with an assassination attempt on the fuhrer! ” ( gestapo ss - sturmbahnfuhrer hans ‘ the fox ’ reinhardt, interrogating teenage swing fans 1944 ) luftwaffe officer dietrich schulz - kohn ( aka “ doktor jazz ” ) had been a long - time follower of the hot club ’ s music. it was known that other germans would spend hours in his room listening to this variety of “ americano nigger kike jungle music ”. during the german occupation he provided a temporary shelter of sorts – simply by frequenting the hot club as a patron. for the years of occupation many people had relied upon the power of protection. but things were becoming increasingly uncertain. a person could easily be shot at whim. they could easily be included in a deportation order. those offering protection could easily lose their power or be deported. survival couldn ’ t be guaranteed, and the gap was closing. luftwaffe officer dietrich schulz - kohn ( aka “ doktor jazz ” ), django reinhardt, four africans and a jewish musician – outside la cigale, a jazz club in paris. “ the officers of the club liked me coming there ” said schulz - kohn in later years. “ especially in uniform as they were sometimes raided by the gestapo. ( the gestapo ) would find the place full of letters, magazines, records with labels – all in english and this was no laughing matter at the time. so they could use me as a signboard to prove their innocence and reliability ”. but in in october 1943 the gestapo made a definitive raid on the hot club headquarters. they took into custody charles delaunay, his secretary and the hot club president of marseilles. “ they wanted to know where to find our resistance leader ” said delaunay. “ i was fortunate enough to know enough of the german that was spoken preparatory to each question. never have i talked so much or so well. ” delaunay was eventually released a month later – with a shadow of gestapo not far behind. his secretary and the hot club president were not as lucky. they were sent to the camps. both perished in the gas chambers. nouveau hot club quintette de paris. date unknown. in the isolated city, jazz broke further from its american roots. while continuing to tread carefully for their own survival, players such as reinhardt had charged the music with new potency and, despite the best efforts of goebbels the his charlie cohorts, jazz remained an undefined danger


american roots. while continuing to tread carefully for their own survival, players such as reinhardt had charged the music with new potency and, despite the best efforts of goebbels the his charlie cohorts, jazz remained an undefined danger zone. the zazou fad was the first youth ‘ movement ’ to openly claim a patch and square itself against the hooks of german occupation. its battle issue was non - conformity. in 1942 the nazi - run mag l ’ illustration attacked the zazou style ; men wore a ‘ lumber jacket, which they show an unwillingness to take off, even when it ’ s soaking wet. the women wear cheap furs, turtle - necked sweaters and very short pleated skirts. they are armed with vast umbrellas that remain obstinately folded whatever the weather ’. by 1944 seventy - eight anti - zazou articles were published in the pro - nazi vichy govt press. zazous were lazy, vain, ‘ judeo - gaullist shirkers ’. their beating came highly recommended. round - ups began in bars. zazous were roughed up on the streets. the fascist youth organisation jeunesse populaire francaise adopted the slogan “ scalp the zazous! ” – perhaps this sounded better in french. zouzous were set upon with hair - clippers by squads of young fascists. they were beaten, arrested, sent to the country to work the land. before long many zazous went underground, ducking for cover in basement clubs and jazz halls. by 1944 seventy - eight anti - zazou articles had been published in the pro - nazi vichy govt press targeting the louche phenomenon of work - shy zouzous. ‘ work for germany? i ’ d rather die! ’ ‘ bravo! young man, don ’ t you like germany? ’ and as the allies began bombing closer to the city, the nazi round - ups increased. in 1943 the german kommandantur of paris requested that reinhardt and the nouveau quintet of paris be summoned to berlin to play for the nazi high command. django made excuses. the kommandantur insisted. django decided to hit the road. filling his buick from a wad of gas coupons, django skipped town with his wife. they headed to the german - franco border, with the plan to escape to switzerland. when the car ran out of gas, they sold it and brought themselves tickets for a clandestine truck to take them


coupons, django skipped town with his wife. they headed to the german - franco border, with the plan to escape to switzerland. when the car ran out of gas, they sold it and brought themselves tickets for a clandestine truck to take them across. that night, passing through the border, the truck was subjected to a search. they were found and turned back with a warning. while he planned his next step, he moved his family to thonon, where they lived near the savoy bar. this place was the genuine melting pot – full of jazz - loving nazis, gypsies and zazous who had left paris. django began playing here, as well as various parties around the area. he became a regular at functions thrown in chateau la folie owned by the schwartz family and set on a leafy acreage. but the occupation continued to tighten its grip. the schwartz family were denounced by the gardener ’ s son as jews – they were deported and perished in the camps. the gestapo took over the estate. django decided to try and get to geneva via the west. again, the venture failed. he was also told not to try and escape france from the north because of german u - boats. instead, he and his pregnant wife decided to hike the alps to freedom. they met their guide at a cafe. they were overheard by a german officer. they were all arrested. under interrogation, his british performing rights society card was confiscated and he was declared a spy. finally the officers brought in the local kommandant to continue the questioning. the kommandant was a jazz fan ; django and his wife were released. they returned again to paris. paris, 1944. sniper fire shortly after the liberation. life / time images. on june 6th 1944 the allies invaded france at normandy. the german occupation of paris ended on august 25th, 1944, when general jacques phillippe leclerc ’ s second free french armoured division, supported by the us fourth infantry division, entered the city. only days before the liberation the nazis murdered several thousand roma and sinti ‘ gypsies ’ at the zigeunerlager in the auschwtiz - birkenau concentration camp. as the council of europe described it : “ germans who took part in the slaughter later described it as the most difficult moment in the war for them, as romani women struggled to hang on to their children. the crematorium burned all night ”. around 600, 000 to 1. 5 million roma were exter


in the slaughter later described it as the most difficult moment in the war for them, as romani women struggled to hang on to their children. the crematorium burned all night ”. around 600, 000 to 1. 5 million roma were exterminated during the holocaust. one of django ’ s cousins had faked his identity as django in an attempt to save his own life – without success. paris itself only barely escaped destruction. hitler had ordered german commander, general dietrich von cholitz, to leave the city in ruins. cholitz turned fate and disobeyed – he left it intact. as the world struggled to recover django reunited with grappelli. together they toured the us with duke ellington. in 1949 he eventually sold his paris apartment, bought a lincoln, attached a trailer and hit the rural back - roads of france. he later hooked up a larger caravan for his mother, who had been living in an old converted citroen. reinhardt would occasionally visited paris for a show – getting by on the wad of banknotes he kept under the pillow. the basement of the caveau de la huchette, one of the first clubs to open after the war. it filled instantly with soldiers – mostly afro - american. despite goebbels best efforts the music could never be contained, quarantined or owned. the music leaves a legacy – as well as a brilliant but haunting accompaniment to the uncertainty, terror and mass obliteration that tore through those years. check out the fascinating but graphic clip of europe on its knees by 1944, to the gilded music of lili marleen - a wartime favourite on both sides of the front. django ’ s melancholy war - inspired nuages, below ( here recorded on electric ) was another track that walked the lines, elevating him beyond the divisions – and onto stardom – during his years in occupied paris. “ he did more for the guitar than any other man in jazz ” stephane grappelli told melody maker following reinhardt ’ s death in 1953. “ his way of playing was unlike anyone else ’ s, and jazz is different because of him. there can be many other fine guitarists, but never can there be another reinhardt. i am sure of that. ” i highly recommend leotaurus1975 on youtube for a comprehensive look at the music of the times, along with some great clips of the time. michael dregni ’ s book on django is also worth a delve, as well as a great


this beautiful young lady is juana ines de asbaje y ramirez de santillana ( 1651 - 1695 ), or as she would later become known, sor juana ines de la cruz. and she was a badass. the woman at whom you are daring to look was a kickass feminist ( and possibly lesbian ) writer, poet, and nun. that ’ s right, nun - drop your stereotypes, because she doesn ’ t fit in any of your shoeboxes. a self - taught scholar, she had to overcome all odds to become the boss whom she inarguably is known as today. the illegitimate child of a spanish captain and a criollo woman, she grew up the daughter of a single mother in a society that frowned upon women doing much other than existing quietly. juana was a devout child who would steal away to read her grandfather ’ s books, although girls were forbidden from doing so, and learned to read and write in various languages at very young ages. she attempted to disguise herself as a male student to enter university in mexico city at age 16, but was found out and made to continue her studies privately under the vicereine leonor carreto. leonor ’ s husband, the viceroy antonio sebastian de toledo, doubted the teenage juana ’ s supposed intelligence, so he invited theologians, lawyers, philosophers, and poets to test her education. she stunned them all with her bright, articulate presence, and her reputation became known quickly throughout new spain ( as mexico was then called ). her literary and poetic accomplishments, in addition to her beauty, made her a famous member of the viceregal court, where she declined several proposals of marriage. she shocked the court when she entered the convent of the discalced carmelites of st. joseph as a postulant in 1667. in 1669, she entered the convent of the order of st. jerome. far from becoming the silent, obedient stereotype of the catholic woman religious, her writings became even more strident and firm. in response to her critics, juana penned the respuesta a sor filotea ( reply to sister philothea ) in which she defended a woman ’ s right to education. the catholic hierarchy and other prominent male officials condemned and censored her work in view of its “ waywardness, ” forcing her to do public penance. juana ’ s pen fell curiously silent, as the church published penitential documents to which her name had been


the characteristic features of the climate of malaysia are uniform temperature, high humidity and copious rainfall and they arise from the maritime exposure of the country. winds are generally light. situated at the equatorial doldrum area, it is extremely rare to have a full day with completely clear sky even in periods of severe drought. on the other hand, it is also rare to have a stretch of a few days with completely no sunshine except during the northeast monsoon seasons. wind flow in malaysia though the wind over the country is generally light and variable, there are, however, some uniform periodic changes in the wind flow patterns. based on these changes, four seasons can be distinguished, namely, the southwest monsoon, northeast monsoon and two shorter inter monsoon seasons. the southwest monsoon is usually established in the later half of may or early june and ends in september. the prevailing wind flow is generally south westerly and light, below 15 knots. the northeast monsoon usually commences in early november and ends in march. during this season, steady easterly or north - easterly winds of 10 to 20 knots prevail. the more severely affected areas are the east coast states of peninsular malaysia where the wind may reach 30 knots or more during periods of intense surges of cold air from the north ( cold surges ). the winds during the two inter monsoon seasons are generally light and variable. during these seasons, the equatorial trough lies over it is worth mentioning that during the months of april to november, when typhoons frequently develop over the west pacific and move westwards across the philippines, south - westerly winds over the northwest coast of sabah and sarawak region may strengthen reaching 20 knots or more. as malaysia is mainly a maritime country, the effect of land and sea breezes on the general wind flow pattern is very marked especially over days with clear skies. on bright sunny afternoons, sea breezes of 10 to 15 knots very often develop and reach up to several tens of kilometre inland. on clear nights, the reverse process takes place and land breezes of weaker strength can also develop over the the seasonal wind flow patterns coupled with the local topographic features determine the rainfall distribution patterns over the country. during the northeast monsoon season, the exposed areas like the east coast of peninsular malaysia, western sarawak and the northeast coast of sabah experiences heavy rain spells. on the other hand, inland areas or areas which are sheltered by mountain ranges are relatively free from its influence. it is best to describe the rainfall distribution of the country according to seasons. seasonal rainfall variation in peninsular malaysia the seasonal variation of rainfall


spells. on the other hand, inland areas or areas which are sheltered by mountain ranges are relatively free from its influence. it is best to describe the rainfall distribution of the country according to seasons. seasonal rainfall variation in peninsular malaysia the seasonal variation of rainfall in peninsular malaysia is of three main types : ( a ) over the east coast districts, november, december and january are the months with maximum rainfall, while june and july are the driest months in most districts. ( b ) over the rest of the peninsula with the exception of the southwest coastal area, the monthly rainfall pattern shows two periods of maximum rainfall separated by two periods of minimum rainfall. the primary maximum generally occurs in october - november while the secondary maximum generally occurs in april - may. over the north - western region, the primary minimum occurs in january - february with the secondary minimum in june - july while elsewhere the primary minimum occurs in june - july with the secondary minimum ( c ) the rainfall pattern over the southwest coastal area is much affected by early morning " sumatras " from may to august with the result that the double maxima and minima pattern is no longer discernible. october and november are the months with maximum rainfall and february the month with minimum rainfall. the march - april - may maximum and the june - july minimum are absent or seasonal rainfall variation in sabah and sarawak the seasonal variation of rainfall in sabah and sarawak can be five main types : ( a ) the coastal areas of sarawak and northeast sabah experience a rainfall regime of one maximum and one minimum. while the maximum occurs during january in both areas, the occurrence of the minimum differs. in the coastal areas of sarawak, the minimum occurs in june or july while in the northeast coastal areas of sabah, it occurs in april. under this regime, much of the rainfall is received during the northeast monsoon months of december to march. in fact, it accounts for more than half of the annual rainfall received on the western part of sarawak. ( b ) inland areas of sarawak generally experience quite evenly distributed annual rainfall. nevertheless, slightly less rainfall is received during the period june to august which corresponds to the occurrence of prevailing south - westerly winds. it must be pointed out that the highest annual rainfall area in malaysia may well be found in the hill slopes of inland sarawak areas. long akah, by virtue of its location, receives a mean annual rainfall of more than 5000 mm. ( c ) the northwest coast of sabah experiences a rainfall regime of which two maxima and two minima can be distinctly identified. the primary maximum occurs in


lowest average monthly temperature. the average daily temperature in most districts to the east of the main range is lower than that of the corresponding districts west of the main range. the differences in the average values in the east and the west are due almost entirely to the low day temperatures experienced in the eastern districts during the northeast monsoon as a result of rain and greater cloud cover. at kuala terengganu, for example, the day temperature rarely reaches 32°c during the northeast monsoon and often fails to reach 27°c. a number of occasions have been recorded on which the temperature did not rise above 24°c which is quite frequently the lowest temperature reached during the night in most districts. night temperatures do not vary to the same extent, the average usually being between21°c to 24°c. individual values can fall much below this at nearly all stations, the coolest nights commonly follow some of the hottest days. as mentioned earlier, malaysia has high humidity. the mean monthly relative humidity falls within 70to 90 %, varying from place to place and from month to month. for any specific area, the range of the mean monthly relative humidity varies from a minimum of 3 % to a maximum of about 15 %. in peninsular malaysia, the minimum range of mean relative humidity varies from a low 84 % in february to a high of only 88 % in november. the maximum range is found in the northwest area of the peninsula ( alor setar ) where the mean relative humidity varies from a low of 72 % in february to a high of 87 %. it is observed that in peninsular malaysia, the minimum relative humidity is normally found in the months of january and february except for the east coast states of kelantan and terengganu which have the minimum in march. the maximum is however generally found in the month of november. as in the case of temperature, the diurnal variation of relative humidity is much greater as compared to the annual variation. the mean daily minimum can be as low as 42 % during the dry months and reaches as high as 70 % during the wet months. the mean daily maximum, however, does not vary much from place to place and is at no place falls below 94 %. it may reach as high as nearly 100 %. again, the northwest states of kedah and perlis have the largest diurnal variation of relative humidity. sunshine and solar radiation being a maritime country close to the equator, malaysia naturally has abundant sunshine and thus solar radiation. however, it is extremely rare to have a full day with


happy easter, happy passover, and happy cherry blossom time! i hope you are having a joyous spring! native to japan, the yoshino cherry ( prunus x yedoensis ) is cultivated extensively and is also found growing wild on plains and mountains countrywide. for more than ten centuries, and continuing with no less enthusiasm today, cherry blossom time has been cause for joyful celebration that is deeply integrated in the japanese culture. cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms as far as you can see. across yayoi skies is it mist? is it clouds? ah, the fragrance! let us go, let us go and see! to see a cherry blossom snowstorm : in the japanese language the cherry is called “ sakura, ” which is generally believed to be a corruption of the word “ sukuya ” ( blooming ). poets and artists strive to express the loveliness of its flowers in words and artistry. called the flower of flowers, when the japanese use the word “ hane ” ( flower ) it has come to mean sakura, and no other flower. since the heian period “ hanami ” has referred to cherry blossom viewing ; the term was used to describe cherry blossom parties in the tale of gengi. aristocrats wrote poetry and sang songs under the flowering trees for celebratory flower viewing parties. the custom soon spread to the samurai society and by the edo period, hanami was celebrated by all people. from ancient times, during early spring planting rituals, falling blossoms symbolized a bounteous crop of rice. beginning with the heian period ( 794 – 1185 ), when the imperial courtiers of kyoto held power, the preference for graceful beauty and the appreciation of cherry blossoms for beauty ’ s sake began to evolve. the way in which cherry petals fall at the height of their beauty, before they have withered and become unsightly, and the transience of their brief period of blooming, assumed symbolism in buddhism and the samurai warrior code. the delicacy and transience of the cherry blossom have poignant and poetic appeal, providing themes for songs and poems since the earliest times. the motif of the five petal cherry blossoms is used extensively for decorative arts designs, including kimonos, works in enamel, pottery, and lacquer ware. cherry tree wood is valued for its tight grain and is a lustrous reddish brown when polished. the wood is used to make furniture, trays, seals, checkerboards, and woodblocks for


, pottery, and lacquer ware. cherry tree wood is valued for its tight grain and is a lustrous reddish brown when polished. the wood is used to make furniture, trays, seals, checkerboards, and woodblocks for producing color wood block prints. in modern times the advent of the cherry blossom season not only heralds the coming of spring, but is also the beginning of the new school year and the new fiscal year for businesses. today families and friends gather under the blooms and celebrate with picnicking, drinking, and singing. the fleeting beauty of the blossoms, scattering just a few days after flowering, is a reminder to take time to appreciate life. in the evening when the sun goes down, viewing the pale - colored cherry blossoms silhouetted against the night sky is considered an added pleasure of the season. the tradition of celebrating cherry blossom season began in the united states when, on valentine ’ s day in 1912, tokyo mayor yukio okaki gave the city of washington, d. c., 3, 000 of twelve different varieties of cherry trees as an act of friendship. first lady helen taft and the wife of the japanese ambassador, viscountess chinda, planted the initial two of these first cherry trees in potomac park. today cherry blossom festivals are celebrated annually not only in wash - ington, d. c., but in brooklyn, san francisco, seattle, and macon, georgia. it is said that the true lover of cherry blossoms considers the season is at its height when the buds are little more than half open — for when the blossoms are fully opened there is already the intimation of their decline.


a few months ago we wrote about kristianstad, sweden, an area that now uses biomass to generate all of its heat and some of its electricity. that city pioneered use of this renewable technology, and gradually biomass evolved from a niche component of its fuel mix to the backbone of its fuel supply. a number of rural areas in germany and the netherlands have undertaken similar projects. as the article noted, while biomass could be deployed in similar agricultural regions in the united states, adoption has been slow in this country. that looks as if it might be changing. this week the federal department of agriculture announced a host of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in rural america, and agriculture secretary tom vilsack is touring the midwest, seeding biomass projects as he goes. on friday, the departments of agriculture and energy announced that up to $ 30 million would go toward supporting research and development in advanced biofuels, bioenergy and “ high - value biobased products ” over the next three to four years. the money is to be dispensed through the biomass research and development initiative, which started accepting proposals last year. if properly produced, biomass heat and power produce fewer emissions than fossil fuels like coal or oil because much of the material used as fuel would otherwise sit in landfill releasing methane, a potent greenhouse gas, as it rots. the use of biomass could also reduce the need to import oil. president obama has called for a one - third reduction in the nation ’ s oil imports by 2025. biomass can include old tree cuttings, rice husks, corn stalks, manure - – almost any kind of biological farm waste. in the past these leftovers were typically left to rot. so a growing number of agricultural regions are burning them or degrading them through chemical digestion to produce biogas. but new forms of biomass, like the algae biomass produced at the plant that secretary vilsack is visiting friday afternoon, do not use agricultural leftovers ; they rely on farmers or factories that grow plants specifically for use as fuel. that involves a different kind of trade - off, since those fields and farms could instead be growing food.


if soil moisture is sufficient for germination and emergence, august alfalfa seedings offer several advantages over spring seedings, say rory lewandowski and mark sulc, ohio state university extension educator and forage specialist, respectively. in late summer, alfalfa seedlings have less weed competition, and soil - borne disease organisms that thrive in cool, wet soils aren ’ t an issue. also, time spent on field preparation and planting doesn ’ t compete with corn and soybean field work. however, late - summer seedings come with risks that must be managed, the two specialists warn. ideally, seedings should be completed by mid - august in northern ohio and by aug. 31 in the southern part of the state. those timelines are based on average frost dates and the time needed for alfalfa plants to develop root systems capable of overwintering. later planting dates will work if the fall is warmer than normal, but the risk of failure is higher. no - tilling alfalfa into a small - grain stubble often works well, lewandowski and sulc point out. however, sclerotinia crown and stem rot is a concern with no - till seedings, especially where clover has been present in the past. the disease, which causes white mold on alfalfa seedlings, infects them during cool, rainy spells in late october and november. early august plantings dramatically improve the crop ' s ability to resist the infection. late - august seedings are very susceptible, with mid - august seedings being intermediate. in no - till situations, the two experts recommend a preplant glyphosate application to minimize competition from existing weeds. after the alfalfa is up and growing, late - emerging winter - annual broadleaf weeds must be controlled, and butyrac, pursuit and raptor are the primary herbicide options. fall applications are much more effective than spring applications for controlling those weeds, especially if wild radish or wild turnip is in the weed mix. if tillage is used to prepare the soil for planting, a firm seedbed is needed to ensure good seed - to - soil contact. a preplant herbicide isn ’ t required, but the risk of establishing a tilled seedbed for a late - summer planting, especially this year, is moisture loss. don ’ t plant seeds into a dry seedbed, lewandowski and sulc emphasize. finally, they say to keep the following factors in mind anytime alfalfa


##bed for a late - summer planting, especially this year, is moisture loss. don ’ t plant seeds into a dry seedbed, lewandowski and sulc emphasize. finally, they say to keep the following factors in mind anytime alfalfa is planted : ● soil fertility and ph – the recommended soil ph for alfalfa is 6. 8. the minimum or critical soil phosphorus level is 25 ppm and the critical soil potassium level is between 100 and 125 ppm for many ohio soils. ● seed selection – be sure to use high - quality seed of adapted, tested varieties and use fresh inoculum of the proper rhizobium bacteria. ● planter calibration – if coated alfalfa seed is used, be aware that coatings can account for up to one - third of the weight of the seed. that can affect the number of seeds planted if the planter is set to plant seed on a weight basis. seed coatings can also dramatically alter how the seed flows through the drill, so be sure to calibrate the drill or planter with the seed being planted. ● seed placement – the recommended seeding depth for alfalfa is ¼ - ½ ”. it ’ s better to err on the side of planting shallow rather than too deep. for more late - season alfalfa seeding recommendations, read seed alfalfa in early fall, california research indicates.


friday, dec. 7 ( healthday news ) - - increased use of electronic medical records and other digital technologies in health care might lead to a significant rise in the number of repetitive strain injuries suffered by doctors, nurses and other medical workers, researchers suggest. these muscle and joint injuries are caused by improper use of computer devices and poor office layouts, according to alan hedge, a professor of human factors and ergonomics at cornell university in ithaca, n. y. " many hospitals are investing heavily in new technology with almost no consideration for principles of ergonomics design for computer workplaces, " he said in a university news release. " we saw a similar pattern starting in the 1980s when commercial workplaces computerized, and there was an explosion of musculoskeletal injuries for more than a decade afterward. " ergonomics is an applied science pertaining to safe and efficient equipment design. in one study of 179 doctors, hedge found that most female doctors and more than 40 percent of male doctors reported that they experienced repetitive strain - related neck, shoulder and upper and lower back pain at least once a week. about 40 percent of female doctors and 30 percent of male doctors reported right wrist pain at least once a week. the findings were recently presented at the annual meeting of the proceedings of the human factors and ergonomics society in boston. " these rates are alarming. when more than 40 percent of employees are complaining about regular problems, that ' s a sign something needs to be done to address it, " hedge said in the news release. " in a lot of hospitals and medical offices, workplace safety focuses on preventing slips, trips and falls and on patient handling, but the effects of computer use on the human body are neglected. " in another study involving 180 doctors and 63 nurse practitioners and physician assistants, hedge found that more than 90 percent of them used a desktop computer and, on average, spent more than five hours a day using computers. fifty - six percent of doctors and 71 percent of nurse practitioners and physician assistants said their amount of computer use at work had increased in the past year. only about 5 percent of them said they had an " expert knowledge " of ergonomics, and more than two - thirds said they had no input in the planning or design of their computer or clinical workstation. the study was published in the book " advances in human aspects of healthcare. " " we can ' t assume that just because people are doctors or work in health care that they know about ergonomics, " hedge said.


by alan mozes thursday, jan. 3 ( healthday news ) - - it ' s possible that a serious mosquito - borne virus - - with no known vaccine or treatment - - could migrate from central africa and southeast asia to the united states within a year, new research suggests. the chances of a u. s. outbreak of the chikungunya virus ( chikv ) varies by season and geography, with those regions typified by longer stretches of warm weather facing longer periods of high risk, according to the researchers ' new computer model. " the only way for this disease to be transmitted is if a mosquito bites an infected human and a few days after that it bites a healthy individual, transmitting the virus, " said study lead author diego ruiz - moreno, a postdoctoral associate in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology at cornell university in ithaca, n. y. " the repetition of this sequence of events can lead to a disease outbreak. " and that, ruiz - moreno said, is where weather comes into the picture, with computer simulations revealing that the risk of an outbreak rises when temperatures, and therefore mosquito populations, rise. the study analyzed possible outbreak scenarios in three u. s. locales. in 2013, the new york region is set to face its highest risk for a chikv outbreak during the warm months of august and september, the analysis suggests. by contrast, atlanta ' s highest - risk period was identified as longer, beginning in june and running through september. miami ' s consistent warm weather means the region faces a higher risk all year. " warmer weather increases the length of the period of high risk, " ruiz - moreno said. " this is particularly worrisome if we think of the effects of climate change over [ average ] temperatures in the near future. " ruiz - moreno discussed his team ' s research - - funded in part by the u. s. national institute for food and agriculture - - in a recent issue of the journal plos neglected tropical diseases. chikv was first identified in tanzania in 1953, the authors noted, and the severe joint and muscle pain, fever, fatigue, headaches, rashes and nausea that can result are sometimes confused with symptoms of dengue fever. few patients die of the illness, and about one - quarter show no symptoms whatsoever. many patients, however, experience prolonged joint pain, and there is no effective treatment for the disease, leaving physicians to focus on symptom relief. disease spread is of paramount concern in the week following infection, during


- quarter show no symptoms whatsoever. many patients, however, experience prolonged joint pain, and there is no effective treatment for the disease, leaving physicians to focus on symptom relief. disease spread is of paramount concern in the week following infection, during which the patient serves as a viral host for biting mosquitoes. infected mosquitoes can then transmit the virus and cause a full - blown outbreak. the u. s. centers for disease control and prevention became aware of the growing threat of a global outbreak in 2005 and 2006, following the onset of epidemics in india, southeast asia, reunion island and other islands in the indian ocean. in 2007, public health concerns mounted following an outbreak in italy. to assess the risk of a u. s. epidemic, the authors collected data concerning regional mosquito population patterns, daily regional weather and human population statistics. they ran the information through a computer simulation designed to conservatively crunch the numbers based on the likelihood that an outbreak would occur in the coming year after just one chikv - infected individual entered any of the three test regions. the results suggested that because environmental factors affect mosquito growth cycles, the regional risk for a chikv outbreak is, to a large degree, a function of weather. the authors said that public health organizations need to be " vigilant, " while advocating for region - specific planning to address varying levels of risk across the country. however, dr. erin staples, a cdc medical epidemiologist based in fort collins, colo., said that although the study was " carefully and nicely done " the investigation ' s focus on the role of temperature in chikv outbreak risk should not negate the importance of other key factors such as human behavior. " we ' re aware of the potential introduction and spread of this virus, as well as several other mosquito - borne diseases, " she said. " we ' ve been working to create and prepare a response to the risk that this virus could expand into the u. s. "


mental health practitioners : who ’ s who? by amy scholten, mph if you or a loved one needs mental health services, it can be a challenge to choose which practitioner would be the best choice. while your doctor can provide a referral, it helps to know the difference between the types of professionals who specialize in mental health : psychiatrist ( md or do ) psychiatrists are medical doctors who have specialized training to diagnosis and treat mental health conditions. treatment from a psychiatrist typically involves being prescribed medicine, such as a mood stabilizer to treat bipolar disorder, and undergoing psychotherapy. some psychiatrists, though, only manage the medicine - side of treatment and refer you to another practitioner for therapy. a psychiatrist ’ s training includes a bachelors degree, medical school, and four years of residency training in the field of psychiatry. many psychiatrists get additional training so that they can specialize in areas, such as working with children, teens, the elderly, and people with addiction problems. psychologist ( phd or psyd ) psychologists are mental health professionals who work in a variety of settings including clinics, hospitals, private practice, schools, and universities. psychologists have a doctorate degree in psychology, which they obtain after getting a bachelors degree. depending on their training and specialization, psychologists may : mental health counselor ( ma, ms, ccmhc ) and licensed professional counselor ( lpc ) top mental health counselors and licensed professional counselors are therapists who are trained to diagnose and provide individual and group counseling. they often provide general psychotherapy. they work in community mental health centers, in group or private practices, or other settings. mental health counselors and licensed professional counselors have a masters degree ( usually in clinical or counseling psychology ) and several years of supervised clinical work experience. clinical social worker ( csw, msw, lsw, lcsw ) top licensed social workers are mental health providers that deal with a range of issues, such as life events, family conflicts, domestic abuse, and substance abuse. they not only do assessments and offer therapy, but also help patients find community care. social workers have an advanced degree in social work that they obtain after they get a bachelors degree. they may practice in community mental health centers, family services agencies, private practice, and many other locations. alcohol and drug abuse counselor or addiction counselor ( csac, cac ) top certified alcohol and drug abuse counselors and addiction counselors are trained to diagnose and provide individual and group counseling for individuals with addiction problems. they


many other locations. alcohol and drug abuse counselor or addiction counselor ( csac, cac ) top certified alcohol and drug abuse counselors and addiction counselors are trained to diagnose and provide individual and group counseling for individuals with addiction problems. they may work in drug abuse and addiction centers, hospitals, clinics, and community mental health centers. training may include a bachelors degree, specific training in alcohol and drug abuse ( eg, a certificate program in alcohol and drug abuse counseling ), and supervised experience. pastoral counselors ( ma, ms, mdiv, dmin ) top pastoral counselors are certified mental health professionals who have had extensive religious / theological training and clinical training in the behavioral sciences. they may specialize in marriage and family therapy, addiction, grief, and other mental health issues. they may also provide educational programs on preparing for marriage, adjusting to divorce, and coping with loss and grief. they may work in health clinics, state hospitals, private and group practices, congregation - based centers, or in pastoral counseling centers. pastoral counselors typically have a bachelor degree, a three - year professional degree, and a specialized master or doctoral degree in a mental health field. marriage and family therapist ( mft ) top marriage and family therapists diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders, and other health and behavioral problems within the context of marriage, couples, and family systems. they often work in group or private practices. marriage and family therapists have a masters or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy, as well as clinical experience. they are trained in psychotherapy and family systems. american psychological association mental health america canadian mental health association canadian psychiatric association alcohol and drug abuse counseling certificate. uc san diego extension website. available at : http : / / extension. u.... accessed july 9, 2012. frequently asked questions about pastoral counselors. the pastoral counseling center website. available at : http : / / www. pccmidvalley. org / pastoral - counseling - faq. html. accessed july 9, 2012. mental health professionals : who they are and how to find one. national alliance on mental health website. available at : http : / / www. nami. or.... accessed july 9, 2012. types of mental health professionals. mental health america website. available at : http : / / www. mentalh.... accessed july 9, 2012. what is a marriage counselor? california association of marriage and family therapists website. available at : http : /


here are some possible methods of arriving at a body count : - everyone mentioned except enoch and elijah, as per bob jones ' s note - only those mentioned of meeting an untimely end - those mentioned as meeting an untimely end, plus reasonable assumptions about casualties on all sides in battles, famines or other events mentioned since the ot is not history in the modern sense, the count would only be a rough estimate and the margin of error would be inestimable. from a scholarly viewpoint, the number would not be useful, as there is no other number with which to compare it. it ' s not like asking " how many people were killed in wwii ", an historical event for which we have some reliable records. we would then have to ask what the purpose of arriving at this number is. here are some possibilities : - proof that the ot outlook on life is essentially violent and retributive - proof that despite the violent surroundings, the ot produced prophecy of high moral vision - proof that the ot is inferior ( or superior ) to some other body of scripture or literature - elucidate the similarities or differences with other collections of literature, such as greek or hindu epic literature, and arrive at some conclusion - support speculation regarding the spiritual or moral meaning of the number or the fate of the people involved only the fourth purpose could be called hermeneutic. in any event, the wars and plagues mentioned on the ot were in no way unusual for the ancient world. there is a good summary of ancient warfare on wikipedia. it looks like the major players in our area of interest were the egyptians, assyrians and later the persian and greeks. the people of the book were minor actors on this stage, along with the edomites, amelikites and philistines. it was indeed a nasty period of human history, but was to get much worse with technological improvements and population growth after the end of the ot. the roman conquests, islamic conquests, crusades, and well, you know the vikings weren ' t known for their merciful acts. yet out of this global mayhem there arose a culture of prophecy that held that men should hammer swords into plows, spears into pruning hooks, stop conspiring to war, look out for widows, orphans and the displaced, forgive bad debts, and see themselves as stewards of the land rather than its owners. the record of that culture is found on the ot.


19th century subdivision map of planned bartow village located at http : / / www. historicpelham. com /. please click here for index to all blog postings. during the mid to late 19th century, there was an area in the town of pelham known as bartow. the hamlet of bartow was a quaint and small collection of residences located on the mainland near city island. the entire area - - as well as city island - - was annexed by new york city, effective in 1896. before then, however, the little area known variously as bartow, bartow - on - the - sound, bartow station and bartow village became an important part of pelham and its history. detail of 1895 map by julius bien & co. showing bartow, northwest of city island. all that remains today of the little hamlet of bartow are the remnants of a once beautiful stone train station designed by famed architect cass gilbert and built in 1908 to replace the little wooden station built on the branch line in the 1870s. the station was known as bartow station. today the stone station is a collapsed and decrepit shell covered with vandals ' graffiti. in pelham bay park i have published to the historic pelham blog a number of postings about the hamlet of bartow and the remnants of its train station. see : thu. march 24, 2005 : the bartow area of pelham in the 19th century : where was it? thu. july 21, 2005 : today ' s remnants of the bartow station on the branch line near city island? this " map of bartow village " shows a planned subdivision thwarted by new york city ' s acquisition and annexation of the lands as part of its development of pelham bay park during the late 19th century. the map offers an interesting insight into the area. the railroad tracks cross the map from left to right in its very center. the small black rectangle at the center of the map represents the bartow station. a photograph of the remnants of that station appears above. today ' s pathway leading to the remnants of the station appears to lie approximately where " third street " was planned in the little village. on the long island sound side of the railroad tracks, there were a number of streets planned to lead from today ' s shore road toward the railroad tracks : first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth streets. third street was the only such street planned to cross the railroad tracks. bishop avenue was planned for construction parallel to the railroad tracks


the state of vermont does not have a uniform occupancy standard. an occupancy standard is a law, ordinance or guideline that outlines how much space is required per person in a living unit. some rules express the requirements in terms of square footage per person for specific activities such as sleeping, eating and living space. several communities ( including burlington and rutland ) in vermont have enacted ordinances that place restrictions on how many people can live in a dwelling. other guidelines, such as hud ’ s guideline ( 21 kb ), recommends two persons per bedroom. there are exceptions to this standard ; for instance, if a dwelling has two bedrooms and one bedroom is very large, it might be reasonable to allow three people to use the large bedroom. occasionally there are sewage and water limitations that are placed on specific properties. these types of limitations are usually found at mobile home / trailer parks. these restrictions must be enforced consistently and must be restrictions that are part of the property ’ s conditions for receiving the required permits. occupancy restrictions must be documented and cannot be arbitrarily used by the property owner to exclude or limit the number of children in a park or complex. faq – i am a single mother with a young child. i went to rent a one - bedroom apartment and the owner said that i could not rent it because it is not right for a child and parent to share a bedroom. is that okay? no. you are the person who decides whether or not your child can sleep in the same room as you. two persons per room is the standard. in addition, sometimes property owners don ’ t want to rent two - bedroom apartments to families with two children of the opposite sex. the property owner cannot lawfully use that as a reason to turn a family down. faq - i rent properties to students. i have known students to cram six people into what i consider a four person unit. do i have to allow this? check your local ordinances to see if there are any occupancy restrictions. if there are no such ordinances, then reasonableness is the standard. if it is a unit that only has two bedrooms and none of the bedrooms are abnormally large then it would probably be reasonable to restrict occupancy to four people. if, on the other hand, the bedrooms are extremely large and could easily accommodate three persons, then your restriction may not be reasonable. conversely, if a dwelling has two bedrooms and one of the bedrooms is very small, it might be


appeal to the australian government to ratify the united nations convention on the protection of the rights of all migrant workers and members of their families ( the migrant workers convention ) international migrants day – 18 december 2011 the migrant workers convention is one of the nine core united nations human rights treaties. it has been ratified by 45 countries. on this 21st anniversary of the signing of this convention and eight years after it entered into force, we join in the civil society appeal to australia to ratify the convention and to be become a leader advocating for the protection of human rights of those who work outside their country of origin. the convention upholds what is already obvious : that the rights of migrants and their families are human rights. australia and ratification of the convention the australian government has stated that its laws are already consistent with the standards of the convention. australia ’ s voice and leadership on this issue will make a difference for migrants everywhere and will reinforce the efforts of those in australia working to ensure these commonly accepted employment standards are upheld. australia has been one of the greatest migrant receiving countries in history, and the modern australian community has come into being through generations of migration. in 2010 australia was home to 6 million migrants born in over 200 countries of the world. the country has strived for a high standard in the inclusion accorded to new arrivals, and to ensure that they become part of its community. the convention will help australia to advance this high standard into the future as the world responds to the globalisation of labour. ratification will complement existing government efforts to address the exploitation of migrant workers that occurs via clandestine labour movements and labour trafficking. conditions faced by migrant workers around the world it is intolerable that an individual working far from home should be kept in virtual slavery. it is unacceptable that a worker should be denied the rightful wages they have earned, simply because they are working outside their country of birth. women or men carrying out the work of caring for the homes of their employer, should not be denied their human dignity and such work should not be denied the respect it deserves. farm workers who tend to the crops and collect the produce that feeds the world, are entitled to expect that society will uphold their human rights. all workers are entitled to a safe place of work. all migrant workers and their families are entitled to the equal protection of the law which is their fundamental human right. these are some of the conditions that the convention addresses. appeal to australia australia has been a strong and clear voice in international forums for international human rights standards. its voice has been raised for the rights of


supporting your student while letting go the college years can be exciting and stressful for both you and your child. exciting, because your child will be learning to live independently, and this allows both of you to explore other parts of your lives. stressful, because this means that your relationship will change. some find this process enjoyable ; others do not. in order for this transition to be as productive as possible, you will need to be patient, understanding, supportive, and clear and reasonable about your expectations. listed below are some tips you might find helpful during this process. - rule # 1 : don ’ t ask if he is homesick. while it is true that many students miss being at home, most are so busy in the first weeks of school that they do just fine, as long as nothing reminds them about being away from home. even if he never brings it up, you can rest assured that he does miss you. if your student is really homesick, encourage him to stick it out for one semester. - rule # 2 : write, even if she doesn ' t write back. your student will be exploring and enjoying her independence and this is necessary for her development. even so, she will want to keep her family ties, as well as the security those ties bring. it ’ s nice for her to receive things in the mail ( and depressing when the box is empty ). still, she may not respond for some time. don ’ t interpret silence as rejection. - rule # 3 : ask questions ( but not too many ). first - year students tend to resent interference with their newfound lifestyles, but most still want to know that someone is still interested in them. parental curiosity can be experienced as supportive or alienating, depending on the attitudes of the people involved. honest inquiries that further the parent bond are welcomed. pulling rank, “ i have a right to know ” questions, and hidden agendas should be avoided. - rule # 4 : expect change ( but not too much ). it is natural and inevitable that your student will change over the course of his time here. for some, this change is gradual. for others, it is quick and dramatic. this can be quite stressful for all involved. it helps to remember that young adults should be forming their own identities, and that it is counterproductive to try and stop them from doing so. while you may never understand the changes in your child ' s social, vocational, and personal choices that may occur in college, it is within your


forming their own identities, and that it is counterproductive to try and stop them from doing so. while you may never understand the changes in your child ' s social, vocational, and personal choices that may occur in college, it is within your power to accept them. maturation can be a slow and painful learning process. please be patient. - rule # 5 : don ’ t worry excessively about moody behavior. you might find parenting during the college years to be pretty thankless. your student may sometimes feel overwhelmed with all that is happening, and she might turn to you in distress. conversely, you may rarely hear from her when things are going well. you are serving as a “ touchstone ” for your student, someone she can turn to when she feels the need. regardless of what she might say, this is valuable to her. if your student ’ s “ bad mood ” seems persistent and you have concerns about it, call the office of student health services to discuss it further. - rule # 6 : visit ( but not too often ). whether they admit it or not, students usually appreciate visits from their parents. this gives them a chance to connect to both of their “ worlds ” at once. “ surprise ” visits are usually not appreciated because they can feel disrespectful. it is better to wait for planned visits, such as the family weekend opportunity. after that, arrange times that are convenient for you and your student. when you do visit, treat your child to a meal away from the dining hall or offer to do the laundry. your visits will be eagerly anticipated! - rule # 7 : avoid the “ these are the best years of your life ” speech. the college years are full of discovery, inspiration, good times and friends. but they are also marked by indecision, insecurity, disappointment, and mistakes. in all probability your student will learn that college is much more challenging, in every way, than he imagined. parents who think that college students “ have it made, ” and that they should always perform well and be worry - free are wrong. those who accept the highs and lows are providing the kind of support students need most. - rule # 8 : trust your student. finding oneself is a difficult enough process without feeling like the people whose opinions you respect most are second - guessing your own second - guessing. one mother wrote her son during his senior year : “ i love you and want for you all the things that make you happiest : and i guess


scene recognition system the passion of developers who transcend the barriers of the workplace and debate from every possible angle in pursuit of an even better technology the scene recognition system is a completely new technology. we have heard that the development process was fraught with various difficulties. “ to achieve an ‘ even better technology ’ was a challenge the scene recognition system absolutely had to overcome. there were plenty of difficulties just to do that. first of all, since the development process required us to undertake simulations showing how certain types of image data we photographed could produce certain types of output, we had to start by taking huge volumes of sample photos to be used in the simulations. to do that, we made a special camera that could use a 1, 005 - pixel rgb sensor to read the photo data. we connected the camera to a computer and took photos of lots of scenes we supposed would also be taken outdoors, although it looked a little strange to passers - by. ” this technology could have never come about if you weren ' t persistent, right? how did the data processing, one of the primary focuses of development, work out? “ a huge number of calculations is necessary to perform scene recognition, and the data processing inside the camera was extremely busy. the same information from the 1, 005 - pixel rgb sensor required different calculation processes depending on whether it was being analyzed for ae or af. it took considerable effort to put together the required algorithms or to give the microprocessor enough memory to operate efficiently. ” do the various calculations have to take place instantly? “ yes. even a single action requires extremely complex, high - speed calculations. continuous shots in particular represent the hallmark of a successful camera. the camera has to work at maximum capacity when this is being done in af. when the mirror is down, light is read by the sensor, and the instant the mirror goes up, calculation results are fed back, and when the shutter is pressed, the camera has to finish all the work. to repeat these operations instantaneously, calculations for various types of information to be passed on need to occur in an instant. ” i see. so, calculations are necessary for every movement of the camera? “ exactly. it ' s extremely difficult to get the hardware and the data obtained in simulations to work together. we don ' t have much difficulty making simulations on the computer, but we had a very hard time getting the actual mechanism to work based on the simulation data. in 3d - tracking, for instance, subject tracking information and af need to


work together. we don ' t have much difficulty making simulations on the computer, but we had a very hard time getting the actual mechanism to work based on the simulation data. in 3d - tracking, for instance, subject tracking information and af need to link up and work together, but it didn ' t work at all at the beginning. we thought we had debugged the program and got the calculations perfect, too, but there were so many unknowns in this pioneering technology, it took a long while for us to make it work. we tested various possibilities in this process of trial and error, and once we finally got it to work in the camera, everyone involved in development and engineering felt a sense of achievement. ” you have been involved mainly in the development of metering technologies since you joined nikon, so in the development of the scene recognition system, you had to expand into other fields such as af, didn ' t you. i ' m very interested in how you approached those challenges. “ everyone in the development team came from completely different jobs, but our departments were nearby and we were in an environment where we could talk to each other quite easily. when talk of this development project came up, we had lots of discussions between departments. especially when the idea was first proposed, it came under criticism from people wondering whether there was any sense in even attempting such a high hurdle. once we put our heads together and talked openly about how we felt, i think we created an ideal environment for making something better. ” you knew it would be difficult, but you didn ' t say it was impossible. it is an admirable testimony to the interest and passion all the developers had for this new technology. “ i think it really was thanks to the efforts of so many people that we were able to do this. in the process of turning this new technology into a viable product, there really was a tremendous amount of ambiguity from the original idea to the final specifications we decided on. there were so many things we couldn ' t know just through experiments on the desk. in this area we had some members in the company who were in charge of making test photos and giving us constant advice. they were just like test drivers for new cars. we received lots of ideas from the hands - on experience of these people. real ideas from the field are indeed very different from theoretical ideas, and they were indispensable to our development efforts. ” the harder the road we travel, the greater is our joy at the end. just to hear someone


of these people. real ideas from the field are indeed very different from theoretical ideas, and they were indispensable to our development efforts. ” the harder the road we travel, the greater is our joy at the end. just to hear someone say they were able to take a photo they could never take before. how long did it take your team to develop the scene recognition system? - speaking of his future endeavors, mr. takeuch enthusiastically says : i want to explore applications to various camera models by considering their specifications and target users. “ about three years including time for the original idea. ” the d3 and d300 equipped with the scene recognition system have been released. looking back on the development process, where did you get the energy to overcome all those difficulties? “ it was really our strong desire to succeed in creating this system. the difficulty in developing the system was the scale of the expectations people had for this technology. this provided the support we need to overcome obstacles in the development process. of course, we have considerable satisfaction in having developed the technology, but more than that we look forward to the reaction of users. though we developed these cameras with high - end, professional users in mind, professionals have the ability to make do with cameras with few functions. so if professionals use these cameras and say they are really useful, that would be a mark of success for us. the aim of the scene recognition system really has been to enable people to take photos they could never take before. ” we also look forward to future applications of the scene recognition system, which has a lot of potential. “ as a core technology, we would like to adapt it to future camera models, considering their specifications and target users. we want to start looking into various applications that will meet those needs. ”


| click to see the full size image | about the image since 2003 i ' ve been gathering texts from the web written in indigenous and minority languages. the image above is a " family tree " of the 1000 languages i ' ve found to date, where proximity in the tree is measured by a straightforward statistical comparison of writing systems ( details below ). - when you load the full image it will be too big to fit in a browser window and you may not see anything at first – you ' ll need to use the horizontal and vertical scrollbars to explore different parts of the tree ( most browsers will let you zoom in and out also ). and because it ' s an svg image, you can use your browser ' s search functionality ( probably ctrl + f or - f ) to find different language codes, although the search behavior can be a bit weird / unpredictable. - each language is colored according to its linguistic family ( details here ). for example, all indo - european languages are greenish colors, with different subfamilies ( celtic, germanic, etc. ) being slightly different shades of green. i also tried to use similar colors for languages from the same geographical region even when there is no known genetic relationship among them, and so arawakan, quechuan, tucanoan languages ( all from south america ) are shades of purple, while central and north american languages are shades of blue. - clicking on a language opens a new tab or window with the documentation page for the iso 639 - 3 language identifier where you ' ll find a name for the language in english and a link to its ethnologue page for additional information. - what i ' m calling " languages " are really " writing systems " ; you ' ll see, for example, separate nodes for bo ( tibetan ) and bo - latn ( tibetan written in latin script ). in a small number of cases i track macrolanguages, regional variants ( e. g. en, en - ie, en - za ), and some dialects. in total, there are 919 distinct iso 639 - 3 codes among the 1000 writing systems represented. the gory details everything is based on an analysis of three character sequences ( " 3 - grams " ) in the different languages. it turns out that computing the statistics of 3 - grams in a given language provides a " fingerprint " that can be used for language identification and a number of other applications. specifically, imagine the huge - dimensional vector space v


in the different languages. it turns out that computing the statistics of 3 - grams in a given language provides a " fingerprint " that can be used for language identification and a number of other applications. specifically, imagine the huge - dimensional vector space v whose axes are labelled with all possible 3 - grams of unicode characters ( dim v > 1015 ). given a collection of texts in a language, you can compute the frequencies of all 3 - grams that appear in the collection, defining a ( sparse ) vector in v " representing " the language. we then define the distance between two languages to be the angle between their representative vectors in v. this can be computed by scaling the vectors to unit length and computing their dot product ( which is the cosine of the angle we want ). once we know the distance between each pair of languages, we can reconstruct a phylogenetic tree using any of a number of well - known algorithms. the image above was created using the so - called " neighbor - joining " algorithm ( which basically builds the tree in a greedy, bottom - up way ). a side - effect of the algorithm is that each edge in the tree is assigned a length, but note that the edge lengths in the rendered image have nothing to do with the computed edge lengths ( indeed, it ' s unlikely that the tree can be rendered in a distance - preserving way in two dimensions ). another side - effect of the algorithm is that the tree is connected – by definition, all languages are within a bounded distance of each other – and so near the root of the tree you ' ll see various languages which use completely different scripts joined in a more - or - less random fashion ( khmer, georgian, tamil, cherokee, etc. ). it would be easy enough to tweak the distance function or the algorithm to render languages with different scripts as separate connected components. how many languages are out there? ethnologue lists 6909 living languages in the world, but how many have some presence on the web? the answer depends greatly on what kinds of documents you include. if one takes linguistic studies into account, the number might be as high as 4000 – the open language archives community ( olac ) brings together data from linguistic archives all over the world into a single, searchable interface. the olac coverage page shows, at present, the existence of online resources for 3930 of the 6909 ethnologue languages, with more material coming online every day. the amazing odin project harvests examples of interlinear


##able interface. the olac coverage page shows, at present, the existence of online resources for 3930 of the 6909 ethnologue languages, with more material coming online every day. the amazing odin project harvests examples of interlinear glossed text from linguistic papers, and has over 1250 languages in its database. the 1000 languages found by my web crawler are, for the most part, what you might call " primary texts " : newspapers, blog posts, wikipedia articles, bible translations, etc. my best guess at present is that around 1500 languages have primary texts of this kind on the web. if you know of online resources written in a language that ' s not listed on our status page, please let me know in the comments. here are a couple of closely - related ( but ill - defined ) questions : first, " how many of the 6909 languages have a writing system? " and second, since a great number of the texts we ' ve found are bible translations or other evangelical works, one might ask " how many languages have a writing system that ' s used regularly by members of the speaker community? " i ' ve looked around a bit for answers to these questions but i haven ' t found any careful studies in the literature. mash it up! first, i ' d like to thank the hundreds of people who have contributed to the project over the years by providing training texts in many of the languages, correcting errors in the language identification, editing word lists, and helping separate different dialects / orthographies. you ' ll find many of their names on the project status page. thanks also to michael cysouw who first suggested generating an image of this kind ( you can find his image, created in 2005, on the main project page ). finally, thanks to my colleagues at twitter for several helpful conversations and for their interest in the indigenous tweets project.


murray, ut ( 2 / 7 / 2011 ) – one of the most prolific inventors at intermountain medical center has come up with a new invention : a device that could potentially revolutionize diabetes care. the new device is called a smart tray and was invented by joel ehrenkranz, md, director of diabetes and endocrinology at intermountain medical center, flagship hospital for the intermountain healthcare system. the tray includes seven separate sections, each with its own sensitive scale, and is programmed with a database of 7, 000 food items users can place different foods on the tray, tell the tray what it ' s holding, and begin eating. the tray will instantly calculate the calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fat being consumed. that information can be relayed wirelessly to a computer, mobile device, or insulin pump and automatically determine the patient ' s next dose of insulin. " right now diabetics don ' t have access to accurate, personalized nutritional information. it ' s very time - and labor - intensive to calculate, so it ' s hard for hospitals and individuals to do. that makes it harder to control the disease, " said dr. ehrenkranz. " the smart tray gives caregivers and patients precise information, and that will empower them to better manage diabetes, ” he says. the smart tray can also track things like potassium, cholesterol, and sodium, which will benefit individuals with heart failure, renal failure, high cholesterol, and even individuals who just want to loseweight. the tray is also customizable, so that users can input their familyrecipes. one major benefit is that the tray works with intermountain healthcare ' s internationally recognized electronic health record system, sothat nutritional information can be streamed into a patient ' s chart and become part of an extremely complex set of data used to improve care. the smart tray project began at intermountain medical center, with collaboration from richard brown, dean of the university of utah college of engineering. a patent is pending and the smart tray is moving toward production. the goal is to use it in intermountain hospitals and eventuallymake it available to individuals for use at home. “ this project is the type of research and innovation that is occurring at intermountain medical center on a daily basis, ” says david grauer, ceo / administrator of the hospital. “ we ’ re very proud to be able to support this kind of work that will lead to significant


research and innovation that is occurring at intermountain medical center on a daily basis, ” says david grauer, ceo / administrator of the hospital. “ we ’ re very proud to be able to support this kind of work that will lead to significant advancements in the way care is delivered to patients. ” currently, there are more than 500 clinical trials underway at intermountain medical center. the smart tray is the latest in a long list of inventions by dr. ehrenkranz, who has developed several drugs and medical devices. one recent example is a simple, inexpensive test for iodine deficiency. the test, featured in the february edition of the journal thyroid, works like a home pregnancy test, eliminating the need for labs and technicians. it ' s being used in developing nations to diagnose newborns with iodine deficiency and begin treatment, preventing major public health problems such as goiter. dr. ehrenkranz is a graduate of stanford school of medicine and has served on the medical staffs of hospitals on the east coast, colorado, and arizona. he is the holder of seven patents and is widely published in the field of endocrinology. he has served in roles with the u. s. food and drug administration and the national institutes of health, as well as several professional organizations. dr. ehrenkranz, md, and a handful of other scientists, were recently honored by the university of utah for their inventions and contributions to advancing science in the state of utah.


development of the eye ( 2nd of 3 ) beginning of 4th week ( 4 mm, lens placode appears ) early in the 4th week optic vesicles extend from the 3rd ventricle and wall of the forebrain ( diencephalon ). as the vesicle reaches the surface ectoderm it flattens ( a ) and progressively invaginates ( b ) to form the optic cup, which remains attached to the forebrain by the optic stalk ( precursor of the optic nerve ). the asymmetric invagination leaves a groove, the choroid fissure, in the stalk. the adjacent ectoderm thickens to form the lens placode ( a & b ) which invaginates and ( eventually ) separates ( c ) from the ectoderm to form the lens vesicle. the primary optic vesicle ( a ) becomes a double - walled optic cup ( c ). with continued invagination the original lumen of the optic vesicle is reduced to a slit between the 1 ) inner neural layer and 2 ) outer pigment layer of the optic cup ( c ). mesenchyme around the optic vesicle will contribute to the fibrous coats of the eye ( sclera / cornea ) externally and the choroid layer adjacent to the pigment layer. it also forms the hyaloid vessels ( c ) which pass in the choroid fissure, across the vitreous chamber, to supply the lens.


boston, ma ( ivanhoe newswire ) - - new research aims to give doctors a unique view inside the human body using a remote - controlled capsule which could find a problem and treat it. a miniaturized doctor and his team swim through a human body to save a life in the sci - fi classic fantastic voyage. decades later, a new swimming pill could give doctors a new way to save lives. noby hata, co - inventor of the swimming endoscopic capsule, told ivanhoe, " this capsule can stop or move or aim at the disease lesions so you can actually try to cure the lesion. " the capsule is designed to be swallowed like a pill. doctors will be able to control the camera magnetically from outside using an mri machine ’ s magnetic signals. there is a coil to induce the current remotely. hata says the mri works much like a gps. " you will see the cross section of the body and also the little capsule in the middle and you can navigate this capsule using this map as guidance. " so far, he ’ s successfully tested a prototype of the capsule in a fish tank inside an mri machine. the goal is to one day be able to deliver drugs or laser treatments directly to tumors or injuries in the digestive track. dr. kunal jajoo, associate physician in the department of medicine at brigham and women ’ s hospital believes this could change the way colonoscopies are performed. " it ’ s an amazing advance to be able to steer something that small within the body and really direct it to areas that might need therapy or biopsy or the like. "


the epidemiology of hepatitis a infection in palestine : a universal vaccination programme is not yet needed in palestine, there has been an increase in the reported incidence of acute hepatitis a virus ( hav ) infection since 1995. since overt clinical disease occurs only among adults, questions were raised whether or not a shift in the epidemiology of hav has occurred. this is generally characterized by a decrease in the overall incidence rate and a shifting in the mean age of infection towards adolescence and early adulthood. the need for a vaccination programme is being discussed. to resolve this issue, we examined the prevalence of anti - hav in a representative sample of 396 school children in the gaza strip. the prevalence of anti - hav was 93 · 7 % ( 95 % ci : 91 · 3, 96 · 1 % ). stratifying the prevalence by age showed that 87 · 8 % ( 95 % ci : 78 · 6, 97 % ) were hav antibody positive by the age of 6. by the age of 14, almost 98 % ( 95 % ci : 92 · 7, 100 % ) were hav antibody positive. this means that the majority of hav infection is still taking place in early childhood, when it is usually asymptomatic and of little clinical significance. the results refuted the shifting epidemiology theory and we recommend that a vaccination programme against hav infection is not yet needed. alternative explanations for the increase in reported cases are discussed. ( accepted april 17 2001 ) c1 author for correspondence.


the bone marrow is the principal source of the many different types of cells that circulate in your blood stream. the term “ myelodysplasia “ describes certain abnormalities in the production of these blood cells. “ myelodysplastic syndrome ” ( mds ) refer to at least five different entities, all of which interfere with the growth of blood cells in the bone marrow. the differences among them are found in the appearance of the cells under the microscope and are helpful primarily in determining prognosis. mds frequently progresses to a form of acute leukemia. leukemia is a cancer of the blood cells. but in the case of leukemia, there is an overproduction of immature cells ( blasts ) circulating in the blood and an underproduction of healthy cells. in mds, there is usually, but not always, only an underproduction of healthy cells. the progression to acute leukemia is so common that mds used to be known as “ preleukemia. ” the bone marrow contains stem cells, which have the capacity to become any of the cell types that circulate in the blood stream. these stem cells normally undergo a maturation process that results in mature cells with fixed functions : - red blood cells carry oxygen. - three types of granulocytes ( a type of white blood cell ) carry out immune functions. - two types of lymphocytes ( a type of white blood cell ) carry out immune functions. - macrophages and monocytes help us fight infection. - platelets provide a defense against bleeding and bruising. once cells have matured in the bone marrow, they are released into the blood circulation. mds interrupts the normal maturation process of blood cells. who is affected? roughly 3, 000 new cases of mds occur yearly in the united states. a similar rate of 1 to 10 per 100, 000 people occurs in the rest of the developed nations. cases without a known cause are most frequently found in older males, usually between 70 and 80 years of age ; among this group, the rate rises to 25 per 100, 000 people. the incidence of mds among younger populations is rising. this is partially due to the success of chemotherapy and radiation in treating and eradicating other forms of cancer since these therapies increase the risk of developing mds. causes and complications the exact cause of mds is unclear, but certain factors are believed to increase risk. these include radiation for the treatment of cancer, certain drugs and chemicals, genetic factors, and some birth


even if you ' re a fan of tv hospital dramas, these shows might also make you nervous about what happens in an operating room. millions of teens are wheeled into operating rooms ( ors ) each year, so it can help to find out what to expect before you get to the hospital. depending on the type of surgery you need, you may have inpatient surgery or outpatient surgery ( also called ambulatory surgery ). inpatient surgery usually requires that you stay in the hospital for a day or more so the doctors and nurses can monitor your recovery carefully. if you have outpatient surgery, you will go home the same day. this type of surgery may be performed in a hospital or an outpatient surgery clinic and you can go home when the doctor decides you ' re ready. what to expect if your surgery is not an emergency, it will be planned in advance. you will make a visit to the hospital or outpatient surgery location beforehand. examples of emergency surgery include a broken elbow and appendicitis. when urgent surgery is required, you will go to the operating room after being diagnosed with a surgical problem. when you know about your surgery ahead of time, you will arrive at the hospital and a nurse or other hospital employee will begin the pre - surgical process. he or she will begin by asking questions about your medical history, including any allergies you might have and any symptoms or pain you may be having. girls may be asked if there is any chance of being pregnant. nurses will also take your vital signs like your heart rate, temperature, and blood pressure. soon after you arrive, you ' ll be given an identification bracelet — a plastic tape with your name and birthdate on it — to wear around your wrist. you ' ll also be asked about the time you last ate or drank anything. this might seem strange, but it ' s actually very important to your safety. having food or liquids in your stomach can lead to vomiting during or after the surgery and cause harmful complications. you might need to have other tests, like x - rays and blood tests, before your surgery begins. before your operation takes place, you and your family will have a chance to meet with the anesthesiologist — the doctor or certified registered nurse anesthetist ( crna ) who specializes in giving anesthetics, the medications that will help you fall asleep or numb an area of your body so you don ' t feel the surgery. the anesthesiology staff will have your medical information so you can be


' ll be taken to the recovery room, where nurses will monitor your condition very closely for a few hours. sometimes this room is also called the post - op ( postoperative ) room or pacu ( post - anesthesia care unit ). your parent may be able to visit you here. every person has a different surgical experience, but if you ' ve had general anesthesia, it ' s common to feel groggy, confused, chilly, nauseated, or even sad when you wake up. when the surgery has been completed, the surgeon will let you and your parents know how the procedure went and answer any questions you have. once your anesthesia has worn off and you ' re fully awake, you ' ll be taken to a regular hospital room if you ' re staying overnight. if you ' re having an outpatient procedure, you ' ll be monitored by nurses in another room until you ' re able to go home. if you feel pain after the surgery, the doctors and nurses will make sure you have pain relievers to keep you more comfortable. you may also need to take other medications, such as antibiotics to prevent infection. taking the worry out of your surgery the thought of having surgery can be scary. if you ' re worried, try these tips to help feel more at ease : ask questions ahead of time. your surgeon, anesthesiologist, and nurses will be able to answer your questions about the surgery, how you ' ll feel afterward, how long it will take to return to your normal activities, what type of scarring you might have, etc. don ' t feel embarrassed about asking lots of questions — the more informed you are, the more comfortable you ' ll feel about having surgery. be sure you ' re clear on instructions — and ask if you ' re not. your doctor or a nurse will give you instructions on what to do before the surgery ( called preoperative instructions ) and what you can and can ' t do afterward ( postoperative instructions ). for example, your doctor may tell you to stop taking certain medications for a set period of time before surgery. ( if you know about your surgery ahead of time, you should let your doctor know well in advance if you are taking any herbal or other non - prescription medications such as ibuprofen as your medical team might instruct you to stop taking them. ) and follow your doctor ' s orders regarding eating before surgery. after surgery, your exercise and activities might be restricted for a while. practice healthy habits. smoking


as ibuprofen as your medical team might instruct you to stop taking them. ) and follow your doctor ' s orders regarding eating before surgery. after surgery, your exercise and activities might be restricted for a while. practice healthy habits. smoking is never a good idea, but it ' s especially bad news after surgery when your body is trying to recover. ditch the cigarettes, get plenty of rest, and eat nutritious foods. try relaxation techniques. if you ' re nervous or anxious, taking a few slow, deep breaths or focusing on an object in the room can help you to tune out stressful thoughts and cope with your anxiety. think of your favorite place and what you like to do there. plan ahead. if you have to miss school because of surgery, talk to your teachers ahead of time and arrange to make up any tests or assignments. get a friend you trust to take notes for you and drop off homework assignments. by planning ahead, you won ' t have to spend your recovery time stressing about your grades. tell a few people. if you don ' t feel like sharing the details of your operation, you don ' t have to — but telling some friends that you ' ll be out of school for a few days might ensure you ' ll have some visitors! your friends might even have some surgery stories of their own to share. pack a few favorites. after you ' re out of the recovery room, you might want the comfort that some favorite cds, itunes, books, magazines, or a journal can bring, so make sure that when you ' re packing your hospital bag, you throw in a few goodies.


toxic shock syndrome can happen to anyone — men, women, and children. although it can be serious, it ' s a very rare illness. if you ' re concerned about toxic shock syndrome, the smartest thing you can do is to read and learn about it, then take some precautions. what is toxic shock syndrome? if you ' re a girl who ' s had her period, you may have heard frightening stories about toxic shock syndrome ( tss ), a serious illness originally linked to the use of tampons. but tss isn ' t strictly related to tampons. the contraceptive sponge and the diaphragm, two types of birth control methods, have been linked to tss. and, sometimes, the infection has occurred as a result of wounds or surgery, where the skin has been broken, allowing bacteria to enter. tss is a systemic illness, which means that it affects the whole body. it can be caused by one of two different types of bacteria, staphylococcus aureus and streptococcus pyogenes — although toxic shock that is caused by the streptococcus bacteria is rarer. these bacteria can produce. in some people whose bodies can ' t fight these toxins, the immune system reacts. this reaction causes the symptoms associated with tss. when people think of tss, they often think of tampon use. that ' s because the earliest cases of the illness, back in the late 1970s, were related to superabsorbent tampons. research led to better tampons and better habits for using them — such as changing tampons more often. the number of tss cases dropped dramatically. today about half of all tss cases are linked to menstruation. aside from tampon use, tss has been linked to skin infections that are typically minor and can be associated with the chickenpox rash. tss has also been reported following surgical procedures, giving birth, and prolonged use of nasal packing for nosebleeds — although all of these are rare. what are the signs and symptoms? symptoms of tss occur suddenly. because it ' s an illness that is caused by a toxin, many of the body ' s organ systems are affected. the signs and symptoms of tss include : high fever ( greater than 102° f [ 38. 8° c ] ) rapid drop in blood pressure ( with lightheadedness or fainting ) sunburn - like rash that can be anywhere on the


signs and symptoms of tss include : high fever ( greater than 102° f [ 38. 8° c ] ) rapid drop in blood pressure ( with lightheadedness or fainting ) sunburn - like rash that can be anywhere on the body, including the palms of the hands and soles of the feet vomiting or diarrhea severe muscle aches or weakness bright red coloring of the eyes, mouth, throat, and vagina headache, confusion, disorientation, or seizures kidney and other organ failure the average time before symptoms appear for tss is 2 to 3 days after an infection with staphylococcus or streptococcus, although this can vary depending on the infection. your risk of getting tss is already low. but you can reduce it still further by simply following some common - sense precautions : clean and bandage any skin wounds. change bandages regularly, rather than keeping them on for several days. check wounds for signs of infection. if a wound gets red, swollen, painful, or tender, or if you develop a fever, call your doctor right away. if you ' re a girl whose period has started, the best way to avoid tss is to use pads instead of tampons. for girls who prefer to use tampons, select the ones with the lowest absorbency that can handle your menstrual flow and change them frequently. you can also alternate the use of tampons with sanitary napkins. if your flow is light, use a pad instead of a tampon. if you ' ve already had an episode of tss or have been infected with s. aureus, don ' t use tampons or contraceptive devices that have been associated with tss ( such as diaphragms and contraceptive sponges ). what do doctors do? tss is a medical emergency. if you think you or someone you know may have tss, call a doctor right away. depending on the symptoms, a doctor may see you in the office or refer you to a hospital emergency department for immediate evaluation and testing. if doctors suspect tss, they will probably start intravenous ( iv ) fluids and antibiotics as soon as possible. they may take a sample from the suspected site of the infection, such as the skin, nose, or vagina, to check it for tss. they may also take a blood sample. other blood tests can help monitor how various organs like the kidneys are working and check for other diseases that may be causing the


operating on a baby before birth may seem like science fiction, but prenatal surgery is becoming more and more common in special pediatric programs throughout the united states. since prenatal surgery was first pioneered in the 1980s, it ' s become an important way to correct certain birth defects that could be severe ( and in some cases fatal ) if babies were born with them unrepaired. prenatal surgery ( also called fetal surgery or fetal intervention ) most often is done to correct serious problems that can ' t wait to be fixed, like certain heart defects, urinary blockages, bowel obstructions, and airway malformations. some of the greatest successes have come from correcting spina bifida ( an often disabling spinal abnormality in which the two sides of the spine fail to join together, leaving an open area ). a recent landmark study reports that kids with spina bifida who received fetal surgery typically are more likely to walk, less likely to have serious neurological problems, and less likely to need a shunt to drain brain fluid. so how does prenatal surgery work? the most common types are : open fetal surgery : in this type of procedure, the mother is given anesthesia, then the surgeon makes an incision in the lower abdomen to access the uterus ( as would be done during a cesarean section ). the uterus is opened with a special stapling device that prevents bleeding, the fetus is either partially or completely taken out of the womb, surgery is done, then the baby is returned to the uterus, and the incision is closed. open fetal surgery is performed for problems like spina bifida and certain other serious conditions. the mother will be in the hospital for 3 - 7 days and will need a c - section to give birth to the baby ( and any future children ). fetoscopic surgery : this minimally invasive type of procedure, often called fetendo fetal surgery, is more common than open fetal surgery. small incisions are made and the fetus is not removed from the uterus. the surgeon uses a very small telescope ( called an endoscope ) designed just for this kind of surgery and other special instruments to enter the uterus and correct the problem. fetendo is most useful for problems with the placenta, such as twin - twin transfusion syndrome in which one identical twin grows at the expense of the other because of abnormal blood vessel connections in the placenta they share. fetal image -


how does a doctor test to see if you have stds? - perry * there are different tests for different stds. the kind of test someone gets depends on the type of std, symptoms ( like sores, discharge, or pain ), and the person ' s medical and sexual history. std testing starts with a physical exam. a doctor or will ask questions about health, including sex, then examine the person ' s genitals. for girls, this may include a pelvic exam. based on what ' s learned from the interview and exam, the doctor or np may take one or more of these samples : a blood sample ( from either a blood draw or a finger prick ) a urine sample a swab of the inside of the mouth a swab from the genitals, such as the urethra in guys or the cervix in girls a swab of any discharge or sores sometimes, the sample can be tested right there in the health provider ' s office. other times, the sample is sent to a lab and the results come later. it depends on the office and the type of infection doctors are testing for. stds can be sneaky. often there are no signs that a person has one. that ' s not necessarily a good thing. these " hidden " stds can still put people at risk for health problems. anyone who is having sex ( or has had sex in the past ) needs to get tested.


if your child is diagnosed with cancer, it may feel as though you went to bed one night and woke up in an alternate universe. suddenly there are all these new words — oncology, chemotherapy, radiation — not to mention a slew of new fears and emotions. now the doctor is saying your child ' s immune system isn ' t strong enough for him or her to go to school or even visit family. if that ' s the case, chances are it ' s because your child has developed a condition called neutropenia. neutropenia is when the body has abnormally low levels of certain white blood cells ( called neutrophils ), the body ' s main defense against infection. other problems with the immune system caused by the cancer and its treatment vary among patients, but they also can be important reasons to avoid crowds of people that may expose your child to viruses. a weakened immune system when a germ enters the body, a healthy immune system springs into action, sending an army of neutrophils to the area to attack. the next time those same germs enter the body, the immune system will " remember " them and try to head them off before they can cause any serious trouble. someone with cancer, though, commonly has fewer neutrophils patrolling the body. in some cases, that ' s because the cancer itself damages the bone marrow, the spongy material inside the bones where all new blood cells — including neutrophils — are made. ( this is especially common with cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. ) other times it may be the cancer treatments themselves that are doing the damage. both chemotherapy ( powerful cancer - fighting drugs ) and radiation ( high - energy x - rays ) work by killing the fastest - growing cells in the body — both bad and good. that means that along with cancer cells, healthy blood cells, like neutrophils, often get destroyed too. with fewer neutrophils, a person is more prone to infection. even things the body would normally be able to fight off without much trouble, like skin infections or ear infections, become much more serious and long - lasting when a person is in a neutropenic state. that ' s why it ' s important to call the doctor right away if your child has a fever, shaking or chills, or any mouth or skin sores, which may be signs of infection. fortunately, doctors can use a blood test called an absolute neut