" breaking " to do as well - the breaking of our evil the shape of the shofar is not straight like a trumpet. rather, the end of the shofar is curved and bent. this bent shape is to remind us that we should bend our hearts in subservience to hashem. check out all of the posts on elul and rosh hashana. head over to http : / / www. torah. org / learning / yomtov / to access the yomtov page. then click on the icon for the holiday of your choice. for questions, comments, and topic requests, please write to rabbi yehudah prero. a bed of potential roses rabbi label lam - 5761 the father of prophets shlomo katz - 5772 rabbi raymond beyda - 5766 yours is greater than theirs rabbi yissocher frand - 5767 when you rise rabbi berel wein - 5766 rabbi yaakov menken - 5758 it ' s summertime, and the parshiyos are depressing rabbi yissocher frand - 5764 shlomo katz - 5764 our eyes and ears shlomo katz - 5762 rabbi pinchas avruch - 5765 let ' s step up to the plate rabbi naftali reich - 5772 was moshe really humble? rabbi yaakov menken - 5762 mo ' better jews rabbi mordechai kamenetzky - 5760 eldad and meidad : the rest of the story rabbi yissocher frand - 5771 chance of a lifetime rabbi raymond beyda - 5767 a depression that impresses buy rabbi prero ' s book now


susan solomon : service to america medalist on september 15, 2010, in recognition of her pioneering work that altered the course of atmospheric research, noaa senior scientist susan solomon was awarded the career achievement service to america medal. " it ' s been a privilege doing science to serve the american public, and receiving this wonderful award is one of the most humbling experiences of my life, " said solomon, who is based at noaa ' s earth system research laboratory in boulder, colo. solomon is the second noaa scientist to win a samuel j. heyman service to america medal, or " sammie. " in 2008, eddie bernard, director of noaa ' s pacific marine environmental laboratory in seattle, won for his work in establishing an international tsunami detection and forecast system. " at noaa, i am proud to say that our standards for achievement are quite high. we have a team of scientists who are consistently producing awe - inspiring and important work. they provide much of the knowledge we need to address many of our world ' s environmental challenges, " said jane lubchenco, under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and noaa administrator. " but susan exceeds anyone ' s standards. the nation has benefited from her three decades at noaa, and we celebrate her accomplishments. " solomon is best known for her groundbreaking work identifying the cause of the ozone hole. solomon and her colleagues showed that this ozone depletion is caused by unusual chemistry involving human - made chlorofluorocarbons that occurs under the extremely cold conditions of antarctica. her work was one of the scientific cornerstones on which the international montreal protocol was built, which curbed the use of ozone - destroying substances. " science is there to inform, but the choices of what to do are up to all of us, " solomon often says, referring to how science is used to make an important policy decision. solomon recently led another breakthrough study, one focused on global warming. her detailed research demonstrated how changes in surface temperature, rainfall and sea level are largely irreversible for more than 1, 000 years after carbon dioxide emissions are completely stopped. in 2002, she was elected co - chair of working group 1 of the intergovernmental panel on climate change that published " the physical science basis " in 2007. the ipcc was a co - winner of the nobel peace prize that year. in addition to her scientific research, solomon is generous with her time as a science communicator — she often speaks about her work to audiences of all ages and


common flame retardant linked to social, behavioral and learning deficits study highlights the interaction between epigenetics and genetics and exposure to a flame retardant in mice click here to view this release en espanol. mice genetically engineered to be susceptible to autism - like behaviors that were exposed to a common flame retardant were less fertile and their offspring were smaller, less sociable and demonstrated marked deficits in learning and long - term memory when compared with the offspring of normal unexposed mice, a study by researchers at uc davis has found. the researchers said the study is the first to link genetics and epigenetics with exposure to a flame retardant chemical. the research was published online today in the journal human molecular genetics. it will be presented during a symposium on saturday, feb. 18, at the annual meeting of the american association for the advancement of science ( aaas ) by janine lasalle, a professor in the department of medical microbiology and immunology in the uc davis school of medicine and the uc davis genome center. ( lasalle will discuss her research during a news briefing with her colleagues at 9 a. m. on feb. 19 in room 221 on the second level of the vancouver convention center ). " this study highlights the interaction between epigenetics and the effects of early exposure to flame retardants, " said janine lasalle, the study ' s senior author and a researcher affiliated with the uc davis mind institute. " our experiments with wild - type and mutant mice indicate that exposure to flame retardants presents an independent risk of neurodevelopmental deficits associated with reduced sociability and learning. " epigenetics describes the heritable changes in gene expression caused by mechanisms other than those in the dna sequence. one such mechanism is dna methylation, in which genes are silenced when their activation no longer is required. dna methylation is essential for normal development. the researchers chose a mouse that was genetically and epigenetically susceptible to social behavioral deficits in order to understand the potential effect of this environmental pollutant on genetically susceptible humans. lasalle and her colleagues examined the effects of the chemical bde - 47 ( tetrabromodiphenl ether ), a member of the class of flame retardants called polybrominated diphenylethers, or pbdes. pbdes have been used in a wide range of products, including electronics, bedding, carpeting and furniture.


a member of the class of flame retardants called polybrominated diphenylethers, or pbdes. pbdes have been used in a wide range of products, including electronics, bedding, carpeting and furniture. they have been shown to persist in the environment and accumulate in living organisms, and toxicological testing has found that they may cause liver toxicity, thyroid toxicity and neurodevelopmental toxicity, according to the u. s. environmental protection agency. bde - 47 is the pbde found at highest concentrations in human blood and breast milk, raising concerns about its potential neurotoxic effects during pregnancy and neonatal development. the research was conducted in the offspring of mice genetically engineered for the autism phenotype found in rett syndrome, a disorder that occurs primarily in females and causes regression in expressive language, motor skills and social reciprocity in late infancy. the condition affects about 1 in 10, 000 children. autism spectrum disorders are a group of neurodevelopmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral deficits. the u. s. centers for disease control and prevention estimates that an average of 1 in 110 children born in the united states today will be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. rett syndrome is causally linked to defects in the methyl - cpg - binding protein 2 gene mecp2 situated on the x chromosome. mutations in mecp2 result in a nonfunctional mecp2 protein, which is required for normal brain development. the researchers evaluated the effects of exposure to bde - 47 on mice genetically engineered to have mutations in mecp2 and their offspring, or pups. the genetically engineered mecp2 mother mice, or dams, were bred with non - mutant wild - type males. the dams were monitored for 10 weeks - - for four weeks prior to conception, three weeks during gestation and three weeks of lactation. they were then compared with a control group of normal, unexposed dams and pups over several generations and hundreds of mice. the study found that that the weights of the pups of the lactating bde - 47 - exposed dams were diminished when compared with the controls, as were their survival rates. to assess the effects of the flame retardant exposure on the pups and their genotypes, the researchers placed them through more than 10 cognitive, social and physical tests. female offspring of dams exposed with bde - 47 spent half as much time interacting with another mouse


the flame retardant exposure on the pups and their genotypes, the researchers placed them through more than 10 cognitive, social and physical tests. female offspring of dams exposed with bde - 47 spent half as much time interacting with another mouse in a 10 - minute sociability test compared to controls. the reduced sociability in bde - 47 exposed females corresponded to reduced dna methylation in females regardless of genotype. in addition, genetic and environmental interaction effects in this study were specifically observed in females. in a short - term memory test of social novelty, although all mice showed the expected preference for interacting with a novel over a familiar mouse, bde - 47 - exposed mutant female mice spent about half as much time interacting with the familiar mouse than their non - mutant littermates. in a long - term memory test of swimming to reach a hidden platform in a cloudy pool, female mice who were both mutant and bde - 47 exposed did not learn to reach the platform faster after fourdays of training. these behavioral changes in social and cognitive learning specifically in the interaction group corresponded to changes in a known epigenetic regulator of dna methylation in brain, dna methyltransferase 3a ( dnmt3a ). lasalle said that the study results are important because better understanding of the epigenetic pathways implicated in social behavior and cognition may lead to improved treatments for autism spectrum disorders. " while the obvious preventative step is to limit the use and accumulation of pbdes in our environment, this would likely be a long - term solution, " lasalle said. " these pollutants are going to be hard to get rid of tomorrow. however, one important preventative that all women could do tomorrow is to start taking prenatal vitamins before becoming pregnant, as these may counteract the toxins in our environment through dna methylation, " she said. a study by researchers at uc davis conducted in 2011 found that women who reported not taking a daily prenatal vitamin immediately before and during the first month of pregnancy were nearly twice as likely to have a child with an autism spectrum disorder as women who did take the supplements - - and the associated risk rose to seven times as great when combined with a high - risk genetic make - up. other authors of the research are rima woods, roxanne o. vallero, mari golub, joanne k. suarez, tram anh ta, dag h. yasui, lai - har chi, isaac n. pessa


background and objectives : the intensive urbanization process in mexico has created many social and economic obstacles to sustainable and inclusive urban development. mexico is predominantly an urban country and it is estimated that in 25 years 85 per cent of the country ’ s population will be living in cities. the metropolitan regions are clearly affected by social inequality. more than 10 per cent of the urban population does not have piped water ; 25 per cent lack sewerage or adequate sanitation facilities, and more than 60 per cent does not have stormwater drains. the project objectives have been to contribute to reducing urban poverty in order to improve sustainable urban development and also promote partnerships with state and local governments. the main activities included : - participation in the technical committee of best practices award evaluation in mexico, and transfer cases of best practices from four mexican cities - training and technical assistance to sedesol in urban policy development - development of urban information systems, especially local urban observatories - promotion of gender inclusive strategies in programmes and projects of sedesol. the results achieved were : - more than 40 local urban observatories established, under the overall coordination of sedesol, conforming a national network - several technical workshops for training of staff from municipalities, state governments and their partners in the civil society for building local urban indicators and organizing monitoring systems - best practices national programme – elaborated methodology for selection of the best practices ; dissemination of best practices on urban poverty reduction in mexico to cities and local authorities. - initiated national campaign for social participation on urban development with sedesol participation - advanced discussions for the incorporation of two state governments and several municipal governments into this national strategy.


friday, june 29, 2012 as part of a trivia series on polio, aufderheide cites several studies showing that the widespread use of chemical pesticides such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, or ddt, and heptachlor following world war ii, actual exacerbated viral disease outbreaks across the united states. on a visual graph, it is clearly seen that the production and use of pesticides throughout the mid - 20th century is directly correlated to polio outbreaks, including the worst polio epidemic in known history, which occurred in 1952. you can view the graph here : http : / / vactruth. com / 2012 / 06 / 03 / 7 - trivia - facts - about - polio / according to a report compiled by the secretary of the interior that was presented before the 85th congress back in 1958, polio really only became a problem after the 1940s, when chemical companies began to produce large amounts of ddt, heptachlor, dieldrin, tetraethyl pyrophosphate ( tepp ), malathion, benzene hexachloride ( bhc ) and other pesticide chemicals for use on agricultural crops. prior to that time, polio was not nearly as virulent or problematic as many people believe it was. as ddt and other pesticides were eventually phased out, cases of polio also began to decline, which suggests that vaccines may not have been primarily responsible for eradicating polio. improvements in sanitation, which are hardly ever mentioned by mainstream health authorities, also played a major role in eradicating polio. pesticide - contaminated milk also responsible for polio outbreaks many people during the 1950s became ill as a result of pesticide - contaminated milk, much of which ended up having to be quietly pulled from store shelves in subsequent years. this contaminated milk was also known to be a primary carrier of polio, and was directly responsible for spreading the disease until the contaminating pesticides were eventually phased out, and the milk supply effectively remediated. interestingly, milk - induced disease outbreaks were responsible for the later creation of milk pasteurization mandates. but it was the pesticides and their tolerance of polio virus, not the fact that milk was raw, that was responsible for spreading disease. and yet the belief that raw milk is inherently dangerous is still prevalent today, while few have any real understanding of the role pesticide - tainted milk played


of polio virus, not the fact that milk was raw, that was responsible for spreading disease. and yet the belief that raw milk is inherently dangerous is still prevalent today, while few have any real understanding of the role pesticide - tainted milk played in spreading disease, and particularly polio. right around the time that dangerous pesticides were being retired and sanitation was being improved, authorities released a polio vaccine that they claimed would eradicate the disease. the precise timing of this strategic release would later be used to claim that the vaccine, and not agricultural and sanitation improvements, was responsible for ending polio. revisionist history continues to fuel myth that vaccines are responsible for eradicating disease because of the way drug companies and vaccine manufacturers have influenced governmental and health authorities over the years, the myth that vaccines are responsible for eradicating disease has prevailed. truth be told, the polio vaccine has been shown to actually cause many of the paralysis symptoms associated with polio, including in india where there has been a 1, 200 percent increase vaccine - associated polio paralysis ( vapp ) since the introduction of massive polio vaccine campaigns throughout the country ( http : / / www. naturalnews. com / 035588 _ polio _ vaccine _ india _ paralysis. html ).


| © unicef / mlia2009 - 00256 / giacomo pirozzi | | an adolescent boy behind bars in the detention centre for minors in the town of mopti, central mali. unicef support partners to help children in prison, while advocating that prisons should only be used as a last resort. | children encounter the justice system as victims, witnesses, because they are in conflict with the law or as parties to a justice process, such as in custody arrangements. while detention should be used as a last resort and for the shortest period of time, children suspected or accused of having committed an offence are often detained. children are also detained for various reasons : because they were accompanying a parent to detention or seeking asylum in another country ; for vagrancy, begging, missing school ; for reasons such as after being removed from an abusive home situation ; or for reasons such as race, religion, nationality, ethnicity or political views. unicef estimates that more than one million children worldwide are deprived of their liberty by law enforcement officials ( unicef, progress for children, 2009 ). many justice systems do not have child - sensitive procedures due to lack of resources or political will and those services for a child ’ s development may not be available to promote the child ’ s rehabilitation and reintegration into society. in detention, children may suffer violations of their rights - they may be detained with adult prisoners – and are exposed to torture, physical and emotional abuse. legal, social, cultural norms, as well as practical constraints may complicate issues of justice for children. justice for children is designed for the benefit of all children in contact with the justice system to ensure that the children are better served and protected ( sg gn j4c 2008 ). unicef promotes the strengthening of all parts of the child protection system, including the justice mechanisms, to operate in the best interest of the child. unicef promotes alternatives to detention, such as diversion, as well as restorative justice that emphasizes repairing the harm caused or revealed by criminal behaviour. unicef supports the training of police, prosecutors, judges, lawyers, social services and health professionals to effectively protect children in contact with the justice system. unicef works with the traditional or customary justice mechanisms, of which current estimates indicate that in many developing countries, handle 80 per cent of the total caseload. unicef encourages the establishment of child sensitive courts and police procedures that give primary consideration to a child ’ s right to protection and are consistent with the convention on the rights of the child and other non - binding international standards, guidelines,


mdg 1 : eradicate extreme poverty and hunger " those who suffer or who benefit least deserve help from those who benefit most " the widening gap between rich and poor worldwide is a major threat to global security and economic integration. poverty is a vicious circle, being both the cause and effect of the lack of opportunities that exist for the poor to help themselves. as a primary driver of economic growth and employment creation, the private sector plays a central role in reducing poverty. however, in many developing countries the majority of the population faces obstacles in starting or expanding industrial activities. few small and micro - enterprises have the capacity to become stable small and medium enterprises ( smes ) and to respond to the opportunities available in the export sector and the global economy. for mdg1, unido aims to unleash the productive potential of the poorer groups in the world by promoting productive activities, industrial policies, institution - building and industrial support services. unido implements the following activities directly related to mdg1 : • policy support for competitive industries and private sector development • rural and women ’ s entrepreneurship development • agro - based industries • food processing • textiles and leather • restoring agro - industries • sharing innovative agribusiness solutions • investment and technology • rural energy for productive use example of unido project under mdg1 : sme cluster development programme the programme for sme cluster development aims at addressing the challenges associated with the lack of linkages among small businesses and support institutions, which often prevents smes from realizing their full growth potential particularly in the context of global value chains. to strengthen its contribution to poverty reduction, the cluster development programme increasingly focuses on working directly with the poor. projects for sme cluster development are under way in colombia, ecuador, ethiopia, india, the islamic republic of iran, morocco, nicaragua, pakistan and senegal. example of successful sme initiative in india : the united kingdom ' s department for international development ( dfid ), unido, together with the government of the state of orissa, developed a stone carving cluster support programme. the programme had the following impacts : • artisans in self - help groups and cooperatives were given low - interest loans that were invested in productive activities. • products of the cluster are sold in new markets ; the increased sales and prices for high - quality products have raised the income of both skilled and semi - skilled artisans. • productivity has increased by 15 to 20 per cent, product quality has improved and the cost of production has decreased, while mechanization has made work easier and improved


- michael a. healy was born on 22 september 1839 in georgia. his father, michael morris healy, was a white planter and his mother, eliza clark, was variously reported as a slave or a former slave. - his father sent him and his nine siblings north to be educated and escape slavery. - michael a. healy ran repeatedly ran away from any of the schools he was sent to and finally " ran away to sea " in 1855 as a mate on board the clipper ship jumna, bound for calcutta from boston. he sailed on merchant vessels for the next ten years until he applied for an appointment as an officer in the u. s. revenue marine in 1864. - he was commissioned as a third lieutenant in the u. s. revenue marine by president abraham lincoln on 4 march 1865. - healy was promoted to second lieutenant in 1866. he served as a junior officer on board the cutters reliance, vigilant, moccasin, and active and was promoted to first lieutenant on 20 july 1870. - he became the second officer on the cutter rush in 1874. - healy obtained his first command, the cutter chandler, in 1877. - he was ordered to take command of the thomas corwin in 1882, a post he held until 1886. - the revenue cutter service promoted healy to the rank of captain on 3 march 1883. - in 1884 he and the corwin participated in an attack and bombardment of the alaskan - native village of angoon at the request of an officer of the u. s. navy. - the revenue cutter service acquired the ship bear and ordered healy to take command in february 1886. the bear was designated as the flagship of the bering sea force. he commanded the cutter through 1895. - in 1888 the bearis crew rescued 160 sailors from whaling vessels trapped near point barrow, alaska. - in 1890 he was investigated by a board of investigation for charges of drunkenness and cruelty to some merchant sailors. the board cleared healy of the charges. - from 1892 through 1895, healy transported reindeer to alaska, establishing a plentiful food source for the native population. - on 8 june 1896 a court - martial found healy guilty of seven charges. the treasury secretary ordered him dropped to the bottom of the captainis list and placed out of the service for a period of four years without pay. the charges he was found guilty of were : - healy was given temporary command of the cutter mcculloch in 1900. he was then given command of the cutters golden gate and hartley. - in january


historic cemetery alliance dorado house cemetery resources preservation commission on pacheco cemetery public title. bills introduced in the state legislature dorado county historic cemeteries ( check here for information on the historic cemeteries ) mile house ( aka camino ) cemetery of el dorado cemetery advisory committee boards & commissions ( see title 8 - health & safety ; the cemetery ordinance is sec. cemetery advisory committee california state website cemetery and funeral bureau statutes & laws ( see health & safety code beginning at sec. 7000 ) ca health & safety code ca business & professions code professional and vocational regulations code sec. 594 ( vandalism management and control of gold rush " pioneer " cemetery ; california attorney general opinion history of california cemetery laws ( edc saving graves ) this site is in a process of continuing construction. please check on our progress from time to time! becoming a member purpose and objectives message from the el dorado county recorder for visiting our website... gold was discovered in january of 1848 by james wilson marshall while he was building a saw mill for captain johann ( john ) sutter on the south fork of the american river in what is now el dorado county, little did the world anticipate the events that followed. the word of the gold discovery in the newly won territory of the united states, drew thousands of men, women, and children from every civilized and uncivilized corner of the earth to this california, the land of golden treasure. have well documented these events, detailing for readers and students the way in which california became settled as the country ' s 31st state in the union. the vast wealth that was produced from nuggets and flakes of the golden metal, made millionaires of some and beggars of others. more went home empty handed than ever walked away with their pockets full of gold. has been written, however, about the thousands of men, women and children who came here and made california their final resting places - their last homes on this earth. in el dorado county, alone, it is estimated that some five to ten thousand people died between 1848 and 1900 whose graves within the historic cemeteries cannot be found either by record document or by graves marked in the cemeteries. sons and daughters, some have called them, for their unmarked graves were left to the care of the people of el dorado county in graveyards and cemeteries that, today, remain as the only evidence of many of our early towns and mining camps. several of these hallowed burying grounds, like the communities they once represented, have also disappeared in the


people of el dorado county in graveyards and cemeteries that, today, remain as the only evidence of many of our early towns and mining camps. several of these hallowed burying grounds, like the communities they once represented, have also disappeared in the years since the world first rushed in. of mining camps and towns with the strange names of bottle hill, georgia slide, rattlesnake bar, wisconsin bar, maine bar, and others, quite simply cannot be found, although the documentary evidence is that they once existed. many of these places, like the towns and camps, were simply just abandoned as word of gold strikes elsewhere rippled through the mother lode. however, have begun to disappear or suffer in more recent times. with residential and commercial development at an all time increase in el dorado county, we have documented the wholesale destruction and desecration of our historic cemeteries that appears to match the new rush of humanity now emigrating to this once rural county. appalled we were that, in 1996, a small group of citizens founded and chartered the el dorado county pioneer cemeteries commission ( edcpcc ) to research and study the history of the cemeteries to learn and document what has occurred and is occurring to these valuable and irreplaceable historic and cultural resources. we have performed extensive research documenting the cemetery histories, establishing their extensive use ( some are still being used by the public today ), as well as lack of plat maps or records, since our formation, the single biggest obstacle we have faced has been to try to convince the county of el dorado that california state law vested title to these places in accept our invitation to review our findings for the many cemeteries we have studied. what you may learn will not always be pleasant. we have attempted to learn the truth of what has happened and is happening to our historic cemeteries. their stories are nearly as dismal as their physical next time you visit an historic cemetery, look around. take note of the common rock grave markers, the mounds and depressions devoid of any marker at all. if the cemetery is still being used for current interments and you do not see these evidences of early unmarked and unknown graves, ask yourself, " what ' s wrong with this picture. " and then contemplate who is or will serve as guardian of the graveyards and cemeteries where your loved ones rest in peace. how peaceful is fourth generation californian cameron park, california * my herrick and page families came from wisconsin to california between 1850 and 1851. they first settled at drytown


the sweetwater union high school district reinvented english classes at its middle and high schools to better prepare graduates for college and life. old : literature - heavy reading lists included novels, nonfiction, poetry and short stories. new : reading materials now include newspaper editorials, speeches, advertisements and short stories. “ the old man and the sea, ” “ the house on mango street, ” and “ the great gatsby ” are so last century when it comes to high school english classes in chula vista and national city. once literature - based, english classes throughout the sweetwater union high school district — and elsewhere in california — have been revamped in an attempt to better prepare students for college and the real world. that means reading lists once dominated by the classics now consist of newspaper editorials, historic documents, advertisements and some nonfiction. assignments no longer dwell on the symbolism in a poem or focus on an entire novel. instead, they emphasize expository, analytical and argumentative writing. developed by professors from the california state university system with help from high school teachers, the new “ rhetorical approach ” to english was designed to curb the growing number of high school graduates who need remedial instruction in college. most college freshmen enroll in composition classes, not literature courses, and are unprepared for the demands to write research papers and employ critical thinking skills, said glen mcclish, a writing professor at san diego state university who helped sweetwater establish its new curriculum. “ the idea is to prepare students to be able to read and respond to a wider variety of text. this is not to denigrate literature by any means, ” mcclish said. “ you don ’ t need to equip most high school students with a thorough command of english literature. if they have the reading ability, they can read more later. for most students, what ’ s really most important for their participation in college, life and work is basic literacy and critical thinking skills that allow them to read and write and understand, so they can join the conversation. ” although sweetwater educators have mostly embraced the shift, some english teachers have been reluctant to let go of the classics. imagine a whole generation of students never exposed to austen, dickens, steinbeck and salinger? “ when we started moving away from literature, we had to let go of the old ways, ” said debbie maghirang, who has taught english for a dozen years and once looked forward to introducing her students to ernest hemingway ’ s “ the old man and the sea


vanderbilt researchers have discovered that early visual areas, long believed to play no role in higher cognitive functions such as memory, retain information previously hidden from brain studies. researchers made the discovery using a new technique for decoding data from functional magnetic resonance imaging ( fmri ). the findings, published feb. 18 online by nature, represent a significant step in understanding how we perceive, process and remember visual information. “ how do people maintain an active representation of what they have just seen moments ago? this has long been a conundrum, ” says frank tong, co - author of the research findings and an associate professor of psychology. “ before, we knew that early visual areas of the cerebral cortex that are the first to receive visual information were exquisitely tuned to process incoming visual signals from the eye, but not to store this information. we also knew that the higher - order brain areas responsible for memory lack the visual sensitivity of early brain areas, but somehow people are able to remember a visual pattern with remarkable precision for many seconds — actually, for as long as they keep thinking about that pattern. our question was, where is this precise information being stored in the brain? ” the researchers found that fine - scale activity patterns in early visual areas reveal a trace of “ something like an echo of the stimulus that the person is actively retaining, ” says tong, “ even though the overall activity in these areas is really weak after the stimulus is removed. ” before this discovery the visual cortex had not been implicated in cognitive processes such as memory or active maintenance of information, says stephenie harrison, lead author of the research and a graduate student in the vanderbilt psychology department. “ by using a neural decoding technique, we were able to read out what people were holding in their visual memory. we believe this sustained visual information could be useful when people must perform complex visual tasks in everyday life. ” research subjects were shown two examples of simple striped patterns at different orientations. they were then told to hold one of the orientations in their mind while being scanned using fmri. orientation has long been known to be one of the first and most basic pieces of visual information coded and processed by the brain. “ through both evolution and learning, the visual system has developed the most efficient ways to code our natural environment, and the most efficient way to code any basic shape or contour is orientation, ” tong explains. “ we used a decoding method to see if the activity patterns contained information about the remembered orientation, and we found that they do. ” analyzing responses over several trials


biologist at amyris biotechnologies are using e. coli bacteria to turn sugar into carbon - neutral gasoline. by adding enzyme genes to the bacteria, carbon - absorbing crops like sugarcane can be turned into hydrocarbons. as amanda schaffer says in the article “ breeding the oil bug ” at popsci. com : amyris is [... ] betting that, with the help of bacteria, the long - term answer to our gasoline woes will actually be … gasoline. others, like scientists at argonne national laboratory, believe that raw algae used to make biocrude is the best way forward. biocrude is touted to be “ the renewable equivalent of petroleum ”. it can be processed at existing oil refineries to make anything from gasoline to chemical feedstocks for plastics. but our stance remains. the answer to our climate and energy crisis is not to make new things that can be burned in combustion engines. we have to find entirely new approaches by using renewable and natural energy sources like water, wind and sun. and our belief is that electric cars are the way of the future. recommended watching : who killed the electric car? learn more about how gasoline is made from sugar : “ breeding the oil bug ” ( popsci. com ) learn more about algae that makes biocrude : “ algae - based fuels set to bloom ” ( technologyreview. com ) award barcelona base station biofuel cleantech communicasia diesel energy event fuel globalwarming green growth gsm gsma india infrastructure innovation interview microfinance microtelecom mobile mobile world congress mwc network networks news oil phone photo power press rajiv mehrotra rural singapore solar solar powered sustainability telecom the microtelecom revolution blog trade show village vnl wireless worldgsm


keeping up with the demands of small children is hard enough for parents, but it can be especially difficult when you have kids with special needs. five - year - old maxwell was diagnosed with asburger syndrome, a form of autism, a couple of years ago. he spends an hour each week with an occupational therapist working on motor skills, social interaction and more. toby black works both in her home and in her clients homes to help children reach their full potential in spite of health limitations or a diagnosis they may have. " the children i work with have special needs, maybe were preemies. parents have a soft spot not to make them cry and the child controls the home. then they get bigger and things get out of control. ” behavior modification is a big part of therapy offered to kids like maxwell and angelo. " he has behavior issues at home he doesn ' t know how to express them. working on daily with things that bother him so mom doesn ' t have to go through all the tantrums. ” black says the interaction she has with the children often changes the relationship between the parent and the child because they see how crucial it is to spend time teaching the child about the world around them. " i play with child and with toy. too many parents set child down with toy and left to explore. ” black says rather than just pushing a button, she teaches the children to examine the cause and effect of the toy. maxwell ' s mother says she learns along with her son. and the earlier you get your child additional help they need, the sooner their daily struggles will get easier. if you suspect your child has developmental delays, the state offers an evaluation through its " first steps " program. for information, go to http : / / chfs. ky. gov / dph / adminupdate. htm. also, the clinical education complex being built at western will combine five agencies to provide better care for children with special needs. it ' s expected to be operational this fall.


what to ask your doctor about heart disease keep these questions in mind during your next appointment during your next visit to the doctor, consider asking these questions to learn if you could be at risk for heart disease : 1. what is my risk for heart disease? 2. what is my blood pressure? what does it mean for me, and what do i need to do about it? 3. what are my cholesterol numbers? ( these include total cholesterol, ldl or " bad " cholesterol, hdl or " good " cholesterol, and triglycerides. ) what do they mean for me, and what do i need to do about them? 4. what is my " body mass index " and waist measurement? do they indicate that i need to lose weight for my health? 5. what is my blood sugar level, and does it mean i ' m at risk for diabetes? 6. what other screening tests for heart disease do i need? how often should i return for checkups for my heart health? 7. what can you do to help me quit smoking? 8. how much physical activity do i need to help protect my heart? 9. what is a heart - healthy eating plan for me? should i see a registered dietitian or qualified nutritionist to learn more about healthy eating? 10. how can i tell if i ' m having a heart attack? ® the heart truth, its logo, and the red dress are trademarks of hhs. participation by internet broadcasting and its partner stations does not imply endorsement by hhs / nih / nhlbi. distributed by internet broadcasting. this material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


- north america - united states of america - district of columbia - delaware ( 2 ) - maryland ( 2 ) - virginia ( 2 ) - west virginia ( 2 ) - maine ( 1 ) - massachusetts ( 1 ) - new hampshire ( 1 ) - new jersey ( 1 ) - pennsylvania ( 1 ) - rhode island ( 1 ) - vermont ( 1 ) - architectural drawings ( 1 ) - atlantic coast ( north america ) ( 1 ) - canals ( 1 ) - capitols ( 1 ) - civil rights leaders ( 1 ) - colonial america ( 1 ) - competition drawings ( 1 ) - engravings ( 1 ) - none ( 1 ) - jefferson, thomas, 1743 - 1826 ( 1 ) - kennedy, john f., 1917 - 1963 ( 1 ) - king, martin luther, jr., 1929 - 1968 ( 1 ) - landscape architecture drawings ( 1 ) - liberty ( 1 ) - manuscript maps ( 1 ) - middle atlantic states ( 1 ) - monuments and memorials ( 1 ) - netherlands - - colonies ( 1 ) - new england ( 1 ) - new netherland ( 1 ) - nixon, richard m., 1913 - 1994 ( 1 ) - peace corps - - united states ( 1 ) - portrait prints ( 1 ) - post roads ( 1 ) - postal service ( 1 ) - presley, elvis, 1935 - 1977 ( 1 ) - proclamations ( 1 ) - railroads ( 1 ) - rock musicians ( 1 ) - slavery ( 1 ) - slaves - - emancipation - - southern states ( 1 ) - united states - - history - - civil war, 1861 - 1865 ( 1 ) - vietnam war, 1961 - 1975 ( 1 ) - volunteers ( 1 ) - watercolors ( 1 ) type of item map of new netherland, virginia, and new england joan vinckeboons ( 1617 – 70 ) was a dutch cartographer and engraver born into a family of artists of flemish origin. he was employed by the dutch west india company and for more than 30 years produced maps for use by dutch mercantile and military shipping. he was a business partner of joan blaeu, one of the most important map and atlas publishers of the day. vinckeboons drew a series of 200 manuscript maps that were used in the production of atlases, including blaeu ’ s atlas maior. this pen - and - ink and watercolor map... thomas jefferson, head - and - shoulders portrait, facing right thomas jefferson was the third president of the united states of america and one of the founding fathers


white house, saying that he wanted to meet nixon to present him with the gift of a world war ii - era pistol and ask for credentials as an agent in the national war on drugs. convinced that presley was sincere and believing that he could be an asset in the fight against drug use... president john f. kennedy greets peace corps volunteers, white house, south lawn this photograph shows president john f. kennedy greeting peace corps volunteers on the south lawn of the white house on august 9, 1962. kennedy first proposed what became the peace corps in a speech at the university of michigan on october 14, 1960, in which he challenged students to give two years of their lives to helping people in countries of the developing world. at the time, kennedy was a member of the u. s. senate campaigning for the presidency. following his election, he signed an executive order establishing the... initially, the civil war between the north and the south was fought by the north to prevent the secession of the south and preserve the union. ending slavery was not a goal. that changed on september 22, 1862, when president abraham lincoln issued his preliminary emancipation proclamation, which stated that slaves in those states or parts of states still in rebellion as of january 1, 1863, would be free. one hundred days later lincoln issued the emancipation proclamation declaring “ that all persons held as slaves ” within the rebellious areas “ are... civil rights march on washington, d. c. : dr. martin luther king, jr., president of the southern christian leadership conference, and mathew ahmann, executive director of the national catholic conference for interracial justice, in a crowd the march on washington for jobs and freedom took place in august 1963 and was the setting for the celebrated “ i have a dream ” speech by the reverend dr. martin luther king, jr., president of the southern christian leadership conference. a. philip randolph, a labor leader and founder of the brotherhood of sleeping car porters, proposed a large march on the capital as a way of prodding congress and the administration of president john f. kennedy to act on civil rights. others involved in its planning included king himself, national... map of virginia, maryland and delaware david h. burr ( 1803 – 75 ) was a surveyor and cartographer, who served as topographer to the united states post office department in 1832 – 38 and as geographer to the house of representatives in 1838 – 47. under the direction of the postmaster general, burr compiled information from postmasters throughout the country


what is panic disorder? panic disorder is a mental condition in which you have repeated, unexpected panic attacks and constantly worry about having another attack. a panic attack is a sudden feeling of extreme anxiety along with intense and frightening, but not life - threatening, physical symptoms. an attack usually lasts from 5 to 20 minutes but may last even longer, up to a few hours. you feel most anxious about 10 minutes into the for more information, see the topic panic attacks and panic disorder. what are the risks of panic disorder? disorder can reduce your quality of life and interfere with your relationships and your ability to work. if you have panic disorder, you are more likely to other conditions such as depression or agoraphobia, which is a fear of being in public places or of being in situations from which it might be difficult to escape ( such as crossing a bridge or standing in line ). what types of medicines are used to treat panic disorder? the two types of medicines that are generally used to treat panic disorder are antidepressants and benzodiazepines. sometimes a combination of both may be prescribed. the most common medicines used to treat panic disorder are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( ssris ), such as fluoxetine ( prozac ), sertraline ( zoloft ), or paroxetine ( paxil ). other antidepressants such as tricyclic antidepressants ( tcas ) or monoamine oxidase inhibitors ( maois ) can also be effective. antidepressants with mixed neurotransmitter effects, such as venlafaxine ( effexor ), may also be used to treat panic disorder. benzodiazepines such as alprazolam ( xanax ), diazepam ( valium ), lorazepam ( ativan ), or clonazepam ( klonopin ) are prescribed, either alone or combined with an antidepressant. benzodiazepines are most commonly used for rapid, short - term relief of symptoms and may also be used as a part of ongoing treatment either alone or combined with an antidepressant. benzodiazepines work quickly to treat anxiety and may be especially helpful if you have agoraphobia. unlike antidepressants, they can be taken as needed. but symptoms often recur when you stop taking them, and they have the potential to what to expect


quickly to treat anxiety and may be especially helpful if you have agoraphobia. unlike antidepressants, they can be taken as needed. but symptoms often recur when you stop taking them, and they have the potential to what to expect if you take medicines to treat panic disorder antidepressants can help balance the chemicals in your brain ( neurotransmitters ) and reduce the intensity of your symptoms. you may start to feel better within 1 to 3 weeks of taking antidepressant medicine. but it can take as many as 6 to 8 weeks to see more improvement. if you have questions or concerns about your medicines, or if you do not notice any improvement by 3 weeks, talk to your doctor. benzodiazepines provide more immediate relief for symptoms of anxiety and may be prescribed alone or combined with an antidepressant such as an ssri. it is important to remember that people respond differently to medicines, and the first medicine you try may or may not be effective in relieving your symptoms of panic disorder. if the medicine is not effective after several weeks, you may need to try another medicine. although antidepressant medicines have potential side effects, these side effects are usually mild and may diminish after several weeks of therapy. what to expect if you do not take medicines to treat panic disorder even if you decide not to take medicine, it is wise to try professional counseling, such as cognitive - behavioral therapy, which focuses on modifying certain thinking and behavior patterns. therapy can help you deal with immediate problems and learn ways to better cope with future anxiety and panic attacks. other treatments, such as support groups, relaxation exercises, or mindfulness activities, can also be helpful. untreated panic disorder may get worse or may be unmanageable without help, especially if you also have another condition that commonly occurs along with panic disorder such as agoraphobia or depression. if you do not take medicines to treat panic disorder, continuing to monitor how much your symptoms interrupt your life and the lives of those around you can be helpful. some people are able to overcome panic disorder without taking medicine. but if other methods aren ' t effective enough, medicines can be added to your treatment.


short for liquid crystal on silicon, it is micro - display technology related to lcd, where liquid crystal material has a twisted - nematic structure but is sealed directly to the surface of a silicon chip. * the electronic drivers controlling the crystals ' alignment are etched into the silicon. using these, several million pixels can fit in an area as small as one square inch. the chip is coated with an aluminized layer, which means that lcos is highly reflective allowing more light to pass on. [ adapted from digital home magazine ] there are two classes of lcos. - in a single - chip system, light is filtered through a color - wheel system where the sequence of colors produced is coordinated with the modulation of light by the liquid crystals, producing subtle color variations. - in a three - chip system lcos uses a system of prisms to split a single light source into its red, green and blue components. video modulations are applied individually to the three resulting light paths, which are then recombined by another prism array to create the composite image. featured partners sponsored - increase worker productivity, enhance data security, and enjoy greater energy savings. find out how. download the “ ultimate desktop simplicity kit ” now. » - find out which 10 hardware additions will help you maintain excellent service and outstanding security for you and your customers. » - server virtualization is growing in popularity, but the technology for securing it lags. to protect your virtual network. » - before you implement a private cloud, find out what you need to know about automated delivery, virtual sprawl, and more. »


chagas test kit evaluations infection with trypanosoma cruzi causing chagas disease is mainly endemic in south and latin america. nevertheless, other parts of the world such as the usa and parts of europe are considering testing all blood donations for t. cruzi due to migration of people from endemic areas and changing travel patterns ( e. g. eco tourism ). composition of the panel evaluations of test kits that are primarily produced in latin america are carried out by the who collaborating centre, fundacao pro - sangue, sao paulo, brazil on the who reference panel of serum / plasma specimens collected from within the region. a total of 18 tests have been evaluated, including 11 elisas, 7 agglutination tests. four confirmatory assays, including an immunofluorescence, immunoblot, western blot and radio - immunoprecipitation ( ripa ) tests were used to characterise the panel. the obtained data are being used for the development guidelines and appropriate testing strategies. circonstances et modalites d ’ utilisation des tests d ’ infection recente pour estimer l ’ incidence de l ’ infection a hiv au niveau d ’ une population. when and how to use assays for recent infection to estimate hiv incidence at a population level hiv rapid assays : operational characteristics report 16 - view all documents - who prequalification of medicines, diagnostics and vaccines : 6th consultative meeting with stakeholders, 4 - 5 april 2011 - who technical working group meeting on cd 4 technologies, 17 - 19 november 2009 - who technical working group meeting on prequalification of hiv virological technologies, 21 - 23 september 2009 - view all events


health statistics and health information systems the goal of who ' s work in health statistics is to improve country, regional and global health information. this information is vital for public health decision making, health sector reviews, planning and resource allocation and programme monitoring and evaluation. who contributes to improved health information through its activities in the three following areas : the global health observatory, the common gateway to the wealth of who data and statistics, analysis and reports on key health themes ; standards, tools and methods for data collection, compilation, analysis, and dissemination and country measurement and evaluation, collaborating with countries on data collection, analysis and approaches to address priority data gaps and strengthen country health information systems. the commission on information and accountability for women ' s and children ' s health delivered its report with ten recommendations in september 2011. the multi - stakeholder workplan to implement the commission ' s recommendations focuses on : ( 1 ) strengthening of country mechanisms and practices for better accountability for health with special attention for women and children in the 75 countries referred to in the commission ' s report, and ( 2 ) the improvement of global accountability mechanisms and practices. the global health observatory is a single point of entry to who ' s data and analyses on health priorities, providing comparative health data and analysis on the heatlh situation, trends and determinants to inform global and country decision making. users can download data sets in various formats, display data for selected indicators, health topics, countries and regions, and download the customized tables in excel format. the service availability and readiness assessment ( sara ) is a health facility assessment tool designed to assess and monitor the service availability and readiness of the health sector and to generate evidence to support the planning and managing of a health system. sara is designed as a systematic survey to generate a set of tracer indicators of service availability and readiness. it has been developed by who in conjunction with global partners to fill critical data gaps in measuring and tracking progress in health systems strengthening.


wildmind meditation news aug 16, 2010 outdoors and out of reach, studying the brain five neuroscientists go on a rafting adventure to see how the brain reacts when in a natural environment. todd braver emerges from a tent nestled against the canyon wall. he has a slight tan, except for a slim pale band around his wrist. for the first time in three days in the wilderness, mr. braver is not wearing his watch. “ i forgot, ” he says. it is a small thing, the kind of change many vacationers notice in themselves as they unwind and lose track of time. but for mr. braver and his companions, these moments lead to a question : what is happening to our brains? mr. braver, a psychology professor at washington university in st. louis, was one of five neuroscientists on an unusual journey. they spent a week in late may in this remote area of southern utah, rafting the san juan river, camping on the soft banks and hiking the tributary canyons. it was a primitive trip with a sophisticated goal : to understand how heavy use of digital devices and other technology changes how we think and behave, and how a retreat into nature might reverse those effects. cellphones do not work here, e - mail is inaccessible and laptops have been left behind. it is a trip into the heart of silence — increasingly rare now that people can get online even in far - flung vacation spots. as they head down the tight curves the san juan has carved from ancient sandstone, the travelers will, not surprisingly, unwind, sleep better and lose the nagging feeling to check for a phone in the pocket. but the significance of such changes is a matter of debate for them. some of the scientists say a vacation like this hardly warrants much scrutiny. but the trip ’ s organizer, david strayer, a psychology professor at the university of utah, says that studying what happens when we step away from our devices and rest our brains — in particular, how attention, memory and learning are affected — is important science. “ attention is the holy grail, ” mr. strayer says. “ everything that you ’ re conscious of, everything you let in, everything you remember and you forget, depends on it. ” echoing other researchers, mr. strayer says that understanding how attention works could help in the treatment of a host of maladies, like attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia and depression. and he says that on a day - to - day basis,


understanding microelectronics : a top - down approach december 2011, ©2011, wiley - blackwell this price is valid for united states. change location to view local pricing and availability. for today ’ s students, the most beneficial approach to learning is this top - down method that demonstrates a global view of electronics before going into specifics. franco maloberti uses this approach to explain the fundamentals of electronics, such as processing functions, signals and their properties. here he presents a helpful balance of theory, examples, and verification of results, while keeping mathematics and signal processing theory to a minimum. presents a new learning approach that will greatly improve students ’ ability to retain key concepts in electronics studies match the evolution of computer aided design ( cad ) which focuses increasingly on high - level design covers sub - functions as well as basic circuits and basic components provides real - world examples to inspire a thorough understanding of global issues, before going into the detail of components and devices discusses power conversion and management ; an important area that is missing in other books on the subject end - of - chapter problems and self - training sections support the reader in exploring systems and understanding them at increasing levels of complexity a supporting website ( http : / / www. wiley. com / wileycda / wileytitle / productcd - 047074555x, desccd - relatedwebsites. html ) presents the interactive student lab, elvislab, where students can conduct virtual experiments on circuits together with powerpoint slides for lecturers. inside this book you will find a complete explanation of electronics that can be applied across a range of disciplines including electrical engineering and physics. this comprehensive introduction will be of benefit to students studying electronics, as well as their lecturers and professors. postgraduate engineers, those in vocational training, and design and application engineers will also find this book useful.


microcalorimetry of macromolecules : the physical basis of biological structures this price is valid for united states. change location to view local pricing and availability. other available formats : e - book examining the physical basis of the structure of macromoleculesproteins, nucleic acids, and their complexesusing calorimetric techniques many scientists working in biology are unfamiliar with the basics of thermodynamics and its role in determining molecular structures. yet measuring the heat of structural change a molecule undergoes under various conditions yields information on the energies involved and, thus, on the physical bases of the considered structures. microcalorimetry of macromolecules offers protein scientists unique access to this important information. divided into thirteen chapters, the book introduces readers to the basics of thermodynamics as it applies to calorimetry, the evolution of the calorimetric technique, as well as how calorimetric techniques are used in the thermodynamic studies of macromolecules, detailing instruments for measuring the heat effects of various processes. also provided is general information on the structure of biological macromolecules, proteins, and nucleic acids, focusing on the key thermodynamic problems relating to their structure. the book covers : - the use of supersensitive calorimetric instruments, including micro and nano - calorimeters for measuring the heat of isothermal reactions ( isothermal titration nano - calorimeter ), the heat capacities over a broad temperature range ( scanning nano - calorimeter ), and pressure effects ( pressure perturbation nano - calorimeter ) - two of the simplest but key structural elements : the α and polyproline helices and their complexes, the α - helical coiled - coil, and the pyroline coiled - coils - complicated macromolecular formations, including small globular proteins, multidomain proteins and their complexes, and nucleic acids - numerous examples of measuring the ground state of protein energetics, as well as changes seen when proteins interact the book also reveals how intertwined structure and thermodynamics are in terms of a macromolecule ' s organization, mechanism of formation, the stabilization of its three - dimensional structure, and ultimately, its function. the first book to describe microcalorimetric technique in detail, enough for graduate students and research scientists to successfully plumb the structural mysteries of proteins and the double helix, microcalorimetry of macromolecule


cindy chapman grabs some pea pods at a farmers market tuesday, june 24, 2008, in west allis, wis. the floods that damaged farms in southern wisconsin earlier this month are likely to result in fewer fruits and vegetables at farmers markets this summer and help boost already high prices for organic eggs and meat in the fall. ( ap photo / morry gash ) with all the talk about pesticides in regular grocery store produce and the price you pay for the organic produce, we are left with few options. so how about growing your own! growing your own organic food seems time consuming but many people are opting to do so. you know that there are no pesticides and you can help reduce your carbon footprint by limiting trips to the grocery store. there are several ways to start your own garden. if you have a yard, pick a spot that gets at least half a days sunshine and has easy access to water. walk your garden daily to look for pests and weeds and most importantly do your research on what types of plants have a good local track record. if you live in an apartment, you ' ll most likely be growing your plants in pots. stick to herbs and small vegetables like basil, parsley, cilantro, mint, rosemary, cherry or grape tomatoes and jalapeno or chili peppers. worried that you don ' t have a green thumb? how about a compact aeroponics system. it suspends plant roots, getting their nutrients from the air rather than in soil. with special lighting and nutrient cycling, you can have your first harvest in about a month. visit aerogrow. com for more information. happy organic harvesting!


1999 - - a year in review... news story originally written on january 6, 2000 it was another exciting and frustrating year for the space science program. it seemed that every step forward led to one backwards. either way, nasa led the way to a great century of discovery. unfortunately, the headline of the year must be the problem with mars exploration. the mars climate orbiter was lost because of a simple math error. the next attempt, landing the mars polar lander, also failed. scientists are still looking for the cause of this disaster. the good news is, not every mission was a failure. the far ultraviolet spectroscopic explorer ( fuse ) was deployed in june without a hitch, and the chandra x observatory had a successful launch in july. fuse will use a spectrograph to study the big bang. chandra takes images in x ray light, allowing scientists to see distant objects in a new way. the hubble space telescope continues on its path to success. with its help, scientists found the true hubble constant. images of the ring nebula and distant objects shed new light on these relatively unknown stellar phenomenon. the liberty bell 7 was rescued from its watery grave this past summer, and is now being cleaned for future display. the liberty bell was flown by astronaut gus grissom as part of the mercury program. it sank to the floor of the atlantic ocean before it could be rescued. it remained there until now. and lets not forget the last solar eclipse of the millennium. it occurred on august 11, 1999, and was viewed by millions in the middle east and europe. scientists used this rare opportunity to study a theory that solar eclipses change gravity. finally, the lunar prospector was sent crashing into the moon in search for water. scientists say that no water vapor was found. so, we still don ' t know for sure if there is water on the moon. overall, it was a busy year in space science. although several discoveries were made, the loss of the two mars spacecraft has left a sour taste in our mouths.


once again, daily events remind us of the importance of earth and space science. at the time of this writing, hurricane sandy is expected to cause billions of dollars of damage, and will undoubtedly cost many lives as well. this massive storm that formed in late october and headed up the east coast of the u. s., impacted large population centers, and it reminds us of the power of the forces at play in the earth system. at the same time, we have experienced recent earthquakes in the pacific northwest, and recent upticks in solar activity. k - 12 earth and space science teachers are the leaders at the front, tasked with helping students develop the understandings needed to be able to live safely on this planet and make wise decisions as citizens. thank you for what you do! welcome to recent subscribers of this newsletter! we have just returned from presenting seven workshops at the nsta area conference in louisville, kentucky. they were well attended and based on the feedback we received, well appreciated. assuming the weather cooperates, at the time you receive this, we will be doing another seven workshops at the nsta in atlanta, and we hope to see you there! please note that there are several particularly attractive professional development opportunities available for nesta members and windows to the universe educator members. one opportunity includes partial support, including travel, to a meeting in vienna next april. if you are a member, please login and apply! if you aren ' t a member, join today to take advantage of these opportunities, several of which have application deadlines in early november! you can join as an educator member of windows to the universe at http : / / www. windows2universe. org / membership. html. one of the biggest events in the news lately has been the development and progress of hurricane sandy, which started in mid - october as an extended low - pressure system in the caribbean. by october 22, it had become a tropical depression and was named ‘ sandy. ’ it began to move northward, and was upgraded to hurricane status on october 24th as it neared jamaica. it made landfall, crossed jamaica, and was upgraded to a category 2 hurricane as it neared cuba. by october 26th, it had increased significantly in size, and was on a course up the eastern coast of the united states. on the evening of october 29th, sandy made landfall in the united states just south of atlantic city, new jersey. it had weakened somewhat over the course of the day, and so was no longer officially a hurricane but a " post - tropical


states. on the evening of october 29th, sandy made landfall in the united states just south of atlantic city, new jersey. it had weakened somewhat over the course of the day, and so was no longer officially a hurricane but a " post - tropical " storm, but sandy still carried 80 + mph winds and a huge storm surge that set flood records in many places including new york city. it moved off toward the midwest, and even as it weakened it caused major snowfalls in higher elevations and flooding in lower areas of pennsylvania, ohio, and michigan. the storm ' s impact continues to be felt in the areas it passed over. more than 15, 000 flights were cancelled because of the storm, and other mass transit systems struggle to start up again because of damage to tunnels, train tracks, and bridges. more than 65 deaths across haiti, jamaica, other areas in the caribbean, and the u. s. have been attributed directly to the storm, and early estimates placed the overall economic impact at more than $ 25 billion. the photo to the left shows the water aisle at a local grocery store where i live in mid - maryland just before hurricane sandy hit. it ' s clear that many people in my neighborhood were concerned with having enough water to last through this emergency. preparing for water service to be cut off or for possible water contamination brings to mind how important clean, usable water is! did you know that only about 2. 75 % of the water on earth is freshwater? and that most of that ( ~ 2 % of earth ' s water ) is frozen in glaciers? that leaves only a very small fraction of earth ' s water to support the needs of people around the world, and it is clear that this resource is only going to become more limited as global population increases. it ' s important to take a few minutes to think about the ways we use this critical resource every day, as well as ways we might be able to conserve water. for instance, did you know that even a very quick shower in a typical american house uses at least 4 gallons of water, and that using an automatic dishwasher on its shortest cycle uses about twice that much? even brushing our teeth uses a half gallon, and that ’ s only if we don ’ t let the water run while we brush — otherwise it could be much more! there are some really easy ways to conserve water. installing low - flow showerheads and faucets in your home can save 45 gallons of water per day in a typical american household. installing a low - flow toilet


otherwise it could be much more! there are some really easy ways to conserve water. installing low - flow showerheads and faucets in your home can save 45 gallons of water per day in a typical american household. installing a low - flow toilet can add another 50 - 75 gallons in savings per month, and together those two steps can cut a typical household ' s water use ( and water bills! ) in half. we can also be careful in the ways we use water, like only watering the grass at night when less of it will evaporate, and only running the dishwasher or washing machine when it ’ s full. the world health organization estimates that people around the world need at least 20 liters ( 5. 28 gallons ) of clean water per day, and that much of the world ' s population will have difficulties accessing safe water supplies by 2025. with that in mind, please think about how you can help conserve water and make our limited supplies stretch even further. do you want to learn more? read about the world health organization ' s latest studies of water resources. access some really good tips on water conservation. use a water consumption calculator to determine your water footprint. then challenge your household to bring that number down! a major 7. 7 magnitude earthquake hit just off the coast of western canada on october 28, causing evacuations of many communities in northwest british columbia. this earthquake was the strongest quake to occur in canada in more than 50 years, and was followed by many smaller aftershocks that reached magnitudes of up to 6. 4. many scientists considered it a lucky near miss, since an earthquake of that magnitude would have caused major damage and loss of life if it had occurred near a large population center. the earthquake did prompt tsunami warnings to be issued for coastal areas of canada, alaska, and hawaii. the tsunami warnings caused traffic jams and chaos in hawaii as residents sought higher ground, but the waves proved to be smaller than predicted as the day went on, and the tsunami alert was cancelled. see the iris site for a teachable moment presentation, animations and other educational resources regarding this earthquake and many other recent seismic events. we are working on a mobile version of windows to the universe, and we appreciate your feedback! if you have a smartphone, you can test the mobile version using the following link : after you visit the test mobile site, please complete our short survey to let us know what you think! we hope the new site will make it more convenient for you to plan your


a smartphone, you can test the mobile version using the following link : after you visit the test mobile site, please complete our short survey to let us know what you think! we hope the new site will make it more convenient for you to plan your lessons or explore earth and space science while on the road. please note that, depending on your phone, some java and flash games might not work. if you notice any problems other than that, please let us know using the survey link above. do not forget to tell us your phone model and page where you noticed the problem. thanks! everyone needs some inspiration sometime! we ' ve added a page on the windows to the universe website that brings together motivational quotes with relevance to science teachers that you may enjoy, or find useful in your work, play, or everyday life. the starting point for this was an energetic conversation on the esprit listserve for earth science teachers. enjoy! it will soon be possible for you to submit your favorite quotes to the list. note that all quotes will be reviewed for appropriateness before they are posted. we will also be adding a link for corrections, in case there are any mistakes in the quotes or attributions. in a thrilling new video, nasa scientists depict the hair - raising challenges of the mars rover curiosity ’ s final minutes before landing on the surface of the “ red planet. ” the five - minute video - entitled “ seven minutes of terror ” - shows how the one - ton rover, hanging by ropes from a rocket backpack, touched down onto mars on august 5, 2012, to end a 36 - week flight and to begin a two - year investigation. in 2012, the antarctic ozone hole was at its second smallest level in 20 years, according to data from nasa and national oceanic and atmospheric administration ( noaa ) satellites. scientists attribute the change to warmer temperatures in the antarctic lower stratosphere. nasa and noaa have a mandate under the clean air act to monitor ozone - depleting gases and stratospheric depletion of ozone, and they have been monitoring the ozone layer on the ground and with a variety of instruments on satellites and balloons since the 1970 ' s. to monitor the state of the ozone layer above antarctica, visit this noaa page. utilize the introduction to ozone reading activity on windows to the universe for a warm - up activity or homework in your class. the history of the study of saturn is a good example of how scientists have persevered through time to learn more, building on


utilize the introduction to ozone reading activity on windows to the universe for a warm - up activity or homework in your class. the history of the study of saturn is a good example of how scientists have persevered through time to learn more, building on the work of others. although saturn can be seen with the naked eye, galileo was the first to observe saturn with a telescope in 1610. because of the rudimentary nature of his telescope, he couldn ' t determine what saturn ' s rings were. in 1655, the dutch astronomer christiaan huygens solved the mystery of saturn ' s " arms ". due to improved telescope optics, he correctly deduced that the " arms " were actually a ring system. huygens also discovered saturn ' s moon titan. in 1675, the italian - french astronomer giovanni cassini discovered 4 other major moons of saturn : iapetus, rhea, tethys, and dione. cassini also discovered a narrow gap that splits saturn ' s ring system into two parts, and the gap has since been known as the cassini division. the german - born british astronomer william herschel discovered two more moons, mimas and enceladus, in 1789. the irregularly - shaped satellite hyperion, which has an orbital resonance with titan, was discovered simultaneously in 1848 by british astronomer william lassell and by the american father - and - son team of william and george bond. in 1859, scottish physicist and mathematician james maxwell deduced that saturn ' s rings could not be solid and must be made of " an indefinite number of unconnected particles ". in 1899, the american astronomer william henry pickering discovered phoebe, an irregular moon that does not rotate synchronously with saturn as the larger moons do. saturn was first visited by pioneer 11 in september 1979. in november 1980, the voyager 1 probe visited the saturn system. almost a year later, in august 1981, voyager 2 continued the study of the saturn system. the study of saturn continues even now with the cassini - huygens mission. this mission was designed and planned as a cooperative effort between the european space agency and nasa, and included a saturn orbiter ( cassini ) and a titan probe ( huygens ). it was launched in 1997, with the goal of studying saturn ’ s rings, as well as the surface and atmosphere of both saturn and titan. cassini ’ s main mission was completed in 2008, and has been extended by nasa to allow for continuous observation of saturn until 2017, when its orbit is


studying saturn ’ s rings, as well as the surface and atmosphere of both saturn and titan. cassini ’ s main mission was completed in 2008, and has been extended by nasa to allow for continuous observation of saturn until 2017, when its orbit is expected to deteriorate, sending the orbiter into the planet ’ s atmosphere. recently, cassini was in position to observe a massive storm on saturn, and recorded data are proving invaluable to scientists who study the dynamic atmospheres of other planets in our solar system. to read more about information about cassini and this observation, visit : http : / / www. nasa. gov / cassini at the end of november, millions of turkeys are served on u. s. dinner tables as part of thanksgiving. consequently, this is the month in the u. s. when many people ask questions like, " how big a bird did you cook? " ask questions about life adaptation skills and evolutionary processes with our bird beaks activity - complete with an accompanying powerpoint presentation and group and class handouts for data collection. this activity uses very simple materials, is aligned to the national standards ( see activity for more details ) and can be used for upper elementary through high school levels. school is in full swing. the time for beginning - of - the - year class meetings and assemblies is dying down. maybe it ' s time to plan a field trip! when i was teaching, we went on quite a few ( very ) local field trips - - we went on a walk along the river behind our school and visited the wetlands across the street. of course, field trips to the closest state quarry and the imax theater downtown were highlights too. whatever the trip, using our snapshot activity could make your field trip more significant. it also brings writing into your science classroom. if you can ' t fit in a field trip due to scheduling or funding, why not invite a scientist to visit your classroom? there are scientists in every town! maybe there ' s a wetland engineer who works in your local army corps of engineers or a meteorologist who works at the nearest airport. show them the scientists in schools section on how to make a classroom visit more meaningful. it even includes a checklist for a classroom visit and steps so the scientist can make their own lesson plan. what a great way to get your kids interested in science as a career! the american geophysical union ( agu ) is committed to fostering the next generation of earth and space scientists. we work on this commitment


can make their own lesson plan. what a great way to get your kids interested in science as a career! the american geophysical union ( agu ) is committed to fostering the next generation of earth and space scientists. we work on this commitment in many ways, one of which is partnering with the national earth science teacher ’ s association ( nesta ) to hold the annual geophysical information for teachers ( gift ) workshop at our fall meeting. gift allows k – 12 science educators ( both classroom and informal ) to hear from scientists about their latest earth and space science research, explore new classroom resources for engaging students, and visit exhibits and technical sessions during the fall agu meeting. six teams of leading scientists and education / public outreach professionals will give talks and lead teachers through interactive classroom activities over the course of 2 days at gift 2012. view this year ' s agenda. agu encourages you to register to attend gift if you are a k – 12 educator, and to spread the word about gift to other k - 12 educators through your networks. this year ’ s workshop will be held on 3 – 4 december from 7 : 30 a. m. to 3 : 30 p. m. in the golden gate a room of the san francisco marriott marquis. to attend, simply register for the fall meeting at http : / / fallmeeting. agu. org / 2012 /. indicate that you are a k – 12 educator, and you will be directed to provide documentation to that effect and you will be invited to register for the gift workshop. as always, the workshop is free for k – 12 educators who are registered by 2 november ( after this date, the registration fee for teachers will be $ 90 ). more information about gift can be found at http : / / education. agu. org / education - activities - at - agu - meetings / gift /. last year ' s gift workshop materials are online on this windows to the universe page - complete with presentation descriptions, and links to powerpoint presentations, activities, supplementary materials, and videos. enjoy these valuable resources, and the accompanying videos! nesta is pleased to announce our sessions at the nsta area conferences in atlanta and phoenix. want to present at one or more of our share - a - thons? – sign up to present at a nesta share - a - thon at http : / / www. nestanet. org / cms / content / conferences / nsta / shareathons / apply. nesta sessions in atlanta friday,


sign up to present at a nesta share - a - thon at http : / / www. nestanet. org / cms / content / conferences / nsta / shareathons / apply. nesta sessions in atlanta friday, november 2 - all events on friday are in the georgia world congress center, b401 / b402 saturday, november 3 nesta sessions in phoenix friday, december 7 - all events on friday are in the phoenix convention center, 132 a - c daylight saving time ( dst ) ends on november 4th this year in most of the u. s. don ' t forget to turn your clocks one hour back. daylight saving time ( or summer time as it is called in many countries ) is a way of getting more light out of the day by advancing clocks by one hour during the summer. ancient civilizations had to adjust daily schedules to the sun more flexibly than we do. romans divided daylight into 12 equal hours, so the length of each hour was longer during summer. in 1784, benjamin franklin, then an american envoy to france, anonymously published a satirical letter suggesting that parisians economize on candles by rising earlier to use morning sunlight. the new zealand entomologist, george vernon hudson, first proposed modern dst in 1895. english builder, william willett, independently conceived of dst in 1905 when he noticed during an early summer morning ride that many people were still sleeping. he became an advocate of dst but didn ' t live to see it adopted. many european countries started to switch their clocks in 1916, in an effort to conserve fuel during world war i. the united states adopted dst in 1918, but it was inconsistent till 1966, when president johnson signed the uniform time act. different nations start and end dst on different dates. in the southern hemisphere, beginning and ending dates are reversed. some nations shift time year - round, and some do not observe dst at all. and just to keep you on your toes, sometimes different areas of one country have different time shifts! the second solar eclipse of 2012 occurs on november 13. the path of the moon ' s umbral shadow will cross the south pacific ocean. the only populated region where it will be visible lies in northern australia. the partial eclipse, produced by the moon ' s penumbral shadow, will be visible from a much larger region covering the south pacific ( including australia and new zealand ), southern south america, and part of antarctica. the words " umbral " and


eclipse, produced by the moon ' s penumbral shadow, will be visible from a much larger region covering the south pacific ( including australia and new zealand ), southern south america, and part of antarctica. the words " umbral " and " penumbral " are astronomical terms for the different parts of the shadow of any celestial body ( moon for solar eclipses, earth for lunar eclipses ). the umbra ( latin for " shadow " ) is the innermost and darkest part of a shadow, where the light source ( sun ) is completely blocked by the occluding body. the penumbra ( from the latin paene meaning " almost, nearly " and umbra meaning " shadow " ) is the region in which only a portion of the sun is obscured. an observer in the penumbra experiences a partial eclipse. sometimes there is also an antumbra ( from the latin ante meaning " before " ) - this is the region from which the occluding body appears within the disc of the light source. an observer in this region experiences an annular eclipse, in which the bright ring of the sun is visible around the moon. for more details about solar and lunar eclipses, check out nasa ' s eclipse website. the leonid meteor shower is expected to peak this year on the evening of november 17th. the leonids are an unpredictable shower ; most years it is quite tame, displaying only 10 - 15 meteors per hour at its peak. however, the leonids occasionally produce meteor " deluges ", with hourly meteor counts soaring into the hundreds. during a spectacular storm in 1883, observers estimated that they could see more than 1, 000 leonids per hour! the leonid showers of 1998 - 2002 were also quite eventful. scientists are predicting that 2012 will be a good year to spot leonids. the crescent moon will set soon after sunset, so there should be dark skies in which to spot meteors. this shower is definitely for night owls, as the peak of the shower is expected to be after midnight and before dawn. bundle up and enjoy! tasa graphic arts, inc. produces award - winning, interactive, educational software programs on cd - rom covering planetary geology, plate tectonics, topographic maps, rocks and minerals, weather and climate, the processes that shape earth ’ s surface, and more. these are available for purchase through the windows to the universe science store by nesta. each program presents a comprehensive, organized, interactive study of a specific area of earth


, weather and climate, the processes that shape earth ’ s surface, and more. these are available for purchase through the windows to the universe science store by nesta. each program presents a comprehensive, organized, interactive study of a specific area of earth science. these programs are intended to enhance the topics presented in earth science texts, through video clips, animated sequences, and activities. first the subject is introduced, then the user answers review questions, performs exercises, analyzes data, labels diagrams, plots graphs, learns geology terms, and more. instructors may use these programs for self - directed study by students and for classroom demonstrations. in addition to producing cd - roms, we also create educational apps for the ipad and iphone. a collection of activities and resources for teaching astronomy asp ’ s “ greatest hits ” of astronomy education, designed to help teachers, curriculum specialists, museum educators, and astronomers find the most effective way of teaching basic space science concepts! this 2. 0 dvd rom includes : • 133 field - tested hands - on activities • 17 topic specific guides to information in print and on the web • 52 background articles on astronomy and education • 12 short videos with instructions discounts are available for bulk orders and to catalogs, museum stores, and other resellers. for more information and how to order, please visit www. astrosociety. org / uayf or call the asp at 415 - 715 - 1414. mineral and fossil specimens ( made available through nature ' s own ) include amber with insects, ammonites ( pairs of phylloceras inflatum, black and white ammonites ), banded iron, bismuth, celestite, charoite, compressed labradorite, coprolites ( 50 million year old fossilized turtle poop ), fluorite, fossilized shark teeth ( megalodon and odotus obliuus ), almandine garnets, hematite with rutile, meteorites, native copper, nautiloids, olivine xenoliths in basalt, phlogopite mica, pyrite " dollars ", " penetration twins ", black tourmaline, and trilobites, in addition to a wonderful mineral and fossil collection including 18 minerals and 12 fossil specimens. for those inclined to show their love of minerals and fossils by wearing them, we also offer a fabulous assortment of jewelry including : pendants of ammonite, amethyst, jade, ruby


and fossil collection including 18 minerals and 12 fossil specimens. for those inclined to show their love of minerals and fossils by wearing them, we also offer a fabulous assortment of jewelry including : pendants of ammonite, amethyst, jade, ruby, and ruby zoisite ; earrings of amethyst and peridot ; pendant and earring sets of charoite, eudialyte, and paua shell ; and beautiful necklaces of kyanite and ruby. alternatively, you may want to show your love of rocks and minerals through your household goods - for instance, with banded onyx wine goblets, bowls ( 8 ", 12 ", or a pair of 5 " noodle bowls ), vases ( 5 " or 6 " ), or a mortar and pestle. with the school year in full swing, the national earth science teachers association has made printed copies of back issues of tes available at a reduced rate of $ 5 / copy ( plus shipping and handling ) through the windows to the universe online store - - when 4 or more copies of tes are ordered. many issues include impressive posters for you to display in your classroom! the online store shows the content of each issue, which include multiple classroom activities you can use to cover a variety of earth and space science topics. nesta members can access pdfs of back issues of tes online through the nesta website at http : / / www. nestanet. org / cms / content / publications / tes / archive. if you ' re not a member, join nesta today and get access to our back issues in pdf format ( alas, the posters are only available in with the print copies ). classroom activities are a great way to engage students in their science learning. the teacher resources section on windows to the universe includes over 100 k - 12 science activities for you to use with your students. topics range from geology, water, atmospheric science, climate change, life, ecology, environmental science, space weather and magnetism, to science literacy and art. html versions of the activities, worksheets, and supplementary materials are all freely available, as are ppt shows that you can use with your students. windows to the universe educator members have free access to all downloadable pdf activities, worksheets, supplementary materials and powerpoints ( a $ 230 value! ), in addition to other benefits and services for earth and space science teachers. if you are not a windows to the universe educator member, you can purchase individual


pdf activities, worksheets, supplementary materials and powerpoints ( a $ 230 value! ), in addition to other benefits and services for earth and space science teachers. if you are not a windows to the universe educator member, you can purchase individual pdf - formatted student worksheets, classroom activity descriptions, and supplementary materials ( including downloadable powerpoints ) in our online store. if you ' d like to save time collecting and prepping classroom materials, we offer several classroom activity kits for purchase : glaciers : then and now, traveling nitrogen game, co2 : how much do you spew?, and feeling the heat - part 2. most activity kits are available in a variety of sizes to fit your classroom needs. we ' ve just added a bunch of new educational dvds from tasa graphics to the windows to the universe online store. new additions include : these are in addition to our previous offerings from tasa graphics : we also offer quality dvds on climate change and astronomy : as always, windows to the universe educator members get a 10 % discount on all purchases from the online store - and this is on top of publisher discounts! windows to adventure, a book series devoted to geology, astronomy, the planets, atmospheric science, oceans, and climate, uses fantasy characters, magical realms, and legends from regions around the world, to make science accessible to readers of 3rd or 4th grade. angie and rashad find a strange object in the woods that can take them on adventures, and into a magical realm of talking mountains and planets. the first two books in the series have been released and future titles will come out approximately once a quarter through 2014. the books, translated into english, spanish and french, will be available in e - book or print - on - demand format via kindle, nook, and kobo books. they can also be ordered through the science - learning website windows to the universe at the science store. learn more about this exciting series at http : / / www. redphoenixbooks. com or follow red phoenix books on twitter ( redphoenixbooks ) or facebook. table of contents 7 mins of terror ozone hole status nesta at nsta daylight saving time tasa graphic arts minerals and fossils fall tes sale! windows to adventure ams datastreme proj geography - nov high alt balloons edward c. roy award big ideas videos epa climate resource food and tiles announcements from partners information about opportunities with stipends, honorariums, or awards for teachers / students


adventure ams datastreme proj geography - nov high alt balloons edward c. roy award big ideas videos epa climate resource food and tiles announcements from partners information about opportunities with stipends, honorariums, or awards for teachers / students the american meteorological society ’ s datastreme project is an expenses - paid, professional development program for in - service k - 12 teachers. graduate - level courses in meteorology, oceanography, and climate science are offered each fall and spring semester by local implementation teams ( lits ) across the country. teachers construct a plan of action for educational peer - training following course completion. please contact your nearest lit leader by late fall to register. the spring 2013 course offering begins in mid - january. for more information on datastreme, go to www. ametsoc. org / amsedu and follow the links to course pages for the list of lit leaders. datastreme receives support from noaa, nasa, and nsf. did you know geography awareness week is coming? gaweek is sponsored by national geographic during the third week in november. it focuses on the importance of geo - literacy and geo - education. this year ' s gaweek has the theme of interdependence, and will explore the idea that we are all connected to the world we live in by the decisions we make every day. learn more about the activities and online resources associated with geography awareness week at the national geographic gaweek page. nasa is seeking proposals for small satellite payloads to fly on rockets planned to launch between 2013 and 2016. these miniature spacecraft, known as cubesats, could be auxiliary payloads on previously planned missions. for additional information about nasa ' s cubesat launch initiative program, visit : watch “ changing planet : past, present, future ” live! the 2012 holiday lectures presented by howard hughes medical institute will be webcast live on november 15 and 16. dr. andrew h. knoll of harvard university ; dr. naomi oreskes of the university of california, san diego ; and dr. daniel p. schrag of harvard university will guide us on an exciting exploration of the history of life on earth and will discuss present ‐ day concerns about climate change. click here to register for the webcast and to receive a free classroom poster. if you are interested in information about hosting a live webcast event at your school, museum, or other organization, send an e ‐ mail to : firstname. lastname @ example. org. know a science