a way that is necessarily analogical. theologians are well aware of what this imports, namely certain limitations that have to be remembered, and a transcendence that also must be kept in mind. the limitations come from the obvious fact that as far as we are concerned, we cannot apply to mary all the realities of natural motherhood, since we are children of mary not by the flesh, but “ in the order of grace. ” nevertheless, if in certain ways mary ' s motherhood toward us says less than natural motherhood, in other ways it says much more. for example, the quality of our life as children of god, a life mary helps to obtain for us, ennobles and enriches incomparably our purely human life. and the perfection with which mary dedicates herself to her maternal mission surpasses the best mothers on earth, plus the fact that mary ' s maternal vocation is universal and calls for her forming a personal bond with each one of us... taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this salvific duty, but by her constant intercession continued to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation... the purpose of mary ' s maternal activity is to unite us with christ so completely that each might say : “ the life i live is not my own ; christ is living in me ” ( gal 2 : 20 ).


the aging population the population in the united states is aging. between 2010 and 2030, the number of americans over the age of 65 will double compared to the year 2000. by 2030 there will be about 72. 1 million older persons in the u. s., twice the number from 2007 ( a profile of older americans : 2008 ). as people age, normal changes occur in their speech, language, memory, and swallowing. in addition, their chances of having a stroke or developing dementia or parkinson ' s disease increase, as do the chances of acquiring a communication or swallowing disorder related to these diseases. for data on the lives of older americans and their families, see older americans 2008 : key indicators of well - being from the federal interagency forum on aging - related statistics. speech - language pathologists play an important role in working with this aging population. slps can assist in differentiating between normal aging and disordered communication or swallowing function. slps provide vital services to those individuals who do have communication, cognitive, or swallowing impairments following illness, trauma, or disease. slps also have a role in preventing communication and swallowing disorders by promoting a healthy lifestyle and educating consumers about how to prevent stroke and other disorders that may lead to impairment. there are many organizations dedicated to research on aging, advocating for the elderly, and promoting healthy aging. slps should take the initiative to learn more about the aging population and prepare for the increased services this group will demand in the future. partnership for health in aging the partnership for health in aging ( pha ) was formed by the american geriatrics society to " to prepare america ' s formal and informal caregiving workforce to provide quality care for america ' s aging population, and to ensure the financial feasibility of providing that care. " the pha is a coalition of organizations representing health care professionals who care for older adults. asha is represented on the pha by a member who is also an affiliate of sig 15 ( gerontology ). to date, the pha has developed multidisciplinary competencies for caring for older adults, as well as a position statement on interdisciplinary team training in geriatrics. asha is a supporting organization for this interdisciplinary training statement.


posted : september 08, 2008 on wednesday, the world ’ s largest particle accelerator – the large hadron collider ( lhc ) – will be powered up to receive an injection of particle beams for the very first time as it begins the heroic quest to solve some of the biggest mysteries of our universe. astronomy now will be attending this momentous scientific milestone via a live link - up from westminster to the ceremony at cern ( the european organisation for nuclear research ) and we ’ ll have a full report later in the week. the lhc has a circumference of 27 kilometres, stretching from geneva airport in the lower left, to the open french countryside in the upper right. image : cern. buried one hundred metres below the french / swiss border and boasting a circumference of 27 kilometres, the lhc is the largest and most ambitious physics experiment in history. by accelerating particles to speeds of 99. 9999991 percent that of light, and watching what happens when they collide, it will probe questions surrounding the nature and existence of dark matter and antimatter, the weakness of gravity and even if extra dimensions exist. the dual beams of the lhc consist of bunches of particles a few tens of centimetres in length containing 100 billion protons. there will be 3000 going around the collider in each direction at any one time, with each beam containing the energy equivalent to the eurostar travelling at over 90 miles per hour. sub - atomic smash - ups will occur between the beams 600 million times a second, and detectors situated along the accelerator ’ s circumference will be on the look - out for the resulting debris of subatomic particles. on the lhc ’ s shopping list is the elusive higgs boson particle, which is widely believed to be the origin of the well - known property mass. the standard model of particle physics predicts two types of particles : mass - less particles like photons, and those with mass, like quarks ( protons and neutrons that make up atomic nuclei ) and electrons. the standard model also predicts the existence of the higgs boson and states that particles that possess mass do so because they interact with the resulting higgs field, as if they were travelling through treacle. this is important from a cosmological viewpoint, because the presence of dark matter can only be inferred from its gravitational effect, and this gravitational effect results from dark matter possessing mass. in essence, understanding the higgs boson


treacle. this is important from a cosmological viewpoint, because the presence of dark matter can only be inferred from its gravitational effect, and this gravitational effect results from dark matter possessing mass. in essence, understanding the higgs boson could help scientists finally understand the ins and outs of dark matter, which itself is thought to comprise around 23 percent of the universe ’ s energy density while ‘ normal ’ baryonic matter comprises four percent, and dark energy, which is thought to play a dominant role in the expansion of the universe, makes up 73 percent. the lhc, therefore, has the potential to open up a treasure trove of information about the nature of the universe. but the lhc can ’ t directly detect a higgs boson ; instead its presence can be detected by looking at what it decays into. however, what it decays into is determined by its mass, which is an unknown quantity. there are certain probabilities, however, and by comparing the signatures of what is detected by the lhc compared with what is expected from other processes, any significant statistical ‘ anomaly ’ could point towards the higgs boson. another mystery that the lhc will help solve is why gravity is so weak compared to the other forces of nature such as electromagnetic and nuclear forces. gravity is well - known to play a dominant role in the universe but it has no apparent influence at the particle level. indeed, the ' graviton ' particle hasn ' t actually been discovered. suggestions as to why gravity appears so weak have resulted in the consideration of more dimensions than the three – width, depth and height – that we currently know about. could gravity be leaking into our three dimensional universe from another dimension? the lhc might just be capable of probing these dimensions, which could be curled up smaller than sub - atomic particles. another aim of the lhc is to try and find the missing link between two of the most successful theories of physics – general relativity and quantum theory, in which one cannot currently be explained with the other, thus presenting a major hurdle to finding the holy grail ‘ theory of everything ’ that has been the goal of scientists for decades. the lhc could find out what the bridge between the theories is, and confirm or refute the idea that string theory is part of the equation. string theory states that all different particles are different vibrations in higher - dimensional string structures. one of the things that string theory predicts is the existence of micro black holes, something that could be identified in the l


string theory is part of the equation. string theory states that all different particles are different vibrations in higher - dimensional string structures. one of the things that string theory predicts is the existence of micro black holes, something that could be identified in the lhc in terms of the particles that they decay into. such a result would provide the first real validation for string theory. but despite scare mongering by the popular media that the earth will ultimately be consumed in one of these ‘ man - made ’ black holes, such an event is impossible since they would decay almost immediately, lacking the energy to grow, let alone be sustained. moreover, the sub - atomic collisions that the lhc will bare witness to are just a patch on what happens naturally in nature. in its 4. 6 billion year existence, the earth has been subject to a phenomenal number of cosmic ray collisions of far higher energies than could ever be achieved in the lhc, with no ill effects. the only real danger from the lhc is that the machine could damage itself should the magnets that keep the beams inside the collider fail. the result would be that the particle beams would destroy the magnets. to gradually test the full capabilities of the lhc, therefore, the beams won ’ t be switched on with full intensity at first, but will gradually be powered up over several months before getting down to serious business. astronomy now will be attending the lhc powering up ceremony via a live link - up to cern. we ’ ll have a full report later in the week. in the meantime, you can read more about the lhc in the july issue of astronomy now magazine. this special publication features the photography of british astro - imager nik szymanek and covers a range of photographic methods from basic to advanced. beautiful pictures of the night sky can be obtained with a simple camera and tripod before tackling more difficult projects, such as guided astrophotography through the telescope and ccd imaging. u. s. & worldwide store mars rover poster this new poster features some of the best pictures from nasa ' s amazing mars exploration rovers spirit and opportunity. u. s. & worldwide store home | news archive | magazine | solar system | sky chart | resources | stores | spaceflight now © 2010 pole star publications ltd.


we ’ re hoping the visibility is good enough for a distant glimpse of the park ’ s reindeer. these animals have an important, and unique, pedigree. their 35, 000 - year - old ancestors ’ bones line grottoes in southwestern france, and 8, 000 years ago their younger relatives fed norwegian hunters on hardangervidda itself. norway is the only european country that is still home to wild mountain reindeer. the government has committed to safeguarding the animals in 23 areas that total 16, 308 square miles. the hardangervidda plateau ’ s part of this covers 3, 141 square miles — more than twice the park ’ s size. protection, however, doesn ’ t necessarily mean the reindeer aren ’ t hunted — in the absence of the animals ’ natural predators, wolves and wolverines, norwegian authorities keep tight control over reindeer numbers by permitting a hunt each autumn. this year 1, 500 permits were issued with the expectation that about half that number of animals would be taken. “ there are a lot of people who don ’ t believe we have that many reindeer in hardangervidda, because it is so hard to see them, ” rune bergstrøm, head of the norwegian wild reindeer centre in skinnarbu, told me. his arched eyebrows and round cheeks framed by a salt - and - pepper fringe of hair give him the look of a middle - aged elf. “ they have been hunted for 30, 000 years now, and when they see you they can ’ t tell if you ’ re a hunter or just a tourist skiing in the mountains. ” reindeer are superbly adapted to traveling in arctic conditions, and they can run 28 miles per hour — about the same as a grizzly bear. half - moon - shaped hooves, split like a cow ’ s but with sharp edges, allow them to dig into snow and ice. stiff guard hairs underfoot work like snowshoes, so the reindeer can float on the snow rather than sink in the way a moose might. what ’ s most surprising is that females have antlers — an indication of just how precious access to food is. males drop their antlers by december, since they no longer need them a month after the rut. but females carry their antlers right through may, and use them to keep the males from the grazing areas they need to feed themselves and their young. that ’ s why reindeer watching in hardangervidda involves a kind of delicate dance. we want to see the animals, but we don ’ t want


use them to keep the males from the grazing areas they need to feed themselves and their young. that ’ s why reindeer watching in hardangervidda involves a kind of delicate dance. we want to see the animals, but we don ’ t want to spook them and force them to run, burning up their precious energy. lichens provide fully 80 percent of their winter food and the carbohydrates they need to survive ( though not the protein they need for growth — they get that in the spring ). bergstrøm told me that reindeer can detect a human from a half - mile away or more — the best thing to do if we ’ re lucky enough to get near them will be to stay downwind and not get too close. fair weather and stiff winds welcome us on our first day ’ s ski. we start on fresh snow that ’ s slightly crunchy underfoot, like skiing on crushed rice krispies, and follow a line of birch branches that tremble ahead of us in the strong breeze. the branches mark the way north along a trail called the saboteur ’ s route. during world war ii, claus helberg and nine fellow saboteurs fled along this path to safety after bombing a nearby power plant the nazis had commandeered to produce heavy water for their atomic bomb effort. four of them hid in hardangervidda ’ s wilds for the winter of 1942 – 1943, living off — you guessed it — reindeer. our evening ’ s stay is at the eponymous helberghytta hut, seven and a half miles from our start. two hours into our ski finds us topped out on the plateau proper, where the wind has quickened and the vistas have opened. to our south stands gaustatoppen, a triangular peak that marks our start in rjukan, capped with a fluffy white cloud that looks like it ’ s caught on the summit spike. we ’ re stopped for a quick chocolate break when doug shouts and points excitedly at a small hill nearby covered with funny pockmarks — fresh reindeer tracks. the prints loop and weave, broadening in places into parallel tracks 10 or 15 animals wide, then squeezing down to a bottleneck. they look like they ’ ve been stitched onto the slope by a crazy seamstress. “ do you really think we ’ ll see reindeer? ” asks zoe. i hear a trace of the kid who dutifully left carrots for rudolph long after most gave up on the santa claus myth. “ i hope


crazy seamstress. “ do you really think we ’ ll see reindeer? ” asks zoe. i hear a trace of the kid who dutifully left carrots for rudolph long after most gave up on the santa claus myth. “ i hope so, ” i respond. the fair weather and easy skiing allow our little group to string out along the trail. sebastian frisks in the front, leading the way, with rick, molly, and zoe right behind. per and doug, composing photos and fiddling with camera gear, take up the rear. i ’ m shuffling along by myself in the middle, zoned out by my skiing ’ s rhythm, when a golden eagle wafts overhead, low enough that i can see the hook of its beak and hear the hiss of wind in its feathers. the eagle sails south toward gaustatoppen, its head swiveling back and forth, searching for food. i hold my breath and watch as its seven - foot wingspan shrinks to a dark double - humped line. these eagles are one of only four bird species — gyrfalcons, ravens, and ptarmigan are the others — tough enough to spend winters on hardangervidda, and it strikes me how hard it must be for them. ptarmigan have to eat up to 10, 000 birch buds — about a third of their body weight — every winter day, and ravens are opportunistic foragers, eating whatever they find. the eagles and gyrfalcons have their work cut out for them. hardangervidda ’ s snows hide its millions of rodents and its powdery white ptarmigan beautifully — we see nary a trace of them during our entire trip.


scientists from the universidad carlos iii of madrid ( uc3m ) and the consejo superior de investigaciones cientificas ( csic ) have developed an environmentally friendly cooling technology that does not harm the ozone layer. this is achieved by using solar energy and therefore reducing the use of greenhouse gases. a research team has designed and built an absorption chiller capable of using solar and residual heat as an energy source to drive the cooling system. the technology used in this machine, which looks like an ordinary air - conditioning system, minimises its environmental impact by combining the use of a lithium bromide solution, which does not damage the ozone layer or increase the greenhouse effect, with a reduction in the use of water by the machine. the team, managed by professor marcelo izquierdo from the department of thermal engineering and fluid mechanics of the uc3m, who is also a researcher at the instituto de ciencias de la construccion eduardo torroja ( ietcc ) of the csic, is building a solar cooling system that unlike the existing machines on the market, uses an improved absorption mechanism capable of producing cold water at a range of temperatures from 7º c to 18º c when the exterior temperature ranges from 33º c to 43º c. professor marcelo izquierdo states that the conclusions reached by a study with a commercial air condensed absorption machine prove that given an outside temperature ranging from 28ºc and 34ºc, the machine can produce cold water at a range of 12 to 16ºc, with a source temperature at the generator between 80ºc to 95ºc. under these conditions, the cold water produced can be used for climate control applications in houses by combining it with a water - to - air heat exchanger ( fan coil ). quoting raquel lizarte, a researcher at the department of thermal engineering and fluid mechanics of the uc3m, “ there are few absorption machines at a commercial level that are adapted for residential use ”, and since it is very hard to go without climate control, it is important to find a cooling technology that has minimal environmental impact. “ the machine that we ' re studying produces enough cold water to cool down a room of 40 m2 of floor area and with a volume of 120 m3 ”, she states. in 2007, 191 countries were involved in the montreal protocol ; a signed agreement to avoid the use of ozone depleting substances such as the hcfc refrigerants used in the air - conditioning industry as well


the successful growth of nanotechnology can only occur if the right tools and instruments are available. current and future markets, global competition, technical challenges faced by manufacturers,... http : / / www. azonano. com / article. aspx? articleid = 1295 | 7 jul 2005 this article considers the different ways that physics operates at nanoscale level, and also looks at the self - assembly process. the article concludes by looking at the tools and devices used in cell... http : / / www. azonano. com / article. aspx? articleid = 1207 | 21 apr 2005 semiconducting oxide nanobelts ( or nanoribbons ) have unique properties which make them very appealing to manufacturers of sensors, transistors and other electronic devices. industry uses for... http : / / www. azonano. com / article. aspx? articleid = 1321 | 25 jul 2005 using mems as sensors and actuators on the battlefield could radically change the ways in which the military conduct future campaigns. other nanotechnology devices, such as nanocomputers and molecular... http : / / www. azonano. com / article. aspx? articleid = 1062 | 10 nov 2004 micro - electro - mechanical systems, popularly referred to as mems, in small electronic devices often fail because of adhesion and stiction – the attractive force between the surfaces of... http : / / www. azonano. com / news. aspx? newsid = 3863 | 19 mar 2007 microelectro - mechanical systems are being utilized for a variety of applications such as microfluidic pumps, micromirror display devices, and acceleration and pressure sensors. http : / / www. azonano. com / article. aspx? articleid = 2808 | 8 apr 2011 a major british aerospace company has developed a tiny, silicon ring - based inertial measurement unit, using micro - electro mechanical system ( mems ) technology, to help guide projectiles to their... http : / / www. azonano. com / article. aspx? articleid = 366 | 7 jan 2004 nasa is testing its ‘ tetwalker ’ nanobot, which is a protean ‘ smart robot ’ which changes shape to adapt to different space environments. replacing the electric motor with mems and nems will lead to.


it ' s time to ban dangerous neonicotinoid pesticides by shelley stonebrook, mother earth news germany, france and italy have banned a class of potent pesticides called " neonicotinoids. " this class of pesticides includes imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam. evidence linking these neonicotinoid pesticides to the honeybee decline known as colony collapse disorder has been mounting. now, new research suggests residues could be harmful to humans, yet these poisons are still in widespread use across the united states. named for their chemical structure, which is similar to that of nicotine, neonicotinoids are systemic pesticides, meaning they ' re in every part of a plant. generally, seeds are coated in the pesticide before they ' re planted, and, as a plant develops, the chemicals move into the leaves, roots, pollen, nectar, and even the food products eventually made from the crop. if insects feed on any part of the plant - even water droplets released by plant leaves - the pesticide, a neurotoxin, kills them. in the case of honeybees, if the amount of pesticide ingested isn ' t strong enough to kill them, it can still cause impaired communication, disorientation, decreased life span, suppressed immunity and disruption of brood cycles. not only are neonicotinoid pesticides systemic, they ' re also extraordinarily persistent. research shows these pesticides can persist in the soil for more than a decade! neonicotinoids are widely used on corn, soy, canola, sugar beets, wheat, ornamentals and more. some sources note that it ' s difficult for farmers to find corn seed that hasn ' t been treated with one of these insecticides. as industrial farmers use these potent pesticides year after year on the same land, it ' s creating an ever more toxic environment. neonicotinoid pesticides, produced by chemical giant bayer, should have never been approved by the environmental protection agency ( epa ). one of the most commonly used neonicotinoids, clothianidin, went on the market in 2003 after being granted a " conditional registration " from the epa. this is code for saying the epa will allow the pesticide ' s use even though there ' s not enough evidence to show that it passes safety standards - a practice that, shockingly, occurs for about 70 percent of the active ingredients in pesticides that go through the review process. leaked memos written by


' s use even though there ' s not enough evidence to show that it passes safety standards - a practice that, shockingly, occurs for about 70 percent of the active ingredients in pesticides that go through the review process. leaked memos written by epa scientists stated that what studies bayer did submit were poorly run, and the scientists openly admitted that neonicotinoids pose harm to honeybees. a new study from harvard university scientists concludes that neonicotinoids are likely the primary cause of colony collapse disorder. according to lead researcher chensheng lu, " it apparently doesn ' t take much of the pesticide to affect the bees. our experiment included pesticide amounts below what is normally present in the environment. " numerous studies have shown that these pesticides are killing bees and many other non - target insects, and research now suggests danger for us, too. a 2004 german study tested samples of fruits and vegetables and found that 12 percent contained neonicotinoid residues. a 2012 japanese study was the first to show that neonicotinoids affect brain development in mammals. the researchers warn that " detailed investigation of the neonicotinoids is needed to protect the health of human children. " a lot is at stake here. bayer will lose billions if the epa does the right thing and bans neonicotinoids. however, bee populations are vital to agriculture and farmers will lose billions if honeybee populations continue to plummet. and then there are our children... beekeepers have teamed with the pesticide action network to petition the epa to suspend registration of neonicotinoids. please join us in demanding that the epa finally put a stop to the use of these potent chemicals in the united states. go to beekeepers ask epa to remove pesticide linked to colony collapse disorder, citing leaked agency memo to learn more about the issues surrounding neonicotinoid pesticides. it ' s time for the government to stand up and protect us, not the chemical companies.


what is imagery? the mind is a powerful healing tool. using our imagination, we can visualize almost anything. imagery ( or visualization ) is a therapeutic technique that has been used for centuries. by creating images in the mind, a person can reduce pain and other symptoms associated with his or her condition. the more specific the visualization, the more therapeutic it will likely be. patients are taught to imagine sights, sounds, smells, tastes, or other sensations to create a kind of daydream that " removes " them from or gives them control over their present circumstances. imagery usually involves a program with set objectives and goals. patients are guided to visualize their goals and work toward them. two imagery techniques are widely used today : palming involves the visualization of color. the patient places his or her palms over the eyes and envisions the color associated with stress ( usually the color red ). then, the patient changes the color he or she sees to a more relaxing color, such as blue. it is believed that changing colors in the mind induces relaxation. guided imagery involves envisioning a certain goal to help cope with health problems. guided imagery is most often used as a relaxation technique that involves sitting or lying quietly and imagining yourself in a favorite peaceful setting ( maybe a beach, meadow, or forest ). another example is the simonton method - - a method in which a cancer patient imagines pac men ( from the old pac man video game ) gobbling up bad cancer cells. studies have shown that imagery can help the mind and body relax. it can help in managing anxiety, stress, and depression ; help reduce pain, lower blood pressure, and lessen nausea ; and give people a better sense of control and well - being.


henry gray ( 18211865 ). anatomy of the human body. 1918. 1c. the organ of sight ( organon visus ; the eye ) the bulb of the eye ( bulbus oculi ; eyeball ), or organ of sight, is contained in the cavity of the orbit, where it is protected from injury and moved by the ocular muscles. associated with it are certain accessory structures, viz., the muscles, fasciæ, eyebrows, eyelids, conjunctiva, and lacrimal apparatus. the bulb of the eye is imbedded in the fat of the orbit, but is separated from it by a thin membranous sac, the fascia bulbi ( page 1024 ). it is composed of segments of two spheres of different sizes. the anterior segment is one of a small sphere ; it is transparent, and forms about one - sixth of the bulb. it is more prominent than the posterior segment, which is one of a larger sphere, and is opaque, and forms about five - sixths of the bulb. the term anterior pole is applied to the central point of the anterior curvature of the bulb, and that of posterior pole to the central point of its posterior curvature ; a line joining the two poles forms the optic axis. the axes of the two bulbs are nearly parallel, and therefore do not correspond to the axes of the orbits, which are directed forward and lateralward. the optic nerves follow the direction of the axes of the orbits, and are therefore not parallel ; each enters its eyeball 3 mm. to the nasal side and a little below the level of the posterior pole. the bulb measures rather more in its transverse and antero - posterior diameters than in its vertical diameter, the former amounting to about 24 mm., the latter to about 23. 5 mm. ; in the female all three diameters are rather less than in the male ; its antero - posterior diameter at birth is about 17. 5 mm., and at puberty from 20 to 21 mm. fig. 863 transverse section of head of chick embryo of forty - eight hours incubation. ( duval. ) ( see enlarged image ) fig. 864 transverse section of head of chick embryo of fifty - two hours incubation. ( duval. ) ( see enlarged image ) development. the eyes begin to develop as a pair of diverticula from the lateral aspects of the forebrain. these diverticula make their appearance before the closure of the anterior end


) the retina is developed from the optic cup. the outer stratum of the cup persists as a single layer of cells which assume a columnar shape, acquire pigment, and form the pigmented layer of the retina ; the pigment first appears in the cells near the edge of the cup. the cells of the inner stratum proliferate and form a layer of considerable thickness from which the nervous elements and the sustentacular fibers of the retina, together with a portion of the vitreous body, are developed. in that portion of the cup which overlaps the lens the inner stratum is not differentiated into nervous elements, but forms a layer of columnar cells which is applied to the pigmented layer, and these two strata form the pars ciliaris and pars iridica retinæ. the cells of the inner or retinal layer of the optic cup become differentiated into spongioblasts and germinal cells, and the latter by their subdivisions give rise to neuroblasts. from the spongioblasts the sustentacular fibers of muller, the outer and inner limiting membranes, together with the groundwork of the molecular layers of the retina are formed. the neuroblasts become arranged to form the ganglionic and nuclear layers. the layer of rods and cones is first developed in the central part of the optic cup, and from there gradually extends toward the cup margin. all the layers of the retina are completed by the eighth month of fetal life. the optic stalk is converted into the optic nerve by the obliteration of its cavity and the growth of nerve fibers into it. most of these fibers are centripetal, and grow backward into the optic stalk from the nerve cells of the retina, but a few extend in the opposite direction and are derived from nerve cells in the brain. the fibers of the optic nerve receive their medullary sheaths about the tenth week after birth. the optic chiasma is formed by the meeting and partial decussation of the fibers of the two optic nerves. behind the chiasma the fibers grow backward as the optic tracts to the thalami and mid - brain. the crystalline lens is developed from the lens vesicle, which recedes within the margin of the cup, and becomes separated from the overlying ectoderm by mesoderm. the cells forming the posterior wall of the vesicle lengthen and are converted into the lens fibers,


later are limited to the ciliary region, where by a process of condensation they appear to form the zonula ciliaris. the mesoderm which enters the cup through the choroidal fissure and around the equator of the lens becomes intimately united with this reticular tissue, and contributes to form the vitreous body, which is therefore derived partly from the ectoderm and partly from the mesoderm. the anterior chamber of the eye appears as a cleft in the mesoderm separating the lens from the overlying ectoderm. the layer of mesoderm in front of the cleft forms the substantia propria of the cornea, that behind the cleft the stroma of the iris and the pupillary membrane. the fibers of the ciliary muscle are derived from the mesoderm, but those of the sphincter and dilatator pupillæ are of ectodermal origin, being developed from the cells of the pupillary part of the optic cup. the eyelids are formed as small cutaneous folds ( figs. 866, 867 ), which about the middle of the third month come together and unite in front of the cornea. they remain united until about the end of the sixth month. the lacrimal sac and nasolacrimal duct result from a thickening of the ectoderm in the groove, nasooptic furrow, between the lateral nasal and maxillary processes. this thickening forms a solid cord of cells which sinks into the mesoderm ; during the third month the central cells of the cord break down, and a lumen, the nasolacrimal duct, is established. the lacrimal ducts arise as buds from the upper part of the cord of cells and secondarily establish openings ( puncta lacrimalia ) on the margins of the lids. the epithelium of the cornea and conjunctiva, and that which lines the ducts and alveoli of the lacrimal gland, are of ectodermal origin, as are also the eyelashes and the lining cells of the glands which open on the lid - margins.


henry gray ( 18251861 ). anatomy of the human body. 1918. the aponeurosis of the obliquus externus, describing curves with the convexities downward. they have received their name from stretching across between the two crura of the subcutaneous inguinal ring, and they are much thicker and stronger at the inferior crus, where they are connected to the inguinal ligament, than superiorly, where they are inserted into the linea alba. the intercrural fibers increase the strength of the lower part of the aponeurosis, and prevent the divergence of the crura from one another ; they are more strongly developed in the male than in the female. as they pass across the subcutaneous inguinal ring, they are connected together by delicate fibrous tissue, forming a fascia, called the intercrural fascia. this intercrural fascia is continued down as a tubular prolongation around the spermatic cord and testis, and encloses them in a sheath ; hence it is also called the external spermatic fascia. the subcutaneous inguinal ring is seen as a distinct aperture only after the intercrural fascia has been removed. the inguinal ligament ( ligamentum inguinale [ pouparti ] ; pouparts ligament ) ( fig. 394 ). the inguinal ligament is the lower border of the aponeurosis of the obliquus externus, and extends from the anterior superior iliac spine to the pubic tubercle. from this latter point it is reflected backward and lateralward to be attached to the pectineal line for about 1. 25 cm., forming the lacunar ligament. its general direction is convex downward toward the thigh, where it is continuous with the fascia lata. its lateral half is rounded, and oblique in direction ; its


evaluating and diagnosing damage to the nervous system can be very complicated. many of the same symptoms occur in different combinations among the different disorders. to further complicate the diagnostic process, many disorders do not have definitive causes, markers, or tests. neurological tests to evaluate children may include : computed tomography scan ( also called a ct or cat scan ). a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of x - rays and computer technology to produce horizontal, or axial, images ( often called slices ) of the body. a ct scan shows detailed images of any part of the body, including the bones, muscles, fat, and organs. ct scans are more detailed than general x - rays. electroencephalogram ( eeg ). a procedure that records the brain ' s continuous, electrical activity by means of electrodes attached to the scalp. magnetic resonance imaging ( mri ). a diagnostic procedure that uses a combination of large magnets, radiofrequencies, and a computer to produce detailed images of organs and structures within the body. electrodiagnostic tests ( for example, electromyography and nerve conduction velocity ). studies that evaluate and diagnose disorders of the muscles and motor neurons. electrodes are inserted into the muscle, or placed on the skin overlying a muscle or muscle group, and electrical activity and muscle response are recorded. positron emission tomography ( pet ) scan. a computer - based imaging technique that provides a picture of the brain ' s activity rather than its structure by measuring levels of injected glucose that are labeled with a radioactive tracer. arteriogram ( also called angiogram ). a procedure that provides a scan of arteries and / or veins going to and through the brain. cerebral spinal fluid analysis ( also called spinal tap or lumbar puncture ). a procedure used to make an evaluation or diagnosis by examining the fluid withdrawn from the spinal column. evoked potentials. procedures that record the brain ' s electrical response to visual, auditory, and sensory stimuli. myelogram. a procedure that uses dye injected into the spinal canal to make the structure clearly visible on x - rays. ultrasound ( also called sonography ). a diagnostic imaging technique that uses high - frequency sound waves and a computer to create images of blood vessels, tissues, and organs. ultrasounds are used to view internal organs as they function, and to assess blood flow through various vessels. neurosonography. a procedure that uses ultra high - frequency sound waves that enable the doctor to evaluate structures


vessels, tissues, and organs. ultrasounds are used to view internal organs as they function, and to assess blood flow through various vessels. neurosonography. a procedure that uses ultra high - frequency sound waves that enable the doctor to evaluate structures of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and other structures. spinal tap ( also called lumbar puncture ). a special needle is placed into the lower back, into the spinal canal, which is the area around the spinal cord. the pressure in the spinal canal and brain can then be measured. a small amount of cerebral spinal fluid ( csf ) can be removed and sent for testing to determine if there is an infection or other problems. csf is the fluid that bathes the brain and spinal cord. infants. you cannot explain the examination to an infant, but you can help your baby feel more secure during the test by bringing a special blanket, toy, or pacifier. you may breastfeed your baby or give him or her a bottle of juice or formula once the technician tells you your baby can eat. toddlers and preschool - aged children. young children remember things for only a short time, so the best time to talk about the test is right before you are ready to come to the hospital. explain to your child that you are going to the hospital to have some pictures taken that the doctor needs in order to help him or her get better. try to use simple words. it is important to be honest with your child. if the test will be uncomfortable, be sure to talk about and tell him or her it is okay to cry. because children at this age are afraid of being separated from their parent, let him or her know that mom or dad will stay with him or her as much as possible. when you come to the hospital, bring a favorite book, toy, or blanket. school - aged children. school - aged children have good imaginations. if you do not tell them the truth, they may imagine something much worse than the actual test. the day of the test, tell your child that he or she will be going to the hospital to have some pictures taken. tell him or her that the pictures will help the doctor decide how to make him or her better. use simple words. be honest. try to tell your child exactly what will happen. if your child ' s test is going to be uncomfortable, be sure to tell him or her it is okay to cry. when you come to the hospital, bring along a favorite


wood is an excellent material for container gardens because it lets the plant roots breathe and it is relatively light weight. you can also make your own containers to whatever size you like. the wood will deteriorate after several years, however, so wooden planters are best used for shorter lived plants rather than trees or shrubs which you will keep planted for many years. making your planter from redwood or cedar will make it longer lived, as these woods resist insects and wood rot. here are instructions for making a 12 x 12 x 12 inch planter. it can be easily modified to make whatever size planter you like : some suggestions for making larger or smaller planters are included at the end of this article. wood saw ( hand or power ) note some hardware / lumber stores will cut wood for you for a small fee drill and 1 / 2 to 3 / 4 drill bit t or l square ( for making sure your corners are square and sides straight ) miter box ( for making straight cuts ) workbench with vise or clamp ( to hold wood as you cut or join together ) 20 or more nails, 2 to 2 1 / 2 " long ( 6d to 8d size ) 8 or more nails, 1 1 / 2 " long ( 4d size ) 50 or more finishing nails 4 feet of redwood or cedar 2x2 board, cut to about 10. 5 long ( see making the base, below ) ( note, these 2x2 will actually be about 1. 5 x 1. 5, as the wood is cut to 2x2 and then finished so that it is smooth ) 8 1 / 2 feet of redwood or cedar 1x2 board ( actually about 1 / 2 x 1 1 / 2 ), four cut into 12 long sections, four cut 13 long 4 feet of redwood or cedar 1x1 " board ( about 1 / 2 x 1 / 2 " ) cut to 12 " lengths 10 feet of redwood or cedar fence board, 6 wide, cut into ten 12 long sections making the base measure the width of your 2x2 board. cut four lengths, each 12 minus the width. for example, if your board is 1 1 / 2 wide, cut four lengths 10 1 / 2 long. lay out your four pieces so they form a 12 square, with one end of each length overlapping the next going around the square. nail the square together, using one 2 or 2 1 / 2 " nail at each corner, going through the overlapping section into the board next to it. making the bottom


square, with one end of each length overlapping the next going around the square. nail the square together, using one 2 or 2 1 / 2 " nail at each corner, going through the overlapping section into the board next to it. making the bottom cut two 12 long sections of the fence board for the bottom of the planter. if the fence boards have the corners cut off the tops, you can use these pieces for the bottom since they won ' t show and they ' ll be supported by the base. lay these fence board sections over the base, matching up edges and corners. use 8 of the 1 ½ inch nails to attach to the base, four for each board ( two along the edge and one at each end ). note : you can use more nails if you like for a more secure fit. drill five 1 / 2 to 3 / 4 holes for drainage, one in the center and one near each corner. making the sides place a 12 fence board section on one edge of the base, even with the bottom and corner, to form the start of one of the four sides of your planter. place one of the 12 1x2 sections on top of it at the base, and nail through both boards to the base board using a 2 nail about 1 from the corner. now hammer a second 2 " nail through both boards to the base about 1 from the other edge of the fence board. place a second fence board next to the first ( and between the base and the 1x2 ) and hammer through both boards to the base in two places 1 from either edge, just like the first. turn over, and on the opposite side nail in two more fence boards to the base with a 12 1x2 section on top, using the 2 " nails. for the remaining two sides in between, hammer together as the first two but using the 13 long 1x2 sections, overlapping with the first two at the corners. use finishing nails at the corners to secure the 1x2 to each other for a tight fit. finishing the top using two of the 12 long 1x2 boards, nail them along the top outside edge of the fence boards using the finishing nails, above where you used the 12 long boards along the base. nail the remaining 13 long 1x2 boards on the opposite outside edges, overlapping the corners. use finishing nails at the corners to nail the 1x2 to each other, making a strong corner and a more finished look. note : placing a 2x4 or 4x4, a


boards on the opposite outside edges, overlapping the corners. use finishing nails at the corners to nail the 1x2 to each other, making a strong corner and a more finished look. note : placing a 2x4 or 4x4, a tool box, or something else substantial against the edge inside the container will make hammering the top and corners much easier. place one 1x1 section inside each corner for additional strength. hammer at least two finishing nails per each side of the corners through from the outside into the 1x1, about 3 " from the top and bottom. you can paint or oil your planter box on the outside for a more finished look. decorate it with rope or macramι cord tied around it, or add wooden cut - outs or flower decals available from craft stores. experiment and make the container uniquely yours. to make a different size planter box the same basic design can be used for smaller or larger planters. for a small planter you can use 1x1 boards for the base and ½ x 1 for the edge boards, using smaller and shorter nails. for a really large planter use 2x4 or 4x4 for your base boards and 2x4 for your edge boards, with 2x2 reinforcing the inside of your corners. you may want to use boards thicker than fence boards for your sides, or reinforce the sides with additional 2x4 in the middle and at the corners.


( beyond pesticides, march 1, 2013 ) in a literature review published in toxicology last week, researchers found that environmental and occupational pesticide exposure was strongly associated with declines in sperm count. researchers sheena martenies, bs, and melissa perry, scd., mhs., determined that of the 17 studies evaluated, 15 of them reported significant associations between pesticides and semen quality. the researchers counted semen quality according to concentration of sperm over an area, their motility and ability to move, as well as their shapes. researchers targeted studies on ddt, hch, and abamectin, grouping pyrethroids and organophosphates by class. what they found was striking : almost all the studies reported a decrease in sperm concentration ; decreased motility was also reported though less frequently ; while morphological changes were not strongly associated in studiesa€ ” only two indicated any changes to sperm shape. these findings build on a growing body of evidence that pesticide exposure at environmental or occupational levels diminished sperm health. in addition to the u. s. findings, a studies conducted on french, new zealander, indian, tunisian, and israeli men have all found decline in sperm count. some studies record a drop by approximately 50 % between 1940 and 1990, no small amount. these results might not be surprising as sperm production is regulated by the endocrine system, a highly sensitive system of hormone regulators. a study on mexican workers in the floral industry, where workersa are routinely exposed to organophosphate, finds that workers not only have increased levels of testosterone, but also suppressed levels of follicle stimulating hormone and inhibin b, which are two sensitive markers for sperm production. the study highlights the importance of generating strong pesticide regulations that incorporate endocrine disruptors for worker protection from pesticide exposure. in 2006, the u. s. environmental protection agency ( epa ) was charged with evaluating pesticides for endocrine disruption under the food quality protection act. while epa has completed tier 1 evaluations for 79 chemicals, it is unclear how its methodology is taking into account low - dose responses that deviate from traditional dose - response curves. with endocrine disruptors, it is only low levels of exposure that is required to severely threaten human and animal reproductive and hormonal functioning. to learn more and contribute to our cause against the use of pesticides, join us in april 5 - 6, in albuquerque, nm for beyond pesticidesa€™ 31st annual national pesticide forum


human and animal reproductive and hormonal functioning. to learn more and contribute to our cause against the use of pesticides, join us in april 5 - 6, in albuquerque, nm for beyond pesticidesa€™ 31st annual national pesticide forum, a€ssustainable families, farms and food. a€t with top national scientists, local and national activists, and concerned citizens as we share information on the issues local communities face, craft solutions and catalyze networks to manifest positive health and environmental policy and change. discussions on the impact that pesticides and other endocrine disrupting chemicals ( edcs ) have on human and environmental health would be led by renowned scientists and medical professionals like tyrone haynes, phd, lynn carroll, phd, joel forman, m. d., issac pessah, phd, and others. for more information on the forum, visit http : / / www. beyondpesticides. org / forum /. for more on edcs, download beyond pesticidesa€™ endocrine disruption brochure ( bi - fold ), or read beyond pesticides article, a€spesticides that disrupt endocrine system still unregulated by epa. a€t all unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of beyond pesticides.


about microscopic forms of life, including bacteria, archea, protozoans, algae and fungi. topics relating to viruses, viroids and prions also belong here. viruses are tiny geometric structures that can only reproduce inside a living cell. they range in size from 20 to 250 nanometers ( one nanometer is one billionth of a meter ). outside of a living cell, a virus is dormant, but once inside, it takes over the resources of the host cell and begins the production of more virus particles. viruses are more similar to mechanized bits of information, or robots, than to animal life. bacteria are one - celled living organisms. the average bacterium is 1, 000 nanometers long. ( if a bacterium were my size, a typical virus particle would look like a tiny mouse - robot. if an average virus were my size, a bacterium would be the size of a dinosaur over ten stories tall. bacteria and viruses are not peers! ) all bacteria are surrounded by a cell wall. they can reproduce independently, and inhabit virtually every environment on earth, including soil, water, hot springs, ice packs, and the bodies of plants and animals. most bacteria are harmless to humans. in fact, many are quite beneficial. the bacteria in the environment are essential for the breakdown of organic waste and the recycling of elements in the biosphere. bacteria that normally live in humans can prevent infections and produce substances we need, such as vitamin k. bacteria in the stomachs of cows and sheep are what enable them to digest grass. bacteria are also essential to the production of yogurt, cheese, and pickles. some bacteria cause infections in humans. in fact, they are a devastating cause of human disease. i hope that help you out my friend, much success to you and your future goals peace out brother viruses are too small to be seen by the naked eye. they can ' t multiply on their own, so they have to invade a ' host ' cell and take over its machinery in order to be able to make more virus particles. viruses consist of genetic materials ( dna or rna ) surrounded by a protective coat of protein. they are capable of latching onto cells and getting inside them. bacteria are organisms made up of just one cell. they are capable of multiplying by themselves, as they have the power to divide. their shapes vary, and doctors use these characteristics to separate them into groups. bacteria exist everywhere, inside and on our bodies. most of them are completely harmless and some of them are very


##plying by themselves, as they have the power to divide. their shapes vary, and doctors use these characteristics to separate them into groups. bacteria exist everywhere, inside and on our bodies. most of them are completely harmless and some of them are very useful. but some bacteria can cause diseases, either because they end up in the wrong place in the body, or simply because they are ' designed ' to invade us. last edited by canalon on fri jul 24, 2009 9 : 21 pm, edited 1 time in total. reason : spamming in sig both are microscopic, bacteria can double its population in 20 minutes. viruses cannot multiply on their own and have to take over other cells to multiply. bacterial infections are easy to cure with the use of anti - biotics, where - as viruses can be insufferably hard to cure or vaccinate against. for example : we still don ' t have a cure for the common cold. sources : biology teachers, nelson biology vce units 1 & 2 viruses - bacteria 1 ) they are showing both the - they are exclusively living forms. characteristics of living as well as non living. 2 ) they are crystallizable. - noncrystallizable. 3 ) are only parasitic in nature, depend on host for all its - independent or may be saprophytic, parasitic, in nature. 4 ) uses host machinery for its - have ther own genetic material for replication. this is viruses ， and that is a bacteria as follow ： a strong man can save himself a great man can save another. it seems a waste of time answering these questions when the asker can easily google them up or look it up in any biology or microbiology book. especially, that the asker have not the decency to put neither a thank you nor a comment. seems the effort of the experts here have gone to waste. i agree to the 2nd post ( by mith ) that the poster should look harder. true, we all know the answer but if we spoonfeed all the answers to such obviously simple question makes us accomplices in making the poster lazy. whereas, if we point him / her to the right direction, or give ' em a nudge... then we are teaching them to think. we are not here as sages on the stage, but guides by the side. who is online users browsing this forum : no registered users and 0 guests


the fifth millennium development goal ( mdg5 ) aims at improving maternal health. globally, the maternal mortality ratio ( mmr ) declined from 400 to 260 per 100000 live births between 1990 and 2008. during the same period, mmr in sub - saharan africa decreased from 870 to 640. the decreased in mmr has been attributed to increase in the proportion of deliveries attended by skilled health personnel. global improvements maternal health and health service provision indicators mask inequalities both between and within countries. in namibia, there are significant inequities in births attended by skilled providers that favour those that are economically better off. the objective of this study was to identify the drivers of wealth - related inequalities in child delivery by skilled health providers. namibia demographic and health survey data of 2006 - 07 are analysed for the causes of inequities in skilled birth attendance using a decomposable health concentration index and the framework of the commission on social determinants of health. about 80. 3 % of the deliveries were attended by skilled health providers. skilled birth attendance in the richest quintile is about 70 % more than that of the poorest quintile. the rate of skilled attendance among educated women is almost twice that of women with no education. furthermore, women in urban areas access the services of trained birth attendant 30 % more than those in rural areas. use of skilled birth attendants is over 90 % in erongo, hardap, karas and khomas regions, while the lowest ( about 60 - 70 % ) is seen in kavango, kunene and ohangwena. the concentration curve and concentration index show statistically significant wealth - related inequalities in delivery by skilled providers that are to the advantage of women from economically better off households ( c = 0. 0979 ; p < 0. 001 ). delivery by skilled health provider by various maternal and household characteristics was 21 percentage points higher in urban than rural areas ; 39 percentage points higher among those in richest wealth quintile than the poorest ; 47 percentage points higher among mothers with higher level of education than those with no education ; 5 percentage points higher among female headed households than those headed by men ; 20 percentage points higher among people with health insurance cover than those without ; and 31 percentage points higher in karas region than kavango region. inequalities in wealth and education of the mother are seen to be the main drivers of inequities in the percentage of births attended by skilled health personnel.


; and 31 percentage points higher in karas region than kavango region. inequalities in wealth and education of the mother are seen to be the main drivers of inequities in the percentage of births attended by skilled health personnel. this clearly implies that addressing inequalities in access to child delivery services should not be confined to the health system and that a concerted multi - sectoral action is needed in line with the principles of the primary health care. there is increasing evidence on the existence of pervasive inequalities in health and health care that are related to socio - economic position as may be measured by household income / expenditure / wealth, occupation, gender, area of residence etc. both between and within countries [ 1, 2 ]. the existing evidence unequivocally reveals that morbidity and mortality are more prevalent at the lower end of the socio - economic ladder. in contrast, access to health services is concentrated among those at the upper end of the socio - economic spectrum. the overwhelming evidence on socio - economic inequalities in health and health care has led to renewed interest globally and nationally to understand the causes of health sector inequalities and develop appropriate policy responses. the differential in maternal health indicators is perhaps the largest differential in health status between rich and poor countries [ 4, 5 ]. in sub - saharan africa, the adjusted maternal mortality ratio in 2008 was 640 per 100, 000 live births, as compared to 14 per 100, 000 in the developed regions. similarly, while the life time risk of maternal death is 1 in 31 in sub - saharan africa, the corresponding figure in the developed regions of the world is 1 in 4, 300. in the period 2000 - 2008, about 96 % of child deliveries were attended by skilled health personnel in the european region of the world health organization. however, despite global improvement in the proportion of women delivered by skilled health workers, the situation in africa has not changed. in the african region only 47 % of births were attended by skilled health personnel. the situation in namibia is much better compared to this average - about 81 % of births attended by skilled health personnel. data from low and middle - income countries also show significant within country gradients in health outcomes and utilization of health services. in the poorest 20 % of the population, an infant is more than twice as likely to die before the age of 1 year and an under - five child is more than three times as likely to be stunted ( short - for - age ) compared


the poorest 20 % of the population, an infant is more than twice as likely to die before the age of 1 year and an under - five child is more than three times as likely to be stunted ( short - for - age ) compared to children from the 20 % economically better - off households. at the dawn of the current millennium, world leaders agreed to reduce maternal mortality by 75 % in 2015 compared to its 1990 levels. one of the indicators for mdg 5 is the proportion of deliveries attended by trained health providers, which include doctors, nurses or midwives. delivery by trained providers is necessary to reduce maternal mortality and is easy to monitor regularly and at reasonably short intervals compared to maternal mortality. global improvements mask inequalities both between and within countries. in namibia, there are significant inequities in births attended by skilled providers that favour those that are economically better off. identifying the determinants of inequities in health and health care is essential to designing equitable interventions. in line with the conceptual framework of the who commission on social determinants of health, access to delivery services by skilled health providers is shaped by political, social and economic forces. it then follows that addressing inequities requires a concerted multi - sectoral action, which is also in line with the principles of primary health care. the objective of this study was to identify the drivers of wealth - related inequalities in child delivery by skilled health providers using a decomposable health concentration index and the framework of the commission on social determinants of health ( csdh ). brief country profile namibia is a country in the south western part of africa covering a land area of 824, 000 square kilometers. according to the 2001 population and housing census, the population was about 1. 8 million with an inter - censal growth rate of 2. 6 % per annum. the country is divided into 13 administrative regions, which also correspond to the health regions. table 1. namibia : selected health and development indicators as can be seen from table 1, although the country is better off than many countries in sub - saharan africa in terms of resources for health and development, there is a significant amount of inequity and inefficiency. the potential loss in human development due to inequalities in each of the dimensions of the hdi ( life expectancy at birth, gross national income per capita and schooling ) amounts to about 44 %. the hdi falls to a level which is less than that of


development due to inequalities in each of the dimensions of the hdi ( life expectancy at birth, gross national income per capita and schooling ) amounts to about 44 %. the hdi falls to a level which is less than that of countries classified as low human development ( hdi = 0. 393 ). furthermore, the gnp per capita rank minus the hdi rank was - 14 indicating inefficiency in translating resources into welfare, i. e. the country did not achieve the level of human development that could potentially have been achieved given its resources. antenatal care from a skilled provider ( at least one visit ) was about 95 %. however, the proportion of pregnant women who received four or more antenatal care visits was only about 70 %. the maternal mortality ratio of 449 per 100, 000 live births in 2006 / 07 is a significant increase from the 1992 level, which was 225 per 100, 000 live births. apart from the direct and indirect causes of maternal mortality ; limited access to emergency obstetric care and lack of transport and communication facilities also contribute to maternal mortality. to reverse the increasing trend of maternal mortality and consequently accelerate the progress towards the achievement of the 5th millennium development goal ( mdg 5 ) of reducing the maternal mortality ratio by three - quarters between 1990 and 2015, the government has embarked on a number of initiatives, including development and implementation of a roadmap for accelerating the reduction of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. in measuring equity in a health outcome or access to health interventions, the following are required : - indicator of the health intervention of interest ( delivery by skilled health providers ) - a variable ( stratifier ) capturing socio - economic status against which the distribution is to be assessed ( wealth ) ; and - a measure of socio - economic inequality to quantify the degree of inequity in the indicator variable of interest. a concentration index ( c ) is used to measure wealth - related inequalities in the observed use of delivery services by skilled health providers. the concentration index of a health care variable y ( utilization of delivery services by trained health providers ) can be defined using the concentration curve that links the cumulative proportion of individuals ranked by wealth to the corresponding cumulative proportion of y ( use of delivery services by trained health providers ). the concentration curve plots shares of the health care variable ( y ) against quantiles of the measure of socio - economic status ( asset - based wealth index ). the concentration index is defined as twice the area


delivery services by trained health providers ). the concentration curve plots shares of the health care variable ( y ) against quantiles of the measure of socio - economic status ( asset - based wealth index ). the concentration index is defined as twice the area between the concentration curve and the line of equality and assumes values between - 1 and + 1. a negative value of the concentration index denotes inequity in skilled care at birth that is to the advantage of the lower wealth quintiles implying that women of lower socio - economic status are delivered by skilled health providers more than their counterparts who are wealthier. in this case the concentration curve lies above the line of equality. on the other hand, a positive concentration index implies inequality in the use of delivery services by skilled providers that favours women who are wealthier ( the concentration curve lies below the line of equality ). when the value of the concentration index is zero, there are no wealth related inequalities in the use of delivery services by skilled providers. the concentration curve overlaps with the 45 - degree line. from individual level data, the concentration index can be computed using the following formula : hi is the health variable of interest ( delivery by skilled health providers ) ; μ is the mean of hi ; ri is the fractional rank of individual i in the distribution of socio - economic position ; and ( ; i = 1 for the poorest and i = n for the richest ). decomposing the concentration index wagstaff et al. demonstrated that the concentration index of a health variable is additively decomposable to the concentration indices of the determinants of that health variable. in other words, the concentration index of the health variable of interest can be expressed as the sum of the contributions of the various determinants of that variable, together with unexplained residual component. in decomposing the concentration index of delivery by skilled providers, the following steps are pursued : 1. regressing the health variable against its determinants : where : yi = 1 if the delivery was conducted by a skilled health provider ; xk : a set of exogenous determinants of delivery by trained health provider ; βk : coefficient of determinant xk ; and εi : random error term. the dependent variable ( delivery by skilled health personnel ) is a binary variable with values of 1 ( delivered by skilled provider ) and 0 ( otherwise ). the linear probability model ( lpm ) in equation 2 above has been used in order to satisfy the


the dependent variable ( delivery by skilled health personnel ) is a binary variable with values of 1 ( delivered by skilled provider ) and 0 ( otherwise ). the linear probability model ( lpm ) in equation 2 above has been used in order to satisfy the linearity assumption of the decomposition analysis, although the estimates are inefficient and the probability of delivery by skilled health providers may not fall within the conventional values of 0 ≤ p ≤ 1 and has heteroskedastic errors. however, the estimated probabilities from the lpm model have been constrained within the conventional values and a comparison with a probit model has not shown significant variations between the coefficients of the lpm and the marginal ( or average ) effects of the probit regression derived using the dprobit stata command. furthermore, to adjust for heteroskedasticity, the predicted values from the regression model have been saved and used as weights to run weighted least squares ( wls ) using the " aweight " option in stata 2. calculating concentration indices for the health variable and for its determinants ( and generalized concentration index of the error term ) : for any linearly additive regression model of the health variable of interest ( yi ) such as equation 2 above, the concentration index for y, can be written as : cy : concentration index of skilled care at birth ( i. e. concentration index of yi ) ; : mean value of determinant xk ; μ : mean of the outcome variable yi - that is the mean of deliveries by skilled health providers ck : concentration index of determinant xk gcε : residual component that captures wealth - related inequality in skilled care at birth that is not accounted for by systematic variation in determinants across wealth groups. the term in parenthesis in equation 3 above expresses the impact of each determinant on the probability of delivery by skilled health providers. in other words, it denotes the elasticity ( ηk ) of the outcome variable ( delivery by skilled health providers ) with respect to the determinant xk evaluated at the mean value of yi ( delivery by skilled health providers ). the concentration index of delivery by skilled health providers is thus a weighted sum of the inequality in each of its determinants, with the weights equal to the elasticities of the determinants : the social determinants of health framework report of the who commission on the social determinants of health revitalized the need for sustained and concerted efforts to achieve health equity through action on the social determinants


of the determinants : the social determinants of health framework report of the who commission on the social determinants of health revitalized the need for sustained and concerted efforts to achieve health equity through action on the social determinants of health. the commission ' s social determinants framework takes a holistic view of inequities in health and health care within and between countries. inequities in health / healthcare are caused by the unequal distribution of power, income, goods and services nationally and internationally ( figure 1 ). figure 1. commission on social determinants of health conceptual framework. the social determinants of health are the circumstances in which people are born, grow up, live, work and age, and the systems put in place to deal with illness. these circumstances are in turn influenced by a wider set of forces : economics, social policies and politics. the social determinants framework suggests that interventions to address health inequities have to be geared towards : 1. the circumstances of daily living, which include : differential exposure to health risks in early life, the social and physical environments and work associated with social stratification ; and health care responses. 2. structural drivers including the nature and degree of social stratification ; biases, norms and values within society ; global and national economic and social policy ; and processes of governance at all levels. as observed in figure 1, the health system is an important social determinant of health influenced by and influencing the other social determinants. however, the health system is not the only social determinant of health. the effect of the each of the factors in figure 1 in the genesis and perpetuation of health / health care inequities may vary from one country to another. it is therefore important to try to identify the effect of the various social determinants of health on health outcomes and access to health care in order to design evidence - based interventions and policy instruments. data and variables data from the namibia demographic and health survey 2006 - 07 was used for this study. the data is available on the measure dhs website for registered users. in the linear probability model of the determinants of delivery by skilled health providers and the decomposition analysis the following variables have been used : 1. dependent variable : delivery by skilled health providers, which takes a value of 1 if the delivery has been attended by skilled health providers and a value of zero otherwise. 2. independent variables : • place of residence - urban / rural ;


used : 1. dependent variable : delivery by skilled health providers, which takes a value of 1 if the delivery has been attended by skilled health providers and a value of zero otherwise. 2. independent variables : • place of residence - urban / rural ; • wealth as computed from the asset indices ; • education of mother in years of schooling completed • head of household - a dummy where female household assumes a value of one ; and • insurance coverage - a dummy with a value of one if the woman has insurance coverage. in ndhs 2006 - 07, a representative two - stage probability sample of 10, 000 households was selected. the first stage consisted of selection of 500 primary sampling units ( psus ) from a sampling frame of 3, 750 psus with probability proportional to size ; the size being the number of households in the 2001 population census. the second stage involved the systematic selection of 20 households in each psu. the demographic and health surveys do not contain data on household income or consumption expenditure. instead wealth index is used as a proxy. the wealth index is based on household ownership of consumer goods ( such as radio, television ) ; dwelling characteristics ; type of drinking water source ; toilet facilities and other characteristics related to the household ' s socio - economic status. the asset indices are constructed using the method of principal component analysis ( pca ). studies have shown a close relationship between asset ownership and consumption expenditure in developing countries and that household asset is a good indicator of the long - run economic status of households data was analyzed using stata 10 statistical software and ms excel. about 80. 3 % of the deliveries were attended by skilled health providers. a breakdown by various maternal and household characteristics is provided in table 2. table 2. delivery by skilled health provider by various maternal and household characteristics delivery by skilled health providers is observed to differ by the various characteristics provided in table 2. most pronounced differences are seen by the household wealth status and mother ' s level of education. skilled birth attendance in the richest quintile is about 70 % more than that of the poorest quintile. the rate of skilled attendance among educated women is almost twice that of women with no education. furthermore, women in urban areas access the services of trained birth attendant 30 % more than those in rural areas. use of skilled birth attendants is over 90 % in erongo, hardap, karas and khomas regions, while the lowest ( about 60 - 70 % ) is seen in kavango, kunene and ohangwena. parturient


birth attendants is over 90 % in erongo, hardap, karas and khomas regions, while the lowest ( about 60 - 70 % ) is seen in kavango, kunene and ohangwena. parturient women in erongo, hardap, karas and khomas utilize the services of skilled attendants by more than 40 % compared to those in kavango. in six out of the thirteen regions, use of skilled delivery is less than the national average of 81 %. the concentration curve ( figure 2 ) and concentration index show statistically significant wealth - related inequalities in delivery by skilled providers that are to the advantage of women from economically better off households ( c = 0. 0979 ; p = < 0. 001 ). the concentration curve in figure 2 lies below the main diagonal indicating that economically better off women are skilled birth attendants more than those who are economically worse off. figure 2. concentration curve : delivery by skilled health providers. the decomposition analysis clarifies how each determinant of delivery by skilled providers contributes to the total wealth - related inequality in delivery by skilled health providers. as can be observed from formula 4 ( ), the contribution of each determinant depends on : ( i ) its impact on delivery by skilled health providers ( elasticity ) ; and ( ii ) how unequally distributed over wealth the determinant is ( its concentration index ). the results of the decomposition analysis are depicted in table 3. table 3. results of the decomposition analysis the concentration indices of erongo, hardap, karas, khomas have a high pro - wealthy concentration index ( p < 0. 001 ) implying that most of the relatively wealthy people inhabit this regions. in contrast, most of the relatively less wealthy people live in ohangwena, omusati and oshikoto regions ( p < 0. 001 ). the concentration indices for urban residence, education of mother, and insurance coverage have a statistically significant positive value indicating that they are more prevalent among the relatively wealthier segment of the population. on the other hand, female household heads are seen more among those that are less wealthy. it is also observed that the three regions ( kavango, kunene and ohangwena ) with the lowest rates of skilled birth attendance are mainly inhabited by the poor, as demonstrated by the negative concentration indices. as discussed above, the contribution of each of the determinants to the total concentration index of delivery by skilled health providers


care. in namibia, inequality in wealth is found to be one of the major contributors of inequity in access to child delivery by trained providers. the country is one of those with the highest income inequality in the world. it is therefore imperative to address this unacceptably high level of income inequality, in order to improve inequities in access to delivery services by trained health providers. there has been a debate on the relationship between income inequality and health ; findings and conclusions have been far from consistent. however, income inequality is one of the markers of the unequal distribution of goods and services including health - enhancing ones. addressing inequities in delivery care by skilled attendants is essential for achieving mdg targets for maternal health. hence, addressing wealth inequalities contributes to improving equity in delivery by skilled attendants and consequently to achievement of the mdg related to improving maternal health. it is, however, important to note that redressing wealth inequalities alone can not be an effective intervention to inequities in access to maternity care in the absence of interventions that also tackle the other social determinants such as education. the link between education of the mother and use of delivery services by trained health providers is well established. influences of maternal education can be observed in two ways : ( i ) education can improve the ability of individuals to produce health ( without relying on health services ) by influencing their life style ; and ( ii ) increasing the use of health care services through improved knowledge, attitude and practice. a study in thailand using data from multiple indicator cluster survey ( mics ) found that education of the mother is the major determinant of inequities in delivery by skilled health workers. our study indicates that inequality in maternal level of education is the major driver of inequities in delivery by trained health providers. hence, bridging inequalities in the maternal levels of education is an important undertaking to narrow inequities in the use of delivery services by skilled health providers. the other determinant of inequities in delivery by skilled providers is distribution according to residential location. it has been observed that there is a very high positive concentration index in urban residence implying that there is a high concentration of the economically better off segment of society in urban areas. it may be difficult in the current study to identify the mechanisms by which inequalities in urban residence influence inequities in delivery by skilled attendants. it may partly be explained by supply - side factors, where there


society in urban areas. it may be difficult in the current study to identify the mechanisms by which inequalities in urban residence influence inequities in delivery by skilled attendants. it may partly be explained by supply - side factors, where there is commonly a differential access to services favoring urban areas ( urban - bias ). there may also be a high concentration of the economically better off and the better educated in urban areas, which may contribute to the influence of inequalities of urban location to inequities in delivery by skilled attendants. it is thus important to carefully understand the mechanisms of influence and take appropriate equity - enhancing measures accordingly. the social determinants of health such as education, income and place of residence are closely linked to access, experiences and benefits from health care, which is itself a social determinant of health. the findings of this study are in line with this assertion of the who commission on social determinants of health. therefore, addressing inequities in the use of delivery services by skilled health providers requires tackling these social determinants of health systems through a concerted multi - sectoral action. the four sets of primary health care reforms that include : ( i ) the universal coverage reforms ; ( ii ) service delivery reforms ; ( iii ) public policy reforms ; and ( iv ) leadership reforms are very relevant here in bridging the observed inequities in the use of delivery services by skilled health providers and consequently contribute to the achievement of the mdg 5 targets. most of the inequality in births attended by skilled health personnel, which is skewed towards the wealthier segment of the population, is explained by inequalities in income, education and urban residence. the region, insurance coverage and female - headed household variables seem to have inequality reducing effect, although not substantial. therefore, the fact that inequalities in wealth and education of the mother are the main drivers of inequities in the percentage of births attended by skilled health personnel implies that policy interventions for addressing inequalities in access to child delivery services should be multi - sectoral in line with the principles of the primary health care. list of abbreviations c : concentration index ; csdh : who commission on social determinants of health ; dhs : demographic and health survey ; hdi : human development index ( hdi ) ; lpm : linear probability model ; mdgs : millennium development goals ; mmr : maternal mortality ratio ; mics : multiple indicator cluster survey ; phc


dhs : demographic and health survey ; hdi : human development index ( hdi ) ; lpm : linear probability model ; mdgs : millennium development goals ; mmr : maternal mortality ratio ; mics : multiple indicator cluster survey ; phc : primary health care the authors declare that they have no competing interests. ez conceived the research, performed the analysis and drafted the manuscript. do, tm, cnm and jmk contributed to the drafting of and review of the manuscript. all authors read and approved the final manuscript. the authors would like to thank all the teams that conducted the namibia demographic and health survey. the manuscript contains the analysis and views of the authors only and does not represent the decisions or stated policies of the institutions that they work for. the lancet 2007, 370 : 1153 - 63. publisher full text journal of econometrics 1997, 77 ( 1 ) : 87 - 103. publisher full text world health organization : closing the gap in a generation : health equity through action on the social determinants of health. final report of the commission on social determinants of health. geneva ; 2008. world health organization : ouagadougou declaration on primary health care and health systems in africa : achieving better health for africa in the new millennium. brazzaville : who regional office for africa ; 2008. the lancet 2008, 372 : 1661 - 69. publisher full text the pre - publication history for this paper can be accessed here :


in conjunction with world aids day, december 1, 2011, president barack obama announced accelerated efforts to increase the availability of treatment to people living with hiv / aids in the united states. the president directed the u. s. department of health and human services ( hhs ) to invest approximately $ 50 million in new funding to support aids drug assistance programs in states and increase access to hiv / aids care services. “ president obama has laid out a compelling vision that has the power to change the course of the epidemic, ” said hhs secretary kathleen sebelius. “ now it ’ s up to all of us to make our national hiv / aids strategy real. treatment not only improves and extends the lives of people living with hiv, but it also drastically reduces their risk of spreading the virus. " the president emphasized that critical hhs resources will help ensure that hiv - positive americans get the best care and treatment possible. hhs will commit approximately $ 35 million in new funding and enhanced technical assistance through the health resources and services administration ( hrsa ) to support state aids drug assistance programs so that approximately 3, 000 people living with hiv / aids will have access to life - saving medications. the centers for disease control and prevention ( cdc ) estimates that 34 percent of hiv / aids patients do not receive consistent care and only 28 percent of hiv / aids patients have their hiv under control. the announcement builds upon the obama administration ’ s new testing initiatives to help the estimated 240, 000 americans living with hiv who are not aware that they are infected. cdc has launched a new campaign to encourage testing among one of the hardest hit populations in the united states, black men who have sex with men. testing makes us stronger is part of act against aids, cdc ’ s national campaign to bring attention to the importance of hiv prevention and testing. in 2012, cdc will also be working with partners to expand its successful campaign for african american women. | < prev | | next > |


because the risks for hypertension are so dangerous, the u. s. national institutes of health releases federally mandated guidelines for doctors to follow regarding the classification and treatment of high blood pressure. these high blood pressure treatment guidelines are known as the seventh report of the joint national committee ( jnc 7 ) on prevention, detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood pressure. by following these high blood pressure treatment guidelines, doctors are able to have a nationally approved course at the ready immediately following the diagnosis of hypertension in a patient. this affords the patient the quickest and most effective way to reach blood pressure goals based on their overall, individual health. individual blood pressure target goals are based on such conditions as history of heart failure, coronary artery disease, kidney disease, diabetes and other chronic illnesses. high blood pressure is classified and defined as follows, according to the high blood pressure treatment guidelines : as indicated by its name, the high blood pressure treatment guidelines put forth the basic outline and parameters within which doctors are to operate when treating hypertension. the guidelines are as follows : for the treatment of prehypertension ( blood pressure between 120 / 80 and 139 / 89 ) : for the treatment of high blood pressure in which the readings fall between 140 / 90 and 159 / 99 : for the treatment of high blood pressure in which the readings are 160 / 100 or higher : for the treatment of high blood pressure that is accompanied by organ damage or other risk factors for heart disease : when medicines are required or suggested by doctors in order to help the patient reach their individual goals of lowering blood pressure, the high blood pressure treatment guidelines recommend the exact drugs to be administered. these drugs will provide the patient with the most efficient way to : since african americans are an high at - risk group for developing high blood pressure as well as having more severe risks from it and being more likely to develop hypertension at an earlier age, specific care programs are laid out in the high blood pressure treatment guidelines. focusing on lifestyle changes due to the fact that sodium sensitive or the obese or smokers in the african american group are more likely to have organ damage such as kidney disease, heart attack, and enlargement of the heart, is tantamount. though rare, high blood pressure in children is a particular concern because of the propensity for hypertension to continually worsen into adulthood. therefore, the high blood pressure treatment guidelines recommend routine checkups with evaluation for children. this is extra important because secondary high blood pressure is often the diagnosis for children with hypertension.


the propensity for hypertension to continually worsen into adulthood. therefore, the high blood pressure treatment guidelines recommend routine checkups with evaluation for children. this is extra important because secondary high blood pressure is often the diagnosis for children with hypertension. in fact, it is twice as more likely to happen in children than adults. this means that there is another disease, illness, medication or outside influence causing the child ’ s high blood pressure. by treating the underlying cause of the hypertension ( such as kidney or hormonal diseases ) blood pressure should return to normal levels. by treating hypertension in children with lifestyle changes and / or medication, children can be afforded a chance at a healthier adulthood. because of the changes that occur in the body with age, older adults often have what is called ish, or isolated systolic high blood pressure. ish is diagnosed when the systolic number ( top ) is above 140 but the diastolic ( bottom number ) is lower than 90. this means that the high blood pressure treatment guidelines for older adults must be followed because for people over 50 years of age, having a systolic number of over 140 is a better indicator for heart disease and stroke risks. ish is more common in women than men and by 60, most adults who have hypertension have ish. without proper treatment, ish can cause damage to organs like the brain, kidneys, heart, and eyes. in combination with the dietary approaches to stop hypertension ( dash ) diet, blood pressure medication like a diuretic is normally administered. but further complicating ish is the fact that certain medicines used to treat high blood pressure actually cause the pressure to drop too low. this creates unwanted side effects like slower heart beats, lightheadedness, dizziness or even fainting spells. if a patient has ish, their blood pressure should be monitored regularly by a doctor. high blood pressure causes 62 % of all strokes and 49 % of all heart attacks... check your bp on the blood pressure chart. if the chart shows you are in the prehypertension or hypertension ranges, do something about it, even if it is just having a chat with your doctor. the blood pressure chart is for all adults regardless of age, as whilst your age rises, the thresholds for prehypertension and hypertension don ' t! ( there is no blood pressure chart by age! ) no matter what your age - if your bp is above 140 / 90 you should


international ladies ’ garment workers ’ union ( ilgwu ) article free pass international ladies ’ garment workers ’ union ( ilgwu ), former industrial union in the united states and canada that represented workers in the women ’ s clothing industry. when the ilgwu was formed in 1900, most of its members were jewish immigrants employed in sweatshops — i. e., small manufacturing establishments that employed workers under unfair and unsanitary conditions. successful strikes in 1909 and 1910 in new york city by the ilgwu resulted in a “ protocol of peace ” between the women ’ s clothing industry and labour. the protocol greatly improved conditions for the garment - makers ; wages were increased, working hours were reduced, the union was recognized by the clothing manufacturers, and a board of arbitration was established to handle labour - management disputes. david dubinsky, who later served as the union ’ s president from 1932 to 1966, led a successful battle against a communist attempt to gain control of the ilgwu in the 1920s. when resolutions that would have allowed craft unions to organize the workers in mass - production industries were defeated at the convention of the american federation of labor ( afl ) in 1935, the ilgwu and seven other afl unions formed the committee for industrial organization ( cio ). all eight were expelled from the afl in 1937. when the cio became the congress of industrial organizations in 1938, the ilgwu withdrew and two years later returned to the afl. under dubinsky ’ s leadership the union grew from 45, 000 members in 1932 to 450, 000 in the 1960s. he transformed the ilgwu from a faction - ridden, insolvent regional union into a strong and progressive international organization that succeeded in improving the pay and working conditions of its members. the union was also a founder of the liberal party in new york state. from the 1970s the ilgwu ’ s membership shrank as firms in the united states shifted much of their apparel production to asia and latin america to take advantage of lower labour costs. in 1995 the ilgwu merged with the amalgamated clothing and textile workers ’ union to form a new union, the union of needletrades, industrial and textile employees. what made you want to look up " international ladies ' garment workers ' union ( ilgwu ) "? please share what surprised you most...


stop by the library to fill out an application to get a library card. to get a card, the hopeful patron must present a photo identification and at least one proof of residence ( a utility bill, an envelope mailed to yourself ). minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. this spring, everyone will be recieving a brand new card to celebrate the activation of the one card network, a project of the sister libraries belonging to the washington county library system. the updated cards are free and each will automatically link to our overdrive electronic book database. great schools offers ten easy tips for inspiring children to make reading a part of everyday life. great schools website youth computer station - visit a quiet corner of our sunny children ' s room to play ( and learn ) on our children ' s computer. the computer provides a myriad of games to encourage many skills and some games just for fun. parents may also choose to use this work station themselves while their children read books, play with our puppet theatre or learning games, explore our interactive science display, or simply sit at a table to draw in a sunny room. stop hunger and learn - every correct answer you give while playing this online brain - building game earns ten grains of rice for the united nations world food program. visit free rice. one book, lots of family fun - copies of suzanne bloom ' s picture book the bus for us are available at all pennsylvania pubic libraries. reading aloud is one of the best activities you can do to prepare your child for school. make time to read aloud every day, using lots of expression while taking time to enjoy the pictures and asking thought - provoking questions. before reading the book : look at the cover, point out the title and author. ask your child to tell you everything he or she knows about riding a bus and going to school. while reading the book : occasionally run your finger under the words as you read them. use facial expressions and vary your voice. ask questions about the story ( is this the bus, or it is another type of truck? what do you think the children have in their bags? ) have your child help you read the repeated question, " is this the bus for us, gus? " after reading the book : talk about the emotions the children in the story felt. point out their expressions in the drawings. talk about the different vehicles shown in the story. read books about trains, boats, airplanes, dirigibles, trucks or cars. stop by your california information station to pick up an activity book out


is it good or bad to be able to see ghosts? i ’ ve been wondering about this since i recently realized that i ’ ve been seeing ghosts ever since i began to study freshwater mussels about 30 years ago. there ’ s nothing special about being able to see ghosts — all mussel ecologists can do it. our native mussels make thick shells, some weighing more than a pound, that can last for decades or centuries, especially in places where the water is hard ( rich in calcium ). this means that when you visit a river, you can see the ghost shells of mussels that lived in 1940, or 1840, along with the shells of mussels that are living in the river today. so mussel ecologists can see the past and present at the same time. each of the 300 species of freshwater mussels in north america has its own habitat preferences and uses its own set of fish species to carry its larvae. thus, mussel ghosts tell you not only what kinds of mussels used to live in a river, but also what the habitat was like and what kinds of fishes could be found there. let me give you an example. one of the first places i visited as a young ecologist was the mouth of macon creek in michigan. i saw a nearly stagnant stream filled with warm water having the temperature and odor of fresh urine. algal scum covered the stream bottom, and construction debris tumbled down its banks. not surprisingly, i didn ’ t find a single living mussel in the creek. the scene was unappealing in the extreme. but the ghost shells of 18 species of mussels ( the most i have ever seen at a site ) showed me a different scene. at the same time that i was seeing the squalid scene in front of me, i was also seeing the creek mouth as it must have been before the land was cleared in the 19th century. a small, clear creek overgrown with willows swings through broad loops before entering the river. the sandy spit where the two streams meet is covered with hopeful young sycamores and the tracks of sandpipers. upstream of the creek mouth, the river flows in a foam - flecked green pool shaded by the graceful parents of those little sycamores. downstream, a bright riffle sparkles in the sun. the water is filled with minnows and sunfishes and multicolored darters, and the air is filled with waxwings and warblers and black