" he said. hospitalized patients can be proactive in reducing their risk of receiving an incorrect medication by being vocal. " patients should feel comfortable asking nurses what ' s being administered each time they ' re being given a medication, " said aikin. doing so helps raise awareness and keeps everyone on their toes. patients who are admitted to the hospital should bring their current medication bottles with them ; however, in almost all cases those drugs will be administered by nursing staff over the course of the stay. " so many medications can interact that we need to have control over what patients are taking while they ' re in our care, " said aikin. preventing hospital - acquired infections is another important patient safety goal, and one that is getting a lot of attention due to a rise of antibiotic - resistant " super bugs. " fortunately, this has not been a significant problem locally because hospital staff are trained and regularly re - trained in techniques to help prevent the spread of infections. hand washing is the most important activity that anyone can do to prevent infection. here again, patients can take an active role in ensuring their safety while in the hospital. " patients should be bold and ask each nurse and doctor whether they ' ve washed their hands before administering treatment, " said aikin. " patients may be reluctant to do this, but hospital staff expect to be asked and we encourage it. " because hospitalized patients are ill and more susceptible to getting infections, it ' s important for friends and family not to visit if they themselves are not feeling well. when visitors do call on patients in the hospital, they should wash their hands before and after the visit or use the hand sanitizer that is available in wall dispensers all around the building. another step that hospital staff members take to keep patients safe is asking them their name and date of birth and checking their hospital id bracelet frequently. this may seem redundant to patients but the procedure ensures that mrs. jones is not taken down for an x - ray that was ordered for mrs. smith who is in the room across the hall, and that patients are given the correct medications and even the correct meal trays. one simple step that patients can take while they ' re in the hospital to ensure their own safety is to tell nurses and doctors if they experience any new symptoms or significant change in the way they ' re feeling. patients know their bodies better than anyone and clear communication with healthcare providers is an important factor in safety, quality care, and positive clinical outcomes. southwest health notes is a public service feature provided by southwest


a schoolmate nitin would introduce himself with the line : " i ' m nitin, the same backwards and forwards ". however cheesy that may be, at least it gave a mnemonic - people didn ' t forget his palindromic name in a hurry. palindromes are words or phrases that read the same in either direction. words like mum, deed, refer, the famous long one malayalam. phrases like nurses run and madam i ' m adam and so many dynamos. when a palindrome appears in a cryptic puzzle, the clue will often make use of its same - both - ways attribute in the wordplay. times sunday 4312 : it swivels up and down ( 7 ) ft 13124 ( mudd ) : flat food turned over just the same ( 4 ) times 24250 : standard that may be raised to no effect ( 5 ) guardian 24502 ( orlando ) : witnesses going up and down ( 4 ) - the word " palindrome " is derived from the greek palindromos, meaning " running back " ( palin = back + dromos = running ). - other than the traditional palindrome which has character - by - character symmetry, variants such as these are also classed as palindromes : - word - unit palindrome : a phrase / sentence with symmetry of words rather than letters. e. g. fall leaves after leaves fall. - mirrored palindrome : a graphically reversible sequence. e. g. wow, bid. a traditional palindrome is not necessarily mirrored ( e. g. did is not a mirrored palindrome ). - the shishupala vadha, an epic sanskrit poem composed by magha in the 8th century, has a stanza which is palindromic not just forwards and backwards but also up and down. read more here. - the guardian carried a palindrome - themed puzzle by araucaria a few months ago. check it out here : guardian 24587. - if you are afraid of palindromes, you ' re suffering from aibohphobia according to wikipedia ' s list of jocular phobias ( and if you ' re really possessed by this fear then don ' t learn this word as it is itself a palindrome ).


before letting a child play at a playground, you should check it out yourself to make sure it ' s safe. even if you determine that it is, if there are several children using it, there ' s always the possibility of injury. the most common playground injury is from a fall, so make sure the surface is relatively soft, especially around equipment. mulch, shredded bark, and wood chips are preferable to grass and earth, which can be hard, and of course to concrete or asphalt. the area should be clear of broken glass, bottles, cans, and other debris ( duh - bree ). the equipment itself should be firmly anchored into the ground, and screws and bolts shouldn ' t be loose or exposed. in particular, slides should be shaded, especially if they ' re metal, and be rust - free. monkey bars should be used only by children older than five, and the surface underneath should be soft to cushion falls. seesaws should be used by children of approximately the same age or weight, with something placed under the seat, such as a rubber tire, to cushion the impact of hitting the ground. check swings for frayed ropes or chain - links in which fingers can get caught. children under five should use only chair swings. even if they play on equipment in good condition, children can be injured if they don ' t use it safely, so take the time to go over the proper ways of using it, as well as proper etiquette toward other kids.


- story ideas - send corrections if the idea of sitting on the ice trying to get a fish to bite doesn ’ t appeal to you or cross country skiing hasn ’ t flipped your switch, don ’ t give in and stay inside with the clicker in your hand. instead get outdoors and take a look around. specifically keep an eye on the ground and those tracks you see in the snow. you don ’ t have to go far to begin see tracks from the tiny spine - like ones birds make, to the smaller, squirrel - size impressions. your backyard is a good place to start. similar to bird watching because you are trying to identify what you see, the exceptions are no binoculars are needed and being absolutely quiet isn ’ t required. training yourself to be observant and see not only the tracks but also details within those tracks and any other information with or around the track such as droppings or scat, pieces of fur or feathers. seeing more detail comes in handy for all sorts of hunting including mushrooms, asparagus, and some wild berries. sometimes you ’ ll see deer tracks on one side of a path but not on the path itself. take a closer look around. you ’ ll probably discover them on the opposite side of the trail. before going out to look for tracks consider taking a notebook, pen or pencil and camera to help identify what you are tracking. a ruler is another good piece of equipment to measure tracks. to identify tracks, draw it in your notebook or take a picture of it. pay attention to what the track is showing you. for instance is it round or long, is there more than one track, and can you tell if there are any pads or toenails in the track? draw a picture of the track in your notebook and take a picture to refer to later. are there any other tracks with it or nearby? pay attention to where you find tracks. are they near the birdfeeder, around that brush pile you are meaning to clean up in the spring or from under your garden shed? there are many excellent field guides on animal tracks that make really good references. another place to begin and have fun is to take the online quiz to identify animal tracks. you can find it by visiting www. dnr. wi. gov / eek. give it a try. it ’ s fun. you ’ ll have fun kicking tires and checking out the 275 units and 50 brands of motorhomes, travel trailers, pop ups fifth wheels, and toy haulers at the 47th annual


eek. give it a try. it ’ s fun. you ’ ll have fun kicking tires and checking out the 275 units and 50 brands of motorhomes, travel trailers, pop ups fifth wheels, and toy haulers at the 47th annual detroit camper and rv show at the suburban collection showplace in novi, feb., 6 - 10. if you are in the market for an rv to use this camping season, this is a good place to see lots of them without having to go far. and many manufactures offer rebates and show prices to buyers. booths selling parts and accessories, on - site rv financing, rv rentals and campground information are some of the features at this show. race fans will want to enter to win the ultimate mis race experience package from michigan international speedway. includes tickets, camping and vip access ( valued at nearly $ 3, 000 ). coupons are available at www. marvac. org, big boy restaurants, and in area newspapers. visit one of the 20 metro detroit napa auto parts stores for your discount admission coupon. with this special coupon, all consumers can get $ 1 off any adult or senior admission. what? the 47th annual detroit camper & rv show will be held in novi at the suburban collection showplace. when? feb. 6 - 10. weekday hours are 2 - 9 p. m., saturday 11 a. m. - 9 p. m. and sunday 11 a. m. - 6 p. m. the cost for adult admission ( ages 13 and up ) is $ 9 ; senior admission is $ 8 ; children ages 12 and under are admitted free. other? for more information call ( 517 ) 349 - 8881 or visit www. marvac. org. a coupon is available at www. marvac. org, and big boy restaurants. visit a napa auto parts stores for your discount admission coupon. with this special coupon, all consumers can get $ 1 off any adult or senior admission. this year ’ s great backyard bird count is from feb. 15 - 16. bird watchers nationwide are expected to participate. this is as easy as sitting in your rocking chair and watching birds for 15 minutes, adding up the numbers of each species you see and reporting the findings on www. birdcount. org. a joint project of the cornell lab of ornithology and audubon, with canadian partner bird studies canada, bird observations are welcome from parks, gardens, wetlands,


you see and reporting the findings on www. birdcount. org. a joint project of the cornell lab of ornithology and audubon, with canadian partner bird studies canada, bird observations are welcome from parks, gardens, wetlands, and backyards. this four - day count typically receives sightings from tens of thousands of people reporting more than 600 bird species in the united states and canada alone. “ we ’ re eager to see how many of the world ’ s 10, 240 bird species will be reported during the count this year, ” said cornell lab director john fitzpatrick. “ we ’ re looking forward to this historic snapshot of birds that that will be reported from around the world. we need as many people as possible to help build the wealth of data that scientists need to track the health of bird populations through time. ” no experience is necessary to join the count. “ this count is so much fun because anyone can take part, whether you are an expert, novice, or feeder watcher, ” said gary langham, audubon ’ s chief scientist. participating is easy. to learn more about how to join the count, get bird id tips, plus downloadable instructions, web buttons, and flyers, visit www. birdcount. org. the count also includes a photo contest and a prize drawing for participants who enter at least one bird checklist online. portions of the gbbc site are also now available in spanish at www. contandoaves. org. roger beukema writes a weekly outdoors column for journal register newspapers. email him at email @ example. com and read his blog at theoaklandpress. com.


definitions for great lakes water withdrawal registration for purposes of implementing the great lakes water conservation and management act, the following definitions are applicable for registering water withdrawals and losses. - facility is one or more pieces of water withdrawal equipment at the same site, including but not limited to any place of business, farm, factory, industrial or commercial site, institution, structure, open land, vessel, or rolling stock, where water is withdrawn for any purpose. - agriculture is the practice of farming on a farm for crops, plants, vines and trees ; and the keeping, grazing or feeding of livestock for sale as livestock or livestock products. - farm is an agricultural business that may be composed of up to 25 non - contiguous parcels of land within a radius of 40 miles that are under the ownership or control of the same person. - water withdrawal is a withdrawal of surface or ground water from the great lakes basin of 100, 000 gallons per day averaged over 30 consecutive days. - water loss means the consumptive use of great lakes water, or the diversion of water out of the great lakes basin, or both. - consumptive use is a use of water that results in a failure to return any portion of the amount withdrawn to the great lakes basin. - interbasin diversion is a transfer of water out of the great lakes basin through any mechanism such as a pipe or canal and including a change in ground water flow caused by pumping. - great lakes basin is shown in a map along with a list of basin communities in appendix a of the great lakes water withdrawal registration program handbook.


the benefits of exercise are many, from producing physically fit bodies to providing an outlet for fun and socialization. when added to a weight control program these benefits take on increased significance. we already have noted that proper exercise can help control weight by burning excess body fat. it also has two other body - trimming advantages : 1 ) exercise builds muscle tissue and muscle uses calories up at a faster rate than body fat and 2 ) exercise helps reduce inches and a firm, lean body looks slimmer even if your weight remains the same. additional benefits may be seen in how exercise affects appetite. a lean person in good shape may eat more following increased activity, but the regular exercise will burn up the extra calories consumed. there are other physical benefits of regular exercise as well. regular physical activity helps you feel better because it : • increases your strength, movement, balance, and flexibility. • helps control blood pressure and blood sugar. • helps build healthy bones, muscles, and joints. • helps your heart and lungs work better. • boosts energy during the day and may aid in sleep at night. the psychological benefits of exercise are equally important to the weight conscious person. exercise decreases stress and relieve tensions that might otherwise lead to overeating. • exercise builds physical fitness which in turn builds self - confidence, enhanced self - image, and a positive outlook. when you start to feel good about yourself, you are more likely to want to make other positive changes in your lifestyle that will help keep your weight under control. • in addition, exercise can be fun, provide recreation and offer opportunities for companionship. the exhilaration and emotional release of participating in sports or other activities are a boost to mental and physical health. pent - up anxieties and frustrations seem to disappear when you ’ re concentrating on going that extra mile.


washington, d. c. — the bank of america and several smaller banks recently announced they will impose monthly fees on customers for using their debit cards. the move prompted howls of protest, including ones from senate majority whip richard durbin, d - ill., who took to the senate floor to encourage customers to remove their money from banks that raise fees. that a sitting senator would encourage a bank run at any time, much less when the economy is in a precarious state, is remarkable in itself — and an indication of the political heat generated by the new bank fees. so let ' s shed some light on how to think about them. no customer wants to pay new fees for any product or service he already receives. why are these banks taking such an unpopular step and dinging their customers $ 3, $ 4, or $ 5 a month? it ' s important to note that no one can say he didn ' t see it coming, least of all durbin. when congress pushed through its big financial reform package last year, it included price controls on the so - called " swipe fees " banks can charge merchants for the use of debit cards in retail transactions. these fees are one way that banks make money. the swipe fees had nothing to do with the crisis that triggered the broader financial reform measure. so why did congress include these price caps? durbin and other supporters of the measure were aiming to help friends in the retailing industry, who don ' t like paying the fees. before the law passed, the banks informed durbin that imposition of the controls would likely lead them to raise prices for other services. but the price caps passed despite this warning. and so banks have done exactly as they said they would do — raise fees elsewhere to make up for the lost revenue — estimated at over $ 6 billion. what should consumers receiving notices from their banks about increased fees think of all this? banks are not the most popular institutions these days, but they can hardly be faulted for raising fees in one area of their business after congress imposed price caps in another. this is not the first time washington has experimented with price controls to ill effect. price controls were advanced by policymakers to regulate the airline, telecommunications, and trucking industries, among others. in the 1970s, caps on gasoline prices were imposed by the nixon administration. this led to shortages and long lines at filling stations. americans were outraged. indeed, price controls are one of the most pernicious kinds of government regulation. in an ironic twist


the 1970s, caps on gasoline prices were imposed by the nixon administration. this led to shortages and long lines at filling stations. americans were outraged. indeed, price controls are one of the most pernicious kinds of government regulation. in an ironic twist, they often lead to higher consumer prices over time because they build inefficiencies into economic transactions and decision - making that end up costing consumers more money. this is a key reason policymakers largely abandoned the use of price controls after the country ' s painful experiences with them in the 1970s. those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it, the saying goes, and it looks like we ' re repeating the mistakes of the 1970s. public ire today should be directed as it was back then — at washington policymakers interfering with the market ' s price mechanism. the good news is a bipartisan effort is channeling some of that public outrage in a productive manner. rep. jason chaffetz, a republican of utah, and rep. bill owens, a democrat from new york, have sponsored legislation to repeal to durbin price controls. but they face an uphill battle. large retailers like the price caps. and some policymakers like having banks as a convenient public villain. the loser if the price controls remain is the average bank customer who will likely see less innovation, worse service and higher prices over time than he otherwise would. nick schulz is editor of american. com and a fellow at the american enterprise institute. - letters : move to the center 37 - letters : founders ' values 34 - dan liljenquist : irs scandal is an... 32 - richard davis : abortion laws should... 29 - letters : dismantle irs 25 - commentary claims liberals are shocked... 21 - in our opinion : utah ' s caucus system... 20 - white house press corps has been turned... 19


the word diwali has its origin from the sanskrit word " deepavali " which means " rows of light ". diwali is the festival that falls on the night of “ amavasya ” ( no moon ) but the “ diyas ” we light gives us the message of spreading light and driving the darkness away. on diwali day, shops are packed with people buying fire crackers ; mothers are busy preparing special dishes for family feasts. late evening is the time for a special pooja at home, and illuminating the houses with rows of oil lamps, candles and colourful lanterns. each day of the festival has a significance in life - balipadyami - “ truth alone wins ” healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. rather, it ’ s about feeling great, having more energy, and keeping yourself as healthy as possible. as the saying goes “ truth alone wins ”, it ’ s mostly the kind of food that makes the person you are. here are a few ways to eat healthy - - eat enough calories but not too many - eat a wide variety of foodsespecially vegetables and fruits - keep portions moderate, especially high - calorie foods - don ’ t be the food police, you can enjoy your favorite sweets and fried foods in moderation - an excellent way to add healthy sweetness to your meals is by using sweet vegetables like sweet potatoes or yams and reduce your craving for other sweets naraka chaturdashi - " burn the evil " burning the evil need not be burning the idols of evil powered gods only. this can be about burning evil thoughts in our minds and the unhealthy foods that have made their way into our lives. let ’ s make a conscious effort to give up the unhealthy eating pattern - - do not rush through your meals. take time to chew your food slowly, savoring every bite … reconnect with the joy of eating. - avoid stress while eating. try taking some deep breaths prior to beginning your meal, or light candles and play soothing music to create a relaxing atmosphere. - listen to your body ; ask yourself if you are really hungry. it actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly. - start your day with a healthy breakfast to jumpstart your metabolism. - eating small, healthy meals throughout the day can help you ward off


a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly. - start your day with a healthy breakfast to jumpstart your metabolism. - eating small, healthy meals throughout the day can help you ward off snack attacks. lakshmi pooja - " wealth is worship " life is not merely to be alive but to be healthy and wealthy. a spanish proverb says " a man who is too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools ". health and wealth decides the quality of life we lead. if you want to lead a happy life, wealth and health are both important. here is a gentle reminder of all the wonderful benefits of healthy eating - - a long life is worth living only when there ’ s quality, and good eating patterns provide a good quality of life - happiness need not be temporary, but can be a permanent one. by eating healthy foods you ' ll suffer less from those terrible ups and downs that make you moody - vitality can be achieved by healthy eating along with exercise - the better you sleep, the more rested you feel when you wake up sesame seed ( til ) - khoya laddu 2 cups khoya 1 1 / 2 cups of coarsely powdered roasted sesame seeds ( til ) powdered sugar to taste kesar, chopped almonds and pistas for decoration - roast the khoya on low flame till it is very light golden yellow in color. - let it cool for a few minutes. - then add coarsely powdered roasted sesame seeds and mix it. - add powdered sugar when the above mixture is luke warm. - mix well and shape into small balls. if the mixture is too hot, then the sugar will melt, so care has to be taken that mixture is not hot. - arrange in a plate and decorate with kesar, chopped almonds and pistas.


the cactus moth, cactoblastis cactorum is native to northern argentina and parts of peru and paraguay. it was introduced into the caribbean islands in the 1960 ’ s to control several ( native ) prickly - pear cactus ( opuntia ) species ( simonson 2005 ). in 1989 the cactus moth was discovered to have spread to southern florida. the moth probably entered the united states more than once ( simonsen et al. 2008 ) - either on winds from nearby caribbean islands or on imported cactus plants. in the 20 years since, the cactus moth has spread up the peninsula as far north as coastal south carolina and west along the shore of the gulf of mexico. ( there are both native prickly pear cacti and ornamental cacti throughout the southeast. ) in 2009, it was detected growing on spoil islands in the swamps of southern louisiana. the cactus moth can kill most prickly pear cacti ( genus opuntia ), in particular those species that have flat pads. in florida, the cactus moth has already caused considerable harm to the six species of vulnerable prickly pears ( garrett 2004 ), three of which are state listed. in some places, 75 % of the prickly pear cacti have been attacked by the moth, with small individuals at greatest risk of death from these attacks ( johnson and stiling 1998, baker and stiling 2009 ). most of the peninsula from gainesville south is now infested ( usda aphis 2009a ). the greatest threat is to the deserts of the american southwest - from texas to california - and mexico. these deserts are home to 114 native species of opuntia ( aphis 2009b ), about 80 of which are flat - padded species vulnerable to the cactus moth ( simonson et al. 2005 ). in the difficult desert environment, prickly pears are a nutritious and reliable food supply for many wildlife species, including deer, javalina ( peccaries ), texas and desert tortoises, spiny iguana, and pollen - feeding insects. prickly pears provide shelter for packrats - which in turn are eaten by raptors, coyotes, and snakes ; and for nesting birds including the cactus wren and curve - billed thrasher. the cacti also are nurse plants, under which other desert plants ' seedlings may start life. finally, the prickly pears ' root systems hold the highly erodible soils ( simonson 2005 ). the economic consequences of loss of prickly


it has continued to move westward - to petit bois and horn islands, mississippi in 2008 ; and the swamps and bayous southwest of new orleans. the louisiana outbreaks were detected in may 2009 – probably 4 years after the moth arrived there. these swamps are more than 50 miles farther west than the mississippi islands. ( usda aphis 2009a ). there would be smaller potential economic losses in the u. s. depending on what species, if any, expand into areas where the prickly pear cacti were formerly abundant, losses could include reduced revenue from licensed hunting opportunities. in south texas, higher rents are received for ranchland leased for hunting than for cattle production ( garrett 2004 ). ecotourism in the southwest would probably also be harmed by widespread death of prickly - pear cacti. just one form of such recreation, off - highway vehicle recreation, resulted in expenditure of $ 3 billion in arizona alone in 2002 – with a statewide economic impact of $ 4. 25 billion ( simonson 2005 ). while the louisiana detection was a discouraging setback, researchers taking part in the program review in december 2009 still believed that it is possible to create a barrier to halt further westward spread of the moth by aggressively applying control tactics at the leading edge and managing hot spot infestation to the east of that line. since there are few cacti in st. mary parish or the atchafalaya swamp, this area might be a good barrier to westward movement ; intensive surveys will be needed to verify this approach. increased funding might enable the program to push the leading edge back to the east, where a better location for the barrier might be the apalachicola river in florida ( usda aphis 2009a ). the moth is spreading much faster along the coast ( approximately 75 miles per year ) than inland ( even in florida ). it will probably move inland faster in tx where cactus density is high throughout the state ( usda aphis 2009a ). the primary tools for managing the moth at this time are removal of infested host material, limited herbicide treatment to kill cacti, and release of sterile moths ( sit ). monitoring and survey efforts depend on pheromone - baited sticky traps and visual inspections of host plants ( usda aphis 2009a ). the attractant currently used in the cactus moth lure works, but not for long distances. another weakness is that it attracts a significant number of non - target moths ( usda aphis 2009a ). improving the


areas using either complete removal of all cactus hosts ( isla mujeres, mexico and ft. morgan, al ), or sanitation to reduce the moth population accompanied by sterile insect releases ( isla contoy, mexico ). host plant removal was possible where plants could be accessed by vehicles and machinery, and homeowners and officials were comfortable with removing the plants. sanitation and the sit were used in protected areas where only limited plant removal was allowed and the plants difficult to access. in order to eradicate cc in la, an integrated approach focusing on sanitation, host plant removal and sit with other control methods utilized on a case by case basis ( usda aphis 2009a ). once the cactus moth reaches texas and the southwest, biocontrol would be the only probable strategy. most predators currently known are generalists so they are unsuitable for release. one candidate appears to be a specialist - the braconid larval - pupal parasitoid apanteles alexanderi ; host specificity testing was begun in 2010 in argentina and puerto rico ( strickman 2010 ). us mainland cactus - feeding moths are poorly known so they will be hard to capture and test for vulnerability to the parasitoid. trichogramma pretiosum, a hymenopteran egg parasitoid, has been found parasitizing the cactus moth in the u. s. ( paraiso et al. 2009 ). while these wasps are available commercially, they offer little promise because they are not host specific and the level of parasitism is normally very low. the usda program has been hampered from its beginning by insufficient funding from unstable sources. there has never been an appropriation by congress for this work. the usda agriculture research service and animal and plant health inspection service have absorbed more than $ 9 million in costs since 2001. mexico has provided $ 1. 4 million. florida department of agriculture and consumer services, mississippi state university, and the u. s. geological survey ( department of interior ) have also participated in cactus moth control work. in 2009 aphis amended its regulations to ensure that opuntia cactus nursery stock moved from infested states in the southeastern united states would not spread the cactus moth ( federal register vol. 74 no. 108 [ june 8, 2009 ], pp. 27071 - 27076 ). the cactus moth has also been introduced to mexico. in august 2006, it was discovered on isla mujeres, offshore from quintana roo, in southeastern mexico. a second outbreak


, pp. 27071 - 27076 ). the cactus moth has also been introduced to mexico. in august 2006, it was discovered on isla mujeres, offshore from quintana roo, in southeastern mexico. a second outbreak on isla contoy was detected in may 2007. these populations have been eradicated with the help of usda aphis ( aphis 2009 ). baker, a. j. and p. stiling. 2009. comparing the effects of the exotic cactus - feeding moth, cactoblastis cactorum ( berg ) ( lepidoptera : pyralidae ) and the native cactus - feeding moth, melitara prodenialis ( walker ) ( lepidoptera : pyralidae ) on two species of florida opuntia. biol. invasions 11 : 619 - 624. garrett, l. 2004. usda aphis ppq cphst. white paper : economic impact from spread of cactoblastis cactorum in the united states. johnson, d. m. and p. d. stiling. 1998. distribution and dispersal of cactoblastis cactorum ( lepidoptera : pyralidae ), an exotic opuntia - feeding moth in florida. florida entomol. 81 : 12 - 21 paraiso, o., kairo, m., bloem, s., hight, s. d. 2009. survey for egg parasitoids attacking cactoblastis cactorum in north florida. meeting abstract simonsen, t. j., r. l. brown, and f. a. h. sperling. 2008. tracing an invasion : phylogeography of cactoblastis cactorum ( lepidoptera : pyralidae ) in the united states based on mitochondrial dna. ann. entomol. soc. am. 101 ( 5 ) : 899 - 905 ( 2008 ) simonson, s. e., t. j. stohlgren, l. tyler, w. gregg, r. muir, and l. garrett. 2005. preliminary assessment of the potential impacts and risks of the invasive cactus moth, cactoblastis cactorum berg, in the u. s. and mexico. final report to the international atomic energy agency, april 25, 2005 © iaea 2005 soberon j, golubov j, sarukhan j ( 2001 ) the importance of opuntia in


a digital preservation program exists within an organizational context and as such must fit the needs, priorities, and resources of that organization. the core of a digital preservation program is a digital preservation system. this tutorial focuses on the organizational context for a digital preservation program and has as its foundation two key documents that have emerged from the digital preservation community. the first document is trusted digital repositories : attributes and responsibilities ( tdr ), produced by the research libraries group ( rlg ) and oclc. tdr defines the organizational context for a digital preservation program. tdr embraces oais and demonstrates what adhering to oais will mean for an institution. the second document is the reference model for an open archival information system ( oais ), produced by an international group of digital preservation researchers and practitioners convened by the nasa consultative committee for space data systems ( ccsds ). oais is an iso standard ( iso 14721 : 2003 ) that provides the functional framework for sustaining digital objects in managed repositories. oais has been adopted as the foundation for many important digital preservation initiatives, and incorporates definitions and relationships between participants and the component parts of an archival information system. oais defines what is needed but not how to build it. currently, ccsds has updated oais using input from the user community. this update is ccsds 650. 0 m 2. you could say that the tdr is primarily organizational and the oais primarily technological, but the two must work in concert for a digital preservation program to be successfully planned and implemented. organizations have tended to focus on the technology — and more often on their fear of the technology — though there are many organizational pieces that need to be in place, including policies, procedures, and sustainable resources. here we present the two foundation documents in some detail with a special emphasis on preservation metadata and then discuss how they fit together to provide a starting point for cultural organizations wishing to establish a digital preservation repository.


concrete examples of orderings last week, i noted that if you have an object with two components, each of which you know how to order independently, it requires at least a little thought to figure out how to do so. moreover, there is a commonly used strategy, often called lexicographical order or dictionary order, for taking the ordering strategies for individual components and combining them. the c + + library is considerate enough to implement dictionary ordering for its users in ( at least ) three places. the first is the std : : pair template, which defines the six comparison operators in terms of the corresponding operators of the pair ' s components. specifically, pair ( x1, y1 ) < pair ( x2, y2 ) is defined as x1 < x2 | | (! ( x2 < x1 ) & & y2 < y1 ) note that this definition is careful to use only < on components, not > or = =. part of its technique for doing so rests on the fact that the comparison x2 < x1 can take place only when it has already been established that x1 < x2 is false, so that! ( x2 < x1 ) is really a clever way of saying x2 = = x1 without using = = or! =. pair ( x1, y1 ) = = pair ( x2, y2 ) is defined as x1 = = x2 & & y1 = = y2 this definition is careful to use only = = to define = = on pairs. you might think that the other four comparison operators would be defined in terms of the corresponding operators on the component, but you would be wrong. instead, pair ( x1, y1 ) > pair ( x2, y2 ) is defined as pair ( x2, y2 ) < pair ( x1, y1 ) pair ( x1, y1 )! = pair ( x2, y2 ) is defined as! ( pair ( x1, y1 ) = = pair ( x2, y2 ) ) pair ( x1, y1 ) < = pair ( x2, y2 ) is defined as! ( pair ( x1, y1 ) > pair ( x2, y2 ) ) pair ( x1, y1 ) > = pair ( x2, y2 ) is defined as! ( pair ( x1, y1 ) < pair ( x2, y2 ) ) the underlying principles are easy


y2 ) ) pair ( x1, y1 ) > = pair ( x2, y2 ) is defined as! ( pair ( x1, y1 ) < pair ( x2, y2 ) ) the underlying principles are easy to understand once explained : - the pair template never depends on more than the = = and < operations on the components. - order relations are defined entirely in terms of other order relations. - equality relations are defined entirely in terms of other equality relations. - if the element types have relations defined that meet the library requirements, then the resulting relations on pairs will also meet the library requirements. as a generalization of pair, the library tuple template also implements the six comparison operators in terms of < and = = on the tuple ' s elements. like tuple does not reply on the other four comparison operators on elements. the third place where the library implements dictionary order is in the lexicographical _ compare algorithm. this algorithm accepts two pairs of iterators, each of which defines a range of elements, and uses an extended version of this comparison procedure to compare the sequences : - if both sequences have the same length and every element is equal to the corresponding element of the other sequence, the two sequences are considered equal. this case holds even if both sequences are empty. - if one sequence is a prefix of the other, the shorter sequence is considered less than the other. - otherwise, the result of the comparison is the result of comparing the elements that make up the first discrepancy between the sequences. this function offers an easy way to define sequence comparison in terms of element comparison when all the elements have the same type. unless there is a good reason to do otherwise, one ' s first thought about how to define comparison between two data structures should probably be to compare the data structure ' s elements along the lines that we ' ve been discussing. the main mistake that beginners make is to believe that it is possible to define pair ( x1, y1 ) < pair ( x2, y2 ) as something such as x1 < x2 & & y1 < y2, which doesn ' t work. there is another pitfall in defining comparison relations : sometimes the obvious way of comparing individual elements doesn ' t always work. we ' ll look at some examples of that pitfall next week.


how to ask for and understand directions in japanese 7 of 10 in series : the essentials of japanese words and phrases for traveling exploring japan can be quite an adventure, but you need to know how to ask for directions in japanese and how to understand the directions you are given. after all, if you don ' t know how to understand what you ' re told, you might miss the very things you hoped to see. the first thing you need to know is how to ask for directions. to get help you can say sumimasen. ( excuse me. ) ; or michi o kiite mo ii desu ka. ( may i ask you for directions? ) ; or tasukete kudasasimasen ka. ( will you help me? ). the following words can be used when asking for or receiving directions in japan. tonari ( next to ) mae ( in front of ) michi ( street, road ) massugu iku ( to go straight ) migi ni magaru ( to turn right ) kosaten o hidari ni magaru ( to turn left at the intersection ) be forewarned. it can be very difficult to find streets and houses based on addresses in japan. an address is usually used to indicate the area of a building rather than its exact location. in fact, most streets are usually not laid out in a grid pattern and most of the time there are no street signs. so, having an address might not be enough information to actually find your destination address. here are some phrases that might come in handy when you need directions. takushi de nan - pun gurai desu ka. ( how many minutes by taxi approximately? ) mo ichido onegaishimasu. ( could you repeat that, please? ) yukkuri onegaishimasu. ( could you speak slower, please? ) chikatetsu de ikemasu ka. ( can we go there by subway? ) try putting some phrases and direction words together. the following conversation is typical of getting and receiving directions in japan. tom : chotto sumimasen. michi o kiite mo ii desu ka. ( excuse me. may i ask you for directions? ) hiro : mochiron. ( of course! ) tom : hoteru wa doko desu ka. ( where is the hotel? ) hiro : daigaku no kita desu. [ ( it ) is north of the university. ] tom : atm wa doko desu ka


: hoteru wa doko desu ka. ( where is the hotel? ) hiro : daigaku no kita desu. [ ( it ) is north of the university. ] tom : atm wa doko desu ka. ( where is the atm? ) hiro : asoko desu. [ ( it ' s ) over there. ] tom : benten to iu resutoran o shirimasen ka. ( do you know the restaurant called benten? ) hiro : hai. daigaku no minami desu. ( yes. ( it ) is south of the university. ) tom : eigakan wa dono tori ni arimasu ka. ( what street is the movie theater on? ) hiro : eigakan wa migi ni arimasu. ( the movie theater is on your right. ) tom : gakko ni wa doyatte iku n - desu ka. ( how do i get to the school? ) hiro : migi ni magatte, hidari no hito - tsu - me no michi desu. ( turn right, and it is the first street on your left. ) tom : sakura hoteru wa doko desu ka. ( where is sakura hotel located? ) hiro : hoteru wa eki no tonari desu. ( the hotel is next to the train station. ) tom : ginko to yubinkyoku no aida desu. [ ( it ) is between the bank and the post office. ] hiro : massugu iku to arimasu. ( go straight and you will find it. ) tom : hakubutsukan wa koko kara toi desu ka. ( is the museum far from here? ) hiro : koko kara hakubutsukan made yaku ichi - kirometoru desu. ( the museum is about one kilometer from here. ) the measurement units used in japan are different than those used in the united states. for expressing the distance between two locations, japanese commonly uses kirometoru ( kilometer ) instead of mile. one kilometer is 0. 621 miles.


three use cases ( with one score for each ) — portrait, landscape, and sports — report on different aspects of sensor performance. each use case score is associated with one defined image quality metric as defined below : flash studio photography involves a controlled and usually maximal amount of light. even when shooting with hand - held cameras, studio photographers rarely move from the lowest iso setting. what matters most when shooting products or portraits is to aim for the richest color rendition. the best image quality metric that correlates with color depth is color sensitivity. color sensitivity indicates to what degree of subtlety color nuances can be distinguished from one another, often meaning a hit or a miss on a pantone palette. maximum color sensitivity reports, in bits, the number of colors that the sensor is able to distinguish. the higher the color sensitivity, the more color nuances that can be distinguished. as with dynamic range, color sensitivity is greatest when iso speed is minimal, and falls rapidly with rising iso settings. dxo labs has focused on measuring only maximum color sensitivity. a color sensitivity of 22bits is excellent, and differences below 1 bit are barely noticeable. landscape photographers often carefully compose their images and choose the optimal time to shoot. this type of photography commonly involves mounting the camera on a tripod and using the lowest possible iso setting to minimize noise, thus maximizing image quality. unless there is motion, relatively long shutter speeds are not an issue with a tripod. what is paramount is dynamic range, especially because photographers will often aim for detail in high - contrast settings, juxtaposing bright sky with shadowy foliage, mountains, etc. ideally, the dynamic range of the camera should be greater than the dynamic range of the scene, otherwise details in shadows are lost or highlights are burned. dynamic range falls rapidly with higher iso settings, as any analog or digital amplification performed will increase the noise in the darker areas, making it harder to distinguish between fine levels of contrast. maximum dynamic range is the greatest possible amplitude between light and dark details a given sensor can record, and is expressed in evs ( exposure values ) or f - stops, with each increase of 1 ev ( or one stop ) corresponding to twice the amount of light. dynamic range corresponds to the ratio between the highest brightness a camera can capture ( saturation ) and the lowest brightness it can capture ( typically when noise becomes more important than the signal, i. e., a signal - to - noise ratio below 0 db ). a value of 12 ev is excellent, with differences


capture ( saturation ) and the lowest brightness it can capture ( typically when noise becomes more important than the signal, i. e., a signal - to - noise ratio below 0 db ). a value of 12 ev is excellent, with differences below 0. 5 ev usually not noticeable. this scale is open, as incoming light is not a bounded quantity. unlike the two previous scenarios in which light is either generous ( studio ) or stability is assured ( landscape ), photojournalists and action photographers often struggle with low available light and high motion. achieving usable image quality is often difficult when pushing iso. when shooting a moving scene such as a sports event, action photographers ’ primary objective is to freeze the motion, giving priority to short exposure time. to compensate for the lack of exposure, they have to increase the iso setting, which means the snr will decrease. how far can they go while keeping decent quality? our low - light iso metric will tell them. the snr indicates how much noise is present in an image compared to the actual information ( signal ). the higher the snr value, the better the image looks, because details aren ' t drowned by noise. snr strength is given in db, which is a logarithmic scale : an increase of 6 db corresponds to doubling the snr, which equates to half the noise for the same signal. an snr value of 30db means excellent image quality. thus low - light iso is the highest iso setting for a camera that allows it to achieve an snr of 30db while keeping a good dynamic range of 9 evs and a color depth of 18bits. a difference in low - light iso of 25 % represents 1 / 3 ev and is only slightly noticeable. as cameras improve, low - light iso will continuously increase, making this scale open.


there are some very important things that you need to keep in mind when you ' re on your computer at home or at school. i will talk with my parents so that we can set up rules for going online. we will decide upon the time of day that i can be online, the length of time i can be online, and appropriate areas for me to visit. i will not access other areas or break these rules without their permission. first, remember never to give out personal information such as your name, home address, school name, or telephone number in a chat room or on bulletin boards. also, never send a picture of yourself to someone you chat with on the computer without your parent ' s permission. never write to someone who has made you feel uncomfortable or scared. i will tell my parents right away if i come across any information that makes me feel uncomfortable. i will not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make me feel uncomfortable. it is not my fault if i get a message like that. if i do i will tell my parents right away so that they can contact the online service. i will never agree to get together with someone i " meet " online without first checking with my parents. if my parents agree to the meeting, i will be sure that it is in a public place and bring my mother or father along. tell your parents right away if you read anything on the internet that makes you feel uncomfortable. remember that people online may not be who they say they are. someone who says that " she " is a " 12 - year - old girl " could really be an older man. social networking sites : safety tips for tweens and teens you ’ ve probably learned a long list of important safety and privacy lessons already : look both ways before crossing the street ; buckle up ; hide your diary where your nosy brother can ’ t find it ; don ’ t talk to strangers. the federal trade commission, the nation ’ s consumer protection agency, is urging kids to add one more lesson to the list : don ’ t post information about yourself online that you don ’ t want the whole world to know. the internet is the world ’ s biggest information exchange : many more people could see your information than you intend, including your parents, your teachers, your employer, the police — and strangers, some of whom could be dangerous. social networking sites have added a new factor to the “ friends of friends ” equation. by providing information about yourself and using blogs, chat rooms, email, or instant


, your employer, the police — and strangers, some of whom could be dangerous. social networking sites have added a new factor to the “ friends of friends ” equation. by providing information about yourself and using blogs, chat rooms, email, or instant messaging, you can communicate, either within a limited community, or with the world at large. but while the sites can increase your circle of friends, they also can increase your exposure to people who have less - than - friendly intentions. you ’ ve heard the stories about people who were stalked by someone they met online, had their identity stolen, or had their computer hacked. your safety ’ s at stake the ftc suggests these tips for socializing safely online : - think about how different sites work before deciding to join a site. some sites will allow only a defined community of users to access posted content ; others allow anyone and everyone to view postings. - think about keeping some control over the information you post. consider restricting access to your page to a select group of people, for example, your friends from school, your club, your team, your community groups, or your family. - keep your information to yourself. don ’ t post your full name, social security number, address, phone number, or bank and credit card account numbers — and don ’ t post other people ’ s information, either. be cautious about posting information that could be used to identify you or locate you offline. this could include the name of your school, sports team, clubs, and where you work or hang out. - make sure your screen name doesn ’ t say too much about you. don ’ t use your name, your age, or your hometown. even if you think your screen name makes you anonymous, it doesn ’ t take a genius to combine clues to figure out who you are and where you can be found. - post only information that you are comfortable with others seeing — and knowing — about you. many people can see your page, including your parents, your teachers, the police, the college you might want to apply to next year, or the job you might want to apply for in five years. - remember that once you post information online, you can ’ t take it back. even if you delete the information from a site, older versions exist on other people ’ s computers. - consider not posting your photo. it can be altered and broadcast in ways you may not be happy about. if you do post one, ask yourself whether it ’ s one your mom would


moving toward a “ more meatless ” diet is all the rage — just look to former president bill clinton, who ’ s been speaking recently about the vegan diet he adopted to help his heart health. i ’ m all over moving toward eating less meat too. why? first, i love vegetables, whole grains and beans ( for real ) and feel great when i ’ m packing my diet with these plant - based foods. also, as rachael moeller gorman wrote in a recent issue of eatingwell magazine, vegetarian diets often have big benefits for the environment and your health. that said, meat isn ’ t evil : it ’ s a great source of protein and other nutrients, including iron, a mineral some women fall short on. and the latest 2010 dietary guidelines for americans suggest that “ lean meat and poultry ” are protein sources that fit into a healthy diet. basically it ’ s the fatty cuts of meat that we should be considering what i like to call “ sometimes foods. ” ( can you tell i have a 3 - year - old? ) here are three compelling reasons why limiting fatty meats is a smart move : 1. saturated fats. the fat in meats are mostly the saturated kinds that could harm your heart. research shows that by eating lean proteins, such as chicken, fish and beans, in place of fattier meats, you ’ ll limit saturated fats, which can elevate “ bad ” ldl cholesterol that leads to plaque buildup in arteries. ( of course, there are other things you can do to reduce your intake of sat fat, too, namely — replacing butter with olive and canola oils ; selecting nonfat or low - fat milk and yogurt in place of whole - milk versions ; and eating full - fat cheeses sparingly. for more ideas on how to eat, check out these 10 best and worst proteins for your health and the environment. ) 2. polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. cooking fatty meats at high temperatures can create toxic compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ( pahs ). pahs form when fat drips onto hot coals, creating smoke that settles on food ; these compounds have been associated with increased risk of breast cancer. ( read more on the dangers of cooking meats at high temps here. ) related link : does eating red meat increase a woman ’ s risk of breast cancer? 3. dioxins. more than 90 percent of our exposure to dioxins — a


everything children see, hear, and do... from their first breath, shapes the rapidly developing architecture of their brains. the foundation for language, social behavior, problem solving ability, and emotional health will be mostly created by the time they enter kindergarten. community leaders, parents, and concerned citizens in eaton county who understand the vital importance of investing in young children have come together to form our great start collaborative council. everyone is invited to join. the great start collaborative will work to insure that every child in eaton county enters school optimally prepared to learn and grow to the best of his / her ability. agencies, parents, caregivers, and the community commit to providing a supportive environment characterized by respect and by the provision of accessible and coordinated services. 1. all children will be seen and treated as important and valued. 2. the community will support the first years of life because they affect lifelong emotional, social, intellectual, and physical well - being. 3. children will be raised in families where they can experience positive relationships characterized by love and respect. 4. communities will support families to help children successfully learn and grow. 5. the community will help parents access support and information because it directly impacts children. we are pleased to assist you in finding a quality preschool program for your child. if you are interested in enrolling in great start, please visit eaton ' s great start application page : http : / / www. eatongreatstart. org / preschool _ assist. htm


heart disease is the leading cause of death in america. it ' s important to learn about how you and your family can follow a heart - healthy diet. the key to heart health is eating foods low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium, and high in omega - 3 fatty acids and fiber. eating a well - balanced diet will include a combination of whole grains, lean proteins, fruits and vegetables and low - fat dairy. saturated and trans fats are found in some meats, dairy products, baked goods and deep - fried and processed foods. both types of fat raise your ldl – or " bad " – cholesterol level. instead, eat more plant proteins, fish, poultry and low - fat dairy foods. start cooking with oils high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat instead of butter, margarine or shortening, which are high in trans fat. switch refined grains, like white rice or bread, with whole - grain options, such as brown rice and 100 - percent whole - grain bread or pasta. throughout the day, sip on water and limit sugary beverages by choosing fat - free milk and 100 - percent fruit juices. next time you are at the grocery store, pick up some of these heart - healthy items : - beans, peas and barley - soybeans, other soy - based foods - fruits and vegetables - salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel - red grapes and purple grape juice - nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecans and hazelnuts another way to reduce your risk of heart disease is to be active. regular, moderate physical activity lowers blood pressure and helps your body control stress and weight. be physically active in your own way, and start by doing what you can, at least 10 minutes at a time. children and teens should get 60 or more minutes of physical activity per day, and adults should get two hours and 30 minutes per week. encourage your family to take a walk after dinner or play a game of catch or basketball. for more heart - healthy cooking tips and information on reducing your risk for heart disease, consult a registered dietitian in your area. reviewed april 2013


| accelerating infrastructure innovations | | federal highway administration > publications > focus > october 2001 > the abcs of heat - straightening repair for steel bridges | | october 2001 | | publication number : fhwa - rd - 01 - 068 | the abcs of heat - straightening repair for steel bridges a number of calamities can cause damage to steel bridges, including vehicle impact, earthquake, and fire. while the procedure of heat - straightening has been used sporadically over the past 50 years as a way of correcting this damage, the technique had never been well - documented. to provide guidance to state highway agencies and contractors, the federal highway administration ( fhwa ) released a two cd - rom set, heat - straightening repair for damaged steel bridges : an interactive guide, in 2000 and will be offering specialized training through a series of 2 - day seminars. fhwa has also published a manual, heat - straightening repairs of damaged steel bridges : a technical guide and manual of practice. heat - straightening is a repair process in which a limited amount of heat is applied in specific patterns to the deformed regions of damaged steel in repetitive heating and cooling cycles to produce a gradual straightening of the material. a benefit of using the process is that the repairs generally don ' t require the temporary shoring of the bridge. another benefit is that the process can eliminate or greatly curtail the need for traffic detours. when done properly, the heat - straightening technique is an effective and economical approach that can be used in many damage cases. the same principle can also be applied to the fabrication of new bridges for curving or cambering a girder. the manual of practice and cd - rom provide information on the management and design of heat - straightening repair projects, as well as techniques for using the procedure. the cd also presents a detailed case study of a heat - straightening project on a bridge near lake charles, louisiana. the two - lane bridge crossing on i - 10 had been damaged when equipment on a flatbed tractor - trailer impacted a bridge beam. the repair was designed by a team from louisiana state university and implemented in conjunction with the louisiana department of transportation and development. seminars will be held in little rock, arkansas, on november 27 - 28, 2001, and in crawfordsville, indiana, on december 10 - 11. additional workshops will also be scheduled over the next 2 years. the training programs will cover : workshops were previously held this year in topeka, kansas, and atlanta, georgia. the topeka workshop drew more than 50 attendees, while the atlanta


11. additional workshops will also be scheduled over the next 2 years. the training programs will cover : workshops were previously held this year in topeka, kansas, and atlanta, georgia. the topeka workshop drew more than 50 attendees, while the atlanta course attracted nearly 70 participants. " very useful information was provided in a format that could be understood and applied to what i do at work, " said attendee steve vaughn of the georgia department of transportation ( dot ). " it was one of the best fhwa courses that we have had, " noted paul liles, jr., of the georgia dot. don whisler of the kansas dot says, " the materials provided will be great tools to use in the future. " for more information on the workshops or scheduling a training session in your area, or to obtain a copy of the cd - rom, contact krishna verma, senior welding engineer at fhwa, 202 - 366 - 4601 ( fax : 202 - 366 - 3077 ; email : firstname. lastname @ example. org ). more information, including a link for downloading the heat - straightening manual, can also be found on the web at www. fhwa. dot. gov / bridge / heat. htm. united states department of transportation - federal highway administration


webmd medical news daniel j. denoon laura j. martin, md april 8, 2011 - - what does a government shutdown mean for our health? here ' s webmd ' s faq, with answers to questions from webmd readers and staff. most government health services are administered by the department of health and human services. during the government shutdown, 62 % of hhs employees will not be allowed to work. the remaining 38 % of hhs employees will continue to administer programs that involve the safety of human life and protection of property, as well as programs that pay for themselves. hhs shutdown plans remain sketchy, but here ' s a rundown of how the shutdown affects hhs services : the veterans administration is a major source of government supported health care. here ' s how the shutdown affects the va : other non - hhs health services affected by the government shutdown include : probably not. however, closing of most of the fda means that there will be less drug - safety oversight. cutbacks at the centers for medicare and medicaid services mean the popular cms hotline will have longer wait times, and investigations of medicare / medicaid fraud will be suspended. dialysis is a life - saving medical procedure. dialysis centers will not be closed, and patients whose dialysis is supported by medicare will continue to receive services. government health insurance will remain in effect. social security itself is not affected by the government shutdown, as it is funded separately. but some government employees who administer social security will be furloughed. this likely means that processing of new social security applications will slow down, and there will be longer wait times to speak with social security personnel. sources : scott wolfson, director, public information office, consumer product safety commission. department of health and human services : " contingency staffing plan for operations in the absence of enacted annual appropriations, " april 7, 2011. usds food safety and inspection service : " operations plan for absence of appropriations, " april 7, 2011. department of veterans affairs : " va contingency plan : agency operations in the absence of appropriations, " april 8, 2011. u. s. office of personnel management : " the potential impact of a lapse in appropriations on federal employees, " april 7, 2011. u. s. department of agriculture contingency plans. office of management and budget : " agency contingency plans. " here are the most recent story comments. view all the views expressed here


high speed research car t - 16 in november, 2000, the federal railroad administration ( fra ) began operating high speed research car t - 16 to investigate methods for providing a safer and smoother ride for passenger and freight trains traveling at higher speeds. fra ' s office of research and development uses t - 16 to study the dynamics of wheel - rail behavior, to investigate methods for improving track inspection, and to assess potential high speed rail corridors. t - 16 also assists amtrak, local and regional commuter authorities, and individual railroads in assessing their routes. t - 16 is a former amtrak metroliner passenger car which was refurbished and instrumented with advanced technology, with capabilities for measurement and data collection at speeds up to 160 mph. measurement capabilities include track geometry, rail head profile, ride quality, and wheel - rail forces. t - 16 can also be used as an instrumentation platform to collect data from sensors mounted on other cars in the train. t - 16 has the capability to process and display collected data in several formats. monitors throughout the train can be configured to show the various displays. exceptions are displayed in a list with specific details about each instance and on a gis map to show their location in reference to other features. raw data is streamed across a video strip chart that provides a graphical representation of measured parameters. the on - board system calculates and displays track quality indices ( tqi ) based on track geometry data collected by the car. when requested by track inspectors onboard, data can be printed to an exception report or paper strip chart. data can also be downloaded to removable media for offline viewing.


“ the short - pant is a terrible fashion choice. unless it is from bermuda. ” when the british officers arrive in 1816 to the bermuda islands on the atlantic ocean, because this was a strategic spot for the navy inteligence, they soon realized that their permanence in there would be less than pleasant thanks to a factor which english people are not used to : unbearable heat. for the british empire outside great brittain, it was necessary to adapt to the conditions and weather of their colony. while in india, they leaned towards the light madras, in burma they prefered linen. but in the north atlantic, on the bermuda island, the story was different. the royal navy found that the island had no natural resources for clothing, and all textiles were made out of cotton. to the change of fabrics, it was added another one that would set the difference on the male fashion history. officers cut their pants on bottom half, expecting that this would relief the effect of high temperatures on their european bodies. quickly, this trend extended to local civilians, even local tailors started to sell suits with short - pants instead of long ones. by time, tourists and visitors of the bermuda islands adopted the local style. today we can find that this is a very popular piece of clothign between the male population, and also females, because of its practical style and versatility, besides being very popular in the hottest seasons. by fm team


the intellectual property rights reform initiative of the information program uses grant making to support work which will strengthen a vibrant knowledge ecology based on a balance between private property rights and the commons. such knowledge ecology is significant to a thriving public sphere, an effective education system, the advancement of the sciences as well as the development of open societies. intellectual property rights ( iprs ) govern the ownership and control of knowledge. iprs are a powerful means to restrict the access, exchange and creation of knowledge and knowledge - based good or conversely to enable equitable access and ensure creativity and innovation. iprs, most importantly copyright and patents, affect everything right from patterns of economic growth, to affordable and free communications on the internet to the availability and price of textbooks, scientific journals, software and drugs. motivated by a concern about the emergence of a new, unbalanced global ip regime in recent years, the information program ’ s intellectual property reform initiative has emphasized on the reform of wipo, and will continue to fund work in this area. owing to this work, a coalition of groups supported by the information program scored several victories as the adoption of the wipo development agenda – which have begun to shift the course at wipo. fair use rights ( also known as copyright limitations and exceptions ) are essential to enabling access to knowledge, including for disadvantaged groups as the visually impaired. however, many countries in the global south have weak fair use rights hampering access to education and research. moreover, these rights are being increasingly curtailed as digital formats and platforms begin to dominate knowledge dissemination. in 2012 - 13, the information program will continue to support efforts that will advance international reforms to strengthen fair use rights including the wipo treaty for the visually impaired. ipr also support advocacy for fair use rights in national, regional and multilateral foray. another major concern is the current ipr enforcement agenda being advanced at different levels of policy making. the proposed policies are often negotiated in secret and would, if adopted, violate fundamental human rights as well as due process protections. the information program will support efforts that will advocate for transparency in the ipr policy making process ; educate policy makers and the interested public about the threat of widespread “ collateral damage ” posed by some of the more radical ip enforcement proposals ; and promote alternative models for the remuneration of creativity. for further information, visit the link.


region description : coastal and tropical south southern coasts and tropical south. baton rouge la, brownsville tx, charleston sc, corpus christi tx, daytona beach fl, ft. lauderdale fl, galveston tx, houston tx, jacksonville fl, key west fl, laredo tx, miami fl, mobile al, monterrey mex, new orleans la, orlando fl, sarasota fl, savannah ga, tampa fl, tallahassee fl, and west palm beach fl. the coastal and tropical south region follows its namesake bodies of water and extends inland as far as the sea ' s influence moderates the climate. the gulf coast bends upward from brownsville and laredo texas, east across southern louisiana, mississippi, and alabama to the florida panhandle and northern florida. the lower atlantic coast draws a narrower swath along coastal georgia and south carolina to the north carolina border. the tropical areas include central and southern florida and the florida keys. the coastal and tropical south region is solidly subtropical and tropical. the gulf coast and lower atlantic coasts are not as hot as the true tropics or cold for as long as those just north of us. with about 100 + days each year above 86f, even where sea breezes prevail, the predominant weather is hot and humid. precipitation is heavy and frequent with annual rainfall averages between 40 and 60 inches a year. it ' s marked by high humidity, year round lush growing conditions, and little variation in the seasons. central and south florida have a distinct wet and dry climate typical of many tropical and subtropical areas of the world. the summer wet season is hot and humid. it usually begins in early june and ends around mid - october. the winter dry season starts in mid - october and continues until the beginning of june. we receive at least 2 / 3rds of our 50 to 65 inches a year average annual rainfall during the wet season with southeast, interior florida experiencing the heaviest rains. tropical rainfall can be intense with high winds and flooding a real problem in low lying coastal and southern areas. this is especially true during hurricane season from august to november. inland areas can receive frost in december and january while coastal areas, such as ft. lauderdale, are always warmer and some rarely receive frost. the keys are truly frost - free. the growing season most of this region will not experience frosts most winters. however, the summer ' s are oppressively hot and humid, making annual vegetable and flower growing difficult. the best growing season for annual flowers and vegetables is fall ( september ) through spring ( may


urban agriculture as a tool for economic recovery. customizable ideas for direct action use the grow section to explore innovative methods for planting, growing, farming, harvesting, reforesting, and building productive landscapes. this category covers subject areas like urban agriculture, community gardening, and urban forestry. issues addressed include food security, soil science, nutrition, and the socioeconomic importance of safe food production. in this category, creative solutions for managing stormwater and street runoff appear side by side with irrigation systems, canals, and fountains. water solutions for cities range from networks of streetside swales to small - footprint greenhouses occupying single vacant lots. emphasis is placed on reducing impermeable surfaces in cities — these include rooftops, sidewalks, and traditionally paved surfaces like playgrounds and basketball courts. alternative energy sources available in urban contexts include solar power, wind power, and biofuels. efficient green - building solutions and varied methods of bioremediation — preparing polluted urban soil for other uses — also appear in this diverse category. public space, education, recreation, and safety are serious considerations for anyone rehabilitating urban vacant lots. explore the play category to find inspiring designs combining all of these elements in parks, community centers, playgrounds, and alternative transportation systems. small solutions can often be the most accessible for individuals and communities, while producing the greatest positive impact. explore our solutions for lots to find compact architectural structures, mobile education units, pocket gardens, greenhouses, hydroponic beds, and many other projects for pocket - sized spaces. more space means bigger opportunities : long - term, large - scale operations working to fit the needs of entire neighborhoods. lots of lots collects examples of — and ideas for — rehabilitating former industrial sites, entire blocks, and other big vacant sites requiring complex planning. projects like these offer city governments and corporations the chance to support communities through funding, operational support, and policy change. building corridors brings together populations, businesses, and neighborhoods never before in close contact. explore this category to learn how urban networks of all kinds — from bicycle lanes to trail systems to small - scale barter economies — can capitalize on vacant properties to effect citywide change.


become a fan of h2g2 early in the development of christianity and islam, gnosticism and sufism1 became marginalised and persecuted as heretical beliefs. gnosticism and sufism themselves inspired two of the more interesting ' heresies ' of the middle ages. mani was born in persian - controlled iraq in 3ad and saw himself as one in the line of buddha, zoroaster and jesus. his philosophy was that evil was not a perversion of good, but rather an alternative form of matter to good. the two matters battled for supremacy over earth2. knowledge was the path to salvation, and missionary work was encouraged. by the time manicheism had travelled from iran to turkey and through the balkan trade routes into western europe it had developed the view that evil had already won on earth. in southern france, the cathar sect formed around the town albi3. they posited that all material things - the world, us, our actions, and so on, were inherently evil. the only good matter was heavenly matter - our souls, god, heaven, the non - material. catharism led to a society where eating meat or eggs was considered a mortal sin but where sexual promiscuity was encouraged. the cathars believed only the heart and mind contributed to one ' s soul ( the only bit of good in a person ) and thus it was impossible to sin below the waist. the enemies of the cathars in northern france termed them the bulgars or buggers4. faced with such an alternative lifestyle, the french roman catholic church felt they had little option but to send in armies on a crusade to slaughter them all. they started at beziers on 22 july, 1209 - a town with a sizeable cathar population. ' how will we know who to kill?, ' a knight is supposed to have asked abbot arnold aimery. ' slay them all, ' was the abbot ' s response, ' god will recognise his own. ' and so it went for nearly 20 years. thousands of innocents were slaughtered, towns were razed to the ground - their land passing to local nobles who supported the catholic church. in fact it became pretty clear to a lot of people that it wasn ' t so much a difference of faith at the root of this holocaust - the church was making a grab for land. one landowner in toulouse ran through the streets before the crusaders arrived declaring : i am no heretic - i have a wife ; and sleep with her.


a difference of faith at the root of this holocaust - the church was making a grab for land. one landowner in toulouse ran through the streets before the crusaders arrived declaring : i am no heretic - i have a wife ; and sleep with her... i eat meat, i tell lies and swear, and i am a good christian. so don ' t believe it when they say i am an atheist, not a word of it! they ' ll very likely accuse you too, as they have me - these accused villains want to put down honest folk and take the town from its lawful master. heresy of the free spirit the other major heresy of the middle ages was the heresy of the free spirit. the root of this heresy lies in sufi islam - the mystical, populist off - shoot of islam. the sufis thoughts were brought into the mainstream in north africa ( the maghreb5 ) through peculiar social and political events there. as the north africans controlled the iberian peninsula at this time, sufism entered europe through spain. the heresy of the free spirit is in essence a riddle. if god created everything, then he created evil. if we are in the image of god ( a god who is partly evil ) then it ' s acceptable to be evil. in fact any behaviour we are capable of, is a reflection of the divinity of god. sufism emphasises the oneness of all creation - that us, the universe and everything are parts of god and vice versa. introduced into the maghreb in the 12th century by al - ghazali6, scholarly sufism spread from the maghreb into europe via muslim andalusia, where spinoza ' s7 works lent the ideology of oneness - with - god increased momentum. the sufis of seville began the heresy of the free spirit movement - with followers undergoing an initiation of blind obedience to their master for several years before enjoying total freedom of action. their every impulse was a divine command. the heresy took off with holy beggars who wandered the roads of western europe along with widows and spinsters. the heresy had three major tenets : - all is divine. - there is no afterlife - heaven and hell are states of the soul during life. - to know of god renders one incapable of sin. united with god, the individual was above all laws, churches and rites. famous proponents of the heresy ( all killed by the church ) included marguerite porete, burned at the stake in paris in 1311 and heinrich suso who wrote


story and photos by nikki carlson on the milk river - water sloshing against the river banks and bending around rocks gives the milk river a fine - tuned heartbeat. this rhythmic dance whispers the river ' s past and future. usda natural resources conservation service watershed specialist warren kellogg says the milk river is a precious " jewel in our back yard " and its legacy should continue for future generations. " you feel like you ' ve gone back in time " when you ' re on the river, kellogg said. nrcs ' s mission is to educate people about conservation, management and improvement of the environment and natural resources. last friday, 15 nature enthusiasts - including three members of the hill county conservation district board of supervisers, staffers, family members and guests - grabbed their paddles and floated an 8 - mile stretch of the milk river. among them was conservation district administrative assistant shannon patterson. " we just wanted to keep ( the float ) educational for the supervisors and people who might find it interesting, " patterson said. the weather was sunny and complimented the 5 - hour float. as they moved downstream, they noted improvements that can be made in the areas of safety, wildlife habitat and conservation. they observed pump sites, bank erosion and weeds. " having a waterway like this 100 years ago was very important for other reasons than right now, " kellogg said. " right now, the importance is community recreation, tourism, municipal water and irrigation. " rows of rusty antique cars lining parts of the riverbank are one issue the conservation district and nrcs are concerned about. the cars were initially placed on some riverbanks about 50 years ago, kellogg said, as a preventative measure against erosion. kellogg said the car bodies should be replaced with rock as a safer and more attractive alternative. " people used to use them a long time ago as riprap. aesthetical and water quality - wise, this isn ' t a practical practice. " conrad nystrom, conservation district chairman, said the state department of fish, wildlife and parks is planning to remove the car bodies this fall when the water level drops. " ( the cars ) are an eyesore, pollutant to the water, a hazard for recreationists, rafts, and there ' s erosion going on behind the car bodies, " nystrom said. " it really didn ' t solve the problem as well as people thought it would. " another topic was a non - native shrub known as russian olive that ' s growing along the riverbanks. why all of the shrub talk


nystrom said. " it really didn ' t solve the problem as well as people thought it would. " another topic was a non - native shrub known as russian olive that ' s growing along the riverbanks. why all of the shrub talk? kellogg said this particular shrub " invades and crowds out native plants " in the area. " they ' re very adaptive to dry areas, but it ' s also on river water and it ' s kind of a nuisance, " kellogg said. " if it ' s allowed to go, eventually you could have 100 percent russian olive on this river bottom. " on a positive note, the cottonwood tree is also making a comeback along the milk river. at a stopping point, kellogg pointed out young cottonwoods along the bank. " they ' re starting to come back now due to a change in management over the years, " he said. years of erosion have left the roots of some cottonwoods naked along the riverbank, clearly suggesting that they will eventually fall over into the water. in order to prevent that, kellogg suggested the trees be cut down and the roots left alone so even more erosion will not occur. barbed wire fences gliding down the slopes beneath the river ' s surface were another cause for alarm for the supervisors because of the hazard they create for boaters. after the guided canoe tour, the group had gained a lifelong experience on the milk river. so what ' s in store for the milk river? now its whispers are being heard. " i think it ' s a beautiful trip, beautiful day, and nice company, " said nystrom. " i appreciate warren being here and giving us lots of good information. "


breathing - related sleep disorder breathing - related sleep disorder is marked by sleep disruption caused by abnormal breathing during sleep. the most common complaint of individuals with breathing - related sleep disorder is excessive daytime sleepiness, brought on by frequent interruptions of nocturnal, or nighttime, sleep. a less frequent complaint is insomnia or inability to sleep. mental health professionals use the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders also known as the dsm to diagnose mental disorders. in the 2000 edition of this manual ( the fourth edition, text revision, also known as dsm - iv - tr ) breathing - related sleep disorder is listed as one of several different primary sleep disorders. within the category of primary sleep disorders, it is classified as one of the dyssomnias, which are characterized by irregularities in the quality, timing, and amount of sleep. the dsm - iv - tr lists three types of breathing - related sleep disorder : obstructive sleep apnea syndrome ( the most common type ) ; central sleep apnea syndrome ; and central alveolar hypoventilation syndrome. the most common feature of any breathing - related sleep disorder is interruption of the person ' s sleep leading to excessive daytime sleepiness. when the regular nighttime sleep of individuals is frequently interrupted, sleepiness at other times of the day is the usual result. people with breathing - related sleep disorder often find that they feel sleepy during such relaxing activities as reading or watching a movie. with extreme cases, the person may feel so sleepy that he or she falls asleep during activities that require alertness, such as talking, walking, or driving. other people with breathing - related sleep disorder report having insomnia, or the inability to sleep. patients also find that their sleep does not refresh them ; they may awaken frequently during sleep, or have difficulty breathing while sleeping or lying down. the two sleep apnea syndromes that are listed as subtypes of breathing - related sleep disorder are characterized by episodes of airway blockage or stopping of breathing during sleep. sleep apnea is potentially deadly. the other type of breathing - related sleep disorder, central alveolar hypoventilation syndrome, is distinguished from the other two subtypes by the fact that the reduced oxygen content of the blood is caused by shallow breathing. the alveoli, which are the tiny air sacs in the lung tissue, are not able to oxygenate the blood efficiently because the person is not breathing deeply enough. shallow breathing often occurs when people are awake and is common


by shallow breathing. the alveoli, which are the tiny air sacs in the lung tissue, are not able to oxygenate the blood efficiently because the person is not breathing deeply enough. shallow breathing often occurs when people are awake and is common in severely overweight individuals. many persons with the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome subtype of breathing - related sleep disorder are overweight. the symptoms often grow worse as the person ' s weight increases. persons who have obstructive sleep apnea and are not overweight often have breathing passages that are narrowed by swollen tonsils, abnormally large adenoids, or other abnormalities of the various structures of the mouth and throat. central sleep apnea syndrome is often associated with cardiac or neurological conditions affecting airflow regulation. it is a disorder that occurs most frequently in elderly patients. obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, which is the most common type of breathing - related sleep disorder, is marked by frequent episodes of upper - airway obstruction during sleep. patients with this syndrome alternate between loud snores or gasps and silent periods that usually last for 20 – 30 seconds. the snoring is caused by the partial blockage of the airway. the silent periods are caused by complete obstruction of the airway, which makes the patient ' s breathing stop. obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is also common in children with enlarged tonsils. the symptoms of any breathing - related sleep disorder in children are often subtle and more difficult to diagnose. children under five are more likely to demonstrate such nighttime symptoms as apnea and breathing difficulties. children over five are more likely to demonstrate such daytime symptoms as sleepiness and attention difficulties. persons with central sleep apnea syndrome experience periods when the oxygenation of blood in the lungs temporarily stops during sleep ; but they do not suffer airway obstruction. although these patients may snore, their snoring is usually mild and not a major complaint. central alveolar hypoventilation syndrome is characterized by excessive sleepiness and insomnia. the majority of patients with the obstructive sleep apnea type of breathing - related sleep disorder are overweight, middle - aged males. adult males are two to four times as likely as adult females to experience obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. among children the male : female ratio is 1 : 1. central sleep apnea syndrome is most common in the elderly. a diagnosis of breathing - related sleep disorder usually requires a thorough physical examination of the patient. the


- related sleep disorder, a good preventive measure is effective weight management. good general health and treatment of related physiological conditions are also effective in preventing the disorder. american psychiatric association. diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th edition, text revised. washington, dc : american psychiatric association, 2000. buysse, daniel j., charles m. morin, and charles f. reynolds iii. " sleep disorders. " in treatments of psychiatric disorders, edited by glen o. gabbard. 2nd edition. washington, dc : american psychiatric press. hobson, j. allan, and rosalia silvestri. " sleep and its disorders. " in the harvard guide to psychiatry, edited by armand m. nicholi, jr., m. d. cambridge, ma : belknap press of harvard university press, 1999. saskin, paul. " obstructive sleep apnea : treatment options, efficacy, and effects. " in understanding sleep : the evaluation and treatment of sleep disorders, edited by mark r. pressman, ph. d., and william c. orr, ph. d. washington, dc : american psychological association, 1997. thorpy, michael j., m. d., and jan yager, ph. d. the encyclopedia of sleep and sleep disorders. 2nd edition. new york : facts on file, 2001. american sleep apnea association. 1424 k street nw, suite 302, washington dc 20005. < http : / / www. sleepapnea. org >. american sleep disorders association. 6301 bandel road nw, suite 101, rochester, mn 55901. < http : / / www. asda. org >. ali fahmy, ph. d.


a $ 25 investment in 1963 for extra - fat insulation batts was the smartest decision harold orr has ever made. almost five decades ago, the man behind canada ' s respected r - 2000 program hired a saskatoon contractor to build a modest 1, 100 - square - foot bungalow for him, his wife, mary, and a young family that would eventually grow to include four sons, four daughters and a number of foster children. it was a full house, but also a warm one that operated on a slim budget. " i don ' t remember exactly what i saved that first year, but it was at least $ 25. now i estimate i save $ 400 to $ 500 a year on heating with natural gas, " says the 80 - year - old internationally recognized environmental engineer. orr is the principal brain behind the saskatchewan conservation house, an 1, 800 - square - foot two - storey built in regina in 1977 by a team of leading energy professionals. it was the first r - 2000 home built in north america and it was crafted from suggestions orr made to the organizing committee the year before — 13 years after he customized his family ' s three - bedroom bungalow. a respected graduate of the national research council in ottawa and then the nrc ' s saskatoon offices, orr was asked for suggestions but cautioned against offering anything experimental or crazy. he came back with a seven - point building plan that became the blueprint for the conservation house and, later, canada ' s successful r - 2000 program. even more important, his recommendations were, and remain, the foundation of sweeping changes to green the building code, which was just updated this month in four provinces — ontario, nova scotia, manitoba and british columbia. there are some differences between the 2012 building code changes and his own green menu : - orr suggested no basement, because they were too expensive to insulate and prone to water leaks. - most of the windows should be on the south side of the house to capture the warmth of the sun and limited to smaller dimensions on the east, north and west side of the home to prevent heat loss. - shutters would be less expensive than opting for triple - glazed windows and do the same job of saving energy, he reasoned. - finally, walls should be 12 inches thick to accommodate extra insulation and there should be 20 inches of insulation in the roof. the conservation house created a furor among a concerned minority of environmental leaders who wanted to create an energy - efficient home in the years following the opec oil crisis in the ' 70s. oil prices


there should be 20 inches of insulation in the roof. the conservation house created a furor among a concerned minority of environmental leaders who wanted to create an energy - efficient home in the years following the opec oil crisis in the ' 70s. oil prices that almost tripled in two months, from $ 3. 56 a barrel in october 1973 to a record $ 11. 65 by january 1974. a year later, the danes built a zero - energy house in lyngby, denmark, that utilized some of orr ' s r - 2000 components and operated on less than $ 40 a year. americans were going in similar green directions, pushing r - 2000 standards and super - insulated homes, while sliding away from stingier passive solar - heated homes because they were more expensive to build. orr used many of the same r - 2000 building techniques in retrofitting older homes, turning energy gobblers into energy misers. yet the drive to build more r - 2000 homes and homes with environmental benefits crashed when the price of oil tumbled from $ 32 a barrel in 1982 to $ 11 a barrel in ' 86, prompting then u. s. president ronald reagan to slash funding to innovative energy - saving programs. there were similar spending cuts by former conservative prime minister brian mulroney, including trims to nrc staff and programs, prompting orr to take a buyout when he was 55. in saskatoon, orr continues to consult in the energy sector and continues to pocket energy savings based on the $ 25 investment in extra - fat insulation batts. his brick bungalow cost $ 13, 890 at the time. he spent an extra $ 500 for brick siding, another $ 100 on operating windows to allow summer breezes to cool the inside of the home and another bit of money for a second, smaller bathroom on the main floor. before finishing the basement — adding two bedrooms, a family room and a bathroom — orr personally installed a tight vapour barrier to keep out moisture and keep in heat. " i didn ' t trust the contractor to do a good, tight job. so i did it with a friend from work on the weekend. " over the years, the orrs have replaced the original windows with triple - glazed models containing low - e argon gas, traded wooden slab doors for insulated metal options and upgraded the furnace. but those fat insulation batts, which improved the r - 7 factor up to r - 10, are still in the walls, paying back dividends far better than any mutual fund. in fact, a


100 % satisfaction guarantee - no headaches! an excerpt from www. houseofnames. com archives copyright © 2000 - 2013 where did the german zink family come from? what is the german zink family crest and coat of arms? when did the zink family first arrive in the united states? where did the various branches of the family go? what is the zink family history? the name almost surely comes from the middle high german word " zinke, " meaning " a tip, " or " point, " but the reason that name was given is somewhat uncertain. there are three main possibilities and the most likely of these is that the name was given to someone who lived on a pointed piece of land, either a point of land by a body of water or a small, pointed hill. another possibility is that is was a nickname for someone with a very pointy nose. the word " zinke " was also used for a cornet ; so the name might have been given to someone who played that musical instrument. spelling variations of this family name include : zink, zinke, zincke, zingg, sink, sinke, synk and others. first found in bavaria, where the name was closely identified in early medieval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout european history. the name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs. this web page shows only a small excerpt of our zink research. another 148 words ( 11 lines of text ) are included under the topic early zink history in all our pdf extended history products. more information is included under the topic early zink notables in all our pdf extended history products. some of the first settlers of this family name were : zink settlers in the united states in the 18th century - rudolf zink, who arrived in new york in 1709 with his wife and four children - rudolf zink, who arrived in new york in 1709 - gottlieb zink, who landed in pennsylvania in 1752 zink settlers in the united states in the 19th century - martin zink, who arrived in philadelphia, pennsylvania in 1802 - nikolaus zink, who arrived in texas in 1844 - phillip zink, who landed in allegany ( allegheny ) county, pennsylvania in 1845 - carl zink, who landed in texas in 1846 - heinrich theodor zink, who arrived in america in 1854 - charles tadao " charlie