generally responsible for defending the homestead, caring for cattle, manufacturing and maintaining weapons and farm implements, and building dwellings. women had domestic responsibilities and raised crops, usually grains, on land near the household. zulu chiefs demanded steadily increasing tribute or taxes from their subjects, acquired great wealth, commanded large armies, and, in many cases, subjugated neighboring chiefdoms. military conquest allowed men to achieve status distinctions that had become increasingly important. late nineteenth century postcard of zulu warriors ( note the europeans in the background ) in the early nineteenth century, the large and powerful mthethwa chiefdom, led by dingiswayo, dominated much of the region north of the tugela river. shaka, a zulu warrior who had won recognition in 1810 by skillfully subduing the leader of


the large and powerful mthethwa chiefdom, led by dingiswayo, dominated much of the region north of the tugela river. shaka, a zulu warrior who had won recognition in 1810 by skillfully subduing the leader of the warring buthelezi chiefdom, took advantage of dingiswayo ' s military defeat by the neighboring ndwandwe armies to begin building the zulu empire in 1817. as king, shaka zulu ( r. 1817 - 28 ) defied tradition by adopting new fighting strategies, by consolidating control over his military regiments, and by ruthlessly eliminating potential rivals for power. shaka ' s warrior regiments ( impis ) eventually subjugated the powerful ndwandwe, and decimated or drove from the area the armies of shaka ' s rivals. spreading warfare - exacerbated by pressures from europeans - drove thousands of africans north and west, and the ensuing upheaval spawned new conflicts throughout the region. the zulu empire weakened after shaka ' s death in 1828 and fragmented, especially following military defeats at the hands of the afrikaners in 1839 and the british in 1879. zululand, the area north of the tugela river, was incorporated into the british colony, natal, in 1887. the last zulu uprising, a poll tax protest led by chief bambatha in 1906, was ruthlessly suppressed. the zulu population remained fragmented during most of the twentieth century, although loyalty to the royal family continued to be strong in some areas. leaders of zulu cultural organizations and zulu politicians were able to preserve a sense of ethnic identity through the symbolic recognition of zulu history and through local - level politics. zulu men and women have made up a substantial portion of south africa ' s urban work force throughout the twentieth century, especially in the gold and copper mines of the witwatersrand. zulu workers organized some of the first black labor unions in the country. for example, the zulu washermen ' s guild, amawasha, was active in natal and the witwatersrand even before the union of south africa was formed in 1910. the zululand planters ' union organized agricultural workers in natal in the early twentieth century. the kwazulu homeland was carved out of several unconnected plots of land in natal in the 1960s. in 1976 mangosuthu ( gatsha ) buthelezi, a member of the zulu royal family, was named chief minister of kwazulu, and the government declared kwazulu a self


of land in natal in the 1960s. in 1976 mangosuthu ( gatsha ) buthelezi, a member of the zulu royal family, was named chief minister of kwazulu, and the government declared kwazulu a self - governing territory a year later. buthelezi established good relations with the national party - dominated government and, in the process, severed his former close ties to the african national congress ( anc ). during the 1980s, buthelezi refused repeated government offers of homeland independence ; he preferred to retain the self - governing status that allowed the roughly 4 million residents of kwazulu to be citizens of south africa. zulu solidarity was enhanced by buthelezi ' s intellectually powerful and dominant personality and by his leadership of the zulu cultural organization, inkatha yenkululeko yesizwe ( national cultural liberation movement - usually called inkatha ), which became the inkatha freedom party ( ifp ) during the 1990s. during the apartheid era, many people in areas officially designated as zulu were descendants of nineteenth - century zulu warriors or subjects of the zulu royal family, who retained a strong ethnic consciousness and pride in their zulu identity. others in these areas, however, traced their descent to those who resisted shaka ' s domination or celebrated his death at the hands of his own relatives in 1828. some viewed their association with zulu royalty as little more than an artificial political creation. a substantial minority within the diverse zulu society in the 1980s and the 1990s supported the rival anc. military prowess continued to be an important value in zulu culture, and this emphasis fueled some of the political violence of the 1990s. zulu people generally admire those with physical and mental agility, and those who can speak eloquently and hold a crowd ' s attention. these attributes strengthened buthelezi ' s support among many zulu, but his political rhetoric sometimes sparked attacks on political opponents and critics, even within zulu society. buthelezi ' s nephew, goodwill zwelithini, is the zulu monarch in the 1990s. buthelezi and king goodwill won the agreement of anc negotiators just before the april 1994 elections that, with international mediation, the government would establish a special status for the zulu kingdom after the elections. zulu leaders understood this special status to mean some degree of regional autonomy within the province of kwazulu - natal. buthelezi was appointed minister of home affairs in the first government of national unity in 1994. he led a walk


fri november 23, 2012 npr : the ugly truth about food waste in america originally published on tue november 27, 2012 6 : 17 am ira flatow, host : up next, some food for thought as you chomp your thanksgiving leftovers. recycling paper and plastic, as you know, is an effective way to save money and energy. so why not recycle all the uneaten food that goes to waste? and there is an awful lot of it. forty percent of the food in the u. s. today goes uneaten, which means americans are throwing out the equivalent of $ 165 billion worth of food each year. but that ' s not all. food waste, as it decays in landfills, also produces methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas. so what can we do to cut back on food waste? dana gunders is a food and agriculture project scientist at the natural resources defense council in san francisco. she ' s also author of an nrdc report published last month called " wasted : how america is losing up to 40 percent of its food from farm to fork to landfill. " welcome to science friday. dana gunders : great to be here. thank you. flatow : jonathan bloom is author of wastefood. com and " american wasteland : how america throws away nearly half of its food ( and what we can do about it ). " he ' s joining us from durham, north carolina. welcome to the program. jonathan bloom : thanks for having me. flatow : we won ' t be taking your calls today, but you can learn more about our topic today by going to sciencefriday. com. well, that is a tremendous amount of food wasted. i don ' t think anybody really understands, dana, that there ' s this much wastage going on. gunders : it ' s true. it ' s - it was surprising to me, and i think it ' s as surprising to most people who hear it, that we are throwing away just mountains of food. flatow : has this increased over the years, or has this remained constant? gunders : no. we ' ve seen it increase quite a bit. the estimate is that it ' s about 50 percent more food that ' s wasted today per person than in the mid - ' 70s. flatow : wow. we have to take a break. when we come back, we ' ll talk lots more about wasted food with my guests, dana gunders of the natural resources defense council


today per person than in the mid - ' 70s. flatow : wow. we have to take a break. when we come back, we ' ll talk lots more about wasted food with my guests, dana gunders of the natural resources defense council, jonathan bloom, author of wastefood. com. ( soundbite of music ) flatow : this is science friday. i ' m ira flatow. we ' re talking this hour about the shocking amount of food we waste in the u. s. nearly half of it going into the trash and what effect that has on our environment. our guests are dana gunders, a food and agriculture project scientist at the natural resources defense council in san francisco. she ' s also author of an nrdc report called " wasted : how america is losing up to 40 percent of its food from farm to fork to landfill. " jonathan bloom is author of wastefood. com and " american wasteland : how america throws away nearly half of its food ( and what we can do about it ). " jonathan bloom, do people know that they ' re throwing out good food? or do they think, oh, it looks a little brown or it ' s this, i should just throw it out anyhow? bloom : no. we often don ' t tend to realize that we ' re throwing away perfectly edible food, especially when we ' re paying attention to those expiration dates and when we ' re thinking of those as the gospel truth, we ' re going to be throwing away a whole lot of good food. i think we have lost some of those traditional food ways, so we might not know when something ' s good or not. and the prevailing attitude tends to be when in doubt, throw it out. flatow : when in doubt, throw it out, even though... flatow :... the expiration date is a little conservative? bloom : oh, yeah. there ' s a lot of wiggle room built in to those expiration dates, and in fact, most of them actually speak to food quality, not necessarily food safety. flatow : well, let ' s talk about some of the negative impacts of food waste. what are the main things that we should be concerned about? bloom : well, you mentioned the methane emissions at the top of the show when we do send food to the landfill. but more important than that are the resources that go into growing that food that then go for naught when we don ' t consume them.


well, you mentioned the methane emissions at the top of the show when we do send food to the landfill. but more important than that are the resources that go into growing that food that then go for naught when we don ' t consume them. so if - in particular, i ' m thinking about the tremendous amount of petroleum that goes into all steps of the food chain, and the water usage that is increasingly common and is an increasingly scarce resource as our planet warms, and in addition the land, the soil fertility that we are just squandering by growing fence row to fence row. flatow : dana gunders, want to add anything to that? gunders : yeah. well, jonathan ' s absolutely right. i mean, over half the land area in the u. s. is dedicated to food production, and over 80 percent of the water that we consume goes into growing our - producing our food. so when we throw out, say, half a hamburger, according to an estimate by the water footprint network, that ' s equivalent to taking over an hour shower, in the water use that was required for that half hamburger you just tossed. flatow : an hour? bloom : and actually, i have another image for you in terms of water use, in terms of the water embedded in the food that we throw out. well, annually, we are wasting the equivalent of two times the volume of crater lake... bloom :... through the food that we ' re not using. flatow : wow. ok. so what - let ' s talk about some of the things we can do as individuals, dana gunders, to reduce the amount of food waste. what should we do? gunders : sure. well, i think, you know, we can start in our own refrigerators and our freezers. oftentimes, people don ' t think that when something ' s about to go bad and they, at the last minute, decide to go out to dinner, they can just throw their leftovers into their freezer. we can freeze almost anything. really, learning when food goes bad, as jonathan was mentioning, those expiration dates are just suggestions for peak quality. very few of them are actually indications that the food has gone bad. so learning more about those and planning better and really thinking about what you ' re going to eat, and when you see that, you know, exciting promotion at the store, stop and think : am i really going to get around to eating


bad. so learning more about those and planning better and really thinking about what you ' re going to eat, and when you see that, you know, exciting promotion at the store, stop and think : am i really going to get around to eating that this week? flatow : there are people who like to compost their food. how different is composting in terms of being a better way than allowing it into the landfill? are they not equivalent, jonathan? bloom : well, composting is certainly a positive use of the food waste that we do create. and let ' s face it, we ' re always going to have some food waste. but more important than that is trying to actually reduce the amount of waste that ' s created, and so it ' s kind of like that " reduce, reuse, recycle " mantra. bloom : well, you know, there ' s a reason that reduce is the first item mentioned. but certainly, it ' s better than sending it to a landfill. bloom : we are getting those nutrients back into the soil and essentially recycling them. so it ' s definitely a positive way of reusing the resources in our food. flatow : here ' s a tweet from jenna harrison ( ph ). it says : schools throw away huge amounts of food. how much - now, let me expand that. how much institutional food is wasted that could be saved? you know, hospitals, schools, other place - cafeterias, things like that. bloom : oh, yeah. well, there ' s a tremendous amount of waste in that institutional setting. and in some cases, it ' s unavoidable, when, let ' s say, you have to serve a certain number of calories to patients or school kids. but there are ways around it. and the more choice people have in their food service, the less waste there is. flatow : i guess for some - for health reasons, you just can ' t recycle - i mean, no one ' s going to eat that food again. it ' s just going to go to waste. bloom : yeah. well, i have heard stories at, say, the elementary school level where you ' ll have a table set up and people could put food that they ' re not going to eat onto that table, and it ' s kind of like a leave one, take one situation. and, i mean, the sad thing is when you go into most any school in america, you


could put food that they ' re not going to eat onto that table, and it ' s kind of like a leave one, take one situation. and, i mean, the sad thing is when you go into most any school in america, you look in the trashcan and you see untouched fruits and unopened cartons of milk, and those are certainly items that other people could be eating. there are some legal hurdles if you ' re going to be distributing it elsewhere, but certainly, within that cafeteria, we can all share and reduce some of the waste that ' s created. flatow : can we prevent, you know, on a city or municipal or state level, can we prevent the food from - the wasted food from getting into the landfills in the first place? bloom : oh, certainly. there ' s a couple of ways you can do it. curbside composting is already happening in san francisco, seattle and a couple other municipalities. and it ' s not all that difficult. it ' s simply asking people to take one more step in addition to recycling, to just separate out their food waste. and there ' s a real opportunity for cities and towns to save money. instead of paying to send it off to a landfill somewhere, you can actually get a reusable product out of it and save money on your parks and rec, having to purchase soil amendment. flatow : mm - hmm. is there any engineering challenges to creating a new system to deal with all these wastes? bloom : well, a lot of places aren ' t necessarily doing it themselves - a lot of cities, that is. they ' re usually sending it off to composting facilities. but there ' s a real opportunity there for municipalities to create their own. you know, they would save a whole bunch on actually having to ship it somewhere. but even more than composting, i love to see an increase in anaerobic digestion, and that ' s basically just harnessing that methane gas to create energy. so you hear a lot about waste - to - energy plants, which is kind of a euphemism in that they ' re just burning stuff. but - and they ' re not all that efficient at capturing the energy. but anaerobic digestion is a much better use of that food waste and, you know, we ' ve put all those resources into producing our food. why not treat our food waste as, in fact, another resource? flatow : oh. so instead


and, you know, if one recipe requires cilantro at the beginning of the week, you use another recipe that requires cilantro three days later. so that whole bunch you had to buy. flatow : and if you buy that head of lettuce and the outside leaves are brown, don ' t throw out the whole head. just get rid of that - those rotting leaves, and the inside ' s still good. bloom : yeah. and when you get rid of them, of course, you ' re composting them, not throwing them away. but, yeah, no, there ' s a tremendous amount of opportunity there to use what you have. there ' s this idea of eating down your fridge. and before you go shopping, you ' re looking and seeing what you have on hand. and chances are, as we heard earlier, there ' s going to be a whole bunch of produce that we bought last week with the best of intentions of cooking a healthy meal. and then, as most people do, you get a little busy and that stuff kind of gets pushed off and it ' s tomorrow. ok. and then it ' s the next day. and then, you know, that day never comes before the food ends up squishy and a different color. flatow : but what... gunders : and i ' d just like to point out that... gunders :... this, you know, it also speaks straight to our pocketbooks. it ' s - we not doing the accounting, typically, but we ' re spending money on that head of lettuce or, you know, that gallon of milk. and when you ' re not using it all, that ' s good money you ' re throwing in the trash. and there ' s some great resources out there. a cookbook came out recently called " the frugal foodie, " you know, and so this is really about using your food budget as best as you can. flatow : what about feeding, you know, livestock with waste food that we normally would throw away? won ' t they eat it? gunders : sure, it will. bloom : yeah. that ' s a great use for it, sure. flatow : but we don ' t have - do we have a mechanism for getting, you know, recycling that kind of stuff? gunders : if you have backyard chickens, that sure helps... gunders :... which we '


just - all of them tend to say that it ' s a huge - it ' s a legal hurdle. i think, dana, you may have mentioned that earlier on. it ' s a huge legal hurdle. is there anything that we can do to overcome sort of that specific legal hurdle that would reduce - to reduce the waste of food that can ' t be immediately distributed? gunders : you know, there ' s a little bit of misperception out there. so there is a law called the good samaritan act that does protect businesses that donate food from any kind of liability associated with someone getting sick, for instance, from eating that food. and many businesses just aren ' t aware of that. so part of it is awareness. and, you know, they can ' t donate the food that ' s out there once it ' s served. but anything in the back room can be donated actually. flatow : all right. aren ' t there companies like city harvest that go around to restaurants and get their food and bring them and give it to people who can ' t afford to eat? bloom : yeah. there ' s a whole network of food recovery operations. pretty much every major city has one. but when i ' ve talked to these folks and gone around with them, and they say they ' re just recovering a fraction of the available food out there. flatow : and so are you optimistic that this is - anything is going to change? or are we just going to muddle through on it? bloom : i think if the price of food continues to rise, that will have a real impact on how we approach our food. i think that ' s one silver lining to the rising cost of food. we might be less wasteful with it. and certainly, as the planet grows, we ' re going to have to become more efficient with the food we have. you don ' t see that on the day - to - day level, but when you ' re speaking globally, you know, you think about the estimates for 2050 with about 9 billion people, maybe even more who are going to be around, you know, when we talk about how we feed all those people, the conversation immediately turns to increased production. but from my standpoint, it seems like we should focus on efficiency before we think about growing more food. flatow : yeah. dana gunders, last words? gunders : yeah. well, i agree with jonathan that, you know, i think this is an ideal time


seems like we should focus on efficiency before we think about growing more food. flatow : yeah. dana gunders, last words? gunders : yeah. well, i agree with jonathan that, you know, i think this is an ideal time to be talking about this. we ' re in the midst of a drought and expecting to see rising food prices. we ' re also at a time when one in six americans are, you know, what we consider food insecure and, you know, rising concerns over obesity and portion sizes as you were discussing in your last segment. and all of those tie in really well to looking at the food waste question and really taking another look at what we ' re buying, what we ' re actually eating, and how our whole food system works. flatow : well, thank you both for taking time to be with us today. bloom : thanks for having me. flatow : you ' re welcome. gunders : thank you so much. flatow : dana gunders is a food and agriculture project scientist at the natural resources defense council in san francisco. she is also the author of an nrdc report published last month called " wasted : how america is losing up to 40 percent of its food from farm to fork to landfill. " jonathan bloom is author of wastedfood. com and " american wasteland : how america throws away nearly half of its food ( and what we can do about it. ) " if you want to know more about wasted food and the topics on our program and what we ' re talking today, you can go to our website, @ sciencefriday. com, and we have links there to all kinds of stuff that we ' re talking about today. so it won ' t be wasted, so to speak, on you as a listener. have a great and safe holiday weekend. i ' m ira flatow in new york. transcript provided by npr, copyright national public radio.


at a glance why get tested? to help investigate inappropriate blood clot formation ; to help determine the cause of recurrent miscarriage ; as part of an evaluation for antiphospholipid syndrome ( aps ) when to get tested? when you have had one or more unexplained blood clots in a vein or artery ; when you have had recurrent miscarriages, especially in the second and third trimesters a blood sample drawn from a vein in your arm test preparation needed? the test sample what is being tested? this test detects and measures one or more classes ( igg, igm, or iga ) of beta - 2 glycoprotein 1 antibodies. beta - 2 glycoprotein 1 antibody is one of three primary antiphospholipid antibodies, which are autoantibodies that target the body ’ s own lipid - proteins ( phospholipids ) found in the outermost layer of cells ( cell membranes ) and platelets. it is less common than the other two, cardiolipin antibody and lupus anticoagulant. antiphospholipid antibodies interfere with the body ’ s blood clotting process in a way that is not fully understood. their presence increases a person ’ s risk of developing inappropriate blood clots ( thrombi ) in both arteries and veins. antiphospholipid antibodies are most frequently seen in those with antiphospholipid syndrome ( aps ), an autoimmune disorder associated with blood clots ( thrombotic episodes ), a low platelet count ( thrombocytopenia ), or with pregnancy complications such as pre - eclampsia and recurrent miscarriages, especially in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. one or more antiphospholipid antibodies may also be seen with other autoimmune disorders, such as systemic lupus erythematosus ( sle ). how is the sample collected for testing? a blood sample is obtained by inserting a needle into a vein in the arm. note : if undergoing medical tests makes you or someone you care for anxious, embarrassed, or even difficult to manage, you might consider reading one or more of the following articles : coping with test pain, discomfort, and anxiety, tips on blood testing, tips to help children through their medical tests, and tips to help the elderly through their medical tests. another article, follow that sample, provides a


more of the following articles : coping with test pain, discomfort, and anxiety, tips on blood testing, tips to help children through their medical tests, and tips to help the elderly through their medical tests. another article, follow that sample, provides a glimpse at the collection and processing of a blood sample and throat culture. is any test preparation needed to ensure the quality of the sample? no test preparation is needed. ask a laboratory scientist this form enables you to ask specific questions about your tests. your questions will be answered by a laboratory scientist as part of a voluntary service provided by one of our partners, american society for clinical laboratory science. if your questions are not related to your lab tests, please submit them via our contact us form. thank you. * indicates a required field note : this article is based on research that utilizes the sources cited here as well as the collective experience of the lab tests online editorial review board. this article is periodically reviewed by the editorial board and may be updated as a result of the review. any new sources cited will be added to the list and distinguished from the original sources used. ( reviewed 2010 december 15 ). learning about antiphospholipid syndrome ( aps ). national human genome research institute [ on - line information ]. available online at http : / / www. genome. gov / 17516396 through http : / / www. genome. gov. accessed march 2011. belilos, e. and carsons, s. ( updated 2009 august 3 ). antiphospholipid syndrome. emedicine [ on - line information ]. available online at http : / / emedicine. medscape. com / article / 333221 - overview through http : / / emedicine. medscape. com. accessed march 2011. rodgers, iii, g. et. al ( updated 2011 january ). antiphospholipid syndrome - aps. arup consult [ on - line information ]. available online at http : / / www. arupconsult. com / topics / aps. html? client _ id = ltd through http : / / www. arupconsult. com. accessed march 2011. ( © 1995 – 2011 ). unit code 88894 : beta - 2 glycoprotein 1 antibodies, igg, igm, and iga, serum mayo clinic, mayo medical laboratories [ on - line information ]. available online at http : / / www


unit code 88894 : beta - 2 glycoprotein 1 antibodies, igg, igm, and iga, serum mayo clinic, mayo medical laboratories [ on - line information ]. available online at http : / / www. mayomedicallaboratories. com / test - catalog / overview / 88894 through http : / / www. mayomedicallaboratories. com. accessed march 2011. ( © 2011 ). antiphospholipid antibodies. lupus foundation of america, inc. [ on - line information ]. available online at http : / / www. lupus. org / webmodules / webarticlesnet / templates / new _ learnaffects. aspx? articleid = 2302 & zoneid = 526 through http : / / www. lupus. org. accessed march 2011. ( revised 2010 august ). antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. national heart lung and blood institute [ on - line information ]. available online at http : / / www. nhlbi. nih. gov / health / dci / diseases / aps / aps _ all. html through http : / / www. nhlbi. nih. gov. accessed march 2011. ( © 2004 - 2011 ). autoimmune disease in women, american autoimmune related diseases association [ on - line information ]. available online at http : / / www. aarda. org / women _ and _ autoimmunity. php through http : / / www. aarda. org. accessed march 2011. wu, a. ( © 2006 ). tietz clinical guide to laboratory tests, 4th edition : saunders elsevier, st. louis, mo. pp 134 - 135. henry ’ s clinical diagnosis and management by laboratory methods. 21st ed. mcpherson r, pincus m, eds. philadelphia, pa : saunders elsevier : 2007. pp 774 - 775.


resources for preemption checks one of the first steps to writing an article is to check to see whether there are any new materials that may change or affect the content of the article. a preemption check is “ conducted to determine whether there is new law or a prior publication ( whether by student author or expert ) that renders an article moot. ” see scholarly writing for law students, pages 22 & 154 @ kf250. f34 2005 reserve. the library offers this guide to help you in your search. be sure to check through all the databases in this guide, as they each offer varying coverage. if you have any questions, please contact a reference librarian. preemption checks in pre - printed sources there is no consensus on the preemptive nature of conference papers and pre - prints. we recommend that you search papers and pre - prints so that you know what materials are out there. we also recommend that you consult with your faculty or journal advisor on this matter. in the legal arena, there are two main working paper repositories : the social science research network ' s legal scholarship network and the bepress legal repository. both websites offer searchable archives of working papers. additionally, you may want to examine google scholar and the university law review project.


writing ( and thinking ) with style posted on july 15, 2012 1. clarity, coherence, concision : write sentences that are clear, coherent, and concise. 2. short or mixed - length sentences : write short sentences or vary sentence rhythm with alternating short and long sentences. 3. plain english : avoid ornate, pompous, latinate, and waffly prose. 4. precision : avoid vagueness and imprecision. 5. active verbs : active verbs should dominate your writing ; use passive verb constructions sparingly. 6. tell a story : create a compelling narrative. on drafting sentences, in particular, she offers three guiding principles : 1. employ plenty of concrete nouns and active verbs, especially when writing about abstract concepts. 2. keep the nouns and verbs close together in your sentences, so that readers know “ who ’ s kicking whom. ” in other words, keep the actor and the action close together ; express the crucial actions in verbs and the central characters ( real or abstract ) in subjects. 3. avoid clutter : keep your sentences free from extraneous words and phrases. how to put these principles regularly in play? sword offers help here too. 1. check the health of your sentences by pasting them to http : / / www. writersdiet. com. the “ writersdiet ” test will categorize your sentences as “ flabby ” or “ fit. ” 2. replace at least a few “ be ” verbs ( be, been, is, are ) with active verbs. 3. identify your passive constructions and decide whether they add syntactical variety or offer other justification for inclusion. too many passive phrases wilt the sentence. 4. make sure at least one sentence per paragraph contains a concrete noun or human entity as its subject, immediately followed by an active verb. 5. a noun and its accompanying verb should pack a quick, one - two punch. readers lose interest when more than a dozen or so words separate the actor ( subject or noun ) from the action ( verb ). 6. when writing about inanimate abstractions, still use active verbs to “ animate ” them. 7. cut down on prepositional phrases, especially when they string together long sentence with abstract nouns. 8. when possible, explain abstract concepts using concrete examples ( which, for brevity ’ s sake, i ’ ve violated in this very blog post! ) as many writers before ms. sword have pointed out : there is no writing,


merriam - webster ' s information on ' character ' ( that is relevant to my post ) : 2 a : one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual b : ( 1 ) a feature used to separate distinguishable things into categories ; also : a group or kind so separated ( 2 ) the detectable expression of the action of a gene or group of genes ( 3 ) the aggregate of distinctive qualities characteristic of a breed, strain, or type ; c : the complex of mental and ethical traits marking and often individualizing a person, group, or nation d : main or essential nature especially as strongly marked and serving to distinguish 7 a : a person marked by notable or conspicuous traits b : one of the persons of a drama or novel c : the personality or part which an actor recreates d : characterization especially in drama or fiction e : person, individual origin of the word middle english caracter, from latin character mark, distinctive quality, from greek charakter, from charassein to scratch, engrave ; perhaps akin to lithuanian zerti to scratch dictionary. reference. com ' s information on ' character ' ( that is relevant to my post ) 1. the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing. 2. one such feature or trait ; characteristic. 3. moral or ethical quality : " a man of fine, honorable character. " 4. qualities of honesty, courage, or the like ; integrity : " it takes character to face up to a bully. " 5. reputation : " a stain on one ' s character. " adjective definitions * used in art * a. ( of a part or role ) representing a personality type, especially by emphasizing distinctive traits, as language, mannerisms, physical makeup, etc. b. ( of an actor or actress ) acting or specializing in such roles. verb definitions ( used with object ) * archaic usage * 24. to portray ; describe. 25. to engrave ; inscribe. 26. in character, a. in harmony with one ' s personal character or disposition : " such behavior is not in character for him. " b. in accordance with the role or personality assumed in a performance : " an actor in character. " 27. out of character, a. out of harmony with one ' s personal character or disposition : " her remarks were out of character. " b. away from the role or personality assumed in a performance : " the actor stepped out of character. " thesaurus. com '


a. out of harmony with one ' s personal character or disposition : " her remarks were out of character. " b. away from the role or personality assumed in a performance : " the actor stepped out of character. " thesaurus. com ' s information on ' character ' part of speech : noun synonyms : appearance, aspect, attribute, badge, bent, caliber, cast, complex, complexion, constitution, crasis, disposition, emotions, estimation, ethos, frame, frame of mind, genius, grain, habit, humor, kind, makeup, mettle, mood, morale, mystique, nature, personality, quality, record, reputation, repute, sense, set, shape, singularity, sort, specialty, spirit, standing, streak, style, temper, temperament, tone, trait, turn, type, vein notes : character is what one represents ; reputation is what one is thought to be by others dictionary. com ' s information on ' personification ' ( that is relevant to my post ) 2. the representation of a thing or abstraction in the form of a person, as in art. 3. the person or thing embodying a quality or the like ; an embodiment or incarnation : he is the personification of tact. 4. an imaginary person or creature conceived or figured to represent a thing or abstraction. collins dictionary ' s definitions of ' personification ' 1. the attribution of human characteristics to things, abstract ideas, etc, as for literary or artistic effect 2. the representation of an abstract quality or idea in the form of a person, creature, etc, as in art and literature 3. a person or thing that personifies 4. a person or thing regarded as an embodiment of a quality : " he is the personification of optimism. " excerpt from encyclopedia britannica ' s information on ' personification ' figure of speech in which human characteristics are attributed to an abstract quality, animal, or inanimate object. an example is " the moon doth with delight look round her when the heavens are bare " ( ' william wordsworth, ' ode : intimations of immortality from recollections of early childhood ' 1807 ). another is " death lays his icy hand on kings " ( james shirley, ' the glories of our blood and state ' 1659 ). personification has been used in european poetry since homer and is particularly common in allegory ; for example, the medieval morality play everyman ( c


kings " ( james shirley, ' the glories of our blood and state ' 1659 ). personification has been used in european poetry since homer and is particularly common in allegory ; for example, the medieval morality play everyman ( c. 1500 ) and the christian prose allegory pilgrim ' s progress ( 1678 ) by john bunyan contain characters such as death, fellowship, knowledge, giant despair, sloth, hypocrisy, and piety. personification became almost an automatic mannerism in 18th - century neoclassical poetry, as exemplified by these lines from thomas gray ' s ' an elegy written in a country church yard ' : " here rests his head upon the lap of earth a youth to fortune and to fame unknown : fair science frowned not on his humble birth, and melancholy marked him for her own. " thesaurus. com ' s information on ' personification ' part of speech : noun definition : representation, manifestation synonyms : apotheosis, archetype, avatar, cast, collection, comprehension, conformation, embracement, encompassment, epitome, example, exemplar, exemplification, expression, form, formation, incarnation, inclusion, incorporation, integration, matter, organization, personification, prosopopoeia, quintessence, realization, reification, structure, symbol, systematization, type 1560s, from greek prosopopoiia " the putting of speeches into the mouths of others, " from prosopon " person, face " ( literally " that which is toward the eyes, " from pros " to " + ops " eye, face " ) + poiein " make " ( see poet ). is enlightenment when you become the prospopeia of the best part of yourself?


saturday, november 8, 2008 epps on the antebellum political background of the 14th amendment, and more posted by mary l. dudziak garrett epps, university of baltimore school of law, has posted an article, the antebellum political background of the fourteenth amendment. it appeared in law & contemporary problems ( 2004 ). he has also posted on ssrn a lecture, second founding : the story of the fourteenth amendment, and a speech on the bill of rights. here ' s the article abstract : understanding the fourteenth amendment is the key question of constitutional law, both as it pertains to individual rights and, in many areas, as it relates to questions of congressional power as opposed to the reserved powers of the states. the amendment is often disaggregated and read clause by clause - but the intellectual and political background of its framers suggests that the amendment in fact forms a coherent whole and that reading it as a whole might be a fertile source of new meanings. the amendment was written by politicians who had spent their careers deeply involved in anti - slavery politics. the political concepts developed by this movement are unfamiliar to most lawyers today. one such concept, richly documented by historians, is that of the slave power. the slave power, as used by mainstream anti - slavery politicians like charles sumner, william p. fessenden and thaddeus stevens, referred to the institutions that had grown up under the original constitution of 1789 to protect and advance the south ' s slave system. a glance at the writings of anti - slavery politicians is enough to suggest that in writing the amendment they were taking aim at what they regarded as the key elements of the slave power - the overrrepresentation of slave states in congress and the electoral college, and the ability of the southern states to suppress free debate and democratic political institutions within their borders. the individual rights guarantees of section one, seen through this lens, are not a limited set of minimal rights but in fact seem designed as a broad charter of freedom for residents of all the states, with section five placing congress squarely in control of the political progress at the state level.


resources in this guide use the sources in this research guide to find current as well as historic statistics on health indicators - - vital, demographic, environmental, disease, and outcome. start with the u. s. statistics or states statistics page - use u. s. statistics for government and organization health statistics to find national, state, and local data - use state & county statistics for specific states, for ny state health statistics as well as nassau and suffolk county data - use books, ebooks, and ebrary for electronic books and print sources through au the importance of health statistics what is the incidence of asthma in new york? how does the infant mortality rate of texas compare to the rate in new jersey? what are the indicators for hiv by age? what are the national figures on breast cancer? what are the 3 leading causes of death in the united states? do they differ between males and females? to find the answers and to develop new questions health professionals use statistics that are collected over a period of time within a certain demographic group. the fields of nursing, medicine, health education, and government policy often require access to health statistics. they can help us understand the distribution of health conditions and resources, diagnoses, predictors, and efficacy of procedures. they determine medical need, research areas, and determine appropriation of funds. the findings are used to establish correlations, conditions, care, and consequences of services, or lack of services. statistics collected reflect who is collecting the data and why the study is being conducted. community assessment slideshare click below for presentation on understanding a community assessment. ( expand for full - screen viewing ) u. s. health care system : c - span washington journal segment : " how we measure america ' s health " click expander to watch full screen. stop playing using controls below video. adjunct reference librarian