Science in fiction affects our ability to understand science in real life. For instance, you might already be familiar with the idea that detective shows on TV, particularly forensics shows like CSI, might be influencing what juries expect to see in a courtroom.
This is called the "CSI effect" and it's hotly debated. Some prosecutors think it has a real impact on jury decisions—if they don't get the fancy, scientific evidence they've been conditioned to expect then they won't convict. Meanwhile, though, empirical evidence seems to show a more complicated pattern. Surveys of more than 2000 Michigan jurors found that, while people were heavily expecting to see some high-tech forensic evidence during trials, that expectation probably had more to do with the general proliferation of technology throughout society. More interestingly, that broad expectation didn't seem to definitively influence how jurors voted during a specific trial. In other words: The jury is still out. (*Puts on sunglasses*)
A FRONTLINE documentary that airs tomorrow centers around an interesting corollary on this issue: Whether or not shows like CSI influence juries to expect more technology, they do present a wildly inaccurate portrait of how accurate that technology is. The reality is, many of the tools and techniques used in detective work have never been scientifically verified. We don't know that they actually tell us what they purport to tell us. Other forensic technologies do work, but only if you use them right—and there's no across-the-board standard guaranteeing that happens.
Even ideas you think you can trust implicitly—like fingerprint evidence—turn out to have serious flaws that are seriously under-appreciated by cops, lawyers, judges, and juries.
Brandon Mayfield, an Oregon lawyer, was at the center of international controversy in 2004 after the FBI and an independent analyst incorrectly matched his prints to a partial print found on a bag of detonators from the Madrid terrorist bombings.
Dror asked five fingerprint experts to examine what they were told were the erroneously matched prints of Mayfield. In fact, they were re-examining prints from their own past cases. Only one of the experts stuck by their previous judgments. Three reversed their previous decisions and one deemed them “inconclusive.”
Dror’s argument is that these competent and well-meaning experts were swayed by “cognitive bias”: what they knew (or thought they knew) about the case in front of them swayed their analysis. The Mayfield case and studies like Dror’s have changed how fingerprints are used in the criminal justice system. The FBI no longer testifies that fingerprints are 100 percent infallible.
The Real CSI episode of FRONTLINE airs tomorrow, April 17th. Check out the FRONTLINE website for more information.
Image: Fingerprint developed with black magnetic powder on a cool mint Listerine oral care strip, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from jackofspades's photostream.


The Chesapeake Bay TMDL, Maryland's Watershed Implementation Plan and Maryland's 2012-2013 Milestone Goals
The Chesapeake Bay TMDL: A Pollution Diet for the Chesapeake Watershed
The Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure constituting the largest estuary in the United States and one of the largest and most biologically productive estuaries in the world. Despite significant efforts by federal, state, and local governments and other interested parties, pollution in the Chesapeake Bay prevents the attainment of existing water quality standards. The pollutants that are largely responsible for impairment of the Bay are nutrients, in the form of nitrogen and phosphorus, and sediment.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in coordination with the Bay watershed jurisdictions of Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, New York, and the District of Columbia (DC), developed and, on December 29, 2010, established a nutrient and sediment pollution diet for the Bay, consistent with Clean Water Act requirements, to guide and assist Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts. This pollution diet is known as the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), or Bay TMDL.
MDE took part in an ongoing, high-level decision-making process to create the essential framework for this complex, multi-jurisdictional TMDL that will address nutrient and sediment impairments throughout the entire 64,000 square mile Chesapeake Bay watershed.
MDE participated in numerous inter-jurisdictional and inter-agency workgroups and committees over the last three years to provide technical expertise and guidance for developing the Bay TMDL in a manner consistent with the State’s water quality goals and responsibilities. In particular, MDE worked to ensure that the Bay TMDL addressed the nutrient and sediment impairments in all of Maryland’s tidal waters listed as impaired by those pollutants on the State’s Integrated Report of Surface Water Quality.
MDE took the lead on developing an allocation process that will enable the State to meet a key requirement for the Bay TMDL and Maryland’s Watershed Implementation Plan: the sub-allocation of major basin loading caps of nutrient and sediment to each of 58 “segment-sheds” in Maryland – the land areas that drain to each impaired Bay water quality segment – and to each pollutant source sector in those areas.
Maryland’s Watershed Implementation Plan for the Bay TMDL
Concurrent with the development of the Bay TMDL, EPA charged the Bay watershed states and DC with developing watershed implementation plans in order to provide adequate “reasonable assurance” that the jurisdictions can and will achieve the nutrient and sediment reductions necessary to implement the TMDL within their respective boundaries.
Maryland’s Phase I Plan provides a series of proposed strategies that will collectively meet the 2017 target (70% of the total nutrient and sediment reductions needed to meet final 2020 goals). After more than a year of cooperative work, MDE and the Departments of Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Planning released a Draft Phase I Plan for public review in October 2010 and, following extensive consideration of hundreds of public comments, submitted Maryland’s Final Phase I Watershed Implementation Plan to EPA on December 3, 2010.
Maryland’s Phase II Plan provides a series of proposed strategies that will collectively meet the 2017 target (60% of the total nutrient and sediment reductions needed to meet final 2025 goals). This was changed from Phase I due to concerns that the implementation was not achievable with that timeframe. Maryland worked many partners in local jurisdictions to develop Phase II Watershed Implementation Plans with more detailed reduction targets and specific strategies to further ensure that the water quality goals of the Bay TMDL will be met. See Maryland's Development Support for the Chesapeake Bay Phase II WIP webpage.
MDE is continuing to work with its partners in local jurisdictions to implement the Phase II WIP. See the Implementing Maryland’s WIP: Making Progress toward Bay Restoration Goals webpage.
Please direct questions or comments concerning this project to Tom Thornton with Maryland's TMDL Program at (410) 537-3656 or email at Thomas.Thornton@maryland.gov.
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Coffee is an important crop and is crucial to the economy of many developing countries, generating around US$70 billion per year. There are 115 species in the Coffea genus, but only two, C. arabica and C. canephora, are commercially cultivated. Coffee plants are attacked by many pathogens and insect-pests, which affect not only the production of coffee but also its grain quality, reducing the commercial value of the product. The main insect-pest, the coffee berry borer (Hypotheneumus hampei), is responsible for worldwide annual losses of around US$500 million. The coffee berry borer exclusively damages the coffee berries, and it is mainly controlled by organochlorine insecticides that are both toxic and carcinogenic. Unfortunately, natural resistance in the genus Coffea to H. hampei has not been documented. To overcome these problems, biotechnological strategies can be used to introduce an α-amylase inhibitor gene (α-AI1), which confers resistance against the coffee berry borer insect-pest, into C. arabica plants.
We transformed C. arabica with the α-amylase inhibitor-1 gene (α-AI1) from the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, under control of the seed-specific phytohemagglutinin promoter (PHA-L). The presence of the α-AI1 gene in six regenerated transgenic T1 coffee plants was identified by PCR and Southern blotting. Immunoblotting and ELISA experiments using antibodies against α-AI1 inhibitor showed a maximum α-AI1 concentration of 0.29% in crude seed extracts. Inhibitory in vitro assays of the α-AI1 protein against H. hampei α-amylases in transgenic seed extracts showed up to 88% inhibition of enzyme activity.
This is the first report showing the production of transgenic coffee plants with the biotechnological potential to control the coffee berry borer, the most important insect-pest of crop coffee.


Close to standard
|Points of interest||
Ancient Rakatan ruins
Tandun III was originally surveyed approximately 12,293 BBY by Doctor Beramsh, who led an expedition from Ord Mantell. What Beramsh and his team discovered was a lush beautiful world with close to standard gravity and was suitable for both oxygen breathing humans and humanoids. Further exploration of the planet also revealed ruins of ancient population centers which Beramsh believed were constructed by the Rakata.
Despite the survey report of ideal atmospheric conditions, its distance from the Hydian Way prevented Tandun III from ever being colonized. Historical records would indicate that a possible second survey was conducted generations later during Chancellor Finis Valorum's second term.
At some point between 29 BBY and 19 BBY, the Republic Group took an Insignia of Unity that once stood on the podium of the Galactic Senate Rotunda. The group believed the insignia could be used as a symbol to restore Republic honor to the galaxy and brought it to Tandun III for safe-keeping. Enlisting the help of the Antarian Rangers, the Republic Group built a secret storehouse in one of the planet's ancient ruins and made the Stellar Envoy the key to accessing the facility. In 19 BBY the Republic Group and the Antarian Rangers were considered enemies of the Empire and thus the secret facility and the Insignia of Unity were left abandoned and forgotten for over six decades.
During the Yuuzhan Vong's invasion of the galaxy, the Yuuzhan Vong settled the world and began Vongforming it to meet their needs. The land was transformed into cliffs of yorik coral, tampasis of s'teeni, with populations of scherkil hla, sparkbees, and other Yuuzhan Vong biots.
Over the course of twenty years the Vongforming had taken its toll on the planet. Intact forests abundant with life still covered the southern hemisphere, while surface temperatures had rendered landmasses in the northern hemisphere unsuitable for all but the most extremophilic sentient species. Extensive regions of extreme volcanic and tectonic activity griped the planet in catastrophic forces that were likely to destroy it. The sky was filled with powerful winds and icy clouds that produced storms with sheets of rain, lightening, and hailstones. And while still breathable, dweebit beetles filled the atmosphere with high concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and sulfur.
In 43 ABY the Solos, accompanied by Tobb Jadak and Flitcher Poste, came to Tandun III as part of their quest to uncover the history of the Millennium Falcon. They landed the Falcon inside of the abandoned Republic Group warehouse and discovered the Insignia of Unity. It was at that time that Lestra Oxic appeared and revealed that he had followed the Solos to Tandun III in order to claim the emblem for himself. He told all present the history behind how the emblem ended up at Tandun III and inspected it only to realize that the emblem before him was a fake.
At the same time of the meeting, groundquakes increased in severity and volatility finally ending in the planet's strongest quake. Oxic and his associates, now accompanied by Jadak and Poste, left to continue the search for the true Insignia of Unity, as the Solos themselves fled the planet.
It was shortly after the Millennium Falcon's return to space that Tandun III flared and erupted in a shock wave that hurtled enormous chunks of itself into the vacuum of space.
Behind the scenesEdit
C-3PO stated the first survey of the world took place around 12,293 BBY and that the expedition was launched from Ord Mantell. This is odd due to the fact that Ord Mantell was not colonized until 12,000 BBY.
Additionally, C-3PO said Dr. Beramsh believed the ancient population centers were Rakatan in origin. Yet, the Rakata were unknown to the galaxy at large until the end of the Jedi Civil War in 3,956 BBY.
He continued to claim that the world was not colonized most likely due to its distance from the Hydian Way which was pioneered in 3,705 BBY. Thus the reason why the world was never colonized in the thousands of years between its exploration and the founding of the Hydian Way remains a mystery.


Information contained on this page is provided by NewsUSA, an independent third-party content provider. WorldNow and this Station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith.
/National Children's Cancer Society) - The good news is that some drug shortages
have been resolved, and many essential childhood cancer drugs are now more available. The root of the problem, however, persists.
For the past two years, hospitals have been hit with significant shortages of many generic drugs for several diseases, including cancer. In 2011 alone, there were at least 250 different shortages.
Pharmaceutical companies and drug manufacturers make less money off many of the older, generic drugs used for cancer treatment. But generally, most shortages are a result of manufacturing snags and production problems.
Improvements are being made; cooperation between drug manufacturers and the FDA has helped prevent many new shortages. But at large, oncology drugs for both children and adults are severely lacking.
Sandra Kweder, deputy director of the FDA's Office of New Drugs, wholeheartedly agrees, "With regard to oncology drugs we remain extremely concerned about the shortages," she said at a press conference held by the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Although there are ongoing shortages of anesthesia, pain medicines and antibiotics, the scarcity of cancer drugs means that any shortage has a huge impact. Last year broke records -- more than 200 cancer drugs were unavailable.
When an Ohio plant was shut down due to manufacturing problems last November, production halted on several critical drugs, including a preservative-free version of methotrexate -- the key treatment for the common pediatric cancer acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
"The childhood cancer community was very concerned," says Angie Hayes, Case Manager for The National Children's Cancer Society (NCCS). "Childhood cancer patients and families shouldn't have to delay treatment because hospitals and cancer treatment centers ran out of medication."
The Fight Against Childhood Cancer Continues
The NCCS has provided assistance to more than 30,000 children in the U.S. For 25 years, NCCS has grown and evolved with programs such as the Pediatric Oncology Program (POP), which has distributed over $54 million to families, and Beyond the Cure. This year alone, Beyond the Cure -- a survivorship program designed to educate children and their families about the challenges they may face as childhood cancer survivors -- has awarded $125,000 in college scholarships to 38 cancer survivors.
To learn more about the resources offered by NCCS, visit www.theNCCS.org


CURRENT CZECH NAME: Ostroh
Ostroh Uhersky, Uhersky Ostroh, Ungarisch-Ostra, Ungarisch-Ostroh
LOCATION: Ostroh is a small
town in Moravia, located at 48.59 longitude and 17.23 latitude, 75 km E
of Brno, 9 km ENE of Bzenec (seeMap
- by Mapquest, then click
on your browser's "Back" button to return to this page).
HISTORY: The earliest known
Jewish community in this town dates from 1592. In 1635 there were
22 Jewish houses. In 1671 there were 16 Jewish houses with more than
30 Jewish families, including Isak Schulklopper, Salamon Lateiner, Israel
Isak, Mandl, Salamon Chaska, Benesch, Friedrich Kojeteiner, Schmidl, Jekl
Fleischhacker, Salamon Mojses, Rabiner, Mojses Stanjetz, Jakob Gutman,
Israel Strimpfstricker, and Loebl Isak. From 1798-1848 there were
89 Jewish families. In 1848 the community numbered 478 members, but
dropped to 220 after the First World War. The Jewish population was
70 in 1930. The present town population is 5,000 - 25,000 with fewer
than 10 Jews.
Noteworthy historical events involving or affecting the Jewish community
were the separation of a Jewish quarter in 1727 and the existence of a
self-standing political community from 1890-1920. The old Jewish
cemetery was established in 17th century, with the last known Jewish burial
in 1862. The Jewish congregation was Conservative.
Birth, Death and Marriage record books for Ostroh may be located at the
Czech State Archives in Prague, Statni istredni archiv, tr. Milady Horokove
133, CZ-166 21 Praha 6, Czech Republic, tel/fax: +42 (2) 333-20274.
Search JewishGen/Internet resources for Ostroh.
NOTABLE RESIDENTS AND DESCENDANTS:
According to the entry in the International Association of Jewish Genealogical
Societies Cemetery Project database, Chaim Weizmann, president of the State
of Israel, once lived in Ostroh.
The following rabbis worked in Ostroh: Salomo Mose (1592); David b. Samuel
Halevy (1659); Mose b. Hakadosch Elchanan from Fuerth (1655); Jesaja b.
Sabatai Scheftel (1659); Joel b. Samuel from Krakau (1668); Mhrr Pinchas
(after 1700); Mhrr Salomo (before 1719); Kolonimos b. mhrr Baruch (from
1720); Loeb Steiniz (d. 1760); Mhrr Pinchas b. mhrr Aaron (1766); Jakob
Hirsch b. Mose Loeb (Biach) Feilbogen (1790-1853); Mose Loeb b. mhrr JA
ha-Kohen Mueller (d. 1853); Dr. Joel Mueller; Dr. S. Wolfsohn; (1876-1878);
Dr. Israel Taglicht (1883-1893); Dr. Emanuel Lenke; Dr. D. Herzog (1897-1900);
Dr. Simon Friedmann; Dr. Michael Halberstamm (from 1919).
Other notables include: Mordechai b. Schalom (community elder and author
of the statutes of the chevra kadisha in 1650); Schalom b. Jecheskel (landowner
1668); Mandl Salamon Steinitzer (land deputy 1732); Michl b. R. Sch. David
(judge); Mose Singer (judge 1835); Mandl Duschak (judge 1858); Loeb Winter
(judge 1860); Jesajas Braun (judge 1864); Sal. Kihn (judge 1876); Salamon
Winter (judge 1880-1888); Jonatan Lamberg (judge); Max Kihn (judge 1898);
Dr. Eduard Stern (judge 1902); Jehuda Diamand (judge 1903); Sigmund Klein
(judge 1909); Loeb Nussbaum; Samuel Kornblueh; Sal. Sommer; Jakob Hahn;
Jakob Strauss; Jechiel Gruenbaum.
Rabbi Dr. Moritz Grünwald was born 29 March 1853 in Ostroh.
He studied at the Universities of Vienna and Leipzig. He founded
the Jüdische Centralblatt in Belovar. In 1883 he became rabbi
of Pisek and later Jungbunzlau. He was the chief rabbi of Sofia from
1893 until his death in London on 10 June 1895.
The great-great- grandson of Amalie Reif (b. Ostroh), E.
Randol Schoenberg, is a frequent contributor to Jewishgen's Austria-Czech
SIG and the submitter of this page.
Tom Beer has submitted an interesting story about his great-grandfather,
Beer (b. Ostroh).
CEMETERIES: There are two Jewish
cemeteries in Ostroh. The older cemetery location is urban, on flat
land, separate but near other cemeteries, and not identified by any sign
or marker. It is reached by turning directly off a public road.
It is open to all. The cemetery is surrounded by no wall or fence
and there is no gate. The approximate size of cemetery before WWII
and now is 0.1277 hectares. The cemetery contains no special memorial
monuments. The cemetery contains no known mass graves. Within the limits
of the cemetery there are no structures. The municipality is the
present owner of the cemetery property, which is now utilized for recreation
(park, playground, sports field). Adjacent properties are commercial
or industrial. The cemetery boundaries have not changed since 1939.
Private visitors come rarely to the cemetery. The cemetery
was vandalized during World War II and between 1945 and 1981. No
maintenance has been done. Now there is occasional clearing or cleaning
by authorities. There is a slight threat posed by pollution and proposed
The new cemetery is located at 1.5 km to the E, Veselska-Str. This
Jewish cemetery was established in 1862. The last known Jewish burials
were in the 1950s and 1960s. The cemetery location is urban, on flat
land, separate, but near other cemeteries, and not identified by any sign
or marker. It is reached by crossing the public property of the town
cemetery. It is open to all. A continuous masonry wall surrounds
the cemetery. There is a gate that does not lock. The
approximate size of the cemetery is now 0.2777 hectares; before WWII it
was about 0.47 hectares. There are 100-500 stones. The cemetery
has no special sections. The tombstones and memorial markers
are made of marble, granite and sandstone. The tombstones vary among
flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones, flat stones with
carved relief decoration and obelisks. The cemetery has tombstones
with bronze decorations or lettering and metal fences around graves.
Inscriptions on tombstones are in Hebrew, German and Czech. The cemetery
contains special memorial monuments to Holocaust victims. There are
no known mass graves. Within the limits of the cemetery are no structures.
The present owner of the cemetery property is the local Jewish community
of Brno. The adjacent properties are other cemeteries.
The current Jewish cemetery boundaries are smaller now than in 1939 because
of the town cemetery. Private visitors come occasionally to the cemetery.
The cemetery has been vandalized occasionally, mostly between 1981-91.
No maintenance has been done. Local/municipal authorities and Jewish
groups from within the country did restoration work, finally completed
in 1991. Now there is occasional clearing or cleaning by authorities.
There is a moderate threat posed by pollution, vegetation and vandalism;
and slight threats are posed by uncontrolled access, weather erosion, and
existing and proposed nearby development.
These surveys were completed on 1.3.1992 by Ing. Arch. Jaroslav Klenovsky,
Zebetinska 13, 623 00 Brno.
CONTACTS: Town officials:
Magistrate Jiri Chmelar, Mestsky urad Hradistska 305, 687 24 uhersky Ostroh,
tel. 0632/91116. Regional officials: PhDr. Jana Spathova, Okresni urad,
Referat Kultury, 686 01 Uherske Hradiste, tel. 0632/432. Interested parties:
Slovacke muzeum, dir. PhDr. Ivo Frolec, Smetanovy sady, 686 01 Uherske
Hradiste, tel. 0632/2262. Other sources: Bohumil Gelbkopf, Rybare 198,
687 24 Uhersky Ostroh, Tel. 0.
SOURCES: Gedenkbuch der
Untergegangenen Judengemeinden Mährens, Hugo Gold ed. (1974), pp..
116-117; Die Juden und JudengemeindenMährens in Vergangenheit unde
Gegenwart, Hugo Gold ed. (1929), pp: 563-570 (pictures); Jiri Fiedler,
Jewish Sights of Bohemia and Moravia (1991), pp. 53-54; International Association
of Jewish Genealogical Societies Cemetery Project, Czech Republic, Ostroh.
SUBMITTER: E. Randol
Schoenberg, 3436 Mandeville Canyon Road, Los Angeles, California 90049-1020
USA. Tel: 1-310-472-3122 (h), 1-213-473-2045 (w). Fax: 1-213-473-2222.
Web Page: http://www.schoenberglaw.com
Return to GemeindeView
Return to Austria-Czech SIG Homepage


The New Genetics of Mental Illness; June/July 2008; Scientific American Mind; by Edmund S. Higgins; 8 Page(s)
Throughout history shamans, clerics and physicians have tried to pin down what goes awry when a person slips into sadness, insanity or psychosis. Theorists have variously blamed mental illness on an imbalance of bodily fluids, the movement of planets, unconscious mental conflict and unfortunate life experiences. Today many researchers believe that psychiatric disorders arise in large part from a person¿s genetic makeup. Genes, after all, are the blueprints for the proteins that create and control the brain.
And yet genetics cannot be the whole story: identical twins, who have virtually the same DNA, do not always develop the same mental disorders. For example, if one identical twin acquires schizophrenia, the other stands just a 50 percent chance of also suffering from the disease. Indeed, abundant data suggest that psychiatric ailments typically result from a complex interplay between the environment and a number of different genes [see ¿The Character Code,¿ by Turhan Canli; Scientific American Mind, February/March 2008]. But only recently have scientists begun to grasp how the environment affects the brain to produce psychological changes.


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Extremely Interesting Things to Do with Bugs
Illustrated by Margaret Brandt
National Best Books 2010 Award
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USA Book News
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Reference pages include a glossary packed with information, a
lists of useful resources, and an invaluable guide to
Find out more
Creek Books is a
small publisher committed to "teaching kids to care for the Earth."
Our books are designed to motivate children to listen to, learn from, and love
the world of nature. We believe that children who learn to love our Earth
today will protect it tomorrow.
On our web site, you can look at our books and find out how to order them. In
you¡¯ll find fascinating information, and projects and activities to try at
home or school. We are working to develop our site into an ideal place for
kids ¡ª a place where they can have fun learning about our Earth.
the Squirrel House, a photo journal about a family of squirrels which live
at Trickle Creek. You'll find plans for building a squirrel house, other
squirrel activities, and photos of baby squirrels.
Cooper to download a
complete teacher's guide (preK-2) for teaching
about rainforests. You'll also find free paper dolls, coloring pages,
bookmarks, a pattern for making a bromeliad and a poison-arrow frog, and an
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The latest weapon unleashed to battle California's growing energy demand comes in the form of free software. The State of California Energy Commission's Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program is responsible for the development of a free software package dubbed the Sensor Placement and Orientation Tool (SPOT). The purpose of this software is to help designers establish correct photosensor placement relative to a given daylighting and electric lighting design.
Daylighting systems, which use natural lighting to supplement electric lighting, are sensitive to photosensor placement and performance. However, until now, there have been no easy-to-use tools to help designers predict performance and determine optimum sensor positioning. Using an Excel worksheet interface, SPOT accounts for variables such as room geometry, surface reflectances, solar orientation, electric lighting layout, and window design to help determine the best location for photosensors. It also helps designers comply with the daylighting requirements in California's Title 24 energy code, which calls for separate controls for daylit areas and offers substantial energy budget credits for automatic daylighting controls.
This software may be downloaded for free at www.archenergy.com/SPOT/index.html.


Hop into roo before it's too late
A call for Australians to eat kangaroos to combat climate change might be a case of tuck in now before it's too late, research by an Australian biologist suggests.
Writing in the December edition of Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Dr Euan Ritchie, of James Cook University in Queensland, says population numbers of the iconic Australian marsupial are at threat from climate change.
Ritchie, from the School of Marine and Tropical Biology, says a rise in average temperatures in northern Australia of just 2°C could reduce suitable habitat for kangaroo populations by as much as 50%.
His findings follow a recent call by economist, Professor Ross Garnaut, of the Australian National University, that Australians help fight climate change by swapping their beef-eating habits for a taste of Skippy.
Ritchie, who admits to being a committed roo eater, says his findings should not deter people from kangaroo steaks and may even help the animal survive.
"The species [of kangaroo] currently being harvested are very well monitored," he says.
"So it means we will pick up differences [in range and population] very quickly and will be in a position to respond to that."
According to the study, the kangaroo species under greatest threat is the antilopine wallaroo.
Ritchie says it is more vulnerable because it has a very defined range across the tropical savannas of far northern Australia from Cape York in Queensland across to the Kimberleys of Western Australia.
Using climate change computer modelling, Ritchie and co-author Elizabeth Bolitho, also of James Cook University, found the 2°C temperature increase, predicted by 2030, would shrink the antilopine's range by 89%.
A 6°C increase, the upper end of temperature increase predictions to 2070, may lead to their extinction if they are unable to adapt to the arid environment which results, Ritchie says.
He says the main threat of climate change is not on the kangaroo itself, but on the habitat that sustains its populations.
Among the impacts that will affect their geographic range are increased prevalence of fires and changes to vegetation and the availability of water.
He says a 0.4°C increase would reduce the distribution of all species of kangaroos and wallaroos by 9%.
An increase of 2°C saw the geographic range of the kangaroos reduced by as much as 50%.
Weathering the changes
However the news is not all bad.
By contrast to the antilopine, Ritchie says the eastern gray kangaroo is in a strong position to weather climate changes because of its predominance in the cooler eastern seaboard of Australia.
And he says the red kangaroo and common wallaroo are better adapted to sustain hotter climates.
Professor Lesley Hughes, of the Climate Change Ecology Group at Macquarie University in Sydney, backs Ritchie's findings.
"Virtually every time we do bioclimatic modelling you get this result [of species under threat]," she says.
However she says few studies "go up to 6°C" because "the more you extrapolate into the future the more doubt you have".
Hughes adds however that a 6°C rise in temperature would "wipe out" most native Australian species.


Deep in a North Carolina marsh, a lone swamp sparrow sits on his perch in the middle of the water. He’s singing his usual song. But he’s also aggressively flapping one wing, trying to incite a nearby male into action. Onlookers are watching – just to see what happens.
However, this is no ordinary territorial scuffle. This is bird research. The sparrow on the perch is a robot, and the chief, hip wader-clad onlooker – who is also in control of the robot’s movements – is Steve Nowicki, Ph.D., a biology, psychology, and neurobiology professor at Duke University. He’s testing whether the wing flap will actually prompt a fight.
According to Nowicki, birdsong and signaling have a surprisingly close relationship with human speech.
“It’s an unexpected and remarkable model for human speech control, development and perception,” he said. “Birds also learn their songs in much the same way humans learn to speak, and that’s an unusual trait. They have to learn their language from their parents.”
His research, though, isn’t about merely studying how birds behave and communicate. He and his team watch signals and behaviors; they run simulations and analyze hormones; they record neurons and assemble protein sets. They’re deciphering how birds promote their survival and reproductive success. In short – they’re studying evolution, past and present.
Nowicki, who is also dean and vice provost of undergraduate education, was almost the bird researcher who wasn’t. As a student at Tufts University in Boston, he was a declared music major. Late in his collegiate career, he discovered a love of biology – particularly the brain and behavior – and raced to complete a major in the subject. He then pursued his graduate degree in neurobiology at Cornell University.
It was there he was first introduced to the siren song of birds. When it comes to communicating, birds have far less to say than humans. But they express themselves in equally complex ways, Nowicki said.
“Humans use complicated signal communication, and we use an array of sounds to create words that have rich meanings,” he said. “When you look at sparrow songs – the number of notes per second and the frequency – it’s just as complicated as human speech. They’re just not saying much.”
All the same, they’re getting their points across.
Songs, signals and responses
In addition to the aggressive response the swamp sparrow’s wing flap provokes, the absence or introduction of song or even a physical attribute can prompt birds to behave differently, Nowicki said.
Birds, like most animals, are territorial and will, in most cases, defend their turf. But how will neighboring birds respond if a battle ensues? Will they come to help or avoid the fight? Will they treat the male differently if he loses to the interloper? Researchers can test this reaction, Nowicki said, by removing a bird from its environment, playing a recording of another male’s song, and, then, reintroducing the bird to see how the others respond.
“It’s interesting to see what happens, because no one wants a floating male in the neighborhood,” he said. “Research has shown that with some birds, peer birds are more wary of the winner, but they might also try to encroach on a loser’s territory.”
And, just as with other species, birds can use their physical attributes to signal to and communicate with each other. For example, a trait, such as a bright red neck and throat commonly seen in the male house finch, can broadcast a bird’s prowess or superior qualities. The red-throated male finch does attract more females, Nowicki said, but it isn’t because of the color. The pigment comes from a carotenoid-rich diet that gives these males a stronger immune system, making them better mates.
Male song sparrows use their song repertoire in much the same way. The more songs they learn and exhibit, the more attractive they are to females. The reason, Nowicki said, is that birds with larger song selections appear to be smarter. They simply learn songs faster.
“Males who sing better have better developed brains, and in theory that makes them better mates,” he said. “We’re still working out why having a better brain for learning song is better for the female, but it’s clear females prefer these males as their mates.”
Impact on human activity
Understanding the role and importance of birdsong and signaling doesn’t shed much light on the evolution of human communication, but knowing what songs and signals mean to birds can directly affect human choices and behavior.
For example, researchers have evidence that stress directly affects a bird’s ability to develop song, which can ultimately impact pair bonding and mating. If scientists study the way birds living in both polluted and pristine environments sing, the data could play a role in accurately evaluating ecosystem health.
This knowledge also can impact wildlife preservation efforts. It isn’t enough to allocate a certain amount of space to a population based only on the number of animals surveyed. There are often other factors at work, Nowicki said. In the case of the small warbler ovenbird, it’s important to know that females won’t be setting in an area with fewer than 10 males. This type of information can significantly alter conservation efforts, he said.
Regardless of how the research of birdsong is used, Nowicki said, his work constantly reminds him of how intertwined birds and music are with our surroundings.
“I keep coming back to birdsong not simply because it’s a good model,” Nowicki said. “When I wake up in the morning and hear birds singing, it’s part of the wonderful aesthetic world we live in, and my job to learn more about it is a privilege.”


Philosophy and Religion
The Philosophy and Religion Department at Montclair State University is home to the "big questions": the nature of truth, knowledge, art, morality, social justice, life, death, God, the universe, and Being itself. In our department, you will learn what human beings have thought about these big questions throughout history, and how they have sought to live their lives in relation to the answers. You will also be encouraged to address these questions yourself and make them relevant to your own life.
The discipline of Philosophy puts you in conversation with thinkers from ancient times to the present who have asked questions such as: What is the nature of truth, and justice? Is there a natural law that governs the universe? How can I know reality—through reason or through sense experience? How is my mind related to my body? How do I make ethical judgments when there is no clear "right" or "wrong" answer? What makes something beautiful? Is democracy always the best form of government?
The study of Religion aims to understand how people have lived out their central beliefs about this world and the next, the secular and the sacred, humanity and the divine. In itself, religion has been an arena for struggling with questions of meaning and reality. It has also been a powerful influence in law, government, family life, and the arts. One cannot adequately understand human experience or the clash of nations and empires without attending to the roles played by religion.
For more information, contact:


Description from Flora of China
Herbs, annual or perennial, all parts strongly aromatic (anise-scented). Stem erect, terete, gray-green or lurid-green, glabrous. Leaves petiolate, sheaths membranous-margined; blade pinnately decompound; ultimate segments linear. Umbels compound, terminal and lateral; bracts and bracteoles absent; rays numerous, upwards-spreading, unequal. Calyx teeth obsolete. Petals yellow, obovate, mid rib conspicuous, apex with narrowly inflexed lobule. Stylopodium conic; styles very short, reflexed. Fruit oblong, terete, glabrous; ribs 5, acute or round-obtuse; vittae 1 in each furrow, 2 on commissure. Seed face plane or slightly concave. Carpophore 2-cleft to base.
One species: Mediterranean region; cultivated and adventive worldwide, including in China.
(Authors: She Menglan (佘孟兰 Sheh Meng-lan); Mark F. Watson)


What orbits the Earth at 17,500 miles per hour, is 360 feet wide, 260 feet long and has a crew of 3? It is the International Space Station, also known as the I.S.S. It is going to be finished in the year 2006. The countries that are putting it together are the United States, Russia, Japan, Canada, Brazil, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. There will be 100 different pieces sent up to space to create the I.S.S.
What You Want to Know About The I.S.S.
When it is completed, the I.S.S. will be the size of two football fields. You will be able to see it from Earth without a telescope. The I.S.S. will be much bigger than previous space stations. Other space stations, like Mir, were cramped. You also had to eat dehydrated food (food without water). The I.S.S. will have a refrigerator with fresh foods.
The I.S.S. is like living on earth except one thing-you are weightless! When you are sleeping, you have to be strapped to the wall or else you will float out of your bed.
The first crew went up in orbit on October 31, 2000. The size of the crew was decided by how big the escape pod was. That was 3.
Did you know that every time we breathe or exercise we add moisture to the air? This extra moisture has to be removed from the air on the ISS so the moisture doesnít collect on the ISS equipment. This moisture will be recycled.
The crew will recycle all of the water on board from the moisture in the air to the crewís urine and wash water. I know that sounds really gross, but the water is going to be purified and going to be cleaner than the water we drink here on Earth. There are 3 steps to purifying the water:
The crew will be up in space for a long time, but when they come back, they wonít be able to walk right away. There is no gravity in space so you donít use your legs that much, and when you go to use them itís just like trying to run after you rollerblade.
The people that are training to get on the space station are going to train hard. They will have to train for 2 years. Some of that training will be in the Canadian forest in the middle of winter to prepare them for problems they might run into up in space.
What are Some Modules Up in Space?
In 1999,the first U.S. built station component, the Unity connecting module, was moved to the launch pad. It was loaded onto the Space Shuttle, Endeavour.
More than six major components are in the processing facility. At the end of the year 2000, more than 500,000 pounds of U.S. and international station equipment was completed. Thatís the weight of 250 pick-up trucks.
Unity is a six-sided connecting module to which all-future U.S. station modules will attach. Unity will serve as a passageway to various parts of the station. Attached to Unity are two adapters. One to serve as a permanent connection to the Russian station and another that will serve as a shuttle docking port.
What is Going to Put Some Of the International Space Station Together?
Some of the I.S.S. is going to be put together from the outside. One of the dangers is that you could be hit by a micrometeoroid. Some micrometeoroids are the size of a grain of sand, but others can be the size of basketballs and go right through you. The countries that are building the I.S.S. have built robots to put together some of the I.S.S. so that no one gets hurt. Remember, the I.S.S. is made up of 100 different modules so it will take a long time to put it together.
Space: Everything You Want to Know and Beyond. </J0112388> Last Visited: December, 2001.
NASA.<http://www.nasa.gov> Last Visited: January, 2002.
Space in the Spotlight Novi Meadows Elementary 2002
All pictures courtesy of NASA unless otherwise noted


Hexavalent chromium is a compound used to create pigments and prevent corrosion in dyes, paints, primers, inks and plastics. The chemical is used in the production of stainless steel, leather tanning and wood preservation.
The Hexavalent Chromium Panel was formed in October 2009 to represent former and current users of hexavalent chromium. The panel’s primary activities include sponsoring research to fill the scientific database informing the risk levels for hexavalent chromium in drinking water and communicating the findings of this research.
In the past year, the panel has undertaken an effort to sponsor an independent study. Guided by highly qualified, leading experts, research is being conducted to determine the threshold at which the chemical is not toxic. This data will inform EPA and other policymakers as they develop a drinking water standard for hexavalent chromium.


The Handel and Haydn Society is a chorus and period instrument orchestra in the city of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1815, it is one of the oldest performing arts organizations in the USA. Most widely known for its performances of George Frideric Handel's Messiah, the group gave its American premiere in 1818 and has performed the piece annually since 1854.
The Handel and Haydn Society was founded as an oratorio society in Boston on April 20, 1815, by Gottlieb Graupner, Thomas Smith Webb, Amasa Winchester, and Matthew S. Parker, a group of Boston merchants and musicians who were eager to improve the performance of choral music in a city that, at the time, offered very little music of any kind. The name of the Society reflects the foundersí wish to bring Boston audiences the best of the old (G.F. Handel) and the best of the new (Haydn) in concerts of the highest artistic quality. The first performance by the Society was held on Christmas night in 1815 at King's Chapel, and included a chorus of 90 men and 10 women.
From its earliest years, the Handel and Haydn Society established a tradition of innovation, performing the American premieres of G.F. Handelís Messiah in 1818, Haydnís The Creation in 1819, Verdiís Requiem in 1878, Amy Beach's Mass in 1892, and numerous other works by G.F. Handel, Mozart, J.S. Bach, and others.
The Society was also an early promoter of composer Lowell Mason, publishing his first collection of hymns and later electing him as the group's President. Mason's music was extremely influential and much of it is still performed today. He is best known for composing the music for the popular carol, Joy to the World. Mason was also instrumental in establishing music education in the USA.
Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Handel and Haydn staged music festivals to commemorate its own anniversaries and such significant events as the end of the Civil War. The Society organized Americaís first great music festival in 1857, and in later years gave benefit concerts to aid the Union Army, victims of the Chicago fire in 1871, and Russian Jewish refugees in 1882. Over the years, the Handel and Haydn Society has performed for such luminaries as President James Monroe, Grand Duke Alexis of Russia, Admiral Dewey, and Queen Elizabeth II.
By the mid 20th century, the Handel and Haydn Society had begun to move toward vocal and instrumental authenticity. In 1967, an acknowledged expert in Baroque performance practice, Thomas Dunn, became the Society's Artistic Director and transformed the group's large amateur chorus into one of approximately 30 professional singers. In 1986, Christopher Hogwood succeeded Thomas Dunn as Artistic Director and added period-instrument performances and a new verve to the high choral standards of the Society. In October 1986, Handel and Haydn presented its first period instrument orchestra concert under Christopher Hogwoodís baton, and by the 1989-1990 season all of the Society's concerts were performed on period instruments. The Society has remained committed to historically informed performance following the end of Christopher Hogwood's tenure as Artistic Director in the spring of 2001.
Handel and Haydn Society announced the appointment of Harry Christophers as Artistic Director on September 26, 2008. Harry Christophers, a regular guest conductor of the Society, began his tenure as Artistic Director with the 2009-2010 season and is the organizationís thirteenth artistic leader since its founding in 1815. The initial term of Harry Christophersí contract with the Society extends through the 2011-2012 season.
Harry Christophers has conducted the Handel and Haydn Society each season since his first appearance in September 2006, when he led a sold-out performance in the Esterházy Palace at the Haydn Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria. Held in the same location where Haydn lived and worked for nearly 40 years, this Austrian appearance marked the Societyís first in Europe in its then 191-year history. Harry Christophers returned to conduct the Society in Boston in a critically acclaimed performance of G.F. Handelís Messiah in December 2007, followed by an appearance at Symphony Hall in January 2008. Founder and Music Director of the renowned UK-based choir and period-instrument orchestra, The Sixteen, he is also in demand as a guest conductor for leading orchestras and opera companies worldwide and in the USA.
Welsh conductor Grant Llewellyn joined Handel and Haydn in the 2001-2002 season as Music Director. Grant Llewellyn did not have a background in period-instrument performance prior to joining the Society, but has won wide acclaim from critics and musicians for his energetic and compelling conducting. He has been noted for his charming personality and for his ability to produce exceptional performances from the Society's musicians.
During his tenure as Music Director, the Society produced several recordings that have met with considerable commercial success, including Peace and All is Bright which both appeared on Billboard Magazine's Classical Top 10 chart. Handel and Haydn Society was also awarded its first Grammy Award for a collaboration with the San Francisco choral ensemble Chanticleer for the 2003 recording of Sir John Tavener's Lamentations and Praises.
The Society also entered into a multi-year relationship with Chinese director Chen Shi-Zheng starting in 2003. This has yielded fully-staged productions of Monteverdi's Vespers (in 2003) and Orfeo (in 2006) that Chen sees as the start of a cycle of Monteverdi's surviving operas and his Vespers. The 2006 Orfeo was co-produced by the English National Opera. Chen also directed a production of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas in 2005 for Handel and Haydn. Grant Llewellyn concluded his tenure in 2006.
In July 2007, the ensemble made a historic appearance at London's Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms concert series, presenting Haydn's oratorio Die Jahreszeiten (The Seasons), with Sir Roger Norrington conducting.


Crab, King – US (kani)
In the U.S., there are three commercial King Crab species – Red, Blue and Golden King Crab – all caught in Alaskan waters.
King Crabs typically mature around 5-7 years of age and can have a leg span of 6 feet. Most King Crab populations are at healthy levels of abundance and not considered overfished. Some populations are closed for fishing, however, to rebuild numbers.
King Crabs are caught using crab pots, which are typically 700 lb steel pots covered with nylon webbing. Although large, they do relatively little damage to the muddy sea floor. New management policies and regional closures have helped mold this ‘derby’ fishery into a well-regulated, efficient and economically stable program.
Bycatch in King Crab fisheries is low, typically consisting of female and undersized male crabs.


“Norman Clyde was attracted to the Sierra Nevada Mountains sometime after 1911 while in his mid-20s… Clyde spent more than 50 years perfecting his mental maps, locating crashed airplanes, and rescuing lost souls and climbers in trouble - or retrieving their bodies.
Clyde’s name was legendary. Many climbers would rank him second only to John Muir as an intimate pioneer of places inaccessible and second to none as a climber… Clyde climbed Mt. Whitney at least 50 times. Between 1914 and about 1940, he became the first climber to reach the tops of at least 126 peaks.”


Potatoes are one of the easiest plants to grow because they are not extremely picky about the soil that they are grown in. Growing the best potatoes, however, requires preparation and diligence during the growing stages. As potato plants spread and the potatoes start to grow, the gardener needs to be sure that the tubers remain covered with soil.
Chit (pre-sprout) the seed potatoes. This step is optional but recommended. Cut out the crown sprouts or eyes to allow the potato to grow sprouts from the shoulders and sides. To find the crown sprout, look closely at the potato for a cluster of more than four or five eyes. Cut out these eyes with a potato peeler and set the potatoes in an egg carton, crown side up.
Check the potatoes every few days and mist them lightly with a water/fertilizer mix. When the sprouts have grown to about an inch, they are ready to plant.
Clear the planting area of all weeds and debris, using a shovel and garden rake. Remove any rocks and roots, as they can interfere with the growth of the potatoes. Prepare the soil to approximately 1 foot deep.
Spread a 2-inch layer of compost or planting mix onto the cleared soil and mix in with a shovel. Dig into the soil with the shovel and turn the dirt several times until the compost and soil are mixed thoroughly.
Plant the sprouted (or unsprouted) seed potatoes at a depth of about 1 inch and about 1 foot apart. If the seed potatoes are small, less than 2 oz. each, they do not need to be cut; if they are larger than 2 oz., cut the potatoes into chunks that include at least one eye each. Each chunk should be no smaller than 1 square inch.
Water the potatoes thoroughly at least once each week. Over-watering will cause potatoes that have black centers, but potatoes need to be watered consistently to avoid misshapen tubers.
Check the leaves and stems daily for insect damage and treat as necessary. Bring in dirt from other areas of the garden to bury the tubers as they grow in size; do not let the potatoes become uncovered while growing.
Harvest the potatoes at any desired stage of growth. New potatoes are small, tender potatoes and are used in many recipes. Allow baking potatoes to grow larger.


Capital and oldest city of the kingdom of Navarra, Spain. Next to Tudela, it possessed the most important Jewish community. The Jewry was situated in the Navarreria, the oldest quarter of the city. When Navarra came under the guardianship of Philip the Fair, and the Pamplonians refused to pay him homage, the Jewry was destroyed by the French troops, the houses were plundered, and many Jews were killed (1277). In 1280, upon the complaint of the Jews, the city was directed to restore to them the confiscated propertiesand to assign to them other ground for building purposes. In 1319 the city council, in conjunction with the bishop, to whom the Jews were tributary, had resolved, in compliance with the wish of King Charles I., to rebuild the Jewry; but this was not done until 1336.
The new Jewry was near the Puente de la Magdalena, and was surrounded with strong walls to guard it against invasion. In the Jewry was the Alcaceria, where the Jews carried on considerable traffic in silk goods, while in a separate street were stores in which they sold jewelry, shoes, etc. Some of the Jews were artisans, and were employed by the royal court; others practised medicine. The physician Samuel, in recognition of his services as surgeon to the English knight Thomas Trivet, was presented by King Charles in 1389 with several houses situated in the Jewry and which had formerly been in the possession of Bonafos and his son Sento, two jugglers. In 1433 the physician Maestre Jacob Aboazar, who had his house near the Great Synagogue, accompanied the queen on a journey abroad. Contemporary with him was the physician Juce (Joseph).
In 1375 the Jews of Pamplona numbered about 220 families, and paid a yearly tax of 2,592 pounds to the king alone. They had, as in Estella and Tudela, their independent magistracy, consisting of two presidents and twenty representatives. Gradually the taxes became so burdensome that they could no longer be borne. In 1407 King Charles III. issued an order that the movable property of the Jews should be sold at auction, and the most notable members placed under arrest, unless they paid the tax due to him. To escape these frequent vexations many of the Jews resolved to emigrate; and a part of the Jewry was thus left uninhabited. No sooner had Leonora ascended the throne as coregent (1469) than she issued an order to the city magistrate to require the Jews to repair the dilapidated houses.
The policy of Ferdinand and Isabella triumphed in the Cortes of Pamplona in 1496. Two years later the Jews were expelled from Navarra. Many emigrated; and those who were unable to leave the city embraced Christianity. Ḥayyim Galipapa was rabbi of Pamplona in the fourteenth century; and the scholar Samuel b. Moses Abbas was a resident of the city.
- Kayserling, Gesch. der Juden in Spanien, i. 34, 43. 73, 93, 105 et seq.;
- Rios, Hist. ii. 452, iii. 200;
- Jacobs, Sources, s.v. Pamplona.


Most exercise-related injuries have the same basic cause - the overstressing of muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, and other tissue. With sufficient precautions and care, risks can be minimized. Warming up slowly and cooling down properly can help prevent many stress injuries. To be effective, your warm-up and cool-down exercises should use the same muscles as your main exercise. For example, if you jog, begin by walking for several minutes, then jog slowly, before breaking into a full stride. Do this before and after your regular exercise. Every athlete should include a 15-minute warm up and cool down program as part of the workout. This will increase flexibility, reduce muscle soreness, and improve overall performance. Other good principles to follow during exercise are: know your body's limitations and warning signals; drink plenty of water; and never combine heavy eating with heavy exercising. For more information on the benefits of warming up and cooling down, consult a physician.


Textbook Page 16 Workbook 1-2 Pages 25 - 26
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Description: The next several sections teach some of the most common objects in the home which are also some of the most commonly spoken words. This video begins the "home" series by teaching the names of the rooms themselves. You can use "The House Song" to reinforce what is being taught in these videos.


While Blackboard is the dominant commercial learning management (LMS) for the creation and management of
online courses, one of its main competitors is Moodle. Moodle is a free,
open source LMS for creating and managing online courses that is currently in use
from the classroom level to the university level. It can be used for completely
online courses or to augment classroom instruction. While it has forums and
wikis to create communities around courses, it can also be used with
assignments and quizzes to teach in a more traditional format.
How widespread is Moodle used in education? Currently,
there are 51,900 registered and validated Moodle sites hosting some 2.7 million
courses for 30 million users in 206 countries worldwide. It was designed to
promote the use of a social constructivist model wherein “groups construct
knowledge for one another, collaboratively creating a small culture of shared
artifacts with shared meanings. When one is immersed within a culture like
this, one is learning all the time about how to be a part of that culture, on
many levels.” Moodle doesn’t have to be used with this pedagogical model, but
its orientation is towards the community-based development structure (here,
learning) of the Web.
Connexions“Connexions is an environment for collaboratively developing, freely sharing, and rapidly publishing scholarly content on the Web.” It is not simply a Web site that hosts textbooks, articles, and courses. A non-profit run by
“Most textbooks are a mass of information in linear format: one topic follows after another. However, our brains are not linear - we learn by making connections between new concepts and things we already know. Connexions mimics this by breaking down content into smaller chunks, called modules, that can be linked together and arranged in different ways. This lets students see the relationships both within and between topics and helps demonstrate that knowledge is naturally interconnected, not isolated into separate classes or books.”
Connexions identifies itself as part of the open education movement and as inspired by the open source software movement. Their modules, be they a textbook, an article, or a course, are open education resources, which are “teaching and learning materials that are free to use and also re-use in new ways around the world.” Connexions sees itself as part of both a global and a grassroots community. Currently, 500,000+ unique visitors a month visit their Web site.
MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW)
MIT OCW is the result of MIT’s desire to use the Internet to pursue its mission of
advancing knowledge and educating students. Announced in 2001 and launched in
2002, MIT OCW has now published 1,890 courses online for free use. OCW is a “Web-based
publication of virtually all MIT course content. OCW is open and available to
the world and is a permanent MIT activity.” These courses are educational
resources and do not lead to course credit, certificates or degrees, nor do they
involve contact with faculty.
MIT OCW’s largest group of its one million monthly visits are self-learners though students and teachers are larger subgroups of what is a global audience. It is a major gift of knowledge to the open education movement from one of the world’s most prestigious academic institutions.
There are many other open education resources to explore, for example, the Open Education Resources Commons or even iTunes U, You Tube, or TeacherTube. The commercial sector undoubtedly has much to offer education, but the open education movement will continue to bring its own change just as Linux and Firefox continue to do so today.
What experience have you had with educational tools and resources on the Web? Contact us and share your experiences.
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Autism and the Recovery Act
Service in the Field: National Health Service Corps (NHSC)
The NHSC is a network of primary health care professionals working in underserved communities across the country. To support their service, the Recovery Act allocated funding to the NHSC to provide more than 4,000 clinicians with financial support in the form of loan repayment.
One NHSC loan repayor receiving Recovery Act funds has become involved in treatment/support of ASD patients. Andrea Kinlen, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist working in McPherson, Kansas, is working with patients and families to provide testing and therapy services for ASD patients. As Dr. Kinlen continued to spend time with patients, learning about their struggles and telling them they weren’t alone, an idea for a local support group emerged. Encouraged by the support of her supervisor and funding provided by a partial community grant, Dr. Kinlen engaged the families she counseled, other clinics, and local schools. As families came together, they were able to share stories and discuss challenges. Although the ages of the children and levels of severity vary, members of the group have found much common ground.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of complex neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by social impairments; communication difficulties; and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. These characteristics can range in impact from mild to significantly disabling. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that an average of 1 in 110 children in the United States has ASD. Symptoms usually begin to appear before age three and can cause delays or problems that continue through adulthood. Early detection of ASD and intervention can greatly increase a child’s ability to learn new skills and improve overall quality of life.
The cost of ASD to affected people, their families, and society is enormous. Children with ASD have a wide range of healthcare and services needs, and their families typically lose income, often as a result of one parent leaving the workforce in order to care for and meet his or her child’s special health and educational needs. A great majority of adults with ASD struggle with ongoing and mostly unmet needs for employment, housing, services, and supports. Lifetime costs to care for an individual with ASD have been estimated to be $3.2 million.
With funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has been able to accelerate work in promising areas of ASD research.*
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NIH invested $122 million in Recovery Act funds for groundbreaking research on ASD that otherwise would not have been possible, in areas such as screening, early detection, potential interventions and therapeutics, and in revealing the precise causes and mechanisms underlying this disorder (which are still largely unknown). Research area highlights include:
- Aiding Diagnosis: A two-site study at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital is adapting the interview tool that is the current gold standard for diagnosing ASD into a brief parent interview that can be done over the telephone. This new tool may help reduce screening costs, which could mean that more children are able to be screened, and that screening could occur earlier in a child’s life, leading to starting treatments sooner for the child. Additionally, reduced costs would help researchers to quickly identify potential participants for ASD studies. As part of the research process, study investigators performed free ASD screenings in Ohio and Michigan to test their changes to the interview tool. These screenings have reached children from many families for whom a screening might otherwise have been too costly to afford. Read more.
- Addressing Disparities: Investigators at Florida State University are exploring the significant racial and ethnic minority disparities that exist in the early diagnosis of ASD, often delaying minority access to beneficial early interventions and services. The results of this research will lead to culturally sensitive screening and evaluation methods that may decrease the age at which all children with ASD are diagnosed. Read more.
- Possible Causes: Although the exact causes of ASD are still unknown, research suggests an interaction between environmental factors and genetic predisposition. A number of Recovery Act-funded studies are using advanced DNA sequencing technology that allows for quick study of many genes at a time, while others are focusing on a variety of other potential causes. For example, one study at the University of California-Davis is exploring the role of infection during pregnancy on raising the risk of ASD in a mouse model. Research suggests that a mother’s immune response to infection may affect levels of immune molecules in the fetal brain, impacting brain development and possibly contributing to ASD. Read more.
- Improving Interactions: Most children with ASD seem to have no reaction to other people or may respond atypically to others’ emotions. Such behavior can isolate children with ASD from their peers. NIH awarded a Challenge grant to support the development and testing of a new computer-assisted program at the University of California, San Diego to train children with ASD how to respond to others’ facial expressions (for example, widening one’s eyes, wrinkling one’s nose, etc.), and how to produce facial expressions conveying particular emotions to others. Read more.
- Potential Therapeutics: In another study, researchers at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine will determine whether a certain hormone improves social cognition in adults with ASD—a potentially new treatment for social impairment linked to ASD. There has been little headway in the development of pharmacological treatments for social impairment, and it is widely acknowledged that such treatments are needed as an alternative or addition to behavioral interventions. Read more.
- Skill Development: Employment can provide greater independence to people with ASD, but symptoms of the disorder often pose major social and communication barriers. In response to this issue, researchers at Do2Learn.com developed the free JobTIPS website. JobTIPS presents job-seeking resources to youth with ASD, and also provides detailed explanations of how to behave in specific situations, such as what to say and not say to a potential employer, and how to disclose their diagnosis. Two autism research centers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Emory University, Atlanta, will help evaluate the effectiveness of JobTIPS in helping teens and young adults with ASD to learn new job-related skills and apply them in real world situations. Read more.
Read more about NIH’s Recovery Act-funded investments in ASD and learn how these investments are moving science forward sooner than anticipated in addressing some of the most significant challenges to understanding and treating ASD.
Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ)
AHRQ is using $1.4 million in Recovery Act funding for research that seeks to provide patients, clinicians, and others with evidence-based information to make informed decisions about health care—including research on ASD intervention strategies:
- Communicating ASD Treatments: There is no cure and no consensus regarding which intervention strategy is most effective for treating ASD. Given the complexity of ASD and associated therapies, it is clear that teachers, clinicians, and families need guidance in selecting appropriate treatments. AHRQ-funded research is developing, implementing, and evaluating strategies for disseminating information online about treatments for autism and ASD to over 16,000 individuals in important clinician, parent and teacher audiences. This novel approach will accelerate the translation of new scientific evidence on ASD therapeutics into practice and decision-making in families, the education system, the health care system, and public policy. Read more.
 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders - Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, United States, 2006. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Surveillance Summaries. December 2009;58(10):1-20.
 Montes G, Halterman JS. Association of childhood autism spectrum disorders and loss of family income. Pediatrics. April 2008;121(4):e821-6.
 Ganz ML. The lifetime distribution of the incremental societal costs of autism. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. April 2007;161(4):343–9.
*Projects cited in this report are examples of Recovery Act funding being applied to autism, not a comprehensive listing of Recovery Act-funded projects.


As one year shifts into the next, it is worthwhile to look at two artists who use non-permanence and change as their medium. It may seem strange to make an artwork knowing it may only last a few hours, but that's exactly what happens when you create art on the beach. And we're not talking sandcastles.
Jim Denevan and Andres Amador are just two artists who use sand as their palette and canvas. Their large scale earth works, so large they are only visible from afar, hark back to the sixties tradition of land art, zen meditation and even crop circles, but with a contemporary twist. Andres Amador's Playa Paintings, ranging from 100 to several thousand feet, were all made by raking sand on the beaches around California. "The beach renews itself and there is no clean up involved", he says of his methods. Some have environmental messages, like the Biohazard and Warning signs he made following the oil spill of 2007.
Surfer (and founder of the "Outstanding in the Field" moveable feasts) Jim Denevan has created over 600 drawings in the sand, using sticks and garden tools. He has also exhibited at PS1 MOMA and Headlands Center for the Arts. He recently made the world's largest freehand drawing on a dry lake in Nevada, walking for eight days to draw the 3 mile pattern. Although their art is as temporary as the winds or tides, for both Amador and Denevan it is this fleeting moment that motivates them. So sign up to their newsletters to find out about the next sand action, or it will be gone before you know it.
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Acer griseum (Paperbark Maple) is a species of maple native to central China, in the provinces of Gansu, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Sichuan, at altitudes of 1,500–2,000 m. It is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree, reaching 6-9 m (20-30 ft) tall, 5-6 m (15-25 ft) wide, with a trunk up to 70 cm (2 ft) in diameter. The bark is smooth, shiny orange-red, peeling in thin, papery layers; it may become fissured in old trees. The shoots are densely downy at first, this wearing off by the second or third year and the bark exfoliating by the third or fourth year. The leaves are compound, with a 2–4 cm petiole with three leaflets, each 3-10 cm long and 2-6 cm broad, dark green above, bright glaucous blue-green beneath, with several blunt teeth on the margins. Paperbark Maple is widely grown as an ornamental plant in temperate regions. It is admired for its decorative exfoliating bark, translucent pieces of which often stay attached to the branches until worn away. It also has spectacular autumn foliage which can include red, orange and pink tones. In the world of trees, Acer griseum is a small species, generally growing to around 12m in height. But what it lacks in stature, it more than makes up for in beauty. Its copper-red bark ensures that it is easy to identify, even in winter, as does its technique of bark renewal. As the old sheaves of bark die, they peel themselves off revealing the young, smooth bark beneath. This self-exfoliation, although unusual, is not unique and also occurs in several species of birch.
At the turn of the 20th century, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew sent a young botanist by the name of Ernest Henry Wilson to China. As well as looking into the effect the charcoal industry was having on the forests, Wilson was also asked by his financier, the Veitch Nursery, to find interesting plants. The plan was to find the handkerchief tree Davidia involucrata which had been described, but never collected. Eventually, Wilson found the location where the tree was last seen only to find a tree stump and a newly-erected hut built from its timber! Over the next decade or so, 'Chinese' Wilson, as he was to become known, brought back more than 1,000 garden plants - more than any other collector. This eventually included the handkerchief tree, the regal lily Lilium regale and also the Paperbark Maple Acer griseum.


Miriam has four children, although she has given birth six times. Two infants unfortunately died within days of birth. However, her most recent birth was different in that Miriam and her female relatives had learned from the local female community health worker (CHW) about the importance of keeping the baby warm.
An old custom of washing a newborn soon after birth is being discounted with the knowledge that infants were becoming sick. Instead, a baby should be gently dried with a towel and placed next to the mother's skin. Washing should wait until later.
"Until I received training about the care of newborn babies, I followed our old customs. I did not realize how important it is to keep the baby warm after birth," said a CHW. "Embracing a newborn against the mother's warm skin is so simple, and the mothers like it, too."
With nearly nine out of 10 births in Afghanistan still occurring in the home, USAID is training local health workers in essential maternal and newborn care. They then teach pregnant mothers and their families the simple but important actions they can take to preserve the lives of newborns.
Although general health has improved since 2002, Afghanistan remains a country with some of the poorest health indicators worldwide. Afghanistan has one of the highest mortality rates of any nation: about one in five children die before the age of five. Approximately 80 percent of women in rural Afghanistan give birth outside a health facility without a skilled birth provider. Consequently, teaching basic newborn care along with other basic health skills to community care providers is a vital part of the Ministry of Public Health's national strategy.
Together, USAID and the Afghan Ministry of Health are helping save the lives of babies born in rural homes by ensuring that local health workers know the key newborn care skills to share with pregnant mothers and their families. Families can be more confident and better prepared for their babies' births.
Last updated: June 05, 2012


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Gardening in the Rainy Zone.
Lilium 'White Stargazer'
Sunset zones: All.
USDA zones: 3-10.
Heat zones: 8-1.
Height: 30-35 inches (76-88 cm).
Star-shaped, white petals recurved at the tips.
Humus rich, slightly acidic, moist, well-drained soil.
In spring, when lilies are at the spear stage of growth (like asparagus), fertilize with a complete organic fertilizer. Do not feed again for the rest of the year; excessive fertilizing can promote disease and soft growth.
As soon as the foliage dies back, dig bulbs and remove scales, bulbils and offsets from bulb; immediately replant.
Remove dried stems only after foliage dies back.
Rainy Side Notes
Lilium 'White Stargazer' is the most popular of the white upright lilies and used by many for forcing. In fact, Peter Schenk bred it with forcing and the cut flower trade in mind. However, L. 'Siberia' and L. 'Jan de Graaf', two other upright whites, are not far behind in popularity. Like most Oriental lilies, white stargazer lily is deliciously fragrant.
Cut flowers when the first flower is first opening. The flower lasts from 5-9 days in the vase. Pull the pollen sacks off when the flower opens to keep pollen from staining linens beneath the vase. If pollen should get on clothes or linens, let it dry before wiping it off. If wiped when wet, the pollen will stain.
To grow lilies well, mulch with composted manures or compost and shredded bark to keep the roots cool while adding humus to the soil.
Article: Oriental Lilies for the Summer Garden:
Photographed in author's garden.


In a study led by UCSF team an existence of relationship between asthma and composition of bacterial species, which are present in bronchial airways was revealed.
This finding could suggest new treatment or even potential cures for the common inflammatory disease.
Using new detection methods, researchers learned that the diversity of microbes inside the respiratory tract is far vaster than previously suspected - creating a complex and inter-connected microbial neighborhood that appears to be associated with asthma, and akin to what has also been found in inflammatory bowel disease, vaginitis, periodontitis, and possibly even obesity.
"People thought that asthma was caused by inhalation of allergens but this study shows that it may be more complicated than that - asthma may involve colonization of the airways by multiple bacteria," said study co-author Homer Boushey, MD, a UCSF professor of medicine in the division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.
In their three-year pilot project, the scientists collected samples from the airway linings of 65 adults with mild to moderate asthma and 10 healthy subjects. Then, using a tool that can identify approximately 8,500 distinct groups of bacteria in a single assay, the scientists profiled the organisms present in each sample to look for relationships between bacterial community composition and clinical characteristics of the patients' asthma.The researchers found that bronchial airway samples from asthmatic patients contained far more bacteria than samples from healthy patients. The scientists also found greater bacterial diversity in the asthmatic patients who had the most hyper-responsive or sensitive airways (a feature of asthma).
The study has been published online in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.


Here are 15 ways kids can benefit from learning meditation techniques:
1. Meditation practice develops strength of character, as the child learns about virtuous living by thinking over the qualities of each virtue. 2. Meditation can help a child learn to think for themselves, and determine a best course of action by reflecting on possible solutions. 3. If the child is being raised in a particular religion, the quiet time of meditation is a chance to reflect on the spiritual lesson for the day.
4. Meditation is a positive activity that can be an example to a child's friends of a way to handle stress and work out problems. 5. Meditation feels good because a calm mind and relaxed body generate feelings of harmony. 6. As kids grow up and meditation deepens feelings of joy awaken within, and can be shared in daily living through caring actions, making meditation a win-win activity.
7. Learning even, regular breathing gives instant stress relief on a moment's notice. The regular even breathing is a bridge that ties body to mind; when breathing is made regular it calms the physical body. 8. Following the sequence within a meditation develops memory and the ability to concentrate, which carries over into school work. 9. Longer meditations give the body and mind time to deeply relax and center.
10. I found in teaching, that active or hyperactive kids moving in rhythm with the group, such as in walking meditation, derive a calming effect. 11. Meditation is non-competitive, and each can participate within the limits of their own ability, with adaptations if needed, or by working with a partner. 12. Meditation can be done individually or in a group setting and it does not need a special place to practice.
13. Beginning meditation practice in childhood sets up a lifetime habit for a way to handle stress, and as the child matures spiritual qualities can be added to meditate upon, such as kindness, loving, honesty, compassion. 14. Developing the discipline to sit still for meditation carries over into learning how to sit and concentrate to work out a problem or do school work. 15. Meditation feeds self-esteem: when in control of body and mind the youngster finds confidence to handle any situation competently.
For offline reading
God Speaks through the Holy Spirit
More than 100 spiritual relationship topics with a reflective meditation to bring you into personal contact with the Holy Spirit. Uplifting to the goal of meditation, communion with our Creator, Sustainer. 198 pages.
Meditation for all Kids
Sitting, walking, dance and group circle meditations, along with positive affirmations, verses and benefits of meditation for kids of all ages and abilities in a 100 page book with illustrations.
Article by Susan Helene Kramer


Self-Reliance in a Power Outage
People do not usually think of a power outage in the same light as an earthquake. However, when the power is out for a long period of time, citizen requests for fire, police, medical, and other public services will begin to mount. At some point, the increased demand for services could result in delayed response times.
For this reason, every citizen should learn to be self-reliant in an emergency. And even though power outages may only last a few hours, individuals and organizations should be prepared to be without assistance for 72 hours or longer.
To assist individuals prepare for an emergency, the City of San Mateo, State of California, American Red Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Pacific Gas and Electric Company have provided information on what to do during a power outage or other emergency.
- Check Circuit Breakers. If your power goes out, check your home's circuit breakers or fuses first. Your power could be out because a circuit has tripped or a fuse has blown.
- Report Electrical Outages. See if the lights in your neighborhood are off. Contact the local electric utility to report an outage.
- Power Lines. If you can see any power lines on the ground, stay at least 10 feet away from them as electricity might still be flowing through the lines.
- Sensitive Appliances. Protect appliances from possible power surges when electricity is restored. Unplug appliances and computers, if possible, and turn off non-essential lights.
- Keep Food Cold. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to help prevent food spoilage. Refrigerated foods should remain safe to eat for four hours. Food in a closed freezer can stay frozen for up to two days. If in doubt, throw it out.
- Dry Ice. Add dry or block ice to the freezer to help keep food frozen. Never add dry ice with your bare hands or place directly on top of food.
- Water. Discontinue non-essential water usage. Do not drink cloudy or dirty water. Don't be alarmed if chlorine level is higher than normal. Notify water officials of low or no water pressure.
- Stay Cool. During hot days, stay cool indoors and drink plenty of fluids.
- Check on Neighbors. Check on elderly or medically dependent neighbors.
- Life Support Equipment. If someone in your household uses life support equipment, make arrangements for a back-up power supply.
- Generators. Establish independent, short-term power supplies such as generators or battery-operated devices. If you own a generator, never plug it into any electric outlet in your home. Instead, plug appliances directly into the generator.
- Monitor Radio and Television. Monitor battery operated radio or television for current information on the outage.
- Telephones. A telephone that does not depend on electricity. Cordless phones will not function during an outage.
- Garage Doors. Know how to manually release and open any electric doors, like garage doors.
- Security Gates. Find out the steps needed to take to open and close security gates.
- House Numbers. Ensure house numbers are readily visible from the street for emergency response.
- Anticipate Traffic Delays. Intersections should be treated as four-way stops when traffic lights are out. Anticipate long traffic delays in areas where the power is out.


What Is It?
A meniscus is a disk-shaped piece of cartilage that acts as a shock absorber inside a joint. Each knee has one lateral meniscus under the outer knob of the thighbone and one medial meniscus under the inner knob of the thighbone. Each meniscus acts as a natural cushion between the thighbone (femur) and shinbone (tibia). The two cushions prevent excess wear and tear inside the knee joint by keeping the ends of the two bones from rubbing together. Each meniscus also absorbs much of the shock of jumps and landings and helps to distribute joint fluid evenly to lubricate and nourish the knee.
In the United States, a torn meniscus is the most common reason for knee surgery.
The symptoms of a torn meniscus can include:
- Knee pain, usually on one side of your knee
- Tenderness at the side of the joint
- Knee swelling within the first 12 hours after injury
- A "locked" knee that can't be bent
- A knee that catches during movement, or can't be fully straightened
- A click, pop or grinding inside your knee when you move it
- A knee that buckles, gives way or feels generally weak
Your doctor will inspect both your knees to compare your injured knee with your uninjured one. He or she will check your injured knee for signs of swelling, tenderness and fluid inside the knee joint. If your knee is not locked, the doctor will bend your injured knee and check for clicks, snaps and "catches" within the joint. Your doctor also will evaluate your knee's range of motion and will maneuver your knee to see whether your meniscus is sensitive to pressure. For example, in the "McMurray test," the doctor bends the leg at the knee, and then rotates it inward or outward while straightening it. If you feel pain during this test or if there is a "click" sound as your leg rotates, there is a good chance that your meniscus is torn.
If the results of your exam suggest you have a torn meniscus, you may need more tests, including:
- Knee X-rays to check for bone injuries, including fracture, that can cause symptoms similar to a torn meniscus
- A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan or computed tomography (CT) scan -- Nine out of 10 times, a torn meniscus will show up on one of these tests.
- Arthroscopy (camera-guided surgery) to look inside the knee joint and examine the meniscus -- When arthroscopy is used for diagnosis, the problem can often be treated during the same surgery.
If you have arthroscopic surgery to treat your torn meniscus and your job involves sedentary work (mostly sitting), you may be able to return to work one to two weeks after surgery, with full recovery in about four to eight weeks. If you are an athlete or your job requires a lot of physical activity, it may take three to four months after surgery before you feel like you have as much function in your knee as you require.
Although it's hard to prevent accidental knee injuries, you may be able to reduce your risks by:
- Warming up and stretching before participating in athletic activities
- Exercising to strengthen the muscles around your knee
- Avoiding sudden increases in the intensity of your training program
- Wearing comfortable, supportive shoes that fit your feet and your sport
- Wearing appropriate protective gear during activities, including athletic activities, in which knee injuries are common (especially if you've had knee injuries before).
There are several options for treating a torn meniscus:
- Nonsurgical. This may include a temporary knee brace and rehabilitation to keep the knee muscles strong while the knee is not bearing as much weight. This approach is most effective for small tears (5 millimeters or less) near the edge of the meniscus, where healing is usually good, or for people who are not good candidates for surgery.
- Surgery to repair the tear. If the tear is large (1 to 2 centimeters), but it involves a part of the meniscus where there is enough blood supply for healing, the doctor may be able to repair it with stitches.
- Surgery to remove part of the meniscus (partial meniscectomy). If the tear involves part of the meniscus where healing is poor, the surgeon may trim away ragged edges along the tear to allow the joint to move smoothly.
- Surgery to remove the entire meniscus (total meniscectomy). This option is used for tears that cannot be treated any other way. Doctors try to avoid this, because it leaves the knee without a meniscus and greatly increases the wear on the ends of the femur and tibia. In the long run, this also increases the risk of osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease) in the knee.
If you need surgery to correct a torn meniscus, it usually can be done using arthroscopy (camera-guided surgery) as a same-day procedure. After the procedure, you will begin physical therapy to help strengthen your knee muscles, reduce pain and swelling, and return the knee's full range of motion.
When To Call a Professional
Call your doctor to schedule an evaluation whenever an injured knee:
- Locks, catches or can't be fully extended
- Becomes very painful or swollen
- Makes a click, pop or grinding sound when you move it, especially if associated with pain
- Buckles, gives way or feels generally weak
In most cases, the outlook is very good. If your torn meniscus has been repaired surgically or partially removed, you probably will be able to resume your normal athletic activities once you've finished physical therapy.
According to long-term studies, most people who have had a meniscus repaired feel very satisfied with the results of their surgery, even 10 or 11 years after the procedure. However, some people with meniscus injuries eventually develop arthritis in the injured knee. Typically, arthritis develops many years after the injury. The highest risk is among those who've had a part or all of the meniscus removed, because significant injuries requiring this surgery often damage the joint but also because these surgeries take away some or all of the cushioning effect of the meniscus.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
National Insitutes of Health
1 AMS Circle
Bethesda, MD 20892-3675
National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC)
8201 Corporate Dr.
Landover, MD 20785
American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine
6300 North River Road
Rosemont, IL 60018
National Athletic Trainers' Association
2952 Stemmons Freeway
Dallas, TX 75247
American Physical Therapy Association
1111 North Fairfax St.
Alexandria, VA 22314-1488