questions parents of gifted students should ask schools by james gallagher many parents dread the times they must meet their child ' s teacher. the thought of meeting the principal or superintendent sends chills up their spines. to many parents, the school is a " castle on the hill, " distant and foreboding, a feeling that can prevent parents from interacting with the school system on a constructive basis. however, there are questions that parents of gifted students should ask of their school system regarding the program or services for their children. their right to ask such questions matches the right of any parent. what services are available for gifted students in this school and school system, and what are the goals of such services? the representative of the school should be able to speak at length on the nature and purpose of the program or services the school and school system provide. the school system should have a comprehensive k - 12 set of services for gifted students and some special opportunities available to advanced students in all major content fields ( math, social studies, etc. ). he or she should be able to tell you why and how your child has been deemed eligible for these services and what they hope the outcome will be for your child. these statements should be more specific than " we hope to improve her thinking skills. " be sure to ask, " how do you propose to do this? with what resources? " how much time each week will my child spend in the gifted education program or receive services? this question is key since there is great variation among schools regarding the time provided for gifted students. time allotted to these programs can extend from one hour a week to all day or something in between. most specialists believe that anything less than five hours a week is unlikely to have a strong positive impact. if the school explains that the child ' s needs are being taken care of in the regular classroom, they should be able to detail what differentiated services are being applied in that setting, and by whom. have the teachers in the gifted education program received specialized training? all too often, teachers are assigned to gifted programs without any specific preparation. if they have not received training in educating gifted students they should at least have advanced training in the content field they are teaching. the school should also have a viable, articulate plan for helping teachers receive additional preparation if they are not currently certified or otherwise prepared. the regular classroom teacher should also have some special preparation, particularly if the primary responsibility for educating a gifted student depends on him or her. has my child received an assessment? since individual assessments cost schools money


if they are not currently certified or otherwise prepared. the regular classroom teacher should also have some special preparation, particularly if the primary responsibility for educating a gifted student depends on him or her. has my child received an assessment? since individual assessments cost schools money, some administrators would rather rely on general or group tests or on teacher judgment to decide who should be in a gifted education program. the school should tell you what test instruments or procedures are used in assessing your child and what has been learned from them. how far is the child ' s achievement from the average for his or her grade? are the results of the assessment being used to develop an education plan tailored for your child? are there specialized materials ( e. g., software ) used in the gifted education program or services? the school representative should be able to name any special curricula or advanced materials that are being used. these materials should be easily accessible to the student, and the media room should have samples of materials available for parents to review. how will the school know if the gifted education program or services are working? too few school systems are following a specific evaluation plan designed to tell the teacher what is working and what is not and for which children. the school representative should be able to state specifically what they will do to demonstrate the benefits of the program for your child. findings ( test results, analyses of portfolios, or student projects, etc. ) should be available to parents and shared on a regular basis. how can i help the program? parents can be valuable adjuncts to the special instruction schools provide, and schools should be able to make specific suggestions as to how parents can help. there may be times, however, when a school is reluctant to accept your input, and your best efforts to be cooperative are rebuffed. it is important for you to know that you are not alone. there are probably other parents who feel the way that you do, and they may already be in an organized group. ( you can check with your state gifted education association for names of other interested parents in your area ). groups of parents are invaluable in convincing school administrators that gifted and talented students have special education needs. it sometimes requires repeated efforts. parents often do not realize the various pressures that school administrators and teachers are under. schools must deal with unruly students, students who are failing or are unmotivated, and the school day is often filled with a variety of immediate crises that may keep them from a full appreciation of the needs of your child. under such


the following html text is provided to enhance online readability. many aspects of typography translate only awkwardly to html. please use the page image as the authoritative form to ensure accuracy. dri dietary reference intakes calcium vitamin d sources of calcium ingested calcium comes from food sources and dietary supplements. in this report dietary calcium refers to both food sources and supplements combined ( although some researchers reserve the term dietary calcium to mean only food sources ) and is most often referred to as total calcium intake for clarity. with more than one - half of the u. s. population ( bailey et al., 2010 ) — and between 24 and 60 percent of canadians ( 2004 canadian community health survey, personal communication, d. brule, health canada, april 29, 2010 ) — reporting use of dietary supplements of some type, dietary supplements must be taken into account when considering the sources of calcium in the diet and, in turn, estimating total calcium intake. current estimates from 2003 to 2006 indicate that the median total intake of calcium from all sources for persons > 1 year of age ranges from 918 to 1, 296 mg / day, depending upon life stage ( bailey et al., 2010 ). only small amounts of calcium are contributed by water, depending upon geographic location. chapter 7 of this report contains an assessment of quantitative calcium intake in the u. s. and canadian populations. calcium is classically associated with dairy products ; milk, yogurt, and cheese are rich sources of calcium, providing the major share of calcium from foods in the general diet in the united states and canada. in the united states, an estimated 72 percent of calcium comes from milk, cheese and yogurt and from foods to which dairy products have been added ( e. g., pizza, lasagna, dairy desserts ). the remaining calcium comes from vegetables ( 7 percent ) ; grains ( 5 percent ) ; legumes ( 4 percent ) ; fruit ( 3 percent ) ; meat, poultry, and fish ( 3 percent ) ; eggs ( 2 percent ) ; and miscellaneous foods ( 3 percent ). 1 similar data from canada are not currently available. fortification with calcium for a number of foods that do not naturally contribute calcium — such as orange juice, other beverages, and ready - to - eat cereals — is becoming commonplace in the united states ( calvo et al., 2004 ; rafferty et al., 2007 ; poliquin et al., 2009 ). these practices challenge the ability of national food composition databases, such as


the following html text is provided to enhance online readability. many aspects of typography translate only awkwardly to html. please use the page image as the authoritative form to ensure accuracy. dri dietary reference intakes for calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin d, and fluoride average of 61 mg [ 2 mmol ] / day or 5 percent of the total intake ) when intakes were calculated using usda ' s nutrient database ( pennington and wilson, 1990 ). because of the uncertainty about phosphorus values for processed foods in nutrient databases, trends in phosphorus intake may be difficult to ascertain. daily intakes of women aged 19 to 50 years from usda ' s national surveys averaged 965 mg ( 31. 1 mmol ) in 1977, 1, 039 mg ( 33. 5 mmol ) in 1985, and 1, 022 mg ( 33. 0 mmol ) in 1994 ( cleveland et al., 1996 ; usda, 1985 ). thus, it appears that intakes from foods increased about 8 percent between 1977 and 1985, but then decreased slightly between 1985 and 1994. food supply data show a larger increase in phosphorus consumption : 12 percent from 1980 through 1994 ( from 1, 480 to 1, 680 mg [ 47. 7 to 54. 2 mmol ] / day per capita ) ( usda, 1997 ). however, disappearance data may be unreliable for detecting trends because phosphate additives ( such as those in cola beverages ) are not included. disappearance data on phosphorus - containing additives show that the use of these additives has increased by 17 percent over the last decade ( calvo, 1993 ). these figures also do not reflect actual consumption, because not all phosphates included in disappearance data are actually consumed, ( for example, blends of sodium tripolyphosphate and sodium hexametaphosphate are used in brines for curing meat, but the brine is rinsed off and not consumed ). nevertheless, taken together, these data suggest a substantial increase in phosphorus consumption, in the range of 10 to 15 percent, over the past 20 years. food sources of phosphorus phosphates are found in foods as naturally occurring components of biological molecules and as food additives in the form of various phosphate salts. these salts are used in processed foods for nonnutrient functions, such as moisture retention, smoothness, and binding. in infants, dietary intake of phosphorus spans a wide range, depending on whether the food is human milk, cow milk, adapted cow milk formula


sts - 132 - - mission to the international space station the crew of space shuttle mission sts - 132 has completed its mission! six astronauts were on space shuttle atlantis for the sts - 132 mission. the sts - 132 crew took a new section to the space station. the new piece is from russia. the new room is called rassvet, which means dawn in russian. this gives the station more storage space and a new place for russian spacecraft to dock. astronaut ken ham was the sts - 132 commander. before becoming an astronaut, ham was a pilot in the u. s. navy. sts - 132 was his second trip to space. astronaut tony antonelli was the sts - 132 pilot. antonelli was a pilot in the u. s. navy before he became an astronaut. he flew his first mission in space as the pilot of sts - 119. michael good was a mission specialist. in 2009, good was part of the last space shuttle crew to visit the hubble space telescope. during that mission, he spent almost 16 hours working outside the space shuttle. the sts - 132 mission was his first trip to the international space station. sts - 132 was garrett reisman ' s second trip into space. in 2008, he spent over three months living aboard the international space station. he was a flight engineer for the expedition 16 and 17 missions. astronaut piers sellers is from the united kingdom. before he was an astronaut, he studied earth ' s climate. the sts - 132 mission was sellers ' third trip to space. he flew on space shuttle missions in 2002 and 2006. steve bowen is the first submarine officer chosen to be a nasa astronaut. sts - 132 was his second mission to space. in 2008, bowen went on three spacewalks during his first mission, sts - 126. the sts - 132 patch each crew designs a patch that highlights its mission. the sts - 132 patch has the names of the crew on a black border. the patch features atlantis flying off into the sunset. this shows there are only two more shuttle flights planned after sts - 132. to learn about other missions.


health officials on alert for tick fever by cindy yurth window rock, may 24, 2012 s ummer is almost here, which means the navajo nation veterinary and livestock program is once again bracing for an epidemic the navajo nation has managed to avoid for several years through, near as anybody can tell, sheer luck. since 2003, rocky mountain spotted fever has been identified in arizona. there have been 194 cases and 17 deaths - all native americans living on three reservations near phoenix, and mostly children under eight years old. glenda davis, head of the veterinary and livestock program, says it ' s no mystery why arizona ' s natives are most susceptible to the sometimes fatal disease. " it ' s our culture, " she said. " we think we have to let our dogs run free. " the bacterium that causes spotted fever, rickettsia rickettsii, is transmitted by ticks, and ticks are transmitted by dogs. for years, it was thought that only three species of tick - the deer tick, the rocky mountain wood tick and the lone star tick - carried the bacterium. but lately, it has turned up in the brown dog tick. that ' s the extremely common tick that, unless you regularly treat your dog for ticks and fleas, is probably sucking blood from him right now. if an infected tick bites your dog, davis explained, the bacterium gets into the animal ' s bloodstream, where it can infect the next tick that sucks its blood. if that tick then bites you or your child, it transmits the bacterium to you through its blood - thinning saliva. if you ' re lucky, you will soon exhibit the classic spotted rash that characterizes rocky mountain spotted fever. your physician will recognize it and give you doxycycline, and you will start to recover in a few days. but many victims don ' t exhibit the rash. instead, they will have flu - like symptoms such as body aches, respiratory problems and nausea. it ' s quite possible their doctor will tell them they have a flu virus, and send them home with a prescription of aspirin and bed rest. in eight days, their organs will start shutting down and they could die or be left with permanent neurological symptoms. since the phoenix area tribes are plagued by stray dogs and many pet owners don ' t believe in confining their pets, the disease has spread rapidly - from 13 cases in 2004 to around 50 last year. the only mystery, davis said, is why it hasn ' t shown up in humans


dogs and many pet owners don ' t believe in confining their pets, the disease has spread rapidly - from 13 cases in 2004 to around 50 last year. the only mystery, davis said, is why it hasn ' t shown up in humans on navajo, where an estimated 250, 000 to 400, 000 dogs are running free, and most have ticks. according to davis, the centers for disease control sampled blood from dogs in all the navajo nation animal shelters in 2005, and found rickettsii in shiprock and crownpoint. that has given the navajo nation some lead time in preparing for a possible outbreak. davis said her program has alerted the ihs, the community health representatives and the navajo housing authority to be on the lookout for tick infestations and humans or animals exhibiting symptoms of the disease. but, as with any health problem, the bottom line is personal responsibility. " this is a very, very preventable disease, " she said, " but we have to change our cultural outlook. " the best thing an individual family can do, davis said, is to stay away from ticks. check yourself and your children daily for the insects and tweeze them out straight up if you find them. don ' t crush them to death with a thumbnail - if they ' re gorged with infected blood, you may just be spreading the bacterium. instead, drop them into a bottle of alcohol or bleach. once you ' ve been bitten, watch carefully for flu - like symptoms and rush to the doctor if you suspect tick fever. be sure to tell your physician you ' ve had a tick bite so he doesn ' t dismiss the symptoms as an ordinary flu. here are some other tips : treat all your dogs for ticks and fleas, and don ' t let them roam at large where they can mingle with strays wash pet and human bedding frequently and dry in dryer ( but be aware this isn ' t a cure - in some life stages, ticks can survive a trip through both the washer and dryer ) keep pet and human sleeping areas separate don ' t stack wood against your house use an insect repellent with deet when you go outdoors in the summer, or before handling tick - infested pets if you suspect you have a tick infestation in your home, have it professionally fumigated trim back thick vegetation around your home, and drain standing water ( ticks can go weeks without feeding on blood, but need regular drinks of water ) don


stealth submarines. powerful aircraft carriers. the most imposing vessels in america ’ s navy rely on small - scale nuclear reactors to provide everything from basic propulsion to power generation. but they also depend upon an essential human element – skilled nuclear technicians, power plant operators and subsystems specialists. these highly trained, hands - on professionals perform the complex technical functions that are at the core of sub and carrier capabilities. in the nuclear operations area, you ’ ll have the opportunity to undergo training that ’ s among the most advanced the navy has to offer. not to mention the chance to work with and among some of the brightest technical professionals in the nuclear, technology and engineering fields. such are the challenges and rewards that go with being associated with one of the world ’ s top nuclear programs. as a member of the navy nuclear community, you ’ ll operate, control and maintain the state - of - the - art components that power navy aircraft carriers and submarines. that could involve doing anything from operating nuclear propulsion plant machinery to controlling auxiliary equipment that supports naval reactors to maintaining the electronic equipment used to send and receive messages, detect enemy planes and ships and determine target distance. you may also : - stand watch on generators, switchboards, control equipment and electrical equipment - repair gas turbine engines - control steam generators - operate pumps, turning gear, air compressors, air dehydrators, and engineering and control systems - inspect and maintain ship alarm systems a college degree is not required to become an enlisted member of the highly respected navy nuclear community, but an aptitude for math, science and problem solving is key – as is the ability to think fast, retain complex knowledge and work under pressure. responsibilities in the navy nuclear operations area depend upon the job rating or specialty you are in. machinist ' s mates ( mm ) operate and maintain steam turbines and reduction gears used for ship propulsion and auxiliary machinery such as turbogenerators, pumps and oil purifiers. they also maintain auxiliary machinery outside of main machinery spaces, such as electrohydraulic steering engines and elevators, refrigeration plants, air conditioning systems and desalinization plants. they may also operate and maintain compressed gas producing plants. nuclear - trained mms perform duties in nuclear propulsion plants operating reactor control, propulsion and power generation systems. electrician ' s mates ( em ) are responsible for the operation of a ship ' s electrical power generation systems, lighting systems, electrical equipment and electrical appliances. the duties include installation, operation, adjustment, routine maintenance, inspection, test and repair of


electrician ' s mates ( em ) are responsible for the operation of a ship ' s electrical power generation systems, lighting systems, electrical equipment and electrical appliances. the duties include installation, operation, adjustment, routine maintenance, inspection, test and repair of electrical equipment. em ' s also perform maintenance and repair of related electronic equipment. nuclear - trained ems perform duties in nuclear propulsion plants operating reactor control, propulsion and power generation systems. electronics technicians ( et ) are responsible for electronic equipment used to send and receive messages, computer information systems, long range radar, and calibration of test equipment. they maintain, repair, calibrate, tune, and adjust electronic equipment used for communications, detection and tracking, recognition and identification and navigation. nuclear - trained ets perform duties in nuclear propulsion plants operating reactor control, propulsion and power generation systems. beyond being capable of general duties, each of these specialized ratings requires additional “ a ” school training to earn required qualification in the nuclear field ( nf ). as an enlisted sailor working in nuclear operations, you ’ ll have the opportunity to work at sea or onshore. your assignment could place you aboard a nuclear - powered submarine or on board nuclear - powered aircraft carriers. whatever your specific responsibilities, you ' ll be operating, controlling and maintaining shipboard nuclear propulsion plants. working closely with industry - leading technology and highly specialized personnel in an intense, fast - paced environment with little room for error. training and advancement to work in navy nuclear operations, you will receive some of the most advanced job training the military has to offer. after your initial recruit training, you will report to “ a ” school for technical training that ' s based on your specific job rating, and then move on to acquire advanced nuclear training. navy nuclear field ( nf ) program to become a nuclear - trained mm, em or et qualified in the nuclear field ( nf ), you must complete : - “ a ” school requirements associated with your rating - training requirements at naval nuclear power school ( nnps ) - training requirements at nuclear power training unit ( nptu ) “ a ” school for mms – the three - month machinist ’ s mate ( mm ) course in charleston, sc, provides you with a basic knowledge of technical mathematics and a basic understanding of the theory and operation of a steam power plant. you will learn to operate tools, test equipment, and system components, read blueprints, practice rigging techniques, and perform maintenance procedures such as packing a valve or aligning a pump coupling. from


theory and operation of a steam power plant. you will learn to operate tools, test equipment, and system components, read blueprints, practice rigging techniques, and perform maintenance procedures such as packing a valve or aligning a pump coupling. from there, it ’ s on to nnps and nptu ( see description below ). “ a ” school for ems – the six - month electrician ’ s mate ( em ) course in charleston, sc, provides you with a basic knowledge of technical mathematics and a basic understanding of power distribution. you will solve basic equations using phasors, vector notations and basic trigonometry and analyze dc and ac circuits. you ’ ll have the opportunity to demonstrate working knowledge of dc and ac motors and generators. in addition, you will learn how to operate electrical equipment using controllers, and how to properly test, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair electrical circuits, motors, cables, circuit breakers, and other related electrical equipment for power distribution. from there, it ’ s on to nnps and nptu ( see description below ). “ a ” school for ets – the six - month electronics technician ( et ) course in charleston, sc, provides you with a basic knowledge of technical mathematics and a good working knowledge of electricity and electronics, solid - state devices, digital logic and systems, microprocessors, and instrumentation and control circuits. you will learn how to interpret schematic diagrams and use appropriate test equipment to isolate and correct faults in electronic systems. from there, it ’ s on to nnps and nptu ( see description below ). naval nuclear power school ( nnps ) – upon completion of “ a ” school training, mms, ems and ets then attend naval nuclear power school ( nnps ) in charleston, sc. here, you will learn theory and practical application of nuclear physics and reactor engineering. the six - month course will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of a pressurized - water naval nuclear power plant, including reactor core nuclear principles, heat transfer and fluid systems, plant chemistry and materials, mechanical and electrical systems, and radiological control. nuclear power training unit ( nptu ) – following nnps, mms, ems and ets begin prototype training in their rating specialty at one of two nuclear power training units ( nptus ) – located in charleston, sc, or ballston spa, ny. this six - month course will provide you the knowledge of the fundamentals of a naval nuclear power plant and


their rating specialty at one of two nuclear power training units ( nptus ) – located in charleston, sc, or ballston spa, ny. this six - month course will provide you the knowledge of the fundamentals of a naval nuclear power plant and the interrelationship of its mechanical, electrical, and reactor subsystems. here, you will develop oral communications skills, as well as obtain an understanding of the physical nature of nuclear radiation, its detection, interaction with matter and human health consequences, and gain knowledge of the safe operation of a complex naval nuclear power plant and its sophisticated subsystems with an emphasis on basic industrial safety principles. in addition, you will learn to identify, troubleshoot, and correct problems in nuclear mechanical, electrical, or reactor control systems at the component level with an emphasis on reactor systems, and apply earlier technical classroom knowledge gained to the practical, safe operation of naval nuclear power plants. the educational opportunities available to nuclear - and submarine - trained enlisted sailors range from college - level classes in physics, chemistry, mathematics, electrical engineering, circuit theory, systems maintenance, communications and thermodynamics to nuclear engineering training in nuclear power plant design, construction, instrumentation and operations. the american council on education ( ace ) has verified the extensive nature and unsurpassed quality of the navy ’ s nuclear propulsion training program by recommending up to 77 semester hours of college credit. upon selection for nuclear and / or submarine training, you will enter the navy in paygrade e - 3. if you complete all advancement - in - rate requirements, you may advance to paygrade e - 4. enlistment and reenlistment bonuses in addition to navy salary, special duty assignment pay, and allowances for food and housing are also available. if you volunteer and are selected to serve on nuclear submarines, you are eligible for added submarine duty incentive pay from the day you graduate from nuclear training. you are required to be a u. s. citizen and less than 25 years old at the time of your enlistment. you must be a high school graduate with a diploma and with successful completion of one year of algebra, and able to meet security clearance requirements. after the navy your knowledge of traditional and nuclear power will be an asset in high demand, whether with america ’ s navy or the civilian sector. your advanced understanding of the operation and maintenance of sophisticated electronics will put you at the top of any civilian job candidate list. your experience, ability to work under pressure and advanced skill level will lead to opportunities to work closely with specialists in


netwellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. netwellness is commercial - free and does not accept advertising. thursday, may 23, 2013 injury prevention and safety which color bruise is considered to be the worst? health professionals used to rely on bruise color to estimate how recently an injury occurred. however, it is well known now that bruise color is not at all a reliable measure of how bad a bruise is or when the injury occurred. large bruises over the abdomen and pelvis that may signal that serious damage has been done to the organs underlying the bruise. the bruise itself is deceptive because you can ' t see the underlying damage that is far more serious than the visible discoloration. this can be deadly, especially if organs rich in blood supply such as the liver and spleen are damaged and the person bleeds to death internally. of course, bruises over the bone can mean that a hemorrhage occurs under the bony covering called the periosteum and also may lead to a fracture of the bone underneath. these are certainly painful but do not lead to death very often. they can look worse because of the impact of the blood vessels onto the bone as compared to soft tissue bruising over the abdomen. bruises around the eyes and ears can damage vision and hearing if the force of the injury was significant. the bottom line is that color is not what is so important. it is much more important what the force of the injury was and what parts of the body are underneath the force of the injury. i hope this answers your question. mary m gottesman, phd, rn, cpnp, faan professor of clinical nursing college of nursing the ohio state university


webmd medical news brunilda nazario, md jan. 25, 2012 - - working 11 - hour days may seem the norm in this economy, but regularly logging long hours can more than double a worker ’ s risk of depression. people who routinely put in more than 11 - hour days more than double their chances of major depression, compared to employees who typically work about eight hours a day, a new study suggests. long workdays take a physical toll on the body, but there ' s been mixed evidence of their effects on the brain. and little is known about the link between long work hours and depression. this research looked at more than 2, 000 british civil servants who had no mental health problems when the study began in 1991, and whose average age was 47. about six years later, 66 cases of major depression were found in the workers after they received mental health screenings. men and women who worked more than 11 - hour days had a more than twofold increased risk of depression, compared to public employees who spent less than eight hours at the office. the civil servants who were more likely to become depressed were typically younger females in lower job grades who used alcohol moderately and also had a chronic disease. the research appears in the online journal plos one. a variety of genetic, physical, and emotional factors can make a person vulnerable to depression. at the workplace, the prolonged stress felt by people with long hours is one of the contributing factors to depression. " long working hours are likely to be related to less time to relax and less sleep, " says study researcher marianna virtanen, phd. she is a team leader of the work and mental health team at the finnish institute of occupational health in helsinki. " it is also possible that excessive working hours result in problems with close relationships, which in turn, may trigger depression, " virtanen says. the current economic climate has millions of people working extremely long hours - - or holding two or three jobs just to make ends meet. many of us are working too much. so how can you tell if all those hours are affecting your mood? some warning signs for depression include trouble sleeping, feeling stressed, being irritable and dissatisfied, or lacking pleasure in those things that usually make you happy. you may also make more mistakes on the job, or have trouble getting organized or concentrating. workaholics are not immune to depression, but virtanen suspects it might take them longer to develop depression because they probably find their jobs more rewarding than people who may be


mistakes on the job, or have trouble getting organized or concentrating. workaholics are not immune to depression, but virtanen suspects it might take them longer to develop depression because they probably find their jobs more rewarding than people who may be forced to put in longer hours. although this research was done in the 1990s, these days technology tethers us even closer to our jobs. " work is no longer so much tied to time and place, " virtanen says. " this may make some people feel highly attached to their work tasks outside of their usual working hours. " although the study only looked at public employees in white - collar jobs, it ' s unclear if similar results would be found in blue - collar or private - sector workers. of course, working long hours is not the only reason people become depressed, but the study raises awareness that it can play a role, says randy auerbach, phd, who researches depression at mclean hospital in belmont, mass. auerbach said the number of cases of depression found were reasonable for this population, and that the researchers did a good job accounting for other factors that may contribute to depression, such as economic status, alcohol use, social support, and gender. the reality is that employees are often driven to work more to hold on to the job and income they have. if it doesn ' t seem feasible to cut back on your hours, auerbach says, then ask yourself, " what can i do to put my mental and physical well - being first? " longer work hours could result in less time with your loved ones and less time to invest in your self - care. sleep often slides, as do plans to exercise and eat healthy foods. time with family and friends may take a back seat. yet these are many of the healthy ways that buffer against stress and let people blow off steam. " it ' s important to have periods with less pressure at work and shorter hours, " virtanen says. her other tips for work - life balance include making a distinction between work and leisure, not skipping your vacation time, and taking care of your health, especially sleep and exercise. sources : virtanen, m. plos one, published online jan. 25, 2012. marianna virtanen, phd, team leader, work and mental health team, finnish institute of occupational health, helsinki, finland. randy auerbach, phd, instructor, department of psychiatry, harvard medical school, boston. the health news section does not provide medical advice, diagnosis


zen, japan and the art of democracy foreign observers have long been baffled by japan ’ s self - discipline in the face of multiple disaster western europe has experienced only one " killer " earthquake of similar magnitude to the one that struck japan on 11 march 2011. even so, the lisbon earthquake of 1755, also followed by a tsunami and fire, caused a profound though arguably short - lived crisis in western thought. the indiscriminate loss of life challenged both christian beliefs in god ' s benevolence and omnipotence and the enlightenment ' s new, humanist conception of a well - ordered universe ( the german philosopher gottfried leibniz ' s " best of all possible worlds " ) with man as its rational and progressive centre. leading intellectuals such as voltaire put god and nature on trial and found both guilty. believers in the wrathful old testament god argued, however, that the disaster was divine punishment for the sins of lisbon. at which voltaire thundered : " was lisbon more sinful than london or paris? " rousseau wrote a letter to voltaire in response, chiding him for his insults - not to god but to nature. if people had dispersed themselves throughout the natural world rather than being pent up in a crowded city, there would not have been so many deaths. the descendants of rousseau can be found among those environmentalists who see the recent catastrophe in japan as nature ' s revenge for the country ' s whaling. the lisbon earthquake was a one - off in european history. memories of it faded. god was soon back in heaven and all was right with the world. one can only imagine the effect on european thought and culture if such events had become a regular occurrence over the past two and a half centuries, as they have been in japan. since 1755, japan has experienced as many as two dozen major earthquakes, as well as countless smaller ones, reminding the people of the ever - present danger beneath their feet. but, as foreign observers always remark, the japanese accept these catastrophes with an uncomplaining stoicism and self - discipline, and without the slightest hint of theological or humanistic crisis. to understand why, we must first look at the two major religious traditions of japan, shinto and buddhism. modern shinto descends from the animistic beliefs of the ancient japanese, whose myths make clear that, like the pre - christian romans, they did not expect their gods to be unfailingly just or benevolent. the storm god in particular, susano - o ( whose name


the flow of the river is ceaseless and its water is never the same. the bubbles that float in the pools, now vanishing, now forming, are not of long duration : so in the world are man and his dwellings. " echoes of heraclitus. this sense of life as transient and fragile was elaborated into a more formal philosophy by dogen ( 1200 - 53 ), the thomas aquinas of zen buddhism. dogen ' s philosophy is one of impermanence and emptiness, or non - essentialism : it is not only nature that has no fixed or permanent identity ; neither does man. " the thought of enlightenment... is the mind which sees into impermanence. " or, more poetically : to what shall i liken the world? shaken from a crane ' s bill. impermanence ( mujo ) became a central theme of japanese art and literature and has permeated every other realm of the culture. it may seem paradoxical that, for all nature ' s savagery throughout their history, the japanese have devoted so much of their literature and art to extolling its beauty. how can one love a cruel, pitiless, indifferent nature that produces earthquakes and tsunamis? the haiku poet matsuo basho ' s answer to this conundrum comes from zen : if nature offends your ego, then transcend your ego by becoming one with nature. basho ' s life was full of loss and sorrow, but he turned to nature to transform, or " refine ", that sorrow into what he called sabi ( literally a sense of loneliness ). this was an impersonal, ego - less state of oneness with nature and detachment from the self. for basho, poetic practice was an exercise in self - abnegation, rather like what john keats called " negative capability ". as keats wrote : " with a great poet, the sense of beauty overcomes every other consideration, or rather obliterates all consideration. " the haiku poet " empties " himself to experience nature as it is, unfiltered through the human ego. in the work of an english nature poet such as wordsworth, poet and nature are equally present ( in " daffodils ", he refers to himself eight times in 24 lines ). in the best of basho, the poet vanishes and only nature remains : pierce through rock. the japanese political response to disasters or unexpected national emergencies has been less inspiring. since


manifestations of mu - incapable of taking a strong stand or any kind of independent action. fifteen prime ministers have served the emperor akihito, who is now in the 23rd year of his reign. this is a less salutary form of mujo, or impermanence, and not one that inspires in the japanese public much confidence in their leaders. in the enigma of japanese power ( 1989 ), the dutch journalist karel van wolferen describes japan as a " stateless nation ", controlled by a faceless, unaccountable, oligarchic elite from behind the scenes. little has changed in the past 20 years. in ikiru ( 1952 ), akira kurosawa ' s film satirising bureaucracy, housewives in a poor neighbourhood of tokyo petition city hall to turn a mosquito - infested swamp into a playground. holding their children, the women are sent from one government department to another, in a dizzying round of bureaucratic buck - passing. after finally being sent back to where they started, they explode in anger : " you ' re making a mockery of democracy! " japan ' s postwar democracy was still in its infancy and kurosawa was trying to instruct his countrymen in a new way of thinking : that governments exist to serve their people. looking at the political establishment ' s sluggish response to crisis 60 years later, one might doubt whether they ever took the lesson to heart. two weeks after the catastrophe of 11 march, doctors in miyagi prefecture in north - eastern japan were complaining to the media that they and their patients were surviving on two balls of rice a day. the press was full of stories of citizens who had loaded their cars with noodles, rice or even restaurant food and had driven hundreds of kilometres to distribute these to victims throughout the coastal areas. they were able to do so because the roads were not clogged, as one might have expected, with military convoys distributing food and medicine and evacuating the wounded. trappings of modernity where was the government? the disaster had affected only a small part of the country ; surely a more efficient distribution of food could have been possible, given the immense resources at japan ' s command? many had asked the same question after the kobe earthquake - and that was not in an isolated region like tohoku, but in a major city in central japan. at that time, kobe ' s infamous yakuza gained considerable public esteem by distributing food to the needy and homeless far more efficiently than the state


that was not in an isolated region like tohoku, but in a major city in central japan. at that time, kobe ' s infamous yakuza gained considerable public esteem by distributing food to the needy and homeless far more efficiently than the state was willing or able to do. despite its modern, democratic trappings, the japanese government does not seem to understand that it is a public service. people exist to serve the state, not the other way around. in the more psychologically powerful, symbolic terms preferred by the conservative establishment, the state is identified with the emperor. as the wartime slogan put it : " one hundred million lives for the emperor! " as recently as 2000, yoshiro mori, the then prime minister, assured his audience at a meeting with pro - shinto politicians, " japan is a divine land centred on the emperor " - abrogating the postwar constitution at a single stroke. similarly, after the tohoku catastrophe, the governor of tokyo, shintaro ishihara, caused outrage by declaring that the earthquake was " divine punishment " for japan ' s present - day materialism. to which one might respond : isn ' t tokyo a lot more materialistic than tohoku, one of the poorest regions of japan? the present constitution, enacted on 3 may 1947, stipulates that the people are sovereign, not the emperor, as in the 1889 meiji constitution. but many conservatives, it seems, still prefer the meiji version. as mori ' s remarks made clear, they feel nostalgia for the pre - war kokutai ( national polity ), which combined politics with shinto. again, such sentiments contravene the postwar separation of religion and state. to many right - wingers, the 1947 constitution is tainted because it was enforced by the allied ( mostly american ) occupation authorities following japan ' s defeat in the second world war. it is perceived as " un - japanese " and as an attempt to impose values that are alien to the country ' s culture and politics. as the writer yukio mishima once remarked, the emperor is the political establishment ' s " joker ", or trump card, to play when the chips are down. this trump card has long enabled the far right to cloak itself in the sanctified aura of " imperial tradition " and also enabled the establishment to escape the self - inflicted debacle of the second world war almost miraculously intact, except for the token offering of a few sacrificial victims to the international military tribunal for the far east


" imperial tradition " and also enabled the establishment to escape the self - inflicted debacle of the second world war almost miraculously intact, except for the token offering of a few sacrificial victims to the international military tribunal for the far east in 1946 - 48. this was in contrast to japan ' s fascist allies in europe, where the fall of hitler and mussolini forced a credible break with the older political systems in germany and italy. sure enough, now that the chips are down, the emperor has been despatched to visit earthquake victims, gracing his subjects with the divinity that " doth hedge a king ". the people have welcomed his visits gratefully - but not so much those of the prime minister. when naoto kan visited the earthquake area three weeks after the event, one homeless 72 - year - old woman seemed underwhelmed. " i don ' t expect anything from the government, " she said. kan came into office in 2010 vowing to replace back - room rule by bureaucrats with a newly decisive politics. if the march earthquake was his first great test, however, one can hardly say that he has impressed. kan survived a no - confidence vote on 2 june by promising to resign in the near future ; by late june the opposition parties were demanding a firm date for his departure and, in protest at his tenure, delaying the implementation of a special budget for post - earthquake reconstruction. victims have expressed outrage that crucial work has been delayed even further because of these familiar factional squabbles. revolutions in japan have never originated with the people. they, too, have been imposed from above after power struggles among the ruling elite ( the so - called meiji restoration of 1868 is a good example ). the japanese are a profoundly conservative people, and for understandable reasons. if the ground beneath one ' s feet has a habit of shaking, cracking and convulsing, one would hope for social and political stability, at least. grumbling will follow the rumblings, but the shaky foundations of the state are likely to remain standing, however precariously. japan today desperately needs that leader who prince shotoku said appears only once a millennium - if not a shotoku, at least a sebastiao jose de carvalho e melo, prime minister of portugal at the time of the great lisbon earthquake, who, when asked by panicking officials what they should do, answered : " feed the living and bury the dead. " roy starrs teaches japanese studies at the university of


jared diamond, traditional societies and myths of the future civilisation ’ s gains and losses. the world until yesterday : what can we learn from traditional societies? allen lane, 512pp, £20 from the standpoint of anthropology, a distinguished practitioner of the discipline once told me, modernity is an unnecessary concept. it was a striking observation. the idea that modern human beings are vastly different from those who came before is central to the way that many people now think of themselves and, for most of them, it seems obvious that being modern is an unmixed blessing. economists and some historians tell impressive - sounding stories of how humankind has struggled to leave behind the darkness and misery of pre - modern times to achieve its present level of wellbeing and enlightenment, while “ modernisation ” has been the rallying cry of generations of politicians. to be sure, the meaning of modernisation has changed over time. if practically the entire political class today understands being modern to mean that society must adapt itself to the market, many were equally convinced until only a few decades ago that no society could be truly modern until market forces had been replaced by collective planning. again, nowadays everyone equates being modern with acceptance of democracy and liberal values ; but during the interwar years fascism was perceived as a thoroughly modern movement. everybody celebrates modernisation and understands it as the passage to a better world but ideas of what it means to be modern are like the advertisements you watch on television – quickly dated and soon forgotten. “ ‘ modern ’ conditions have prevailed, even just locally, for a tiny fraction of human history, ” writes jared diamond. “ all human societies have been traditional for far longer than any society has been modern. ” diamond begins his inquiry with the wise observation that no society is fully modern. “ billions of people around the world today still live in traditional ways, ” he writes, and traditional ways of life persist within the most modern societies. in the montana valley where diamond and his family spend their summer holidays, he tells us, “ many disputes are still resolved by informal social mechanisms rather than by going to court. ” many europeans who grew up in the 1950s had childhoods not unlike those diamond has studied in traditional new guinea villages : “ everyone knew what everyone else was doing and expressed their opinions about it, people married spouses born only a mile or two distant, people spent their entire lives in or near the village except for young men away during the world war years and disputes within the village had to be settled in a way that restored relationships or


it, people married spouses born only a mile or two distant, people spent their entire lives in or near the village except for young men away during the world war years and disputes within the village had to be settled in a way that restored relationships or made them tolerable, because you were going to be living near that person for the rest of your life. ” when a society becomes modern, older ways of living don ’ t altogether vanish. “ the world of yesterday wasn ’ t erased and replaced by a new world of today : much of yesterday is still with us. ” modernity isn ’ t, for diamond, a condition that should triumph completely but this is not because he romanticises traditional ways of living. much of the world until yesterday is an account of the drawbacks of life in traditional societies, some of it deriving from the author ’ s experience during periods of fieldwork. he describes vividly how on one of his first trips, when he spent a month with a group of new guineans studying birds on a forest - covered mountain, his companions became agitated and refused to sleep in a beautiful valley where he had selected a place to set up camp at the base of a giant tree. the campsite was dangerous, the new guineans explained, because the tree was dead and might fall over and kill them all. after a number of other incidents, including one in which he nearly drowned, diamond came to see their response as an example of what he calls “ constructive paranoia ” – a sense of danger that comes with living in environments that are chronically unsafe for humans. rightly, diamond thinks that we may have something to learn from this attitude ; but he underscores clearly how it is a response to living in a world that, in some important respects, is more insecure than the one that has been built in modern times. without modern medicine, accidents are more easily fatal or permanently disabling – and there is no place in traditional cultures for the severely impaired. as diamond notes : “ some traditional societies, especially nomadic ones or those in harsh environments, are forced to neglect, abandon or kill their elderly. ” the paranoia he describes has another source in how, in traditional communities, encounters with strangers are infused with peril. when new guinean highlanders had their first sight of a european in 1933, they wept in terror. reflecting this horror of outsiders, their relations with other tribal groups were governed by more or less continuous warfare. these are not the innocent primitives of rousseauesque mythology but nor are


their first sight of a european in 1933, they wept in terror. reflecting this horror of outsiders, their relations with other tribal groups were governed by more or less continuous warfare. these are not the innocent primitives of rousseauesque mythology but nor are they the bloodthirsty savages of victorian imperialist folklore. living as everyone lived until around 11, 000 years ago, they are human beings in many ways like ourselves. when a 50 - year - old yahi indian from northern california gave up his huntergatherer life to live in san francisco, diamond tells us, he was deeply impressed by matches and glue, thinking them the most admirable modern inventions ( later he became attached to running water, flushing lavatories and railway trains, among other amenities ). the yahi admired these modern inventions for the same reason europeans invented them : they add to the ease and enjoyment of life. for diamond, the modern world is a patchwork of such inventions but their overall impact on human well - being has been complex and mixed. the domestication of plants and animals, the emergence of large human settlements along with formal systems of justice, the expansion of states, the spread of literacy, cumulative innovation in science and technology – these are some of the developments that together produced the way we live today. along with their undoubted benefits, modern societies have their distinctive disorders, including the epidemic spread of diseases such as diabetes and hypertension that are unknown in traditional societies, unremitting time - scarcity and the cultural and cognitive losses that go with vanishing languages ( one of the remaining 7, 000 languages that are still extant disappears every nine days, diamond tells us ). as he sees it, modernity is not a unique transition that some societies have experienced at various times during the past few centuries ; it is an ongoing process whose upshot is uncertain and insecure. the fragility of civilisation is a theme that runs through much of diamond ’ s work. his bestselling books guns, germs and steel ( 1997 ) and collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed ( 2005 ) have given him the reputation of being something of a doommonger. this is only to be expected, since diamond points to an undeniable but unwelcome truth. modern societies are no more immune from environmental collapse than the many that have disappeared in the past – having become so closely interconnected, they are in some ways more at risk. yet diamond ’ s work is about much more than the vulnera


. modern societies are no more immune from environmental collapse than the many that have disappeared in the past – having become so closely interconnected, they are in some ways more at risk. yet diamond ’ s work is about much more than the vulnerabilities of advanced societies and it would be more accurate to describe him as inquiring into the environmental conditions that shape human communities. one way or another, most theories of human development privilege the kind of society in which the theorist lives. where 19th - century racial theories posited the biological superiority of europeans, the triumphal celebrations of unending economic advance that filled the airport bookstalls in the 1990s invoked the cultural superiority of american individualism – something of which we hear rather less now that the financial crisis has shown reckless debt rather than bourgeois virtue to be the chief source of america ’ s apparent economic outperformance in recent times. diamond ’ s divergence from such ways of thinking is bracing and deeply instructive. arguing that, “ the explanation for the differences in types of societies existing in the modern world depends on environmental differences, ” he suggests that human groups in the relatively few regions of the world with plants and animals suitable for domestication had a major advantage over others. food surpluses led to population growth, which in turn led to political centralisation and social stratification, the growth of cities and the rise of industrial production. rather than any built - in biological or cultural advantage, it was this environmental head start that eventually produced the modern societies we know today. diamond is one of our most consistently illuminating thinkers and the world until yesterday is a compelling account of the gains and losses that go with modern living. but if diamond is impressive in deconstructing simple - minded ideas about what it means to be modern, he does not explain why modernisation has become such a powerful myth. recent history is littered with vast political experiments aiming to impose models of modernisation on refractory societies, often incurring huge human costs. not only in russia and china in the communist era but also in many emerging countries, millions of lives have been lost or ruined by the imposition of crudely schematic plans of development. if nazism is included as a modernist ideology aiming to remake the world on a hideous new model, probably more human beings were killed in the 20th century for the sake of a vision of the future than for any other single reason. at this point, the scales tilt against modern societies. traditional cultures may live in a state of continuous warfare with each other


probably more human beings were killed in the 20th century for the sake of a vision of the future than for any other single reason. at this point, the scales tilt against modern societies. traditional cultures may live in a state of continuous warfare with each other, while genocide is not unknown. no traditional people has attacked and murdered its own members on anything like the scale perpetrated by some modern states. no doubt one reason for this is that traditional societies lack a state apparatus, one of the preconditions of industrial - style killing. yet there may be a more fundamental reason why traditional peoples do not engage in large - scale slaughter of their own members. partly because of their non - linear, cyclical understanding of time, traditional cultures lack the idea that a new world can be brought into being by human action. to sacrifice the present generation of human beings for a hypothetical future would be literally inconceivable to them. traditional cultures have many disadvantages but it is silly to think of them as being simply backward when the belief that we are forever on the brink of a new world has led to so many disasters. think of the experiment in financial deregulation that resulted, only a few years later, in an unprecedented bust in the global banking system. undoubtedly, part of the pressure for deregulation came from selfinterest – if anyone has benefited, it is surely bankers and those with substantial financial assets. yet the experiment could not have been attempted if an ideology that envisioned the future in terms of a self - regulating global market had not been widely promoted and accepted by mainstream politicians. we had entered a “ great moderation ”, we were assured, in which the buffering institutions of earlier times – a welfare state, full employment policies – were obsolete. the results of chasing this fantasy can be seen all around us. as much as the inventions that diamond describes, it is myths of the future that have come to drive modern life. the self - regulating market was only the latest version of a dream in which the cycles of history have been left behind. if we ’ d retained some of the constructive paranoia of traditional cultures, we might still not have been able to prevent the neoliberal experiment ; but we would have been better prepared for the fiasco that has ensued. john gray is the new statesman ’ s lead book reviewer. his next book, “ the silence of animals : on progress and other modern myths ”, will be published by allen lane in february more from new statesman - online writers : - steven baxter - rowe


geneva conventions ( 1949 ) the geneva conventions consist of four treaties formulated in geneva, switzerland, that set the standards for international law for humanitarian concerns. they chiefly concern the treatment of non - combatants and prisoners of war. they do not affect the use of weapons in war, which are covered by the hague conventions of 1899 and 1907 and the geneva protocol on the use of gas and biological weapons of 1925. they were founded by two young men — henry dunant, founder of the red cross movement and gustave moynier, a co - founder — who cordially loathed each other. the role of the red cross and red crescent, a voluntary humanitarian organization as a non - state actor in monitoring the treatment of prisoners of war, and the conduct of war according to international law, is an example of how civil society, because it is sometimes more neutral than states, can play a pivotal part in helping to create a better, more humane world. the conventions were the results of efforts by henry dunant, who was motivated by the horrors of war he witnessed at the battle of solferino in 1859. the adoption of the first convention followed the foundation of the international committee of the red cross whose founder, henry dunant, initiated international negotiations that produced the convention for the amelioration of the wounded in time of war in 1864. because some belligerents in world war ii had abused the principles contained in earlier conventions, an international red cross conference in stockholm in 1948 extended and codified the existing provisions. the conference developed four conventions, which were approved in geneva on august 12, 1949. in the decades following world war ii, the large number of anticolonial and insurrectionary wars threatened to render the geneva conventions obsolete. after four years of red cross - sponsored negotiations, two additional protocols to the 1949 conventions, covering both combatants and civilians, were approved in 1977. as per article 49, 50, 129 and 146 of the geneva conventions i, ii, iii and iv, respectively, all signatory states are required to enact sufficient national laws that make grave violations of the geneva conventions a punishable criminal offense, this is what created the international criminal court. more than 180 states have become parties to the 1949 conventions. approximately 150 states are party to protocol i ; more than 145 states are party to protocol ii, though the united states is not. in addition, more than 50 states have made declarations accepting the competence of international fact - finding commissions to investigate allegations of grave breaches or other serious violations of the conventions or of protocol


are party to protocol ii, though the united states is not. in addition, more than 50 states have made declarations accepting the competence of international fact - finding commissions to investigate allegations of grave breaches or other serious violations of the conventions or of protocol i. the conventions and their agreements - first geneva convention " for the amelioration of the condition of the wounded and sick in armed forces in the field " ( first adopted in 1864, last revision in 1949 ) - second geneva convention " for the amelioration of the condition of wounded, sick and shipwrecked members of armed forces at sea " ( first adopted in 1949, successor of the 1907 hague convention x ) - third geneva convention " relative to the treatment of prisoners of war " ( first adopted in 1929, last revision in 1949 ) - fourth geneva convention " relative to the protection of civilian persons in time of war " ( first adopted in 1949, based on parts of the 1907 hague convention iv ) in addition, there are three additional amendment protocols to the geneva convention : - protocol i ( 1977 ) : protocol additional to the geneva conventions of august 12, 1949, and relating to the protection of victims of international armed conflicts. as of january 12, 2007, it had been ratified by 167 countries. - protocol ii ( 1977 ) : protocol additional to the geneva conventions of august 12, 1949, and relating to the protection of victims of non - international armed conflicts. as of january 12, 2007, it had been ratified by 163 countries. - protocol iii ( 2005 ) : protocol additional to the geneva conventions of august 12, 1949, and relating to the adoption of an additional distinctive emblem. as of june 2007 it had been ratified by 17 countries and signed but not yet ratified by an additional 68 countries. all four conventions were last revised and ratified in 1949, based on previous revisions and partly on some of the 1907 hague conventions ; the whole set is referred to as the " geneva conventions of 1949 " or simply the " geneva conventions. " later conferences have added provisions prohibiting certain methods of warfare and addressing issues of civil wars. nearly all 200 countries of the world are " signatory " nations, in that they have ratified these conventions. clara barton was instrumental in campaigning for the ratification of the first geneva convention by the united states ; the u. s. signed in 1882. by the fourth geneva convention some 47 nations had ratified the agreements. other geneva conventions other conventions of the united nations taking place in geneva and agreements signed there have become part of international and national laws, but are not to


. s. signed in 1882. by the fourth geneva convention some 47 nations had ratified the agreements. other geneva conventions other conventions of the united nations taking place in geneva and agreements signed there have become part of international and national laws, but are not to be confused with the above - mentioned treaties though they may be referred to as " geneva conventions. " these include the convention on the territorial sea and the contiguous zone, the convention relating to the status of refugees ( 1951 ) and protocol relating to the status of refugees ( 1967 ), and others. extent of provisions war on terror the war against terror following the attack on the twin towers of new york ' s world trade center on september 11, 2001, has raised issues regarding the classification of prisoners. the united states classified many detainees in its facility at guantanamo bay as " illegal combatants " and argued that the terms of the geneva convention apply only to those individuals who abide by the rules of law. the icrc, which has visited the camp and also amnesty international, have argued that the detainees deserve the full protection of the geneva conventions, but the u. s. ' s position was that that only some of the provisions of the convention apply. following a ruling by the supreme court of the united states in june 2006 rejecting the use of " special tribunals " to try detainees, and called for the application of the rule of law and conformity with the geneva conventions. subsequently, the u. s. government announced that it would treat all prisoners captured during the war on terror according to the geneva conventions. on the one hand, some argue that the war on terror requires a revision of international humanitarian law to deal with changed circumstances, in which non - state actors do not follow the rules of war. on the other hand, the supreme court ' s ruling has been hailed as a vindication of the geneva convention ' s effectiveness. west bank and gaza one of the most debated issues surrounds the applicability of the geneva conventions to the west bank and gaza strip following the israeli occupation. article two states that " the convention shall also apply to all cases of partial or total occupation of the territory of a high contracting party, even if the said occupation meets with no armed resistance. " the united nations determined in 1979 that the geneva conventions do apply but this has been rejected by israel, which hold that " the fourth geneva convention is not applicable to the occupied territories. " the international court of justice has ruled that the convention does apply, which again can be interpreted as a vindication of the extent of the provisions of


rejected by israel, which hold that " the fourth geneva convention is not applicable to the occupied territories. " the international court of justice has ruled that the convention does apply, which again can be interpreted as a vindication of the extent of the provisions of the conventions. - human rights - red cross - laws of war - war crime - ↑ the text is given at the icrc website, resolutions of the geneva international conference retrieved february 7, 2008. - ↑ geneva conventions of august 12, 1949, state parties, signatories geneva conventions of august 12, 1949, parties / signatories retrieved february 7, 2008. - ↑ texts of all related documents available at the icrc, 1949 conventions and 1977 protocols retrieved february 7, 2008. - ↑ charles lane, " high court rejects detainee tribunals. " washington post, june 30, 2006, high court rejects detainee tribunals retrieved february 7, 2008. - ↑ " the question of the observance of the fourth geneva convention of 1949 in gaza and the west bank, " united nations, january 1, 1979, the question of the fourth geneva convention of 1949 in gaza and the west bank retrieved february 7, 2008. - ↑ " consider geneva pact, israel told, " bbc news, august 24, 2004, consider geneva pact, israel told retrieved february 7, 2008. - bennett, angela. 2005. the geneva convention the hidden origins of the red cross. stroud, gloucestershire : sutton. isbn 9780750941471 - diplomatic conference on the reaffirmation and development of international humanitarian law applicable in armed conflicts, and howard s. levie. protection of war victims protocol 1 to the 1949 geneva conventions. dobbs ferry, ny : oceana publications, 1979. isbn 9780379007862 - jinks, derek. 2005. the rules of war : the geneva conventions in the age of terror. new york : oxford university press. isbn 9780195183627 - levie, howard s. the law of non - international armed conflict protocol ii to the 1949 geneva conventions. scientific collection of the henry dunant institute. dordrecht : m. nijhoff, 1987. isbn 9789024734917 - roth, kenneth, minky worden, and amy d. bernstein. 2005. torture - does it make us safer? is it ever ok? : a human rights perspective. new york : new press. isbn 9781595580573 all links retrieved february 7,


about this product : this graphic shows an approximate representation of coastal areas under a hurricane warning ( red ), hurricane watch ( pink ), tropical storm warning ( blue ) and tropical storm watch ( yellow ). the orange circle indicates the current position of the center of the tropical cyclone. the black line and dots show the national hurricane center ( nhc ) forecast track of the center at the times indicated. the dot indicating the forecast center location will be black if the cyclone is forecast to be tropical and will be white with a black outline if the cyclone is forecast to be extratropical. if only an l is displayed, then the system is forecast to be a remnant low. the letter inside the dot indicates the nhc ' s forecast intensity for that time : d : tropical depression – wind speed less than 39 mph s : tropical storm – wind speed between 39 mph and 73 mph h : hurricane – wind speed between 74 mph and 110 mph m : major hurricane – wind speed greater than 110 mph nhc tropical cyclone forecast tracks can be in error. this forecast uncertainty is conveyed by the track forecast " cone ", the solid white and stippled white areas in the graphic. the solid white area depicts the track forecast uncertainty for days 1 - 3 of the forecast, while the stippled area depicts the uncertainty on days 4 - 5. historical data indicate that the entire 5 - day path of the center of the tropical cyclone will remain within the cone about 60 - 70 % of the time. to form the cone, a set of imaginary circles are placed along the forecast track at the 12, 24, 36, 48, 72, 96, and 120 h positions, where the size of each circle is set so that it encloses 67 % of the previous five years official forecast errors. the cone is then formed by smoothly connecting the area swept out by the set of circles. there is also uncertainty in the nhc intensity forecasts. the maximum 1 - minute wind speed probability table provides intensity forecast and uncertainty information. it is also important to realize that a tropical cyclone is not a point. their effects can span many hundreds of miles from the center. the area experiencing hurricane force ( one - minute average wind speeds of at least 74 mph ) and tropical storm force ( one - minute average wind speeds of 39 - 73 mph ) winds can extend well beyond the white areas shown enclosing the most likely track area of the center. the distribution of hurricane and tropical storm force winds in this tropical cyclone can be seen in the wind history graphic linked above.


these are additional global health resources, and inclusion of the resources on this page does not imply endorsement by the nhlbi. see also partners in global health. the observatory of innovative practices for complex chronic disease management responds to the need to harness the power of information and communication technologies to support a global network of managers, researchers, health professionals, patients and caregivers interested in transforming the management of complex chronic diseases, thus facilitating continuous improvement of quality in health care, worldwide. c3 collaborating for health c3 brings together policy - makers, businesses, government, teachers, health experts, young professionals, academics and others to design ways to make it easier to be healthy, and to put these ideas into action. c3 seeks to promote 3 behaviour changes : stopping smoking, eating a better diet ( including avoiding the harmful use of alcohol ) and increasing physical activity. ncd action network ncd action and the young professionals chronic disease network ( yp - cdn ) address local and global non - communicable disease needs by building networks, campaigns, and projects that are both grassroots and globally focused. members are students and experts in their fields – including public health professionals, doctors, sociologists, anthropologists, philosophers, nutritionists, communicators, architects, and anyone else who is committed to addressing ncds. members are encouraged to share their ideas, passions, and expertise, and in doing so, help them turn their creative passion into real - world projects that have measurable impact on the local and global burden of ncds. 3four50. com is an awareness - raising and action - based online social network aimed at preventing chronic diseases. the name represents the oxford health alliance ' s key message : three risk factors, tobacco use, poor diet, and lack of physical activity, contribute to four chronic diseases : heart disease, type 2 diabetes, lung disease, and some cancers — which, in turn, contribute to more than 50 percent of deaths in the world. however, by addressing the risk factors, many of these deaths could be prevented. community interventions for health ( cih ) oxford health alliance ' s cih initiative acts upon the urgent need to design, implement, and assess cost - effective, comprehensive interventions for three risk factors for chronic diseases ( poor diet, tobacco use, lack of physical activity ), adaptable to different cultures and communities. the research is unique in its scale and scope — the interventions will be tracked across multiple countries and multiple settings : schools, health - care centers, work places, and local communities.


lack of physical activity ), adaptable to different cultures and communities. the research is unique in its scale and scope — the interventions will be tracked across multiple countries and multiple settings : schools, health - care centers, work places, and local communities. global development network ( gdn ) the gdn is an international organization that works with developing country researchers and policy research institutes to support the generation and sharing of world - class, policy - relevant research on development. institute of medicine, preventing the global epidemic of cardiovascular disease : meeting the challenges in developing countries the institute of medicine is convening an ad hoc committee to study the evolving global epidemic of cardiovascular disease and will offer conclusions and recommendations pertinent to its control and to a range of public and private sector entities involved with global health and development. procor is a global network promoting cardiovascular health in developing countries and other low - resource settings. procor is a program of the lown cardiovascular research foundation, a tax - exempt, nonprofit organization, based in brookline, massachusetts, usa. - 2008 - 2013 action plan for the global strategy for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases. world health organization, geneva, 2008. ( pdf ) * - disease control priorities in developing countries, second edition. jamison dt, breman jg, measham ar, et al, eds. oxford university press and the world bank, washington, d. c., 2006. - preventing chronic diseases : a vital investment. who global report, world health organization, geneva, 2005. - public policy and the challenge of chronic noncommunicable diseases. adeyi o, smith o, robles s. the world bank, washington, d. c., 2007. ( pdf ) * * pdf files require adobe acrobat. nabel eg, stevens s, smith r. combating chronic disease in developing countries — partners in progress. lancet, 2009. - daar as, singer pa, persad dl, pramming sk, matthews dr, beaglehole r, bernstein a, borysiewicz lk, colagiuri s, ganguly n, glass ri, finegood dt, koplan j, nabel eg, sarna g, sarrafzadegan n, smith r, yach d, bell j. grand challenges in chronic noncommunicable diseases. nature. nov 22 : 450 : 494 - 6, 2007. - abegunde d, mathers


sarrafzadegan n, smith r, yach d, bell j. grand challenges in chronic noncommunicable diseases. nature. nov 22 : 450 : 494 - 6, 2007. - abegunde d, mathers cd, adam t, ortegon m, strong k. the burden and costs of chronic diseases in low - income and middle - income countries. lancet 370 : 1929 - 38, 2007 asaria p, chisholm d, mathers c, ezzati m, beaglehole r. chronic disease prevention : health effects and financial costs of strategies to reduce salt intake and control tobacco use. lancet 370 : 2044 - 53, 2007. - beaglehole r, ebrahim s, reddy s, voute j, leeder s, on behalf of the chronic disease action group. prevention of chronic disease : a call to action. lancet 370 : 2152 - 7, 2007. gaziano t, galea g, reddy ks. scaling up interventions for chronic disease prevention : the evidence. lancet 370 : 1939 - 46, 2007. - horton r. chronic diseases : the case for urgent global action. lancet 370 : 1881 - 2, 2007. - lim ss, gaziano ta, gakidou e, reddy ks, farzadfar f, lozano r, rodgers a. prevention of cardiovascular disease in high risk individuals in low - income and middle - income countries : health effects and costs. lancet 370 : 2054 - 62, 2007. quam l, smith r, yach d. rising to the global challenge of the chronic disease epidemic. lancet 368 : 1221 - 3, 2006. - strong kl, mathers cd, leeder s, beaglehole r. preventing chronic diseases : how many lives can we save? lancet 366 : 1578 - 82, 2005. last updated : january 24, 2013


1. loopback test a loopback test can be used to troubleshoot serial communications. it can show problems in the serial port, the cable, or the software generating the messages without having to connect to third party hardware. by connecting the proper wires, a loopback test can verify the operation of serial communication. loopback tests can be used for rs - 232, rs - 422, and rs - 485 serial communication. for more information on rs - 232, rs - 422, and rs - 485 see the serial communication overview. note that not all serial devices, especially those with many connections on one card, allow hardware flow control on every serial output of the device. to perform a loopback test for rs - 232, the txd pin must be connected to the rxd pin. this allows the data to flow from the transmit to the receive pins. since the communication is differential for rs - 422 and rs - 485, the txd + connects to the rxd + and the txd - connects to the rxd - pins. a more advanced loopback test that allows hardware flow control will need more pins connected to allow the flow control signals to be properly passed. for rs - 232, the cts and rts pins must be connected along with the dtr and dsr pins. for rs - 422 and rs - 485, cts + should be connected to rts + and cts - should be connected to rts -. for more information about national instrument ’ s serial interfaces, visit ni. com / serial. de - 9 ( db9 ) connector the de - 9 connector is the most common serial connector. this connector is found on national instrument ’ s one and two port serial interfaces. figure 1 : pinout diagram for de - 9 connector to perform a loopback test with no hardware flow control, you will need to connect pins 2 and 3 for rs - 232 and pins 4 to 8 and 5 to 9 for rs - 422 / 485. these connections can be seen in red below ( figure 2 for rs - 232 and figure 3 for rs - 422 / 485 ). when using hardware flow control, you will need to connect pins 4 to 6 and 7 to 8 for rs - 232. pins 7 and 8 are used for rts / cts hardware flow control where pins 4 and 6 are used for dtr / dsr hardware flow control. for rs - 422 / 485, you will need to connect pins 2 to 3 and 6 to 7.


are used for rts / cts hardware flow control where pins 4 and 6 are used for dtr / dsr hardware flow control. for rs - 422 / 485, you will need to connect pins 2 to 3 and 6 to 7. both of these connections are required for rts / cts hardware flow control since rs - 422 / 485 have differential connections. these connections can be seen in blue below ( figure 2 for rs - 232 and figure 3 for rs - 422 / 485 ). figure 2 : rs - 232 female de - 9 plug with connections required for loopback test figure 3 : rs - 422 / 485 female de - 9 plug with connections required for loopback test this connector is not as common as the de - 9 connector. this connector can still be used to perform a loopback test with a method similar to the one used for the de - 9 connector. figure 4 : pinout diagram for db - 25 connector most of the pins on db - 25 connectors are not connected since only nine pins are used for rs - 232, rs - 422, and rs - 485 communication. to perform a loopback test with no hardware flow control with a db - 25 connector, connect pins 2 to 3 for rs - 232. for rs - 422 / 485 connect pins 5 to 20 and 7 to 22. the required connections can be seen in red on figures 5 and 6. for hardware flow control using rs - 232, pins 4 and 5 must be connected along with pins 6 and 20. when using rs - 422 / 485, pin 5 must connect to pin 20 and pin 7 must connect to pin 22. this will allow the loopback test to use the proper flow control lines. these connections can be seen in blue on figures 5 and 6. figure 5 : rs - 232 female db - 25 plug with connections required for loopback test figure 6 : rs - 422 / 485 female db - 25 plug with connections required for loopback test 10p10c ( rj50 ) connector this connector is most commonly found on national instrument ’ s 4 port serial interfaces. the national instrument 4 port serial interfaces come with 4 10p10c to de - 9 male converter cables. figure 7 : pinout diagram for rj50 connector it is not recommended to use the 10p10c connector by itself to perform a loopback test due to the small separation between pins. using a 10p10c to de - 9 connector ( part number 192190 - 01 ), a lo


it is not recommended to use the 10p10c connector by itself to perform a loopback test due to the small separation between pins. using a 10p10c to de - 9 connector ( part number 192190 - 01 ), a looback test can be performed using the methods described above. 3. performing a loopback test in hyperterminal 1. create a new connection with any name and icon. 2. select the communications port you would like to test 3. select the type of flow control you would like to use. note that xon / xoff is software flow control and will only require that the txd and rxd pins to be connected. 4. type a message using the computer ' s keyboard. any data that shows in hyperterminal is received from the device. 4. performing a loopback test in measurement & automation explorer 1. open measurement & automation explorer and select the communications port you would like to use. 2. ensure the proper settings are selected for flow control. 3. save the settings by selecting the save button then select the open visa test panel button 4. on the write tab, type the message you would like to send ( followed by a \ n ) then select execute 5. on the read tab, select execute and verify the message 5. performing a loopback test in labview note : for a free evaluation copy of labview, visit ni. com / trylabview 1. start labview 2. select help » find examples... 3. browse to hardware input and output » serial » basic serial write and read. vi 4. ensure the proper settings are selected, enter the string you would like to write in the " string to write " box, and then select the white run arrow on the toolbar.


view full version : preventitive health - food deficiencies jul 25, 2007, 12 : 10 am natural health ( http : / / www. guardiannewsngr. com / natural _ health / article08 ) how folic acid in flour slashes congenital problems dr. philippe de wals of universit laval ' s department of social and preventive medicine has published a study clearly indicating that the addition of folic acid to flours has led to a 46 per cent drop in the incidence of congenital neural tube deformation ( mainly anencephaly and spina bifida ) in canada. such deformations either result in the child ' s death or in major health problems, including physical and learning disabilities. de wals ' s work as head of a team of a dozen canadian researchers appears today in the new england journal of medicine. the neural tube is the basis of the embryo ' s nervous system. poor development of the neural tube, which is sometimes due to a lack of folic acid, can result in major health problems. folic acid is found in green vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and meat. however, even a balanced diet won ' t supply enough folic acid for a pregnant mother and the child she is carrying. before 1998, canadian medical authorities were already recommending that women in their child - bearing years consume vitamin supplements containing folic acid. " canada decided to add folic acid to all flour produced in the country because formation of the neural tube in embryos is particularly intense during the first four weeks of pregnancy, which is before a lot of women even know they ' re pregnant. since half of canadian pregnancies are unplanned and the human body can ' t store folic acid, it is better to integrate folic acid into the food chain than to focus exclusively on taking vitamin supplements, " stated de wals. health canada still recommends taking folic acid supplements to women in their child - bearing years. researchers de wals and fassiatou tairou of universit laval ' s faculty of medicine compared the incidence of neural tube deformations before and after the introduction of folic acid - - enriched flours for over two million births in canada. between 1993 and 1997, the incidence was 1. 58 per 1, 000 births. between 2000 and 2002, the rate dropped 46 per cent to 0. 86. the biggest improvement occurred in the parts of canada that had the highest rates of neural tube deformation before 1998 - newfoundland, prince edward island, and nova scotia


, 000 births. between 2000 and 2002, the rate dropped 46 per cent to 0. 86. the biggest improvement occurred in the parts of canada that had the highest rates of neural tube deformation before 1998 - newfoundland, prince edward island, and nova scotia. in qubec, the drop was also pronounced, but closer to the canadian average. currently, only canada, the united states, and chile require that folic acid be added to flour. the effectiveness of this practice, as demonstrated by de wals ' s team, could encourage other countries to follow suit. every year, approximately 200, 000 cases of spina bifida and anencephaly occur world - wide, adding folic acid to food could reduce that number by half. jul 25, 2007, 12 : 13 am thisday online ' glitteratti section ( http : / / www. thisdayonline. com / nview. php? id = 84230 ) a – z on foods … what you were never told about food and your heart. wellness & wellbeing with dr. bisola akindeko, 07. 22. 2007 beer ancient civilizations way back in about 5000 b. c. stumbled onto something : fermented wheat and barley. realizing that this was something good, people recorded it ; the world ’ s oldest known recipe, scribbled on a 4000 – year - old sumerian tablet, is for beer. as part of our heritage, beer is in a sense a dietary staple. but when it comes to heart health, beer should be viewed as a “ good - news bad - news ” food. in fact in nigeria, beers like gulder, star, stout etc actually form part of the staple daily diets of certain individuals. first, the good news : if drinking is kept “ light ” or moderate, the equivalent of one to two beers a day, studies show that alcohol has a protective effect against heart disease. alcohol ’ s benefit seems to be in raising the cholesterol good - guy hdls which help scavenge and eventually remove cholesterol from the body. but since women already have higher hdl levels than men, the protective action of alcohol seems to be more beneficial for men. the news for beer gets even better. because beer is made from fermented grains, some phytochemicals called flavonoids end up in a bottle of beer. these flavonoids are similar to the heart - healthy phytochemicals found in red wine. according to


made from fermented grains, some phytochemicals called flavonoids end up in a bottle of beer. these flavonoids are similar to the heart - healthy phytochemicals found in red wine. according to heart researchers, flavonoids keep blood cells called platelets from becoming sticky and clumping together to form a clot, risking heart attack or stroke. flavonoids found in beer also help protect artery - clogging ldls from damaging blood vessel walls. flavonoid content of beers varies. dark beers have more pigment, owing to a higher flavonoid content. largers or lighter beers contain less. now for the bad news : beer contains alcohol – about half an ounce in a 12 - ounce, 150 - calorie serving. alcohol spells trouble for those concerned about hypertension. my research studies clearly show that alcohol intake is directly associated with high blood pressure. people who consistently drink six or more drinks daily have a greatly increased risk of suffering from hypertension. heavy drinking also aggravates blood pressure in people who already have hypertension. so is beer a heart - healthy drink? if you keep beer drinking in moderation ( one to two drinks a week ) and don ’ t already have hypertension, go for it. but keep in mind that drinking any alcohol beverage to excess has its risks, such as driving under the influence and operating machinery while intoxicated. additionally, excessive alcohol can also increase risks for certain cancers, especially in women who also don ’ t seem to gain much heart - health benefit from alcohol in the first place. bell peppers ( or “ ata rodo ” ) for starters, bell peppers come in an array of colors that are sure to liven up any plate. and it ’ s their color – yellow, orange, red, green, and even purple – that determines the extent of their heart - protecting powers. bell peppers pack a good dose of the antioxidants vitamin c and carotenes, and research shows these antioxidants work together in protecting the heart. specifically, vitamin c and the carotenes found in bell peppers, lutein and zeaxanthin, help to keep ldls from becoming a menace to blood vessels. depending on a pepper ’ s color, the content of this antioxidant team varies. as a pepper ripens, it may change from green to red for example, and the vitamin c content increases along with the carotene levels. one green


on a pepper ’ s color, the content of this antioxidant team varies. as a pepper ripens, it may change from green to red for example, and the vitamin c content increases along with the carotene levels. one green bell pepper contains about 140 percent of the daily value for vitamin c, but a red pepper has a whopping 280 percent. that ’ s not bad for only 30 calories per serving. the content of the carotenes, lutein and zeaxanthin, goes up nine times as the pepper changes color. yellow and orange peppers, along with purple, also have carotenes that protect the heart. in general, the more intense and brilliant the color, the better. bell peppers are best eaten raw for maximum vitamin c and carotene content. but since they ’ re so rich in these nutrients, cooking peppers, such as baking or microwaving, still leaves behind plenty of heart - healthy goodness. use a mix of freshly sliced peppers as a dipper for your favorite low - fat dip or in salsa. grilled peppers make a great addition to fish, chicken, lean beef, or grilled tofu. or why not chop some fresh pepper into your stew after cooking. no matter how you slice it, bread is good food. and it ’ s good for your heart, too. since biblical times, bread has been synonymous with nourishment. virtually all cultures around the world have some form of bread as a dietary staple. and while not all of these should come to you as a slice of bread, it still leaves a lot of room each day for enjoying the heart - warming goodness of bread and bread products. a serving of bread is one slice, about one ounce or 28 grams. be aware that when slicing your own from a freshly baked loaf you ’ re likely to serve up a hearty slice that may equal two or even three servings. a bagel, average frozen variety, equals two bread servings, while the king - sized variety may equal four. bread - like goodies including scones and doughnuts most often have added sugar and fat. if you are looking for whole grain, low - fat goodness, be careful when shopping amongst these treats. many of these baked goods come with unwanted fat, anywhere from one to five teaspoons in a croissant. a bran muffin, for example, while a good source of fiber may have over 15 grams of fat in one muffin - that ’ s 135 fat calories


unwanted fat, anywhere from one to five teaspoons in a croissant. a bran muffin, for example, while a good source of fiber may have over 15 grams of fat in one muffin - that ’ s 135 fat calories! if you can purchase fat - free versions, by all means do. remember your heart loves bread, not fat. tops on my list of favorite foods is fresh baked whole - grain bread slathered with berry fruit spread. what ’ s your favorite way to eat bread? how about a hearty slice to mop a sauce off your plate, or toasted sourdough bread with a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and a tomato slice? stuffed with an omelets maybe even tuna filling or crumbled into a bowl of steamy hot, vegetable soup? any way you slice it, bread is good, heart - healthy food. jul 25, 2007, 12 : 19 am i don ' t know how many people have been following the dangote nafdac bouhaha some of which was highlighted on this richest black man thread ( http : / / www. nigeriavillagesquare. com / board / articles - comments / 38780 - richest - black - person - world - dangote - interview - 2. html ). well, in the interest of fairness, i decided to follow this case since it deals with a public health issue and the complaince or lack of dangote group son commends dangote for sugar fortification thisday archives ( http : / / www. thisdayonline. com / archive / 2004 / 07 / 26 / 20040726bus15. html ) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - dr. john akanya, the director general of standards organisation of nigeria ( son ) has commended the management of the dangote group for its efforts to meet the challenges of producing refined fortified sugar in nigeria. dr. akanya gave this commendation recently in lagos, shortly after leading a team of son officials to inspect dangote ' s sugar ref ~ nery in apapa. the inspection was


to meet the challenges of producing refined fortified sugar in nigeria. dr. akanya gave this commendation recently in lagos, shortly after leading a team of son officials to inspect dangote ' s sugar ref ~ nery in apapa. the inspection was to verify dangote ' s level of compliance with the directive to fortify locally refined sugar with vitamin a. vitamin a sugar fortification is meant to enhance efforts to eradicate diseases due to vitamin a deficiency in nigeria. the son boss said that dangote as an organization has encouraged son in the battle to ensure quality and standard in sugar production in nigeria. he said it is encouraging that dangote is not limiting its fortification efforts to sugar but also extends to other products. he noted that though fortification of refined sugar with vitamin a is a government policy, dangote as a stakeholder has shown a lot of determination towards its actualization. said he, " we know because of the technicalities involved, there may be some hiccups, but we are very delighted at your efforts and what you have achieved. " he stated further that dangote has demonstrated its interest in the sugar fortification. " you have interest because you have invested, we are also interested because we want to protect interest that will make nigeria move forward and we need every nigerian to work with us, and we want to encourage you on what you are doing, " he declared. also speaking after the factory inspection, mrs m. e. eshiett, the deputy director of son, commended dangote ' s efforts so far on the fortification of its sugar with vitamin a. she, however, advised the organization to do a post sale analysis of its sugar by collecting samples from the market for analysis in the laboratory to ascertain its vitamin level after exposure to light and air, two major ways through which vitamin can be lost. she also urged dangote to install a thermometer in its store, where imported vitamins are stored before use to be able to ascertain and maintain the appropriate temperature required for the vitamins. the general manager, dangote sugar refinery, mr maryould m. elsunni, while speaking after the factory inspection stated thit the dangote group took the challenge of sugar fortification with vitamin a seriously because of its importance to the health of nigerians. he said : " when you gave us the challenge on sugar fortification, we took it and we are happy for what we have achieved, we probably have the best system for sugar fortification in the world today