knowledge about renaissance italy. would a man so sensitive to his own predecessors really have covered over work by two of the artists he most admired? jones makes a cogent case for a project that never went much beyond the stage of large - scale drawings ; when leonardo tried to apply oil paint to the walls in florence, it slid off almost immediately. michelangelo, on the other hand, knew how to do fresco, and by 1508 he was in rome, applying fresco paint to the sistine chapel ceiling from a scaffold, its design poached from leonardo. but the effect of these two incomplete, long - gone battles on subsequent art, as jones argues, has been profound. he points up the vast differences of personality that separated the suave, dandy leonardo from the gruff, unkempt michelangelo, sparing neither the two artists, nor florence, their quirks of character. they are flanked by a vivid parade of supporting characters, from sweetly smiling machiavelli and fearsome cesare borgia, both of whom worked with leonardo, to the young raphael, who floats through the battlefield on the walls of palazzo della signoria like an epiphany. who wins the battle? this reviewer isn ’ t telling. the best way to find out is to read these two delightful if tragic books. ingrid d. rowland lives in rome, where she teaches for the university of notre dame school of architecture. comments are closed for this post.


of more than 100 different kinds of arthritis, these are the most common : called degenerative arthritis. occurs when the cushioning cartilage in a joint breaks down. commonly affects feet, knees, hips, and fingers. affects 16 million americans, mostly 45 and older. about half of those 65 and older have this form. system attacks the lining, or synovial membrane, of the joints. joint damage can become severe and deforming. involves the whole body, and may also cause fatigue, weight loss and anaemia, and affect the lungs, heart and eyes. affects about 2. 1 million americans, three times more women than men. sudden, severe attacks, usually in the big toe, but any joint can be affected. a metabolic disorder in which uric acid builds up in the blood and crystals form in joints and other places. drugs and attention to diet can control gout. affects about 1 million americans ( 70 to 80 percent men ), with first attack starting between 40 and 50 years of age. ( see " getting to know gout, " fda consumer, march 1995. ) chronic inflammatory disease of the spine that can result in fused vertebrae and rigid spine. often milder and harder to diagnose in women. most people with the disease also have a genetic marker known as hla - b27. affects about 318, 000 americans, usually men between the ages of 16 and 35. most common form is juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. arthritis diagnosis, treatment, and disease characteristics are different in children and adults. some children recover completely ; others remain affected throughout their lives. affects about 200, 000 americans. and other joint tissues become inflamed, and, like rheumatoid arthritis, it can affect the whole body. affects about 5 percent of people with psoriasis, a chronic skin disease. likely to affect fingers or spine. symptoms are mild in most people but can be quite severe. affects about 160, 000 americans. systemic lupus erythematosus skin, joints, muscles, and sometimes internal organs. symptoms usually appear in women of childbearing age but can occur in anyone at any age. also called lupus or sle, it can be mild or life threatening. affects at least 131, 000 americans, nine to ten times as many women as men. can develop as a result of an infection. for example, bacteria that cause gonorrhoea or lyme disease can cause arthritis. infectious arthritis can cause serious damage, but usually


august 23rd, 2012 05 : 33 pm et the empowered patient is a regular feature from cnn senior medical news correspondent elizabeth cohen that helps put you in the driver ' s seat when it comes to health care. women aren ’ t the only ones whose biological clocks are ticking : a new study on the genetics of autism finds the sperm of older men may be to blame for many cases of the disorder. the study, done by researchers in iceland, indicates that as many as 20 - 30 % of cases of autism and schizophrenia may be linked to the father ’ s advanced age. unlike findings on disorders such as down syndrome, this study found that the age of the mother made no difference. “ this is really a paradigm shift, ” said dr. jamie grifo, program director of the new york university fertility center. traditionally, women have borne the brunt of concerns about having a healthy child as they age, while many men have assumed their sperm were no different at 80 than at 20. “ i had my babies at 38 and 39 and i was terrified, ” said anchor ashleigh banfield on cnn newsroom. “ honey, you ’ re in the conversation now. it ’ s not just me. ” while older men have an increased risk of fathering a child with autism, the risk is still low – 2 % at the most for dads over 40, according to the new study. the authors looked at random mutations in genes that are linked to autism and schizophrenia. looking at 78 families, the researchers found that on average, a child born to a 20 - year - old father had 25 random mutations that could be traced to the father ’ s genes. children born to 40 - year - old fathers had 65 mutations. as men age, " sperm will have acquired more mutations than when they were younger, which will increase the chance of children they father inheriting a disease - producing mutation, ” said richard sharpe, who does research on male reproductive health at the mrc centre for reproductive health at the university of edinburgh. one scientist said men might want to take a tip from some young women who freeze their eggs to use when they ’ re older. “ collecting the sperm of young adult men and cold - storing for later use could be a wise individual decision, ” wrote alexey kondrashov, a professor who studies evolution at the university of michigan ’ s life sciences institute. august 23rd, 2012 11 : 00 am et the recent west nile virus outbreak is the largest ever seen in the united states, according to new numbers from the


##shov, a professor who studies evolution at the university of michigan ’ s life sciences institute. august 23rd, 2012 11 : 00 am et the recent west nile virus outbreak is the largest ever seen in the united states, according to new numbers from the centers for disease control and prevention. the number of cases so far this year is the highest recorded through september since the disease was first detected in the united states in 1999. as of tuesday, 48 states had reported human infections. the cases reported to the cdc as of tuesday total 2, 636, including 118 deaths. here are some fast facts about the virus. for more on what you need to know to protect yourself and your family, read elizabeth cohen ' s empowered patient column. background on the west nile virus – symptoms of infection include : fatigue, fever, headache, body aches, rash, and swollen lymph nodes. – those who become ill may develop west nile encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain. – there is no vaccine or specific treatment for west nile virus. – the virus is spread by mosquitoes, which contract west nile from infected birds. – according to the cdc, only 1 % of people bitten by west nile - infected mosquitoes become seriously ill. – it is not known how the virus arrived in the united states. about this blog get a behind - the - scenes look at the latest stories from cnn chief medical correspondent, dr. sanjay gupta, senior medical correspondent elizabeth cohen and the cnn medical unit producers. they ' ll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.


here are some similarities between king and twain : - popularity of a genre : twain brought the american experience to life in his humorous style, which has been recognized as a genre that twain helped make popular in american culture with many imitators to follow in the years. king has done the same thing with the horror genre. the two genres are different, but both developed their respective genre to a new level. - courageous youth as protagonists : some of twain ' s most popular stories involve children and teens as protagonists. the adventures of huckleberry finn ( 1884 ) and the adventures of tom sawyer ( 1876 ) are examples where young characters are the heroes and lead the readers through an adventure, often involving dangerous situations. stephen king is known for his young characters facing numerous horrors who lead the battle against whatever evil has befallen upon them. a few examples of this are the shining ( 1977 ), cycle of the werewolf ( 1985 ), and it ( 1986 ). - multiple dimensions of existence : though the two authors do not hold the patent on stories that cross dimensions of exist, twain and king do have popular works that involve this phenomenon. twain ' s a conneticutt yankee in king arthur ' s court ( 1889 ) is a story that involves time traveling with a twist. stephen king has explored several different twists on this same idea of time traveling and existing on multiple planes. to find an example, one only has to turn to king ' s dark tower series ( 1982 - 2012 ), which has characters existing on multiple planes at the same time. in " the mist, " a novella in the 1985 short collection skeleton crew, king shows what happens when dimensions between two planes is opened. this discussion does not include the planes between earthly and spiritual that is the basis for a good ghost story. i would argue that there enough comparisons between the two authors to fill a lengthy paper. does this make them both significant contributors to american literature? can twain ' s status as a mainstay in the study of american lit be used to argue that king too deserves such inclusion? these are questions that depend upon your own personal feelings about king and his work. i assert that king indeed has changed american literature and deserves to be studied with the masters, as he is one. tjb


the cdc estimates that almost half of americans currently take at least one prescription medication. prescription and non - prescription drugs have become an integral part of modern day medical treatment. however, it can sometimes be confusing and overwhelming to know where to find information about these drugs. this article focuses on some helpful resources online and within the library for finding information about drugs and medications. physician ' s desk reference - currently in its 66th edition, the " physician ' s desk reference " has long been a go - to source for prescription drug information. the book is largely aimed towards medical professionals, but contains lots of useful information for the average user as well.. the current edition of the " physician ' s desk reference " can be found in the reference department in any of our springfield - greene county branches. previous additions are available for check - out as well. pdr consumer guide to prescription drugs - also published by the pdr network®, this book on prescription drugs is written in plain language for the average health consumer. complete guide to prescription and nonprescription drugs - provides easy - to - understand consumer health information for the most commonly used drugs. this book is also available online through the library ' s ebsco consumer health complete database ( library card required ). the pill book - this book contains short summaries of medical information for commonly prescribed drugs. an excellent source for quick summaries and important information on your medications. physicians ' desk reference for nonprescription drugs and dietary supplements - this item contains the same type of in - depth content as " the physician ' s desk reference ", but covers nonprescription drugs and dietary supplements. additional books of interest : the merck index : an encyclopedia of chemicals, drugs, and biologicals - this book contains more technical durg information, but is an excellent source for in - depth information on commonly encountered chemicals and drugs. the family guide to vitamins, herbs, and supplements - this is an excellent place to find information on commonly used vitamins and supplements. mayo clinic book of alternative medicine - this title gives objective, evidence - based information on commonly used alternative medicines. the book covers vitamins, herbs and supplements, but also discusses other alternative treatments such as yoga and accupuncture. medlineplus drugs, herbs and supplements - http : / / www. nlm. nih. gov / medlineplus / druginformation. html this website from the national library of medicine, gives concise, easy - to - understand information on medication use


and supplements - http : / / www. nlm. nih. gov / medlineplus / druginformation. html this website from the national library of medicine, gives concise, easy - to - understand information on medication use, precautions, side effects and other information. they also usually provide links out to other helpful information. drug information online - http : / / www. drugs. com contains simple, easy - to - understand information on medications. also contains a pill identifier and drug interaction checker. webmd drugs and supplements http : / / www. webmd. com / drugs contains drug information and links for prescription and nonprescription drugs as well as vitamins and supplements. national library of medicine drug portal http : / / druginfo. nlm. nih. gov / drugportal the national library of medicine ' s all - in - one drug information searcher. the website collates drug information from a variety of government sources and offers information that goes from basic to very in - depth. other helpful websites : dailymed - http : / / dailymed. nlm. nih. gov provides detailed drug information. contains information on non - fda approved drugs and recent changes to approved drugs. the website also contains detailed listings of adverse reactions, clinical studies, dosage and drug interactions. dietary supplements labels database - http : / / dietarysupplements. nlm. nih. gov provides information about label ingredients from over 4, 000 brands of dietary supplements. food and drug administration - http : / / www. fda. gov / drugs the drugs @ fda link allows searching for information on specific drugs. you can also get information on recently approved drugs, look at approval history, and view label requirements for drugs in current use. kids health page from the nemours foundation - http : / / kidshealth. org their medications page gives over - the - counter and prescription drug information as they relate to children. the information is aimed at parents who want to know information about medicines their children may need to take. lactmed - http : / / lactmed. nlm. nih. gov this is a resource for nursing mothers. the website discusses drug levels and adverse effects of drugs found in breast milk and nursing infants. it also suggests possible alternatives to harmful medications. morx price compare - http : / / www. morxcompare. com website for searching and comparing prices of common pharmaceuticals in missouri pharmacies. allows you to


milk and nursing infants. it also suggests possible alternatives to harmful medications. morx price compare - http : / / www. morxcompare. com website for searching and comparing prices of common pharmaceuticals in missouri pharmacies. allows you to find the lowest - priced pharmaceuticals in your area. needymeds - http : / / needymeds. org provides information on pharmaceutical companies ' assistance programs available for specific drugs. it also contains information on government assistance programs and coupons. office of dietary supplements - http : / / ods. od. nih. gov / government website that provides health information on dietary supplements. national center for complementary and alternative medicine - http : / / www. nccam. nih. gov division of the national institute of health. the website focuses on a variety of alternative treatment options. it also has a database containing medical information on specific drugs, herbs and supplements. pillbox - http : / / pillbox. nlm. nih. gov useful for drug identification. allows for searching by imprint, shape, color, size and scoring. it then gives links to drug information after the pill has been identified. rx assist - http : / / www. rxassist. org resource directory of assistance programs related to medications. searchable by medicine with links out to available assistance programs for that particular medicine. vaccines. gov - http : / / www. vaccines. gov / website run by the national vaccine program office division of the hhs. the website provides vaccine information for vaccine preventable diseases, as well as information on the diseases themselves. it also has detailed vaccination schedules for all age groups. find this article at


note : this blog was written by jenna leopold, a dietetics student that interned with me this summer. with school already underway and summer coming to an end, now is as good a time as ever to start thinking about packing a healthy lunch for your child or even for yourself. packing a lunch from home has many benefits ; it allows you to control portion sizes, it saves you money and it helps you develop healthy eating habits. when packing lunches, the most important thing to remember is to have a well - balanced meal that includes all the major food groups. these food groups include grains, fruits, vegetables, proteins and dairy. by including all the major food groups, you add variety to your lunch, which also helps you stay fuller longer. keeping all the major food groups in mind will also help you avoid eating one big portioned meal and help you eat smaller portions of multiple food items. by eating a well - balanced diet, you allow your body to get a variation of vitamins and nutrients, which helps you stay healthy and energized. if you are packing a lunch for your child, it is important to involve him or her in the process. one of the best ways to get your child involved is taking him / her with you to the grocery store. this will allow the child to pick the foods he / she likes, which makes your child more likely to eat the food you pack for him / her. to help them pick healthy choices, make a list of four or five different items from each food group and allow he / she to pick what he / she would like to eat. also, if you are having trouble determining what foods belong to a certain food group, the myplate website ( www. choosemyplate. gov / food - groups / ) is a great tool. this website will give you a bunch of different foods and recommended daily intakes for each food group. food groups are a very important part of a well - balanced diet, but there are also other things you can do to make your packed lunch healthier. most kids like the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which can be quite healthy. however, the jelly can add unwanted sugar. a better alternative is a peanut butter and banana sandwich ; this will reduce the amount of sugar and provide more nutritional value. if you or your child prefers meat on your sandwiches, try choosing lower - sodium and no - additive options like the di lusso fresh cut meats at the hy - vee deli. another great way to make your


planting spring - flowering bulbs in autumn is best whether growing vegetables, annuals or perennials, nothing is as rewarding as seeing the home landscape in full maturity. however, it takes a lot of work, trial and error to achieve the desired results. one benefit of gardening is it teaches us patience. good things come to those who wait. as we are getting ready to put our gardens to bed for winter, we also need to think of next year and how we will be rewarded when spring returns. think about spring color now, how nice it would be to see bright colors emerging as the rest of the garden still slumbers. tulips, hyacinths and daffodils can greet us warmly, but we have to do the work now. spring - flowering bulbs are unparalleled in terms of choices for plant material, kinds of blooms and colors, and varied bloom times. there is some time left to do this, and you can find some really good deals at your local garden center now. when planting bulbs there are some things to consider : site : most bulbs need well - drained soil. if the area tends to have standing water after a spring thaw, then look for another location. it is generally recommended not to plant under trees. bulbs require five to six hours of full sun at a minimum, and eight to 10 for the best flowers. clusters, or larger groupings, have the most eye appeal, so make sure you have plenty of room for a big display. avoid planting in a lawn or location that might be damaged from lawn care. their foliage needs as much sun as possible, so if they are cut down before dieback, it may affect the bulb quality. spring bulbs do best if they are left in the same location year after year, so pick a site with that in mind. preparation is key to success for spring bulbs. loosen the soil to a depth of about 12 inches. add composted organic material to the top eight inches. if you haven ' t had a soil test done, then choose a low - nitrogen formula. there are many tailored just for spring bulbs. selection : bulb is a general term used to describe a host of plants. true bulbs include tulips, lilies, and daffodils. crocus start as corms. bearded iris and lily of the valley have tubers, which are thick underground stems. whichever you choose, tulips and daffodils have a wide variety of colors and bloom types. they offer


for the first time ever, developing countries lead yearly investment in clean energy — representing about $ 72 billion in spending in 2010, versus $ 70 billion in rich countries. so while u. s. lawmakers argue about efficiency standards in light bulbs, the 800 - pound dragon, china, is dominating. meanwhile, brazil, india and various middle eastern countries are catching up. the figures, which were put together by bloomberg new energy finance for the un environment program, show that total global investment grew by 30 % in 2010 to $ 211 billion : china, with us $ 48. 9 billion in financial new investment in renewables ( up 28 % ), was the world leader in 2010. however, other parts of the emerging world also showed strong growth : south and central america : up 39 % to us $ 13. 1 billion ; middle east and africa : up 104 % to us $ 5 billion ; india : up 25 % to us $ 3. 8 billion ; and asian developing countries excluding china and india : up 31 % to us $ 4 billion. it may be somewhat inaccurate to say that the developing world is winning – it ’ s pretty much china. but others are emerging fast. as leading developing countries continue their rapid economic growth, their hunger for all types of energy is increasing, including renewables. as the importance of the g8 countries is eclipsed by the g20 countries, the leading industrialized renewable energy investors are now being cumulatively outpaced by emerging countries. “ the investment activity in the developing world is not only leading to innovations in renewable energy technologies. furthermore, it will open up new markets as first mover investors are facilitating a range of new business models and support entrepreneurship in the developing world, ” explains udo steffens [ president of the frankfurt school of finance and management. ] another interesting trend is the scale of projects around the world. while we hear mostly about large - scale projects being developed, the largest percentage increase was in small - scale projects – up 91 % from 2009 to $ 60 billion. that increase came mostly from the solar pv sector. – stephen lacey [ joe romm : while china still has a great deal of developing to do, perhaps a new category is needed for them, since they are not an “ industrialized country ” but they seem quite different than the overwhelming majority of “ developing countries. " perhaps they need to be called a hyper - developing country, since their staggering growth in coal consumption threatens to finish off the destruction of a livable climate begun by the rich countries. ]


by richard froeb, m. d. [ august 19 2010 ] it can happen to anyone. you stumble off the curb and end up with an ankle that ' s swollen and bruised. or, you spend a day cleaning out the garage and end up with a sore back. unlike fractures, when bone is injured, sprains and strains are injuries to the soft tissues. a sprain occurs when a ligament ( the tissue that connects bones at the joint ) is stretched or torn. a strain occurs when a muscle is stretched or pulled or a tendon ( the tissue that connects muscle to bone ) is stretched or torn. although painful, sprains and strains are usually minor injuries, provided you treat them properly. to remember the first aid for sprains and strains, learn the acronym rice : - rest. give the injured area a rest. you may continue some physical activity, but avoid activities that cause pain or swelling. - ice. apply ice as soon as possible after the injury occurs to help limit inflammation, bruising and pain. use a cold pack ( a bag of frozen peas will work in a pinch ) or place the injured area in a slush bath ( fill a bucket with ice and water ) for 15 to 20 minutes and then repeat every two to three hours for the first 48 to 72 hours. - compression. wrap the injured area with an elastic bandage until the swelling stops. begin wrapping at the area farthest from your heart and take care not to wrap so tightly that you slow circulation. - elevation. prop the injured area so it ' s elevated above your heart, especially at night. gravity will help reduce swelling by draining excess fluid. you can take an over - the - counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. after two days, try to use the injured area gently. you should see gradual but steady improvement. most sprains and strains will heal in about two to four weeks, but see your doctor if swelling, pain or weakness persists. richard froeb, m. d., is an orthopedic surgeon and chief of the division of orthopedics at the hospital of central connecticut. he is in private practice in new britain and may be reached at ( 860 ) 223 - 8553. visit our joint care section.


current assets refer to commodities intended for assignment or consumption as such or after further processing. current assets are divided into materials and supplies, work in progress, finished goods, other current assets and advance payments. materials and supplies refer to the commodities which have been acquired for the purpose of manufacturing current assets by a party obliged to keep books and engaged in manufacturing or service provision. these commodities include the raw materials and materials and auxiliary substances used in the production of goods or services. work in progress refers to commodities intended for sale or for use in service production, whose manufacturing process is not finished at the time of the closing of the accounts ( semi - finished goods ). finished goods refer to self manufactured commodities that can be assigned, sold or used in service production. goods refer to commodities from external suppliers that are intended for sale or for use in service production as they are. other current assets refer to commodities bought or manufactured for the purpose of selling them as such or after further processing which are not included in the above mentioned current assets items. other current assets may include, among others, lots or other property intended for sale which have been transferred from fixed assets to current assets. advance payments refer to purchase prices or parts thereof paid to the supplier of current assets commodities before receiving the commodities. in the inventory inquiry approximate 300 enterprises are asked quarterly for the value of their inventories at the end of the quarter concerned. the values are requested by type of inventory : materials and supplies, fuels and lubricants, unfinished work, finished products and merchandise. statistics on trade inventories describe the current priced values of trade enterprises by industry. the statistics are compiled quarterly. the values of inventories by industry calculated from a sample are raised to correspond with the value of the inventories of the whole population ( enterprise whose industry is trade ) using the latest turnover data available from statistics finland ' s register of enterprises and establishments. the raising is based on the assumption that the ratio between the values of turnover and inventories is constant within an industry. value of inventories includes all goods that according to a company ' s book - keeping form its current assets. according to section 4 of the book - keeping act ( 1336 / 1997 ), current assets refer to commodities intended for assignment or consumption as such or after further processing. inventories also include purchases of goods abroad and binding purchase agreements where they represent the company ' s current assets. inventories arising from commissioned work are reported by the commissioning company.


although we know little of menelaus of alexandria ' s life ptolemy records astronomical observations made by menelaus in rome on the 14th january in the year 98. these observation included that of the occultation of the star beta scorpii by the moon. he also makes an appearance in a work by plutarch who describes a conversation between menelaus and lucius in which lucius apologises to menelaus for doubting the fact that light, when reflected, obeys the law that the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection. lucius says ( see for example ) : - in your presence, my dear menelaus, i am ashamed to confute a mathematical proposition, the foundation, as it were, on which rests the subject of catoptrics. yet it must be said that the proposition, " all reflection occurs at equal angles " is neither self evident nor an admitted fact. this conversation is supposed to have taken place in rome probably quite a long time after 75 ad, and indeed if our guess that menelaus was born in 70 ad is close to being correct then it must have been many years after 75 ad. very little else is known of menelaus ' s life, except that he is called menelaus of alexandria by both pappus and proclus. all we can deduce from this is that he spent some time in both rome and alexandria but the most likely scenario is that he lived in alexandria as a young man, possibly being born there, and later moved to rome. an arab register of mathematicians composed in the 10th century records menelaus as follows ( see ) : - he lived before ptolemy, since the latter makes mention of him. he composed : " the book of spherical propositions ", " on the knowledge of the weights and distribution of different bodies "... three books on the " elements of geometry ", edited by thabit ibn qurra, and " the book on the triangle ". some of these have been translated into arabic. of menelaus ' s many books only sphaerica has survived. it deals with spherical triangles and their application to astronomy. he was the first to write down the definition of a spherical triangle giving the definition at the beginning of book i : - a spherical triangle is the space included by arcs of great circles on the surface of a sphere... these arcs are always less than a semicircle. in book i of sphaerica he set up the basis for treating spherical triangles as eucl


spherical triangle is the space included by arcs of great circles on the surface of a sphere... these arcs are always less than a semicircle. in book i of sphaerica he set up the basis for treating spherical triangles as euclid treated plane triangles. he used arcs of great circles instead of arcs of parallel circles on the sphere. this marks a turning point in the development of spherical trigonometry. however, menelaus seems unhappy with the method of proof by reductio ad absurdum which euclid frequently uses. menelaus avoids this way of proving theorems and, as a consequence, he gives proofs of some of the theorems where euclid ' s proof could be easily adapted to the case of spherical triangles by quite different methods. it is also worth commenting that : - in some respects his treatment is more complete than euclid ' s treatment of the analogous plane case. book 2 applies spherical geometry to astronomy. it largely follows the propositions given by theodosius in his sphaerica but menelaus give considerably better proofs. book 3 deals with spherical trigonometry and includes menelaus ' s theorem. for plane triangles the theorem was known before menelaus : -... if a straight line crosses the three sides of a triangle ( one of the sides is extended beyond the vertices of the triangle ), then the product of three of the nonadjacent line segments thus formed is equal to the product of the three remaining line segments of the triangle. menelaus produced a spherical triangle version of this theorem which is today also called menelaus ' s theorem, and it appears as the first proposition in book iii. the statement is given in terms of intersecting great circles on a sphere. many translations and commentaries of menelaus sphaerica were made by the arabs. some of these survive but differ considerably and make an accurate reconstruction of the original quite difficult. on the other hand we do know that some of the works are commentaries on earlier commentaries so it is easy to see how the original becomes obscured. there are detailed discussions of these arabic translations in,, and. there are other works by menelaus which are mentioned by arab authors but which have been lost both in the greek and in their arabic translations. we gave a quotation above from the 10th century arab register which records a book called elements of geometry which was in three volumes and was translated into arabic by thabit ibn qurra. it also records another work by men


and in their arabic translations. we gave a quotation above from the 10th century arab register which records a book called elements of geometry which was in three volumes and was translated into arabic by thabit ibn qurra. it also records another work by menelaus was entitled book on triangles and although this has not survived fragments of an arabic translation have been found. proclus referred to a geometrical result of menelaus which does not appear in the work which has survived and it is thought that it must come from one of the texts just mentioned. this was a direct proof of a theorem in euclid ' s elements and given menelaus ' s dislike for reductio ad absurdum in his surviving works this seems a natural line for him to follow. the new proof which proclus attributes to menelaus is of the theorem ( in heath ' s translation of euclid ) : - if two triangles have the two sides equal to two sides respectively, but have the base of one greater than the base of the other, it will also have the angle contained by the equal straight lines of the first greater than that of the other. another arab reference to menelaus suggests that his elements of geometry contained archytas ' s solution of the problem of duplicating the cube. paul tannery in argues that this make it likely that a curve which it is claimed by pappus that menelaus discussed at length was the viviani ' s curve of double curvature. bulmer - thomas in comments that : - it is an attractive conjecture but incapable of proof on present evidence. menelaus is believed by a number of arab writers to have written a text on mechanics. it is claimed that the text studied balances studied by archimedes and those devised by menelaus himself. in particular menelaus was interested in specific gravities and analysing alloys. article by : j j o ' connor and e f robertson


| by marketwire. | | | january 31, 2013 05 : 36 pm est | | toronto, ontario - - ( marketwire ) - - 01 / 31 / 13 - - as millions celebrate february as black history month, they will also be marking an important milestone in the movement to abolish slavery : the 100 year anniversary of the passing of abolitionist harriet tubman. born into slavery, tubman escaped before dedicating her life to the freedom of all black people. she led thirteen missions to personally rescue more than 70 slaves and served as a central figure in a network of anti - slavery activists. the history of the courageous activism of these early abolitionists is closely tied with canada through the creation of the legendary underground railroad - a sophisticated and expansive network of allies, secret routes and safe houses that swept fugitive slaves to safety in free states and canada throughout the 19th century. upper canada ' s historic passing of the anti slavery act in 1793 made it a destination for thousands of blacks who settled in communities from windsor to toronto and from niagara to owen sound. they contributed to ontario ' s society as farmers, teachers, preachers, household servants, business owners, and sawmill and dock workers. as time progressed, so too did their political and economic gains. however, two hundred and twenty years after canada formally abolished slavery, a legacy of discrimination and the struggle for equality continues. " workers of colour in ontario continue to earn only eighty - one cents on the dollar and racialized women earn far less, " said ofl president sid ryan. " the wage gains that many feel are long overdue are being jeopardized by government cuts to jobs and social programs. there is no question that austerity measures are hitting racialized people the hardest. " according to the most recent census data, 2. 5 percent of the canadian population - nearly 800, 000 people - identify themselves as black and 60 percent of those have made ontario their home. however, racialized families continue to be two to four times as likely to live on incomes below the low income cut - off and in some communities, one in two racialized children are living in poverty. " african and caribbean blacks have made enormous contributions to ontario ' s society and economy, " said ofl executive vice - president irwin nanda. " we have an incredible heritage of black activism in ontario that has challenged racism, prejudice and discrimination and people of all races have an obligation to honour that history by remembering it, teaching it and living it. " the acknowledgment of


" we have an incredible heritage of black activism in ontario that has challenged racism, prejudice and discrimination and people of all races have an obligation to honour that history by remembering it, teaching it and living it. " the acknowledgment of february as black history month draws its history from early american celebrations that gained formal recognition in 1978. however, it wasn ' t until 1995 that black history month gained status in formal canada through a motion in the house of commons. the ontario federation of labour will be joining black history month celebrations by co - hosting two events with labour unions and community partners. the first, called " where is our obama? " is an intergeneration dialogue on race and racism in canadian politics and the second is a celebration of the history of the steelpan. details of both events can be found on the ofl website. among the many black community activists who will be celebrated and remembered by the labour movement this month are ontario ' s zanana akande, june veecock, fred upshaw, rosemary brown, dudley laws and charles roach. " the ofl is reaffirming its commitment to educational and community development work within the labour movement and the broader society to counteract racism and strengthen the demand for an end to systemic discrimination, " said ryan. " until everyone in our communities are free from poverty, violence and the social ills that are the by - product of racism, none of us can call ourselves free. it is past the time for words. now is a time for action. " the ontario federation of labour ( ofl ) represents 54 unions and one million workers in ontario. for information, visit www. ofl. ca and follow the ofl on facebook and twitter : @ oflabour. follow ofl president sid ryan on twitter @ sidryan _ ofl. - " all it took was one e - mail to larry, " says former ebay research director as he moves to google - google ramps up its mobile reach : launches " mobile web search " - voip update : yahoo! buys dialpad - ericsson + napster = world ' s first " wireless digital music " brand - sys - con i - technology podcast august 30, 2005 - a flair for food - health - conscious cooking is this chef ' s cup of tea - sony psp may feature porn - free guest passes for the soa world conference & expo in nyc - south korea is world ' s largest phisher - kapow helps seiko uk, provides sms text -


ilo factsheet measuring the costs of coercion jul 01 2010 download right click " save as " what are, in addition to the human suffering, the financial costs of coercion to people who work in forced labour? in other words, how much money is " stolen " from people in forced labour? answering this question requires some estimate of the net opportunity cost of being in forced labour, i. e. the amount of income that is lost because a person is in forced labour instead of being free. in a general sense, the cost of coercion can be defined as the difference between a victim ' s actual income in forced labour and what he or she would have earned doing the same job in a free labour relationship. research over the last few years has shown that the loss of income associated with coercion can be traced to two main sources. the first source is the underpayment of wages. the second source of lost income that we consider arises mainly in cases of human trafficking : it is the financial costs associated with the recruitment process. more information about human trafficking on the website of ilo. - the state of human trafficking in california 2012 - ewa ' a : annual book 2011 ( english ) - ewa ' a : annual book 2011 ( arabic ) - the eu strategy towards the eradication of trafficking in human beings 2012 - 2016 - trafficking in persons report 2012 relevant international conventions / closing material - trafficking in persons report 2012 country narratives t - z - trafficking in persons report 2012 country narratives n - s - trafficking in persons report 2012 country narratives d - i - trafficking in persons report 2012 country narratives a - c - trafficking in persons report 2012 - introductory materials - guatemala ' s protocol for repatriation of human trafficking victims - california senate bill 657


this, from the free daily uk paper called the metro : - " if you felt a bit soggy while walking through the snow this week, it ' s because your relatives were sponges. well, your ancestors who lived 635 million years ago were. mankind is thought to have evolved from primitive sea sponges, according to a study of fossils found in rocks in oman. they are thought to date to the last ice age, according to the us research in nature journal. " - meet the ancestors : earliest evidence of life suggests humans descended from sponges 635 million years ago - " now scientists say they have discovered the missing link in the chain of evolution. they have found evidence of the oldest animal life yet discovered on earth – ancient sponges that lived 635 million years ago ". anyone reading this on the 8. 20 tube from cockfosters would understand that the research is about discovering ancestors ( i. e., missing links, a poriferan adam & eve ). i had to see what brocks & butterfield ( 2009 ) wrote about ' ancestors ' : - " so, what exactly were the organisms that produced these biomarkers? the most obvious answer, and the one that the authors plump for, is that demosponges had evolved and become ecologically prominent by at least the late cryogenian. but this conclusion overlooks the evolutionary nature of biological taxa and the incremental assembly of defining characteristics along ( now - extinct ) ' stem lineages '. it is only with a full complement of such characteristics — in the last common ancestor of the extant ' crown group ' — that modern taxonomic boundaries apply (... ) combined with new biomarker data and molecular phylo genomics, the identification of such signals promises to pinpoint the first appearance of our earliest animal ancestors. " ( brocks and butterfield, 2009 : 673 ). the daily mail online however, do go on to publish a reuters report by michael kahn that best summaries the research : " chemical traces left in 635 million - year - old rocks in oman provide the earliest evidence so far of animal life, researchers said wednesday ". why the mail didn ' t go with reuter ' s original title scientists find earliest evidence of animal life has more to do with sensationalism than with science journalism. jochen j. brocks, nicholas j. butterfield ( 2009 ). biogeochemistry : early animals out in the cold nature, 457 ( 7230 ), 672 -


the retina is a light - sensitive layer of tissue. this tissue lines the back of the eye. the retina converts visual images into nerve impulses in the brain that allow sight. retinopathy of prematurity ( rop ) is a rare condition that occurs in the eyes of infants who : - are born prematurely - are born with a low birth weight with this condition, the blood vessels of the retina grow abnormally. this can lead to bleeding and scarring in the retina. in the most serious cases, this can lead to the retina separating from the back of the eye. rop usually heals by itself. most infants do not require treatment. in a small number of cases, rop may cause vision loss or blindness. rop occurs most often in infants who are born prematurely or have low birth weight. the exact cause is unknown. these factors increase the chance of an infant developing rop : rop usually occurs suddenly. it progresses in stages from mild to severe. there are usually no outward signs of rop. if your infant has any of these symptoms, do not assume it is due to rop. these symptoms may be caused by other conditions. tell your doctor if your infant has any of these : - white pupils - abnormal eye movements - crossed eyes ( turning toward each other ) - amblyopia ( lazy eye ) guidelines vary, but a pediatric ophthalmologist ( doctor who specializes in eye conditions and treatment in children ) will screen for rop if your infant : - is born prematurely - has a low birth weight the doctor may examine your infant ’ s eyes every 1 - 2 weeks until the blood vessels in the retina are fully developed. eye drops are used to dilate the pupils. the doctor uses a special lens to examine the eye. talk with the doctor about the best treatment plan for your infant. treatment options to reduce the risk of your infant ’ s retina detaching from the back of the eye include the following : - cryosurgery — a freezing probe is used to prevent the spread of abnormal blood vessels in the retina - laser ablation / photocoagulation — a laser is used to stop abnormal blood vessels in the retina from growing the best way to prevent rop is to prevent premature birth. screening is very important for : - premature infants - low birth weight infants if your infant needs oxygen therapy, the doctor will monitor the oxygen levels to make sure she is getting the right amount. - reviewer : kari kassir


scientists at stanford university and the j. craig venter institute — remember the human genome project — have simulated an entire organism in software for the first time ever. using a 128 - node computing cluster, a team of scientists led by stanford professor markus covert incorporated data from more than 900 scientific papers and 1, 900 experiments to simulate every molecular interaction and the effects of all 525 genes of the smallest known free - living bacterium : the parasite mycoplasma genitalium. and, yes, that bacteria lives right where its name suggests. simulating a single cell division takes about 10 hours, according to covert, and generates half a gigabyte of data. not exactly big data, but then it is a very small organism. adding more computing power should shorten the simulation time. “ you don ’ t really understand how something works until you can reproduce it yourself, ” says graduate student and team member jayodita sanghvi. now that an entire organism has been simulated, researchers believe that bio - cad ( computer - aided - design ) will take a big leap forward. from understanding genes in isolation the scientists look forward to being able to study their interactions, which is an essential step to understanding key issues in health, disease, and growth. as max mcclure wrote in a story published by stanford ’ s news service : cad – computer - aided design – has revolutionized fields from aeronautics to civil engineering by drastically reducing the trial - and - error involved in design. but our incomplete understanding of even the simplest biological systems has meant that cad hasn ’ t yet found a place in bioengineering. the new simulation will help scientists understand biology better, and understand cells better, the researchers say. and it will help both speed up research and enable testing that just isn ’ t possible otherwise. “ if you use a model to guide your experiments, you ’ re going to discover things faster. we ’ ve shown that time and time again, ” said team leader covert. but don ’ t get your hopes up too high for personalized medicine or helpful simulations of how medication will affect you before you actually have to take it. a fully simulated human being is still a long way off.


22 jul 2008. 21 aug 2008. how common is borderline personality disorder? which statistics are available on the frequency of borderline personality? borderline personality disorder ( bpd ), also known as emotionally unstable personality disorder, is not a rare disorder. it affects about 2 percent of the population. in mental health clinics the prevalence rate is much higher! about 15 to 20 percent of psychiatric inpatients and about 10 percent of mental health outpatients have a borderline personality disorder. this personality disorder is very common among adolescent and young adults with the highest rates at the ages between 18 and 35. however the reason for hospitalization or treatment will very often be a different psychiatric problem like eating disorders, addiction problems, suicide attempts, depression or anxiety disorders. very often patients with bpd have additional personality disorders. women are diagnosed with borderline personality disorder about 2 to 4 times more often than men. men with similar problems or interactive styles are more often classified as having antisocial personality disorder or narcissistic personality. disclaimer : the documents contained in this web site are presented for information purposes only. the material is in no way intended to replace professional medical care or attention by a qualified psychiatrist or psychotherapist. it can not and should not be used as a basis for diagnosis or choice of treatment. if you find anything wrong, please notify us at.


a massage after vigorous exercise unquestionably feels good, and it seems to reduce pain and help muscles recover. many people — both athletes and health professionals – have long contended it eases inflammation, improves blood flow and reduces muscle tightness. but until now no one has understood why massage has this apparently beneficial effect. now researchers have found what happens to muscles when a masseur goes to work on them. their experiment required having people exercise to exhaustion and undergo five incisions in their legs in order to obtain muscle tissue for analysis. despite the hurdles, the scientists still managed to find 11 brave young male volunteers. the study was published in the feb. 1 issue of science translational medicine. on a first visit, they biopsied one leg of each subject at rest. at a second session, they had them vigorously exercise on a stationary bicycle for more than an hour until they could go no further. then they massaged one thigh of each subject for 10 minutes, leaving the other to recover on its own. immediately after the massage, they biopsied the thigh muscle in each leg again. after allowing another two - and - a - half hours of rest, they did a third biopsy to track the process of muscle injury and repair. vigorous exercise causes tiny tears in muscle fibers, leading to an immune reaction — inflammation — as the body gets to work repairing the injured cells. so the researchers screened the tissue from the massaged and unmassaged legs to compare their repair processes, and find out what difference massage would make. they found that massage reduced the production of compounds called cytokines, which play a critical role in inflammation. massage also stimulated mitochondria, the tiny powerhouses inside cells that convert glucose into the energy essential for cell function and repair. “ the bottom line is that there appears to be a suppression of pathways in inflammation and an increase in mitochondrial biogenesis, ” helping the muscle adapt to the demands of increased exercise, said the senior author, dr. mark a. tarnopolsky. dr. tarnopolsky, a professor of pediatrics and medicine at mcmaster university in hamilton, ontario, said that massage works quite differently from nsaids and other anti - inflammatory drugs, which reduce inflammation and pain but may actually retard healing. many people, for instance, pop an aspirin or aleve at the first sign of muscle soreness. “ there ’ s some theoretical concern that there is a maladaptive response in the long run if you ’ re constantly suppress


healing. many people, for instance, pop an aspirin or aleve at the first sign of muscle soreness. “ there ’ s some theoretical concern that there is a maladaptive response in the long run if you ’ re constantly suppressing inflammation with drugs, ” he said. “ with massage, you can have your cake and eat it too — massage can suppress inflammation and actually enhance cell recovery. ” “ this is important research, because it is the first to show that massage can reduce pro - inflammatory cytokines which may be involved in pain, ” said tiffany field, director of the touch research institute at the university of miami medical school. she was not involved in the study. “ we have known from many studies that pain can be reduced by massage based on self - report, but this is the first demonstration that the pain - related pro - inflammatory cytokines can be reduced. ” she said. getting a massage from a professional masseur is obviously more expensive than taking an aspirin. but, as dr. field points out, massage techniques can be taught. “ people within families can learn to massage each other, ” she said. “ if you can teach parents to massage kids, couples to massage each other. this can be cost effective. ” dr. tarnopolsky suggests that, in the long run, a professional massage may even be a better bargain than a pill. “ if someone says “ this is free and it might make you feel better, but it may slow down your recovery, do you still want it? ” he asked. “ or would you rather spend the 50 bucks for a post - exercise massage that also might enhance your recovery? ” correction : an earlier version of this article misidentified where mitochondria are found ; they are inside of cells, but in the cytoplasm, not the nuclei.


world heritage list interactive map is loading... the world heritage list includes 962 properties forming part of the cultural and natural heritage which the world heritage committee considers as having outstanding universal value. these include 745 cultural, 188 natural and 29 mixed properties in 157 states parties. as of september 2012, 190 states parties have ratified the world heritage convention. extension of the " australian east coast temperate and subtropical rainforest park ". name changed 2007 from ' central eastern rainforest reserves ( australia ) ' renomination of " uluru - kata tjuta national park " under cultural criteria. the “ belfries of flanders and wallonia ” which were previously inscribed on the world heritage list, are part of the transnational property “ the belfries of belgium and france ”. extension of " jau national park ". extension of the " glacier bay / wrangell / st elias / kluane " property. the " burgess shale " property, which was previously inscribed on the world heritage list, is part of the " canadian rocky mountain parks ". extension of " the potala palace and the jokhang temple monastery, lhasa " to include the norbulingka area. the " chateau and estate of chambord ", which was previously inscribed on the world heritage list, is part of the " loire valley between sully - sur - loire and chalonnes ". the “ hadrian ’ s wall ” which was previously inscribed on the world heritage list, is part of the transnational property “ frontiers of the roman empire ”. at the time the property was extended, cultural criterion ( iv ) was also found applicable. the " brihadisvara temple, tanjavur ", which was previously inscribed on the world heritage list, is part of the " great living chola temples ". at the time the property was extended, criteria ( iii ) and ( v ) were also found applicable. the committee decided to extend the existing cultural property, the " temple of ggantija ", to include the five prehistoric temples situated on the islands of malta and gozo and to rename the property as " the megalithic temples of malta ". the westland and mount cook national park and the fiordland national park, which were previously inscribed on the world heritage list, are part of the " te wahipounamu - south west new zealand ". the " convent ensemble of san francisco de lima ", which was previously inscribed on the world heritage list, is part of the " historic


the world heritage list, are part of the " te wahipounamu - south west new zealand ". the " convent ensemble of san francisco de lima ", which was previously inscribed on the world heritage list, is part of the " historic centre of lima ". ( extension de « sites d ' art rupestre prehistorique de la vallee de coa », portugal ) extension of " biertan and its fortified church ". at the time the property was extended, natural criterion ( iv ) was also found applicable. extension of the " alhambra and the generalife, granada ", to include the albayzin quarter. extension of the " mosque of cordoba ". the property “ parque guell, palacio guell and casa mila in barcelona ”, previously inscribed on the world heritage list, is part of the “ works of antoni gaudi ”. extension of the " churches of the kingdom of the asturias ", to include monuments in the city of oviedo. extension of the " mudejar architecture of teruel ". following a survey of ownership carried out in the late 1960s, ownership of the totality of the walls was vested in 1973 in the spanish state, through the ministry of education and science. it was transferred to the xunta de galicia by royal decree in 1994. the spanish constitution reserves certain rights in relation to the heritage to the central government. however, these are delegated to the competent agencies in the autonomous communities, in this case the xunta de galicia. for the lugo walls the xunta is in the position of both owner and competent agency. under the galician heritage law the xunta is required to cooperate with the municipal authorities in ensuring the protection and conservation of listed monuments, and certain functions are delegated down to them. the xunta operates through its general directorate of cultural heritage ( direccion general de patrimonio cultural ), based in santiago de compostela. the master plan for the conservation and restoration of the roman walls of lugo ( 1992 ) covered proposals for actions to be taken in respect of research and techniques of restoration. this was followed in 1997 by the special plan for the protection and internal reform of the fortified enceinte of the town of lugo, which is concerned principally with the urban environment of the historic town. however, it has a direct impact on the protection afforded to the walls, in terms of traffic planning, the creation of open spaces, and regulation of building heights. another planning instrument which


which is concerned principally with the urban environment of the historic town. however, it has a direct impact on the protection afforded to the walls, in terms of traffic planning, the creation of open spaces, and regulation of building heights. another planning instrument which affects the walls is the special plan for the protection of the mino [ river ], approved by the municipality at the beginning of 1998. there is at the present time no management plan sensu stricto for the walls in operation in lugo : work is continuing on the basis of the 1992 plan. nor is there a technical unit specifically responsible for the conservation and restoration of the walls. it is against this background that serious consideration is being given to the creation of an independent foundation, under royal patronage and with representatives from government, academic, voluntary, and business institutions, to work with the general directorate of cultural heritage of galicia. the work plan of this body would include the development and implementation of integrated conservation, restoration, and maintenance programmes. the wh area is managed directly by the divisional forest officer from the forest dept. a national steering committee co - ordinates institutions for sinharaja as a national wilderness area, biosphere reserve ( 1988 ), and wh site. there are two management plans, prepared in 1985 / 86 and 1992 / 94, which emphasise conservation, scientific research, buffer zone management, benefit - sharing, and community participation. ( renomination under cultural criteria ) in 1979, the committee decided to inscribe the ohrid lake on the world heritage list under natural criteria ( iii ). in 1980, this property was extended to include the cultural and historical area, and cultural criteria ( i ) ( iii ) ( iv ) were added. extension of " gough island wildlife reserve ". * : transboundary property # : as for 19 natural and mixed properties inscribed for geological values before 1994, criteria numbering of this property has changed. see decision 30. com 8d. 1 category of site cultural site natural site mixed site site inscribed on the list of world heritage in danger cultural site natural site mixed site this large format full - colour map features the world heritage sites and brief explanations of the world heritage convention and the world heritage conservation programmes, as well as superb photos of world heritage sites with explanatory captions. it is available in english, french and spanish. the dimensions of the map are 78 cm by 50 cm ( 31 in. by 20 in. ). © unesco world heritage centre 1992 - 2013 united nations


wordcount example in python the program reads text files and counts how often words occur. the input is text files and the output is text files, each line of which contains a word and the count of how often it occured, separated by a tab. to create some input, take your a directory of text files and put it into dfs. bin / hadoop dfs - put my - dir in - dir each mapper takes a line as input and breaks it into words. it then emits a key / value pair of the word and 1. each reducer sums the counts for each word and emits a single key / value with the word and sum. as an optimization, the reducer is also used as a combiner on the map outputs. this reduces the amount of data sent across the network by combining each word into a single record. to compile the example, build the hadoop code and the python word count example : ant cd src / examples / python. / compile cd.. /.. /.. note that you need to have jythonc and javac on your path for the compilation to work. to run the example, the command syntax is : bin / hadoop jar src / examples / python / wc. jar in - dir out - dir the results of the word count will be in out - dir / part - *.


washington, d. c., april 1, 2012 – no foolin ’ : the city of tucson was at the center of world wildlife fund ’ s earth hour celebration in the united states. around the world last night, millions of individuals switched off their non essential lights as part of the world ’ s largest symbolic environmental action. from the eiffel tower in france to the ghirardelli square sign on san francisco ’ s fisherman ’ s wharf, some of the planet ’ s most iconic landmarks participated. this year, an estimated 150 countries and territories, and 6, 494 towns and cities, took part in earth hour, as did an array of organizations in the us and around the world, including professional hockey teams and yoga studios. as the lights went out over the sonoran desert, the city of tucson joined with wwf to launch a new initiative called the earth hour city challenge. “ the global scale of earth hour is inspiring and captures our imaginations, ” said wwf president and ceo carter roberts. “ but to affect change we want need to harness the excitement surrounding earth hour and carry it beyond the hour. the earth hour city challenge will create a healthy competition among cities to chart a course to a climate smart future and recognize those cities that are leading the way. i hope all americans will join us in urging their communities to build sustainable and resilient cities. ” climate change is not only about polar bears in the arctic or marine turtles off the coast of africa, it is affecting homes and communities across america - - cities and towns that are on the frontlines of extreme weather and climate disruption, such as heat waves, wildfires, coastal storms and flooding. last year, total losses from natural catastrophes in the united states amounted to $ 72 billion, one of the costliest years in history. meanwhile, politicians in washington have left these communities to fend for themselves. forward - thinking cities are taking up the challenge to prepare for these growing risks while building communities that use clean energy efficiently, taking practical steps to reduce urban flooding, protect limited water supplies, fortify coastal infrastructure from rising seas and fight back against extreme heat. cities that take these steps may save future costs and lives, while attracting new businesses and residents and maintaining a high quality of life in this new and changing future. the earth hour city challenge provides a platform for showcasing action and inspiring cities to show the way towards a new future - - one that is sustainable and resilient in the face of a changing climate. about earth hour city challenge cities competing in the


environment ministers must reach across boundaries to protect arctic “ when the ministers met two years ago in greenland, they had some good discussions ” says alexander shestakov, director of wwf ’ s global arctic programme. “ today, they need to get beyond talk, and commit to projects that show how they ’ ll cooperate in managing ecosystems that span national boundaries. ” this “ ecosystem - based management ” ( ebm ) is key to effectively managing arctic wildlife, especially as both wildlife and arctic peoples cope with escalating climate change impacts. countries cannot ignore the fact that resources such as fish stocks and species like polar bears and narwhals span national boundaries. they have to be considered in the context of international systems, not purely national concerns. the arctic council has an expert group studying ebm and its place in arctic management. the ministers could take this work further, and commit to implementing ebm in pilot projects. wwf is also urging the ministers to take action on reducing pollution linked to climate change in the arctic. the so - called short lived climate forcers include soot and gases from industry, such as flaring natural gas. in its advice to the ministers, wwf suggest a series of steps leading to a full arctic agreement on reducing these pollutants. wwf ’ s full statement to the ministers ’ meeting can be found here : for more information : alexander shestakov, director wwf global arctic programme mobile : + 1 613 293 3149 email : email @ example. com clive tesar, head of communications & external relations wwf global arctic programme mobile : + 1 613 883 3110 email : firstname. lastname @ example. org wwf is one of the world ’ s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost five million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. wwf ’ s mission is to stop the degradation of the earth ’ s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world ’ s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.


thanks to andy k. for sending me this article which reminded him of my life in the ant farm post. from the article : society : scientists excavate underground ant city that ' rivals the great wall of china ' with a labyrinth of highways the community of ants – described as a ‘ superorganism ’ because of the way they coordinated themselves – carried out a herculean task building their giant home. the leaf - chewing creatures are understood to form the second most complex societies on earth after our own. " the article is all about the amazing 3 min. video below. but as a quick introduction, here ' s an excerpt from my post : life in the ant farm did you ever have an ant farm when you were little? an ant farm makes the ants ' behavior easily visible and controllable. they are imprisoned in a two - dimensional world in which their decisions are limited and their needs are met by you! they can only go side to side and up and down. and up usually leads them to the leaf you dropped into the ant farm for their lunch! but in ants form highly organized colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals. these large colonies consist mostly of sterile wingless females forming castes of " workers ", " soldiers ", or other specialized groups. nearly all ant colonies also have some fertile males called " drones " and one or more fertile females called " queens ". the colonies are sometimes described as superorganisms because the ants appear to operate as a unified entity, collectively working together to support the colony. ( wikipedia : ant ) a superorganism is an organism consisting of many organisms. this is usually meant to be a social unit of eusocial animals, where division of labor is highly specialized and where individuals are not able to survive by themselves for extended periods of time. ants are the best - known example. the technical definition of a superorganism is " a collection of agents which can act in concert to produce phenomena governed by the collective, " phenomena being any activity " the hive wants " such as ants collecting food or bees choosing a new nest site. superorganisms exhibit a form of " distributed intelligence, " a system in which many individual agents with limited intelligence and information are able to pool resources to accomplish a goal beyond the capabilities of the individuals. nineteenth century thinker herbert spencer coined the term super - organic to focus on social organization... similarly, economist carl menger expanded upon the evolutionary nature of much social growth, but without ever abandoning method


a goal beyond the capabilities of the individuals. nineteenth century thinker herbert spencer coined the term super - organic to focus on social organization... similarly, economist carl menger expanded upon the evolutionary nature of much social growth, but without ever abandoning methodological individualism. many social institutions arose, menger argued, not as " the result of socially teleological causes, but the unintended result of innumerable efforts of economic subjects pursuing ' individual ' interests. " methodological individualism does not imply political individualism, although methodological individualists like friedrich hayek and karl popper were opponents of collectivism. detaching methodological individualism from political individualism... if a properly - functioning communist regime were to arise, it too would have to be sociologically understood on methodological individualist principles. ( wikipedia : methodological hopefully i didn ' t lose you yet. i know, i ' m supposed to be distilling not mixing, but i needed to draw the connection between ants and economics. did you get it? ants are dumb little creatures by themselves. but even as dumb as they are, some are more skilled at smelling and finding food while others are better at fighting, and some others are really strong, for carrying food back to the colony for lunch. and in a wild colony of ants these individuals end up specializing in what they do best which leads to a collective intelligence far greater than the intelligence of any individual ant... and while we ' re on this subject, here ' s another must - read : “ i, pencil ” revisited by sheldon richman published : 16 january 2009 leonard read ’ s classic essay, “ i, pencil, ” which is now 50 years old, is justly celebrated as the best short introduction to the division of labor and undesigned order ever written. read saw an “ extraordinary miracle … [ in the ] the configuration of creative human energies — millions of tiny know - hows configurating naturally and spontaneously in response to human necessity and desire and in the absence of any human his subject and its relation to freedom and prosperity were certainly worth capturing in such a clever, pleasing, and illuminating essay, which is why it is one of the best - known works in the popular free - market literature. but there ’ s another lesson in “ i, pencil ” that has been largely overlooked, perhaps by read himself. “ i, pencil ” is also an excellent primer in the austrian approach to capital theory. it ’ s worth looking at read ’


but there ’ s another lesson in “ i, pencil ” that has been largely overlooked, perhaps by read himself. “ i, pencil ” is also an excellent primer in the austrian approach to capital theory. it ’ s worth looking at read ’ s essay in that light. early on, read ’ s pencil describes his family tree, beginning with the cedars grown in northern california and oregon that provide the wooden slats. but he doesn ’ t really start with the trees. he notes that turning trees into pencils requires “ saws and trucks and rope and the countless other gear used in harvesting and carting the cedar logs to the railroad siding, ” and those things have to be produced before a pencil can be produced. “ think of all the persons and the numberless skills that went into their fabrication : the mining of ore, the making of steel and its refinement into saws, axes, motors ; the growing of hemp and bringing it through all the stages to heavy and strong rope ; the logging camps with their beds and mess halls, the cookery and the raising of all the foods. why, untold thousands of persons had a hand in every cup of coffee the loggers drink! ” what emerges here is what austrian economists call a structure of production. this structure is characterized by two closely related elements : multiple stages ( distinguished by their “ distance ” from the consumer ) and time. the pencil that eventually emerges at the end of the process must first proceed, in various states of incompleteness, through a series of stations at which components are transformed in ways consistent with making pencils. the stations themselves have to be prepared through earlier stages of production. thus before trees can be cut down and turned into wooden slats, saws, trucks, rope, railroad cars, and other things must be produced first. before steel can be used to make saws, trucks, and railroad cars, iron ore must be mined and processed. and so on. the same kind of description can be provided for each component of the pencil : the paint, the graphite, the compound that comprises the eraser, the brass ferrule that holds the eraser. tracing the pencil ’ s genealogy back to iron, zinc, copper, and graphite mines ; hemp plants ; rubber trees ; castor beans ; and much more demonstrates the “ roundaboutness ” of production, the term of the early austrian economist eugen von bohm - bawerk. much time and effort are spent not on making pencils but rather things that will


the following are a list of the top 10 " least wanted " foodborne pathogens as published by the canadian food inspection agency. simple food handling and safety practices can prevent all of these pathogens from becoming a problem. unfortunately, few consumers are well - educated on these pathogens and the practices they should employ when handling their families ' and their pet ' s food. as such, we ' ve created this section of our website to provide a bit of educational material to our customers. this pathogen can cause persistent fever, muscle aches, constipation and vomiting. it is one of the most dangerous of food borne pathogens. although rarely life - threatening, this pathogen is the leading cause of human gastroenteritis. it is also known to cause guillain - barre syndrome ( gbs ), which usually forms 2 - 3 weeks after initial infection. a bacterium that produces neurotoxins, this pathogen is most commonly associated with botulism. symptoms include nausea, fatigue, blurred vision and descending paralysis. this pathogen is known to cause “ traveler ’ s diarrhea ”, as it is most commonly acquired while traveling. it has previously been linked to imported raspberries, and prior to 1990 was virtually unknown. e. coli 0157 : h7 this enterohemorrhagic strain of e. coli can occasionally lead to kidney failure, and is particularly dangerous to young children and the elderly. hepatitis a virus is a common pathogen, most commonly contracted due to unclean water or infected meat. the effects are inflammation and irritation of the liver, and immediate medical attention should be consulted. formerly known as norwalk agent, the symptoms for this virus are diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain. it is a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis. this pathogen can cause illnesses like typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever and common food borne illnesses. although not as dangerous as other pathogens, more severe illnesses can develop in certain cases. related to salmonella and e. coli, this virus is found in humans and apes. it causes dysentery when contracted, which is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, particularly the colon. dysentery can be fatal if left untreated. vibrio is most commonly found in salt water, making it particularly dangerous in undercooked seafood. by releasing a toxin, it causes an abnormal release of water in the intestine, producing severe diarrhea. treatment is simply a matter of replenishing the


the school improvement project ( sip ) was a series of pilot projects designed to promote better education outcomes for first nations children in manitoba. sip was implemented in four manitoba first nation communities - two northern communities ( fox lake cree nation and northlands dene first nation ) and two southern communities ( brokenhead ojibway first nation and long plain first nation ). in total, approximately 350 students, 55 teaching and support staff participated in the project. the initiative focused financial and human resources on baseline testing for all students in grades 1 - 8, professional development of teachers, increased capacity for student transition, teacher mentoring and increased teacher / principal support for its pilot communities. the objectives of the project were to improve teacher instructional practices in english language arts, mathematics, and information and communication technology through professional development activities, provide the schools with the necessary material and resources to support these programs, and improve student achievement scores in both english language arts and mathematics. starting in september 2007, sip began assessing each student ' s level of learning and corresponding environmental impacts to determine how a student best learns. this information was used to help teachers tailor their teaching style and materials to best meet students ' needs. students were also grouped into clusters to address varying academic levels. portfolios with assessments will travel with each student to aid them during their transition to new schools. as students progress through the education system, this testing will be done regularly to ensure that each child is learning and progressing. tests will coincide with report cards in november, march and may. the manitoba first nation education resource centre ( mfnerc ) led this initiative in conjunction with the province of manitoba, indian and northern affairs canada ( inac ), assembly of manitoba chiefs, university college of the north, manitoba keewatinowi okimakanak, and southern chiefs organization. the initiative was conducted over 18 months with an inac investment of $ 2. 7 million. the province of manitoba contributed approximately $ 250, 000 through staff time and expertise to provide the four first nations schools with professional development and teacher training. all project schools have received shared professional development, ict support and resources technology hardware ( laptops, work stations, lcd projectors, printers, scanners and switchers ), english language arts tool kits ( classroom reading centres, guided reading kits, chapter books and novels, first nations stories, scholastic series, teacher instructional text supports, headphones / microphones, memory sticks, franklin electronic spelling and thesaurus ), and math tool kits. manitoba first nations have the lowest educational outcomes in canada. sixty -


the main pages in this section include : - variable star astronomy - a formal curriculum about variable stars and data analysis aimed at the - hr diagram plotting activity - a formal graphing activity for teaching about pulsating and other variable stars. - science olympiad - guide for the astronomy events - caroline hurless online institute for continuing education ( choice ) - informal, online variable star observation and scientific short courses - two eyes, 3d - a blog describing our nsf project to conduct research on stereoscopy in science education and produce two hd, 3 - d variable star films. part of the aavso ' s mission is to " promote scientific research and education using variable star data ". variable star data can be an effective context for interdisciplinary teaching about constellations, stars, geometry, basic statistics and even history. in the 1990 ' s, the national science foundation awarded the aavso a grant to produce a formal curriculum package called hands - on astrophysics ( hoa ). hoa used real data from the aavso international database with custom written dos software to teach about variable stars and data analysis. the content of hoa was updated in 2009, renamed variable star astronomy and placed online. the software has been rewritten and expanded into a java package called vstar. in 2009, the national science foundation awarded the aavso a new informal science education ( ise ) grant for the citizen sky project. the goal of citizen sky is to allow participants to engage in the entire scientific method while helping astronomers study the mysterious eclipse of epsilon aurigae. the citizen sky web site has many projects educators can use both inside and outside the classroom, including activities for the science olympiad. it also has a forum and team dedicated to education and public outreach. both are open to the public. last updated : june 20, 2012 - 11 : 49am


bacteria ' s gold - making trick revealed eureka! scientists say they have discovered how a bacteria turns water - soluble gold into microscopic nuggets of solid gold. the bacteria delftia acidovorans is frequently found on the surface of tiny gold nuggets. its presence led scientists to speculate it may be creating the particles from soluble gold - ions of gold that are dissolved in water. but the puzzle was how d. acidovorans did this trick, as soluble gold is toxic. the answer, suggests researchers from canada, lies in a molecule excreted by the microbe that both shields the organism and transforms the poisonous ions into particles. " this finding is the first demonstration that a secreted metabolite can protect against toxic gold and cause gold biomineralisation, " the process by which living organisms produce minerals, they write in the journal nature chemical biology. the molecule, delftibactin a, is capable of achieving this feat within seconds in ph - neutral conditions at room temperature. study co - author nathan magarvey of ontario ' s mcmaster university says the study was not designed to show whether it would be viable to use the microbes to grow gold from water in the lab. but such processes seem " distinctly possible, " he says. previous research had shown that another bacteria found on gold, ischiadicus metallidurans, deals with toxicity by storing the ions inside its cells. bacteria need some metals, such as iron, to grow, whereas others, like silver, will kill them. soluble gold, invisible in a glass of water, is found in the ocean, groundwater and other natural water sources. solid gold is mainly formed through geological processes in large veins underground. magarvey says the study may implicate d. acidovorans in secondary deposits such as nuggets found in rivers. the bacteria, he adds, is not found only on gold but also in the soil and in water. still unclear, though, is what the organism feeds on.


home | news | books | speeches | places | resources | education | index | search recollections of abraham lincoln at gettysburgone of our generous readers, r. l. cooke, sent in these eyewitness accounts on february 24, 2000. they recall the day in 1863 that lincoln gave his famous address at gettysburg, pennsylvania. he explains that their source is the philadelphia public ledger of february 7, 1932, from the albert cook myers collection. many thanks to james r. wierman, of atwood, illinois, for providing it. the photo is courtesy of margaret robson, dillsburg, pennsylvania. your comments on the following are welcome. mrs. john t. myers relives the day she met the great emancipatorby ann hark memories dating back nearly threescore years and ten will be revived in the heart of a certain little white - haired philadelphian next friday, when lincoln ' s birthday will be celebrated throughout the nation. to the average person the day will call to mind a heroic figure - - lincoln, the emancipator, the immortal, the superman! but to mrs. john t. myers, of moylan, the figure that will live once more before her mental eyes will be that of a simple, kindly human being with a warm handclasp and a smile that shone with such ineffable gentleness on a little country schoolgirl that its memory has remained undimmed through the years elapsed since then. it was a bright, crisp morning in november, just sixty - eight years ago, that a party of neighbors set out from the hamlet of possum creek, in the foothills of the south mountains. it was an eleven - mile trip by carriage to gettysburg. a great battle had been fought there not so long before, and a president was coming that day to deliver an address whose ringing words and noble message were destined to roll down with irresistible force through all the years to come. in the party were two young girls, sallie a. cook and her sister, elmira jane. they had arisen by candlelight that morning, thrilled and excited at the prospect before them, and all through the long and tedious ride behind the plodding horses they had curbed their impatience with joyous anticipation of the treat in store. elude their elders arrived at last at their destination, the sisters decided to do a little sightseeing without elderly supervision, and, leaving behind the rest of their little group, they set out for


with joyous anticipation of the treat in store. elude their elders arrived at last at their destination, the sisters decided to do a little sightseeing without elderly supervision, and, leaving behind the rest of their little group, they set out for the center of town. in the heart of gettysburg, at one corner of center square, stood the home of an old friend of the family, judge david wills, and it was toward this beckoning mansion that the two girls bent their steps. for judge wills, they knew, was to be the host to president lincoln, and it was lincoln whom the youthful hero worshipers had set their hearts on seeing. arrived at the wills residence, the visitors found an informal reception in progress. the night before, from the front steps of his host ' s home, the president, in high silk hat and shawl, had made a brief impromtu speech - - and the neighbors who had heard him then were flocking now to meet him face to face and shake him by the hand. with them flocked the two young girls from possum creek, timid and self - conscious but bent nevertheless on achieving their purpose. at last the great moment came. standing before the tall, gaunt figure of the man on whom an entire nation depended, the visitors looked up into a homely, smiling face. " he was so tall, " writes mrs. myers, the sallie cook of that bygone day, " that he stooped to take my hand, which seemed so small in his. silently he smiled down upon me. " more thrills to come thrill enough for one day, that. but there was still more yet to come. for the sisters, restless and dazed by their new surroundings and the experience they had just been through, could not settle down. laughing excitedly, they left the wills ' house and strolled on up the street toward the cemetery - - that cemetery which is now a national shrine - - and there they found a rough wooden platform erected. since it was early and they had nothing else to do, they took their seats on the stand, and from there a short time later they witnessed the procession that bore in its midst the figure of the president. it was not imposing, for lincoln on horseback, with long legs dangling and coat tails flopping, was far from an inspiring sight. but whatever sense of the ludicrous may have made itself felt, it dissappeared completely when the first strong words of his address rolled out on the still fall air


dangling and coat tails flopping, was far from an inspiring sight. but whatever sense of the ludicrous may have made itself felt, it dissappeared completely when the first strong words of his address rolled out on the still fall air. " i was so close to the president, " mrs. myers describes the moment, " and heard all of the address, but it seemed short. then there was an impressive silence, like our menallen friends ' meeting. there was no applause when he stopped speaking. " with lincoln at gettysburg november 19, 1863the following is written in mrs. sarah a. ( cook ) myers ' own hand : it was thursday morning november 19, 1863, just 68 years ago today, in the parlor of judge david wills in gettysburg that i shook the hand of president lincoln. he was so tall that he stooped to take my hand, which seemed so small in his. silently, he smiled down upon me. i then [ unin ] up to the cemetery before the president ' s procession started and sat upon the rough wooden platform. i was close to the president and heard all of the address, but it seemed short. then there was an impressive silence like our menallen friends meeting. there was no applause when he stopped speaking. i was then a school girl of 19, sallie a. cook, living with my mother ruth m. cook, widow of jesse cook, and my brothers and sisters at our beloved old family homestead cook ' s mill on possum creek, in the foothills of the south mountains, one mile above bendersville, and eleven miles north of gettysburg, in menallen township, adams county, pennsylvania. there i was born july 9, 1844, a birthright friend or quaker. my next older sister, elmira jane cook went with me to gettysburg. sarah a. myers ( mrs. john t. myers ), age 87 moylan, pennsylvania, november 19, 1931. additional commentsmr. cooke received the following in july 2002 from arthur weaner, a local gettysburg historian : " list of the party that went from the conrad weaner home and the cooks of cook ' s mill, to gettysburg, november 19, 1863, in an open spring wagon. 1. george weaner, driver and his friend, 2. louisa rice, who he afterward married 3. cornelius weaner 4. elizabeth weaner 5. miss susan weaner 6. hannah weigle, and her friend, 7. jacob


weaner, driver and his friend, 2. louisa rice, who he afterward married 3. cornelius weaner 4. elizabeth weaner 5. miss susan weaner 6. hannah weigle, and her friend, 7. jacob c. smith, whom she afterward married 8. lewis c. smith, brother of jacob 9. miss sallie a. cook, later mrs. john t. myers, and mother of the late albert cook myers 10. miss cook ' s sister, elmira jane cook, later mrs. charles d. cook. the foregoing is from albert cook myers, august 15, 1942. a newspaper clipping in the possession of the author published february 1928, perhaps in the philadelphia public ledger, gives the above in detail by mrs. john t. myers. mrs. myers states that her father, jess cook, was a prominent quaker in the community and was a stationmaster on the underground railroad, and among the hills surrounding their home scores of escaped slaves were living, befriended by her family. her brother george was a prisoner in libby prison. ' at the last minute something came up, and we couldn ' t get to town, but some neighbors drove us in, in an open spring wagon with two good horses, and there were 9 young people in the party. ' she states that the cook family were cousins of judge wills, and on the occasion visited the wills house and shook hands with president lincoln there. " following are the notes of albert cook myers describing what the sisters went through to find a ride to gettysburg. this information is from the albert cook myers collection, chester county historical society, west chester, pennsylvania. sarah a. myers nee ’ cook meets abraham lincoln, shakes hands with him, sits on the platform and hears gettysburg address, then aged 19. s. a. m. ( sarah a. myers ) says the day of lincoln ’ s gettysburg speech was sunny and warm for the time of year. the family still lived at the old home at cook ’ s mill. her brother j. kersey cook, well known as a schoolteacher in adams county, had intended to take his two sisters s. a. m. and elmira jane to the gettysburg commencement, but became indisposed. he then arranged with edward walker ( a crippled bachelor quaker living with his younger sister margaret ) of bendersville to take the sisters, but at the last moment e. w. said he couldn ’ t go, much to the displeasure of j. k. c. j. k


( a crippled bachelor quaker living with his younger sister margaret ) of bendersville to take the sisters, but at the last moment e. w. said he couldn ’ t go, much to the displeasure of j. k. c. j. k. c. then engaged places for the sisters in the wagon of george wainer, a non - quaker, of near bendersville, towards wenksville. geo. w. his two sisters and another going man in the party plus s. a. m. & sister went to gettysburg. on account of the crowd the wagon stopped short of the town and the party had to walk in. s. a. m. and sister left the others and did not find them again until late in the day for the return journey. saw the parade then went to a house and in line, shook hands with lincoln. went to the cemetery - rough wooden platform with steps leading up. sat on these steps, close to lincoln and heard all of his speech. albert cook myers sarah cook myers meets president hooverhere ' s an excerpt provided by r. l. cooke in november 2006. it is from the gettysburg times of may 29, 1931, entitled " county native to be valley forge guest. " " a small white haired quaker mother, who sat on the same platform with president lincoln when he made his famous gettysburg address here 68 years ago, will be seated on the platform at valley forge saturday morning when president hoover makes his memorial day address there. the guest will be mrs. john t. myers, 86 - year - old native of york springs. " mrs. myers, who now lives in moylan with her son albert cook myers, noted valley forge historian, was the former miss sarah a. cook who at the time the national cemetery here was dedicated by lincoln was a teacher at bendersville. " mrs. myers also was mentioned in the new york times of may 31, 1931, in an article entitled " hoover urges nation to be steadfast. " "... as mr. hoover turned to depart he shook hands with mrs. john t. myers, 86 years old, of moylan, pa., who sat on the platform at gettysburg when lincoln delivered his famous address and who shook hands with the great emancipator following the ceremonies. " mrs. meyers is the mother of albert cook meyers [ myers ], a member of the valley forge park commission and assistant curator of the historical society of pennsylvania. " home | news | education | places |