this is one of my favorite stories. in short, one of john burk ’ s ( @ occam98 ) students wanted to launch a space balloon. if you want all the details, this post at quantum progress pretty much says it all. the part that makes this story so cool is that it was the student who did all of the set up and fundraising and stuff. love it. oh, and the student is apparently named “ m. ” i wonder if the student is either one of the men in black or a james bond scientist. ok, you know what i do, right? i need to add something. here is a very nice video of the space balloon launch. you know i like to use pictures for data from time to time, right? one problem is that i don ’ t know much about cameras. there, i said it. really, almost all of my photos are made with my phone. that is what makes the phone so great, you almost always have your camera with you. to make these pictures useful for physics, it helps to know the angular size of the picture. here is a diagram so you can see what i am talking about : there are 20 seconds left on the clock. your team is down by 2 points such that a field goal would win it. the ball is spotted on the hash mark at the 15 yard line and it is first down. what to do? should you call a run play so that the ball is in the center of the field? or should the ball be kicked from where it is? so there is the question. is it better to kick the ball from an angle or move back and kick it head on? let me just look at one aspect of this situation. what is the angular size of the goal post from the location of the kicker? i am not looking at the height of the horizontal goal post – i will assume the kicker can get the ball over this. this was on reddit. it is an image from google maps showing an aircraft. not surprising, there are lots of aircraft that get caught by the cameras in mid flight. but what about the colors? is this some rainbow - unicorn plane? i am not sure of the exact details, but this rainbow effect is from the camera. i am not sure why, but this camera is capturing red green and blue ( and probably white ) colors separately at different times. here is the actual link to the google map. the first thing that comes to my mind is – i wonder how fast the plane


not sure why, but this camera is capturing red green and blue ( and probably white ) colors separately at different times. here is the actual link to the google map. the first thing that comes to my mind is – i wonder how fast the plane was moving. that question is difficult to answer because i don ’ t know how much time was between each ‘ color filter ’ photo. oh well, i will proceed anyway. first, some info. reading through the very insightful reddit comments, it seems the commenters are certain that the plain is an embraer erj 145. really, all i need is the length. wikipedia lists it with a 29. 87 m length and a 20. 04 meter wingspan. from the image, does the rainbow plane have the same ratio of length to wingspan as listed? ok, not quite the same. maybe that is close enough. the one thing is that the image clearly has some distortion. either the plane it turning or the image has been adjusted to make it look like it is a top down view. well, surfing around a bit i couldn ’ t find another plane that was close in length / wing span ratio. i am going with erj 145. if i scale the image from the length of the plane, how “ far ” between the different colors? here is a plot of the 4 color images. note that for this image, i put the axis along the fuselage of the plane. the points are the locations of the back tip of one of the wings. the first cool thing that i can learn from this is that there must have been a cross - wind. the aircraft is not traveling in the direction that it is heading. of course this is not uncommon, planes do this all the time. oh, let me not that i am assume the aircraft is far enough away from the satellite that the multiple colors are due to the motion of the plane and not the satellite. this is probably a good assumption since the houses below are not rainbow colored. what about the speed? if it is moving at a constant velocity, then : i know the changes in position. so, let me just call the change in time 1 cs ( cs for camera - second ). this means that the plane ’ s speed would be 1. 8 m / cs. ok, let ’ s just play a game. what if the time between frames was 1 / 100th of a second? that would mean that the speed would be 180 m / s or 400 mph. that is possible since wikipedia lists the


/ cs. ok, let ’ s just play a game. what if the time between frames was 1 / 100th of a second? that would mean that the speed would be 180 m / s or 400 mph. that is possible since wikipedia lists the max speed at around 550 mph. if the time between images is 1 / 30th of a second ( i picked that because that is a common frame rate for video ) then the speed would be 54 m / s ( 120 mph ). that doesn ’ t seem too low. i would imaging the landing speed would be around that speed ( or maybe a little lower – but what do i know? ) but wait – there is more. can i determine the altitude of the plane? well, suppose i have two objects of two different lengths that are two different distances from a camera. here is an example. my notation here looks a little messy, but both objects have a length ( l ) and a distance from the camera ( r ). they also have an angular size, denoted by θ. about angular size, i can write the following. i don ’ t know the distances from the camera and i don ’ t know the angles. but, i can sort of measure the angles. suppose i measure the number of pixels each object takes up in the photo. then the angular size could be written as : where p1 is the pixel size of an object and c is some constant for that particular camera. now i can re - write these angular equations and divide so that i get rid of the c. i can get values for all the stuff on the right of that equation. here are my values ( object 1 is the plane and object 2 is the background – really, i will just use the scale provided by google maps ). oh, one more thing. i am not going to measure the pixel length but rather some arbitrary length of the same scale. l1 = 29. 87 m p1 = 1 unit l2 = 10 m p2 = 0. 239 unit putting in my values above i get the ratio of the distances from the camera as : now i just need one of the r ‘ s – ideally it would be r2 ( the distance the camera is from the ground ). wikipedia says that the satellite images are typically taken from an aircraft flying 800 - 1500 feet high. so, suppose r2 = 1500 feet ( 457 meters ). in this case the altitude of the rainbow plane would be : 1000 feet would mean that the rainbow plane is probably landing ( or taking off


dictionary of wisconsin history search results for : keyword : ' lac du flambeau ' term : dubay [ dube ), john baptiste 1810 - 1887 definition : ( note : birth date given in original as " july 10, 1810 [? ]. " ) pioneer fur trader, b. probably in green bay. he was the son of a french trader and a menominee indian. although the facts of dubay ' s early life are obscure, it appears that from 1824 to 1839 he was engaged in the fur trade at saginaw and sault ste. marie, mich., and at lac du flambeau, wis., either in the employ of the american fur co. or operating his own posts. in 1839 he purchased the american fur company ' s post at fort winnebago ( portage ), where he served as hercules l. dousman ' s ( q. v. ) agent until 1851 and continued his residence in the portage area until 1858. a colorful and well - known figure in early wisconsin, dubay was frequently utilized by the u. s. and territorial governments as indian interpreter, and was also called upon by the indians and half - breeds to act as a spokesman in their behalf. in 1857 while living near portage he became involved in a property dispute with william s. reynolds, and, while drunk, shot and killed him. a widely publicized murder trial was held in madison in which many of wisconsin ' s leading figures testified in dubay ' s behalf. moses m. strong ( q. v. ) and harlow s. orton ( q. v. ) conducted dubay ' s defense and luther s. dixon ( q. v. ) acted as assistant prosecutor. the jury failed to reach a verdict in the first trial, and a second trial produced the same result. although one other attempt was made to renew the case, proceedings were eventually dropped. dubay retired to a trading post north of stevens point, where he lived in obscurity until his death. m. e. krug, dubay ( appleton [ 19461 ) ; hist. of n. wis. ( chicago, 1881 ) ; wpa ms. [ source : dictionary of wisconsin biography ]


learn something new every day more info... by email a block diagram is a graphical method used to explain the concept of a system without the need to understand the individual components within that system. this type of diagram might be used in a variety of industries to illustrate and educate individuals about how a system operates, either in part or in its entirety. block diagrams usually will have a logical, methodical flow from beginning to end. engineers and software programmers are examples of individuals who might be familiar with block diagrams. block diagrams essentially are synonymous with flow charts, but a block diagram is generalized in nature. sometimes block diagrams are used to conceal specific information or processes that might prove to be advantageous or detrimental, whichever the case might be. people who are being presented with a block diagram should be able to develop an understanding of what that block represents. to assist in understanding the block itself, lines should be drawn to the block representing various inputs, outputs or alternative choices. depending on the type of process being illustrated, blocks might serve in any capacity that is needed to adequately describe the process or parts of the process. for instance, a manufacturing cell of machine tools might include a drill press, a milling machine and a sanding machine. to illustrate a process within that cell, each machine tool might be represented by its own block. when the manufacturing process is illustrated in its entirety, a single block might be used to represent all of the components within that cell. a block diagram also can be used to illustrate how a computer program works or how parts of a program work. if, for instance, a program is needed to calculate four different methods of interest rates, a block might represent each of these lines of code for one of these methods. in this way, a supervisor does not need to understand the code itself, as it is written, as long as the purpose of that block is communicated effectively. some block diagrams can be used as a way to map out a process as a top - down diagram. for instance, a person who has an inspired project might use a block diagram as a way to convey the idea as a series of individual blocks, each of which helps support the main topic. later, these individual blocks might then be analyzed and further developed into additional block diagrams as needed. this method can be repeated until the process is mapped out to the satisfaction of all those involved with the project. if compiled and mapped out completely, the block diagram might resemble a pine tree type of structure of the entire project, which is typical for a top - down diagram.


american heritage® dictionary of the english language, fourth edition - v. to establish in office ; install. century dictionary and cyclopedia - to set or place ; establish, as in a rank or condition. - to invest. gnu webster ' s 1913 - v. to set, place, or establish, as in a rank, office, or condition ; to install ; to invest. - from in - + state. ( wiktionary ) “ north carolina improved to 21 - 1 in instate tournament games, including 6 - 0 in games played here - home to atlantic coast conference rival wake forest. ” “ while this was not a war, the instate was the same. ” “ but, the difficult national environment for democrats coupled with a surge in republican energy instate - - the result of the passage of a stringent immigration bill - - quickly turned the race into a serious contest. ” “ soccer board of directors voted to re - instate the provisional sanction. ” “ after a first refusal, obama says he ' ll now re - instate solar water heating to the white house roof, and will add photo - voltaic cells that will generate electricity. ” “ if we want to avoid catastrophic climate change and avoid climate disaster, we need to instate a moratorium on drilling in the arctic. ” “ i think only money from instate sources should be allowed to pay for the campaign. ” “ this seems like more of a power play to me : they want a worldwide governing body to oversee this and have them instate rules in place that will change our lives forever. ” “ it ' s time to re - instate the tax breaks from the 2000 - 2004 period and we all have to face the fact that these bills must be paid. ” “ then if congress really thinks this is incorrect, they can re - instate them. ” these user - created lists contain the word ‘ instate ’. the only letters without a " satine " bingo possibility : j, q, y words found through wordie ' s random word function. i didn ' t take phrases, foreign, misspelled, or madeupical words, so i looked at about 200 words to assemble this list. i was surprise... looking for tweets for instate.


if you really want to hit a home run with a global warming story, manage to link climate change to the beloved rainforest of the amazon. the rainforest there is considered by many to be the “ lungs of the planet, ” the rainforest surely contains a cure for any ailment imaginable, all species in the place are critical to the existence of life on the earth, and the people of the amazon are surely the most knowledgeable group on the planet regarding how to care for mother earth. the global warming alarmists have taken full advantage of the amazon and they are very quick to suggest that the amazon ecosystem is extremely sensitive to climate change. furthermore, not only can climate change impact the amazon, but global climate itself is strongly linked to the state of the amazon rainforest. but, as usual, there is more to this story than meets to eye ( or, rather, the press ). for instance, a headline last year from usa today sounded the alarm declaring “ amazon hit by climate chaos of floods, drought ”. in the first few sentences, we learn that “ across the amazon basin, river dwellers are adding new floors to their stilt houses, trying to stay above rising floodwaters that have killed 44 people and left 376, 000 homeless. flooding is common in the world ’ s largest remaining tropical wilderness, but this year the waters rose higher and stayed longer than they have in decades, leaving fruit trees entirely submerged. only four years ago, the same communities suffered an unprecedented drought that ruined crops and left mounds of river fish flapping and rotting in the mud. experts suspect global warming may be driving wild climate swings that appear to be punishing the amazon with increasing frequency. ” this piece is typical of thousands of other news stories about calamities in the amazon that are immediately blamed on global warming. other headlines quickly found include “ ocean warming - not el nino - drove severe amazon drought in 2005 ” or “ amazon droughts will accelerate global warming ” or “ amazon could shrink by 85 % due to climate change, scientists say. ” notice that climate change can cause droughts and floods in the amazon plus droughts in the amazon can cause global warming ( by eliminating trees that could uptake atmospheric carbon dioxide ). throughout many of these stories, the words “ delicate ” and “ irreversible ” are used over and over. as we have discussed countless times in other essays, climate models are predicting the greatest warming in the mid - to - high latitudes of the northern hemisphere during the winter season. the amazon is not


irreversible ” are used over and over. as we have discussed countless times in other essays, climate models are predicting the greatest warming in the mid - to - high latitudes of the northern hemisphere during the winter season. the amazon is not located in a part of the earth expected to have substantial warming due to the buildup of greenhouse gases. somewhat surprisingly, the ipcc technical summary comments “ the sign of the precipitation response is considered less certain over both the amazon and the african sahel. these are regions in which there is added uncertainty due to potential vegetation - climate links, and there is less robustness across models even when vegetation feedbacks are not included. ” basically, the models are not predicting any big changes in precipitation in the amazon due to the change in atmospheric composition, nor are the models predicting any big change in temperature. should the people of the amazon deforest the place down to a parking lot, there is evidence that precipitation would decrease. there is a lot going on in the amazon – deforestation, elevated carbon dioxide levels, global warming, and all these reported recent droughts and floods. one would think that the entire place is a wreck! a recent article in hydrological processes might come as a huge surprise to the climate change crusade. the first two sentences of the abstract made this one an immediate favorite at world climate report. the author has the nerve to write “ rainfall and river indices for both the northern and southern amazon were used to identify and explore long - term climate variability on the region. from a statistical analysis of the hydrometeorological series, it is concluded that no systematic unidirectional long - term trends towards drier or wetter conditions have been identified since the 1920s. ” we should leave it at that! the author is jose marengo with brazil ’ s “ centro de ciencia do sistema terrestre / instituto nacional de pesquisas espaciais ” ; the work was funded by the brazilian research council and the “ uk global opportunity fund - gof - dangerous climate change ”. very interesting – we suspect the “ dangerous climate change ” group was not happy with the first two sentences of the abstract. jose marengo begins the piece noting “ the main objective of this study is the assessment of long - term trends and cycles in precipitation in the entire amazon basin, and over the northern and southern sections. it was addressed by analysing rainfall and streamflow indices, dating from the late 1920s ”. the figure 1 shows his subregions within


- term trends and cycles in precipitation in the entire amazon basin, and over the northern and southern sections. it was addressed by analysing rainfall and streamflow indices, dating from the late 1920s ”. the figure 1 shows his subregions within the greater amazon basin. figure 1. orientation map showing the rainfall network used on this study for ( a ) northern amazonia ( nar ) and ( b ) southern amazonia ( sar ) ( from marengo, 2009 ). the bottom line here is amazing. the author writes “ the analysis of the annual rainfall time series in the amazon represented by the nar and sar indices indicates slight negative trends for the northern amazon and positive trends for the southern amazon. however, they are weak and significant at 5 % only in the southern amazon ” ( figure 2 ). so, nothing is happening out of the ordinary in the north and the south is getting wetter. there is definitely variability around the weak trends, but it all seems to be related to natural variability, not deforestation or global warming. figure 2. historical hydrometeorological indices for the amazon basin. they are expressed as anomalies normalized by the standard deviation from the long - term mean, ( a ) northern amazonia, ( b ) southern amazonia. the thin line represents the trend. the broken line represents the 10 - year moving average ( from marengo, 2009 ). marengo notes “ since 1929, long - term tendencies and trends, some of them statistically significant, have been detected in a set of regional - average rainfall time series in the amazon basin and supported by the analysis of some river streamflow time series. these long - term variations are more characteristic of decadal and multi - decadal modes, indicators of natural climate variability, rather than any unidirectional trend towards drier conditions ( as one would expect, due to increased deforestation or to global warming ). ” [ emphasis added ] jose – nice work, have a cuervo on us!!! marengo, j. a. 2009. long - term trends and cycles in the hydrometeorology of the amazon basin since the late 1920s. hydrological processes, 23, 3236 - 3244.


a footnote. fourteen bars. can a fifty - five second composition be a key to unlocking chopin ’ s life - long aesthetic? cantabile. an italian word first used around 1724. it means “ singable, ” “ songlike, ” or indicates “ a style of playing designed to imitate the human voice. ” twice in his life chopin fell head - over - heels in love … with singers. a third became a close friend and collaborator. days after his arrival in paris, chopin wrote home heady with the endless buffet of spectacular voices he was hearing night after night. chopin was identifying something of himself in these great voices and in what they were singing - most notably in the “ never - ending melody ” chopin reported hearing in vincenzo bellini ’ s operas. for many music scholars, chopin ’ s love of opera, and of singing, is the key to understanding his music ; they call it chopin ’ s “ cantabile aesthetic. ” flowing, singable, lines, bellini ’ s bel canto, translated to the black and white of the keys. cantabile is also the title of this briefest of chopin miniatures. chopin wrote it in paris around 1834, but it didn ’ t get published until nearly a century later. despite its brevity, it sums up the singing soul of chopin. as chopin ’ s biographer, james hunecker wrote, " he may become old - fashioned, but, like mozart, he will remain eternally beautiful. ” - jennifer foster


5th forum top 25 highlights - thematic programme during the scores of discussions in over one hundred sessions, some overall messages emerged : - water is a common denominator for many development issues and the key to successfully resolving those challenges. - because of the interrelatedness of water issues across so many different sectors, progress can only be achieved through an interdisciplinary approach. there is a need to reinforce the preliminary linkages made at the 5th world water forum and continue to think out of the box. - education, capacity development and financial support are needed in virtually every domain to support further progress. - solutions must be sustainable and flexibly adapted to specific local or regional circumstances : no “ one size fits all ” approach can be applied to water management. - stakeholders need to be engaged through participatory processes in the earliest stages of water resource development strategies. - the 5th world water forum enabled greater focus and synergies to move forward on today ’ s water - related challenges and to create more political will. climate change, disasters and migration while climate change, disasters and migration are distinct in scope and challenges, joint reflection on these issues at the 5th world water forum concluded that good adaptation measures implemented for climate change and disasters will, in fact, assist in mitigating migration. one billion slum dwellers worldwide demonstrate that unsolved rural problems lead to urban problems. therefore, more work is needed to continue to dovetail efforts before crises arise, despite disparities among these domains. in addition, the message that water is the medium through which climate change acts and the work on “ hotspots ” and recommendations formulated at the 5th world water forum will be channeled into the unfccc cop15 processes, as well as to other international processes. advancing human development and the mdg ’ s regardless of whether or not the mdg ’ s are achieved, after 2015, the remaining half of the population will still need to be served. at the 5th world water forum, the main impediments to reaching the mdgs were identified as a lack of effective management, investment, institutional capacity and political priority. one suggested instrument to ensure coverage for all school - aged children was the creation of a global convention to implement wash in schools. however, the necessity was also made clear to move away from increasing crisis management toward a process steered by more long - term development objectives, in which the challenges are recognized as all being interconnected. this will be especially important in harmonizing water use between energy production, food production and other uses, so that these needs


crisis management toward a process steered by more long - term development objectives, in which the challenges are recognized as all being interconnected. this will be especially important in harmonizing water use between energy production, food production and other uses, so that these needs complement each other rather than compete against one another. the fundamental baseline associated with all development and environmental challenges is that by 2050, the world ’ s population will rise to over 9 billion people, and all will need water and sanitation. managing and protecting water resources this theme perhaps offered the most fertile terrain for building bridges between polarized viewpoints : on transboundary issues, on storage issues, on infrastructure and environment, and between policy and implementation. generally, it was agreed that river basin organizations offer a vehicle through which a range of partners can work together. in addition, a “ handbook on integrated water resources management in basins ” was presented, providing useful advice on how to improve governance of freshwater resources in basins. it was also recommended that iwrm needs to be practiced at different scales in order for it to be helpful in enabling governments and all stakeholders to determine how to allocate water appropriately and which global solutions are most appropriate for any given situation. but most of all, these recommendations must lead to action. governance and management a wide majority of stakeholders reaffirmed support for the right to water and sanitation, already extensively recognized by many states, and supported further efforts for its implementation. in addition, a better understanding of the complementary roles of public and private sectors was achieved, recognizing that specific circumstances call for specific solutions. moreover, 10 priority issues for catalyzing institutional change and policies were identified. in an effort to address corruption issues, participants called for the creation of an international tribunal to address violations and launched an appeal to incorporate anti - corruption safeguards into project designs. the need for public participation as an essential component of good governance was also emphasized. through a series of panels, sessions and side events throughout the week, financing issues received much greater attention than ever before from forum participants. despite recognition that financing needs for the water sector are still enormous and remain a major constraint for further development, the discussions enabled a much better understanding of the fundamentals of water economics. it was agreed that funds need to be allocated where they can have the biggest impact. by flexibly balancing “ the 3 ts : tariffs, taxes and transfers ”, the sector is consciously shifting its operational paradigm from “ full cost recovery ” to “ sustainable cost recovery. ” although higher priority for water should still be requested in national budgets


what is a letter of intent? letters of intent, commonly referred to as ' heads of agreement ', are used to indicate the terms under which two or more people intend to enter into a contractual relationship when doing business together. the term ' letter of intent ' has no legal significance. however, the courts have often treated so - called letters of intent as contracts capable of being enforced, so care must be taken when drafting them. one legally binding clause that is normally included in a letter of intent is the confidentiality clause in which it is agreed that confidential information acquired during negotiations will not be disclosed to any third party or otherwise used. why use letters of intent? many letters of intent are really a mechanism by which the parties to a deal give each other reassurance of their intentions. they provide strategic guidance as to how a deal is to be done. they are also useful when outsiders need to be brought into the picture. for example, a takeover deal may need to be financed by institutional investors. the letter of intent is a valuable tool for them in their decision - making. a letter of intent can be submitted to the relevant authorities in order to obtain a clearance that a particular way of structuring a deal will not cause problems : for example, obtaining a tax clearance from the inland revenue. what problems might arise? letters of intent can present problems. unless drafted carefully, a letter of intent can create a contract, enforceable in the courts. for example, the use of the words ' subject to contract ', which normally operate to show that contractual relations will be created later, are not always effective in this regard. similarly, the courts have ruled on several occasions that work done following agreement of a letter of intent should be paid for at a reasonable rate, when the anticipated contract did not materialise. if negotiations fail, there may be a damaging ' loss of face ' if details have been disclosed to third parties. in addition, uk tax law will often catch ' arrangements ' in which a series of predetermined steps is carried out with the effect that tax payable is reduced. the existence of a letter of intent could justify the tax authorities arguing that an arrangement was in effect. this can be of particular importance in management buyouts, sales of businesses and similar deals. what should be included? normally, letters of intent should contain the following clauses : - a statement of the law under which the letters are drafted ; - a statement that they are not binding, or clear identification of any parts that are intended to be contractually binding


information contained on this page is provided by newsusa, an independent third - party content provider. worldnow and this station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. / centers for disease control and prevention ) - as a parent, you know how much you do to keep your little one safe and healthy. even if you don ' t have kids, you still play an important role in protecting babies - - like your friend ' s newborn, your grandchild or even a baby you run into at the store. these children have something in common : they are vulnerable to whooping cough ( or pertussis ). we can all do something to protect them by getting immunized. whooping cough can take a toll on anyone, but it can be deadly for young children. today, there are cases in every state, and the country is on track to have the most reported cases since 1959. from january through september 2012, about 30, 000 cases of whooping cough were reported, along with 14 deaths. most of those deaths were among babies younger than three months old. how can you protect yourself and help keep babies safe? protection can start before a baby is even born. pregnant moms should get a tdap vaccine, which is a booster shot combining protection against whooping cough, tetanus and diphtheria. she ' ll be protecting herself so she won ' t spread whooping cough to her newborn, and some protection will be passed on to her baby. the centers for disease control and prevention ( cdc ) also recommends that anyone around babies get the whooping cough vaccine at least two weeks before coming into close contact with an infant. in fact, every adult is recommended one dose of tdap to protect themselves, even if they ' re not going to be around babies. during pregnancy, moms should talk to others about getting the tdap vaccine. this includes her spouse, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, babysitters and day care staff. after the baby arrives, he ' ll get his first dose of dtap ( the childhood vaccine combining protection against whooping cough, tetanus and diphtheria ) at two months of age. he should complete the vaccine series by getting additional doses at 4 months, 6 months, 15 through 18 months and 4 through 6 years of age. since the protection the dtap vaccine provides young children decreases over time, preteens need the tdap booster shot at 11 or 12 years old. now is the time to do your part to


the case of the first toddler ever to be " functionally cured " of hiv could have wide - ranging effects on the global fight to end the aids epidemic. " if we can replicate this in other infants... this has huge implications for the burden of infection that ' s occurring globally, " said dr. deborah persaud, a pediatrician at the johns hopkins children ' s center. persaud is the lead author of a report on the toddler ' s case that was presented at the 2013 conference on retroviruses and opportunistic infections in atlanta on monday. " for the unfortunate ones who do get infected, if this can be replicated, this would offer real hope of clearing the virus. " some 1, 000 infants are born with hiv every day, according to the latest estimates from the unaids global report. that means some 330, 000 children are living with the deadly virus. the majority of these infections are in the developing world. the most common way children get hiv is through perinatal transmission - - hiv transmission from an infected mother to a child while she is pregnant, giving birth or when she breast - feeds the child. the number of infant infections in the united states has gone down some 90 percent since the mid - ' 90s, according to the centers for disease control and prevention ; that ' s in large part because pregnant women are routinely tested. when a mother is identified as being hiv positive, her doctor is then able to administer preventive interventions that will, in most cases, keep the virus in check. in developing countries, infants born to mothers with hiv are not so lucky. there, mothers are less likely to be treated with antiretroviral drugs that would prevent transmission during pregnancy. in north africa and the middle east, for instance, 3 percent of pregnant women with hiv received antiretroviral medications, according to the u. n. report. some 23 percent in west and central africa did. testing is also less sophisticated in these areas. the unidentified mississippi woman in this case had no prenatal care and was not diagnosed as hiv positive until just before she delivered the baby. that ' s why dr. hannah gay, an associate professor of pediatrics at the university of mississippi medical center, administered the drugs within 30 hours after the baby was born. typically, a baby born to a woman with hiv would be given two drugs as a prophylactic measure. gay said her standard is to use a three - drug regimen to treat an infection. she did


the issue of discipline will doubtless be an important one in your selection of a school. you ' ll be concerned, and rightly so, that your child has a safe and ordered environment in which to learn. the school ' s rules and regulations should be spelled out in their printed material ; look them over carefully. but just as vital, you ' ll need to investigate how well these rules are actually enforced by the administration. what type of punishment do they carry out for various actions? do you agree with these steps? another area to evaluate is the type of peer pressure your children are likely to encounter at a given school. with today ' s problems such as alcohol, drugs, sex and gang violence, you ' ll want to know what your child might be up against. also, how does school policy respond to these situations? you might also ask if discipline is enforced off the school grounds ; can students be expelled for certain behaviors that take place away from school? some parents prefer strict disciplinary action, with no exceptions made ; others favor a more lenient approach. obviously, you ' ll want to find a school whose philosophy is more or less consistent with your own. ©2004 bluestreak media. all rights reserved. this material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


welcome to professor pam ' s home page rules for capitalization not capitalize common nouns the represent general classifications. we want to deal with a good company. note : many companies capitalize the word “ company ” in their in - house materials when they are referring to their own company. if you work for that company, you will, of course, follow the company protocol. not capitalize general occupational titles not used with names. he is a lawyer. personal names and titles : the following forms for titles in the inside address, salutation, and body of a business letter. capitalize the first letter of each title. titles such as professor or senator are spelled in full within titles when they are used with names. jenkins, but the professor example : i work for the “ the ” at the beginning of a company name only if it is actually part of the name. example : we will visit the first national bank. words as for or and are not capitalized within a company name. days, months, holidays. capitalize the names of days of the week, months, and holidays. we will arrive on monday. do not capitalize north, southeast, western, etc., when they simply indicate directions. capitalize such words when they represent definite geographic regions. capitalize directions when they are actual parts of geographic names. his home is in northern ireland. ©division of business, economics & mathematics, wvup, 2011. steve. morgan @ mail. wvu. edu ; business division office :


you will learn the basics of yoga — the abc ’ s — the sun salutation and basic sitting and standing positions. this course will help you master the basic vocabulary upon which most yoga traditions are based. with yoga basic, you can learn the basics of yoga in 90 - minute sessions. you can start immediately and join at any time. yoga basic is especially suitable for : - just trying out yoga - quickly yet throughouly learning the basic elements of yoga - finding out how to adapt yoga exercises to your body flexibility and day. - getting a feel for how different exercises have different physical and mental effects we recommend yoga basic for : - those coming from other yoga styles - as a preparation for those wanting to learn the dynamic styles of yoga ( ashtanga, vinyasa flow ) - sun salutation : simple form. the sun salutation ( surya namaskara ) is an essential part of the traditional yoga practice. it stretches all limbs, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. at the same time, it works the internal organs and glands and thus activates the entire body. - basic standing and sitting positions : the special effects of the positions, you know which positions are particularily important for you. - you will learn to adjust the basic positions to your physical fitness and flexibility, so you ’ ll know in any yoga course — also at home — how far you can go. - you will learn step by step how to link the movement to an energizing breathing technique ( ujai breathing ). this breathing technique can also be used in your daily life to promote peace, concentration, and composure. - anyone can join at any time!


in grammar terms, a participle is an adjective ( descriptive word ) made from a verb. ( noun ) an example of a participle is " sleeping " in the phrase " sleeping dogs. " see participle in webster ' s new world college dictionary origin : ofr < l participium < particeps, participating, partaking < participare, participate : from participating in the nature of both v. & adj. see participle in american heritage dictionary 4 origin : middle english origin :, from old french origin :, variant of participe origin :, from latin participium ( translation of greek metokhe, sharing, partaking, participle ) origin :, from particeps, particip -, partaker ; see participate. usage note : participial phrases such as walking down the street or having finished her homework are commonly used in english to modify nouns or pronouns, but care must be taken in incorporating such phrases into sentences. readers will ordinarily associate a participle with the noun, noun phrase, or pronoun adjacent to it, and misplacement may produce comic effects as in he watched his horse take a turn around the track carrying a racing sheet under his arm. a correctly placed participial phrase leaves no doubt about what is being modified : sitting at her desk, jane read the letter carefully. • another pitfall in using participial phrases is illustrated in the following sentence : turning the corner, the view was quite different. grammarians would say that such a sentence contains a “ dangling participle ” because there is no noun or pronoun in the sentence that the participial phrase could logically modify. moving the phrase will not solve the problem ( as it would in the sentence about the horse with a racing sheet ). to avoid distracting the reader, it would be better to recast the sentence as when we turned the corner, the view was quite different or turning the corner, we had a different view. • a number of expressions originally derived from participles have become prepositions, and these may be used to introduce phrases that are not associated with the immediately adjacent noun phrase. such expressions include concerning, considering, failing, granting, judging by, and speaking of. thus one may write without fear of criticism speaking of politics, the elections have been postponed or considering the hour, it is surprising that he arrived at all. learn more about participle


most viewed stories farmworkers face special risks and health issues thanks to the agricultural workers that toil in the fields, millions of people are fed during the winter. but these farmworkers face different health issues and risks than the general population. “ they do a lot of repetitive work. there are a lot of back injuries, ” noted amanda aguirre, ceo / president of the regional center for border health it might be a challenge to keep their feet dry. “ the fields are wet, muddy. if someone is diabetic, it might be a problem, ” she said. the same conditions increase their risk of getting fungus under their nails. they have to protect themselves from the insecticides applied to the crops. they are experts at using a knife to cut lettuce and broccoli, but they ' re still at risk of injuries, especially in cold weather, when fingers might be numb. tuberculosis, which spreads easily, is a concern because farmworkers spend a lot of time in small, confined spaces with large groups of people, either living together or traveling to job sites on buses. other concerns include sexually transmitted diseases, chronic diseases such as diabetes, lack of preventive care and continuity of care since migrant workers — and their families — move a lot. “ they follow the crops. today they ' re here and tomorrow in salinas, ” aguirre noted. these migrant farmworkers are the reason the sunset community health clinic exists. sunset began receiving federal funding through a public health service grant to the yuma county migrant health program in 1972, according to the center ' s website. services were provided out of a trailer in somerton during those early days. today the center serves 27, 000, including 6, 000 migrant workers. some agricultural groups and major companies provide health insurance for their temporary workers, who might be on their payroll for six months or so. some unions, particularly in california, also provide health insurance, thanks to the movement started by cesar chavez. this type of insurance extends into mexico, where farmworkers and their families can access health - care services and have it paid by american insurance. aguirre noted that pan american underwriters and western growers both provide health insurance for farmworkers, often with coverage for services in mexico. this is how many farmworkers and their families like it. “ because we ' re on the border, a lot of workers cross into mexico for service, ” aguirre pointed out. the san luis clinic, which is run by the


. this is how many farmworkers and their families like it. “ because we ' re on the border, a lot of workers cross into mexico for service, ” aguirre pointed out. the san luis clinic, which is run by the regional center for border health, a private, nonprofit organization, is designated as a rural health care provider. it also sees farmworkers, takes all insurance and has a sliding fee scale. the clinic will not deny anyone services and will donate medical services should someone not have the means to pay for them. some farmworkers might also qualify for the arizona health care cost containment system, depending on the individual ' s work and insurance status. or if they ' re temporary workers and they qualify for unemployment benefits during the off season, they might also be enrolled in ahcccs. while farmworkers face special health issues, aguirre believes agricultural companies are paying more attention to worker safety. “ education and awareness are very important, ” she said, noting that the focus must be on keeping families healthy, impressing upon them the importance of good nutrition and giving them access to primary health care services. “ they have a difficult skill, a skill they know very well. it ' s very unique, ” aguirre added. “ not many people want to do that, so we need to value them as part of our community and make sure to offer them services as well as we can. ” mara knaub can be reached at email @ example. com or 539 - 6856. find her on facebook at facebook. com / ysmaraknaub or on twitter at @ ysmaraknaub.


seattle and beyond it was immensely significant for black america that the last major public demonstration in the u. s. in the 20th century was a protest over global economics and trade. more than forty thousand people came to seattle to oppose the policies of the world trade organization, which since 1995 has functioned like an international cabal in league with powerful corporate and financial interests. labor activists went to seattle to force the wto to enact trade sanctions against nations that use child labor, prohibit labor unions and that pay slave wages to their workers. environmental activists came to seattle to pressure the wto to ensure environmental safeguards would be part of any global trade agreements. what motivated both labor and environmentalists is the political recognition that issues like human rights, employment and healthcare cannot be addressed individually as separate issues. nor can they be effectively discussed only in the context of a single nation - state. capital is now truly global, and any analysis of specific socioeconomic problems that may exist in our country must be viewed from an international perspective. the wto was set up to be the global headquarters for drafting and enforcing trading rules. when one member country challenges another ' s trading practices, disputes are settled secretly by panels of trade experts. elaine bernard, director of harvard ' s trade union program, explains that the wto ' s rules are based on privatization, free trade and few regulations on the environment. bernard states the wto ' s rules " value corporate power and commercial interests over labor and human rights, environmental and health concerns, and diversity. they increase inequality and stunt democracy. the wto version of globalization is not a rising tide lifting all boats, as free traders insist, but a dangerous race to the bottom. " what kinds of " dangerous " priorities are we talking about? consider that the wto ' s rules that deny third world nations the right to have automatic licensing on patented but absolutely essential medicines. so for example, even when african nations currently ravaged by diseases such as aids acquire the scientific and technical means to manufacture drugs to save millions of lives, the wto ' s first concern is the protection of the patents and profits of powerful drug companies. the wto defines itself as a " trade " organization, which is incapable of pursuing social goals, such as extending the rights to freedom of collective bargaining to third world and poor workers. thus when an authoritarian regime markets clothing and athletic shoes that were produced by child labor under sweatshop conditions, the wto claims that there is nothing it can do. the demonstrations in seattle, however, showed that growing numbers of


and poor workers. thus when an authoritarian regime markets clothing and athletic shoes that were produced by child labor under sweatshop conditions, the wto claims that there is nothing it can do. the demonstrations in seattle, however, showed that growing numbers of americans are recognizing that all of these issues - third world sweatshops, the destruction of unions, deteriorating living standards, the dismantling of social programs inside the u. s. - are actually interconnected. " globalization " is not some abstraction, but a destructive social force that has practical consequences on how we live, work and eat. there is a direct connection between the elimination of millions of jobs that can sustain families here in the u. s., and the exportation of jobs into countries without unions, environmental and safety standards. as real jobs disappear for millions of u. s. workers, and as welfare programs are eliminated, the only alternative is to use the prisons as the chief means of regulating mass unemployment. thus in the 1990s in the u. s., a period of so - called unprecedented capitalist expansion, the number of prisoners in federal, state and local correctional facilities roughly doubled. between 1995 and 1997, according to the national jobs for all coalition, the average incomes of the poorest 20 percent of female - headed families fell. in 1998, 163 cities and 670 counties had unemployment rates that were more than 50 percent higher than the national average. these deep pockets of joblessness and hunger are not accidental : they represent the logical economic consequences of a nation that builds one hundred new prison cells a day and sanctions the exportation of millions of jobs. black americans therefore should be in the forefront of the debates about international trade, but we must do so by recalling the activist slogan of the sixties : " think globally, act locally. " there is an inescapable connection between seattle and sing sing prison, between global inequality and the brutalization of third world labor and what ' s happening to black, brown and working people here in the u. s. as globalized capitalism destroys democracy, unions and the environment abroad, it is carrying out a similar agenda in our own backyards. for these reasons, we must create new organizations and a new political language that can unify international groups into collective protest action. we are challenged to build new political networks and information sharing across the boundaries of race, gender, class and nation. we must make the connections in the fight for democracy in the 21st century. dr. manning marable is professor of history and political science, and the director


the department of education recently issued a guidance to support educators in combating bullying in schools by clarifying when student bullying may violate federal education anti - discrimination laws. the guidance, which comes in the form of a " dear colleague " letter sent to schools, colleges and universities, explains educators ' legal obligations to protect students from student - on - student racial and national origin harassment, sexual and gender - based harassment, and disability harassment. the letter provides examples of harassment and illustrates how a school should respond in each case. ( november 23, 2010 ) celebrate the 35th anniversary of the passage of public law 94 - 142, now known as the individuals with disabilities education act ( idea ). on november 29, 1975, then - president gerald ford signed into law the education for all handicapped children act ( public law 94 - 142 ). in adopting this landmark civil rights measure, congress opened public school doors for millions of children with disabilities and laid the foundation of the country ’ s commitment to ensuring that children with disabilities have opportunities to develop their talents, share their gifts, and contribute to their communities. while tremendous progress has been made over the years, we must continue the hard work and address the challenges that still exist. although we are able to help many individual students to achieve their goals, we must strive to ensure that all children have the support they need and to find ways to meet each student ’ s needs within the context of each school. ( november 18, 2010 ) department awards $ 3. 5 million to 15 special education parent centers ; one million dollars to ten community parent resource centers the u. s. department of education announced the award of more than $ 3. 5 million in grants to operate 15 special education parent training and information ( pti ) centers in 11 states, the district of columbia, the virgin islands, and guam. the department also awarded $ 1 million to provide funding for ten community parent resource centers ( cprcs ). with the new grants, the department now funds 106 information centers for parents of students with disabilities. every state has at least one parent information center, which assist parents as they work to ensure their children receive a free, appropriate public education as guaranteed by federal law. in addition, community parent resource centers provide services to underserved parents of children with disabilities in targeted communities throughout the country. for a list of education department - funded special education parent information and training centers, visit http : / / www. taalliance. org / ptidirectory / index. asp ( october 7, 2010 ) sue sw


the country. for a list of education department - funded special education parent information and training centers, visit http : / / www. taalliance. org / ptidirectory / index. asp ( october 7, 2010 ) sue swenson begins duties as osers deputy assistant secretary and melody musgrove becomes director of the office of special education programs ( osep ). sue swenson comes from her own company which specializes in management, payment technologies and social entrepreneurship to support people with disabilities and their families. formerly the executive director of the arc of the united states and the joseph p. kennedy, jr. foundation, as well as the commissioner of the administration on developmental disabilities ( add ), swenson brings a wealth of experience in disability related issues including family support, inclusion, and transition to name a few. melody musgrove came from lrp publications where she served as the director of business development. formerly, she was the state director of special education in mississippi, a due process hearing officer, an assistant superintendent for curriculum and federal programs for the lawrence county school district, an assistant principal, and a special education teacher at the elementary, middle and high school levels. musgrove has been noted for her work to reduce the achievement gap for traditionally under - performing students, conducted statewide self - assessments, and designed and implemented a focused system of monitoring local districts. ( august 19, 2010 ) 20th anniversary of the americans with disabilities act a cause for celebration and rededication to equal educational opportunity for students with disabilities u. s. secretary of education arne duncan commemorated the 20th anniversary of the americans with disabilities act ’ s ( ada ) enactment by applauding the legislation and by rededicating the u. s. department of education to the ada ’ s effective implementation. “ the americans with disabilities act is a landmark piece of civil rights legislation. it protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination and promotes their full inclusion into education and all other aspects of our society, ” duncan said. “ i want to celebrate the progress that we ’ ve made and highlight our commitment to continuing the work of providing equal access for all americans. i acknowledge we still have work to do and renew my commitment to ensuring that individuals of all ages and abilities have an equal opportunity to realize their full potential. “ with president obama ’ s support, ” duncan said, “ we are strengthening our efforts to ensure that all students, including those with disabilities, have the tools they need to benefit from a world - class education that prepares them for success in


potential. “ with president obama ’ s support, ” duncan said, “ we are strengthening our efforts to ensure that all students, including those with disabilities, have the tools they need to benefit from a world - class education that prepares them for success in college and careers. ” to learn more about osers, the ada technical assistance centers and the independent living programs authorized by the rehabilitation act go to http : / / www2. ed. gov / about / offices / list / osers / index. html? src = oc. for further information about the ada, section 504 and ocr, please visit http : / / www2. ed. gov / policy / rights / guid / ocr / disability. html. ( july 26, 2010 ) assistant secretary of education alexa posny to discuss reauthorization of esea, idea at indiana education forum u. s. assistant secretary for special education and rehabilitative services alexa posny will deliver remarks and participate in a q & a at an education forum on friday, may 28 in bloomington, ind. dr. posny will discuss the priorities in the reauthorization of the elementary and secondary education act, and how it will serve as the roadmap for idea reauthorization. the education forum is being sponsored by the indiana council of administrators of special education. dr. alexa posny, assistant secretary for special education and rehabilitative services, u. s. department of education discussion of how esea reauthorization aligns with idea reauthorization at indiana education forum bloomington high school south 1965 s. walnut street friday, may 28 at 9 : 30 a. m. ( may 28, 2010 ) the department has posted a summary of state laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines regarding the use of restraint and seclusion techniques in schools : http : / / www. ed. gov / policy / seclusion / seclusion - state - summary. html. the summary is a result of u. s. secretary of education arne duncan ’ s letter issued to chief state school officers on july 31, 2009, urging a review of current state policies and guidelines regarding the use of restraint and seclusion in schools. since august, the department ’ s regional comprehensive centers have researched and compiled information on state - by - state restraint and seclusion techniques. “ restraint and seclusion policies should be reviewed regularly to prevent the abuse of such techniques and ensure that schools provide a safe learning environment for all of our children,


the classical world and classical language from the john paul ii library homepage, select find articles by and then subject. under history, select the ancient world and early christianity. this section guides you to many resources that pertain to the classical world. if you know the title of the journal, go to find articles by title of journal and follow along. remember that information about his period comes to us from two main sources : the written record and the physical remains of these cultures. the study of archeology plays an important role in interpreting both the ruins of these cultures and the writings that they have left behind. many nations and places in ancient history still exist today. if you perform a search in a general database using egypt or rome as a term without additional qualifiers, you may have results that pertain to the modern rather than the ancient world 1. you may search by words anywhere ( a keyword approach ) title, author, subject. i suggest that you use keyword - at least at first. 2. subject headings should be used only after finding the appropriate one to use. you can never be sure as to the exact subject heading in use until you have some experience with the database. 3. after using keywords, you may find a subject heading that is useful for your search. these subject headings are in the blue print under the citations for the articles and you can click on them to bring up those citations. some important facts about inter library loan - - - 1. books take at least 3 days 2. articles take at least 5 daysprint citation and attach pink form with your contact information 3. please print the article citation from the database. if submitting a list, please make it very clear as to which articles you wish to order. ( please order handwritten next to each one you want is fine ) 4. the issn number is very importantit can be found on most databasesplease include it. journals in john paul ii library many of the databases do not include the full text of the article. the library subscribes to over 700 journals. current copies are on the main floor and the older copies are on the second floor, bound and arranged in call number order. some older journals are in storage and there is a 24 - hour turn around on requests. you may check to see if we subscribe to a journal by checking the jpii catalog. you may see if we have full text access to a journal by using the find articles by title of journal option. please remember to search by the exact name of


the western wall additional western wall pics | history of the wall | | power and the wall | | gender and the wall | | links | history of the wall the western wall is the last remnant of the holy temple in jerusalem, which was destroyed in 70 ce by titus and the roman legions. interestingly, the romans did not destroy the protective wall which surrounded the temple. this last remnant of the temple quickly became one of the most celebrated religious sites in jerusalem. the kotel ha - ma ' aravi ( western wall ) stands upon the temple mount and stretches 200 meters. for many reasons the wall attracts visitors from around the world. it is one of the holiest sights in jerusalem and some believed that here abraham bound isaac. jewish people have been praying at the wall for two thousand years and travel from around the world to gather and pray at this holy site. jews pray facing the wall three times daily, often in tears which is why some refer to the wall as the " wailing wall ". in fact, the wall is an ancient praying site for jews since the middle ages and the sheer longevity of the wall is phenomenal. this leads many jews to believe that the wall is holy and has been blessed by god. power and the wall aside from the historical significance of the wall, another attraction to the wall stems from the perception of the wall as an appropriate metaphor for the struggle of survival of the jewish people themselves. for just as the jewish peoples ' existence has been endangered over the course of history, the wall ' s existence has been threatened as well. the romans burned the entire temple but inexplicably left the outer wall unscathed. remarkably, the wall still exists and just as remarkably so do the jews. this religious connection that many jews feel with the wall, arguably makes the wall the most powerful and emotional religious site in jerusalem. the amount of people that come to the wall to pray on a daily basis is amazing and the emotion that is so commonly exhibited by these people leaves many observers in awe. the wall also holds an important position within ancient jewish prophecies. one being that the holy temple will eventually be reconstructed. rebuilt in its original form, standing upon the temple mount surrounded by the wall. the second prophecy involves the arrival of the messiah, for some jews attest that only the true messiah will cause enough power for the temple ' s construction. whether a person is jewish or not, the power that the wall holds within the jewish community is undeniable. gender and the wall although the wall


some jews attest that only the true messiah will cause enough power for the temple ' s construction. whether a person is jewish or not, the power that the wall holds within the jewish community is undeniable. gender and the wall although the wall is considered by jews as a holy place of worship it does not allow for all members of the jewish community to pray in the same area. orthodox jews believe that women should not don prayer shawls or lead services and should be separated from men during prayer. so, jewish women are expected to pray at a specific area of the wall without torahs. some women, who have attempted to pray at the wall have even encountered violence from orthodox men. unfortunately, the space at the wall is not entirely equal and the israeli government, for fear of the power of the orthodox within jerusalem will not protect a woman who wants to pray at any part of the wall. instead women must pray at a separate area of the wall and if they feel inclined to pray elsewhere there is a chance she would be met by men who use violence as a deterrent. the mob rule of the western wall is unfortunate but indicative of orthodox gender practice in general, in which women are not permitted to read from the torah, pray in the same area as men or allowed to lead religious services. we may conclude that the separatism that occurs at the wall is not an isolated event but rather an extension of orthodox jewish practice concerning gender. messianic prophecy concerning the wall wailing wall kvitel service send a message to put in the wall. window on the wall 24 hour view of the western wall.


home fire safety for family and friends of older adults when it comes to fire, adults over age 65 are at greater risk than any other group. most fire deaths occur in the home and it is important for older adults to know how to protect themselves. if you have a relative, friend or neighbor in this high - risk group, please take a few minutes to complete this fire safety check of their home. conduct the following safety checks : - check that there are working smoke alarms on every level of the home and in sleeping areas. - make sure the older person can hear the alarm when it activates. if not, there are now a variety of smoke alarms on the market that combine sound and light to alert those with limited hearing that there is a fire in the home. - check that the smoke alarms have been tested. if not, test the smoke alarm by pressing the alarm test button. if it is difficult to reach, use a broom handle or ruler to test it. - check that the batteries have been changed within the past year. batteries should be replaced each year. it is a good idea to mark the date on the batteries so that anyone will know when they were last replaced. families are encouraged to change the batteries in the fall during " change your clock, change your batteries " programs. a chirping sound indicates a low battery, but this sound can be difficult for an older person to hear or recognize. - check for scorch marks on pots and pans. if you find scorch marks, discuss with the older person. he / she may be leaving cooking unattended. - check that clothing, bedding, furniture and floors are free of cigarette burns. if you find cigarette burns, discuss the situation with your older friend or relative. - do you know how to leave quickly if there is a fire? - check that the older person knows two ways out in case the main route is blocked by smoke or flames. check that all doors and windows in the escape route can be easily opened. - do you have a neighbor who can help in an emergency? - is there a phone near your bed in case you need help? - what would you do if the room filled with smoke? - demonstrate how to crawl low and go. - for those living in apartments : - do you know the sound of the fire alarm and what to do if the alarm sounds? find out correct procedures from building management. - do you ever leave cooking unattended? - most kitchen fires start because cooking food has been left una


: - do you know the sound of the fire alarm and what to do if the alarm sounds? find out correct procedures from building management. - do you ever leave cooking unattended? - most kitchen fires start because cooking food has been left unattended. never leave items cooking unattended on the stovetop. it ' s best to turn off the stove before leaving the kitchen and to closely monitor things cooking in the oven. use a timer or take an item such as a potholder as a reminder if there is something cooking in the oven. - do you know what to do if a pot on the stove catches fire? - keep a proper fitting lid nearby and safely slide it over the burning pot. - if a grease fire starts : - using a potholder, place a lid over the burning pan. - turn off the heat source. - leave the lid on the pan until it is completely cool. - never use water on a grease fire. - don ' t try to carry a pan that is on fire to the sink or outdoors. smother the fire with a lid and leave the pan where it is. - if a grease fire starts : - are combustibles or things that can easily ignite, such as dish towels or curtains near the stove? - keep anything that can easily catch fire away from the stove. - do you wear tight - fitting or rolled up sleeves when you use the stove? - dangling sleeves can easily brush against a hot burner and quickly catch fire. - are you careful not to reach over hot burners? - use the front burners as much as possible. - do you keep portable heaters at least 3 feet from any combustible materials, such as drapes, clothing or furniture? - space heaters can quickly warm up a cold room, but they have also been the cause of many serious home fires. remind your friend or relative that portable heaters should be at least three feet from all combustible materials, including paper, bedding, furniture and curtains. never use your heater to dry clothing or shoes and make sure that all heaters are turned off before leaving your home or going to bed. - if you smoke, do you consider yourself a careful smoker? - smokers should use large, deep ashtrays and never smoke when drowsy or in bed. - where do you empty your ashtrays? - soak cigarette butts and cigar ashes in water before discarding or in a non - combustible can.


volume 11, number 3 — march 2005 rumor surveillance and avian influenza h5n1 we describe the enhanced rumor surveillance during the avian influenza h5n1 outbreak in 2004. the world health organization ’ s western pacific regional office identified 40 rumors ; 9 were verified to be true. rumor surveillance informed immediate public health action and prevented unnecessary and costly responses. in january 2004, 14 persons in vietnam were admitted to provincial hospitals with severe respiratory illness ( 1 ). avian influenza h5n1 was detected in samples from 3 of these patients. health officials and the world health organization ( who ) were concerned, as these were sporadic cases of an influenza strain that normally infects birds exclusively ( 2 ). furthermore, little was known about the extent of the outbreak, its potential for international spread, and the possible evolution of a pandemic influenza strain. who issued an international public health alert on january 13, 2004, to inform the world about the outbreak ( 1 ). news of the outbreak led to international anxiety and the propagation of unofficial outbreak reports or disease rumors ( 3 ). these rumors could have led countries to impose trade and travel restrictions with negative social, economic, and health consequences ( 3, 4 ). to protect both the international community and the affected countries, who introduced enhanced rumor surveillance for reports of avian influenza h5n1, a process of investigating unofficial reports of disease events to determine their veracity. rumor surveillance aims to decrease the potential for misinformation and misunderstanding and to inform the public and health officials about disease outbreaks, facilitate a rapid response, and promote public health preparedness ( 3 ). rumor surveillance is a passive process, where rumors are identified from media reports, professional groups, the public, and persons in the who network, which is made up of who headquarters, country offices, and who collaborating centers. in an enhanced system, rumor surveillance is intensified by actively seeking out rumors and undertaking more rigorous follow up. this surveillance includes analyzing more media sources and regularly requesting information from the who network about outbreak events. previous studies have examined the role of enhanced rumor surveillance during public health emergencies, such as the chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986 and the outbreak of ebola in uganda in 2000 ( 5, 6 ). however, research has not examined the role of rumor surveillance in multicountry or regional outbreaks. the importance of rumor surveillance is likely to increase as the international community considers the revised draft of the international health regulations ( ihr ). article 8 of the ihr working paper (


role of rumor surveillance in multicountry or regional outbreaks. the importance of rumor surveillance is likely to increase as the international community considers the revised draft of the international health regulations ( ihr ). article 8 of the ihr working paper ( 7 ) states, “ who, in consultation with the health administration of the state concerned, shall verify rumors of public health risks which may involve or result in international spread of disease. ” during the avian influenza outbreak, who ’ s western pacific regional office ( wpro ) was the focal point for identifying rumors and coordinating their investigations in the region ( 8 ). wpro covers 37 nations and stretches from china in the north and west, to new zealand in the south, and to french polynesia in the east ( 9 ). this study examines whether the enhanced rumor surveillance undertaken by wpro during the first 40 days of the outbreak achieved its aims of 1 ) offering timely assistance to potentially affected nations, 2 ) prompting countries to undertake preparedness measures appropriate to their level of risk of being affected, and 3 ) informing the public and the international community about relevant events. wpro designated a rumor surveillance officer to develop and implement the rumor surveillance system for avian influenza in animals and humans. this officer actively assessed media sources and email - based public health discussion and regularly contacted the who network to identify rumors. media sources included journalists visiting wpro and web sites for television networks and newspapers. most were english - based media sources ; however, some were also in japanese and arabic. to increase the scope of the active media search, this officer also accessed the global public health intelligence network ( 10 ), an electronic surveillance system that continuously monitors > 600 media sources and biomedical journals in a number of languages, including chinese, spanish, english, and french. each rumor was followed up by an email or a telephone request to the relevant who country office to investigate its veracity. the who country office in turn sought verification from the country ’ s health authorities. overall, the onus of the verification process was in the hands of the affected countries ’ health authorities. the authorities had to demonstrate to who that appropriate investigations were conducted to deem rumors correct or incorrect. to ensure this process, who sometimes supported rumor verification by assisting in laboratory testing or shipment of isolates. once available, the outcome of the investigation was disseminated to who stakeholders, including the outbreak response team. for events reported in the media, wpro ’ s media officers made information publicly available through press releases and media interviews, as well as providing up


available, the outcome of the investigation was disseminated to who stakeholders, including the outbreak response team. for events reported in the media, wpro ’ s media officers made information publicly available through press releases and media interviews, as well as providing up - to - date information on the who web site ( http : / / www. who. int ). from january 20 to february 26, 2004, a total of 40 rumors were identified, most within 4 weeks of the outbreak alert ( figure ). the rumors concerned 12 countries and 1 special administrative region. of the total rumors received, 19 ( 48 % ) were received from the media, 18 ( 45 % ) from the who network, 2 ( 5 % ) from embassy staff living in affected countries, and 1 ( 2 % ) from promed digest with a media source as the origin. nine ( 23 % ) rumors were confirmed to be true events : 5 in china and 1 each in cambodia, japan, laos, and south korea. of the incorrect rumors, 6 were in china, 6 in laos, 4 in vietnam, 4 and in hong kong, 3 in cambodia, 2 in germany, and 1 each in bangladesh, indonesia, japan, malaysia, saudi arabia, and singapore. the average period for verification of true events was 2. 7 days ( range 1 – 5 days ). the average period to verify that a rumor was incorrect was 9. 3 days ( range 1 – 26 days ). sixty percent of the rumors related to human outbreaks, of which 1 was true, and 40 % to animal outbreaks, of which 8 were true. the table provides examples of rumors received during the 40 - day study, the outcomes of the investigation, and the public health action taken. the remaining 32 rumors are not shown for reasons of brevity and privacy ; however, not all rumors resulted in public health action after the verification process. this finding was expected because the high sensitivity of the system decreased the predictive value positive. wpro ’ s enhanced rumor surveillance system identified many rumors. most were identified in the first few weeks after the public health alert. a similar pattern was also observed during the 2003 sars outbreak, when most rumors were received within the first 7 weeks of the public health alert ( 11 ). the decreased rate of rumor detection later in the outbreak is consistent with allport and postman ’ s basic law of rumor ( 12 ). according to this law, the amount of rumors in circulation is roughly equal to the importance of the rumor multiplied by the uncertainty surrounding


of rumor detection later in the outbreak is consistent with allport and postman ’ s basic law of rumor ( 12 ). according to this law, the amount of rumors in circulation is roughly equal to the importance of the rumor multiplied by the uncertainty surrounding the rumor. we found that, as more information became available about the outbreaks and about the h5n1 virus, fewer rumors circulated. this decrease was despite the fact that the importance of the disease remained high because of the ongoing risk for evolution of a pandemic influenza strain. through rumor surveillance, who assisted affected countries by issuing guidelines, providing technical expertise, and mobilizing supplies. unaffected countries also took action by banning the importation of poultry from affected countries. this action was crucial in preventing the further spread of avian influenza. an important part of rumor surveillance is the timely dissemination of accurate information to reduce misunderstanding and unwarranted concern, especially for rumors reported in the media. one example was the need to address the international concern that arose about the rumor that pigs were infected with avian influenza ( 13 ). if the rumor had not been reported to be incorrect publicly after the verification process, health authorities may have heightened avian influenza surveillance to include the investigation of persons with symptoms of influenza and a history of contact with pigs. the literature lacks guidance on how to establish and operate enhanced rumor surveillance during large outbreaks. based on our experience and drawing on the recommendations in standard texts on public health surveillance ( 14, 15 ), we suggest the following criteria for developing rumor surveillance : 1 ) define the goals of surveillance as part of an early warning system in which each rumor deserves investigation to determine its veracity ; 2 ) apply a case definition that will have a high level of sensitivity ( and therefore a relatively lower specificity ) to identify the event of interest early in the outbreak ; 3 ) articulate clearly the steps to be undertaken to assess the veracity of the rumor, the criteria for deeming the verification process complete, and the ethics and confidentiality in conducting investigations ; 4 ) clarify the actions to be taken if the rumored events are true, or incorrect, or if the response of the verifying authority lacks credibility ; 5 ) delegate responsibility for data collection, management of the rumor database, and verification to a person trained in surveillance. this person must have access to relevant national and international networks and appropriate negotiation skills to investigate the veracity of the rumors. in selected instances, multilingual staff may be essential ; 6 ) include among the data sources print and electronic media, the


. this person must have access to relevant national and international networks and appropriate negotiation skills to investigate the veracity of the rumors. in selected instances, multilingual staff may be essential ; 6 ) include among the data sources print and electronic media, the global public health intelligence network, national health authorities, and professional bodies and networks. consider mechanisms for the public to report rumors through a hotline or an email address ; 7 ) develop mechanisms to provide regular updates on current verification activities, the number of rumors investigated, and their outcomes to the outbreak response team ; 8 ) provide regular feedback on the outcomes of investigations to those who provided data, and where appropriate, to the international community ; and 9 ) evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the investigations and upgrade the rumor surveillance system through a process of continuous quality improvement. ms. samaan is completing a field epidemiology training program at the australian national university and is currently working at the australian department of health and ageing. her research interests include emergency disease outbreak response and mental health epidemiology. we thank roseanne muller and janet li for their comments. this research was supported by the masters of applied epidemiology program at australian national university. the masters of applied epidemiology program is funded by the australian department of health and ageing. - world health organization. avian influenza a ( h5n1 ) in humans and poultry in viet nam. [ cited 2003 may 14 ]. available from http : / / www. who. int / csr / don / 2004 _ 01 _ 13 / en / - yuen ky, chan pk, peiris m, tsang dn, que tl, shortridge kf, clinical features and rapid viral diagnosis of human disease associated with avian influenza h5n1 virus. lancet. 1998 ; 351 : 467 – 71. - grein tw, kamara ko, rodier g, plant aj, bovier p, ryan mj, rumors of disease in the global village : outbreak verification. emerg infect dis. 2000 ; 6 : 97 – 102. - health canada. learning from sars : renewal of public health in canada, october 2003. [ cited 2003 may 14 ]. available from http : / / www. hc - sc. gc. ca / english / protection / warnings / sars / learning. html - rahu m. health effects of the chernobyl accident : fears, rumors and the truth. eur j cancer. 2003 ; 39


hc - sc. gc. ca / english / protection / warnings / sars / learning. html - rahu m. health effects of the chernobyl accident : fears, rumors and the truth. eur j cancer. 2003 ; 39 : 295 – 9. - okware si, omaswa fg, zaramba s, opio a, lutwama jj, kamugisha j, an outbreak of ebola in uganda. trop med int health. 2002 ; 7 : 1068 – 75. - world health organization. international health regulations : working paper for regional consultations. [ cited 2004 jun 21 ]. available from http : / / www. who. int / csr / resources / publications / csrpublications / en / index8. htm - world organization for animal health. update on avian influenza in animals in asia. [ cited 2004 may 15 ]. available from http : / / www. oie. int / downld / avian % 20influenza / a _ ai - asia. htm - world health organization western pacific regional office. in brief. [ cited 2004 oct 6 ]. available from http : / / www. wpro. who. int / in _ brief. asp - world health organization. epidemic intelligence — systematic event detection. [ cited 2004 oct 6 ]. available from http : / / www. who. int / csr / alertresponse / epidemicintelligence / en / - muller r. chasing rumors : a field placement with the who sars team in manila april – june 2003. the northern territory disease control bulletin 2003 ; 10 : 1 – 4. available from : http : / / www. nt. gov. au / health / cdc / bulletin / june _ 2003. pdf - allport gw, postman l. the psychology of rumor. new york : holt, rinehart & winston ; 1947. - health e - line. bird flu death toll hits 18, pigs in focus. reuters health online. 2004 feb 6. available from http : / / www. nt. gov. au / health / cdc / bulletin - teutsch sm, churchill re, eds. principles and practice of public health surveillance. 2nd ed. new york : oxford university press ; 2000. - thacker sb, birkhead gs. surveillance. in : gregg mb, editor. field epidemiology. 2nd ed. new york : oxford university press ; 2002. p.


another day, another planet, another micro — but the ace is so fast that even bill bennett had to switch into hyper - drive to review it. the jupiter ace is a radical departure from the mainstream of micro - computing, and could prove to be the start of a very important new - trend. rather than accepting the prevailing wisdom, jupiter cantab designed the machine around the forth language. in a way, this makes the ace a breakthrough — it is both the first mass - produced home computer not to use that tired old lady of micro languages, basic, and is also one of the fastest micros ever made. the speed clement is vital ; it is more or less the justification for using a hitherto arcane computer tongue. but speed is not the only - advantage of forth, or indeed of the ace. it has that all - important feature ; structure. structured programming is definitely the “ coming thing ”. it is preferred by both educationalists and professional programmers alike, and leads me to another fashionable computer buzz - word ; portability. portability is an important conception in micro - computing. put simply it means the ability of one computer to run a program written for another, taking the hardware differences into account. forth is highly portable. providing the relevant hardware details, such as screen and memory size, are taken into account, any program written in forth should run on any forth system. programming in forth is so fundamentally different to programming in basic that some people prefer not to call forth software “ programs ” at all. it is important to discard all your current ideas about programming before you start with the language forth. when writing a basic program, it seems quite normal to think of the control passing through program lines. these lines are like rails along which the control runs, complete with loops and goto jumps. the control path is often difficult to follow even in your own, short, well - documented programs. imagine trying to sort out someone else ’ s epic and rather badly - documented program, which they quickly wrote in the middle of the night. this just does not happen with forth, because each little section of code is debugged as it is written, and the control path does not really exist as a concept. a forth system contains a set of words, called a kernel in some implementations. on the jupiter ace they are referred to as rom - words, because they are in the machine ’ s 8k of read - only memory. these words act on whatever number is on the top of the stack, which is the


in some implementations. on the jupiter ace they are referred to as rom - words, because they are in the machine ’ s 8k of read - only memory. these words act on whatever number is on the top of the stack, which is the area of memory that the system plays with. the best way to think of a stack is as a pile of plates. these plates are the numbers. plates can be added to the top of the pile at any time, but only the one on the top can be worked on. this is a much more convenient way of managing the memory than using addresses, though with forth it is still possible to define variables and constants. each word in the rom - word set can be thought of as a call to a machine - code subroutine. usually any value sent into a subroutine is called a “ parameter ”. in forth the relevant parameters are those numbers at present on the top of the stack. for example : plus is a forth word — written + — which adds together the two numbers at the top of the system stack, and then puts the resulting number in their place. thus, on the jupiter, when you input 2 enter the screen shows 2 ok 3 enter the screen shows 3 ok + enter the screen shows + ok. enter the screen shows 5 ok the command “. ” prints out whatever is currently on the top of the stack. for conven - ience i will call this “ dot ”. we can think of the numbers 2 and 3 as parameters sent to the plus routine, and the resultant value 5 as the parameter sent to the dot routine. as soon as a forth word is entered it is obeyed. a number of words can be entered at a time. for example, our example could have been input as : 2 3 +. enter the result 5 is printed immediately at the cursor position. it is very important to remember to put a space between all forth words or numbers as they are entered. forth really comes into its own when users start to define their own words. this is very simple to do. new words are formed by combining words already defined, and in some cases using numbers which are placed on the stack. for example, to write a word that will add two numbers together and then print out the result, we shall use the name plus : : plus +. ; enter the colon at the beginning indicates that a new word is being defined. what follows it — plus in this case — is the name of that word. we input the +


the result, we shall use the name plus : : plus +. ; enter the colon at the beginning indicates that a new word is being defined. what follows it — plus in this case — is the name of that word. we input the + and. to tell the computer that these are the forth words which go to make up our word, plus, and the semi - colon at the end closes the definition. once a new word is defined it appears on the top of the vocabulary list. the vocabulary initially contains the 140 rom - words, and, the top word in the list is forth. this merely indicates that the words below it constitute the main vocabulary. the forth word vlist makes the machine print out a list of all the words in the vocabulary, including all the new ones. it is possible to define the same word twice. if, having typed in the word plus as i des - cribed you decided that you wanted to change it so that the screen cleared first, you would have to use the editor. enter the following : and up comes the previous definition of that word, laid out thus ; : plus +. the word cls — clear screen — would need to be added before the word +. this is done by moving the cursor to the position where the extra word — or words — are to be inserted and typing that word in. the cursor - control keys are the 5, 6, 7 and 8, used in the same way as on the zx - 81. once the word has been changed to the corrected form, typing enter now places that word in the vocabulary. if at this stage you type vlist, you would find that there are two versions of the word plus in the list. the computer would always execute the second version, leaving the first for dead. this makes debugging software incredibly easy because any incorrectly - defined words can be tested as they are entered and continually hacked about until they reach a correct form. because all previous attempts at the same word are kept in the dictionary, you can return to these at any time. when the definitive version of the word has been created, you can save memory space by deleting with replace all the intermediate attempts. unlike most implementations of forth, the ace has a substantial level of error - checking. for example, the stack will not overflow. it is also made more powerful by the ability to redefine words without the system crashing. however, should you require yet more speed than normally available, there is a


level of error - checking. for example, the stack will not overflow. it is also made more powerful by the ability to redefine words without the system crashing. however, should you require yet more speed than normally available, there is a fast command. this does away with the error - checking, so it is wise to use it only when a program is totally debugged. it takes the computer ’ s speed up to about 90 percent of a machine - coded program, but it does disable the break key. at an end - user price of £89. 95, the jupiter ace is an excellent way of learning an important new computer language. it will have a special appeal to those who feel that they have now grown out of their zx - 81s, especially as far as basic programming is concerned. it will also be a godsend to those who want the speed and economy of machine code but cannot grasp its principles. the jupiter ace comes in a white plastic case, not all that dissimilar in style to the now - defunct zx - 80 ′ s horrible box. it is undoubtedly the machine ’ s worst feature, and the cost - cutting that has been done here could turn out to be that ha ’ porth of tar that spoilt the ship. the printing on the case is in a matt - black, broken only by a series of red lines. these red lines are obviously the microcomputer world ’ s equivalent of the “ go - faster ” stripes that teenage car owners sport to make their old ford cortinas look a little sleeker. the truth of the matter is that the jupiter is very fast. the manufacturer claims that it is the fastest microcomputer in this quadrant of the galaxy. this has a lot to do with the rapidity of the forth language, but some of the credit has to go to the z - 80a processor which nips along at a rate of knots — 3. 25mhz to be precise. speed implies heat, but there is not much danger of the jupiter overheating, or at least a sight less danger than some machines, because inside that flimsy plastic case is plenty of breathing room and what is more, the case is better ventilated than that of the zx range of computers. sinclair cognoscenti will smile when they peer inside the case and see the heat sink. i often wonder why they are such odd shapes — could it be they were designed by picasso? comparisons with the sinclair


of the zx range of computers. sinclair cognoscenti will smile when they peer inside the case and see the heat sink. i often wonder why they are such odd shapes — could it be they were designed by picasso? comparisons with the sinclair machines will inevitably keep cropping up, because the designers of the ace were, until recently, in the employ of sinclair research and so take some of the credit and blame for the zx spectrum. apart from the gross departure of choosing the forth language, the design is fairly standard. sinclair owners will find much inside the ace ’ s case that is familiar to them. the keyboard closely resembles that on the zx - 81, both in the number of keys and their layout. but rather than having those horrid little squares that you have to struggle to push down as you program, the ace uses a rubbery “ moving - key ” design. personally i find it is a little like shaking a dead man ’ s hand. the keys do at least have the advantage of being readable — that is, there are none of the spectrum ’ s red words which you can only track down using special spectacles. another small mercy that we can thank jupiter for — or zeus if you are greek — is that there is no single - keyword entry to contend with. however, the designers probably did not abandon it for any good reason, but merely because the infinity of word names available to forth makes it impracticable. there are also some significant advances. for example, there are both upper and lower - case letters. it is also possible for the user to define his own character set — in fact by doing so, some reasonably high - resolution graphics are possible. in this way the graphics of the ace remind me of a non - colour spectrum. in normal mode there are 32 character positions across the display and 24 down. in the plot mode, there is a resolution of 64 by 48 points — not exactly high resolution. if you are prepared to play about with the character definition then this increases to a respectable 192 by 256. the operation of the word plot is like the other forth words. the top three numbers on the stack are the parameters which are passed to a machine - code routine. at the top of the stack is a number which describes how the point is to be drawn, and the next two give its screen location. probably the biggest advantage of the ace ’ s picture quality over the zx - 81 ′ s is that the ace has a rock - steady black screen on which