the real goal of nutrition is the management of cellular inflammation. increased cellular inflammation makes us fat, sick, and dumb ( how about overweight, ill, and less intelligent ). strictly speaking, diets are defined by their macronutrient balance. this is because that balance determines the resulting hormonal responses. this doesn ’ t mean you can ignore the impact of various food ingredients on the generation of cellular inflammation. this is why i categorize food ingredients into three major classes depending on when they were introduced into the human diet. the more ancient the food ingredients, the less damaging inflammatory impact they will have on turning genes off and on ( i. e. gene expression ). this is because the greater the period of time our genes have co - evolved with a given food ingredient, the more our body knows how to handle them. unfortunately, human genes change slowly, but changes in our food supply can happen very rapidly. with that as a background, let me describe the three major categories of food ingredients, especially in terms of their introduction to the human diet. this category includes food ingredients that were available more than 10, 000 years ago. our best evidence is that humans first appeared as a new species in southern africa about 200, 000 years ago ( 1 ). for the next 190, 000 years, food ingredients of the human diet consisted of animal protein ( grass - fed only ), fish, animal and fish fats, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. i call these paleolithic ingredients. this means for the first 95 percent of our existence as a species, these were the only food ingredients that genes were exposed to. as a result of 190, 000 years of co - existence with our genes, these food ingredients have the least inflammatory potential on our genes. our best estimate of the macronutrient composition of the typical paleolithic diet some 10 - 15, 000 years ago was 25 - 28 percent protein, 40 percent carbohydrate, 32 - 35 percent fat with a very high intake of epa and dha ( about 6 grams per day ) and a 1 : 1 ratio of omega - 6 to omega - 3 fats ( 2 ). this is basically the composition of the anti inflammatory diet ( 3 - 5 ). if you use only paleolithic ingredients, then you are almost forced to follow an anti inflammatory diet. the food ingredients are more restrictive, but the increased anti - inflammatory benefits are well worth it. the second group of food ingredients represents those food choices that were available 2,


chinese yellow - headed box turtles are considered to be one of the 25 most endangered turtles in the world, with fewer than 150 individuals remaining in the wild. they once thrived in streams in the highlands of the anhui province of eastern china. but the population collapsed due to human consumption, use in traditional medicine, pollution, habitat loss, and the pet trade. chinese yellow - headed box turtles require the artificial manipulation of specific environmental and climatic conditions in order to be stimulated to breed. but the experts at wcs ’ s bronx zoo were able to successfully recreate these conditions in propagation areas in the zoo ’ s reptile house. “ the biology of the species requires the adults to hibernate prior to breeding, ” said don boyer, curator of herpetology at wcs ’ s bronx zoo. “ we carefully monitor the environment and gradually reduce the temperature in order to induce a natural state of hibernation. following hibernation, turtle pairs are introduced and carefully monitored to watch for evidence of courtship and breeding activities. ” read more about wcs ' s fine conservation efforts below the fold : more than half of the world ’ s approximately 330 species of freshwater turtles and tortoises are threatened with extinction due to illegal trade and habitat loss. most of the world ’ s turtle trade is driven by demand from china, specifically for human consumption, traditional medicines, and to sell for pets. the wcs strategy to save turtles draws on all of the resources and expertise across the institution – from its zoos and aquarium, wildlife health program, and global conservation programs. the plan involves preventing the extinction of at least half of the species appearing in a 2011 report by wcs and other groups that listed the 25 most endangered turtles and tortoises. wcs will breed and reintroduce some species, develop assurance colonies ( groups of animals maintained in our zoos or aquarium so that no genetic diversity is lost ) for others, and protect another subset with field work. the recent hatchings at the bronx zoo will become a part of an assurance colony kept at the zoo. “ the success we are seeing in the early stages of this program is encouraging, ” said jim breheny, wcs executive vice president of zoos and aquarium and bronx zoo director. “ over time, we hope to expand our turtle propagation work to extend to many of the most endangered species of turtles and tortoises. in implementing this strategy we will draw on the expertise found throughout the entire wcs organization as well as various partner organizations with whom we work


by jonah lehrer book list creativity a flash in the pan or 99 - percent perspiration? a - list journalist lehrer ( how we decide, 2009 ) tackles the question in broad strokes, covering topics as diverse as office layouts, urban planning, drug use, and brain chemistry. it turns out that the question isn ' t easy to answer, for it seems that a method used by one creative person doesn ' t translate for another. lehrer describes the creative activities of such luminaries as david byrne and the ceo of pixar, then dissects why each approach works for that individual or group. some examples are a bit of a stretch. the section on shakespeare, for instance, is eye - rollingly speculative. but, just as lehrer points out that explicit instruction is anathema to creative play and discovery, he seems to say in each section, isn ' t this neat? and leave the bulk of the work to the reader ' s imagination. in that sense, imagine is a great introduction for anyone curious about the nature and dynamics of creativity. - - hunter, sarah copyright 2010 booklist from booklist, copyright © american library association. used with permission. choice for those acquainted with lehrer ' s two previous books, proust was a neuroscientist ( 2007 ) and how we decide ( ch, aug ' 09, 46 - 6789 ), the format of the present volume will be quite familiar. the subject, in this case the creative process, is broken down into two subcategories - - " alone " and " together " - - each illumined by anecdote, case study, and scientific findings from the field and laboratory. in the course of looking at art, invention, and improvisation, the author has focused on creative works and products ranging from west side story, bob dylan ' s " like a rolling stone, " and shakespeare ' s henry vi to the personal computer, post - it notes, and nike ' s " just do it " slogan. he explores the creative work of individuals - - including steve jobs, paul erdos, jack kerouac, and yo - yo ma - - and innovative institutions such as 3 - m, google, second city, pixar, and eli lilly. lehrer examines both standard approaches to the study of creativity and recent developments in psychology and neuroscience, for example, right - brain functioning, neuronal learning, recursive loops, semantic priming, conceptual blending, and informational


eli lilly. lehrer examines both standard approaches to the study of creativity and recent developments in psychology and neuroscience, for example, right - brain functioning, neuronal learning, recursive loops, semantic priming, conceptual blending, and informational entropy. this is a fitting companion to the author ' s earlier work and an informative introduction to one of the most elusive of human capacities, the creative imagination. summing up : highly recommended. lower - and upper - division undergraduates ; graduate students ; professionals ; general readers. r. m. davis emeritus, albion college copyright american library association, used with permission. library journal in his new book on creativity, lehrer ( how we decide ) presents captivating case studies of innovative minds, companies, and cities while tying in the latest in scientific research. he recounts the sometimes surprising origins of hugely successful inventions, brands, and ideas ( e. g., the swiffer mop, barbie doll, pixar animation ) and reveals unexpected commonalities in the creative experiences ( e. g., the color blue, distractedness, living abroad ). the book combines individual case studies with broader psychology to provide new insights into creativity, much like sheena iyengar ' s the art of choosing. many of lehrer ' s insights are based on emerging scientific practices and are thus fresh and especially applicable to modern life. he emphasizes innovative companies and experimental approaches to education and includes historical factoids that reveal the backstories of everyday items. verdict lehrer ' s findings can be used to inform the design of innovative programs or to structure a productive work environment at home or at the office. this book will appeal to educators, business administrators, and readers interested in applied psychology. [ see prepub alert, 10 / 15 / 11. ] - ryan nayler, univ. of toronto lib., ont. ( c ) copyright 2012. library journals llc, a wholly owned subsidiary of media source, inc. no redistribution permitted. ( c ) copyright 2010. library journals llc, a wholly owned subsidiary of media source, inc. no redistribution permitted.


april 1, 2009 the american recovery and reinvestment act of 2009 ( arra ) appropriates significant new funding for programs under parts b and c of the individuals with disabilities education act ( idea ). part b of the idea provides funds to state educational agencies ( seas ) and local educational agencies ( leas ) to help them ensure that children with disabilities, including children aged three through five, have access to a free appropriate public education to meet each child ' s unique needs and prepare him or her for further education, employment, and independent living. part c of the idea provides funds to each state lead agency designated by the governor to implement statewide systems of coordinated, comprehensive, multidisciplinary interagency programs and make early intervention services available to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. the idea funds under arra will provide an unprecedented opportunity for states, leas, and early intervention service providers to implement innovative strategies to improve outcomes for infants, toddlers, children, and youths with disabilities while stimulating the economy. under the arra, the idea funds are provided under three authorities : $ 11. 3 billion is available under part b grants to states ; $ 400 million is available under part b preschool grants ; and $ 500 million is available under part c grants for infants and families. preliminary information about each state ' s allocation is available at : http : / / www. ed. gov / about / overview / budget / statetables / index. html. this web site also provides information about the state fiscal stabilization fund ( sfsf ) under the arra, which is separate from the idea arra funds described in this fact sheet. this document focuses on part b ; additional information on part c is available at http : / / www. ed. gov / policy / gen / leg / recovery / factsheet / idea. html. idea, part b arra funds are a key element of the arra principles as described below : overview of arra principles : the overall goals of the arra are to stimulate the economy in the short term and invest in education and other essential public services to ensure the long - term economic health of our nation. the success of the education part of the arra will depend on the shared commitment and responsibility of students, parents, teachers, principals, superintendents, education boards, college presidents, state school chiefs, governors, local officials, and federal officials. collectively, we must advance arra ' s short - term economic goals by investing quickly, and we must support arra ' s


principals, superintendents, education boards, college presidents, state school chiefs, governors, local officials, and federal officials. collectively, we must advance arra ' s short - term economic goals by investing quickly, and we must support arra ' s long - term economic goals by investing wisely, using these funds to strengthen education, drive reforms, and improve results for students from early learning through college. four principles guide the distribution and use of arra funds : spend funds quickly to save and create jobs. arra funds will be distributed quickly to states and other entities in order to avert layoffs and create jobs. states in turn are urged to move rapidly to develop plans for using funds, consistent with arra ' s reporting and accountability requirements, and to promptly begin spending funds to help drive the nation ' s economic recovery. improve student achievement through school improvement and reform. arra funds should be used to improve student achievement and help close the achievement gap. in addition, the sfsf requires progress on four reforms previously authorized under the bipartisan elementary and secondary education act of 1965, as amended, and the america competes act of 2007 : making progress toward rigorous college - and career - ready standards and high - quality assessments that are valid and reliable for all students, including english language learners and students with disabilities ; establishing pre - k to college and career data systems that track progress and foster continuous improvement ; making improvements in teacher effectiveness and in the equitable distribution of qualified teachers for all students, particularly students who are most in need ; providing intensive support and effective interventions for the lowest - performing schools. ensure transparency, reporting and accountability. to prevent fraud and abuse, support the most effective uses of arra funds, and accurately measure and track results, recipients must publicly report on how funds are used. due to the unprecedented scope and importance of this investment, arra funds are subject to additional and more rigorous reporting requirements than normally apply to grant recipients. invest one - time arra funds thoughtfully to minimize the " funding cliff. " arra represents a historic infusion of funds that is expected to be temporary. depending on the program, these funds are available for only two to three years. these funds should be invested in ways that do not result in unsustainable continuing commitments after the funding expires. awarding idea part b grants to states and preschool grants arra funds the department of education awarded 50 percent of the idea, part b grants to states and preschool grants arra funds to seas on april 1, 2009. the other 50 percent will be


. awarding idea part b grants to states and preschool grants arra funds the department of education awarded 50 percent of the idea, part b grants to states and preschool grants arra funds to seas on april 1, 2009. the other 50 percent will be awarded by september 30, 2009. these awards will be in addition to the regular fiscal year ( fy ) 2009 part b grants to states and preschool grants awards that will be made on july 1, 2009 ( grants to states and preschool grants ) and october 1, 2009 ( grants to states only ). together, these grant awards will constitute a state ' s total fy 2009 part b grants to states and preschool grants allocations. - a state did not need to submit a new application to receive the first 50 percent of the part b grants to states and preschool grants arra funds because these funds were made available to each state based on the state ' s eligibility established for fy 2008 part b funds and the provision of the certification required by section 1607 of the arra. the assurances in the state ' s fy 2008 application, as well as the requirements of the arra, apply to these arra funds. in order to receive the remaining 50 percent of idea, part b arra funds, a state must submit, for review and approval by the department, additional information that addresses how the state will meet the accountability and reporting requirements in section 1512 of the arra. - the additional idea funds provided under the arra do not increase the amount a state would otherwise be able to reserve for state administration or other state - level activities under its regular grants to states fy 2009 award. - lea eligibility for the first 50 percent of the idea arra funds is based on eligibility established by the lea for fy 2008 funds. - in accordance with the goals of the arra, a state should obligate idea arra funds to leas expeditiously, but prudently. a state should make the part b grants to states and preschool grants arra funds that it receives in march available to leas by the end of april 2009. - similarly, an lea should use the idea arra funds expeditiously, but prudently. an lea should obligate the majority of these funds during school years 2008 - 09 and 2009 - 10 and the remainder during school year 2010 - 11. states may begin obligating idea, part b arra funds immediately upon the effective date of the grant. all idea arra funds must be obligated


years 2008 - 09 and 2009 - 10 and the remainder during school year 2010 - 11. states may begin obligating idea, part b arra funds immediately upon the effective date of the grant. all idea arra funds must be obligated by september 30, 2011. uses of idea, part b arra funds all idea arra funds must be used consistent with the current idea, part b statutory and regulatory requirements and applicable requirements in the general education provisions act ( gepa ) and the education department general administrative regulations ( edgar ). an lea must use idea arra funds only for the excess costs of providing special education and related services to children with disabilities, except where idea specifically provides otherwise. the idea arra funds constitute a large one - time increment in idea, part b funding that offers states and leas a unique opportunity to improve teaching and learning and results for children with disabilities. generally, funds should be used for short - term investments that have the potential for long - term benefits, rather than for expenditures the leas may not be able to sustain once the arra funds are expended. some possible uses of these limited - term idea arra funds that are allowable under idea and aligned with the core reform goals for which states must provide assurances under sfsf include : - obtain state - of - the art assistive technology devices and provide training in their use to enhance access to the general curriculum for students with disabilities. - provide intensive district - wide professional development for special education and regular education teachers that focuses on scaling - up, through replication, proven and innovative evidence - based school - wide strategies in reading, math, writing and science, and positive behavioral supports to improve outcomes for students with disabilities. - develop or expand the capacity to collect and use data to improve teaching and learning. - expand the availability and range of inclusive placement options for preschoolers with disabilities by developing the capacity of public and private preschool programs to serve these children. - hire transition coordinators to work with employers in the community to develop job placements for youths with disabilities. invitation for waivers the secretary intends to issue regulations to allow reasonable adjustments to the limitation on state administration expenditures to help states defray the costs of arra data collection requirements. idea, part b fiscal issues - an lea may be able to reduce the level of state and local expenditures otherwise required by the idea lea maintenance of effort ( moe ) requirements. generally, under section 613 ( a ) ( 2 ) ( c ), in any fiscal year that an lea ' s


be able to reduce the level of state and local expenditures otherwise required by the idea lea maintenance of effort ( moe ) requirements. generally, under section 613 ( a ) ( 2 ) ( c ), in any fiscal year that an lea ' s idea allocation exceeds the amount the lea received in the previous year, under certain circumstances, the lea may reduce the level of state and local expenditures by up to 50 percent of the amount of the increase, as long as the lea uses those freed - up local funds for activities that could be supported under the esea, such as services for children at risk of school failure without additional support. if an lea takes advantage of this provision, the required moe for future years is reduced consistent with the reduction it took, unless the lea increases the amount of its state and local expenditures on its own. seas should encourage leas that can and do take advantage of this flexibility to focus the freed - up local funds on one - time expenditures that will help the state make progress on the goals in the sfsf program, such as improving the equitable distribution of effective teachers and the quality and use of assessments to enhance instruction for students most in need. - alternatively, an lea may ( or in some cases must ) use up to 15 percent of its total idea, part b grants to states and preschool grants for early intervening services for children in grades k through 12 who are not currently identified as children with disabilities, but who need additional academic and behavioral support to succeed in a general education environment. however, an lea may use only up to 15 percent of its allocation minus any amount ( on a dollar - for - dollar basis ) by which the lea reduced its required state and local expenditures under section 613 ( a ) ( 2 ) ( c ). - state - level moe may be waived under part b of the idea by the secretary of education on a state - by - state basis, for a single year at a time, for exceptional or uncontrollable circumstances, such as a natural disaster or a precipitous and unforeseen decline in the financial resources of a state. lea - level moe may not be waived. - with prior approval from the secretary of education, a state or lea may count sfsf ( but not idea arra funds ) under the arra that are used for special education and related services as non - federal funds for purposes of determining whether the state or lea has met the idea, part b moe requirements. ( see separate fact sheet on sfsf for more information. )


units of work the units of work are delivered as downloadable word documents so that teachers can customise them for use in their classroom. they include references to electronic resources ( software, websites and items from the learning federation collection of online resources ), print resources ( many include worksheets for students to use ) and other physical resources. there is a brief outline of each unit below including suggested year level ( s ). teachers from around the country were involved in this work, and aamt members would like to thank them for their efforts. melanie bezear, calwell primary school, act jane mcalpine, chapman primary school, act anne pillman, marryatville primary school, sa stephanie watts, trinity catholic primary school, nsw thomas psomas, all saints grammar school, nsw gayle cann, parap primary school, nt mark darrell, hallett cove school, sa nicole heyder, atwell college, wa lyn pierrehumbert, durack school, nt shelley jenkinson, deanmore primary school, wa bernie o ’ sullivan, st luke ' s anglican school, qld wendy fletcher, centre for extended learning opportunities roxanne steenbergen, claremont primary school, tas michael macrae, duncraig senior high school education support centre, wa terry jacka, st hilda ' s school, qld ed cuthbertson, lanyon high school, act [ year 1 ] counting on, counting back the beginning of this unit focuses on ensuring that students have basic foundation skills, and an understanding of both what the number line means and the forward and backward number sequence. they then progress to developing conceptual understandings of place value, specifically tens and ones. once these foundation skills have been mastered, students are introduced to the strategies of counting on and then counting back. uw _ 003 _ counting _ on _ counting _ back. doc 582. 50 kb [ years 2 - 4 ] going places in this unit of work students visualise and plan routes, understand and use the language of position and give and interpret directions using a variety of formats and resources. uw _ 005 _ going _ places. doc 665. 00 kb [ year 3 ] area and perimeter this unit allows students to explore the beginning concepts of perimeter and area, including the formal units of cm, m, cm sq, and m sq and to learn the differences between these measurements. uw _ 006 _ area _ perimeter. doc 140. 50 kb [ year 4 ] multiplying and dividing with arrays this


the formal units of cm, m, cm sq, and m sq and to learn the differences between these measurements. uw _ 006 _ area _ perimeter. doc 140. 50 kb [ year 4 ] multiplying and dividing with arrays this unit explores the concepts of multiplication and division and offers students strategies to perform these operations. uw _ 003 _ uniting _ and _ dividing. doc 282. 50 kb [ years 4 - 5 ] cities taking shape students develop their knowledge of 2d and 3d shapes, and the relationships between them. they learn about how a 3d shape can look different when viewed from different positions. students use knowledge and skills gained through the unit to design and construct a ‘ model ’ city or town block. uw _ 003 _ cities _ taking _ shape. doc 948. 00 kb [ years 4 - 10 ] telling the time this unit introduces the formal measurement of time using the terms ‘ o ’ clock ’, ‘ half past ’, ‘ quarter past ’ and ‘ quarter to ’ and their representation on an analogue clock. it is specifically for students with autism spectrum disorders ( asd ), so the learning experiences offered are structured, methodical and sequential and require one - to - one instruction. uw _ 006 _ telling _ the _ time. doc 639. 00 kb [ years 5 - 6 ] graphs and data this unit of work explores why we need data, and how to collate, present and analyse it to extract the information it offers. uw _ 004 _ graphs _ and _ data. doc 247. 00 kb [ years 5 - 6 ] chances are this unit explores the mathematics of chance. discover the language of chance and how it affects our decisions. explore the notion of probability, and how we can influence this. uw _ 005 _ chances _ are. doc 699. 50 kb [ year 6 ] you say data, i say data this unit introduces the students to a variety of graphs. they will examine examples of various types of graphs and then conduct their own surveys to collect and present the data in a specified form. uw _ 003 _ you _ say _ data. doc 495. 00 kb [ years 6 - 7 ] places for polygons this unit of work investigates the geometric properties of buildings to develop students ’ understanding of polygons. uw _ 003 _ places _ for _ polygons. doc 412. 00 kb [ years 6 - 8 ] take a chance this unit provides students with a real life context to investigate


buildings to develop students ’ understanding of polygons. uw _ 003 _ places _ for _ polygons. doc 412. 00 kb [ years 6 - 8 ] take a chance this unit provides students with a real life context to investigate the language of chance and how events may be manipulated to alter the chance of something happening. it also introduces the use of fractions, decimals and percentages when looking at probability. uw _ 004 _ take _ a _ chance. doc 276. 50 kb [ years 7 - 8 ] fraction action in this unit of work students move from working with tenths, hundredths and thousandths to relating common and decimal fractions and percentages. uw _ 007 _ fraction _ action. doc 350. 50 kb [ year 8 ] investigating us this unit is designed to enable students to design and conduct simple surveys, collate the data into appropriate tables, identify the types of graphs that are suited to display the data sets depending on the number and types of variables, select appropriate display formats to represent the data and interpret data from the graphs and tables. it utilises students ’ natural interest regarding themselves and where they ‘ fit in ’ in relation to their peers. uw _ 004 _ investigating _ us. doc 582. 00 kb [ years 8 - 10 ] turn up the volume in this unit of work students explore and explain the connections between the surface area and volume of different shapes and how each attribute is measured. uw _ 008 _ turn _ up _ the _ volume. doc 881. 00 kb [ years 11 - 12 ] periodic functions this unit focuses on periodic functions and is part of a university preparation course for those aiming to study mathematics and science courses such as engineering. uw _ 005 _ periodic _ functions. doc 831. 00 kb


china has stunned the world with its rapid economic growth in recent years, showcased through the glittering skyline of shanghai and the global events like the 2008 olympics. but while the country has amassed tremendous wealth, china still trails the developed world in its ability to provide even basic health care for its people. with its massive 1. 3 billion population, china ' s health care expenditures are miniscule compared to western nations. china spent less than 5 percent of its gdp on health care in 2005, compared to roughly 16 percent spent in the united states and 10 percent in canada, according to the world health organization. " the amount of government spending on health care is really low. it ' s less than $ 10 per person, per year, " said drew thompson, director of china studies and starr senior fellow at the nixon center. per person expenditures in the u. s. have topped $ 6, 000 in recent years. despite china ' s communist government, health care remains largely the responsibility of individuals. out - of - pocket expenses are extremely high in comparison to average earnings. a single hospital visit nearly matches china ' s annual income per capita. health insurance is not mandated, though the government does have health insurance programs that provide coverage to some 90 percent of the population. the programs include an employer - based system, a program for urban residents, and another program covering the rural population. for the most part, the programs do not cover the basic care. " at the moment, most programs in the provinces across china provide primarily in - patient care service, " said dr. gordon liu, professor of economics at peking university. " basically, the goal is to protect you from having catastrophic problems. " as a result, much of the chinese population doesn ' t even receive basic medical care. " they ' re still paying largely out of pocket, which causes them to delay going to the doctor, " thompson said. " people don ' t go to the hospital until they ' re really sick. there ' s no preventative services. " but even with the financial disincentive, there still is a shortage of care. " usually, chinese people would have to wait many days to get registered, or you have to know someone... to get registered before you are diagnosed and treated, " said liu. " we have a supply shortage... meaning beds, the doctors, good hospital facilities are not enough to meet the demand by people. " for those who do seek care, treatment rarely approaches anything close to a western standard of care. though


newly discovered bacterial alchemists could help save billions of plastic bottles from landfills. the pseudomonas strains can convert the low - grade pet plastic used in drinks bottles into a more valuable and biodegradable plastic called pha. pha is already used in medical applications, from artery - supporting tubes called stents to wound dressings. the plastic can be processed to have a range of physical properties. however, one of the barriers to pha reaching wider use is the absence of a way to make it in large quantities. the new bacteria - driven process – termed upcycling – could address that, and make recycling pet bottles more economically attractive. pet bugs although billions of plastic bottles are made each year, few are ultimately recycled. just 23. 5 % of us bottles were recycled in 2006. this is because the recycling process simply converts the low value pet bottles into more pet, says kevin o ' connor at university college dublin, ireland. " we wanted to see if we could turn the plastic into something of higher value in an environmentally friendly way, " he says. o ' connor and colleagues knew that heating pet in the absence of oxygen – a process called pyrolysis – breaks it down into terephthalic acid ( ta ) and a small amount of oil and gas. they also knew that some bacteria can grow and thrive on ta, and that other bacteria produce a high - value plastic pha when stressed. so they wondered whether any bacteria could both feed on ta and convert it into pha. bacteria hunt " it was a long shot to be honest, " says o ' connor. his team studied cultures from around the world known to grow on ta, but none produced pha. so they decided to look for undiscovered strains, in environments that naturally contain ta. analysing soil bacteria from a pet bottle processing plant, which are likely to be exposed to small quantities of ta, yielded 32 colonies that could survive in the lab using ta as their only energy source. after 48 hours they screened each culture for pha. three cultures, all similar to known strains of pseudomonas, accumulated detectable quantities of the valuable plastic. the next step is to improve the efficiency of the process, says o ' connor. " a quarter to a third of each cell is filled with plastic – we want to increase that to 50 to 60 %. " less landfill sudesh kumar, a microbiologist at the university of science, malaysia, in penang, is impressed with the study. "


simple observational proof of the greenhouse effect of carbon dioxide posted by ari jokimaki on april 19, 2010 recently, i showed briefly a simple observational proof that greenhouse effect exists using a paper by ellingson & wiscombe ( 1996 ). now i will present a similar paper that deepens the proof and shows more clearly how different greenhouse gases really are greenhouse gases. i ’ ll highlight the carbon dioxide related issues in their paper. walden et al. ( 1998 ) studied the downward longwave radiation spectrum in antarctica. their study covers only a single year so this is not about how the increase in greenhouse gases affects. they measured the downward longwave radiation spectrum coming from atmosphere to the surface during the year ( usually in every 12 hours ) and then selected three measurements from clear - sky days for comparison with the results of a line - by - line radiative transfer model. first they described why antarctica is a good place for this kind of study : since the atmosphere is so cold and dry ( < 1 mm of precipitable water ), the overlap of the emission spectrum of water vapor with that of other gases is greatly reduced. therefore the spectral signatures of other important infrared emitters, namely, co2, o3, ch4, and n2o, are quite distinct. in addition, the low atmospheric temperatures provide an extreme test case for testing models spectral overlapping is a consideration here because they are using a moderate resolution ( about 1 cm - 1 ) in their spectral analysis. they went on further describing their measurements and the equipment used and their calibration. they also discussed the uncertainties in the measurements thoroughly. they then presented the measured spectra in similar style than was shown in ellingson & wiscombe ( 1996 ). they proceeded to produce their model results. the models were controlled with actual measurements of atmospheric consituents ( water vapour, carbon dioxide, etc. ). the model is used here because it represents our theories which are based on numerous experiments in laboratories and in the atmosphere. they then performed the comparison between the model results and the measurements. figure 1 shows their figure 11 where total spectral radiance from their model is compared to measured spectral radiance. the upper panel of figure 1 shows the spectral radiance and the lower panel shows the difference of measured and modelled spectrum. the overall match is excellent and there ’ s no way you could get this match by chance so this already shows that different greenhouse gases really are producing a greenhouse effect just as our theories predict. walden et


panel shows the difference of measured and modelled spectrum. the overall match is excellent and there ’ s no way you could get this match by chance so this already shows that different greenhouse gases really are producing a greenhouse effect just as our theories predict. walden et al. didn ’ t stop there. next they showed the details of how the measured spectral bands of different greenhouse gases compare with model results. the comparison of carbon dioxide is shown here in figure 2 ( which is the upper panel of their figure 13 ). the match between the modelled and measured carbon dioxide spectral band is also excellent, even the minor details track each other well except for couple of places of slight difference. if there wouldn ’ t be greenhouse effect from carbon dioxide or if water vapour would be masking its effect, this match should then be accidental. i see no chance for that, so this seems to be a simple observational proof that carbon dioxide produces a greenhouse effect just as our theories predict. walden, v. p., s. g. warren, and f. j. murcray ( 1998 ), measurements of the downward longwave radiation spectrum over the antarctic plateau and comparisons with a line - by - line radiative transfer model for clear skies, j. geophys. res., 103 ( d4 ), 3825 – 3846, doi : 10. 1029 / 97jd02433. [ abstract ]


growing native plants pelargonium rodneyanum, commonly known as the magenta storksbill, is a member of the family geraniaceae. naturally occurring in fragmented populations within heathland, rocky outcrops, sclerophyll forest and woodland areas of south australia, new south wales and victoria. p. rodneyanum is commercially cultivated for use as a colourful potted, rockery or bedding display plant. preferring well - drained, slightly acidic soil, p. rodneyanum adapts well to most soil types and likes a full sun to semi - shaded position. it withstands frost in colder climates, is semi - drought tolerant and is useful as a spreading ground cover in the garden - easy removal prevents this attractive plant from becoming invasive. gardeners also appreciate its lengthy flowering period, producing blooms when other plants have stopped. an herbaceous perennial, p. rodneyanum reaches 45 cm in height, flowers during november through to may and forms vertical tubers as part of its root system. the light to dark green leaves are ovate to narrow ovate with crenate, shallow lobes and a 3 - 10 cm long petiole. the umbel inflorescence usually consists of 7 flowers on slender pedicels 13 - 22 mm in length, which rise from a whorl of 6 bracts on a 5 - 12 cm long peduncle. it has five petals that are deep pink in colour and irregular in shape and size. the two larger petals are marked with deep magenta streaks and are positioned slightly separate from the lower petals. of the ten stamens produced, 7 - 8 are fertile, slightly longer and bear anthers. the fruit forms on pilose mericarps which, when ripe, each contain a 1. 5 mm long, dark grey seed. p. rodneyanum can be propagated by tuber division ( end of winter early spring ), soft / semi hardwood cuttings ( spring through summer ), clump division ( all year ), meristem culture ( all year ) and by seed ( spring through summer ). using wind as a natural dispersal method, it readily self seeds although new seedlings tend not to flower during the first season of growth. p. rodneyanum benefits from a hard pruning and reduced water intake during the winter months ; tubers may rot if left in water for long periods. during early spring, p. rodneyanum may be susceptible to white fly, which can be treated with pyrethrum or diluted dishwash


washington - - splitting 5 - 4, the supreme court yesterday rejected the clinton administration ' s plan to use statistical sampling to make up for individuals who get overlooked in the 2000 census. the court ruled that the allocation of house of representatives seats after the next census must be based on a head count. the decision was a major setback for cities, for the democratic party and for a key part of its following : minorities, who are more often missed in counts by census - takers. the " undercount " in the 1990 census left out more than 4 million people, mainly urban minorities and children, according to the census bureau. the justices left open the possibility that sampling could be used to adjust population figures for two purposes - - dividing up $ 180 billion in federal aid to the states and redrawing election districts at other levels of government. it ruled narrowly that the census law does not permit sampling during the count every decade that is used to reapportion the 435 house seats among the states. it did not rule on the broader question of whether sampling is unconstitutional. however, four of the justices in the majority said " a strong case can be made " that sampling is unconstitutional. it would have taken five votes to establish that proposition. the challenge to the clinton administration ' s plan for the first - time use of sampling in the decennial census was made by the house, by four counties and by individual voters in 13 states. the court did not rule on whether the house could challenge the plan but found that the other challengers had made their case. the court majority decided an actual count - - in person, or by mail with follow - up, in - person contacts - - is the only method allowed by federal census law for house apportionment. " from the very first census, the census of 1790, " justice sandra day o ' connor wrote for the majority, " congress has prohibited the use of statistical sampling in calculating the population for purposes of [ house ] apportionment. " to baltimore ' s dismay baltimore, one of the cities in which minority population is thought to be undercounted in every census, could lose some access to federal money if sampling is not allowed for federal funding purposes after the 2000 census. the city ' s relative power in the the general assembly also could be adversely affected. news of the decision frustrated officials in baltimore, where one of every four dollars spent in the city ' s $ 1. 8 billion annual budget comes from the federal government. city leaders, including mayor kurt l


general assembly also could be adversely affected. news of the decision frustrated officials in baltimore, where one of every four dollars spent in the city ' s $ 1. 8 billion annual budget comes from the federal government. city leaders, including mayor kurt l. schmoke, supported census sampling, noting that the majority of baltimore ' s population - - 60 percent - - is black. in the 1990 census, an estimated 4. 4 percent of the nation ' s african - american population was not counted, the biggest segment being males ages 18 to 34. baltimore officials say minorities tend to be undercounted because, if they are poor, they do not own property and are less likely to respond to census surveys. " it ' s a shame, " said gloria griffin, a city planner helping to organize a group to ensure a more accurate baltimore census. " those poor souls who really need [ the federal aid ] are not going to get it. " if sampling is done next year for purposes other than house apportionment, it could result in two versions of the nation ' s 2000 population : one for allocation of seats in the house, a second for everything else. but sampling can occur next year only if congress approves the necessary money. republicans strongly oppose sampling, because it appears to favor democrats. yesterday ' s decision, because of its limited scope, reignited that partisan controversy as it bears upon the census bureau ' s legal authority to use sampling techniques to calculate national, state and local populations for these key purposes : dividing $ 180 billion in federal funding for social programs - - an allocation keyed to population ; calculating where to draw the lines for house election districts, once the seats have been apportioned among the states, and districts for state legislatures and local governing bodies - - keyed to population within states. house speaker dennis hastert repeated the gop opposition after the court ' s ruling, saying : " the [ clinton ] administration should abandon its illegal and risky polling scheme and start preparing for a true head count. " president clinton appears to have no intention of abandoning support for sampling within the limits that the supreme court ruling may permit. he reiterated his support for sampling in his state of the union message last week, and the white house noted pointedly yesterday that the high court had not ruled sampling to be unconstitutional. house minority leader richard a. gephardt, a missouri democrat, interpreted the ruling to mean that the census bureau is required to do sampling for purposes of redistricting and distribution of federal funding.


effects of agriculture, urbanization, and climate on water quality in the northern great plains limnol. oceanogr., 44 ( 3 _ part _ 2 ), 1999, 739 - 756 | doi : 10. 4319 / lo. 1999. 44. 3 _ part _ 2. 0739 abstract : the quappelle valley drainage system provides water to a third of the population of the canadian great plains, yet is plagued by poor water quality, excess plant growth, and periodic fish kills. fossil algae ( diatoms, pigments ) and invertebrates ( chironomids ) in pasqua lake were analyzed by variance partitioning analysis ( vpa ) to determine the relative importance of climate, resource use, and urbanization as controls of aquatic community composition 1920 - 1994. from fossil analyses, we identified three distinct biological assemblages in pasqua lake. prior to agriculture ( ca. 1776 - 1890 ), the lake was naturally eutrophic with abundant cyanobacterial carotenoids ( myxo - xanthophyll, aphanizophyll ), eutrophic diatoms ( stephanodiscus niagarae, aulacoseira granulata, fragilaria capucina / bidens ), and anoxia - tolerant chironomids ( chironomus ). principal components ( pca ) and dissimilarity analyses demonstrated that diatom and chironomid communities did not vary significantly ( p. 0. 05 ) before european settlement. communities changed rapidly during early land settlement ( ca. 1890 - 1930 ) before forming a distinct assemblage ca. 1930 - 1960 characterized by elevated algal biomass ( inferred as beta - carotene ), nuisance cyanobacteria, eutrophic stephanodiscus hantzschii, and low abundance of deep - water zoobenthos. recent fossil assemblages ( 1977 - 1994 ) were variable and indicated water quality had not improved despite 3 - fold reduction in phosphorus from sewage. comparison of fossil community change and continuous annual records of 83 environmental variables ( 1890 - 1994 ) using vpa captured 71 - 97 % of variance in fossil composition using only 10 - 14 significant factors. resource use ( cropland area, livestock biomass ) and urbanization ( nitrogen in sewage ) were stronger determinants of algal and chironomid community change than were climatic factors ( temperature, evaporation, river discharge ). landscape analysis of infer


spark plugs are instrumental in making a gasoline engine run. they shoot out a spark of electricity into the compressed mixture of air and gasoline within an engine ' s cylinders. this ignites the mixture and forces the cylinder ' s piston down. the motion of the piston is what creates power. spark plugs also have another job - - they pull heat away from the combustion chamber. that means spark plugs can get very hot. in general, cars have a spark plug for every cylinder in the engine. for instance, a four - cylinder engine will have four spark plugs. however, there are exceptions to the rule - - a vehicle with a hemi engine will have two spark plugs per cylinder. spark plugs wear out over time. as they get older, they may not spark properly. this affects your engine ' s performance and results in a loss of power. but replacing your spark plugs isn ' t like other car repair projects - - it ' s much more straightforward and only requires a few tools. you don ' t need to be a skilled auto mechanic to change your car ' s spark plugs. in most cases, you can switch out an old set for new plugs in about an hour. before changing your spark plugs, you should consult your vehicle ' s owner ' s manual. you ' re looking for two things : how often you should change your spark plugs and where the spark plugs are located on your engine. for most vehicles, the rule of thumb is to replace your spark plugs every 30, 000 miles ( 48, 280 kilometers ). you should also make sure the engine is cold before you start - - spark plugs can get very hot! even after other parts of your engine have cooled down, the spark plugs may still be too warm to touch. let your engine cool down for a couple of hours before you begin.


approximately 7000 seeds per gram seed - counts are only a guide, not to be used for accurate calculations. b and t world seeds ' reference number : usda average, annual, minimum temperature zone : 4 type of plant - perennial flower : dk. purple, yellow throat, infl. 1 - 6 fruit :........ ( prov. sutherland, caithness, orkney only ) foliage : - 5cm., ell. - spath., dense farin. ben. height in meters : 0. 1 common names for primula scotica : is included in the following b and t world seeds flowering plant categories : 9 : alpine and rock garden seed list ( hardy and tender ) 12 : british native wild flowers shrubs and trees 43 : herbaceous border plant seed list 161 : edible flowers 185 : plant species whose germination is improved by smoke primula scotica seeds will usually germinate in 20 - 40 days, even under good conditions germination may be erratic. normally will only germinate with light so surface sow. sow primula scotica seeds on the surface of a peaty seed sowing mix at about 15°c. stratification ( cold treatment or vernalization ) some seeds need to be overwintered before they will germinate. some seeds need just a couple of weeks, others 3 months. seeds can be stratified in dampened peat or sand, in a plastic box or bag at 4°c or 5°c in a refrigerator. the seeds should not be frozen or in a wet medium. very small seeds can be sown on the surface of their growing medium, in pots sealed in plastic bags, and kept in the ' fridge. many vernalized seeds need light to germinate when they are sown in the " spring ". p. sinensis germinates in the dark. cold stratify 3 weeks.


by julie steenhuysen chicago ( reuters ) - using cervical fluid collected from routine pap smears, u. s. researchers were able to spot genetic changes caused by both ovarian and endometrial cancers, offering promise for a new kind of screening test for these deadly cancers. experts say that although the test has tremendous potential, it is still years from widespread use. but if proven effective with more testing, it would fill a significant void. currently, there are no tests that can reliably detect either ovarian or endometrial cancer, which affects the uterine lining. research teams have been trying for several years to find a screening test that could identify these cancers early, when there is a better chance of a cure. " pap smears have had a tremendous impact in reducing the rate of cervical cancer in the united states, " said dr. andrea myers of dana - farber cancer institute, a co - author of the commentary on the study published in science translational medicine. " the lack of an equally effective screening test for women at high risk for endometrial or ovarian cancer has created a great deal of interest in developing tests that could identify these cancers by their genetic ‘ signature ' - the collection of specific mutations within them, " she said. " this new study is an important step in that direction. " the new approach, developed by a team at johns hopkins kimmel cancer center in baltimore, piggybacks on routine papanicolaou or pap testing, which is already done routinely to detect cervical cancer. the idea is to take fluid collected from the cervix for pap tests and use gene sequencing technology to look for genetic changes that would only be found in endometrial and ovarian tumors. since pap tests occasionally contain cells shed from the ovaries or the lining of the uterus, cancer cells from these organs could be present in the fluid as well. the team tested for mutations in 24 endometrial and 22 ovarian cancers. ' exciting first step ' " we could detect 100 percent of endometrial cancers and 40 percent of ovarian cancers, even at the earliest stages of their disease, and we can do it without any false positives, " said dr. luis diaz, associate professor of oncology at johns hopkins, who worked on the study published on wednesday in science translational medicine. diaz called the study " an exciting first step. " " we ' re seeing high sensitivity in end


" said dr. luis diaz, associate professor of oncology at johns hopkins, who worked on the study published on wednesday in science translational medicine. diaz called the study " an exciting first step. " " we ' re seeing high sensitivity in endometrial cancer. we ' re seeing moderate sensitivity in ovarian cancer, and we ' re seeing no false positives, " he said. that offered enough rationale to start tests on 100 ovarian cancers of different stages and 100 endometrial cancers, as well as a large number of samples from healthy women. the team hopes to complete that testing by the end of the year. dr. shannon westin, an expert in gynecologic cancers at the university of texas md anderson cancer center, said the need for a screening test for these two cancers is great. in the united states, the two cancers combined are diagnosed in 70, 000 women each year, and about 23, 500 women will die from these cancers. westin, who co - wrote a commentary on the study, said the paper is " very compelling and very interesting " that you could find evidence of these cancers in a screening test using fluid from pap tests. but the test must still be validated and shown to be effective in a large populations of women, a process that could take 10 to 15 years. " it ' s a great first step. it is a proof of principle that this can be done. patients are used to getting the pap smear. they understand it, " she said. that might mean women would ultimately be comfortable getting this type of test. dr. david chelmow, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at virginia commonwealth university medical center, who was not involved with the research, said it would be " fantastic " to have a test that would reliably detect cancers. " it ' s an innovative idea. it ' s neat. but the question is really going to be what happens when this gets more thoroughly tested, " he said. diaz said currently there are no tests to screen for these cancers early. the experimental test would cost about $ 100, but with the falling cost of sequencing technology, he estimates it will be half or even a tenth of that cost within the next year. ( reporting by julie steenhuysen ; editing by jilian mincer and eric walsh )


find and replace basics bluefish offers a wide range of find and replace methods in the edit menu, also available through the contextual menu within a document. here we will explore the most basic ones. for advanced find and replace methods, see section 5, “ find and replace ”. 10. 1. searching for a word within a whole document choose the edit → find... ( ctrl + f ) menu item. a find dialog will be displayed. enter the word ( or string ) to search for in the search for : field. then click ok. if the search is successful, the document window scrolls up to the first occurrence of the string to search in the document and highlights it. below is an example of a search applied to a mediawiki document. to find a subsequent occurrence of the string, use the edit → find again ( ctrl + g ) menu item. if no further occurrence is found, a dialog will be displayed notifying you that no match was found. 10. 2. setting limits to the search scope you may want to search for a string from the cursor location till the end of the document. here is an example to search all name = = occurrences within a python script from a given location. procedure v. 2. searching from selection - put the cursor where you want to start the search from in the document window - open the find... dialog - enter your search string in the search for : field - choose current position till end from the starts at : pop up menu - click ok. here is the result : notice that the search does not take into account the occurrence of the same string at line 50, since it is outside the search scope. you can also limit the search scope to a selection range. in that case, highlight the selection before the search, and choose beginning of selection till end of selection from the starts at : pop up menu in the find dialog. 10. 3. case sensitive search by default, the search process is case insensitive. if you want to make it case sensitive, just check the match case box in the find dialog. here is the result applied to a ruby script : notice again that the result does not catch the xml string at line 45, since the search string was xml and case sensitive search was requested. 10. 4. overlapping searches it may occur that the document contains some kind of palindrome you want to search for. the " normal " find process does not retrieve all occurrences of


the search string was xml and case sensitive search was requested. 10. 4. overlapping searches it may occur that the document contains some kind of palindrome you want to search for. the " normal " find process does not retrieve all occurrences of that kind of string. in this case, you have to check the overlap searches box in the find dialog to retrieve all occurences of the string. the search ( with ctrl + f, then ctrl + g ) will give the following results : 10. 5. retrieving previous search strings notice that the pop up menu to the right of the search for field in the find dialog allows you to retrieve previous search strings. they are listed in reverse order by search history, providing quicker access to the most recent searches. 10. 6. more on find for an explanation of the bookmark results box of the find dialog, see section 4. 1, " generating several bookmarks at once ”. you will find details on find again and find from selection in section 5, “ find and replace ”. for a quick way of switching from html entities to other types of encoding and changing letter cases, see section 5. 1, “ special find and replace features ”. 10. 7. replacing features the edit → replace... ( ctrl + h ) menu item works the same way and has all the features, the edit → find... ( ctrl + f ) menu item offers. the replace dialog is also accessible through the contextual menu within a document. for the features common to the find dialog, see 10. 1, “ searching for a word within a whole document ”. here we will explain the features unique to the replace dialog. 10. 8. retrieving previous replace strings as for the search for field ' s pop up menu, the replace with field ' s pop up menu allows you to retrieve previous strings used for replace, the most recent ones being at the top of the list. 10. 9. changing letter case when replacing if you want to change letter case when replacing, use the replace type pop up menu. the default choice is normal, that is the case is not changed. with the uppercase replace type, the search string will be replaced with its uppercase translation. likewise, with the lowercase replace type, the search string will be replaced with its lowercase translation. notice that in this case, the replace with field is deactivated, thus not taken into account even if you have entered


over range of adhd behavior, genes major force on reading achievement, environment on math first study of its kind reveals complex interaction humans are not born as blank slates for nature to write on. neither are they behaving on genes alone. research by lee a. thompson, chair of case western reserve university ’ s psychological sciences department, and colleagues found that the link between attention - deficit / hyperactivity disorder ( adhd ) and academic performance involves a complex interaction of genes and environment. genetic influence was found to be greater on reading than for math, while shared environment ( e. g., the home and / or school environment the twins shared ) influenced math more so than reading. the researchers don ’ t know why. their study of twins, published in psychological science, vol. 21, was the first to look simultaneously at the genetic and environmental influences on reading ability, mathematics ability, and the continuum of adhd behavior. “ the majority of the twins used in the study don ’ t have adhd, ” thompson said. “ we are looking at the continuum of the behavioral symptoms of adhd - looking at individual differences - not a disorder with an arbitrary cutoff. ” this type of continuum is a normal distribution or bell curve, with scores symmetrically distributed about the average and getting much less frequent the farther away a score is from the average. disability is usually classified as the lower extreme on the normal distribution. the symptoms of adhd, according to thompson, can be described with such a continuum, as can reading and mathematics ability. only a small percent of individuals fall below the common medical cutoff between ability and disability. for what we refer to as gifted or disabled, thompson points out, “ there is no difference in cause, just different expression of achievement. ” thompson collaborated with sara hart, a graduate student at the florida center for reading research, and stephen petrill, a professor at the ohio state university, in analyzing 271 pairs of ten - year - old identical and fraternal twins. the twins were selected from the western reserve reading and mathematics project, a study that began in 2002 with kindergarten and first grade - age twins and has collected data yearly about their math and reading ability. the study focused on two adhd symptoms : inattention and hyperactivity, which are viewed as extremes of their respective attention and activity continuums. as part of the study, the mother of the twins rated each child on 18 items such as the child ’ s ability to listen when spoken to, play quietly, and sit still


which are viewed as extremes of their respective attention and activity continuums. as part of the study, the mother of the twins rated each child on 18 items such as the child ’ s ability to listen when spoken to, play quietly, and sit still, to assess attention and activity levels. a researcher testing each twins ’ mathematics and reading ability also rated the twins each year on their attention to tasks and level of hyperactivity. the researchers assessed reading ability by evaluating the twins ’ recognition and pronunciation of words and passage comprehension. they measured the twins ’ capacity for mathematics by focusing on the twin ’ s ability to solve problems, understanding of concepts, computational skills, and the number of computations completed in 3 minutes. researchers analyzed the data from three perspectives : one looked at the overall adhd behavior, one at the level of attention, and at the activity level. they then determined the similarities in genetic and environmental influence between adhd symptoms and reading and between the symptoms and mathematics. to do so, researchers looked at the variance and covariance of adhd symptoms and academic ability. variance measures the individual differences on a given trait within a population and covariance is a measure of how much two traits are related. these measures were broken down into identified components : additive genetic effects, shared environment and non - shared environment. using quantitative analysis of the components, the researchers found that there are some general genes that influence the symptoms of adhd simultaneously with reading and mathematics ability and some genes that influence each specifically. this study also found that both inattention and hyperactivity were related to academics. “ if we have this much overlap between genes that affect behaviors of adhd and academic achievement, ” thompson said, “ it gives validity to the relation of adhd behaviors and poor academics. ” but genes are not everything, thompson adds. there are different approaches for interventions that can be taken based on the extent of environmental influence on adhd behavior, reading ability, and mathematics ability across the entire continuum of expression. future research, the study notes, should focus on the underlying connection between adhd symptoms and poor academic achievement in order to identify the influences that may alter these often co - occurring outcomes. additional authors include erik willcutt from the university of colorado, boulder ; christopher schatschneider from florida center for reading research, florida state university ; kirby deater - deckard from virginia polytechnic institute and state university ; and laurie e. cutting from vanderbilt university. funding for the study was provided by the national institute of child health and human development and


how much does the ocean weigh? water does weigh something ; about 8. 3 pounds per gallon. in research published this week, scientists from the national oceanography center and newcastle university have proposed an idea that will assess the mass of the world ocean by weighing it at a single point. but there is a catch. global sea level is currently rising at about 3 mm per year, but predictions of rise over the century vary from 30 cm to over a meter. there are two ways global sea level can increase. the water in the oceans can warm and expand, leading to the same weight of water taking up more space. in other words water density can vary which must be taken into account. alternatively, more water added to the ocean from melting of land ice will increase the ocean ’ s weight. the national oceanography centre ’ s prof christopher hughes said : “ we have shown that making accurate measurements of the changing pressure at a single point in the pacific ocean will indicate the mass of the world ocean. and we know where to place such an instrument — the central tropical pacific where the deep ocean is at its quietest. this pressure gauge needs to be located away from land and oceanic variability. the principle is rather like watching your bath fill : you don ’ t look near the taps, where all you can see is splashing and swirling, you look at the other end where the rise is slow and steady. ” by a lucky chance, pressure measurements have been made in the pacific ocean since 2001, as part of the u. s. national tsunami hazard mitigation program, which focuses on detecting the small pressure fluctuations produced by the deep ocean waves that become tsunamis at the coast. from these measurements, the team including dr rory bingham, based in the school of civil engineering and geosciences at newcastle university, have been able to show that a net 6 trillion tonnes of water enters the ocean between late march and late september each year, enough to raise sea level by 1. 7 cm, and leaves the ocean in the following six months. prof hughes : “ of course, what we are most interested in is how much water accumulates in the ocean each year, and this is where we currently have a problem. while present instruments are able to measure pressure variations very accurately, they have a problem with long term trends, producing false outcomes. ” by knowing the weight an estimate of how much the ocean in increasing would be known which would be related to how much global warming is occurring. “ this is a challenging goal. the pressure changes are smaller


throughout the history of the united states, equality for all people has been fought for and won time and time again. thomas jefferson wrote in the declaration of independence ” that all men are created equal, ” and over time equal rights have been gradually extended to different groups of people. however, equality has never been achieved without heated debate, despite our country ’ s founding principle that all people are created equal in the first place. the language used to seek equality has remained familiar over time. posters demanding equal rights ( pictured ) contain messages we have all seen or heard. one of my theories is that since the human life span is finite, the message of equality has to be relearned by each generation as it comes to realize that more work needs to be done. if humans lived longer, would full equality across racial and gender lines have been acquired by now? ask yourself : would women suffragists from the 1920s, who so vehemently demanded the right to vote, think it was fine for african americans to be denied this same right? it depends. my theory also includes the caveat that empathy for others does not always translate into citizens banding together for the greater good. then again, the social evolution of the united states is progressing. this progression is the reason the language and message of equality remains relevant. equality is a shared goal that not everyone enjoys. racial intolerance for one group is no different than bigotry for another. denying equality for a particular group plays into the kind of discriminatory trap that makes no sense if one applies the very same principles of equality indiscriminately. all people are created equal, period. the declaration of independence was written with the hope of possibility. think about it — the signers of this document were declaring a new and independent country! jefferson ’ s words made a statement about human rights that became the foundation for a country unlike any other in the world. the signers never anticipated that their vision would eventually embrace so many different kinds of people, but that is the beauty of it. the declaration was groundbreaking because it provided a foundation of principles and moral standards that have endured to modern times and that accommodate human evolution and its capacity for acceptance. stepping back and viewing all these posters as a whole, one could come to two conclusions. first : the human race does not learn from history. second : humans repeat the same mistakes over and over. however, i believe that the preservation and repurposing of the messages of protest in all their different forms are evidence that we do


i learned a bit ago that two of my classes - - african - american literature and russian literature - - are somewhat connected, in the form of the founder of modern russian literature, aleksandr sergeyevich pushkin ( александр сергеевич пушкин ). pushkin ' s father descended from one of the russian gentry ' s oldest families who traced their history to the 12th century, while his mother ' s grandfather was ibrahim petrovich gannibal, a former eritrean who was abducted when he was a child and ended up in russia and became a great military leader, engineer and nobleman after his adoption by peter the great. and from james weldon johnson ' s preface to the book of american negro poetry ( 1922 ) : is it not curious to know that the greatest poet of russia is alexander pushkin, a man of african descent ; that the greatest romancer of france is alexandre dumas, a man of african descent ; and that one of the greatest musicians of england is coleridge - taylor, a man of african descent? the fact is fairly well known that the father of dumas was a negro of the french west indies, and that the father of coleridge - taylor was a native - born african ; but the facts concerning pushkin ' s african ancestry are not so familiar. when peter the great was czar of russia, some potentate presented him with a full - blooded negro of gigantic size. peter, the most eccentric ruler of modern times, dressed this negro up in soldier clothes, christened him hannibal, and made him a special body - guard. but hannibal had more than size, he had brain and ability. he not only looked picturesque and imposing in soldier clothes, he showed that he had in him the making of a real soldier. peter recognized this, and eventually made him a general. he afterwards ennobled him, and hannibal, later, married one of the ladies of the russian court. this same hannibal was great - grandfather of pushkin, the national poet of russia, the man who bears the same relation to russian literature that shakespeare bears to english literature. here is an extremely interesting and informative pbs frontline page on pushkin ' s genealogy. posted by smit2174 at october 15, 2005 1 : 45 pm | trackback


donna lund ' s aug. 22 first person essay " girls, girls, girls " may appear to be a cute story about the so - called differences between boys and girls, but it is actually a telling example of how gender stereotypes continue to be accepted in american society. ms. lund writes fondly about her granddaughters ' frilly dresses and girly squeals, juxtaposing them with her sons ' gruff avoidance of any conversation beyond sports. are boys and girls really so divided? if they are, it ' s because american families mistakenly continue to raise them that way. as an only child, i was brought up to appreciate " masculine " and " feminine " pastimes and modes of expression. i liked shopping for clothes with my grandmother, but i also loved working on cars with my grandfather. i never loved playing or talking about sports, but neither did i like doing or talking about my makeup. sure, i shed plenty of tears, but i also slipped into sullen silences. and i spent most of my time reading, writing and drawing - - activities associated with both genders. raising children to explore who they are regardless of how society prescribes their behavior often results in well - rounded, happy children who become confident, successful adults. most importantly, it disrupts the idea that men and women behave in essentially different ways - - the very idea that, less than a century ago, prohibited women from most careers, most athletics and most political activity, including the right to vote.


- marie gouze was born into a petit bourgeois family in 1748 in montauban, tarn - et - garonne, in southwestern france. her father was a butcher and her mother was the daughter of a cloth merchant. she believed, however, that she was the illegitimate daughter of jean - jacques lefranc, marquis de pompignan and his rejection of her claims upon him may have influenced her passionate defense of the rights of illegitimate children. - in 1765 she married louis aubry, a caterer, who came from paris with the new intendant of the town. this was not a marriage of love. gouze said in a semi - autobiographical novel ( memoire de madame de valmont contre la famille de flaucourt ) : " i was married to a man i did not love and who was neither rich nor well - born. i was sacrificed for no reason that could make up for the repugnance i felt for this man. " her husband died a year later, and in 1770 she moved to paris with her son, pierre, and took the name of olympe de gouges. - in 1773, according to her biographer olivier blanc, she met a wealthy man, jacques bietrix de rozieres, with whom she had a long relationship that ended during the revolution. she was received in the artistic and philosophical salons, where she met many writers, including la harpe, mercier, and chamfort as well as future politicians such as brissot and condorcet. she usually was invited to the salons of the marquise de montesson and the comtesse de beauharnais, who also were playwrights. she also was associated with masonic lodges among them, the loge des neuf sœurs that was created by her friend michel de cubieres. surviving paintings of de gouges show her to be a woman of beauty. she chose to cohabit with several men who supported her financially. by 1784 ( the year that her putative biological father died ), however, she began to write essays, manifestoes, and socially conscious plays. seeking upward mobility, she strove to move among the aristocracy and to abandon her provincial accent. [ - 1784, she wrote the anti - slavery play zamore and mirza. for several reasons, the play was not performed until 1789. de gouges published it, however, as zamore et mirza, ou l ' heureux naufrage ( zamore and


the anti - slavery play zamore and mirza. for several reasons, the play was not performed until 1789. de gouges published it, however, as zamore et mirza, ou l ' heureux naufrage ( zamore and mirza, or the happy shipwreck ) in 1788. it was performed as l ' esclavage des negres in december of 1789, but shut down after three performances. subsequently, it was published in 1792 under the title l ' esclavage des noirs. - she also wrote on such gender - related topics as the right of divorce and argued in favor of sexual relations outside of marriage. - as an epilogue to the 1788 version of her play zamore et mirza, she published reflexions sur les hommes negres. in 1790, she wrote a play, le marche des noirs ( the black market ) which was rejected by the comedie francaise ; the text was burned after her death. in 1808, the abbe gregoire included her on his list of the courageous men who pleaded the cause of " les negres. " - a passionate advocate of human rights, olympe de gouges greeted the outbreak of the revolution with hope and joy, but soon became disenchanted when egalite ( equal rights ) was not extended to women. - in 1791, she became part of the society of the friends of truth, an association with the goal of equal political and legal rights for women. also called the " social club ", members sometimes gathered at the home of the well - known women ' s rights advocate, sophie de condorcet. here, de gouges expressed, for the first time, her famous statement : " a woman has the right to mount the scaffold. she must possess equally the right to mount the speaker ' s platform. " - that same year, in response to the declaration of the rights of man and of the citizen, she wrote the declaration des droits de la femme et de la citoyenne ( declaration of the rights of woman and the female citizen ). this was followed by her contrat social ( social contract, named after a famous work of jean - jacques rousseau ), proposing marriage based upon gender equality. - she became involved in almost any matter she believed to involve injustice. - she opposed the execution of louis xvi of france, partly out of opposition to capital punishment and partly because she preferred a relatively tame and living king to the possibility of a rebel regency in exile


became involved in almost any matter she believed to involve injustice. - she opposed the execution of louis xvi of france, partly out of opposition to capital punishment and partly because she preferred a relatively tame and living king to the possibility of a rebel regency in exile. this earned her the ire of many hard - line republicans, even into the next generation — such as the comment by the nineteenth century historian jules michelet, a fierce apologist for the revolution, who wrote, " she allowed herself to act and write about more than one affair that her weak head did not understand. " michelet was also part of a generation of men who opposed any political participation by women. he disliked de gouges for this reason. - as the revolution progressed, she became more and more vehement in her writings. - on 2 june 1793, the jacobins arrested her allies, the girondins, imprisoned them, and sent them to the guillotine in october. finally, her poster les trois urnes, ou le salut de la patrie, par un voyageur aerien ( the three urns, or the salvation of the country, by an aerial traveler ) of 1793, led to her arrest. that piece demanded a plebiscite for a choice among three potential forms of government : the first, indivisible republic, the second, a federalist government, or the third, a constitutional monarchy. - after being arrested, the commissioners searched her house for evidence. when they could not find any in her home, she voluntarily led them to the storehouse where she kept her papers. it was there that the commissioners found an unfinished play titled la france sauvee ou le tyran detrone ( france preserved, or the tyrant dethroned ). in the first act ( only the first act and a half remain ), marie - antoinette is planning defense strategies to retain the crumbling monarchy and is confronted by revolutionary forces, including de gouges herself. the first act ends with de gouges lecturing the queen for having seditious intentions and on how to lead her people. both de gouges and her prosecutor used this play as evidence in her trial. the prosecutor claimed that olympe ' s depictions of the queen threatened to stir up sympathy and support for the royalists, whereas de gouges stated that the play showed that she had always been a supporter of the revolution. - she spent three months in jail without an attorney, trying to defend herself. the presiding judge denied de gouge


support for the royalists, whereas de gouges stated that the play showed that she had always been a supporter of the revolution. - she spent three months in jail without an attorney, trying to defend herself. the presiding judge denied de gouges her legal right to a lawyer, on the grounds that she was more than capable of representing herself. it seems as though the judge based this argument on de gouges ' s tendency to represent herself in her writings. - through her friends, she managed to publish two texts : olympe de gouges au tribunal revolutionnaire, where she related her interrogations and her last work, une patriote persecutee, where she condemned the terror. - the jacobins, who already had executed a king and queen, were in no mood to tolerate any opposition from the intellectuals. de gouges was sentenced to death on 2 november 1793, and executed the following day for seditious behavior and attempting to reinstate the monarchy. olympe was executed only a month after condorcet had been proscribed and just three days after the girondin leaders had been guillotined. her body was disposed of in the madeleine cemetery. olympe ' s last moments were depicted by an anonymous parisian who kept a chronicle of events : " yesterday, at seven o ' clock in the evening, a most extraordinary person called olympe de gouges who held the imposing title of woman of letters, was taken to the scaffold, while all of paris, while admiring her beauty, knew that she didn ' t even know her alphabet.... she approached the scaffold with a calm and serene expression on her face, and forced the guillotine ' s furies, which had driven her to this place of torture, to admit that such courage and beauty had never been seen before.... that woman... had thrown herself in the revolution, body and soul. but having quickly perceived how atrocious the system adopted by the jacobins was, she chose to retrace her steps. she attempted to unmask the villains through the literary productions which she had printed and put up. they never forgave her, and she paid for her carelessness with her head. " users browsing this forum : no registered users and 1 guest


the facts about the proposed odec power plant old dominion electric cooperative ( odec ) has proposed building a 1, 500 megawatt, coal - fired power plant — the cypress creek power station — in dendron in surry county, va., or on an alternative site in neighboring sussex county, virginia. if built, the plant would be the largest coal - fired power plant in the commonwealth. the chesapeake bay foundation ( cbf ) is very concerned that the plant will add significant additional pollution to an already polluted chesapeake bay, threaten human health, and exacerbate climate change and sea level rise in the chesapeake bay region. nitrogen pollution — more will hurt the bay a primary goal of the federal - state chesapeake bay cleanup is reducing nitrogen pollution. the dendron plant would add 1. 9 million more pounds of nitrogen pollution * to the air above the chesapeake bay and surrounding lands. air modeling predicts that 118 tons of this nitrogen — the equivalent of an additional major sewage treatment plant — will be deposited directly onto the chesapeake bay watershed, a system already so plagued by excess nitrogen pollution that the bay is on the environmental protection agency ' s official " dirty waters list. " nitrogen pollution promotes excess algae growth in the bay that clouds the water, stunts underwater grasses, and robs the water of oxygen vital to fish, crabs, and oysters. nitrogen pollution is a chief cause of the massive " dead zones " that appear annually in the bay. mercury — a toxic threat to people and wildlife a primary goal of the federal - state chesapeake bay cleanup is a bay free of toxic chemicals. the dendron plant would release 44 pounds of mercury * into the air. already, approximately 1, 300 miles of virginia rivers and nearly 40, 000 acres of virginia lakes are contaminated by mercury, including the meherrin river, parts of the nottoway, blackwater, mattaponi, and pamunkey rivers, dragon run, lake drummond, lake whitehurst, lake trashmore, chickahominy lake, and harrison lake. all are within a 60 - mile radius of the proposed dendron site, the area of greatest mercury fallout. mercury is toxic to humans, especially fetuses, infants, children, and pregnant women. mercury affects learning ability, language, motor skills and, at high levels, causes permanent brain damage. nitrogen oxides — more smog, more health problems ozone smog and soot released by coal - fired power plants are associated with increased risk of asthma, heart and respiratory problems, increased absences


, at high levels, causes permanent brain damage. nitrogen oxides — more smog, more health problems ozone smog and soot released by coal - fired power plants are associated with increased risk of asthma, heart and respiratory problems, increased absences from school and work, increased hospitalizations, increased medication, and increased risk of premature death. the dendron plant would release 6. 2 million pounds of nitrogen dioxide * ( nox ) ; this is 8. 5 times more nox pollution than now produced by the entire county of surry. nox is a major component of ground level ozone ( smog ). nox pollution from the power plant would threaten air quality in surry county and worsen existing smog problems in hampton roads and richmond, two regions soon to be designated by epa as unhealthy for smog. according to epa, power plants are the second - largest source of nox in the atmosphere ; in virginia, power plants produce 18 percent of the annual airborne nox pollution. air modeling predicts the dendron plant will cause more than 264 tons of sulfur and 286 tons of soot to settle onto the chesapeake bay watershed, contributing to hazy air, health concerns, and acid rain. greenhouse gases — worsening climate change, sea level rise climate change caused by excess greenhouse gases will worsen sea - level rise in the chesapeake bay region, the second - most vulnerable area in the united states to sea level rise. this poses significant threats to the region ' s environment, economy, and military. the dendron plant would release 11. 7 million tons of carbon dioxide * into the air each year, adding more greenhouse gases to the earth ' s atmosphere and exacerbating climate change problems. recent scientific studies suggest that increased carbon dioxide levels in the chesapeake bay may increase the acidity of bay waters and seriously threaten restoration of the native oyster. coal - fired power plants are among the worst greenhouse gas polluters. to date, no technology exists to feasibly capture and contain carbon dioxide from coal - fired power plants ( carbon sequestration ). alternatives to a new coal - fired power plant are available energy efficiency and conservation — a 10 percent reduction in energy through efficiency and conservation will reduce virginia ' s 2016 estimated power shortfall by 97 percent ; a 14 percent reduction in energy through efficiency and conservation will eliminate all shortfalls and produce an excess 1, 055 megawatts of electricity. * * renewable energy — virginia has enough untapped renewable energy resources, including wind, tidal, solar


september 14th, 2011 | caixin china ’ s bohai sea drowns in discharged waste oil from a recent spill blended with 30 years of waste dumped by cities and factories ringing the once - beautiful sea a recent offshore oil spill has given china reason to pause for a close look at the filth floating in the bohai sea which, after eons of pristine beauty followed by three decades of intense pollution, is today seriously ill. a map of polluted areas included in a 2008 report on the quality of the marine environment of the bohai sea, published by the state oceanic administration ( soa ), still paints a depressing picture. it shows that the entire length of the bohai shore, with the exception of a few sections near hebei province ’ s south qinhuangdao and beidaihe, as well as liaoning province ’ s dalian, has been seriously polluted. moreover, the report described sea conditions long before last year ’ s oil tank explosion and spill in the dalian area, and crude oil started leaking from connocophillips drilling rigs in june. as of 2005, according to other soa reports, about 14 percent of bohai ’ s waters were polluted. the percentage had risen to 22 percent by 2010. tianjin, the biggest city on the sea, is both a contributor and victim of the contamination. soa says more than 95 percent of the sea area off the city ’ s shore are rated grade iv – a classification given by scientists for seawater described as “ generally offensive in color, smell and taste. ” recent efforts to clean up bohai succeeded in reducing the total grade iv section of the sea by half, after a peak of 6, 120 square kilometers was reported in 2007. but the trend reversed in 2010, and the fouled area spread to 3, 220 square kilometers. the largest sections of polluted water in the bohai sea are in coastal areas that encompass fishing grounds, tourist areas and nature reserves, said wang shicheng, a former deputy director of the shandong province ocean and fisheries department. and 80 percent of the sea ’ s pollution comes from land sources, including factories and city sewage plants, said xia qing, a researcher at the china environmental science research institute and head of the organizational group that drafted a bohai sea environmental master plan. it ’ s a predicament that ’ s closely tied to china ’ s rapid, modern - day industrial development. scientists say the bohai sea has played the role of a “ pollution sink ” for a


a bohai sea environmental master plan. it ’ s a predicament that ’ s closely tied to china ’ s rapid, modern - day industrial development. scientists say the bohai sea has played the role of a “ pollution sink ” for a large swathe of modern china. about 45 rivers empty into the sea, and several major channels including the haihe, yellow and liaohe rivers are major channels for manmade discharges including sewage. moreover, thousands of sewage outlets empty directly into the sea, including those for factories in industrial zones built in recent years in shandong, tianjin, hebei and liaoning. many of these factories have been cited for high levels of pollution. overall, the amount of waste discharged into the sea greatly exceeds quotas set by environmental regulators. in 2008, for example, marine authorities who monitored 96 sewage outlets found 82 percent exceeded discharge standards. and in shandong alone, they found 96 percent exceeded the standards. wang says environmental authorities have proposed forcing local companies to meet discharge standards. but questions about the standards themselves cloud this proposal. for example, separate discharge standards have been established for the steel, printing and papermaking industries. “ environmental protection authorities think the pollution discharge situation is getting better and better, ” said wang. “ but marine authorities have found it to be getting worse and worse. ” one proof of deteriorating conditions is the shrinkage of the heavily tapped yellow river before it reaches the sea. the yellow is the sea ’ s most important river, but so little water winds up reaching the sea that salinity levels in the bohai have risen to the point of seriously inhibiting fish spawning. another harmful consequence of sea pollution is eutrophication, which can lead to red tides. one such “ micro - micro - flagellate ” red tide algae bloom lasted from late may to early july in hebei ’ s changli county. this was the third consecutive year in which the county ’ s seacoast experienced red tides, which halt development of young scallops and kill others. by staff reporter gong jing


average student loan debt for the class of 2011 was $ 26, 600, according to the project on student debt at the institute for college access & success. you may also have credit card balances and an automobile loan that all affect your credit record. how you use credit and how much debt you carry will affect many aspects of your life, both financial and personal. here ’ s what recent graduates should know about the impact of credit : * your credit score will likely affect your auto insurance rates. if you ’ ve been insured under your parents ’ policy, once you graduate and start your career, you ’ ll need to get your own coverage. credit scores are one of the factors auto insurance companies look at when deciding what your premium will be. although a higher score is no guarantee of a lower premium, a low score may drive your premium up – or even prompt an insurer to deny you coverage. * landlords and rental companies will almost certainly want to review your credit before agreeing to rent a home to you. a history of on - time payments and smart credit use can make landlords view you as a good potential renter. spotty payment history, a high debt load and questionable credit decisions may make you look less desirable. a poor credit history may mean a landlord asks for a larger security deposit from you – or may choose not to rent to you at all. * when you initiate an account with a utility company such as electric or gas providers, the company will ask to review your credit. blemishes on your credit report may prompt the utility to ask for a higher security deposit. * just like landlords and utility companies, cell phone providers may require a credit check – and a higher deposit if you have poor credit or little or no credit history. * if you ’ re considering surgery or a health procedure ( such as extensive dental work ) that ’ s not covered by your employer - provided health insurance, you may try to strike a payment deal with the doctor or service provider. a good credit report and score may make the provider more inclined to work with you on a payment plan. * if you fall in love and plan to get married, it ’ s unlikely bad credit or high debt will prompt a devoted partner to walk away from your relationship. but studies show that money stress can strain a marriage, and fights over money are a leading cause of divorce. while good credit can ’ t ensure wedded bliss, starting your marriage with good credit can make many aspects of life easier for you and your spouse. understanding how credit


| bangladesh table of contents christianity ' s first contact with the indian subcontinent is attributed to the apostle thomas, who is said to have preached in southern india. although jesuit priests were active at the mughal courts in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the first roman catholic settlements in what became bangladesh appear to have been established by the portuguese, coming from their center in goa on the west coast of india. during the sixteenth century the portuguese settled in the vicinity of chittagong, where they were active in piracy and slave trading. in the seventeenth century some portuguese moved to dhaka. serious protestant missionary efforts began only in the first half of the nineteenth century. baptist missionary activities beginning in 1816, the anglican oxford mission, and others worked mainly among the tribal peoples of the low hills in the northern part of mymensingh and sylhet regions. many of the christian churches, schools, and hospitals were initially set up to serve the european community. they subsequently became centers of conversion activities, particularly among the lower caste hindus. the ministry of religious affairs provided assistance and support to the christian institutions in the country. in the late 1980s, the government was not imposing any restrictions on the legitimate religious activities of the missions and the communities. mission schools and hospitals were well attended and were used by members of all religions. the christian community usually enjoyed better opportunities for education and a better standard of living. in the late 1980s, christianity had about 600, 000 adherents, mainly roman catholic, and their numbers were growing rapidly. source : u. s. library of congress