fleas, mites, and chiggers fleas, mites, and chiggers often bite humans, but are not poisonous. it is sometimes difficult to assess which type of insect caused the bite, or if the rash is caused by poison ivy or other skin conditions. what are the symptoms of a flea, mites, or chigger bite? the following are the most common symptoms of a flea, mite, or chigger bite. however, each individual may experience symptoms differently. symptoms may include : small, raised skin lesions pain or itching dermatitis ( inflammation of the skin ) allergic - type reactions in hypersensitive persons with swelling or blistering the symptoms of a flea, mite, or chigger bite may resemble other conditions or medical problems. always consult your physician for a diagnosis. treatment for bites caused by fleas, mites, and chiggers : specific treatment for these insect bites will be determined by your health care provider. some general guidelines for treatment may include the following : clean the area well with soap and water. use an antihistamine, if needed, for itching. take acetaminophen, if needed, for discomfort. when should i call my health care provider? call your doctor if any, or all, of the following symptoms are present : persistent pain or itching signs of infection at the site such as increased redness, warmth, swelling, or drainage call 911 or your local emergency medical service ( ems ) if the individual has signs of a severe allergic reaction such as trouble breathing, tightness in the throat or chest, feeling faint, dizziness, hives, and / or nausea and vomiting.


dementia and the sniff magnitude test sniff test may signal disorders ’ early stages by elizabeth svoboda published : august 14, 2007 the sniff magnitude test, developed with the aid of a $ 1. 3 million grant from the national institutes of health, consists of a nasal tube called a cannula attached to a plastic container about the size and shape of a coffee thermos. chemical vapors inside the canister are released through the tube, exposing subjects to a series of smells, some more objectionable than others. “ people describe some of the smells as skunky or sewerlike, ” said jason bailie, a university of cincinnati graduate student working on the test. “ there ’ s also one that smells like banana. ” as patients take whiffs of each new fragrance, sensors in the thermos unit measure the negative pressure the inhalations produce. the size and intensity of these sniffs turn out to be important gauges of olfactory ability. after detecting a strong or disagreeable odor, people with a normal sense of smell take very small sniffs to avoid smelling it. subjects with an impaired sense of smell, on the other hand, continue taking deep whiffs, because the scent does not register in their brains. the cincinnati team ’ s efforts have piqued the interest of other researchers, including dr. doty and alan hirsch of the smell and taste research and treatment foundation, who is using the sniff test in his clinical practice. “ they ’ ve chosen some very good odors that stimulate the olfactory system effectively, ” dr. doty said. “ this is a very novel approach — it just needs to be tested more broadly. ” still, dr. doty added, the sniff magnitude test may not be the ideal way to assess every patient with cognitive deficits. “ very early in life, we make a connection between an odor and its source, ” he said. “ we give it a name. if the connection between the name of an odor and the odor itself is what ’ s breaking down in an alzheimer ’ s patient, this test might not be as helpful, ” because it does not tell evaluators how a patient identifies and categorizes smells. the sniff magnitude test is likely to raise red flags only if an impending cognitive disorder directly affects a patient ’ s olfactory abilities. [... read the full article... ]


india info : india - more indian musical instruments by v. a. ponmelil ( feedback ) more indian musical instruments chitra veena / gotu vadhyam the chitraveena which is also referred to as the gotuvadhyam is one of the most exquisite instruments. it is a 21 stringed fretless lute similar to vichitraveena. it contains a flat top, two resonant chambers, and a hollow stem of wood. while the right hand plectrums pluck the strings, the left hand slides a piece of wood over the strings. it is one of the oldest instruments of the world and the forerunner of the fretted saraswati veena. the word jaltarang means " waves in water ". the jaltarang is an interesting ancient musical instrument consisting of a series of tuned bowls arranged in a semicircle around the performer. the bowls are of different sizes and are tuned precisely to the pitches of various ragas by adding appropriate amounts of water. the instrument is played by striking the inside edge of the bowls with two small wooden sticks, one held in each hand. jal tarang is not very common and is normally found in the accompaniment of kathak dancers. the morsing is a tiny instrument which is held in the left hand, the prongs against the upper and lower front teeth. the tongue, which protrudes from the mouth, is made of spring steel. this is plucked with the index finger of the right hand ( backwards, not forwards ) while the tone and timbre are adjusted by changing the shape of the mouth cavity and moving the tongue. further control of the sound can be achieved with the breath. like the mridangam, the morsing is tuned to the shruti and fine tuning is achieved by placing small amounts of bee ' s wax on the end of the tongue. the shank is one of the ancient instruments of india. it is also referred to as the sushirvadya which is associated with religious functions. in india it is considered very sacred. it is being regarded as one of the attributes of lord vishnu. before using, the shankh is drilled in such a way as to produce a hole at the base taking care that the natural hole is not disturbed. in athar¬veda, one finds reference to shankh, though it existed long, before. in bhagvad gita, during the time of war, shankh had played an important role. it also has different


on december 21, 2012, our calendar will align with the maya date 22. 214. 171. 124. 0, completing a great maya cycle of time. there ' s been a lot of hoopla that we are about to face a doomsday - - better known as the maya apocalypse. there are television specials and panic buying of disaster supplies in russia, a reminder of the stockpiling that took place for y2k back in 1999. while the maya date will coincide with the solstice, the shortest day of the year, will it also coincide with the end of the world? i ' m no seer, but i am confident that december 22 will see the dawn. the ancient maya of mexico, guatemala, belize and honduras were close keepers of time. they charted every day, organizing them into 20 - and 400 - year periods. using a base - 20 counting system ( ours is base 10 ) and zero, they easily calculated thousands of dates, some noting the existence of millions of years. during the height of their civilization in the 8th century, the maya recorded dates and deeds at dozens of city - states, from births and battles to the triumphant wrenching of trophies from enemies. artists inscribed their signatures on painted pots and stone sculptures. stucco inscriptions adorned monumental pyramids that crested over the rainforest canopy. but to continue building ever grander structures, the maya needed the natural resources. most of all, they needed timber to burn limestone in order to make cement. by the late 8th century, the rainforest was in retreat, fuel was scarce and recurrent drought led to desperation, which then led to chronic warfare. and so around 800 ad, one of the most extraordinary civilizations came to a crushing halt. small groups of desperate dwellers in some cities held out behind hastily thrown - up palisades. elsewhere, foes burned enemy cities to the ground and smashed monuments, leaving them scattered across the surface to be found in recent times. scrub jungle overtook what had been sparkling white plazas. compact ball courts that had seen raucous competition of a team sport played like soccer went silent. wildlife scavenged lavish furnishings for their nests and dens. the reasons were many, and the outcome was shocking. the maya civilization collapsed in most of its southern lowlands, leaving only abandoned pyramids in silent cities. this was the true face of apocalypse. did they see it coming? just a few years before the rot set in, maya painters at the site of bonampak, a small city in chiapas, mexico,


pyramids in silent cities. this was the true face of apocalypse. did they see it coming? just a few years before the rot set in, maya painters at the site of bonampak, a small city in chiapas, mexico, covered the walls of a small three - room palace with extraordinary murals. they painted more individuals - - men, mainly, but women and children, too - - than had been rendered before, numbering more than 250. they deployed more fancy pigments than had been used before, more than would ever be used again in ancient mexico, some 47 vibrant blues, reds and yellows. the paintings reveal the social layers of courtiers and lords, musicians and dwarves, victims and their blade - wielding sacrificers. musicians, singers and performers lined up to perform on plazas and pyramids. none of these activities or materials was new, but what was new was the rapidly crumbling world around the bonampak painters. no one could change - - the paintings seem to tell us. the maya ignored the crisis in front of them, instead dancing with great panaches of precious quetzal feathers on pyramids, as if the present would forever hold. now in the 21st century, perhaps we have also reached a precipice. global warming is not just fearful thinking - - it ' s real. weeks after superstorm sandy, scientists are now predicting the near - term and long - term effects of global warming as more dire that previously thought. some, perhaps like our maya predecessors, would rather not see the writing on the walls of our flooded cities. the crises pile up in front of us, one after another, and we ignore them at our peril. acknowledging and doing something about the problems in front of us seems hard. give us more feathers. build more walls. stockpile canned goods and buy a generator. as for december 21, rest easy. this day will pass as if it were nothing more than the maya y2k, the nonevent of the decade. we ' ll wake up on december 22, and the world will still be here. and so will our pressing environmental challenges. we need to make some hard decisions and resolve that we will confront our own brewing apocalypse before it ' s too late. follow us on twitter @ cnnopinion


young goats learn new and distinctive bleating " accents " once they begin to socialise with other kids. the discovery is a surprise because the sounds most mammals make were thought to be too primitive to allow subtle variations to emerge or be learned. the only known exceptions are humans, bats and cetaceans – although many birds, including songbirds, parrots and hummingbirds have legendary song - learning or mimicry abilities. now, goats have joined the club. " it ' s the first ungulate to show evidence of this, " says alan mcelligott of queen mary, university of london. mcelligott and his colleague, elodie briefer, made the discovery using 23 newborn kids. to reduce the effect of genetics, all were born to the same father, but from several mothers, so the kids were a mixture of full siblings plus their half - brothers and sisters. the researchers allowed the kids to stay close to their mothers, and recorded their bleats at the age of 1 week. then, the 23 kids were split randomly into four separate " gangs " ranging from five to seven animals. when all the kids reached 5 weeks, their bleats were recorded again. " we had about 10 to 15 calls per kid to analyse, " says mcelligott. some of the calls are clearly different to the human ear, but the full analysis picked out more subtle variations, based on 23 acoustic parameters. what emerged was that each kid gang had developed its own distinctive patois. " it probably helps with group cohesion, " says mcelligott. " people presumed this didn ' t exist in most mammals, but hopefully now, they ' ll check it out in others, " says mcelligott. " it wouldn ' t surprise me if it ' s found in other ungulates and mammals. " erich jarvis of duke university medical center in durham, north carolina, says the results fit with an idea he has developed with colleague gustavo arriaga, arguing that vocal learning is a feature of many species. " i would call this an example of limited vocal learning, " says jarvis. " it involves small modifications to innately specified learning, as opposed to complex vocal learning which would involve imitation of entirely novel sounds. " journal reference : animal behaviour, doi : 10. 1016 / j. anbehav. 2012. 01. 020 if you would like to reuse any content from new scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first


walter bagehot ( february 3, 1826 – march 24, 1877 ) was a british journalist, political analyst and economist, famous for his analysis of british parliament and money market. under his leadership the economist became one of world ’ s leading business and political journals. bagehot recognized that economics in not just a matter of the external, material aspects of financial transactions, but also involves the internal aspects of people ' s desires, motivations, and personality. thus, he always emphasized social issues in his writings, and endeavored to make issues of government transparent to the public. bagehot had an original and insightful mind, recognizing that the character of leaders was often more important than their political affiliation or beliefs. his work has continued to inform and inspire debate, contributing to our understanding of the functioning of human society and its improvement. walter bagehot was born in on february 3, 1826, in langport, somerset, england, the son of a local banker. he attended the university college london, where he earned a master ' s degree in mathematics in 1848. he studied law and was called to the bar, but decided not to practice, instead joining his father in the banking business, in stuckey & co. in the west of england. while still working as a banker, bagehot started to write, first for some periodicals, and then for the national review. he soon became the editor of the paper. in 1857, he met james wilson, founder and editor of the economist, a political and financial weekly newsmagazine. bagehot married wilson ’ s daughter in 1858. in 1860, bagehot succeeded his father - in - law, james wilson, as editor of the economist. after taking over he expanded the publication ' s reporting on the united states and on politics, and is considered to have increased its influence among policymakers. bagehot became influential in both politics and economics, among whose friends were statesmen george cornewall lewis and grant duff, lord carnarvon, prime minister william ewart gladstone, and the governor and directors of the bank of england. bagehot made several attempts to be elected as a member of parliament, but without success. he remained at the head of the economist for the rest of his life. he died suddenly on march 24, 1877 in his home in langport, somerset, england, at the age of 51. bagehot was a person with a whole variety of interests. he wrote on the topics of economics, politics, law, literature,


suddenly on march 24, 1877 in his home in langport, somerset, england, at the age of 51. bagehot was a person with a whole variety of interests. he wrote on the topics of economics, politics, law, literature, and so forth. he remains most famous however for his three books : the english constitution ( 1867 ), physics and politics ( 1872 ), and lombard street ( 1873 ). in addition to these volumes, he commanded substantial influence through his editorship of the economist. the english constitution in 1867, bagehot wrote the english constitution which explored the constitution of the united kingdom, specifically the functioning of the british parliament and the british monarchy, and the contrasts between british and american government. bagehot revealed how the parliament operated as it were " behind a curtain, " hidden from public knowledge. he divided the constitution into two components : - the dignified – symbolic side of the constitution, and - the efficient - the real face of the constitution, the way things actually work and get done. instead of describing the constitution from the point of the law, as a lawyer would, bagehot focused on the practical implications of the constitution, as experienced by the common man. the book soon became widely popular, ensuring bagehot worldwide fame. he criticized american presidential system, claiming that it lacked flexibility and accountability. while in the english parliament real debates took place, after which changes could take place, in the american congress debates had no power, since the president made the final decision. in bagehot ' s view : a parliamentary system educates the public, while a presidential system corrupts it. ( the english constitution 1867 ) he also criticized the way american presidents are chosen, saying : under a presidential constitution the preliminary caucuses that choose the president need not care as to the ultimate fitness of the man they choose. they are solely concerned with his attractiveness as a candidate. ( the english constitution, 1867 ) physics and politics bagehot wrote physics and politics in 1872, in which he tried to apply the principles of evolution to human societies. the subtitle of the book reads : thoughts on the application of the principles of " natural selection " and " inheritance " to political society. the book represented a pioneering effort to make a relationship between the natural and the social sciences. bagehot explained the functioning of the market, and how it affects the behavior of the people. for example, he believed that people tend to invest money when the mood of the market is positive, and restrain from it when


and the social sciences. bagehot explained the functioning of the market, and how it affects the behavior of the people. for example, he believed that people tend to invest money when the mood of the market is positive, and restrain from it when it comes to a negative phase. in this book bagehot also reflected on the psychology of politics, especially on the personality of a leader. he stressed two things as essential for leadership : the personality of a leader and his motivation. bagehot believed that motivation played one of the key roles in good leadership, and that the personality of a leader often counted more than the policy he endorsed : it is the life of teachers which is catching, not their tenets. ” ( physics and politics 1872 ) bagehot claimed that the personal example of the leader sets the tone for the whole governance. that is why “ character issues ” are so important for any government. character " issues " still play an important role in deciding the potential candidate for any leadership position in today ’ s modern world. bagehot coined the expression " the cake of custom, " denoting the sets of customs that any society is rooted in. bagehot believed that customs develop and evolve throughout human history, with the best organized groups overthrowing the poorly organized groups. in this sense bagehot ’ s views are a clear example of cultural selection, closer to lamarckian than darwinian evolution. the central problem in his book was to understand why europeans could break away from tradition and “ the cake of custom ” and instead focus on progress and novelty. he saw tradition as important in keeping societies cohesive, but also believed that diversity was essential for progress : the great difficulty which history records is not that of the first step, but that of the second step. what is most evident is not the difficulty of getting a fixed law, but getting out of a fixed law ; not of cementing ( as upon a former occasion i phrased it ) a cake of custom, but of breaking the cake of custom ; not of making the first preservative habit, but of breaking through it, and reaching something better. ( physics and politics 1872 ) in his famous lombard street ( 1873 ), bagehot explained the theory behind the banking system, using insights from the english money market. as with his analysis of the english constitution six years earlier, bagehot described the english banking system through the eyes of a simple person, as experienced in everyday life. bagehot showed that the english money system was solely relying


english money market. as with his analysis of the english constitution six years earlier, bagehot described the english banking system through the eyes of a simple person, as experienced in everyday life. bagehot showed that the english money system was solely relying on the central bank, the bank of england. bagehot had warned that the whole reserve was in the central bank, under no effectual penalty of failure. he proposed several ideas how to improve that system. bagehot ’ s work can be closely associated with the english historicist tradition. he did not directly oppose classical economics, but advocated for its reorganization. he claimed that economics needed to incorporate more factors in its theory, such as cultural and social factors, in order to be more accurate in theorizing about economic processes. bagehot was one of the first to study the relationship between physical and social sciences from a sociological perspective. in his contributions to sociological theory through historical studies, bagehot may be compared to his contemporary henry maine. he also developed a distinct theory of central banking, many points of which continue to be valued. with his analysis of english and united states political systems in the english constitution, bagehot influenced woodrow wilson to write his congressional government. in honor of his achievements and his work as its editor, the economist named its weekly column on british politics after him. every year the british political studies association awards the walter bagehot prize for the best dissertation in the field of government and public administration. - bagehot, walter. 1848. review of mill ' s principles of political economy. prospective review, 4 ( 16 ), 460 - 502. - bagehot, walter. 1858. estimates of some englishmen and scotchmen. london : chapman and hall. - bagehot, walter. 1875. a new standard of value. the economist, november 20. - bagehot, walter. 1879. literary studies. london : longmans, green and co. - bagehot, walter. 1998. ( original 1880 ). economic studies. augustus m kelley pubs. isbn 0678008523 - bagehot, walter. 2001. ( original 1867 ). the english constitution. oxford university press. isbn 0192839756 - bagehot, walter. 2001. ( original 1873 ). lombard street : a description of the money market. adamant media corporation. isbn 140210006x - bagehot, walter. 2001. ( original 1877 ). some articles on the depreciation of


2001. ( original 1873 ). lombard street : a description of the money market. adamant media corporation. isbn 140210006x - bagehot, walter. 2001. ( original 1877 ). some articles on the depreciation of silver and on topics connected with it. adamant media corporation. isbn 140216288x - bagehot, walter. 2001. ( original 1889 ). the works of walter bagehot. adamant media corporation. isbn 1421254530 - bagehot, walter. 2006. ( original 1881 ). biographical studies. kessinger publishing. isbn 1428608400 - bagehot, walter. 2006. ( original 1872 ). physics and politics. dodo press. isbn 1406504408 - bagehot, walter. 2006. ( original 1885 ). the postulates of english political economy. cosimo. isbn 1596053771 - barrington, russell. 1914. life of walter bagehot. longmans, green and co. - buchan, alastair. 1960. the spare chancellor : the life of walter bagehot. michigan state university press. isbn 087013051x - cousin, john william. 1910. a short biographical dictionary of english literature. new york, e. p. dutton. - morgan, forrest. 1995. the works of walter bagehot. routledge. isbn 0415131545 - orel, harold. 1984. victorian literary critics : george henry lewes, walter bagehot, richard holt hutton, leslie stephen, andrew lang, george saintsbury, and edmund goss. palgrave macmillan. isbn 0312843046 - sisson c. h. 1972. the case of walter bagehot. faber and faber ltd. isbn 0571095011 - stevas, norman. 1959. walter bagehot a study of his life and thought together with a selection from his political writings. indiana university press. - sullivan, harry r. 1975. walter bagehot. twayne publishers. isbn 0805710183 all links retrieved december 6, 2012. - bagehot and the age of discussion – commentary on bagehot ’ s physics and politics - major works – some full - text works of walter bagehot - quotations from walter bagehot - walter bagehot – biography - works by walter bagehot. project gutenberg new world encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the


in january 1968, nixon decided to once again seek the nomination of the republican party for president. portraying himself as a figure of stability in a time of national upheaval, nixon promised a return to traditional values and " law and order. " he fended off challenges from other candidates such as california governor ronald reagan, new york governor nelson rockefeller, and michigan governor george romney to secure the nomination at the republican convention in miami. nixon unexpectedly chose governor spiro agnew of maryland as his running mate. nixon ' s campaign was helped by the tumult within the democratic party in 1968. consumed by the war in vietnam, president lyndon b. johnson announced on march 31 that he would not seek re - election. on june 5, immediately after winning the california primaries, former attorney general and then - u. s. senator robert f. kennedy ( brother of the late president john f. kennedy ) was assassinated in los angeles. the campaign of vice president hubert humphrey, the democratic nominee for president, went into a tailspin after the democratic national convention in chicago was marred by mass protests and violence. by contrast, nixon appeared to represent a calmer society, and his campaign promised peace at home and abroad. despite a late surge by humphrey, nixon won by nearly 500, 000 popular votes. third - party candidate george wallace, the once and future governor of alabama, won nearly ten million popular votes and 46 electoral votes, principally in the deep south. once in office, nixon and his staff faced the problem of how to end the vietnam war, which had broken his predecessor ' s administration and threatened to cause major unrest at home. as protesters in america ' s cities called for an immediate withdrawal from southeast asia, nixon made a nationally televised address on november 3, 1969, calling on the " silent majority " of americans to renew their confidence in the american government and back his policy of seeking a negotiated peace in vietnam. earlier that year, nixon and his defense secretary melvin laird had unveiled the policy of " vietnamization, " which entailed reducing american troop levels in vietnam and transferring the burden of fighting to south vietnam ; accordingly, u. s. troop strength in vietnam fell from 543, 000 in april 1969 to zero on march 29, 1973. nevertheless, the nixon administration was harshly criticized for its use of american military force in cambodia and its stepped - up bombing raids during the later years of the first term. nixon ' s foreign policy aimed to reduce international tensions by forging new links with old rivals. in february 1972, nixon traveled


for its use of american military force in cambodia and its stepped - up bombing raids during the later years of the first term. nixon ' s foreign policy aimed to reduce international tensions by forging new links with old rivals. in february 1972, nixon traveled to beijing, hangzhou, and shanghai in china for talks with chinese leaders chairman mao zedong and premier zhou enlai. nixon ' s trip was the first high - level contact between the united states and the people ' s republic of china in more than twenty years, and it ushered in a new era of relations between washington and beijing. several weeks later, in may 1972, nixon visited moscow for a summit meeting with leonid brezhnev, general secretary of the communist party of the soviet union, and other soviet leaders. their talks led to the signing of the strategic arms limitation treaty, the first comprehensive and detailed nuclear weapons limitation pact between the two superpowers. foreign policy initiatives represented only one aspect of nixon ' s presidency during his first term. in august 1969, nixon proposed the family assistance plan, a welfare reform that would have guaranteed an income to all americans. the plan, however, did not receive congressional approval. in august 1971, spurred by high inflation rates, nixon imposed wage and price controls in an effort to gain control of price levels in the u. s. economy ; at the same time, prompted by worries over the soundness of u. s. currency, nixon took the dollar off the gold standard and let it float against other countries ' currencies. on july 19, 1969, astronauts neil armstrong and buzz aldrin became the first humans to walk on the earth ' s moon, while fellow astronaut michael collins orbited in the apollo 11 command module. nixon made what has been termed the longest - distance telephone call ever made to speak with the astronauts from the oval office. and on september 28, 1971, nixon signed legislation abolishing the military draft. in addition to such weighty affairs of state, nixon ' s first term was also full of lighter - hearted moments. on april 29, 1969, nixon awarded the presidential medal of freedom, the nation ' s highest civilian honor, to duke ellington - and then led hundreds of guests in singing " happy birthday " to the famed band leader. on june 12, 1971, tricia became the sixteenth white house bride when she and edward finch cox of new york married in the rose garden. ( julie had wed dwight david eisenhower ii, grandson of president eisenhower, on december 22, 1968, in new york '


, 1971, tricia became the sixteenth white house bride when she and edward finch cox of new york married in the rose garden. ( julie had wed dwight david eisenhower ii, grandson of president eisenhower, on december 22, 1968, in new york ' s marble collegiate church, while her father was president - elect. ) perhaps most famous was nixon ' s meeting with elvis presley on december 21, 1970, when the president and the king discussed the drug problem facing american youth. re - election, second term, and watergate in his 1972 bid for re - election, nixon defeated south dakota senator george mcgovern, the democratic candidate for president, by one of the widest electoral margins ever, winning 520 electoral college votes to mcgovern ' s 17 and nearly 61 percent of the popular vote. just a few months later, investigations and public controversy over the watergate scandal had sapped nixon ' s popularity. the watergate scandal began with the june 1972 discovery of a break - in at the democratic national committee offices in the watergate office complex in washington, d. c., but media and official investigations soon revealed a broader pattern of abuse of power by the nixon administration, leading to his resignation. the watergate burglars were soon linked to officials of the committee to re - elect the president, the group that had run nixon ' s 1972 re - election campaign. soon thereafter, several administration officials resigned ; some, including former attorney general john mitchell, were later convicted of offenses connected with the break - in and other crimes and went to jail. nixon denied any personal involvement with the watergate burglary, but the courts forced him to yield tape recordings of conversations between the president and his advisers indicating that the president had, in fact, participated in the cover - up, including an attempt to use the central intelligence agency to divert the fbi ' s investigation into the break - in. ( for more information about watergate, please visit the ford presidential library and museum ' s online watergate exhibit. ) investigations into watergate also revealed other abuses of power, including numerous warrantless wiretaps on reporters and others, campaign " dirty tricks, " and the creation of a " plumbers " unit within the white house. the plumbers, formed in response to the leaking of the pentagon papers to news organizations by former pentagon official daniel ellsberg, broke into the office of ellsberg ' s psychiatrist. adding to nixon ' s worries was an investigation into vice president agnew ' s ties to several campaign contributors. the


pentagon papers to news organizations by former pentagon official daniel ellsberg, broke into the office of ellsberg ' s psychiatrist. adding to nixon ' s worries was an investigation into vice president agnew ' s ties to several campaign contributors. the department of justice found that agnew had taken bribes from maryland construction firms, leading to agnew ' s resigning in october 1973 and his entering a plea of no contest to income tax evasion. nixon nominated gerald ford, republican leader in the house of representatives, to succeed agnew. ford was confirmed by both houses of congress and took office on december 6, 1973. such controversies all but overshadowed nixon ' s other initiatives in his second term, such as the signing of the paris peace accords ending american involvement in the vietnam war in january 1973 ; two summit meetings with brezhnev, in june 1973 in washington and in june and july 1974 in moscow ; and the administration ' s efforts to secure a general peace in the middle east following the yom kippur war of 1973. the revelations from the watergate tapes, combined with actions such as nixon ' s firing of watergate special prosecutor archibald cox, badly eroded the president ' s standing with the public and congress. facing certain impeachment and removal from office, nixon announced his decision to resign in a national televised address on the evening of august 8, 1974. he resigned effective at noon the next day, august 9, 1974. vice president ford then became president of the united states. on september 8, 1974, ford pardoned nixon for " all offenses against the united states " which nixon " has committed or may have committed or taken part in " during his presidency. in response, nixon issued a statement in which he said that he regretted " not acting more decisively and forthrightly in dealing with watergate. "


an annular pancreas is a ring of pancreatic tissue that encircles the duodenum ( the first part of the small intestine ). normally, the pancreas sits next to, but does not surround, the duodenum. annular pancreas is a congenital defect, which means it is present at birth. symptoms occur when the ring of pancreas squeezes and narrows the small intestine so that food cannot pass easily or at all. newborns may have symptoms of complete blockage of the intestine. however, up to half of people with this condition do not have symptoms until adulthood. there are also cases that are not detected because the symptoms are mild. conditions that may be associated with annular pancreas include : newborns may not tolerate feedings. they may spit up more than normal, not drink enough breast milk or formula, and cry. adult symptoms may include : surgical bypass of the blocked part of the duodenum is the usual treatment for this disorder. the outcome is usually good with surgery. adults with an annular pancreas are at increased risk for pancreatic or biliary tract cancer. call for an appointment with your health care provider if you or your child has any symptoms of annular pancreas. semrin mg, russo ma. anatomy, histology, embryology, and developmental anomalies of the stomach and duodenum. in : feldman m, friedman ls, brandt lj, eds. sleisenger & fordtran ' s gastrointestinal and liver disease. 9th ed. philadelphia, pa : saunders elsevier ; 2010 : chap 45. updated by : david c. dugdale, iii, md, professor of medicine, division of general medicine, department of medicine, university of washington school of medicine. also reviewed by david zieve, md, mha, medical director, a. d. a. m. health solutions, ebix, inc. the information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. a licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. call 911 for all medical emergencies. links to other sites are provided for information only - - they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. copyright 1997 - 2013, a. d. a. m., inc. duplication for commercial use must be authorized in writing by adam health solutions.


coastal clash : defining public property and the history of the public trust doctrine " coastal clash " is a one - hour documentary focusing on the urbanization of california ' s coastline. the activities and lesson plans for the film " coastal clash " target students at the high school level and align with the california state standards for government. in this lesson plan, students will do research and group work related to the concept of the public trust doctrine. enhancing modern languages teaching : student participation and motivation enhancing modern languages teaching : student participation and motivation the icarus syndrome : a history of american hubris the icarus syndrome tells a tale as old as the greek – a story about the seductions of success. in conversation with associate professor brendan o ' connor from the us studies centre, peter beinart portrays three extraordinary generations : the progressives... ( running time 60 : 06 ) oberlin history as american history this site offers exhibits that tell about the lives and histories of the people of oberlin, ohio. the website features the story of an amistad captive, oberlin women and the struggle for equality, and the city ' s cooperative tradition. it also includes city maps and pictures, letters and essays related to the city ' s founding and development, newspaper articles regarding the niagara movement, and census data. ancient and medieval philosophy, fall 2006 this course will concentrate on major figures and persistent themes in ancient and medieval philosophy. a balance will be sought between scope and depth, the latter ensured by a close reading of selected texts. ancient wisdom and modern love, spring 2007 built around plato ' s symposium, shakespeare ( including a midsummer night ' s dream ), catholic writings ( including humanae vitae ), and several movies, this course explores the nature of romance and erotic love. we will examine such topics as sexuality, marriage, and procreation with an eye towards how we can be better at being in love. the course generally tries to integrate the analytic approach of philosophy with the imaginative approach of literature. medicine and public health in american history, fall 2007 this course offers an introduction to differing conceptions of disease, health, and healing throughout american history, the changing role and image of medicine and medical professionals in american life, and the changing social and cultural meanings and entanglements of medical science and practice throughout american history. creating people centred schools : section two, school organization : a brief history this provides an overview of organizational styles and the importance of cultures as well as structures in organizational models and change. welsh history and its sources this unit is a teaching and


american history. creating people centred schools : section two, school organization : a brief history this provides an overview of organizational styles and the importance of cultures as well as structures in organizational models and change. welsh history and its sources this unit is a teaching and learning resource for anyone interested in welsh history. it contains study materials, links to some of the most important institutions that contribute to our understanding of the history of wales, and a pool of resources that great unsolved mysteries in canadian history this site includes a collection of nine historical mysteries which draw students into canadian history, critical thinking and archival research through the enticement of solving historical cold crimes. each of the mystery archives includes an average of 100, 000 words in english ( and in french ), as well as up to several hundred images plus maps. some of the mystery websites also include 3 - d recreations, videos and oral history interviews. site users can look at the collections of archival materia he who destroyes a good booke, kills reason itselfe : an exhibition of books which have survived fire in 1955, robert vosper of the university of kansas libraries put together what would become an internationally recognized exhibit of materials that have been banned and / or censored. this catalog of the exhibit explains why each item was of concern in its time, and includes images of many. works date from the 1500s to mid - 1950s. research guide for doing undergraduate history a website designed to help undergraduates use internet ( and printed ) resources in researching and writing history papers at a more sophisticated level than the traditional term paper based on secondary materials. history of migraine and risk of pregnancy induced hypertension this peer reviewed article studies the relationship between women who have a history of migraine headaches in relation to developing preeclampsia or gestrational hypertension during pregnancy. the study included 172 women with preeclampsia and 254 with gestrational hypertension. the control included 505 women with no history of hypertension before pregnancy. the study concluded that women who had a history of migraines may be at a higher risk for developing hypertension during pregnancy. history of science in latin american and the caribbean : a virtual archive this site is " a comprehensive database of primary sources on the history of science in latin america and the caribbean. the site, launched in january 2010, provides a virtual archive of over 200 primary sources along with introductions based on the latest scholarly findings. " according to the site, it " is organized into topics that are organized approximately chronologically, but


the caribbean. the site, launched in january 2010, provides a virtual archive of over 200 primary sources along with introductions based on the latest scholarly findings. " according to the site, it " is organized into topics that are organized approximately chronologically, but each one stands alone. the archive, or database of primary sources, is designed in a modular fashion, so viewers from east asia in world history this site is designed as a resource site for teachers of world history, world geography, and world cultures. it provides background information and curriculum materials, including primary source documents for students. the material is arranged in 14 topic sections. the topics and the historical periods into which they are divided follow the national standards in world history and the content outline for the advanced placement course in world history. seventeen moments in soviet history begins with the bolshevik seizure of power in 1917 & ends with the dissolution of the soviet union in 1991. it includes the kronstadt uprising ( 1921 ), the death of lenin ( 1924 ), the liquidation of the kulaks as a class ( 1929 ), the year of the stakhanovite ( 1936 ), the end of rationing ( 1947 ), the virgin lands campaign ( 1954 ), khrushchev ' s secret speech ( 1956 ), the first cosmonaut ( 1961 ), the intervention in czechoslovakia ( 1968 ), & chernobyl ( 1986 ). ( neh ) the mongols in world history a sophisticated web site on the history and impact of the mongols. separate pages deal with such topics as the nature of nomadic life, key figures, the mongol conquests, and the impact of the mongols on china and the world. an image gallery and set of historical maps as well as other class materials and readings add to the value of the site. that one of the leading experts on the mongols, morris rosabe, was a consultant gives the site much creditability. a radically modern approach to introductory physics volume 2 this is the second part ( chapters 13 - 24 ) of a pdf textbook for a one - year introductory physics course. the text was developed out of an alternate beginning physics course at new mexico tech designed for students with a strong interest in physics. a broad outline of the text is as follows : newton ' s law of gravitation ; forces in relativity ; electromagnetic forces ; generation of electromagnetic fields ; capacitors, inductors, and resistors ; measuring the very small ; atoms ; the standard mode ; atomic mactutor history of mathematics archive an award - winning site concerning the history of


ice core gateway : vostok ice core co2 data the vostok ice core has a long record of global carbon dioxide concentrations, with variations caused by factors other than photosynthesis and human activity. ice core data sets from three different authors are available for download. users can also link to other noaa paleoclimate projects and information. phases of the moon this site contains a series of visualizations of the sun, moon and earth system and how they relate to the changing face of the moon. animations are in the form of java applets, forms for field observation of the moon, and a collection of exercises and pdf versions of background material. there are practice questions and quizzes that discuss the animations. planetary climate exercise this ms word document explains roles for a planetary climate role - playing exercise dealing with the atmospheres of venus and the earth. roles include experts on coal, carbon dioxide, heat balance, spectroscopy, atmospheric transmission and the water cycle. starting out with earth history this activity asks students to place 6 - 10 events in earth history on a timeline, first working in small groups and then as a class. then, through questions, important points such as how certain events are dated, where humanity fits in, and so forth, can be brought up. the starting point website builds a context for the exercise by detailing the learning goals, teaching notes and materials ( downloadable ), and additional resources. japan ' s nuclear policy ambassador ryukichi imai - journalist, nuclear engineer, and general manager at japan atomic power company - was japanese ambassador to the united nations disarmament conference from 1982 to 1987. in this video segment, imai explains why he believes that japan will never embark on a nuclear - weapons program. he also predicts that, while japan stands alone in its reliance on nuclear energy, rising energy prices - even post - chernobyl - will revive worldwide interest in nuclear power. in the interview he co from mutual assured destruction to star wars caspar weinberger served as u. s. president ronald reagan ' s secretary of defense from 1981 to 1987. in this video segment, weinberger explains how deployment of the mx missile stopped the soviet union from believing it could successfully launch a first strike, which he feels is ' the essence of deterrence. ' a better alternative to ' mutual assured destruction, ' he argues, is the strategic defense initiative, the reagan administration ' s hotly contested proposal to design space - based weapons that cou bruce kent, ordained a catholic minister in 1958, became general secretary


a better alternative to ' mutual assured destruction, ' he argues, is the strategic defense initiative, the reagan administration ' s hotly contested proposal to design space - based weapons that cou bruce kent, ordained a catholic minister in 1958, became general secretary of the campaign for nuclear disarmament ( cnd ) in 1980 and chairman in 1987, the year he resigned from the ministry. in this video segment, he challenges the damaging spin that secretary for defense lord michael heseltine used to undermine cnd rather than engage in public debate about nuclear policy. kent also refutes accusations that cnd was in support of ' one - sided, ' full unilateral disarmament. instead, he argues for ' s ' city archives ' was written and directed by richard foreman, founder and director of the ontological hysteric theater. he serves as the narrator for this work, discussing the power of ' the foreign ' and images, talking directly into a microphone in a purposely stilted manner and addressing questions to the viewer. a sort of classroom overpopulated by adults sets the stage for the work. phrases are written and erased on a blackboard, and women gaze out a window, physically supporting planks of woo femme a la cafetiere, la acclaimed theater director brings movement to cezanne ' s painting, reproduced in the studio for the camera. [ suzushi hanayagi, ] a dancer from the kabuki theater, performs the role of the woman, whose slight, almost imperceptible, facial and body movements - - together with mysteriously animated objects and strange apparitions - - bring the painting alive. a spoon stirs a cup of coffee without the benefit of human assistance. an off - camera figure manipulates objects. the woman eats green candies. a ' barbara two, ' by patrick ireland, features a close - up portrait of a woman ' s face, with light and shadow playing across it by the manipulation of the light source. the woman in the piece is barbara novak. no master material exists for this piece that is two minutes long. patrick ireland was the pseudonym of brian o ' doherty, a funder and critic of video art. sydney an der wupper ' sydney an der wupper ' is a film featuring the australian dancer meryl tankard. tankard goes through a day in the city, riding the subway, taking a singing lesson, and bathing at a public house. as the work progresses, it becomes harder and harder to distinguish between fantasy and reality.


australian dancer meryl tankard. tankard goes through a day in the city, riding the subway, taking a singing lesson, and bathing at a public house. as the work progresses, it becomes harder and harder to distinguish between fantasy and reality. tankard ' s character imagines herself dancing with a man across train platforms and through streets. in one scene the two of them are dancing on a hockey rink, sliding across the icy surface. tankard climbs la ' hall ' s crossing ' refers to a place in the american west where natural rhythms collide with scenic cruisers and tour buses. ' hall ' s crossing ' is an electronic ' see america, ' set in a place where natural vistas and cultural myths overlap, a place where the canyon meets the road. scenes of the grand canyon portray both the beauty of the area and its invasion by tourists. the tourists attempt to capture the imagery through the medium of photography. at one point a narrator, dr. giselda benda, speak ellis island ( a work in progress ) ' ellis island ( a work in progress ) ' is a haunting, reflective piece on ellis island and the immigrants who passed through there. black - and - white, near - static shots of actors and actresses realistically portraying turn - of - the - century immigrants are combined with color shots of a modern - day tour guide conducting a tour of the buildings. re - creations of the medical examinations the immigrants underwent and the conditions they lived through are filmed in the run - down buildings of ellis island before artists beth b. and ida applebroog use videotaped performance combined with figurative drawing and captions to create a disturbing, provocative program about the unthinkable yet prevalent occurrence of child victimization. the script for the program is delivered in brief monologues by a cast of several men and women reading statements from various texts, including the writings of freud and the testimonies of josef mengele ' s victims. it is then intercut with a boy ' s voice repeating ' i am not a ba ofrece las ltimas noticias de la ciencia. la clase de jueves proporciona nuevos planes y actividades de la leccin basados en una historia actual del ttulo y conecta la ltima investigacin de nasa con la instruccin. pasados asuntos incluyen buck rogers, cuidado!, adis a la mir, despus de tres intentos, se retira la ni


la ltima investigacin de nasa con la instruccin. pasados asuntos incluyen buck rogers, cuidado!, adis a la mir, despus de tres intentos, se retira la nia?, y ms. robotics with the xbc controller this course offers a brief history of robotics, and a definition of robot and robotics. the course includes an introduction to ic and the xbc, downloading firmware, updating the bitstream, and ic environment and simulator. it concludes with an activity building a demo - bot. earth ' s magnetic field the poetry website explores solar storms and how they affect us, space weather, and the northern lights. a 64 - page workbook of hands - on activities examines earth ' s magnetosphere. create a classroom magnetometer. solve the space science problem of the week. foilsim : basic aerodynamics software this is an interactive simulation software that determines the airflow around various shapes of airfoils. this is is a primer on scientific efforts to understand the origin, evolution, and fate of the universe. among the questions it explores : what types of matter and energy fill the universe? what is the age and shape of the universe? how rapidly is it expanding? the website examines the big bang theory, as well as tests and limitations of the theory. center for educational resources ( ceres ) project this is an extensive library of on - line and interactive k - 12 science education materials for teaching astronomy. the site contains both classroom science projects and reference materials.


national teachers initiative the national teachers initiative is a project of storycorps, the american oral history project. each month this school year, " weekend edition sunday " will celebrate stories of public school teachers across the country. learning works charter school in california takes an unorthodox approach to getting young people to graduate. students who had previously dropped out get mentors who help with everything from getting to class on time to staying up late studying. now, some of those who graduated are helping others. december 25, 2011 teacher john hunter invented the world peace game to get his elementary students to think about major world issues. he also wanted to teach them compassion and kindness. at least two of his former students are on the path he helped to pave. october 30, 2011 ayodeji ogunniyi ' s family came to the u. s. from nigeria in 1990. his father worked as a cab driver in chicago, and he always wanted his son to become a doctor. but while ogunniyi was studying pre - med in college, his father was murdered on the job. at that point, he says, his life changed course. september 25, 2011 as a middle - school student in the ' 80s, lee buono stayed after school one day to remove the brain and spinal cord from a frog. he did such a good job that his science teacher told him he might be a neurosurgeon someday. that ' s exactly what buono did. september 25, 2011 storycorps is honing in on lessons about learning with a new project for the academic year called the national teachers initiative. it ' ll feature conversations with teachers across the country — teachers talking to each other, students interviewing the teachers who changed their lives, and more.


why separation of powers matters : is freedom inevitable? the answer to that question is obvious but essential. freedom is not inevitable. historically, freedom is a temporary condition enjoyed by only a fraction of the earth ' s population. since freedom is not inevitable - indeed, the opposite is true ; freedom is rare - we must ask, " why are we free when others or not? " as a nation ( and state ) of immigrants, we can ' t claim we are free because of our genetics. our nation ( and state ) is blessed with natural resources, but so is russia. wealth does not produce freedom. in america ( and in nevada ), we are free, because our founders recognized that, as lord acton stated, " power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely " and designed a government with three branches of government. while these branches of government each have different functions, they also have the ability to check the power exercised by another branch. to ensure that no person or group would amass too much power, the founders established a government in which the powers to create, implement, and adjudicate laws were separated. each branch of government is balanced by powers in the other two coequal branches : the president can veto the laws of the congress ; the congress confirms or rejects the president ' s appointments and can remove the president from office in exceptional circumstances ; and the justices of the supreme court, who can overturn unconstitutional laws, are appointed by the president and confirmed by the senate. because we ' re so used to this system of government, it ' s easy to forget how important this system is to ensuring freedom. government is needed to secure an individual ' s right to life, liberty and property. but those wielding governmental power tend to corruption, which harms the very rights government was created to defend. but using the checks and balances contained within three separate branches of government, you have a system where the tendency of government officials to amass power is checked by other government officials who usually aren ' t interested in giving up their power. and it ' s also why it ' s so dangerous for one individual to work in two branches of government at the same time. both the separation of powers and the checks and balances in the system go out the window if one person has authority in two branches of government. instead of separating power, power is consolidated. instead of one branch checking another, it could collude with it. the idea of separating powers is so important that it ' s explicitly required in nevada ' s constitution in


in two branches of government. instead of separating power, power is consolidated. instead of one branch checking another, it could collude with it. the idea of separating powers is so important that it ' s explicitly required in nevada ' s constitution in article 3, section 1. the powers of the government of the state of nevada shall be divided into three separate departments, - the legislative, - the executive and the judicial ; and no persons charged with the exercise of powers properly belonging to one of these departments shall exercise any functions, appertaining to either of the others... and that ' s exactly why npri ' s center for justice and constitutional litigation has sued mo denis, the public utilities commission, and the state of nevada for violating the separation - of - powers clause in nevada ' s constitution. even the smallest encroachment in the separation - of - powers clause opens the door for larger and larger encroachments. hello, wendell williams, chris giunchigliani, and mark manendo. once you remove the bright - line standard, it ' s only a matter of time before incremental " exceptions " render the provision meaningless. and once you ' ve removed the structural protections against, what james madison called, " tyranny, " you ' re left with a system of government dependent entirely on the character of its elected officials to keep it free from corruption and abuse of power. as " power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, " this is a problem. freedom isn ' t inevitable. freedom is rare, and we should do everything in our power to protect the form and structure of our government - including a clear separation - of - powers provision - which provided us with freedom.


how to use reading 1 : three days of carnage at gettysburg ( refer to map 2 as you read the description of the battle. ) units of the union and the confederate armies met near gettysburg on june 30, 1863, and each quickly requested reinforcements. the main battle opened on july 1, with early morning attacks by the confederates on union troops on mcpherson ridge, west of the town. though outnumbered, the union forces held their position. the fighting escalated throughout the day as more soldiers from each army reached the battle area. by 4 p. m., the union troops were overpowered, and they retreated through the town, where many were quickly captured. the remnants of the union force fell back to cemetery hill and culp ' s hill, south of town. the southerners failed to pursue their advantage, however, and the northerners labored long into the night regrouping their men. throughout the night, both armies moved their men to gettysburg and took up positions in preparation for the next day. by the morning of july 2, the main strength of both armies had arrived on the field. battle lines were drawn up in sweeping arcs similar to a " j, " or fishhook shape. the main portions of both armies were nearly a mile apart on parallel ridges : union forces on cemetery ridge, confederate forces on seminary ridge, to the west. general robert e. lee, commanding the confederate troops, ordered attacks against the union left and right flanks ( ends of the lines ). starting in late afternoon, confederate general james longstreet ' s attacks on the union left made progress, but they were checked by union reinforcements brought to the fighting from the culp ' s hill area and other uncontested parts of the union battle line. to the north, at the bend and barb of the fishhook ( the other flank ), confederate general richard ewell launched his attack in the evening as the fighting at the other end of the fishhook was subsiding. ewell ' s men seized part of culp ' s hill, but elsewhere they were repulsed. the day ' s results were indecisive for both armies. in the very early morning of july 3, the union army forced out the confederates who had successfully taken culp ' s hill the previous evening. then general lee, having attacked the ends of the union line the previous day, decided to assail the union. the attack was preceded by a two hour artillery bombardment of cemetery hill and ridge. for a time, the massed


the previous evening. then general lee, having attacked the ends of the union line the previous day, decided to assail the union. the attack was preceded by a two hour artillery bombardment of cemetery hill and ridge. for a time, the massed guns of both armies were engaged in a thunderous duel for supremacy. the union defensive position held. in a final attempt to gain the initiative and win the battle, lee sent approximately 12, 000 soldiers across the one mile of open fields that separated the two armies near the union center. general george meade, commander of the union forces, anticipated such a move and had readied his army. the union lines did not break. only every other southerner who participated in this action retired to safety. despite great courage, the attack ( sometimes called pickett ' s charge or longstreet ' s assault ) was repulsed with heavy losses. crippled by extremely heavy casualties in the three days at gettysburg, the confederates could no longer continue the battle, and on july 4 they began to withdraw from gettysburg. 1. which army had the advantage after the first day of fighting? what were some reasons for their success? could they have been even more successful? 2. what was the situation by the evening of july 2? 3. what evidence from the previous day ' s fighting brought general lee to decide on the strategy for pickett ' s charge on july 3? what was the result of that assault? 4. why did general lee decide to withdraw from gettysburg? reading 1 was adapted from the national park service ' s visitor ' s guide for gettysburg national military park.


biomass technology analysis conducting full life - cycle assessments for biomass products, including electricity, biodiesel, and ethanol, is important for determining environmental benefits. nrel analysts use a life - cycle inventory modeling package and supporting databases to conduct life - cycle assessments. these tools can be applied on a global, regional, local, or project basis. integrated system analyses, technoeconomic analyses, life - cycle assessments ( lcas ), and other analysis tools are essential to our research and development efforts. they provide an understanding of the economic, technical, and even global impacts of renewable technologies. these analyses also provide direction, focus, and support to the development and commercialization of various biomass conversion technologies. the economic feasibility and environmental benefits of biomass technologies revealed by these analyses are useful for the government, regulators, and the private sector. technoeconomic analyses ( teas ) are performed to determine the potential economic viability of a research process. evaluating the costs of a given process compared to the current technology can assess the economic feasibility of a project. these analyses can be useful in determining which emerging technologies have the highest potential for near -, mid -, and long - term success. the results of a tea are also useful in directing research toward areas in which improvements will result in the greatest cost reductions. as the economics of a process are evaluated throughout the life of the project, advancement toward the final goal of commercialization can be measured. teas performed in previous years have determined the technical and economic feasibility of various biomass - based systems, including : - direct combustion - gasification combined cycle power systems nrel ' s analysis capabilities include proficiency with the following software packages : | aspen plus© | | models continuous processes to obtain material and energy balances | | gatecycle™ | | performs detailed steady - state and off - design analyses of thermal power systems | | questimate© | | performs detailed process plant cost estimates | | matlab® and mathcad® | | perform numeric calculations and mathematical solutions | | crystal ball® | | operates within microsoft excel® and incorporates uncertainties in forecasting analysis results | life - cycle assessment ( lca ) is an analytic method for identifying, evaluating, and minimizing the environmental impacts of emissions and resource depletion associated with a specific process. when such an assessment is performed in conjunction with a technoeconomic feasibility study, the total economic and environmental benefits and drawbacks of a process can be quantified. material and energy balances are used to quantify the emissions, resource depletion, and energy consumption


is performed in conjunction with a technoeconomic feasibility study, the total economic and environmental benefits and drawbacks of a process can be quantified. material and energy balances are used to quantify the emissions, resource depletion, and energy consumption of all processes, including raw material extraction, processing, and final disposal of products and by - products, required to make the process of interest operate. the results of this inventory are then used to evaluate the environmental impacts of the process so efforts can focus on mitigation. lca studies have been conducted on the following systems : - biomass - fired integrated gasification combined - cycle system using a biomass energy crop - pulverized coal boiler representing an average u. s. coal - fired power plant - cofiring biomass residue with coal - natural gas combined - cycle power plant - direct - fired biomass power plant using biomass residue - anaerobic digestion of animal waste biofuels production technologies : - ethanol from corn stover - comparison of biodiesel and petroleum diesel used in an urban bus hydrogen production technologies : - natural gas - hydrogen production for these analyses, the software package used to track the material and energy flows between the process blocks in each system was tools for environmental analysis and management ( team® ). learn more about our biomass capabilities and current projects in this area. access more information on all of our staff analysts


algorithm positions solar trackers, movie stars march 30, 2011 math and programming experts at a federal laboratory took an algorithm used to track the stars and rewrote its code to precisely follow the sun, even taking into consideration the vagaries of the occasional leap second. now, the algorithm and its software are helping solar power manufacturers build more precise trackers, orchards to keep their apples spotless and movie makers to keep the shadows off movie stars. the solar position algorithm ( spa ) was developed at the u. s. department of energy ' s national renewable energy laboratory to calculate the sun ' s position with unmatched low uncertainty of + / - 0. 0003 degrees at vertex, in the period of years from - 2000 to 6000 ( or 2001 b. c. until just short of 4, 000 years from now ). that ' s more than 30 times more precise than the uncertainty levels for all other algorithms used in solar energy applications, which claim no better than + / - 0. 01 degrees, and are only valid for a maximum of 50 years. and those uncertainty claims cannot be validated because of the need to add an occasional leap second because of the randomly increasing length of the mean solar day. the spa does account for the leap second. that difference in uncertainty levels is no small change, because an error of. 01 degrees at noon can throw calculations off by 2 or 3 percent at sunrise or sunset, said nrel senior scientist ibrahim reda, the leader on the project. " every uncertainty of 1 percent in the energy budget is millions of dollars uncertainty for utility companies and bankers, " reda said. " accuracy is translated into dollars. when you can be more accurate, you save a lot of money. " " siemens industry inc. uses nrel ' s spa in its newest and smallest s7 - 1200 compact controller, " says paul ruland of siemens industry, inc. " siemens took that very complex calculation, systemized it into our code and made a usable function block that its customers can use with their particular technologies to track the sun in the most efficient way. the end result is a 30 percent increase in accuracy compared to other technologies. " science, engineering and math all add to breakthroughs an algorithm is a set of rules for solving a mathematical problem in a finite number of steps, even though those steps can number in the hundreds or thousands. nrel is known more for its solar, wind, and biofuel researchers than for its work in advanced math. but algorithms are key to so many scientific


a finite number of steps, even though those steps can number in the hundreds or thousands. nrel is known more for its solar, wind, and biofuel researchers than for its work in advanced math. but algorithms are key to so many scientific and technological breakthroughs today that a scientist well - versed in the math of algorithms is behind many of nrel ' s big innovations. since spa was published on nrel ' s website, more than 4, 000 users from around the world have downloaded it. in the european union, for the past three years, it has been the reference algorithm to calculate the sun ' s position both for solar energy and atmospheric science applications. it has been licensed to, and downloaded by, major u. s. manufacturers of sun trackers, military equipment and cell phones. it has been used to boost agriculture and to help forecast the weather. archaeologists, universities and religious organizations have employed spa, as have other national laboratories. fewer dropped cell - phone calls billions of cell - phone calls are made each day, and they stay connected only because algorithms help determine exactly when to switch signals from one satellite to another. cell - phone companies can use the spa to know exactly the moments when the phone, satellite, and the bothersome sun are in the same alignment, vulnerable to disconnections or lost calls. " the cell phone guys use spa to know the specific moment to switch to another satellite so you ' re not disconnected, " said reda, who has a master ' s degree in electrical engineering / measurement from the university of colorado. " think of how many millions of people would be disconnected if there ' s too much uncertainty about the sun ' s position. " from a tool for solar scientists to widespread uses spa sprang from nrel ' s need to calibrate solar measuring instruments at its solar radiation research laboratory. " we characterize the instruments based on the solar angle, " reda said. " it ' s vital that instruments get a precise read on the amount of energy they are getting from the sun at precise solar angle. " that will become even more critical in the future when utilities add more energy garnered from the sun to the smart grid. " the smart grid has to know precisely what your budget is for each resource you are using — oil, coal, solar, wind, " reda said. making an astronomy algorithm one for the sun reda borrowed from the " astronomical algorithms, " which is based on the variations seculaires des orbites planetaires theory ( vsop8


coal, solar, wind, " reda said. making an astronomy algorithm one for the sun reda borrowed from the " astronomical algorithms, " which is based on the variations seculaires des orbites planetaires theory ( vsop87 ) developed in 1982 then modified in 1987. astronomers trust it to let them know exactly where to point their telescopes to get the best views of jupiter, alpha centauri, the magellan galaxy or whatever celestial bodies they are studying. " we were able to separate and modify that global astronomical algorithm and apply it just to solar energy, while making it less complex and easy to implement, " said reda, highlighting the role of his colleague, afshin andreas, who has a degree in engineering physics from the colorado school of mines, as well as expertise in computer programming. they spent an intense three or four weeks of programming to make sure the equations were accurate before distributing the 1, 100 lines of code, andreas said. they used almanacs and historical data to ensure that what the algorithm was calculating agreed with what observers from previous generations said about the sun ' s position on a particular day. " we did spot checks so we would have a good comfort level that the future projections are accurate, " reda said. " we used our independent math and programming skills to make sure that our results agreed, reda said. available for licensing, free public use the new spa algorithm simply served the needs of nrel scientists, until the day it was put on nrel ' s public website. " a lot of people started downloading it, " so nrel established some rules of use, reda said. individuals and universities could use spa free of charge, but companies with commercial interests would have to pay for the software. factoring in leap seconds improves accuracy nrel ' s spa knows the position of the sun in the sky over an 8, 000 year period partly because it has learned when to add those confounding leap seconds. solar positioners that don ' t factor in the leap second only can calculate a few years or a few decades. the length of an earth day isn ' t determined by an expensive watch, but by the actual rotation of the earth. almost immeasurably, the earth ' s rotation is slowing down, meaning the solar day is getting just a tiny bit longer. but it ' s not doing so at a constant rate. " it happens in unpredictable ways, " reda said. sometimes a leap second is added every year ; sometimes there


slowing down, meaning the solar day is getting just a tiny bit longer. but it ' s not doing so at a constant rate. " it happens in unpredictable ways, " reda said. sometimes a leap second is added every year ; sometimes there isn ' t a need for another leap second for three or four years. for example, the international earth rotation and reference systems service ( iers ) added six leap seconds over the course of seven years between 1992 and 1998, but has added just one extra second since 2006. the algorithm calculates exactly when to add a leap second because included in its equations are rapid, monthly, and long - term data on the solar day provided by iers, reda and andreas said. " iers receives the data from many observatories around the world, " reda added. " each observatory has its own measuring instruments to measure the earth ' s rotation. a consensus correction is then calculated for the fraction of second. as long as we know the time, and how much the earth ' s rotation has slowed, we know the sun ' s position precisely. " that precision has proved useful in unexpected fields. practical uses in agriculture, movie making one person who bought a license for the spa software has an apple orchard, and wanted to keep the black spots off the apples that turn off finicky consumers, thus making wholesale buyers hesitate, reda said. the black spots appear when too much sun hits a particular apple, a particular tree or a particular row of trees in an orchard. the spots can be prevented by showering the apples with water, but growers don ' t want to use more water than necessary. spa ' s precise tracking of the sun tells the grower exactly when the automatic sprinkler should spray for a few moments on a particular set of trees, and when it ' s ok to shut off that sprayer and turn on the next one. spa communicates with the sprinkler system so, " instead of spraying the whole orchard, the spray moves minute by minute, " reda said. " he takes our tool and plugs it into the software that controls the sprinkler system. and he saves a lot of water. " religious groups with traditions of praying at a particular time of day even have turned to spa to help with precision. a movie - camera manufacturer has purchased the spa software to help cinematographers combat the precious waste of money when shadows disrupt outdoor shooting. " they have cameras on those big cranes and booms, and typically


new ulm a historical impersonator of st. paul ' s very first public school teacher provided a snapshot of a time and place in history saturday during the junior pioneers winter social. suzanne de la houssaye, of the minnesota historical society, performed as harriet bishop, who was instrumental in making st. paul ' s school into a public school, promoting the national profile of minnesota and pushing the temperance movement. she was also part of the initial rush of writers and intellectuals to write about the u. s. dakota conflict, writing her own record named " dakota war whoop. " bishop was an intensely religious baptist woman who believed in the imminent coming of the rapture and the need to exuberantly preach the gospel to all that could hear it. she was also considered an intellectual in the twin cities at that time and was instrumental in helping to build the major cities up. she started the st. paul school in 1847, starting in essentially a log cabin and rapidly growing the number of students until her successful efforts to make it the town ' s first public school. she even raised minnesota ' s profile as a healthy destination to settle due to its " sturdy weather, " erroneously claiming certain diseases of the time simply did not exist in minnesota. staff photo by josh moniz suzanne de la houssaye, of the minnesota historical society, performed as harriet bishop, st. paul ' s first public school teacher, on saturday at the junior pioneers winter social. she had several forms of compassion for the dakota people, but was equally a product of her time in believing the only right way forward was for them to wholly adopt european culture and traditions. she wrote her book from a very emotional standpoint, aimed at drawing up the image of women and children hiding in the basements in new ulm. her book also carried many inaccuracies believed at the time and tried to paint charles flandreau as the sole savior of the battle at new ulm at the start of the conflict. her spin on the conflict is largely believed to be due to its elements making a serious impact on her. but, she still fell in the middle of the white settler ' s beliefs after the conflict, neither advocating for the extermination of the dakota people nor being among those who fully accepted the dakota ' s right to an independent heritage. interestingly, she had an almost comically stern view of new ulm citizens at the time, believing the myths that they were all progressive atheists who forbid priests in their city limits. she


accepted the dakota ' s right to an independent heritage. interestingly, she had an almost comically stern view of new ulm citizens at the time, believing the myths that they were all progressive atheists who forbid priests in their city limits. she literally referred to them as " the infidel germans " in her book and made indications to somewhat held belief at the time that the conflict was god ' s judgment on the town. she also judge new ulm for having dance halls, which some strict religious sects objected to around that time, and because she believed they would often perform the taboo act of drinking on holy days. she married a widower who served in the u. s. civil war. the common practice during the time was for widowers to quickly remarry, which was sometimes a sheer matter of survival. it was also a more common occurrence during that time due to the high rate of deaths during childbirth, which was often caused by doctors trying to help women without knowing about the deadly diseases hiding on their hands. however, she eventually undertook the uncommon act of divorcing her husband due to his abusive alcoholism. her husband ' s circumstance was frighteningly common, largely due to numerous civil war veterans returning without any help for psychological issues from their service. this led to her heavy advocacy for the temperance movement, which would eventually see prohibition passed after her death. she personally was one of the founding members of the christian women ' s temperance union. her cause in that infamous movement was aimed at combatting a very real issue of the day : the prospect of the husband, the only one allowed in that time to earn the living wages, drinking away all the month ' s food money due to alcoholism. the people of that time drank more than three times more alcohol per week on a normal basis than most people drink today. the movement believed the end of alcohol would address the majority of the terrible acts of abuse laid on women and children at the time. bishop ' s belief in the temperance movement even largely influenced how she saw alcohol negatively affecting the dakota people. she never lived long enough to see prohibition, but she did see a roughly one year implementation of the " maine law " that banned alcohol in select locations in the twin cities. the temperance movement was also intrinsically linked to intense advocacy for suffrage and abolition. suzanne de la houssaye said bishop was a fascinating woman of her time. she said the minnesota historical society is interested in telling her story, as well as not grazing over her issues in the depiction of the dakota


tuberculosis ( tb ) is a chronic bacterial infection that usually infects the lungs, although other organs such as the kidneys, spine, or brain are sometimes involved. tb is primarily an airborne disease. there is a difference between being infected with the tb bacterium and having active tuberculosis disease. there are three important ways to describe the stages of tb. they are as follows : - exposure. this occurs when a person has been in contact with, or exposed to, another person who is thought to have or does have tb. the exposed person will have a negative skin test, a normal chest x - ray, and no signs or symptoms of the disease. - latent tb infection. this occurs when a person has the tb bacteria in his or her body, but does not have symptoms of the disease. the infected person ' s immune system walls off the tb organisms, and they remain dormant throughout life in 90 percent of people who are infected. this person would have a positive skin test but a normal chest x - ray. - tb disease. this describes the person who has signs and symptoms of an active infection. the person would have a positive skin test and a positive chest x - ray. the predominant tb bacterium is mycobacterium tuberculosis ( m. tuberculosis ). many people infected with m. tuberculosis never develop active tb and remain in the latent tb stage. however, in people with weakened immune systems, especially those with hiv ( human immunodeficiency virus ), tb organisms can overcome the body ' s defenses, multiply, and cause an active disease. tb affects all ages, races, income levels, and both genders. those at higher risk include the following : - people who live or work with others who have tb - medically underserved populations - homeless people - people from other countries where tb is prevalent - people in group settings, such as nursing homes - people who abuse alcohol - people who use intravenous drugs - people with impaired immune systems - the elderly - health care workers who come in contact with high - risk populations the following are the most common symptoms of active tb. however, each individual may experience symptoms differently. - cough that will not go away - chest pain - loss of appetite - unintended weight loss - poor growth in children - coughing blood or sputum - chills or night sweats the symptoms of tb may resemble other lung conditions or medical problems. consult a physician for a diagnosis. the tb bacterium is spread through the air when an infected person coughs, snee


coughing blood or sputum - chills or night sweats the symptoms of tb may resemble other lung conditions or medical problems. consult a physician for a diagnosis. the tb bacterium is spread through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, speaks, sings, or laughs ; however, repeated exposure to the germs is usually necessary before a person will become infected. it is not likely to be transmitted through personal items, such as clothing, bedding, a drinking glass, eating utensils, a handshake, a toilet, or other items that a person with tb has touched. adequate ventilation is the most important measure to prevent the transmission of tb. tb is diagnosed with a tb skin test. in this test, a small amount of testing material is injected into the top layer of the skin. if a certain size bump develops within two or three days, the test may be positive for tuberculosis infection. additional tests to determine if a person has tb disease include x - rays and sputum tests. tb skin tests are suggested for those : - in high - risk categories. - who live or work in close contact with people who are at high risk. - who have never had a tb skin test. for skin testing in children, the american academy of pediatrics recommends : - if the child is thought to have been exposed in the last five years. - if the child has an x - ray that looks like tb. - if the child has any symptoms of tb. - if a child is coming from countries where tb is prevalent. yearly skin testing : - for children with hiv. - for children who are in jail. testing every two to three years : - for children who are exposed to high - risk people. consider testing in children from ages 4 to 6 and 11 to 16 : - if a child ' s parent has come from a high - risk country. - if a child has traveled to high - risk areas. - children who live in densely populated areas. specific treatment will be determined by your physician based on : - your age, overall health, and medical history - extent of the disease - your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies - expectations for the course of the disease - your opinion or preference treatment may include : - short - term hospitalization - for latent tb which is newly diagnosed : usually a six - to 12 - month course of an antibiotic called isoniazid will be given to kill off the tb organisms in the body. - for active tb :


does thinness raise alzheimer ' s risk? < nov. 23, 2011 > - - in the search for early markers of alzheimer ' s disease - in hopes of eventually preventing it - researchers have found that low body weight may somehow play a role. in a study published this week in the journal neurology, people with early signs of alzheimer ' s disease were more likely to be underweight or have a low body mass index ( bmi ). earlier studies found that people who are overweight in middle age or earlier are at higher risk for alzheimer ' s later in life. other studies have shown that being overweight later in life seems to protect against the disease. more research needed what the latest study findings mean for diagnosing or preventing alzheimer ' s disease is unclear. " a long history of declining weight or bmi could aid the diagnostic process, " says study author eric vidoni, ph. d., at the university of kansas. but, he adds, it ' s too early " to make body composition part of the diagnostic toolbox. " dr. vidoni and colleagues studied brain imaging and analyzed cerebrospinal fluid in 506 people. study participants ranged from those with no memory problems to others with alzheimer ' s. impact of body weight people who had evidence of alzheimer ' s - either in brain scans or protein levels in the cerebrospinal fluid - were more likely to have a lower bmi than those who did not show early evidence of the disease. the researchers aren ' t sure why body weight might have a bearing on alzheimer ' s risk. they speculate that the disease may affect the hippocampus, the area of the brain that controls metabolism and appetite. or, they say, perhaps inflammation is driving both the drop in bmi and the cognitive changes that are the hallmark of alzheimer ' s. for more information on health and wellness, please visit health information modules on this website. although you can ' t control certain risk factors for alzheimer ' s disease like advancing age, you can reduce your odds of developing the condition. the latest findings show you can reduce risk by : always talk with your health care provider to find out more information. ( our organization is not responsible for the content of internet sites. )


guide to tanzanian legal system and legal research by bahame tom nyanduga and christabel manning bahame tom nyanduga * is advocate of the high court of tanzania, and had been the president of the east africa law society between october 2004 - october 2006. the main research for this compilation has been conducted by ms. christabel manning, ll. b, a graduate of the university of dar es salaam currently working in the legal department at kpmg ( t ) limited and a member of the tanzania women lawyers association - tawla. read the update! table of contents the united republic of tanzania is situated on the eastern seaboard of the african continent, about one degree south of the equator. its eastern border is the indian ocean, it shares its northern border with the republic of kenya and uganda, and to the west it borders the democratic republic of the congo, the republic of rwanda and the republic of burundi. the republic of zambia and the republic of malawi share its borders on the southwest, while in the south it shares a border with mozambique ; it is the union of two historical countries, tanganyika and zanzibar. the united republic of tanzania was formed in 1964 through the union of two independent states, namely the republic of tanganyika and the peoples ’ republic of zanzibar. zanzibar is an autonomous part of the united republic, and is made up of two islands, namely unguja and pemba, which are found in the territorial waters of the united republic, in the indian ocean. another island to the south east of the tanzania, mafia, is an integral part of mainland tanzania. tanganyika gained its independence from the british, who administered her after the end of the wwii under the united nations trusteeship ; on 9th december 1961 she became a republic on 9th december 1962. zanzibar became independent on 12th december 1963. prior to her independence, zanzibar, which was ruled by an arab sultanate, and enjoyed a protectorate status under the british. one month after she gained independence, the arab sultanate regime of zanzibar was overthrown by a popular revolution on 12th january 1964, which led to the creation of the revolution government of zanzibar. the republic of tanganyika and the peoples ’ republic of zanzibar entered into a union on 26th april 1964 to form the united republic of tanganyika and zanzibar, which was later renamed on 29th october the united republic of tanzania. at the time of the union, tanganyika was governed


zanzibar entered into a union on 26th april 1964 to form the united republic of tanganyika and zanzibar, which was later renamed on 29th october the united republic of tanzania. at the time of the union, tanganyika was governed by a political party know as the tanganyika african national union ( tanu ), the nationalist party which won the country its independence, while zanzibar was rule by the afro shiraz party ( asp ) which had lead the popular revolution. the two states were by then governed under the one party system of government, i. e. the one party state democracy, which was then very prevalent in africa. in 1977 the tanu and asp merged to form the chama cha mapinduzi - ccm party, ( otherwise known as the revolutionary party ), which continued to exercise political control through out the country under the one party regime. the united republic of tanzania was under the leadership of one party system until 1992 when she adopted a new constitution, which enabled the organization of pluralist political parties, and hence in 1995 the first multi party democratic elections were held in the country. since 1995 the country has held such multi party elections in 2000, and 2005. tanzania ’ s legal system is based on the english common law system. it derived this system from its british colonial legacy, as it does the system of government, which is based to a large degree on the westminster parliamentary model. unlike the unwritten british constitutional system, the first source of law for the united republic of tanzania is the 1977 constitution. the constitutional history of tanganyika traces its background from the 1961 independence constitution, which was adopted at the time of independence. in 1962 tanganyika adopted the republican constitution, which operated from 1962 up to 1965. these two were based on the traditional lancaster style constitutions negotiated at independence by the british upon handover of state power to newly independent states. in 1965 tanganyika adopted an interim constitution while the country awaited a new constitution to be drafted, after it abolished the multi party political system and adopted a one party state system. the process lingered longer than it was meant to and thus the constitution lasted from 1965 up to 1977 when a new constitution was adopted and it has remained applicable to date, with fourteen subsequent amendments. the constitution provides for a bill of rights, notwithstanding the fact that it also makes provision for a number of claw - back clauses. in other words the enjoyment of certain rights and freedoms under the constitution is not absolute, but it is subject to legal regulation.


constitution provides for a bill of rights, notwithstanding the fact that it also makes provision for a number of claw - back clauses. in other words the enjoyment of certain rights and freedoms under the constitution is not absolute, but it is subject to legal regulation. the bill of rights is found in part three of the first chapter of the constitution and the fundamental rights and freedom are stipulated in article 12 to 24, article 25 to 28 imposes duties on every individual to duties and obligations to respect the rights of others and society. article 29 establishes the obligation of society to every individual. article 30 of the constitution limits the application of these rights subject to law and the under the due process of law, as the case may be. the constitution allows any person to challenge any law or act / omission, which contravenes his or her right, or the constitution. the second source of law is the statutes or acts of parliament. the laws revisions act of 1994 chapter four of the laws of tanzania [ r. e. 2002, ] established that all legislations previously known as ordinances, i. e. those which were enacted by the pre independence colonial administration, as orders in council, can now be legally recognized as acts. these principal legislations, and subsidiary legislations thereto, are published in the government gazette and printed by the tanzania government printers. the third source is case law. these are cases from the high court and court of appeal which are either reported or unreported and are be used as precedents, and bind lower courts thereto. reported tanzanian cases are found in the tanzania law reports, high court digests and east africa law reports. the fourth source is received laws established under section 2. 3 of the judicature and application laws act, chapter 358 of the laws of tanzania [ r. e. 2002 ] ( jala ) these include : common law, and doctrine of equity, statutes of general application of england, applicable before the 22 of july 1920, which is deemed to be the reception date for english law in tanzania. the fifth source is the customary and islamic law, which are established under section 9 of jala. whereby customary law is in effect only when it does not conflict with statutory law whilst islamic law is applicable to muslims under the judicature and applications of laws act, empowering courts to apply islamic law to matters of succession in communities that generally follow islamic law in matters of personal status and inheritance. international laws, that is, treaties and conventions, are not self - executing