and secondhand smoke. this is a hard and fast rule. there are no exceptions. good nutrition is also important. a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and fish may actually help the lungs. there is no evidence that vitamin supplements help. in fact beta - carotene actually increases a male smoker ' s risk of lung cancer. patients with chronic bronchitis and heart strain must avoid sodium ( salt ). men with severe emphysema may benefit from high - calorie nutritional supplements. drinking plenty of fluids will help keep phlegm loose and make it easy to clear out by coughing. a program of low - to - moderate intensity exercise can help the muscles get the most from the oxygen that damaged lungs can deliver. walking is best. start with 5 just minutes of walking three to four times a day and build up to 45 minutes a day. patients with severe copd or heart disease may also need a structured pulmonary rehabilitation program, which can teach breathing exercises that strengthen chest muscles. preventing infection is essential. be sure your flu and pneumonia shots are up to date. keep your distance from folks with respiratory infections. wash your hands carefully with an alcohol - based hand rub. back to top medications for copd prescription medications can do a lot for patients with copd. your doctor will explain the benefits and possible side effects. here is a summary of the major groups of medications. - bronchodilators - these relax the muscles in the walls of the bronchi, widening the tubes and easing the passage of air. the most popular short - acting bronchodilator is albuterol ( proventil ). it is inhaled through a metered - dose inhaler ( mdi ) up to four times a day for quick relief of wheezing, coughing, or shortness of breath. patients with mild copd may need only a short - acting bronchodilator, but patients with more advanced disease also benefit from a long - acting bronchodilator. they help prevent symptoms rather than provide immediate relief. salmeterol ( serevent ) or formoterol ( foradil ) can be inhaled twice a day as a spray or from a dry powder inhaler ( dpi ). patients taking salmeterol or formoteral should continue using their short - acting albuterol mdi for that purpose. - anticholinergics - these are drugs that widen the bronchial tubes and reduce the amount of mucus without making it thick and difficult


or formoteral should continue using their short - acting albuterol mdi for that purpose. - anticholinergics - these are drugs that widen the bronchial tubes and reduce the amount of mucus without making it thick and difficult to bring up. they provide long - term control and are the most important medication for many men with copd. the newer drug tiotropium ( spiriva ) can be used just once a day, while ipratropium ( atrovent ) requires more frequent use. because anticholinergics and bronchodilators work in different ways, patients can benefit from using both types of drugs. - corticosteroids ( " steroids " ) - these medications reduce inflammation in the bronchial tubes. inhaled steroids can help many, but not all, patients with moderate - to - severe copd. they are most effective for patients who are also taking long - acting bronchodilators. a combination of a steroid ( fluticasone ) and a long - acting bronchodilator ( salmeterol ) is available for twice - a - day dry powder inhalation. - antibiotics - these can be critically important for flare - ups but are not helpful for maintenance therapy. notify your doctor right away if your breathing becomes worse, if you develop a fever, or if your phlegm becomes thicker, discolored, or more plentiful. back to top does oxygen really help? people with copd who have low blood oxygen levels can benefit greatly from long - term, round - the - clock oxygen therapy. at home, oxygen can be stored in cylinders or generated by machines called oxygen concentrators. portable tanks can provide several hours of oxygen away from home. oxygen therapy needs careful supervision by a physician. because oxygen can be a fire hazard, patients and household members need to follow certain safety precautions. back to top the bottom line the average person will take some 600 million breaths during a lifetime. most men can keep their lungs healthy simply by avoiding tobacco smoke and other harmful fumes. early diagnosis and treatment can slow the damage, ward off complications, and improve the quality of life. new therapies are on the way, but simple prevention is the best treatment of all. and, after all, what ' s more important than preserving the breath of life? harvey b. simon, m. d. is an associate professor of medicine at harvard medical school and a member of the health sciences technology faculty


hearing loss in adults what is it? hearing loss is a decrease in the ability to perceive sounds. it can be partial or total, sudden or gradual, temporary or permanent. it can affect one ear or both. in general, the risk of hearing loss increases with age. sound enters the ear and strikes the eardrum. this causes the eardrum to vibrate. the eardrum ' s vibrations are amplified through the middle ear by three tiny bones. inside the ear, the vibrations are transformed into nerve impulses. these nerve impulses travel to the brain, where they are interpreted as sounds. the outer ear and middle ear conduct sound. any injury to this part of the hearing pathway is called conductive hearing loss. sensorineural hearing loss is injury to the inner ear, eighth cranial nerve and brain. these structures produce, transmit and interpret nerve impulses. some of the most important causes of hearing loss in adults are : - middle ear disease. a bacterial infection of the middle ear can : - injure the eardrum - disrupt the middle - ear bones - cause fluid buildup - noise. loud sounds can injure delicate cells within the ear. this is a form of sensorineural hearing loss. noise - induced hearing loss can happen because of a single brief burst of an extremely loud sound. it more often results from long - term exposure to loud sounds of slightly lower intensity. - otosclerosis. an abnormal overgrowth of one or more bones in the middle ear prevents the small bones from moving normally. this is a type of conductive hearing loss. otosclerosis often runs in families. - acoustic neuroma. this noncancerous tumor grows on part of the eighth cranial nerve. this nerve carries signals to the brain. acoustic neuroma often causes dizziness and equilibrium problems in addition to gradual hearing loss. - meniere ' s disease. this typically causes dizziness, hearing loss, ringing in the ears ( tinnitus ), and a sensation of fullness or stuffiness in one or both ears. meniere ' s disease occurs when excess fluid causes swelling in the inner ear. - trauma. many types of accidents can cause hearing loss. hearing loss can result when the eardrum is injured from the force of an explosion. or it can result from a q - tip that ruptures the eardrum during an attempt to clean the ear canal. - sudden sensorineural hearing loss. this is a medical emergency. a person loses hearing over a period of three days or less


it can result from a q - tip that ruptures the eardrum during an attempt to clean the ear canal. - sudden sensorineural hearing loss. this is a medical emergency. a person loses hearing over a period of three days or less. in most cases, only one ear is affected. the underlying problem may be a viral infection. - drugs. many prescription and nonprescription medications can damage the ear and cause hearing loss. these include : - anticancer chemotherapy drugs - antimalaria drugs - age. age - related hearing loss ( presbycusis ) is not a single disease. rather, it is a category for the cumulative effects of aging on the ears. hearing loss usually begins after age 60. both ears are affected. it is typically harder to hear high - pitched tones ( women ' s voices, violins ) than low - pitched ones ( men ' s voices, bass guitar ). hearing loss usually occurs gradually over a period of years. the person may not realize that he or she has difficulty hearing. - other causes. there are more than 100 different causes of hearing loss in adults. the most common reversible causes are severe buildup of earwax in the ear canal and acute infections of the external ear or middle ear. if you have sudden, severe hearing loss, you will notice immediately that your ability to hear has decreased dramatically or disappeared totally in the affected ear. if your hearing loss is gradual, your symptoms may be more subtle. you may have difficulty understanding conversations. family members may complain that you play the radio or television too loudly. you may ask them to repeat what they say or frequently misunderstand what they are saying. some diseases and conditions that cause hearing loss may produce additional symptoms, including : - ringing in the ears ( tinnitus ) - discharge or bleeding from the ear - deep earache, or pain in the ear canal - pressure or a " stuffy " feeling inside the ears - dizziness or problems with balance or equilibrium your doctor will ask you to describe your symptoms. he or she will ask if anyone in your family had or has hearing loss. your doctor will want to know if you have been exposed to loud noises, trauma of the ear or head, or ear infections. your doctor will want to rule out the possibility that medications may be causing your hearing loss. he or she will review the prescription and over - the - counter drugs you take. your doctor will examine you, and look closely at your ears. this ear exam may include : - an


out the possibility that medications may be causing your hearing loss. he or she will review the prescription and over - the - counter drugs you take. your doctor will examine you, and look closely at your ears. this ear exam may include : - an examination of your ear canal and eardrum using a lighted instrument. - the rinne test. a vibrating tuning fork is placed on the bone behind your ear. this tests for conductive hearing loss. - the weber test. a vibrating tuning fork is placed in the middle of your forehead to help diagnose one - sided hearing loss. - audioscopy testing. the doctor uses a hand - held device to generate tones of various intensities to find out if you can hear them. if you are diagnosed with hearing loss, your doctor will refer you to an audiologist. the audiologist will test your hearing sensitivity. he or she will check for middle - ear problems by measuring your eardrum ' s ability to reflect sounds. further testing and treatment will follow. the duration of hearing loss depends on its cause. sensorineural hearing loss tends to be permanent. you can help prevent hearing loss : - wear protective earplugs or earmuffs if you are often exposed to loud noise at work or during recreational activities. - never put cotton swabs or other foreign objects in your ears. - wear a seatbelt while driving. wear a protective helmet while riding a bicycle. - know the possible side effects of your medications. both age - related and noise - related hearing loss tend to be permanent. your doctor may recommend a hearing aid or an implant to improve your ability to communicate with others. a hearing aid amplifies sounds electronically and is effective for many people with age - related hearing loss. hearing aids today are very small, so small that other people often do not notice you are wearing them. a cochlear implant translates sounds into electrical signals that can be carried to the brain. certain other forms of hearing loss may be treated medically or surgically : - otosclerosis. for mild cases, a hearing aid is usually the first option. in severe cases, one of the small bones is surgically replaced with a tiny prosthesis. - acoustic neuroma. treatment includes surgery or highly focused radiation therapy. - meniere ' s disease. there is no cure. the goal of treatment is to relieve pressure in the ears to reduce symptoms. some people improve by limiting intake of salt, caffeine or alcohol or quitting smoking. medications to


therapy. - meniere ' s disease. there is no cure. the goal of treatment is to relieve pressure in the ears to reduce symptoms. some people improve by limiting intake of salt, caffeine or alcohol or quitting smoking. medications to reduce fluid retention in the ear may help. in some cases, surgery may be considered. - traumatic hearing loss. a damaged eardrum can sometimes be repaired surgically. - drug - induced hearing loss. stopping the problem medication may reverse hearing loss or prevent it from getting worse. - sudden sensorineural hearing loss. when the cause is unknown, this condition is usually treated with steroids. - other. a dense plug of earwax can be dissolved or gently removed by your doctor. antibiotics can treat hearing loss caused by ear infections. when to call a professional call your doctor immediately if you have sudden hearing loss. this is a medical emergency. also, make an appointment to see your doctor if : - you are an older adult, and hearing loss interferes with your quality of life. - you work in a high - noise environment, and you have trouble hearing. - you have hearing loss together with : - an earache - discharge from your ears - dizziness or balance problems the prognosis is highly variable. in many cases, hearing loss cannot be treated with medications or surgery. but your quality of life may improve significantly with a hearing aid. a cochlear implant may also be an option. national institute on deafness and other communication disorders national institutes of health 31 center drive, msc 2320 bethesda, md 20892 - 2320 american academy of otolaryngology - - head and neck surgery 1650 diagonal road alexandria, va 22314 - 2857 american speech - language - hearing association ( asha ) 10801 rockville pike rockville, md 20852 national institute for occupational safety and health 1600 clifton road atlanta, ga 30333 american tinnitus association p. o. box 5 portland, or 97207 - 0005


futures fundamentals : the players | sponsor : at last, an easy way to predict stock trends – get your free copy of 5 chart patterns you need to know. | the players in the futures market fall into two categories : hedgers and speculators. farmers, manufacturers, importers and exporters can all be hedgers. a hedger buys or sells in the futures market to secure the future price of a commodity intended to be sold at a later date in the cash market. this helps protect against price risks. the holders of the long position in futures contracts ( the buyers of the commodity ), are trying to secure as low a price as possible. the short holders of the contract ( the sellers of the commodity ) will want to secure as high a price as possible. the futures contract, however, provides a definite price certainty for both parties, which reduces the risks associated with price volatility. hedging by means of futures contracts can also be used as a means to lock in an acceptable price margin between the cost of the raw material and the retail cost of the final product sold. a silversmith must secure a certain amount of silver in six months time for earrings and bracelets that have already been advertised in an upcoming catalog with specific prices. but what if the price of silver goes up over the next six months? because the prices of the earrings and bracelets are already set, the extra cost of the silver can \ ' t be passed on to the retail buyer, meaning it would be passed on to the silversmith. the silversmith needs to hedge, or minimize her risk against a possible price increase in silver. how? the silversmith would enter the futures market and purchase a silver contract for settlement in six months time ( let \ ' s say june ) at a price of $ 5 per ounce. at the end of the six months, the price of silver in the cash market is actually $ 6 per ounce, so the silversmith benefits from the futures contract and escapes the higher price. had the price of silver declined in the cash market, the silversmith would, in the end, have been better off without the futures contract. at the same time, however, because the silver market is very volatile, the silver maker was still sheltering himself from risk by entering into the futures contract. so that \ ' s basically what hedging is : the attempt to minimize risk as much as possible by locking in prices for future purchases and sales. someone going long in a securities future contract now can hedge against rising equity


into the futures contract. so that \ ' s basically what hedging is : the attempt to minimize risk as much as possible by locking in prices for future purchases and sales. someone going long in a securities future contract now can hedge against rising equity prices in three months. if at the time of the contract \ ' s expiration the equity price has risen, the investor \ ' s contract can be closed out at the higher price. the opposite could happen as well : a hedger could go short in a contract today to hedge against declining stock prices in the future. a potato farmer would hedge against lower french fry prices, while a fast food chain would hedge against higher potato prices. a company in need of a loan in six months could hedge against rising interest rates in the future, while a coffee beanery could hedge against rising coffee bean prices next year. other market participants, however, do not aim to minimize risk but rather to benefit from the inherently risky nature of the futures market. these are the speculators, and they aim to profit from the very price change that hedgers are protecting themselves against. hedgers want to minimize their risk no matter what they ' re investing in, while speculators want to increase their risk and therefore maximize their profits. in the futures market, a speculator buying a contract low in order to sell high in the future would most likely be buying that contract from a hedger selling a contract low in anticipation of declining prices in the future. unlike the hedger, the speculator does not actually seek to own the commodity in question. rather, he or she will enter the market seeking profits by offsetting rising and declining prices through the buying and selling of contracts. | the hedger | | secure a price now to protect against future declining prices | | secure a price now to protect against future rising prices | | the speculator | | secure a price now in anticipation of declining prices | | secure a price now in anticipation of rising prices | in a fast - paced market into which information is continuously being fed, speculators and hedgers bounce off of - and benefit from - each other. the closer it gets to the time of the contract ' s expiration, the more solid the information entering the market will be regarding the commodity in question. thus, all can expect a more accurate reflection of supply and demand and the corresponding price. the u. s. futures market is regulated by the commodity futures trading commission ( cftc ) an independent agency of the u. s. government. the market


thus, all can expect a more accurate reflection of supply and demand and the corresponding price. the u. s. futures market is regulated by the commodity futures trading commission ( cftc ) an independent agency of the u. s. government. the market is also subject to regulation by the national futures association ( nfa ), a self - regulatory body authorized by the u. s. congress and subject to cftc supervision. a broker and / or firm must be registered with the cftc in order to issue or buy or sell futures contracts. futures brokers must also be registered with the nfa and the cftc in order to conduct business. the cftc has the power to seek criminal prosecution through the department of justice in cases of illegal activity, while violations against the nfa ' s business ethics and code of conduct can permanently bar a company or a person from dealing on the futures exchange. it is imperative for investors wanting to enter the futures market to understand these regulations and make sure that the brokers, traders or companies acting on their behalf are licensed by the cftc. in the unfortunate event of conflict or illegal loss, you can look to the nfa for arbitration and appeal to the cftc for reparations. know your rights as an investor! next : futures fundamentals : characteristics » table of contents comments powered by disqus


intellectual property : what is it? why is it important to you leslie s. marell, esq. leslie s. marell, esq., law office of leslie s. marell, hermosa beach, ca 90254, 310 - 372 - 8663, email @ example. com 84th annual international conference proceedings - 1999 what is intellectual property? " intellectual property " is a generic term used to describe products of the human intellect that have economic value. computer software is one of the many forms of intellectual property. other examples include books, music, movies, artwork, designs and other works of authorship, names, logos, as well as certain inventions. intellectual property is " property " because a body of laws has been created that gives owners of such works legal rights similar in some respects to those given to owners of real estate or tangible personal property ( such as cars ). intellectual property may be owned and bought and sold the same as other types of property. but in many important respects, ownership of intellectual property is very different from ownership of a house or a car. definitions. basic definitions are required before we can deal with the real business world issues involving intellectual property law. the principal types of intellectual property legal protection are listed and defined below : trademark and trade name - patent. patent law protects inventions. patent protection is available for any new and useful process, machine, method of manufacture, composition of matter, or any new, useful improvement. by filing for and obtaining a patent from the u. s. patent and trademark office, an inventor is granted a monopoly on the use and commercial exploitation of an invention, for 20 years from the date of filing the application. in the u. s. patents are awarded to the first to invent. when multiple inventors file applications to patent the same invention, the u. s. patent office must decide who was the first inventor. therefore, it is important that the engineers maintain development records establishing the events surrounding the invention process in order to prove the date of invention. invention records may also be useful to challenge the validity of another ' s patent. - copyright. a copyright provides protection for a limited time to authors for their " original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression. " copyrights extend only to the expression of creations of the mind, not to the ideas themselves. the federal law governing copyrights expressly excludes from copyright protection " any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle or discovery. " in other words,


of creations of the mind, not to the ideas themselves. the federal law governing copyrights expressly excludes from copyright protection " any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle or discovery. " in other words, a pure idea, such as a plan to create an innovative software program, cannot be copyrighted, no matter how original or creative it is. copyright protection begins when the work is created. this means that there does not have to be a copyright notice, publication of the work or registration to secure the copyright. it is, of course, advisable to take these measures. - ownership of copyright. as a general rule, the creator of a work owns the copyright. the person who owns the copyright also automatically owns the exclusive rights to it and the rights to prevent others from copying, distributing, or preparing works based on the copyrighted materials. - works for hire : employees and independent contractors. works for hire are an important exception to the general rule that a person owns the copyright in a work he or she has created. if a work was created by an employee as part of his or her job, the law considers the product a work for hire, and the employer will own the copyright. if the creator is an independent contractor, the works will be considered works for hire only if : ( 1 ) the parties have signed a written agreement stating that the work will be a work for hire ; and ( 2 ) the work is commissioned as a contribution to a collective work, a supplementary work, an instructional text, answer material for a test, an atlas, motion picture, or an audiovisual work. thus, unless there is a contractual agreement to the contrary, and the work fits within one of the above categories the independent contractor owns the copyright. - creations by an independent contractor. the copyright developed by an independent contractor is owned by the independent contractor unless the contractor has signed an agreement to the contrary. the contract must state that the contractor conveys the copyright ownership in all works created under the contract to the engaging party. - trade secret. all that is necessary for something to be protectable as a trade secret is that ( 1 ) it gives the owner a competitive advantage ; ( 2 ) it is treated as a secret by the owner ; and ( 3 ) it is not generally known in the industry or business. a trade secret may be lost if the owner fails to identify it or take reasonable steps to protect it. otherwise, trade secret protection is perpetual. the fundamental question of trade secret law


( 3 ) it is not generally known in the industry or business. a trade secret may be lost if the owner fails to identify it or take reasonable steps to protect it. otherwise, trade secret protection is perpetual. the fundamental question of trade secret law is, what is protectable? clear examples are discoveries, ideas, designs, and specifications. however, even the way you use knowledge and information or the assembly of information itself may be a trade secret even if everything you consider important for your secret is publicly available information. an example of this is supplier and customer lists. - trademark. patent, copyright and trade secret laws do not protect names, titles or phrases. a trademark is any word, name, logo or other symbol adopted and used by a person, manufacturer or merchant group that identifies and distinguishes its goods from those manufactured or sold by others. - license vs. sale. a license is an agreement between the owner of the intellectual property ( the licensor ) and a third party ( the licensee ) which gives permission to the licensee to use the technology in a manner that would otherwise be reserved exclusively to the licensor, as owner. for example, the licensor of the software program will convey a right to the licensee to use the program and reproduce the program under certain defined circumstances. the licensee is restricted in his or her use of the program and does not receive any ownership rights to the software. by contrast, a sale involves the transfer of an ownership interest in the property. in the case of mass marketed shrink wrap software, the buyer is purchasing a copy of the copyrighted program. however, the buyer is not purchasing an ownership interest in the intellectual property itself. the buyer is restricted by copyright law from reproducing the software ( except for backup copies ) or making derivative works. practical applications. with basic definitions in place, let us turn to some practical issues that arise in business with frequency and involve intellectual property law. - independent contractors : who owns the intellectual property? many companies turn to outside consultants to develop software, etc whether alone or in combination with company employees. from a technical and business standpoint, this may be the most practical approach. but is can raise the important legal issue of who owns the intellectual property rights to the work created? since an independent contractor is not an employee, the copyright in the software created by the independent contractor does not automatically belong to the company, as it likely would under the " work for hire " principles applicable to employees. instead of owning the copyright, the company


an independent contractor is not an employee, the copyright in the software created by the independent contractor does not automatically belong to the company, as it likely would under the " work for hire " principles applicable to employees. instead of owning the copyright, the company would probably only be authorized to use a copy of the software and to modify it as necessary for operating its own business. if your company expects to obtain ownership of the copyright to the software, it is imperative to have the consultant sign an agreement stating that all intellectual property rights in the software and related documentation he or she creates for the company belong to the company, either as a work made for hire or, alternatively, by assignment to the company under the agreement. - contract manufacturing : outsourcing the design or manufacture of the product - outsourcing the design. outsourcing is becoming a more common way of doing business as companies streamline their operations and cut costs. if your company is outsourcing the design of a product, the discussion above relating to independent contractors is applicable. your contract should clearly specify that the outsourcer will assign all its rights in the design to your company and your company will be the sole owner. if you do not have such a provision, the outsourcer will likely be the owner of the information it developed. - manufacturing to your specifications. if the contract manufacturer will be building product to your company ' s specifications, your company will be handing over large amounts of confidential information and data to its supplier. this information may be in the form of software, databases, specifications, bills of material, statistics and memos and will all constitute trade secrets of the company. in order to protect the trade secret status of the information, it is imperative that two steps be taken : ( 1 ) the information be clearly marked that it is confidential or proprietary to the company ; and ( 2 ) the supplier sign a non - disclosure agreement which requires the supplier to hold the information in confidence. keep in mind that in order for trade secrets to maintain their confidential status, the owner must take steps necessary to keep the information secret. failure to identify the information as secret and to require a written agreement to maintain secrecy endangers the confidential information. - i. t. outsourcers and software licenses. as companies increasingly rely on outsourcing vendors to perform computer - related functions, these outsourcers often require access to software licensed to their customers by third - party software licensors. most software licenses restrict assignment ( transfer ) of the software to a third party without


outsourcing vendors to perform computer - related functions, these outsourcers often require access to software licensed to their customers by third - party software licensors. most software licenses restrict assignment ( transfer ) of the software to a third party without the consent of the licensor. the practical effect of this clause is to prevent giving outsourcers access to the licensed software. as a result, licensee must obtain consent from software licensors to allow outsourcers to use the software. licensors may be unwilling to provide consent and have, in some cases, insisted on payment of additional license fees. to avoid such situations, it is advisable to include a clause in any new license agreement which extends the scope of permissible uses of the software to allow outsourcers to use the licensed software in the performance of outsourcing functions. - sole source suppliers and escrow. while a sole / single source alliance can benefit both the buyer and the supplier companies through the creation of a more solid business / partnering arrangement, the downside occurs if the supplier is unable to deliver. in order to understand the full impact of this " downside ", just be reminded of any recent problem you have had obtaining product from your sole source supplier. what measures can be taken to protect our companies from these downside possibilities? while contracts are limited in their abilities to " solve " a problem, they can be helpful in addressing the issues to facilitate a solution. consider requiring that your supplier establish an escrow account in which the supplier deposits all designs, manufacturing data, processes, etc. necessary to manufacture and support the product. in addition, and if the bill of material for the product includes purchase of certain proprietary products, the supplier would deposit authorization that the buyer be able to purchase these proprietary products from third party suppliers. the contract would grant your company a license to use all the information in the escrow account if the supplier does not perform its contract obligations. keep in mind that in order to be able to effectively use this information, your company might likely first require technical understanding of the products. if that is the case, your contract will want to obligate the supplier to provide access to and training in the understanding and use of the information and data during the actual contract performance. - employee issues : confidentiality ; ownership ; nonsolicitation ; noncompete - confidentiality. the issue of confidential information and the employee ' s responsibility is two pronged. the first prong relates to that confidential information which


performance. - employee issues : confidentiality ; ownership ; nonsolicitation ; noncompete - confidentiality. the issue of confidential information and the employee ' s responsibility is two pronged. the first prong relates to that confidential information which the employee either develops or learns in the course of his or her employment with the company. in general, state laws provide that an employee may not, either during or after his employment, divulge or use trade secrets which were developed by him during his employment or divulged to him by his employer, even absent an express agreement. the rationale is that a employee is in a relationship of trust and confidence with the company. in addition, most companies require that their employees sign an agreement which acknowledges that the employee will maintain the confidentiality of the company ' s trade secret information both during and after employment. the problematic aspect of this issue is raised when the employee wants to go to work for a competitor of the employer. the employee should be aware that under appropriate circumstances, the ex - employer may prevent the employee from going to work at a competitor if the following three factors are found to exist : ( 1 ) the former employee has knowledge of the first employer ' s trade secrets ; ( 2 ) the employee ' s new job duties ( and the products and technology he is working on ) are so similar to those in the former position that it would be extremely difficult for him not to rely on or use the first employer ' s trade secrets ; and ( 3 ) the former employee and the new employer cannot be depended upon to avoid using the trade secret information. the second prong relates to that confidential information provided by a third party to the employee ' s company. in those cases in which the employer signs a non - disclosure agreement to maintain the trade secrets of a third party, the employee - as an agent of the recipient company - is bound to the non - disclosure agreement and must abide by the confidentiality provisions. failure to do so may subject both the company and the employee to damages. - ownership of intellectual property. if a work was created by an employee as part of his or her job, the law considers the product a work for hire, and the employer will own the intellectual property rights to that work, as explained above. a work for hire is defined as " a work made by an employee within the scope of his or her employment ". in many instances, the courts have considered the intellectual property rights to a product developed by the employee to belong to the employer when the employee


work for hire is defined as " a work made by an employee within the scope of his or her employment ". in many instances, the courts have considered the intellectual property rights to a product developed by the employee to belong to the employer when the employee used company resources in developing the product, even if the employee ' s development was done outside working hours. - non - compete and non - solicitation agreements. the non - compete clause prevents the ex - employee from working for a competitor or going into a business which competes with his or her ex - employer. the non - solicitation clause restricts the ex - employee from soliciting the business of the ex - employer ' s customers or suppliers. the enforceability of these provisions vary by state. for example, in most employee / employer circumstances, california does not recognize the enforceability of a non - compete clause. even in those states that do enforce non - compete provisions, the clauses must be narrowly written such that they are reasonable in time and geography limitations. the enforceability of the clause generally revolves around the underlying question of : is there a legitimate business purpose for such restriction? in the absence of a sound business reason, the courts are reluctant to enforce a non - compete clause. the non - solicitation clause will come under similar scrutiny in terms of reasonable time period and location, but is more often enforced by courts. a non - solicitation agreement may restrict the ex - employee from doing business with a supplier or customer of the ex - employer for a certain period of time. back to top


one in ten natural world heritage sites in danger 23 june 2012 | news story unesco ’ s world heritage committee ’ s annual meeting, which starts in st petersburg on sunday, will see a total of 36 new sites considered for inscription as natural and cultural sites, and a series of monitoring reports on the sites already listed. but if iucn ’ s recommendations to add four world heritage sites to the danger list are accepted, 21 out of the 211 – one in ten - natural world heritage sites will be officially “ in danger. ” “ world heritage sites are icons of global conservation, but even these places are coming under increasing pressures, ” says tim badman, director of iucn ’ s world heritage programme. “ the convention is 40 this year, and it will need to do much more to protect its listed sites in the next ten years, and especially those that are in danger, if the gold standard of world heritage listing is to be retained. this fortieth anniversary year of the convention is celebrating communities, and we consider greater benefits from world heritage to people will be a key requirement for conservation success. ” the international union for conservation of nature ( iucn ), world heritage ’ s advisory body on nature, will present its expert recommendations for four new natural areas and its findings about world heritage sites with imminent threats to their values. iucn recommends four natural sites for inscription : sangha trinational - shared between cameroon, the central african republic and the republic of congo, lakes of ounianga in chad, chengjiang fossil site in china and rock islands southern lagoon in palau. in addition, reports will be made on 56 other iconic sites, including on the issues facing galapagos islands, great barrier reef and serengeti. iucn is recommending lake turkana national parks in kenya, pitons management area in saint lucia, virgin komi forests in russia and dja faunal reserve in cameroun to be added to the danger list. natural world heritage sites in west and central africa face the most serious threats, mainly from mining, oil and gas exploration, poaching and armed conflicts. iconic places such as niokolo - koba national park in senegal and manovo - gounda st floris national park in car are in imminent danger of losing their outstanding universal value. 10 out of 16 natural and mixed ( natural and cultural ) sites in the region are on the danger list. “ the need for urgent action to save what is left of these parks is evident, ” says mariam kenza ali, world heritage conservation officer at iucn.


natural and mixed ( natural and cultural ) sites in the region are on the danger list. “ the need for urgent action to save what is left of these parks is evident, ” says mariam kenza ali, world heritage conservation officer at iucn. “ in niokolo - koba in senegal for example, the elephant population is almost gone, very few lions remain and the population of most of the antelopes ’ species have been decimated. the situation is the same in comoe national park, ivory coast and is equally critical in many other protected areas in the region. the funding to make rescue plans work is difficult to find, and sometimes the political willingness is missing dramatically. ” mining and oil and gas exploration within world heritage sites is also on the rise, according to iucn. such activities are already causing irreversible damage to places of unique natural value such as virunga in drc and virgin komi forests in russia. an independent report on world heritage sites and the extractive industries will be launched during the world heritage st petersburg meeting. its recommendations will include the establishment of a level playing field for all parties so that policies related to extractive industries are as uniform as possible, regardless of the country in which the world heritage site is located. for more information or to set up interviews, please contact : borjana pervan, iucn media relations, m + 41 79 857 4072, e firstname. lastname @ example. org


written by international women ' s health coalitionwednesday, 15 may 2013the following joint letter was submitted by women ' s rights organizations to the high level panel on the post - 2015 development agenda. written by international women ' s health coalitionthursday, 26 april 2012universal access to reproductive health is vital to the effective implementation of population, health and development policies and to the success of the millennium development goals ( mdgs ). this iwhc brief describes in practical terms the justification for and components of the essential policy and program package. written by international women ' s health coalitionfriday, 30 september 2011 today ’ s generation of adolescents is the largest ever - there are 1. 2 billion people between the ages of 10 and 19 alive today. to protect their health and rights, young people need evidence - based, accurate information about their sexual and reproductive health, as well as support and skills to feel comfortable and confident about their bodies and their sexuality. while adolescence is a time for growth and learning, often young people confront multiple threats to their health and their lives such as violence and sexual coercion, unintended pregnancies, and sexually transmitted infections ( stis ) including hiv. comprehensive sexuality education ( cse ) provides young people with the necessary skills and information to make free and informed decisions about their health, and enjoy safe and satisfying relationships. written by international women ' s health coalitionthursday, 04 november 2010 to enjoy safe and satisfying sexual lives, young people must be able to exercise their basic human rights. a rights - based approach to comprehensive sexuality education not only helps young people acquire accurate information about their bodies and sex, but also approaches sexuality holistically ; equipping young people with the skills they need to forge emotionally and socially healthy relationships. it ’ s all one is a gorgeous two book collection of guidelines and activities that are examples of comprehensive sexuality education. for this work, iwhc collaborated with the international planned parenthood foundation, international planned parenthood foundation western hemisphere, mexfam, the population council, and our partners crea and the girls power initiative. you can download each volume below as a pdf, or request a hard copy. book 1 : guidelines curriculum content that places gender issues and human rights at the heart of sex and hiv education. download pdf here. book 2 : activities 54 activities that engage young people and foster critical thinking skills. download pdf here. written by international women ' s health coalitionmonday, 21 december 2009each year, the international women ' s


hiv education. download pdf here. book 2 : activities 54 activities that engage young people and foster critical thinking skills. download pdf here. written by international women ' s health coalitionmonday, 21 december 2009each year, the international women ' s health coalition issues the " top ten wins for women ' s health and rights. " written by international women ' s health coalitiontuesday, 03 february 2009 this post is by audacia ray and originally appeared on our bodies, our blog on january 26, 2009. demand for newer and better devices that protect against pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections is constant — partly due to the fact that the process of development, testing and approval takes forever, and partly because what ’ s on the market often leaves something to be desired. written by international women ' s health coalitionmonday, 22 december 2008each year, the international women ' s health coalition issues the " top ten wins for women ' s health and rights. " written by international women ' s health coalitionmonday, 25 august 2008 guest blog by neha sood, member of the youth coalition, with women worldwide compact signatory, and young visionary. originally posted on rhrealitycheck. org. written by international women ' s health coalitionsunday, 01 june 2008 written by international women ' s health coalitionthursday, 13 march 2008 results 1 - 10 of 86


corn estimate lowered to reflect harvestthe u. s. department of agriculture on thursday slightly lowered its projection for the nation ’ s corn crop for a fourth straight month, reflecting worse - than - expected news about the actual impact of this year ’ s withering drought from the farmers busy harvesting their fields. the usda estimates that farmers will harvest 10. 71 billion bushels of corn this year, which would be the smallest amount since 2006. last month ’ s estimate was 10. 73 billion bushels. by : by david pitt, associated press, the jamestown sun des moines, iowa — the u. s. department of agriculture on thursday slightly lowered its projection for the nation ’ s corn crop for a fourth straight month, reflecting worse - than - expected news about the actual impact of this year ’ s withering drought from the farmers busy harvesting their fields. the usda estimates that farmers will harvest 10. 71 billion bushels of corn this year, which would be the smallest amount since 2006. last month ’ s estimate was 10. 73 billion bushels. crop estimates change as fields are harvested and farmers get a better sense of how the weather affected yields. the u. s. has been experiencing one of its worst droughts in decades, and conditions have been particularly harsh in many of the key midwest and plains farming states. farmers have harvested 69 percent of the nation ’ s corn already this year, which is well ahead of the 28 percent that would be harvested by this time in a typical year. the average yield is about 122 bushels per acre, which is down from last month ’ s estimate of 122. 8 bushels. that is the lowest average yield since 1995 and is significantly below last year ’ s yield of nearly 153 bushels per acre. although the drought dried up the soil in many parts of the u. s., the corn harvest was surprisingly good in some areas, said darin newsom, senior analyst for telvent dtn, a commodity trading and information provider. “ is 122 anything great? no. it ’ s still a dismal yield, still well below what had been anticipated earlier this year, ” newsom added. in iowa, for example, the nation ’ s leading corn producer, production will be about 19 percent lower than last year at about 1. 92 billion bushels. neighboring nebraska will see production down about 15 percent from last year at 1. 3 billion bushels. illinois was hard hit with production falling 37 percent to 1. 22 billion bushels from last year and indiana ’ s


1. 92 billion bushels. neighboring nebraska will see production down about 15 percent from last year at 1. 3 billion bushels. illinois was hard hit with production falling 37 percent to 1. 22 billion bushels from last year and indiana ’ s slid 28 percent. minnesota corn farmers lucked out this year, getting at least some rain that helped avert the dire conditions further south. they saw a 15 percent increase in corn production to 1. 39 billion bushels and an 8 percent yield increase to 168 bushels per acre from last year ’ s 156 bushels. nationally, farmers planted more corn this year than in any other since 1937, so despite the widespread drought, the u. s. is expected to produce its eighth largest corn crop on record. farmers planted about 97 million acres in corn, which is far more than just a decade ago when fewer than 80 million acres were planted. they are expected to harvest about 88 million acres this year. corn supply is now estimated at 11. 77 billion bushels, which is down from last month ’ s estimate of 11. 98 billion bushels. the report is expected to boost prices for the next few days as the market reacts to the lower production and tighter supply estimates, but analysts expect a calming of the market now that the harvest is in its final stages and the drought impact is clear. corn for december delivery was trading at around $ 7. 71 a bushel. it had hit a record high of $ 8. 49 a bushel in august, but it has since settled down. the usda estimated the season average price for corn now at between $ 7. 10 and $ 8. 50 per bushel, about 10 cents lower on both ends of the range from its september estimate. still, prices at that level could have in impact on grocery bills, mostly meat and eggs since corn is used as a staple in chicken, cattle and pig feed. global supplies of corn remain tight and the major users — livestock farmers, the ethanol industry and other countries importing it — will be forced to negotiate their level of use, a sort of market rationing that takes place in years of low supply. soybean production was increased to 2. 86 billion bushels as farmers harvest more acres and bring in better yields than had been expected earlier. soybeans mature later in the growing season than corn and the plants withstood the drought better and some areas received rain in time to help the plants. harvested area was increased to 75. 7 million acres from 74. 6 million acres the


let ' s take action it ' s time to wake up to the alarming increase of diet - related illnesses worldwide. there are no shortcuts and we have a big job ahead of us to make people recognise the seriousness of this epidemic. jamie oliver ' s kitchen garden project aims to create real, sustainable change, and it ' s as simple as providing kids with the knowledge and skills to feed themselves better. we strongly believe that educating kids about food at a young age will set them up for life. what ' s more, we can make sure it forms part of their core curriculum at the same time as being engaging and fun. here are some health facts that are pretty hard to swallow : - fact : the uk has the highest rate of childhood obesity in europe. - fact : one - quarter of children are overweight or obese at the age of four. by the age of 11, this rises to one - third. - fact : 96 % of uk kids do not eat the recommended five portions of fruit and veg a day. - fact : parents could soon outlive their own children as a result of diet - related illnesses. one in 10 children starting primary school in britain is now regarded as alarmingly overweight. a little help goes a long way we can no longer wait for the government to take action. it ' s time to act ourselves and recruit like - minded organisations, individuals and schools. this is a food movement of national and local businesses, of parents, teachers, governors and kids, all getting involved and making real change for generations to come.


david introduces some great exercises for callus development and finger independence. taught by david wallimann in basic electric guitar with david wallimann serieslength : 10 : 54difficulty : 1. 5 of 5 when you begin playing guitar, you will likely find your fingertips hurting frequently. it is important to develop calluses, or hardened skin, on the fingertips so that it doesn ’ t hurt to play the guitar. you will learn some exercises in this lesson to help you build calluses. scene 2 : finger exercises here is an exercise that will not only help you build calluses on your fingertips, but will help you with finger strength and coordination. remember that it is normal for it to hurt in the beginning and it ’ s ok to take a break if you need to. start by assigning a fret to each finger of your left hand. the index finger will play the 1st fret, the middle finger will play the 2nd fret, the ring finger will play the 3rd fret, and the pinky will play the 4th fret. start on the 6th string and play the pattern 1 2 3 4. then play the same pattern on each string until you work your way to the 4th fret on the 1st string. now do the same thing in reverse : start on the 1st string playing the pattern 4 3 2 1. play that pattern down each string until you reach the 1st fret on the 6th string. focus on plucking the string with the right hand at the exact same time as you put your finger down with the left hand. also, when you play a note, try to visualize the next note you are going to play on the fretboard. scene 3 : finger independence the following exercise is similar to the last one, but will help you master controlling each finger independently. start by assigning the same fingers to the same frets as you did in the previous exercise. play the pattern 1 2 on each string, starting at the 6th string going up to the 1st string. then play the same pattern ( 1 2 ) in reverse : start at the 1st string and go down to the 6th string. next play the pattern 2 1 on each string from the 6th to the 1st. then play 2 1 on each string from the 1st to the 6th. try doing this exercise with every combination of two fingers possible. don ’ t worry about going fast, just make sure you are getting a good tone on every note that you play. scene 4 : final thoughts since a major goal


1st to the 6th. try doing this exercise with every combination of two fingers possible. don ’ t worry about going fast, just make sure you are getting a good tone on every note that you play. scene 4 : final thoughts since a major goal of these exercises is to promote callus development on the fingers, it is normal for it to be painful at first. there ’ s no need to overdo it ; take a break if your fingers hurt too bad. you are also trying to build the muscles in your hands and fingers, so drink some water and take a break if your muscles are feeling tense. they will get stronger with practice. david wallimann will start you on your electric guitar playing journey in this phase 1 series. david wallimann introduces himself, talks about his background, and offers advice to new players. length : 4 : 28 difficulty : 0. 5 members only david introduces you to all the parts of your new instrument in this lesson. length : 11 : 18 difficulty : 0. 5 members only this is a crucial lesson that explains tablature, how to read it, and why it ' s important. length : 7 : 03 difficulty : 1. 0 free david introduces some great exercises for callus development and finger independence. length : 10 : 54 difficulty : 1. 5 members only david wallimann provides an introduction to chords. in this lesson, you will learn how to read chord charts. david also explains how to play your first eight chords. length : 17 : 03 difficulty : 2. 0 members only david wallimann teaches six barre chords in this lesson beginning with f major. get ready for a hand workout! length : 10 : 26 difficulty : 2. 5 members only david walks you through some easy chord progressions and encourages you to make up some of your own. length : 8 : 17 difficulty : 1. 5 members only david wallimann talks about the importance of rhythm and timing. you will learn the basics of notes, time signatures and measures in this lesson. length : 14 : 00 difficulty : 1. 5 members only david wallimann goes over some basic rock techniques in this lesson. length : 16 : 45 difficulty : 2. 0 members only david wallimann provides some tips that will improve both your right and left hand technique. length : 13 : 45 difficulty : 1. 5 members only david wallimann shows how adding one note to the minor pentatonic scale creates the minor blues scale. length : 10 : 54 difficulty : 1. 5 members only about david


technique. length : 13 : 45 difficulty : 1. 5 members only david wallimann shows how adding one note to the minor pentatonic scale creates the minor blues scale. length : 10 : 54 difficulty : 1. 5 members only about david wallimann view full biography david was born in aix - en - provence, south france in 1977. at the age of 15, he picked up the guitar and started developing a true love for instrumental music and composition. in 1999 he was recognized by ibanez for his promising musical achievements and received an artist endorsement. that early recognition in david ' s musical career encouraged him to consecrate more time on crafting his musical art and apply to the school of modern music artist ' in cavaillon, france. he received a full scholarship there where he graduated with honors. in 2001, david won first place for the tal farlow french national jazz contest which gave him a full paid scholarship to the cma school of modern music in valenciennes, france. he graduated specializing in advance guitar with honors. following his school years, david spent the next 5 years working with several bands recording, writing and playing shows in france and belgium. it ' s during that time that wallimann was exposed to the world of progressive rock which opened new doors to his musical creativity. deep inside the mind is his first release as a solo artist in which he exposes his christian faith. the album was well received in the specialized press and was compared several times to some of frank zappa ' s approach to music adding an element of humor to deep subjects. in 2005 he joined the internationally renown progressive band glass hammer based in chattanooga, tn. he released several studio albums and live dvds with the band. david is today working on his next upcoming solo release and is also spending quite a bit of time teaching guitar in his studio and online at jamplay. our acoustic guitar lessons are taught by qualified instructors with various backgrounds with the instrument. lesson 7 is all about arpeggios. danny provides discussion and exercises designed to build your right hand skills. free lessonseries details hawkeye teaches several robert johnson licks in this lesson. these licks are played with a slide in open g tuning. free lessonseries details pamela brings a cap to her first 13 jamplay lessons with another original etude inspired by the great leo brouwer. this is... free lessonseries details steve eulberg does a quick review of this lesson series and talks about moving on. free lessonseries details jessica kindly


13 jamplay lessons with another original etude inspired by the great leo brouwer. this is... free lessonseries details steve eulberg does a quick review of this lesson series and talks about moving on. free lessonseries details jessica kindly introduces herself, her background, and her approach to this series. free lessonseries details erik expounds on the many possibilities of open tunings and the new harmonics that you can use in them. he explains what... free lessonseries details in this lesson, peter discusses the two bar clave that is common to the brazilian style. you ' ll put together several patterns... free lessonseries details in lesson 6, kaki discusses how the left and right hands can work together or independently of each other to create different... free lessonseries details jim deeming discusses how to use a metronome for practice, skill building, and speed building. free lessonseries details our electric guitar lessons are taught by instructors with an incredible amount of teaching experience. steve stevens shows some of his go - to licks and ideas while improvising over a backing track he made. free lessonseries details known around the world for his inspirational approach to guitar instruction, musician ' s institute veteran daniel gilbert... free lessonseries details michael " nomad " ripoll dives deep into the rhythm & blues, funk, and soul genres that were made popular by artists like earth... free lessonseries details kris analyzes different pick sizes and their effect on his playing. using a slow motion camera, he is able to point out the... free lessonseries details bryan beller of the aristocrats, dethklok, and steve vai takes you inside his six step method to learning any song by ear.... free lessonseries details tosin explains some of the intricacies of the 8 string guitar such as his personal setup and approach to playing. free lessonseries details jane miller talks about chord solos in part one of this fascinating mini - series. free lessonseries details lauren passarelli offers up her wisdom on purchasing a guitar. she also includes information regarding proper setup and care.... free lessonseries details this is a crucial lesson that explains tablature, how to read it, and why it ' s important. free lessonseries details allen shows you the 24 rudiments crucial to developing finger dexterity. this is a short lesson but the exercises here can... free lessonseries details while we have attempted to provide you with


why it ' s important. free lessonseries details allen shows you the 24 rudiments crucial to developing finger dexterity. this is a short lesson but the exercises here can... free lessonseries details while we have attempted to provide you with an accurate rendition of our video lesson experience, there are some features which require a membership with us! at jamplay, we give you the ability to monitor your own progress for any lesson! if you watch one of our lessons and feel as though you understand around half of it, mark your progress at 50 %. this adds the lesson to your customized progress report, and gives you an incredible ability to document what you need to work on, and where you left off. with thousands of lessons at your fingertips, jamplay can be a touch intimidating to a first - time user. with progressive bookmarking, we give you the ability to systematically bookmark sections of any lessons you are working on to quickly access later. after all, what is the point of all this content if it isn ' t easy to use? jamplay also gives you the ability to leave notes for yourself on any lesson. just like in any educational system, taking your own notes while learning gives you the ability to highlight the instruction that is important to you. leave your notes, and we store them in our database for you to reference each and everytime you come back to the lesson.


ephraim solomon ben aaron of lencziza : rabbi and popular preacher at prague ; born probably at lencziza, poland ; died at prague march 3, 1619. after having filled the office of rosh yeshibah at lemberg, he was appointed in 1604 rabbi of prague, and remained in this position until 1618. ephraim was the author of the following works : " ' ir gibborim, " in three parts, the first, entitled " petihot u - she ' arim, " containing a rhetorical introduction and an ethical treatise, and the second and the third being homilies on the pentateuch, basel, 1580 ; " ' olelot efrayim, " ethical sermons based upon bible and talmud, in four parts, lublin, 1590 ; " keli yekar, " annotations on the pentateuch, ib. 1602 ; " sifte da ' at, " forming the second part of the preceding work and containing homilies on the pentateuch, prague, 1610 ; " orah le - hayyim, " two ethical sermons, one for the sabbath between new - year and the day of atonement ( " shabbat teshubah " ), and the other for passover, lublin, 1595 ; " ' ammude shesh, " sermons, prague, 1617 ; " ribebot efrayim, " homilies on the pentateuch ( mentioned in the introduction to his work " orah le - hayyim " ). ephraim was also the author of three liturgical poems celebrating adar 2 ( feb. 15 ), 1611, on which date a hostile army that had entered prague was defeated. - moritz grunwald, rabbi salomo efraim luntschitz, prague, 1892 ; - zunz, literaturgesch. p. 421 ; - steinschneider, cat. bodl. col. 904 ; - zedner, cat. hebr. books brit. mus. p. 240 ; - michael, or ha - hayyim, no. 501.


at 8 : 30 a. m. pacific time today, nasa ' s 2001 mars odyssey spacecraft passed the halfway point on its journey to mars. it has been 100 days since odyssey ' s launch and 100 days remain until it arrives at the red planet. " odyssey is now closer to mars than earth. the spacecraft is healthy and all systems are looking good, " said david a. spencer, the odyssey mission manager at nasa ' s jet propulsion laboratory. " planning for mars approach and orbit insertion in october is our primary focus right now. " the navigation team reports the spacecraft is right on course. to date, the deep space network has taken 11 separate measurements using the so - called delta differential one - way range measurement, a technique that uses two ground stations to determine the angular position of the spacecraft relative to the known position of a quasar. the measurements provide the navigation team with an additional source of information, adding confidence to their estimates of the odyssey flight path. today, odyssey is 45. 8 million kilometers ( about 28. 5 million miles ) from earth and 30 million kilometers ( about 19 million miles ) from mars, traveling at a velocity of 26 kilometers per second ( 58, 000 miles per hour ) relative to the sun. the mars odyssey mission is managed by jpl for nasa ' s office of space science, washington, d. c. jpl is a division of the california institute of technology in pasadena. the odyssey spacecraft was built by lockheed martin astronautics, denver.


tuesday, feb. 14, 2012 history in pieces : human ecology textiles expert goes on road to identify african - american treasures for smithsonian project manhattan - - as the nation celebrates black history month, one kansas state university expert is doing her part to identify treasured pieces of african - american history one textile at a time. when the smithsonian institution launched " save our african - american treasures, " the staff called marla day, curator of the historic costume and textile collection at the university ' s college of human ecology. they needed her expertise to help appraise and explain potential textile treasures brought in during a series of " antiques roadshow " - type events. day has traveled to detroit, dallas, topeka and houston thus far, with a trip to new york city in the works. she has examined quilts, peeked in pockets, checked out articles of clothing and cradled rag dolls, looking at hundreds of textile objects. " we don ' t put values on the objects, " day said. " we try to help people understand what the object is and how to preserve it. " often she packed the item in archival, acid - proof paper before handing it back. " most wanted to know the history of the object, " she said. the mission of the program is to raise awareness about how important family heirlooms are in telling the story of african - american history and to provide information about how to care for them, according to the smithsonian. while day and several others examined textiles brought to the sites, other experts looked at objects, photographs, papers and books. " i love interacting with the people, talking with them about the treasures they brought in, " day said. " sometimes they were clueless about they had. when i could give them a piece of information they didn ' t have about the treasure, they saw the object in a new, fresh perspective. i could help them learn more about their families. " in houston in october 2011, the textiles group saw lots of quilts and crocheted pieces, a few dolls and some clothing. one person brought in a black sox uniform. the black sox was a professional team from baltimore that won the american negro league championship in 1929. several of the quilts had new tops and backs sewn on older worn - out quilts. this recycling was common in the 19th century, day said. one woman brought in a quilt obviously made from scraps of fabric that were well worn. some of the scraps were patched. " she told me that she came from a large,


obsessed with rocket - building and outer space, two siblings living in silver springs, md., in 1947 find the perfect ally right next door. twelve - year - old alex hangs out with her reckless 17 - year - old brother chuck, who ’ s always getting them in trouble. fascinated with radios, radar and rockets, chuck “ can make anything, ” but was kicked out of tech school because he “ mixes things up when he reads. ” alex ’ s mother urges her to “ act more ladylike, ” dress more carefully and pay more attention to schoolwork, but tomboy alex wants to be another amelia earhart. meeting her new neighbor, captain ebbs, alex finds a mentor who develops space food for the army, sails her own boat and is a descendant of captain john smith. beneath their impulsive behavior, ebbs recognizes that alex and chuck share her passion for aviation and space. she arranges for alex to meet pioneer rocket scientist wernher von braun, organizes a sailing trip to a chesapeake bay island near a rocket launch and provides needed direction for the risk - taking duo. inspired by the real joan cotton ebbs, this chronicle of sibling aeronautical aspiration and misadventure provides a peek at the post – world war ii u. s. space program. realistic pencil - sketch illustrations capture key events. high - flying adventure grounded in reality. ( suggestions for further reading ) ( historical fiction. 8 - 12 )


of florida and the caribbean " bartolome de las casas priest, missionary, landholder, fighter, writer and historian. once a slave owner, then defender of the rights of native peoples, bartolome de las casas was a complex man who lived almost a century. born in 1474 in spain, las casas was the son of a merchant who had traveled with columbus to the west indies. following his education at the university of salamanca, las casas first became a lawyer, but in 1502, at the age of 28, he gave up his law practice and sailed to hispaniola. he worked for the colonial governor first in santo domingo, then in cuba. in 1512 he became the first person in america to be ordained a priest, but that didnt stop him from taking part in the brutal conquest of cuba. for his service in several expeditions, las casas was awarded an encomienda, a royal grant of land including native american slaves. not long after, las casas began to rebel against the abusive practices of europeans governing american lands and people. he knew firsthand the killing, capture and enslavement of native people and began a crusade to improve conditions and especially to abolish native american slavery. he abandoned his own encomienda in 1514 and sailed back to spain to appeal directly to king charles v on the native americans behalf. he was named the official protector of the indians and spent the rest of his long life championing their interests. in 1520 he tried without success to establish a colony on the coast of venezuela. he livedfor a while in mexico and guatemala and in 1544 at age 70 was named bishop of chiapas. he returned to spain in 1547, but continued to plead the cause of native americans in prolific writings. las casas died in 1566 at the age of 92. las casas writings are significant, including the first full account of the spanish conquest, his history of the indies. he is most famous for his brevisima relacion de la destruccion de las indias ( brief account of the destruction of the indians ) a short tract condemning the spanish treatment of the indians. las casas described atrocities committed by the conquistadors and documented the genocide that had taken place. the work was published in 1552 in spain and quickly translated and circulated throughout europe. it became the basis for the incriminating " black legend, " an anti - spanish propaganda tool that accused spain of intolerance


chapter 1 introduction to substance abuse counseling chapter 2 ethical and legal issues in substance abuse counseling chapter 3 major substances of abuse and the body chapter 4 theories of sa etiology chapter 5 assessment and dx chapter 6 treatment settings and treatment planning chapter 7 individual treatmen... more chapter 8 group treatment chapter 9 family treatment chapter 10 retaining sobriety chapter 11 working with selected populations : treatment issues and characteristics chapter 12 working with diverse cultures : exploring sociocultural influences and realities chapter 13 prevention dr. patricia stevens, a retired counselor educator, is currently in private practice in louisville, co and consults in a variety of venues. dr. stevens has published and presented at the local, state, regional, national and international levels in the areas of substance abuse, gender implications in counseling, training counselors, and ethical and legal issues in counseling. she is a fulbright scholar and a mental health disaster relief volunteer for red cross and has been honored by her professional organizations and by her university for her teaching, scholarship, service and mentoring of students and staff. dr. stevensi professional career in substance abuse issues has included clinical practice as well as research and publications throughout her career. robert l. smith, ph. d., fppr, is professor, chair of the counseling and educational psychology department, and doctoral program coordinator at texas a & m university - corpus christi. he completed his ph. d. at the university of michigan. as a licensed psychologist, he has worked as a private practitioner in addition to serving as the chair of three counselor education programs. he is the author of several books and more than 60 professional articles. he serves as the executive director, and was one of the founders of, the international association of marriage and family counselors. he is also the founder of the national credentialing academy for family therapists. his research interests include the efficacy of treatment modalities in individual psychotherapy, family therapy, and substance abuse counseling. he is a diplomate - fellow in psychopharmacology with the international college of prescribing psychologists. dr. smith is an international lecturer. he is currently involved in the development and implementation of graduate programs in counseling and psychology in latin america.


ecosys ( economy, ecology and systems ) technology developing products that are kind to the environment – while still being highly economical to run – was the fundamental thinking behind the development of ecosys. kyocera introduced the cartridge - free ecosys printer concept in 1992 as a means of reducing total cost of ownership ( tco ), while improving the printer ’ s environmental impact. conventional printers use an imaging cartridge that integrates a photoreceptor drum, developer and toner into a single, disposable unit. when the toner is depleted, the entire cartridge is disposed of and replaced with a new unit. in contrast, ecosys printers feature a durable imaging system based on kyocera ’ s patented amorphous silicon print drum, a combination of ceramic and metal. with a surface that is second only to diamond in hardness, kyocera ’ s durable print drum is guaranteed up to 500, 000 pages on some series models. that ’ s because tiny ceramic particles embedded in kyocera ’ s toner continually polish and recondition the drum during normal printing, virtually eliminating the need for replacement of the drum and other cartridge components ( a task which is typically performed many times over the life of a conventional printer ). the result is printers and copiers which create less waste and have a lower comparable cost per print and less downtime, making them up to 50 % less expensive to operate than comparative models and much more reliable. conventional toner kit kyocera ecosys toner kit


to help spread awareness for lesser known and potentially life - threatening diseases, hundreds of patient organizations across more than 60 countries will join together on feb. 28, to observe the 6th annual international rare disease day. on this day, patient groups will host events around the world to celebrate those living with and managing their diseases. one particular rare disease that may take years to diagnose, is a cancer of the gastrointestinal ( gi ) tract called gastrointestinal stromal tumors, or gist. these tumors often do not cause any specific symptoms, making gist difficult to diagnose. the exact number of people diagnosed with gist each year is not known. in the u. s. alone, the incidence of gist is estimated to be up to 6, 000 new cases each year. “ many cases of gist are discovered in urgent situations when patients are brought to an emergency room. this may results in significant complications since in these cases the disease is often at an advanced stage, ” says dr. jonathan trent, sylvester comprehensive cancer center at the university of miami. “ through increased awareness, gist and many other rare diseases may be able to be diagnosed sooner, potentially providing patients with disease management regimens earlier in their illness. ” thanks to dedicated research and awareness initiatives by patient advocacy organizations and the medical community, there have been significant advances for patients living with gist in recent years. increasing awareness for rare diseases is paramount in helping patients get the right diagnosis and information about their illness. organizations like gist support international are helping patients learn more about their disease every day. “ i have actively participated in gist awareness following my own diagnosis in 1997, when the medical community had limited understanding of this disease, and there was no disease information available for patients, says marina symcox, gist support international. “ at the time, i was able to find out some information from a local patient support group, and later decided to make disease education for other patients my personal mission. ” because they are passionate information seekers, many patients living with rare diseases and their loved ones act as their own advocates in learning more about their disease and in helping to form their own multidisciplinary care team. with gist specifically, this care team should include the diagnosing physician, a specialized oncologist and pathologist to work alongside the devoted caregiver or loved one. each member of this multidisciplinary team has a unique and vital role in helping the patient cope with his or her disease. to


what : argan ( argania spinosa ) oil is deemed by many a super - ingredient for skin care due to its high levels of antioxidants, essential fatty acids and natural vitamin e, ( wiki ). because this natural oil is said to contain three times more anti - aging vitamin e than any other natural oil, it is often used in skin care products for its restorative and anti - aging benefits. origin : argan oil is an oil produced from the green fruit of the argan tree ( argania spinosa ), endemic to southwestern morocco, that is valued for its nutritive, cosmetic and numerous medicinal properties ( wiki ). morocan women have used argan oil for centuries for its healing and age - defying effects. it is the women of the berber culture ( from this region ) who traditionally, and exclusively, produce the argan oil which is then exported to other countries. though the berbers use argan for far more than skin care ( food, charcoal, building material ), the oil remains its primary use. argan oil is very high in vitamin e. argan oil is rich in the essential fatty acid, linoleic acid. this acid is converted in the body in other fatty acids which lead to the production of prostaglandins, used in the body ' s functions including immune, inflammatory process as well as blood clotting. the oil also contains phytosterols ( naturally - occurring plant alcohols ) which brighten and boost radiance in skin. products found in : argan oil is a rich and highly emollient oil, which is quickly absorbed by the skin and leaves behind no residual greasiness. it is known to reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, stretch marks and scarring. the oil is effective in fighting signs of aging and sun damage as well as improving the skin ’ s elasticity. it may also be used to soften cuticles and as a hot oil treatment for hair. argan oil is often used in facial moisturizers, treatments, anti - aging skincare, facial cleansers, make up items, eye creams, body care, and hair care ( ewg ). toxicity : argan oil is generally classified as not toxic or harmful ( ewg ).


expand each section to read more. 1600s western igbo kingdoms dominate trade in the lower niger region. 1815 following the end of the napoleonic wars between france and great britain, britain begins to trade with the interior, calling the region " nigeria " based on the path the niger river takes through the area. 1914 igbo, yoruba, and hausa areas are officially united under britain as the colony and protectorate of nigeria. 1930 chinua achebe is born in the igbo village of ogidi. 1958 things fall apart is published in england. 1960 nigeria gains independence, as a parliamentary democracy. this story of the igbos around 1900 was written by one of their grandchildren ; chinua achebe was born in 1930 in southeastern nigeria, in the igbo village of ogidi. he grew up speaking english and reading english literature, but achebe kept a deep attachment to his igbo roots ; eventually he came to question the english literary portrayal of africa and africans as violent, ignorant, and primitive. achebe wanted to give africans their own voice, to take control of how they were seen, and to repair their own self - image. the result was things fall apart. the hero of the story is okonkwo, a self - made man who has been unstoppable in his determination to rise in his society, the village of umuofia. his greatest fear is being weak, like his father, whom he detested. okonkwo will go to any lengths to prove to the world and to himself that he is strong and fearless — even to the point of destroying himself. umuofia is not a paradise or a hell. its people are not evil and ignorant, nor are they innocent, noble savages. these european points of view are discarded. umuofia is filled with real people who have complex personalities. when the british missionaries arrive in umuofia, it is shocking to realize that most of them would destroy igbo culture without a second thought. but achebe ' s refusal to paint the conflict in black and white is what makes things fall apart so powerful. just as umuofia was not perfect, the british are not all evil. the missionaries offer acceptance, love, and respect to those igbos who have been outcast by their village for religious reasons. if only the two groups could have met in a spirit of compromise, they might have been able to live peacefully together. but the british insistence on domination, and the igbo fear and


who have been outcast by their village for religious reasons. if only the two groups could have met in a spirit of compromise, they might have been able to live peacefully together. but the british insistence on domination, and the igbo fear and rejection of their people who convert to christianity, spell doom for umuofia. each side fears the other, and, like okonkwo, each side is so fearful of appearing weak that it will resort to violence to keep the upper hand. achebe shows that the coming of europeans to africa was not light coming to darkness, or pure evil destroying a people ; it was two imperfect societies set on a collision course from which neither could emerge whole again. achebe wrote things fall apart in english. the decision was controversial amongst african writers at the time, some of whom wanted to promote native african languages, while others accepted english. if achebe wrote in english, he was using the language of the colonizer, a non - african voice, to tell an african story, once again. but if he wrote in igbo, he was limiting the potential audience for the novel to a single group of people in nigeria. in an essay called " the african writer and the english language, " achebe describes the problem : for an african writing in english is not without its serious setbacks. he often finds himself describing situations or modes of thought which have no direct equivalent in the english way of life. caught in that situation he can do one of two things. he can try and contain what he wants to say within the limits of conventional english or he can try to push back those limits to accommodate his ideas... i submit that those who can do the work of extending the frontiers of english so as to accommodate african thought - patterns must do it through their mastery of english and not out of innocence. in other words, african writers can use english to change it, and turn it into a language of african experience and not just english experience. achebe changed english by infusing it with igbo syntax, usage, and vocabulary so that while things fall apart is clearly written in english, it is a new kind of english that serves an igbo purpose. - mr. brown - the first white missionary to arrive in umuofia, mr. brown is respectful and patient, never attacking clan customs or religion directly. his early success is endangered by his ill health. - the district commissioner - the highest english official in the region arrives with the missionaries and oversees the fall of the villages


, mr. brown is respectful and patient, never attacking clan customs or religion directly. his early success is endangered by his ill health. - the district commissioner - the highest english official in the region arrives with the missionaries and oversees the fall of the villages from a distance. - okonkwo ' s second wife, who left her first husband for okonkwo. she has borne ten children and lost all but one, her daughter ezinma. her love for ezinma leads her to stand up to okonkwo on occasion. - she is okonkwo ' s favorite child, beautiful and connected to her father in a deep way. only she can understand him and his moods. her only flaw, in his eyes, is being a girl. - a boy from a neighboring clan who is seized by umuofia warriors. he lives with okonkwo ' s family as a peace offering, and is a more satisfying son to okonkwo than nwoye. - this self - made man has worked his way up from poverty and, as he sees it, freed himself from the disgrace of having a lazy, " feminine " father. while okonkwo possesses real virtues of hard work, far - sightedness, devotion to his clan, and love, these co - exist uneasily with impulses of fear, pride, and impatience. - okonkwo ' s eldest son shows every sign ― so far as okonkwo is concerned ― of being a lazy, weak man like unoka. beaten and belittled by his father, nwoye will become a prime target for conversion by the english missionaries. - nwoye ' s mother - okonkwo ' s first wife, whose name is not told to the reader. she, unlike her husband, understands the value of pity, gentleness, and forgiveness. her stories instruct and delight the children. - a thoughtful member of the clan who is okonkwo ' s best friend. he tries to help okonkwo navigate the troubles that come to him, and is left cleaning up after okonkwo ' s catastrophic end. - ogbuefi ezeudu - the highest - ranking man in the village, and holder of three titles ― a great rarity. - mr. smith - the far more zealous smith replaces brown and leads his new converts on a full - scale war of ideas against the village. - okonkwo ' s father, a


from the ' lectric law library ' s stacks search the library since the early part of this century, the federal courts have attempted to limit the uncertainty surrounding novel scientific evidence by establishing an evidentiary standard of reliability for scientific proof. frye v. u. s., 293 f. 1013 ( d. c. cir. ' 23 ), provided the standard that governed the introduction of expert evidence for more than half a century. the courts have also embraced procedures, including various forms of discovery providing for mandatory disclosure of witnesses " who may be used at trial to present evidence under rules 702, 703, or 705, " and requiring submission of written reports by expert witnesses, which give the parties and the courts greater opportunities to test the reliability of novel expert testimony. the standard of reliability for expert testimony and the applicable procedures in federal courts in the years proceeding the landmark 1993 daubert case had undergone significant change. as judge learned hand in " historical and practical considerations regarding expert testimony ", 15 harv. l. rev. 40 ( 1901 - 02 ) observed at the beginning of this century, expert evidence must be reliable in order to have some " possible weight " on an issue and be admitted for consideration by a trier of fact. absent reliability, the evidence would not be relevant to the inquiry. in frye, the court of appeals considered an appeal from a trial court ' s refusal to admit the resultsof a test based on systolic blood pressure, offered to prove the truthfulness of a defendant in a murder prosecution. in an oft - quoted passage, the court crafted a standard to determine whether scientific evidence was sufficiently reliable to warrant consideration by a trier of fact : just when a scientific principle or discovery crosses the line between the experimental and demonstrable stages is difficult to define. somewhere in this twilight zone the evidential forces of the principle must be recognized, and while courts will go a long way in admitting expert testimony deduced from a well - recognized scientific principle of discovery, the thing from which the deduction is made must be sufficiently established to have gained general acceptance in the particular field in which it belongs. frye contemplated two stages for acceptance of new science. first, the scientific community develops a theory and determines its reliability using scientific method. this stage required experimentation with the new science ' s methodology and publication of the results for scrutiny and approval by the scientific community. second, once the new science became " demonstrable, " based on acceptance in the scientific community, the court could permit its


stage required experimentation with the new science ' s methodology and publication of the results for scrutiny and approval by the scientific community. second, once the new science became " demonstrable, " based on acceptance in the scientific community, the court could permit its use as evidence in the courtroom. without explanation, the court of appeals chose " general acceptance " in the relevant scientific community as the standard for governing the admission of novel scientific evidence. under frye, the party proffering novel scientific evidence must show general acceptance by offering scientific publications, judicial decisions, evidence of practical use, or testimony by scientists on their peers ' position regarding the evidence in question. many courts, faced with determining the admissibility of a wide array of scientific evidence, favored the frye standard. often, new scientific evidence failed to survive this demanding standard. for example, mccormick on evidence reports : polygraphy, graphology, hypnotic and drug induced testimony, voice stress analysis, voice spectrograms, ion microprobe mass spectroscopy, infrared sensing of aircraft, retesting of breath samples for alcohol content, psychological profiles of battered women, and child abusers, post traumatic stress disorder as indicating rape, astronomical calculations, and blood group typing, all have fallen prey to [ frye ' s ] influence. many rationales have been offered to support the use of the frye standard as a means of excluding evidence. the justifications included : that the standard guaranteed a minimum number of knowledgeable experts ; that it promoted uniformity of decisions ; that it eliminated the need for time consuming hearings on admissibility ; and, most importantly, that it assured a method by which those best qualified to assess the validity of scientific evidence would effectively determine its admissibility. the general acceptance test of frye became the " dominant standard for determining the admissibility of novel scientific evidence at trial. " indeed, professor clark ' s testimony in briggs that the doll tests were " generally accepted as indications of the child ' s sensitivity to race as a problem " was calculated to satisfy frye. nonetheless, as justice blackmun noted in daubert, the merits and application of frye were extensively debated by commentators. professor mccormick was one of the primary critics of frye prior to the adoption of the federal rules of evidence. in 1972, he wrote : " general scientific acceptance " is a proper condition for taking judicial notice of scientific facts, but not a criterion for the admissibility of scientific evidence. any relevant conclusions which are supported by a qualified expert witness should be received unless there


, he wrote : " general scientific acceptance " is a proper condition for taking judicial notice of scientific facts, but not a criterion for the admissibility of scientific evidence. any relevant conclusions which are supported by a qualified expert witness should be received unless there are other reasons for exclusion. particularly, probative value may be overborne by the familiar dangers of prejudicing or misleading the jury.... if the courts used this approach, instead of repeating a supposed requirement of " general acceptance " not elsewhere imposed, they would arrive at a practical way of utilizing the results of scientific advances. charles t. mccormick, evidence sec. 203, at 491 ( 2d ed. ' 72 ) the fed. r. evid., effective july 1, 1975, provided the first modern and uniform set of evidence rules for the trial of civil and criminal cases in the federal courts. rule 702, which governs the admission of expert testimony, does so in terms that do not expressly address reliability : if scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue, a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education, may testify thereto in the form of an opinion or otherwise. the advisory committee on evidence, appointed by the supreme court, formulated the language which congress adopted as rule 702. rule 702 and the accompanying advisory committee note echo mccormick ' s criticism of frye. reliability should depend on relevance rather than the general acceptance of scientific evidence. fed. r. evid. 401 defines " relevant evidence " as " evidence having any tendency to make the existence of any fact that is of consequence to the determination of the action more probable or less probable than it would be without the evidence. ". rule 403 provides that relevant evidence " may be excluded if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the jury, or by considerations of undue delay, waste of time, or needless presentation of cumulative evidence. " rule 702 incorporates a relevancy requirement by permitting the introduction of scientific evidence which " will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue. " surprisingly, the advisory committee note made no mention of frye. instead, the committee quoted professor mason ladd : there is no more certain test for determining when experts may be used than the common sense inquiry whether the untrained layman would


" surprisingly, the advisory committee note made no mention of frye. instead, the committee quoted professor mason ladd : there is no more certain test for determining when experts may be used than the common sense inquiry whether the untrained layman would be qualified to determine intelligently and to the best possible degree the particular issue without enlightenment fromthose having a specialized understanding of the subject involved in the dispute. mason ladd, expert testimony, 5 vand. l. rev. 414 ( ' 52 ) thus, rule 702 contemplated the admission of expert testimony that was relevant in the sense that such testimony would facilitate an understanding of scientific, technical, or other specialized facts to determine an issue. nonetheless, when called on to apply rule 702, the majority of federal courts continued to utilize frye. the courts were understandably reluctant to accept the sub silentio overruling of a precedent of frye ' s stature, and often incorporated the general acceptance standard into the relevance determination under rule 702. a number of courts have gradually begun to abandon the general acceptance standard. in 1975, the fourth circuit affirmed the admission of a voice spectrogram analysis of telephoned bomb threats. the court found professor mccormick ' s critique of frye persuasive : unless an exaggerated popular opinion of the accuracy of a particular technique makes its use prejudicial or likely to mislead the jury, it is better to admit relevant scientific evidence in the same manner as other expert testimony and allow its weight to be attacked by cross - examination and refutation. u. s. v. baller, 519 f. 2d 463 ( 4th cir. ) this decision required only that scientific evidence be supported by a " demonstrable, objective procedure " rather than general acceptance. three years later, the 2nd circuit approved the admission of similar evidence in a prosecution on narcotics charges in u. s. v. williams, 583 f. 2d 1194 ( 2d cir. ' 78 ). the considerations governing admissibility, the court wrote, were the " probativeness, materiality, and reliability of the evidence. " in addition, the court of appeals directed the district court to consider whether the evidence had " any tendency to mislead, prejudice, or confuse the jury. " in 1985, the 3rd circuit decided u. s. v. downing, 753 f. 2d 1224 ( 3d cir. ' 85 ), the most significant precursor to daubert. in downing, the court