wanderings, ’ machalski, 1960e ), although affected by communist censorship, is an interesting testimony of his experiences. in persia, machalski published some translations of classical and modern persian poetry ( machalski, 1944 and 1945b ), a paper on the persian language ( machalski, 1945a ), and another on persian borrowings in the polish language ( machalski, 1946 ). at the beginning of 1946 machalski left for lebanon and for over a year worked in a polish school and in the polish institute in beirut, where his valuable research on polish - iranian commercial and industrial relations was published in 1948 ( machalski, 1948b ). his paper on lebanese folk poetry appeared in 1957 ( machalski, 1957 ). in the summer of 1947 machalski returned to poland to join his wife and children, repatriated from the soviet union. while working as a schoolteacher in bytom in upper silesia, machalski lectured on persian language and literature at the jagellonian university in krakow from 1951, and obtained a formal post in 1956, thus initiating specialized persian studies at this university. prior to that, classical literary persian had been taught by professor tadeusz kowalski ( 1889 - 1948 ), as a part of the islamic studies curriculum, and some old persian and avestan — at the department of indology — by professor helena willman - grabowska ( 1870 - 1957 ), but no separate iranian studies existed in krakow. in 1969 machalski became associate professor, and since that time up to his retirement in 1974, he was the head of the department of iranian studies at the institute of oriental philology of jagellonian university. for many years, he chaired the krakow branch of the polish oriental society ( polskie towarzystwo orientalistyczne ), was a member of the oriental committee of the polish academy of sciences, and a board member of the periodical folia orientalia, published in krakow since 1959. under the communist regime, machalski had few possibilities to visit persia. he only went for short visits on the occasion of conferences or celebrations in 1966, 1971, and 1976, so his research and teaching were chiefly based on the knowledge, experience, and books collected in persia during the war. machalski was a teacher to subsequent generations of krakow iranologists, the first to teach persian as a live, modern language, and to promote iranian studies as an independent discipline in poland. machalski ’ s scholarly interests


persia during the war. machalski was a teacher to subsequent generations of krakow iranologists, the first to teach persian as a live, modern language, and to promote iranian studies as an independent discipline in poland. machalski ’ s scholarly interests were numerous. while his works on classical persian literature bring little new and are generally aimed at introducing great iranian names ( avicenna, ferdowsi, kayyam, sa ’ di, hafez, jami ) to the polish public, his most important works are those concerning the literature of the qajar and early pahlavi periods : modern persian historical novel ( machalski, 1952 ) ; shams and toghra by m. b. khosrovi of kermanshah ( machalski, 1956 and 1959d ) ; and, most importantly, la litterature de l ’ iran contemporain. la poesie persane in 3 volumes published in 1965, 1967, and 1980, the last one post mortem ( machalski, 1965 - 80 ). machalski ’ s further works concerning literary developments of the same epoch are “ le roman sur la vie de nader sah afsar ” ( 1960d ) ; “ principeaux courants de la prose persane moderne ” ( 1961c ) ; “ ak - ond molla fath ʿali ( 1962a ) ; “ persian poetry of the revolution ” ( 1963a ) ; “ persian court poetry of the kagar epoch ” ( 1964 ) ; and “ persian literature of the 20th century ” ( 1971b ). he also published a number of monographic papers on modern poets such as ʿesqi ( 1959b ), nima yusij ( 1960b ), naderpur ( 1963b ), bahar ( 1970b ), and others. some of his best papers are devoted to cultural and political life in pahlavi persia : “ materiaux pour la genese du thiatre moderne en iran ” ( machalski, 1959a ) ; “ political parties in iran in the years 1941 - 46 ” ( machalski, 1961b ) ; “ vahid dastgardi and his armagan ” ( machalski, 1962b ) ; “ la presse en iran sous le regime des allies ” ( machalski, 1966 ) ; “ notes on the intellectual movement in iran 1921 - 41 ” ( machalski, 1967c ), and “ iranian magazine zkave


) ; “ la presse en iran sous le regime des allies ” ( machalski, 1966 ) ; “ notes on the intellectual movement in iran 1921 - 41 ” ( machalski, 1967c ), and “ iranian magazine zkaveh ’ ” ( machalski, 1971a ). a number of machalski ’ s works concern polish - iranian cultural relations : “ persian borrowings in polish ” ( machalski, 1946 ) ; “ polish influences in persian industry ” ( machalski, 1948b ) ; “ contemporary polish novel in persian translation ” ( machalski, 1953b ) ; “ les motifs iraniens dans la litterature polonaise, ” ( machalski, 1965 ) ; “ la litterature de l ’ iran en pologne ” ( machalski, 1974 ) ; “ ahis other field of interest was persian onomastics, both toponyms ( machalski, 1953a ) and personal names ( machalski, 1967a, 1967b, and 1970d ). machalski translated some pieces of classical and modern persian literature into polish, most importantly dastan - e zal - o rudaba, which he rendered in prose and commented on ( machalski, 1961a ). his translations of modern authors ( bahar, jamalzada, hoejazi, hedayat, mostafawi, and others ) were regularly published in przeglad orientalistyczny, a quarterly of the polish oriental society. a selection of bozorg ʿalavi ’ s prose, translated by machalski together with jozef bielawski, came out in warsaw in 1955 as a book jej oczy ( ` her eyes, ’ persian original title cesmha - yas ). machalski was not only a scholar, but also a fervent popularizer of knowledge about persia. some of his works, such as a popular history of iran ( machalski, 1960c ), a large entry on iranian religions ( machalski, 1968 ), and a number of articles in newspapers and magazines, were addressed to the general public. he compiled a persian reader in two volumes ( machalski, 1953c ), which includes samples of classical and modern persian literature, and on which several generations of students were educated. abbreviations : fo - folia orientalia ; po - przeglad orientalistyczny ; ro - rocznik orientalistyczny


classical and modern persian literature, and on which several generations of students were educated. abbreviations : fo - folia orientalia ; po - przeglad orientalistyczny ; ro - rocznik orientalistyczny ; si - studia iranskie “ mysl indyjska w poezji antoniego langego ” ( indian thought in a. lange ’ s poetry ), przeglad humanistyczny, 1932a, pp. 417 - 22. orientalizm w tworczosci antoniego langego ( orientalism in a. lange ’ s works ), tarnopol, 1932b ( prace podolskiego towarzystwa przyjacioł nauk, 2 ). “ uwagi o liczbie mnogiej rzeczownikow w safar - nameh ” ( notes on plural in the safar - nama ), ro xiii, 1937, pp. 123 - 28. “ przekłady z literatury perskiej ” ( traductions de la litterature persane faites en vers du persan ), ” si ii, 1944, pp. 140 - 47 ( ferdowsi, kayyam, hafez, adib - al - mamalek, habib yagmaʾi, sahryar mirza, basij ). “ jezyk perski ( la langue persane ), ” si iii, 1945a, pp. 1 - 28. “ spotkanie zala z rudabe — urywek z szachname firdusiego. przełozył z oryg. perskiego ( la rencontre de zal et de roudabe. fragment du shah - nameh de ferdousi - traduit en vers du persan ), ” si iii, 1945b, pp. 200 - 05. “ kalemat - e farsi dar zaban - e lahestani, ” yad - nama - ye pur - e davud, tehran, 1946. “ quelques remarques sur l ’ etat actuel de l ’ historiographie persane, ” ro xv, 1948a, pp. 100 - 13. “ wpływy polskie w przemysle perskim ” ( polish influences in persian industry ), teka be


historiographie persane, ” ro xv, 1948a, pp. 100 - 13. “ wpływy polskie w przemysle perskim ” ( polish influences in persian industry ), teka bejrucka i, beirut, 1948b, pp. 15 - 32. historyczna powiesc perska wspołczesnej doby ( modern persian historical novel ), krakow, 1952. “ notatki do topografii iranu ” ( notes to the topography of iran ), ro xvii, 1953a, pp. 290 - 94. “ wspołczesna powiesc polska w perskim przekładzie ” ( contemporary polish novel in persian translation ), nowa kultura 9 ( 153 ), 1 march 1953b, p. 6. wypisy perskie ( persian reader ), 2 vols., krakow, 1953c ; enl. ed. krakow, 1972. “ sams et togra, roman historique de m. bagir kosrovi, ” charisteria orientalia 15, 1956, pp. 149 - 63. “ z poezji ludowej libanu ” ( from lebanese folk poetry ), po 1 / 21, 1957, pp. 55 - 60. “ materiaux sur la genese du thiatre moderne en iran, ” fo i / 2, 1959a, pp. 332 - 35. “ le modernisme dans l ’ oeuvre poetique de m. reda ʿesqi, ” fo i / 1, 1959b, pp. 62 - 86. “ sur la productivite des suffixes deverbatifs des adjectifs en persan moderne ”, fo i / 2, 1959c, pp. 251 - 58. ` szams i togra ’ m. b. chosrowiego z kermanszahu ( shams and togra by m. b. kosrovi of kermansah ), krakow, 1959d ( zeszyty naukowe uniwersytetu jagiellonskiego. prace historyczno - literackie, vol. 3 ). “ basile nikitine. 1. i. 1885 - 8. vi. 1960 ”, fo ii, 1960a, pp. 211 - 13. “ nima yusij ( es


literackie, vol. 3 ). “ basile nikitine. 1. i. 1885 - 8. vi. 1960 ”, fo ii, 1960a, pp. 211 - 13. “ nima yusij ( essai d ’ une caracteristique ), ” fo ii, 1960b, pp. 58 - 82. od cyrusa do mosaddeka ( from cyrus to mosaddeq ), warsaw, 1960c. “ le roman sur la vie de nader sah afsar par sanʿati - zadeh kermani, ” fo ii, 1960d, pp. 222 - 31. wedrowki iranskie ( iranian wanderings ), warsaw, 1960e. firdausi, opowiesc o miłosci zala i rudabe, tr. and comm. by f. machalski, wroclaw, 1961a. “ political parties in iran in the years 1941 - 46, ” fo iii, 1961b, pp. 135 - 70. “ principaux courants de la prose persane moderne, ” ro xxv / 2, 1961c, pp. 121 - 30. “ ak - ond molla fath ʿali d ’ isfahan et son k - - e segeft, ” fo iv, 1962a, pp. 340 - 43. “ vahid dastgardi and his zarmagan ’, ” fo iv, 1962b, pp. 81 - 104. “ poezja perska rewolucyjnej doby 1906 - 11 ” ( persian poetry of the revolution 1906 - 11 ), po 4 / 48, 1963a, pp. 285 - 98. “ sur la poesie de nader naderpur, ” fo v, 1963b, pp. 165 - 74. “ wspomnienie o stefanie stasiaku ” ( in memory of stefan stasiak ), po 1 / 45, 1963c, pp 23 - 28. “ persian court poetry of the kagar epoch, ” fo vi, 1964, pp. 1 - 40. la litterature de l ’ iran contemporain. la poesie persane : vol. i la poesie persane de l ’ epoque du “ reveil des iraniens ” jusqu ’ a coup d ’ etat de reda kan ( environ 1880 - 1921 )


poesie persane : vol. i la poesie persane de l ’ epoque du “ reveil des iraniens ” jusqu ’ a coup d ’ etat de reda kan ( environ 1880 - 1921 ), krakow, 1965 ; vol. ii la poesie de l ’ epoque de reda sah pahlavi 1921 - 1941, krakow, 1967 ; vol. iii la poesie persane apres la seconde guerre mondiale, krakow, 1980. “ les motifs iraniens dans la litterature polonaise, ” fo vii, 1965, pp. 173 - 81. “ la presse en iran sous le regime des allies ( 1942 - 44 ), ” acta orientalia ( lugd. bat. ) xxx, 1966, pp. 142 - 50. “ iranskie imiona osobowe w napisach klinowych achemenidow ” ( iranian personal names in achaemenid cuneiform inscriptions ), onomastica xii, 1967a, pp. 276 - 85. “ noms des femmes iraniennes, ” fo ix, 1967b, pp. 93 - 97. “ notes on the intellectual movement in iran 1921 - 41, ” yadname - ye jan rypka. collection of articles on persian and tajik literature, ed. j. becka, prague, 1967c, pp. 179 - 85. “ religie persji ” ( religions of persia ), in zarys dziejow religii, ed. j. keller et. al., warsaw, 1968, pp. 303 - 41. firdausi i jego “ szah - name ” ( ferdowsi and his sah - nama ), krakow, 1970a. “ muhammed taqi bahar as a painter of nature, ” silver jubilee souvenir, calcutta, 1970b, pp. 233 - 37. “ notes on the folklore of iran, ” fo xii, 1970c, pp. 141 - 54. “ die personennamen der schuljugend von iran, ” fo xii, 1970d, pp. 155 - 63. “ iranian magazine zkaveh ’ ( a contribution to the history of iranian press abroad ), ” fo xiii, 1971a, pp. 343 - 48. “ literatura perska xx wieku ” ( persian literature of the


“ iranian magazine zkaveh ’ ( a contribution to the history of iranian press abroad ), ” fo xiii, 1971a, pp. 343 - 48. “ literatura perska xx wieku ” ( persian literature of the 20th century ), po 4 / 80, 1971b, pp. 333 - 41. “ la litterature de l ’ iran en pologne ( apercu bio - bibliographique ), ” acta iranica, hommage universel iii, 1974, pp. 397 - 410. “ abolqasem ferdousi et son sahnameh en pologne, ” fo xviii, 1977, pp. 211 - 17. isfahan, miasto polskich dzieci, ed. i. beaupre - stankiewicz, d. waszczuk - kamieniecka, and j. lewicka - howwels, londyn, 1988. a. krasnowolska, “ iranian studies in poland, ” iranian studies xx, 1 - 4, 1988, pp. 179 - 222. idem, “ franciszek machalski ( 1904 - 1979 ), ” in uniwersytet jagiellonski. złota ksiega wydziału filologicznego, eds. j. michalik and w. walecki, krakow, 2000, pp. 588 - 92. idem, “ francisek mak - alski va hozur - e panahandegan - e lahestani dar iran teyy - e jang - e jahani - ye dovvom, ” pol - e firuza, vol. 4, no. 13, 2004, pp. 195 - 202. kto jest kim w polsce. informator biograficzny, warsaw, 1984, p. 583. a. pisowicz, “ franciszek machalski ( 1904 - 1979 ), ” po 3 / 111, 1979, pp. 335 - 37. sprawozdanie z działalnosci towarzystwa studiow iranskich / compte rendu de l ’ activite de la societe des etudes iraniennes ( 20 xi 1942 — 20 iv 1944 ), studia iranskie ii, 1944, pp. 148 - 57. december 11, 2006 originally published : november 15, 2006 last updated : november 15,


brighid means the exalted one in irish, and the woman, is a figure of intense power in irish mythological and religious imagination. in ireland the mythological, the pagan, the local, and the universal, the philosophical, the religious and the topographical are mixed up. time is not lost but put aside or walked around as though it were laid out on a map, in an always continuing whole, allowing for tir na nog and notions beyond usual physical laws to become mixed into the resources of irish, gaelic and celtic thinking. such understanding is what draws artists, musicians and sensitive people - - wonder - filled - - to the treasure house of irish tradition. february 1st or 2nd is a day claimed by celtic seasonal thinkers, who called the holiday imbolc to celebrate brid in the form of cailleach - becoming - maiden who collects kindling to make fire in the winter that will warm the spring and make her young again. this holiday then is understood through the stories of incredible brighid. she was the inventor of the mourning songs called caoineadh " keening. " in the story, she keens to mourn the death of her son ruadan and so invents the artform. irish traditions are often attributed to a supernatural being giving it that unkillable quality that frustrates all snobbery against it. brighid ' s is like the tibetan ritual of ushering souls to nirvana in the book of the dead. ogma invents writing in the form of ogham. lugh all - arts ildanach invents fidchell or chess played with king in the center of the board, and many other useful arts. the modern irish word for normal chess is ficheall. the irish tradition of making crosses on imbolc or la fheile bhride is remembered as a christian ritual and has become that for most irish people. the spiral of the brighid cross invokes the north star and the pattern that the big dipper makes in the sky over the course off a year. as the night sky turns around the north star, the big dipper turns through the seasonal year like the hand of a clock. coordinating life in macro - processes is deeply settling to the mind, especially in the winter months. brigid is the fire - keeper of that flame of life that mothers tend to so that we don ' t die in the winter, and so the lines of family are not broken by the trauma of the cold months. in the winter brig


- ishn global - ehs research training - loosen updid you ever think about how your style as a safety trainer can encourage either mindlessness or mindfulness? dr. langer made this case : when facts are presented unconditionally as an absolute truth, alternative ways of thinking about something are stifled. she backed this up with an interesting study. a collection of objects was introduced in an ordinary, unconditional way to one group, as for example, " this is a dog ' s chew toy. " for the second group, objects were introduced conditionally with the extra phrase " could be, " as in, " this could be a dog ' s chew toy. " after the objects were introduced, the groups were asked to complete some survey forms. then the experimenter announced that the survey could not continue because the wrong instructions had been given and no spare forms were available. several subjects suggested, though, that the rubber chew toy could be used as an eraser to correct the flawed forms. interestingly, this resourceful idea came only from the conditional group, those told, " this could be a dog ' s chew toy. " do you discuss safety rules as unconditional mandates? or do you focus on safety principles that imply certain guidelines but can be customized? it ' s obvious which approach stimulates more creativity and ownership among individuals and work teams. the uncertainty of the second approach allows people to use their minds in figuring out how to adapt a safety principle for a particular situation. in turn, they feel like they own the solution they came up with, and they will be committed to mindfully follow the personalized procedures. leadership - let your guard downhere ' s a related way to promote innovation and initiative : as a leader, display a degree of " uncertainty. " dr. langer suggests that a leader should show confidence that a particular job will get done, but without being certain of the best way to do it. again, this allows employees room to be mindfully alert, creative, and self - motivated. workers are less afraid to make mistakes, and more willing to suggest ways to improve a process. as a safety leader, you should confidently expect employees to take appropriate precautions to prevent injuries. but you shouldn ' t pretend to know exactly how they should do this. after all, employees are the real safety experts. they know what hazards need to be eliminated or avoided, and what safety - related behaviors need to occur more or less often. most likely, they are also effective at encouraging safe


they should do this. after all, employees are the real safety experts. they know what hazards need to be eliminated or avoided, and what safety - related behaviors need to occur more or less often. most likely, they are also effective at encouraging safe behaviors and discouraging at - risk behaviors. i hope you see how a leadership quality of " confident uncertainty " can empower workers to go beyond the call of duty for safety and health. teamwork - note the differenceswe tend to give global labels to people - student, patient, homosexual, union representative, safety professional, athlete or homeless person. each label influences how we view people, judge them, and react to their communication with us. you can see the affect this can have on teamwork, which often makes or breaks safety efforts. mindless labeling, or premature cognitive commitment ( see last month ' s article ), leads to stereotyping, prejudice, interpersonal conflict, and sometimes even hate crimes. now here ' s a twist : dr. langer suggests the key to reducing prejudice is to make more - not fewer - distinctions between people. when people become more mindful of the many differences among individuals, and how these differences can vary according to time, place, and the people involved, it becomes harder to stick labels on people. it becomes impossible to view people and their behavior as black or white, normal or abnormal, masculine or feminine, safe or unsafe. in this case, an employee should not be labeled " safe " or " unsafe " at a particular job. it helps teamwork and overall safety efforts to realize each person works at their own level of safety, and that level can fluctuate dramatically from one situation to another. involvement - give ' em a choicethe degree of personal control you give people helps determine their level of participation in efforts to improve workplace safety and health. people mindful of having personal control are more likely to actively care. in a seminal study, dr. langer and her colleagues gave one group of elderly residents in a connecticut nursing home the opportunity to care for a houseplant and to make a number of minor decisions about their daily routines. a year and a half later, these residents were more cheerful, alert, and active than a similar group who were not given these choices. the most remarkable result : less than half as many of the residents in the " choice group " had died compared to those in the other group. dr. langer suggests we can be more motivated to take charge by becoming more mindful of the many


the most remarkable result : less than half as many of the residents in the " choice group " had died compared to those in the other group. dr. langer suggests we can be more motivated to take charge by becoming more mindful of the many choices we actually make during ordinary activities. what time we get up in the morning, what we wear, what we eat for breakfast, how we get to work - there are alternatives and options for all of these routine, almost mindless decisions. becoming more mindful of how we shape our days can increase our perception of personal control, and our motivation. you can apply the same thinking to even the most routine jobs, and people can become more mindful of actions and attitudes that could be safer, more useful, and more productive. understanding mindful versus mindless behavior has many benefits. it gives us insight into individual perceptions and interpersonal conflict. when we listen to conversation based on mindless labeling, or see mindless behavior, we understand how it leads to nonproductive relationships and at - risk behaviors. by diagnosing a situation more accurately we can develop an effective intervention process. at the very least, we become more aware of our own mindlessness and can begin work on changing ourselves. you can always build on awareness, on mindful activity. by e. scott geller, ph. d., senior partner, safety performance solutions, and professor of psychology, virginia tech. for information on related books, training manuals, videotapes, audiotapes, and customized consulting, call sps at ( 540 ) 951 - 7233 ( safe ), and visit www. safetyperformance. com. sidebar 1 - be mindful of... 1 using conditional rather than unconditional statements when training, assigning jobs, or stating expectations ; 2 showing confidence as a leader but displaying some degree of uncertainty regarding exactly how a job should be safely completed ; 3 making more distinctions between individuals and avoiding global categorization of people and events ; and 4 becoming more mindful of our daily choices we so often take for granted. sidebar 2 - benefits of being mindful - people mindful of having personal control are more likely to actively care and be involved. - teamwork and overall safety is helped when you realize each person works at their own level of safety. - leaders who exhibit " confident uncertainty " can empower workers to come up with their own solutions for safety and health. - focusing on safety principles that can be customized instead of mandates allows employees


encyclopedia of southern jewish communities the jewish population of tennessee has always been concentrated in the state ’ s four largest cities. nowhere is this more evident than in clarksville, tennessee, which is the state ’ s fifth largest and fastest growing city, but which has never had a significant jewish population. in 2005, over 123, 000 people lived in clarksville, only a handful of which were jews. nestled on the banks of the cumberland river, clarksville is located in the ohio valley, just 45 minutes north of nashville. founded in 1785 and named for the noted revolutionary war hero george rogers clark, clarksville was initially opened to settlement by veterans of george washington ’ s continental army. the city grew in the early 19th century as it became linked to other cities through river boat traffic, improved roads, and eventually, in 1859, the railroad. tobacco was the area ’ s main cash crop, and tobacco plantations sprouted along with an increasing number of slaves. clarksville strongly supported secession, but was captured by the union army in 1862. clarksville suffered a major blow in 1878 when fire swept through the city ’ s downtown, destroying fifteen acres of property, including the county courthouse. jews first arrived in clarksville in the years before the civil war. david kohn, a german - born immigrant, was a young merchant in clarksville in 1860 ; jacob kline, only seventeen years old, was a clerk in the kohn ’ s store. by 1870, both men had moved away from clarksville. william rosenfield came to clarksville after the civil war, and opened a millinery shop by 1870. he and his wife bertha had eight children, few if any of whom remained in clarksville when they were adults. william kleeman was one of the first jews to settle in clarksville permanently. born in bavaria in 1835, kleeman came to the united states in 1852. after spending time in new york and illinois, kleeman moved with his family to clarksville after the civil war, where he opened a dry goods store. by 1880, he had closed the dry goods business and opened a butcher shop. his sons ike, arthur and edward later joined him in the business. in the 20th century, the kleemans became a very prominent family in town, though many of them converted to christianity. william kleeman, ike ' s son, served as mayor of clarksville in the 1950s ; a local community center in clarksville bears his name. kleeman descendants still reside in clarksville today. eastern european


of them converted to christianity. william kleeman, ike ' s son, served as mayor of clarksville in the 1950s ; a local community center in clarksville bears his name. kleeman descendants still reside in clarksville today. eastern european jews also made their way to clarksville around the turn of the century. russian - born shyer rubenstein came to america in 1894 and soon settled in clarksville ; he later opened a dry goods store with german - born isaac schindler. shyer was later joined by other family members, including morris and charles rubenstein, who also owned dry goods stores. morris owned a store on franklin street called “ the famous. ” a cousin of the rubenstein family, joseph goldberg, would leave a significant legacy in clarksville. born in russia, goldberg came to the united states in 1894, initially settling in chicago. around 1900, he moved to clarksville to join his cousins ; he started out peddling with merchandise from the rubenstein & schindler dry goods store. goldberg soon saved enough money to open a furniture store in clarksville, though eventually he became infatuated with the new technology of motion pictures. pursuing his passion, goldberg built the lillian theater on franklin street in 1912. described by the local newspaper as “ one of the most elaborate and up - to - date movie houses in the south, ” the theater burned down within its first year. undaunted, goldberg rebuilt the lillian in 1914. goldberg also bought the majestic theater and converted it to a live performance venue. he also constructed several buildings along what became known as the “ goldberg block, ” which he rented to merchants. goldberg died in 1925, and management of the lillian theater was taken over by his son ralph, who was forced the close the facility during the great depression. he sold it in 1939, when it was reopened as the roxy theater. when joe died, the local newspaper praised him, writing that “ few have contributed so substantially to clarksville ’ s business development in the same time, and with a keener and truer interest in its welfare. ” goldberg ’ s descendants continued to live in clarksville into the 21st century ; ralph ’ s son, william goldberg, owned a store in town before he died in 2007. in the early 20th century, the small but growing jewish community began to worship together. in 1906, they founded a congregation called b ’ nai abraham ( people of abrham ). joseph rosenfield was the president ; j. adler was treasurer, while edward klee


, the small but growing jewish community began to worship together. in 1906, they founded a congregation called b ’ nai abraham ( people of abrham ). joseph rosenfield was the president ; j. adler was treasurer, while edward kleeman was secretary. they originally met in the knights of pythias hall, but later rented an old disciples of christ church on madison street. b ’ nai abraham did not have a rabbi, relying on lay reader simon katz to lead services. occasionally, a rabbi from nashville would come up to lead services. this early congregation was short - lived, disbanding in 1908. even when they did not have a congregation, clarksville jews ran a religious school to teach their children about judaism. in 1919, maurice latner and ella klein ran the brandeis sunday school in clarksville. in 1929, clarksville jews founded another congregation, which they named beth el ( house of god ). in 1931, they dedicated two rented rooms on the second floor of the local masonic temple as their synagogue. rabbi michael aaronson, who worked for the union of american hebrew congregations, came down from cincinnati to give the dedication address. about 75 people attended the dedication ceremony, including several jews from small towns in southern kentucky who joined the clarksville congregation. rabbi aaronson, who had been blinded while fighting in world war i, also spoke to the local american legion chapter during his visit to the city. beth el joined the reform movement in 1931, and began to host student rabbis from hebrew union college in cincinnati. in 1933, the congregation held its first confirmation ceremony. student rabbi eric friedland officiated at the sunday morning service in which four young men and women were confirmed. although the congregation was nominally reform, most members came from orthodox backgrounds and their worship style was a mixture of the two. when services were lay - led, they were more orthodox ; when student rabbis came to lead services, they were reform. beth el also held social events, such as the 1933 congregational picnic held at kleeman ’ s farm, which attracted 100 people from clarksville and such kentucky towns as hopkinsville, russellville, bowling green, and greenville to eat what the newspaper reported as a “ delectable chicken barbecue dinner. ” indeed, beth el was a regional congregation. the congregation reached a peak of activity when it hired rabbi alfred vise as its spiritual leader in 1939. vise was a german refugee who had fled the country after his synagogue in hamburg was destroyed by the nazis during kristal


was a regional congregation. the congregation reached a peak of activity when it hired rabbi alfred vise as its spiritual leader in 1939. vise was a german refugee who had fled the country after his synagogue in hamburg was destroyed by the nazis during kristalnacht. congregation ohavai sholom of nashville helped to bring rabbi vise over and helped pay his salary while he was in clarksville. rabbi vise served the small congregation for five years, before leaving to take a pulpit in blytheville, arkansas. without vise ’ s leadership, and facing declining membership numbers, beth el disbanded in the late 1940s. the jewish community of clarksville was never large. according to a 1937 population survey, 55 jews lived in the city. in 1940, beth el had only 19 contributing members, and its rented sanctuary only seated 100 people. by 1945, its membership had dropped sharply to 12 households. most of its members were russian - born merchants who owned clothing or furniture stores on franklin street downtown ( left ). many of the families were related to each other, tracing their roots back to latvia. many of the children raised in clarksville, like joseph cohen, moved to larger cities to find greater career opportunities ; cohen became a professor of english at tulane university in new orleans and founded the school ’ s jewish studies program. many moved to nearby nashville, and with the construction of the interstate highway connecting the two cities, it became easier for clarksville jews to attend religious services in the capitol city. indeed, clarksville jews had long been connected to nashville ’ s jewish community, with nashville rabbis conducting funerals in clarksville, and clarksville jews being buried in nashville ’ s jewish cemeteries. since world war ii, clarksville has grown tremendously. in 1942, the u. s. army built fort campbell just ten miles north of clarksville in southern kentucky. the base is currently the home of the 101st airborne division and about 28, 000 military personnel. the growth of fort campbell has led to a boom in clarksville, which is now the fastest growing city in the state. in 1960, 22, 000 people lived in clarksville ; by 2000, over 100, 000 did. 2005 estimates put the population at around 125, 000. usually, a booming economy and a rising population go hand - in - hand with a growing jewish community, but this is not the case in clarksville. its jewish population is extremely small, consisting of only a handful of families. the reason for this seeming anomaly is likely rooted in recent large -


go hand - in - hand with a growing jewish community, but this is not the case in clarksville. its jewish population is extremely small, consisting of only a handful of families. the reason for this seeming anomaly is likely rooted in recent large - scale changes in southern jewish life. historically, southern jews were concentrated in retail trade, and thrived in areas where the economy was booming. but clarksville ’ s growth has occurred during a period in which the jewish storeowner has largely disappeared. the sons and daughters of shopkeepers have gone to college, become professionals, and moved away to larger cities. put simply, there aren ’ t enough jewish store owners to take advantage of the economic opportunities in clarksville. indeed, those jews who do live in the city are likely either professors at austin peay state university or doctors at the growing regional medical center. if this growth had occurred 50 to 100 years earlier, clarksville would have likely emerged as a large and active jewish community. despite their small numbers and lack of jewish institutions, jews have left their mark on clarksville. from the roxy theater, which was rebuilt in 1947 after another fire, to the harriet cohn guidance center, which was donated by jessel and harriet cohn to help those with mental health needs, jews have been an important part of life in clarksville for well over a century.


the space il organization has set an ambitious goal for itself – to send an israeli spaceprobe to the moon in 2015. the project received significant backing on monday when the bezeq telecommunications company announced it had signed on. bezeq will provide the advanced communications infrastructure needed for the spaceflight and also support space il ' s educational activities. the vessel will weigh less than 140 kilograms ( 308 pounds ), making it the smallest spacecraft ever to land on the moon. space il hopes the project will demonstrate ground - breaking technological capabilities in the field of building miniature smart spacecraft, which cost about a tenth of typical spacecraft. bezeq will be responsible for the probe ' s transmissions from the moon to a control center in the city of yehud, in central israel. " this remarkable cooperation will enable us to meet the tremendous technological challenge and inspire the young generation, " space il chairman yanki margalit said of bezeq ’ s support. space il is a non - profit group set up by israeli space enthusiasts to take part in the international google lunar x prize competition. according to the google lunar x prize website, a $ 30 million prize will be given to the first privately funded team that lands a robot on the moon, has the robot travel 500 meters on the lunar surface and sends back video, images and other data to earth. " we are motivated by a mission : to reinvigorate the israeli start - up nation by undertaking a challenging task that will ignite the imagination of the country ’ s young generation, " space il ' s website says. " driven by a national mission to advance israel ’ s scientific and technological fields, space il is determined to push ingenuity further than ever before. "


how to make economics come alive for students on a sunny april afternoon, students in associate professor william kolberg ’ s environmental economics class were not sitting captive in their seats, staring at graphs, and listening to the drone of a professorial lecture. instead, they were standing up, haggling and negotiating with each other in the center of the room, trying to close a deal. once the deal was made, they headed to the front of the room where kolberg waited to record the results of their negotiations in a growing list of numbers on the blackboard. the students repeated this scenario three or four times throughout the class period, generating excitement and data simultaneously. what was going on? were these students studying economics or playing a game? the answer, according to kolberg, is both - - this kind of “ classroom experiment ” is designed not only to engage students but also to impart a deeper understanding of important economic concepts. kolberg notes that “ so much information has been accumulated in the field of economics that the temptation is there just to feed students the information. but the undergraduate experience requires some amount of discovery, and there is more effective learning when students try to discover the answers themselves. ” he adds : “ while studying supply and demand may seem abstract, and well... boring, participating in an experimental market can be almost... exciting. ” students agree : applied economics major mike nowak ‘ 08 reports that this kind of classroom experiment “ helps you learn the concepts because it ’ s hands - on ; you do the experiment and actually get to see how it really works for a market to find equilibrium - - it makes a big impression on you. ” “ plus, it ’ s fun, ” says craig rosenberg ‘ 08, economics minor. “ everyone enjoys the day more when we do experiments. ” kolberg observes that “ it ’ s not only good for students ; it ’ s good for the instructor because it ’ s energizing to see how into it the students get. ” associate professor patrick meister also makes extensive use of classroom “ games ” in his teaching : “ i believe that an extremely effective and important way for students to learn economics is to ‘ do ’ economics. the in - class games give the students a framework to help learn related concepts. furthermore, the link between in - class economic games and real - world competitive situations is especially interesting to students who are hungry to know how to apply economic theory to real markets. ” meister has authored articles on some of the games he has designed - -


, the link between in - class economic games and real - world competitive situations is especially interesting to students who are hungry to know how to apply economic theory to real markets. ” meister has authored articles on some of the games he has designed - - including one in which students simulate an airline auction - - and feels that these simulations are keys to effective teaching. meister also organized the economics department ’ s first - ever fed challenge team in fall 2006, working closely with associate professor roger hinderliter. this challenge plunges students into the heady world of national monetary policy. coached by hinderliter ( who once worked for the federal reserve as an economic adviser ), students spent several weeks analyzing macroeconomic data and developing an argument about the next steps for monetary policy in the federal reserve. supported by an h & s ithaca fund award, the team traveled to buffalo for the competition. students agreed that it was a learning experience : “ we gained invaluable insights into what we need to do next time to be serious competitors. ” meister and hinderliter have created a one - credit fall semester course for student team members, who will compete for a second time in november ’ s fed challenge. another theme in making economics come alive is “ relevance. ” faculty provide students with real - world examples that enable them to see how abstract theory and concepts are connected to their own lives. professor frank musgrave says the goal is to have “ current issues examined in an academic environment. ” he makes extensive use of the wall street journal to help students connect what they learn in the classroom to what is going on in the world. assistant professor shaianne osterreich, whose teaching and research focus on globalization, shares this approach : “ students come in perhaps with a vague awareness of ‘ globalization, ’ and all they know is that there ’ s an uneasiness about it, but they don ’ t know why. ” her goal is to provide students with the analytic tools to understand current events. professor elia kacapyr, chair of the economics department, believes that another way to make economics come alive is to show students that “ as a behavioral science, economics is concerned with all sorts of questions, most of which have nothing to do with money, interest rates, or the dow jones industrial average. i like to show students papers [ written ] by top - notch economists that investigate the behavior of criminals, voting patterns in presidential elections, and factors affecting substance abuse. ” kacapyr also engages his students in


wep is the encryption standard that comes with wifi lans. it uses rc4 encryption, which is the same as that used by the security built into standard web browsers ( ssl ). one might think, therefore, that it is sufficiently tried and tested to be trusted. well, there ' s not a great deal wrong with rc4 - - but there is a great deal wrong with its implementation within wifi. put simply, it should not be used in this manner. ( technically, it is a stream cipher being used where a stream cipher should not be used. a block cipher would have been better for wlans. but rc4 was easy and cheap to implement - and with 40 bit keys it was not subject to the then existent us export laws. ) problems with wep were known at the end of year 2000. but in summer 2001, the well - known cryptographers fluhrer, mantin and shamir ( the ' s ' of rsa ) published a new paper in which “ we show that rc4 is completely insecure in a common mode of operation which is used in the widely deployed wired equivalent privacy protocol ( wep, which is part of the 802. 11 standard ), in which a fixed secret key is concatenated with known iv modifiers in order to encrypt different messages. our new passive ciphertext - only attack on this mode can recover an arbitrarily long key in a negligible amount of time... ” in simple english, this is devastating news for the security of 802. 11 wlans. basically, there is no security. it prompted phil belanger, past chairman and current marketing director of weca, to comment : “ we perceive this as serious and different from the previous attacks, and we ' re not going to say ' don ' t worry about it '. however, we ' ve always said that if privacy is a concern, you need to be using end - to - end security mechanisms, like virtual private networks, along with the wlan. ” without going into the technical details, rc4 ' s implementation within wifi means that in cryptographic terms it is a trivial matter to break the encryption. to make matters worse, there is a freely available hacking tool on the internet ( airsnort ) that can do all the hard work automatically. as a result, wireless lans using wep encryption are as vulnerable to script kiddies ( wannabee hackers without their technical expertise ) as they are to genuine


world ocean conference, a fight to get oceans into the climate change debate 13 may 2009 | international news release for immediate release : 11 may, 2009 manado, north sulawesi, indonesia, 11 may, 2009 ( iucn ) – the manado ocean declaration draft will be review at the world ocean congress in manado urging the un to put marine issues at the top of the agenda at the climate talks in copenhagen. with two - thirds of our planet being oceans, we need to protect our oceans to protect our future. climate change will not only have an effect on natural resources and on coastal infrastructure but will displace a large number of people. sea level rise will cause seawater intrusion which will severely affect aquaculture and agriculture, as well as access to fresh water. “ one meter sea rise could inundate 17 % of bangladesh, completely flood the maldives and many of the pacific island states. up to 30 % loss of global coastal wetlands is expected if sea temperature increase by 3 - 4°c above pre - industrial levels. increased concentrations of co2 in seawater will lead to ocean acidification reducing calcification functions of corals. changes in precipitation will cause flooding, landslides and more run - off from land to the sea. storm surges will contribute to beach erosion, loss of infrastructure and reduced water quality, thereby jeopardising, health, food security, and livelihoods such as fisheries and tourism, making coastal communities even more vurlnerable to extreme weather events ”, says anne walton, noaa. the un talks in copenhagen ( cop15 ) at the end of the year is expected to result in a new agreement on reducing carbon emissions by a set target for all developed nations by 2012, the year which the kyoto protocol expires. “ the manado ocean declaration must ensure that impacts of climate change on oceans, particularily coral reefs, mangroves and seagrasses are recognised ” says, bernard o ’ callaghan, iucn regional coordinator for oceania. “ the consequences of a failure to do so will be devastating, especially for the millions of people in developing countries that depend on these ”. policy - makers need to make sure that effective climate change adaptation measures are adopted and implemented now. helping to influence such changes is a part of iucn ’ s mandate ”, says bernard o ’ callaghan, iucn regional coordinator for oceania for more information or to set up interviews, please contact : minna epps, iucn asia media relations, m + 62 812 4471 6215, e firstname.


| scientific name : | | samoana abbreviata | | species authority : | | ( mousson, 1869 ) | | taxonomic notes : | | this species seems closely related to samoana conica, but its shells are dextral, whereas those of s. conica are sinistral. its shell is generally yellowish - green in colour. least common of the three tutuila partulids. | | red list category & criteria : | | critically endangered b2ab ( iii ) ver 3. 1 | | reviewer / s : | | barker, g., triantis, k., garcia, n. & pippard, h. | this species is currently known only from a single location within an area of occupancy of less than 5 km2, and a very small known population ( 15 specimens recorded in 1998 ). therefore the population is considered to be declining, as is its quality of habitat due to the introduction of e. rosea. it is therefore listed as critically endangered. continued biosecurity vigilance is critical to prevent further invasive species establishments in this species ' habitat. surveys to determine the current distribution of this species and its population size, status and trends are also recommended, as is site and species protection in american samoa. | range description : | | this is a single island endemic that occurs in american samoa on the island of tutuila, at the following localities : alava / maugaloa ridge, faiga ridge and along the vatia powerline trail, toa ridge. in addition, empty shells have been found on pagatatua ridge, levaga ridge and polauta ridge. the estimated area of occupancy is approximately less than 5 km2 ( cowie and cook 1999 ). | native : american samoa ( american samoa ) | range map : | | click here to open the map viewer and explore range. | this is the least common of the three tutuila partulids. it is considered very rare and current population trends are unknown, although there is evidence for historical decline ( cowie and cook 2001 ). the bishop museum malacological collection database lists 139 collections of this species made in 1926 and 1930 from many localities spread across tutuila ; some of these collections including numerous specimens. clearly it was widespread and in some places abundant. subsequently, however, until the 1998 survey, it had not been seen alive since 1940. in a 1998 survey ( cowie and cook 1999 ), a


; some of these collections including numerous specimens. clearly it was widespread and in some places abundant. subsequently, however, until the 1998 survey, it had not been seen alive since 1940. in a 1998 survey ( cowie and cook 1999 ), a total of eight live individuals was seen at seven of the quantitative survey stations. three of these stations were on alava / maugaloa ridge ; one each were at mid - elevations on faiga ridge and along the vatia powerline trail ; and two were on toa ridge. single empty shells were collected at each of two additional stations on maugaloa ridge, and one each on pagatatua ridge, levaga ridge and polauta ridge. five additional live individuals were seen at five points along the alava / maugaloa ridge trail ; one was seen high on toa ridge ; and one was seen on polauta ridge. therefore, a total of 15 live individuals was seen. its distribution strongly mimics those of eua zebrina and samoana conica with a concentration in the central area from toa ridge to the vatia powerline trail and along alava / maugaloa ridge in this area. finding samoana abbreviata alive is of major significance, but it is clearly surviving in extremely low numbers. | habitat and ecology : | | this is an arboreal species from moist forest from near the coast to crest of ridge. | | major threat ( s ) : | | the main threats to this species are habitat modification and destruction resulting from the impacts of invasive species ( e. g. exotic plants ) and agricultural activities and encroaching settlements. in addition, the species is particularly threatened by the introduction of the predatory snail e. rosea. | | conservation actions : | | the entire known distribution of the species is in the national park of american samoa ( tutuili section ). however, there are no species - specific management actions in place to control the current threats to the species. as eradication of e. rosea isn ' t likely to be possible, captive breeding and species monitoring is highly recommended. establishing miniature preserves ( enclosures ) that exclude e. rosea is also recommended. | | citation : | | cowie, r. 2012. samoana abbreviata. in : iucn 2012. iucn red list of threatened species. version 2012. 2. < www. iucnredlist. org >. downloaded on 21 may 2013. | | feedback : | | if you see


hold for release until 03 / 20 / 2012 study provides first - ever focus on community college stem programs that seek to recruit women. washington, dc — jobs in science, engineering, technology, and math ( stem ) fields are expected to grow by 17 percent between 2008 and 2018, nearly double the growth of all other fields. a new report from the institute for women ’ s policy research ( iwpr ) shows that women are underrepresented in all but one stem field, and have been losing ground in receipt of stem degrees from community colleges over the last decade. according to the new report, increasing opportunities for low - income women and student parents in science, technology, engineering, and math at community colleges, the share of women pursuing degrees in stem fields at community colleges is significantly declining. in 1997, women earned 33. 8 percent of these degrees but that number dropped to 27. 5 percent in 2007. although women make up close to half of the labor force, only one in four stem jobs is held by a woman. “ investing in stem education for low - income women and student parents is a win - win strategy, ” said cynthia costello, author of the report. “ it strengthens the economic security of american families, and expands the number of highly - skilled stem workers to make the nation more competitive in the 21st century. ” women ’ s median annual earnings in most stem fields are higher than what women earn in most occupations that are female - dominated. in fact, women with stem jobs earn one - third more than women in non - stem jobs. community colleges provide opportunities to low - income women and student parents to earn associate ’ s degrees in a variety of fields. currently, women with associate ’ s degrees earn only 77 percent of what men earn, in part because men are more likely to enter higher - paying fields such as stem. at the associate ’ s degree level, women are more likely to pursue career fields that are considered “ traditional ” such as consumer services ( 86. 7 percent female ), health sciences ( 84. 6 percent female ), and education ( 73. 8 percent female ). analysis of data from the integrated postsecondary education data system ( ipeds ) found the share of women receiving short - and medium - term certificates ( both requiring less than two years to complete ) in stem fields decreased by half between 2000 – 2001 and 2008 – 2009. a very small proportion of associate ’ s degrees in stem fields are awarded to women of color, including african american women ( 3. 3 percent


less than two years to complete ) in stem fields decreased by half between 2000 – 2001 and 2008 – 2009. a very small proportion of associate ’ s degrees in stem fields are awarded to women of color, including african american women ( 3. 3 percent ) ; hispanic women ( 2. 2 percent ) ; and asian, native hawaiian, and pacific islander women ( 1. 3 percent ). president barack obama has emphasized that higher education is key to preparing americans for the jobs available in today ’ s economy, and the president ’ s 2013 budget proposal would provide $ 3 billion federally for stem education, an increase of 2. 6 percent over the current level. addressing the needs of low - income women and student parents is integral to boosting the number of students pursuing higher education in the united states : almost four in ten postsecondary students are low - income ( 39. 8 percent ) and women make up the great majority ( 81 percent ) of low - income students who are single parents. “ as the nation works to improve access to community college credentials, it is critical that women and people of color have equal access to high quality degrees, such as those in stem fields, that lead to family - sustaining wages. a number of exciting programs around the country are working to break those gender and race divides, and their techniques can serve as a model for other community colleges that want to equalize enrollment in stem programs, ” said barbara gault, ph. d., vice president and executive director of iwpr. promising programs use active recruitment strategies to reach out to individuals who might not think of themselves pursuing stem careers. low - income women and student parents may require more intensive resources and academic supports to succeed in stem fields at community colleges. resources such as affordable child care and financial aid are essential to helping these students complete their education. academic advising is also crucial for disadvantaged students who may be unfamiliar with how to successfully navigate the demands of college. experts from promising programs around the country are available for comment. the report outlines recommendations for improving access to stem programs for women, particularly low - income women attending community colleges, and provides snapshots of some of the most promising programs from across the country that target women. a podcast featuring cynthia costello, the report author, is available to listeners for download. in the podcast, costello explains how more women holding jobs in stem fields would bring greater economic security to women and their families and improve the economic health of the nation as a whole. for more information, please visit http : / / tinyurl.


pre - birth acupuncture refers to a series of treatments in the final weeks of pregnancy to prepare women for childbirth. research1 has demonstrated that the mean duration of labour in a group of women giving birth for the first time was reduced from 8 hours and 2 minutes in the control group ( 70 women ) to 6 hours and 36 minutes in the group of 70 women who had received pre - birth acupuncture. in clinical practice acupuncture is an ideal method to help women prepare themselves to have the most efficient labour possible. feedback suggests that pre - birth acupuncture offers a range of positive effects in labour that goes beyond reducing the time spent in labour, with midwives reporting a reduced rate of medical intervention. this article outlines the use of pre - birth treatments in clinical practice in the hope that this will encourage practitioners to promote this practical treatment. western medical information in preparation for birth, a woman ’ s doctor or midwife will usually recommend weekly visits when the gestational age of 36 - 37 weeks has been reached. during these visits the foetus is checked to detect its position and heartbeat. monitoring is carried out for gestational diabetes ( a form of diabetes that can develop during pregnancy and will usually resolve post birth ) and pregnancy induced hypertension ( also known as pre - eclampsia, a collection of symptoms including high blood pressure, oedema and protein in the urine that if left untreated can lead to problems such as small for dates babies and eclamptic fitting in the mother ). ‘ minor ’ discomforts that the women may be experiencing around this time, and which are considered normal include heartburn, constipation, varicose veins, haemorrhoids, leg cramps, bleeding gums, nasal congestion, nosebleeds, backache, swelling of the hands and feet, difficulty in sleeping and increased anxiety and tiredness. it is also considered normal for the woman to have profuse transparent leucorrhoea, and to experience frequent urination as the baby drops and places further pressure on her bladder. on the plus side her breathing should become easier at this time as the baby descends further into the pelvis. termed ‘ lightening ’, ‘ dropping ’ or ‘ engagement ’, this descending typically occurs two to four weeks prior to delivery in a first pregnancy, though it may not occur until birth in subsequent pregnancies. from about 37 weeks onwards, a woman ’ s preparation for labour usually consists of attending educational antenatal classes


descending typically occurs two to four weeks prior to delivery in a first pregnancy, though it may not occur until birth in subsequent pregnancies. from about 37 weeks onwards, a woman ’ s preparation for labour usually consists of attending educational antenatal classes, talking through her plans and fears with her midwife or doctor and trying to rest as much as possible. traditional chinese medicine traditional chinese medicine has a long history of advocating that women modify their lifestyle throughout pregnancy, to ensure healthy babies and efficient births. this has involved advice on regulating physical activity, following dietary guidelines and maintaining a calm emotional state. an early reference to this practice exists in the records of the historian which tells how the mother of the first emperor of the western zhou dynasty ( 11th century to 771 b. c. e. ) refused to look upon adverse colours, hear indecent sounds, or the utterance of any arrogant words, and because of this she gave birth to a son who achieved great things2. later references to what became known as ‘ foetal education ’ included recommendations that pregnant women abstain from the use of non - prescribed medications, all alcohol and lifting heavy objects. advice was also given on taking frequent leisurely walks and regulating sleep ( avoiding both excessive sleep and undue fatigue ). abstaining from the seven passions, the five unfavourable tastes and all sexual activity was also seen as essential2. dr. xu zi cai ( 493 - 572 c. e. ) detailed beneficial and detrimental foods for each month of pregnancy. during the second month of pregnancy, for example, the mother should avoid pungent, hot or drying foods, and if women experienced abdominal or umbilical fullness and a bearing down sensation in the third month, rooster soup should be taken3. as a woman approached the completion of her pregnancy, dr. xu zi cai advised that she concentrate her qi in the lower dantian, three cun below her umbilicus, to promote the growth of the foetus ’ s joints and its mental development. this interest in promoting optimal conditions during pregnancy, and in preparing for an efficient birth has continued to the present day in traditional chinese medicine, with the emphasis on a women ’ s qi and blood prior to delivery ( “ if the qi is correct and if the blood is circulating well labour is described as harmonious ” 4 ). acupuncture sessions prior to labour provide an ideal opportunity to ensure that the qi and blood, the five emotions and the zangfu are all in harmony. possible


if the blood is circulating well labour is described as harmonious ” 4 ). acupuncture sessions prior to labour provide an ideal opportunity to ensure that the qi and blood, the five emotions and the zangfu are all in harmony. possible text box : traditional chinese medicine has a long history of advocating that women modify their lifestyle throughout pregnancy, to ensure healthy babies and efficient births. acupuncture can be used in two main ways in the later stages of pregnancy. firstly, specific pre - birth treatments, in the form of a standard set of points, can help prepare a woman ’ s body for birth, with an emphasis on preparing the cervix and pelvis for labour. secondly, treatment can be given to deal with medical conditions such as pregnancy induced hypertension, and symptoms such as heartburn and haemorrhoids. using a standard set of acupuncture points once a week for three weeks prior to the woman ’ s due date is an accepted practice in german hospitals where acupuncture is practised. midwives who have trained in a special acupuncture course use yanglingquan gb - 34, zusanli st - 36 and sanyinjiao sp - 6, with zhiyin bl - 67 as an added point on the woman ’ s third visit. other formulas used elsewhere for this purpose are i. zusanli st - 36, yanglingquan gb - 34, sanyinjiao sp - 6 and shenmai bl - 625, and ii. zusanli st - 36, yanglingquan gb - 34, shenmai bl - 62 and jiaoxin kid - 86. for many years my use of pre - birth treatments in clinical practice involved women who had experienced problems with a previous birth, and were seeking to make their subsequent delivery as natural as possible. while my own follow - up of these women ' s resulting birth experiences was positive ( with the majority reporting an efficient labour ), i remained reluctant to promote the general use of pre - birth treatments. my concern was that women seeking acupuncture had prepared for their birth in many other ways, for example finding supportive midwives, practising yoga for pregnancy and taking homoeopathic medicines, and i was unsure how to accurately measure the effects of pre - birth treatment against these. however, after running an acupuncture course for midwives in i997, i received feedback suggesting that pre - birth treatment was more than just a useful support


unsure how to accurately measure the effects of pre - birth treatment against these. however, after running an acupuncture course for midwives in i997, i received feedback suggesting that pre - birth treatment was more than just a useful support to reassure concerned women. the midwives suggested it should be offered to all birthing women, reporting that it consistently increased the chances of women experiencing a natural efficient labour. they commented that the time women spent in active labour was notably shorter than in those that did not receive treatment, and felt that the effect of introducing pre - birth acupuncture as part of midwifery care had contributed to reduced intervention rates, including medical inductions and caesarean sections. treatment was given by midwives once a week, from 37 or 38 weeks until delivery. the acupuncture points used were taken from research1 concluding that the use of the acupuncture points zusanli st - 36, yanglingquan gb - 34, shenmai bl - 62 and sanyinjiao sp - 6 once a week for several weeks prior to a woman ' s due date effectively reduced the time women spent in labour. all points were needled bilaterally, with the woman sitting over a chair, or unilaterally, with the woman lying comfortably on her side. they were used with an even needling technique and usually retained for 20 minutes. jiaoxin kid - 8 could be substituted for sanyinjiao sp - 6 if the midwife was concerned about using sanyinjiao sp - 6 ( see below ). if the baby ’ s position was not optimal ( that is posterior or remaining high ) kunlun bl - 60 or zhiyin bl - 67 was substituted for shenmai bl - 62 by some midwives. i was initially concerned that although sanyinjiao sp - 6 was used in the above research, it might potentially have the effect of promoting a premature labour or a labour that was excessively rapid in certain women. it must be noted that although women may be under the impression that the faster labour is, the better they will feel about the experience, this is not necessarily true. extremely intense rapid labours ( for example three hours from start to finish in a woman having her first baby ) can be very shocking for the mother, so much so that women often describe feelings of panic and thoughts that they were about to die. these extreme labours can also contribute to acute medical problems such as foetal distress and postpartum


first baby ) can be very shocking for the mother, so much so that women often describe feelings of panic and thoughts that they were about to die. these extreme labours can also contribute to acute medical problems such as foetal distress and postpartum haemorrhage. there is therefore a vast difference between a labour that is short and efficient, and a rapid uncontrolled labour, potentially resulting in medical problems. for this reason, midwives were advised to follow the guidelines i use in clinical practice when a woman presents with a labour history that includes a previous rapid birth or premature labour, which is to substitute jiaoxin kid - 8 for sanyinjiao sp - 6, to give a reduced number of pre - birth treatments to the woman, or to omit the use of sanyinjiao sp - 6 from the pre - birth treatment. however, in treating women without a history of a previous rapid or premature labour where sanyinjiao sp - 6 is routinely used, no untoward effects have been noted. midwives report that the use of sanyinjiao sp - 6 noticeably helps the cervix soften and dilate prior to labour commencing, a desirable outcome and one that is a positive indicator for an efficient labour. midwives also commented that they had observed a trend in women who received pre - birth treatment to either go into spontaneous labour around their due dates, or, if an induction was required, to respond well to acupuncture treatment for induction and progress efficiently to a natural birth. this confirms my own clinical observation of a noticeable reduction in the number of women seeking induction treatments since i began offering pre - birth treatments. • zusanli st - 36, needled perpendicularly 1 to 1. 5 cun, used as a pre - birth point, due to its qi tonifying and blood nourishing properties. • yanglingquan gb - 34, needled with a perpendicular or slightly oblique posterior insertion 1 to 1. 5 cun. used as a pre - birth point to help relax and soften the ligaments prior to labour. • sanyinjiao sp - 6, needled with a perpendicular or oblique proximal insertion 1 to 1. 5 cun. used as a pre - birth point to aid in cervical dilatation. • jiaoxin kid - 8, needled perpendicularly 0. 5 to 1 cun. used as part of a formula for pre - birth together with zusanli st - 36, yanglingqua


to aid in cervical dilatation. • jiaoxin kid - 8, needled perpendicularly 0. 5 to 1 cun. used as part of a formula for pre - birth together with zusanli st - 36, yanglingquan gb - 34, and shenmai bl - 62, possibly due to its ability to regulate the conception ( ren ) and penetrating ( chong ) vessels and assist the uterus. • shenmai bl - 62, needled with an oblique inferior insertion 0. 3 to 0. 5 cun. used as part of a formula for pre - birth treatment together with zusanli st - 36, yanglingquan gb - 34 and jiaoxin kid - 8, possibly due to its influences over the lumbar region and hip. • kunlun bl - 60, needled perpendicularly 0. 5 to 1 cun or directed superiorly to join with taixi kid - 3, 1. 5 to 2 cun. used as a pre - birth point due to its descending action. • zhiyin bl - 67, needled with a perpendicular or oblique insertion directed proximally 0. 1 to 0. 2 cun. used as a pre - birth point for its action in promoting the optimal position of the baby for birth. as pre - birth treatments offer the advantage of seeing a woman regularly for several weeks prior to labour, points can be carefully added to the standard treatment to deal with presenting problems, such as, pregnancy induced hypertension, insomnia, heartburn or posterior positioned babies. help can also be offered for emotional problems, such as, frustration over a unwanted mother - in - law or friend that wants to be present for the birth, or fear and anxiety that this birth will follow the pattern of a previous birth ( or a friend ’ s birth ), for example a 36 - hour labour ending with an emergency caesarean section. care should be taken, however, not to scatter the woman ’ s energy, and thus the number of points used should be kept to a minimum. this is also an excellent time to advise on the benefits of preventive rest. explaining the traditional chinese ideas on regulating physical activity and trying to maintain emotional balance to ensure that she enters birth in the best possible energetic state. i have also found these pre - birth visits provide an ideal opportunity to discuss the use of acupressure points in labour for pain relief7, and the role chinese medicine can play in postnatal recovery.


in the best possible energetic state. i have also found these pre - birth visits provide an ideal opportunity to discuss the use of acupressure points in labour for pain relief7, and the role chinese medicine can play in postnatal recovery. the traditional chinese medicine view is that a healthy pregnancy depends on adequate rest, a suitable diet and emotional well being. this provides a welcome alternative middle ground to the two prevalent approaches found in modern western culture : that pregnancy is a medical problem that medicine should control, on the one hand, and that pregnancy is something that no healthy woman should let change her daily life, on the other. the often - subtle pressure to be a “ super pregnant mum ” comes from a perception ( from the woman herself or from those surrounding her ), that all any woman really requires for a “ healthy ” pregnancy is a few antenatal visits. in contrast, the advice from the chinese classic admonitions to ladies states, “ a pregnant woman carries with her the finest piece of jade. she should enjoy all things, look at fine pictures and be attended by handsome servants ” 8 while the advice concerning servants may today be somewhat impractical, this passage does convey a great respect for pregnancy in terms of physical activity, it is important for a woman to find a form of gentle, stamina building exercise that suits her lifestyle. this should be invigorating but not exhausting. suggestions include walking, swimming, tai chi or yoga classes designed for pregnancy. it is also just as important for women to be able to rest before becoming exhausted. in the latter stages of pregnancy it is suggested that a woman creates a “ down time ” during the day when she can just rest or have a sleep. whatever a woman ’ s experience of labour is going to be, it will not be enhanced by feelings of tiredness and exhaustion. dietary recommendations include avoiding spicy, pungent and greasy foods. i often find there is a problem with excessive mucus production in the later stages of pregnancy, as women tend to increase their consumption of damp producing foods ( for example dairy products, rich meats, bananas and concentrated juices, especially orange and tomato ) in the belief that these are healthy and that they need the extra calcium or iron these foods provide. while women may not want to go to the extent of avoiding all of the “ seven passions ” ( which includes avoiding sex until after the birth ), it is useful to ask women to pay attention to activities that upset them, instead of dismissing these feelings as “ just ho


want to go to the extent of avoiding all of the “ seven passions ” ( which includes avoiding sex until after the birth ), it is useful to ask women to pay attention to activities that upset them, instead of dismissing these feelings as “ just hormonal ”. it might be helpful to avoid watching disturbing films, reading sad books, or listening to negative news reports and instead where possible concentrate on more positive events. clinical experience from midwive ’ s practice one aspect of the acupuncture course for midwives that has been particularly useful in my practice is the use of pre - birth treatments. i believe that this has made an impact on the birth experience of the primigravida women who have received the treatment. all first - time mothers under my care, from october 2000 to february 2001, agreed to have pre - birth acupuncture, once a week for three weeks. these were their outcomes : janice : normal birth, five - hour labour. andrea : normal birth, nine - hour labour. robin : normal birth, six - hour labour. suzette : normal birth, seven - hour labour. nicky : water birth, seven - hour labour. rachael : normal birth, seven - hour labour. janice went overdue and received two consecutive days of acupuncture treatment for induction. ( ciliao bl - 32, sanyinjiao sp - 6 and hegu l. i. - 4 ). she went into labour spontaneously on the third day. ciliao bl - 32 was used with success for an anterior lip during her labour. ( anterior lip is when during the later part of the first stage of labour the cervix becomes swollen, and is unable to fully dilate to allow the baby to descend. as the women is in the later stages of labour she will have the urge to push but will be told by her midwife not to as she is effectively just making the lip more swollen by forcing the baby ' s head onto the cervix. this becomes a problem during labour as it is very uncomfortable for the woman and delays progress ). during labour andrea remained 6cm dilated for three hours. ciliao bl - 32, sanyinjiao sp - 6 and hegu l. i. - 4 were used, and one hour later she was actively pushing. nicky costello – midwife i have been using zusanli st - 36, yanglingquan gb - 34, sanyinjiao sp - 6 and


l. i. - 4 were used, and one hour later she was actively pushing. nicky costello – midwife i have been using zusanli st - 36, yanglingquan gb - 34, sanyinjiao sp - 6 and kunlun bl - 60 as pre - birth treatments at 37, 38 and 39 weeks gestation. i also often include taichong liv - 3, yintang ( m - hn - 3 ) and baihui du - 20 to help relaxation and enhance the woman ’ s calmness in this anticipatory time. i have found that this is also a great time to chat while waiting for the treatment to be completed. i have found that the women who have had this preparatory acupuncture usually come into labour before 42 weeks gestation and have an efficient labour. they make good progress and do not usually stop and start. the cervix is usually quite effaced by the time they reach 3cm dilatation and progress is often swifter than those women who have not had any acupuncture. i do notice a difference between those who have had the pre - birth acupuncture in that even if the head is ‘ high ’ and will not come down ( despite using jianjing gb - 21 ), or if the position is posterior ( and has not responded to zhiyin bl - 67 ) so that women end up having a caesarean section, those women who have had acupuncture will have a much more favourable cervix than those who have not. liz brunton - midwife beverly had a history of long labour, going 2 weeks overdue with all her previous 3 children and requiring medical inductions for 2 of them. she was very keen to try pre - birth acupuncture for this pregnancy, as in her opinion it could only help. at 37 and 38 weeks zusanli st - 36, yanglingquan gb - 34, shenmai bl - 62, and jiaoxin kid - 8 were used. at 39 weeks sanyinjiao sp - 6 was substituted for jiaoxin kid - 8 and jianjing gb - 21 was added. at 40 weeks jianjing gb - 21, zusanli st - 36, sanyinjiao sp - 6, hegu l. i. - 4, taichong liv - 3 and ciliao bl - 32 were used. beverly went into spontaneous labour 2 days later. i used hegu l.


, sanyinjiao sp - 6, hegu l. i. - 4, taichong liv - 3 and ciliao bl - 32 were used. beverly went into spontaneous labour 2 days later. i used hegu l. i. - 4 and sanyinjiao sp - 6 when she arrived in the delivery suite, as the contractions seemed to have spaced out. within half an hour they were coming more frequently and more regularly. she had her quickest ever labour ( 8 hours and18 minutes ) and it was her first - ever drug - free labour. karen wakelin – midwife pre - birth acupuncture offers acupuncturists the opportunity to promote a safe and effective treatment to promote natural labour. it is ideally suited for western style private practice and overcomes the limitations of being on call when providing acupuncture for women during labour. with acupuncturists able to use their training to provide individualised treatments, they have the possibility of offering holistic care on top of a set of prescribed treatment points. i would encourage all acupuncturists interested in supporting women through the birthing process to promote this treatment, allowing women access to the benefits of acupuncture as part of their preparation for labour. notes and references 1 kubista e, kucera h, geburtshilfe perinatol 1974 ; 178 224 - 9. 2 zhang ting - liang. a handbook of traditional chinese gynaecology, blue poppy press, 1987, p4. 3 maciocia, g., obstetrics & gynecology, churchill livingstone 1998, pp. 447 - 449. 4 auteroche, b., navailh, r., acupuncture en gynecologie et obstetrique, chapter 11, maloine 1996. 5 beal, m., journal of nurse midwifery, vol 37, no. 4, july / august 1992, p263. 6 alison, j. 1993 in a lecture given to the new zealand register of acupuncturists. 7 betts, d. acupressure analagesia : providing pain relief during labour, the journal of chinese medicine, issue 59, january 1999, pp25 - 27 and http : / / home. clear. net. nz / pages / debra _ betts 8 gascoigne, s., the manual of conventional medicine for alternative practitioners, jigm


this is part 1 of 2. part 2 is my guide to the use of semantic html elements i ’ ve seen a lot of articles discussing the importance of html and xhtml semantics. i ’ ve seen articles describing what it means for a document to be semantic. most of these articles, however, don ’ t provide a serious overview of what html elements actually may be considered semantic — and what those semantic elements actually mean. and, even more particularly, why it matters. semantics is an erudite area of study. literally, semantics can be fairly defined as the study of meaning in communication. communication can readily be extended to cover symbolic notations, representations of language, organization of language, body language and information structures. in developing a web page, we are organizing a means to communicate the content of that page : ideally, we are organizing the page in such a manner that it will be understood regardless of the method by which the page is accessed. it should be equally understandable whether seen, heard, or felt. the semantics of html structure, then, are clearly an important part of web design. sending mixed signals to the user agent or the user by using a blockquote purely for it ’ s native indentation is an abuse of semantics : even the visual impact is dependent on the assumption that user agents will consistently render a blockquote in an indented manner. it ’ s not precisely an issue that you ’ ve used a semantic element for presentational means, because, in fact, you ’ ve done more than that : you ’ ve presented a block of text which is not quoted material as if it were. semantic elements of html carry meaning regardless of your knowledge of that meaning. the result is that the misuse of an element creates the potential to mislead or confuse an end - user. the most obvious examples in common use are those which make use of elements with semantic meaning which also offer a browser - contributed default presentation in order to use that presentational style. the blockquote example above is not uncommon ; similarly, the use of empty p elements to create extra white space or heading elements used as a questionable seo technique in substitution for normal paragraphs. now, you may point to the following paragraph, from the html 4. 01 specifications, as a response to my opinion : authors may also create an a element that specifies no anchors, i. e., that doesn ’ t specify href, name, or id. values for these attributes may be set at a later time through scripts. the fact


to my opinion : authors may also create an a element that specifies no anchors, i. e., that doesn ’ t specify href, name, or id. values for these attributes may be set at a later time through scripts. the fact that it is allowed by the specification does not make it a best practice. with all due respect to the w3c, this should not be permitted. for reference, the html 5 specification currently reads : if the a element has no hrefattribute, then the element is a placeholder for where a link might otherwise have been placed, if it had been relevant. in addition, although i won ’ t quote everything, the specification states that an anchor which does have the href attribute must specify a uri as the value of that attribute. it appears to essentially state that an anchor element should have no semantic meaning if the href attribute is not set and valid. but i could be wrong. the best means to avoid the misuse of elements is to have a clear understanding of when and why a given element should be used in web development. to hopefully expand on your knowledge in that respect, i ’ m attempting to provide a semantic guide to html elements for your reference and rich disagreement. be aware, however, that semantics are largely a matter of opinion. it ’ s not a question of blindly following the guidelines set by a group ; it ’ s a question of interpreting those guidelines to the best of your ability and belief. this guide reflect how i think html elements should be used ; and i welcome your opinions. other html semantics articles - guidelines from wcag 2. 0 on the use of html for semantic structure - traditional html semantics ( part i of a three - part series on web semantics by john alsopp ) - html : the foundation of the web – niels matthijs - semantic html and search engine optimization – from the opera developer community, by joost de valk - who will read your semantic html? – jesse skinner - when semantic markup goes bad – matthew paul thomas - semantics – why bother? – mel pedley at accessites - html semantics from western civilization, pty. - graph the semantic html structure of your web page – joe dolson


what is square one? it is our foundation ; the starting point. often, the premise for our project is not complete and we return to square one to reevaluate our theories. we always return to square one stronger, better informed and more fully equipped. five hundred and twenty years ago, technology wasn ' t even a term. but, for one young man, there were indestructible things to measure his theory. if the tide went out and came back, was it true the world was flat? if the sun rose each day and went down another way, was not the world round? if the north star could be seen every season of the year, would it not be seen far away in the west indies? christopher columbus had the information and foundation he needed for square one. in order to get to square two, a boat and a crew, he had a bit of convincing to do with people who had what he needed for this tour. he approached several kings and queens of the day. it was hard to find those interested in ventures outside of their own little corner of the world. however, king ferdinand ii and queen isabella of spain heard a different refrain. the riches of the west indies appealed to them. not only spices, but gold perhaps? new peoples, new lands! they granted columbus three ships, the nina ( small ) the pinta ( smaller ) and the santa maria ( the bigger one ) and their crews, supplies, including rum, part of the daily ration and pay for some 90 hardy men. they sailed for the west indies aug. 3, 1492. square three was on the sea, with only the north star and a sextant to guide the tenuous troop. after weeks of sailing only one man seemed sure of the effort ' s outcome : christopher columbus. he wrote in his captain ' s log, sept. 24, 1492 and i paraphrase : " i ' m having serious trouble with the crew. i am told by a few trusted men ( these are few in number! ) that if i persist in going forward [ the crew ] will toss me into the sea some night. but i hold to what i know in my heart to be true. i believe that which i have set out to do will be completed to the benefit of all peoples and my fair queen. " indeed, just over two weeks later, oct. 11, 1492, the crew spotted land. square four had been reached! america, the beautiful! the florida key islands! a flag


maybe you have used scratch foam for printmaking in the art room. i ’ ve seen a lot of beautiful art work using scratch foam and printer ’ s ink applied with brayers. but did you know scratch foam prints can look like this? this set of four cupcake prints were all made from the same scratch foam plate during a single 40 - minute class. 3rd graders used watercolor marker and scratch foam to create multiple prints. we did an easy directed drawing of a cupcake onto scratch foam, colored the foam with watercolor markers, and then printed the cards onto damp paper. - scratch foam, cut to desired size - sketch paper, cut to same size as foam - dull pencil - masking tape - watercolor markers in assorted colors ( i use mr. sketch markers ) - oil pastels or other embellishments ( optional ) - shallow tub ( dishpan ) of water - beach towel ( several if you are teaching multiple or large classes ) - plastic sleeve protectors for printing station - white construction paper for printing – cut larger than scratch foam set up a printing station. fill tub with water depth of 2 - 3 inches. set out a folded towel. tape a sleeve protector to the table. slide in an alignment sample ( see below ). cut a stack of printing papers, enough for each student to make at least 3 prints. think about drying space ( always an issue when printing multiples ). drying rack? clothes line? - draw cupcake onto sketch paper. click here for my step - by - step how to draw a cupcake instructions. - remind students : no letters, no words, no numbers. - tape sketch paper on top of scratch foam. - go over cupcake sketch with a dull pencil. the lines should transfer to the scratch foam below. - pull up the paper. drawing directly on the foam, go over any lines you missed with the pencil. you can also add sprinkles or other small lines at this time. - discard the sketch paper and tape. tape sketch on top of scratch foam. go over lines with dull pencil to incise foam below. - use the watercolor markers to ink the scratch foam. students should use multiple colors. fill the scratch foam completely with color. color in the scratch foam with watercolor markers. - take your foam to the printing station. - write your name in small letters on white construction paper. use pencil. - dip white construction paper in water - put wet paper in folded towel to blot - align inked scratch


watercolor markers. - take your foam to the printing station. - write your name in small letters on white construction paper. use pencil. - dip white construction paper in water - put wet paper in folded towel to blot - align inked scratch foam on sleeve protector ink side up - put damp white paper on scratch foam name side up ( align using the sleeve protector ) - rub paper firmly without wiggling - pull the print printing station. students align foam with white rectangle, damp paper with blue rectangle. the third graders were amazed!!!! vibrant colored cupcakes for their beautiful birthday cards. are you ready for even more fun????? - students re - ink the scratch foam plates using a different color scheme. it doesn ’ t matter if the plate still has a little color on it – go right over the plate with a different color. students should carefully sign their name on the back of the foam plate with pencil. write small. a word of caution : as always, test this project out yourself before attempting with your students. 1 ) the degree of dampness of the printing paper is critical. too dry and the ink won ’ t transfer to the paper. too wet and the ink will bleed and blur as the paper dries. for blotting, a fresh beach towel is ideal. my towel was too damp by the third class of the day. i wish i had a couple of fresh dry ones with me. next year! 2 ) size of drawing matters. tiny drawings the size of a thumbnail just won ’ t look good. day 2 : embellish prints with oil pastels students have the option of embellishing their dry prints. these cupcakes are decorated with oil pastel. this is a great way to rescue students less - than - perfect prints. can you imagine these with a little clear glitter and / or a sequin? next we trim our cupcake prints and glue them onto colored construction paper. what fabulous birthday cards for all our family and friends. fun – colorful – successful – easy to clean up! this would be a great wayne thiebaud lesson plan – it relates to his dessert paintings in terms of subject matter and repetition. wayne thiebaud. cakes. 1963 a huge thank you to carol catelano webb, master art teacher, who taught this printing process at a san diego art educators workshop back in 2005.


here ' s what it takes to make a deadly virus transmissible through the air : as few as five genetic mutations, according to a new study. this research, published in the journal science, is the second of two controversial studies to finally be released that examines how the h5n1 bird flu virus can be genetically altered and transmitted in mammals. publication of both studies had been delayed many months due to fears that the research could be misused and become a bio - security threat. although these particular engineered forms of h5n1 have not been found in nature, the virus has potential to mutate enough such that it could become airborne. h5n1 influenza can be deadly to people, but in its natural forms it does not easily transfer between people through respiratory droplets, as far as scientists know. the world health organization has recorded 355 humans deaths from it out of 602 cases, although some research has questioned this high mortality rate. the journals science and nature had agreed to postpone the publication of the two studies related to the genetically altered virus. in january, the national science advisory board for biosecurity recommended that this research be published without " methods or details " that terrorists might be able to use for biological weapons. the board also said the data could assist in preparing for a possible future outbreak, however. then in february, the world health organization convened a meeting, at which the recommendation was to publish the studies - just not yet. in april, the national institutes of health chimed in, also recommending publication. the first study to be published on the topic was in the journal nature, and was led by the university of wisconsin - madison researcher yoshihiro kawaoka. it was released in may. the other research group, which authored the new study in science, was led by ron fouchier at the erasmus medical center in rotterdam, netherlands. both kawaoka and fouchier ' s groups created a mutated version of h5n1 that made it easier to transmit from mammal to mammal. they used ferrets because these animals are a good approximation for how viruses behave in humans. fouchier ' s study examines what mutations would be necessary to get the virus airborne. he and colleagues found five mutations consistent in a form of the h5n1 flu virus that could spread among ferrets through the air. none of the ferrets died after developing the flu, the researchers said. in a separate analysis, researchers looked at the likelihood that an airborne avian flu virus would


muscular dystrophy ( diss - tro - fee ) is the umbrella term to describe more than 40 diseases affecting primarily skeletal muscles. some forms first become apparent in infancy or childhood, but others don ' t appear until later. the distribution and amount of the affliction depend on the type of dystrophy. the diseases are generally inherited, although not always ; they involve progressive muscle weakness, and they ' re most commonly found in males. they differ in severity, depending on the age they first appear, the muscles affected, the rate at which symptoms progress ( pro - gress ), and the way they ' re inherited. these diseases include motor neuron ( new - ron ) diseases, diseases of the neuromuscular junction, and diseases of peripheral nerves. one disease you may have heard of is a - l - s, also known as lou gehrig ' s ( geh - rigg ' s ) disease. researchers have identified genes for nearly all the disorders, which makes it more likely to make an accurate diagnosis, as well as lead to developing treatments. some of the disorders are nongenetic and are caused by misdirected activity of the body ' s immune system. researchers are working on ways to change the immune system ' s actions to compensate for these activities. there ' s no cure, but symptoms can be treated with exercise programs, physical therapy, and rehabilitative ( re - huh - bill - uh - tay - tiv ) devices. with improved medical care, especially with problems involving the heart and lungs, children with muscular dystrophy are living longer than ever before.


webmd medical news daniel j. denoon laura j. martin, md march 29, 2012 - - one in every 88 u. s. children - - and one in 54 boys - - has autism, the cdc now estimates. the latest analysis, from a 2008 survey, shows autism is up 23 % since 2006 and 78 % since 2002. " this is a large number of children and families affected by autism, " study leader marshalyn yeargin - allsopp, md, chief of the cdc ' s developmental disabilities branch, tells webmd. " with nearly a doubling of prevalence since cdc started tracking in 1992, autism is officially becoming an epidemic in the u. s. we are dealing with a national emergency that is in need of a national plan, " mark roithmayr, president of the advocacy group autism speaks, said at a cdc teleconference held to announce the findings. more autism research and better services for people living with autism will be expensive. but the cost of autism already is astronomical, according to preliminary findings from an autism speaks - funded study by martin knapp, phd, of the london school of economics, and david mandell, scd, of the university of pennsylvania. at the new 2008 prevalence rate of one in 88 american children, autism costs the u. s. $ 137 billion a year. it has been estimated that 45 % of americans with autism have an intellectual disability. the lifetime cost for each person who has an intellectual disability related to autism is $ 2. 3 million, knapp and mandell estimate. why the huge increase in autism? that isn ' t clear. a number of factors likely contribute to the increase, says coleen a. boyle, phd, director of the cdc national center on birth defects and developmental disabilities. " we know that some of it is due to how children with autism are identified and served in their local communities, " boyle tells webmd. " we do feel doctors are getting better at diagnosing autism. … but we don ' t know how much is due to better identification and diagnosis, how much is due to availability of services, and how much is a true rise in prevalence. " roithmayr says there ' s a critical need to answer this question. " the increase in prevalence is only partly explained by the broadening of the diagnosis, improved detection and more awareness, " he said. " a large proportion of autism, some 50 %, remains unexplained. " one hint comes from data showing that autism prevalence