Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP)
The ESSP is a partnership for the integrated study of the Earth System, the ways that it is changing, and the implications for global and regional sustainability.
The urgency of the challenge is great: In the present era, global environmental changes are both accelerating and moving the earth system into a state with no analogue in previous history.
To learn more about the ESSP, clink on links to access Strategy Paper, brochure and a video presentation by the Chair of the ESSP Scientific Committee, Prof. Dr. Rik Leemans of Wageningen University, The Netherlands.
The Earth System is the unified set of physical, chemical, biological and social components, processes and interactions that together determine the state and dynamics of Planet Earth, including its biota and its human occupants.
Earth System Science is the study of the Earth System, with an emphasis on observing, understanding and predicting global environmental changes involving interactions between land, atmosphere, water, ice, biosphere, societies, technologies and economies.
ESSP Transitions into 'Future Earth' (31/12/2012)
On 31st December 2012, the ESSP will close and transition into 'Future Earth' as it develops over the next few years. During this period, the four global environmental Change research programmes (DIVERSITAS, IGBP, IHDP, WCRP) will continue close collaboration with each other. 'Future Earth' is currently being planned as a ten-year international research initiative for global sustainability (www.icsu.org/future-earth) that will build on decades of scientific excellence of the four GEC research programmes and their scientific partnership.
Click here to read more.
Global Carbon Budget 2012
Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning and cement production increased by 3 percent in 2011, with a total of 34.7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted to the atmosphere. These emissions were the highest in human history and 54 percent higher than in 1990 (the Kyoto Protocol reference year). In 2011, coal burning was responsible for 43 percent of the total emissions, 34 percent for oil, 18 percent for gas and 5 percent for cement.
For the complete 2012 carbon budget and trends, access the Global Carbon Project website.
GWSP International Conference - CALL for ABSTRACTS
The GWSP Conference on "Water in the Anthropocene: Challenges for Science and Governance" will convene in Bonn, Germany, 21 - 24 May 2014.
The focus of the conference is to address the global dimensions of water system changes due to anthropogenic as well as natural influences. The Conference will provide a platform to present global and regional perspectives on the responses of water management to global change in order to address issues such as variability in supply, increasing demands for water, environmental flows, and land use change. The Conference will help build links between science and policy and practice in the area of water resources management and governance, related institutional and technological innovations and identify ways that research can support policy and practice in the field of sustainable freshwater management.
Learn more about the Conference here.
Global Carbon Project (GCP) Employment Opportunity - Executive Director
The Global Carbon Project (GCP) is seeking to employ a highly motivated and independent person as Executive Director of the International Project Office (IPO) in Tsukuba, Japan, located at the Centre for Global Environmental Research at the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES). The successful candidate will work with the GCP Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) and other GCP offices to implement the science framework of the GCP. The GCP is seeking a person with excellent working knowledge of the policy-relevant objectives of the GCP and a keen interest in devising methods to integrate social and policy sciences into the understanding of the carbon-climate system as a coupled human/natural system. Read More.
Inclusive Wealth Report
The International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP) announces the launch of the Inclusive Wealth Report 2012 (IWR 2012) at the Rio +20 Conference in Brazil. The report presents a framework that offers a long-term perspective on human well-being and sustainability, based on a comprehensive analysis of nations' productive base and their link to economic development. The IWR 2012 was developed on the notion that current economic indicators such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the Human Development Index (HDI) are insufficient, as they fail to reflect the state of natural resources or ecological conditions, and focus exclusively on the short-term, without indicating whether national policies are sustainable.
Future Earth: Global platform for sustainability research launched at Rio +20
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (14 June 2012) - An alliance of international partners from global science, research funding and UN bodies launched a new 10-year initiative on global environmental change research for sustainability at the Forum on Science and Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development. Future Earth - research for global sustainability, will provide a cutting-edge platform to coordinate scientific research which is designed and produced in partnership with governments, business and, more broadly, society. More details.
APN's 2012 Call for Proposals
The Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) announces the call for proposals for funding from April 2013. The proposals can be submitted under two separate programmes: regional global change research and scientific capacity development. More details.
State of the Planet Declaration
Planet Under Pressure 2012 was the largest gathering of global change scientists leading up to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio +20) with over 3,000 delegates at the conference venue and over 3,500 that attended virtually via live web streaming. The plenary sessions and the Daily Planet news show continue to draw audiences worldwide as they are available On Demand. An additional number of organisations, including 150 Science and Technology Centres worldwide streamed the plenary sessions at Planet Under Pressure-related events reaching an additional 12,000 viewers.
The first State of the Planet Declaration was issued at the conference.
Global Carbon Budget 2010
Global carbon dioxide emissions increased by a record 5.9 per cent in 2010 following the dampening effect of the 2008-2009 Global Financial Crisis (GFC), according to scientists working with the Global Carbon Project (GCP). The GCP annual analysis reports that the impact of the GFC on emissions has been short-lived owing to strong emissions growth in emerging economies and a return to emissions growth in developed economies.
Planet Under Pressure 2012 Debategraph
Debategraph and Planet Under Pressure Conference participants and organisers are collaborating to distill the main arguments and evidence, risks and policy options facing humanity into a dynamic knowledge map to help convey and inform the global deliberation at United Nations Rio +20 and beyond.
Join the debate! (http://debategraph.org/planet)
Integrated Global Change Research
The ESSP and partners - the German National Committee on Global Change Research (NKGCF), International Council for Science (ICSU) and the International Social Science Council (ISSC) is conducting a new study on 'Integrated Global Change Research: Co-designing knowledge across scientific fields, national borders and user groups'. An international workshop (funded by the German Research Foundation) convened in Berlin, 7 - 9 March 2012, designed to elucidate the dimensions of integration, to identify and analyse best practice examples, to exchange ideas about new concepts of integration, to discuss emerging challenges for science, and to begin discussions about balancing academic research and stakeholder involvement.
The Future of the World's Climate
The Future of the World's Climate (edited by Ann Henderson-Sellers and Kendal McGuffie) offers a state-of-the-art overview - based on the latest climate science modelling data and projections available - of our understanding of future climates. The book is dedicated to Stephen H Schneider, a world leader in climate interpretation and communication. The Future of the World's Climate summarizes our current understanding of climatic prediction and examines how that understanding depends on a keen grasp of integrated Earth system models and human interaction with climate. This book brings climate science up to date beyond the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report. More details.
Social Scientists Call for More Research on Human Dimensions of Global Change
Scientists across all disciplines share great concern that our planet is in the process of crossing dangerous biophysical tipping points. The results of a new large-scale global survey among 1,276 scholars from the social sciences and the humanities demonstrates that the human dimensions of the problem are equally important but severely under-addressed.
The survey conducted by the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP-UNU) Secretariat in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Social Science Council (ISSC), identifies the following as highest research priority areas:
1) Equity/equality and wealth/resource distribution;
2) Policy, political systems/governance, and political economy;
3) Economic systems, economic costs and incentives;
4) Globalization, social and cultural transitions.
Food Security and Global Environmental Change
Food security and global environmental change, a synthesis book edited by John Ingram, Polly Ericksen and Diana Liverman of GECAFS has just been published. The book provides a major, accessible synthesis of the current state of knowledge and thinking on the relationship between GEC and food security. Click here for further information.
GECAFS is featured in the latest UNESCO-SCOPE-UNEP Policy Brief - No. 12 entitled Global Environmental Change and Food Security. The brief reviews current knowledge, highlights trends and controversies, and is a useful reference for policy planners, decision makers and stakeholders in the community.
GWSP Digital Water Atlas
The Global Water System Project (GWSP) has launched its Digital Water Atlas. The purpose and intent of the Digital Water Atlas is to describe the basic elements of the Global Water System, the interlinkages of the elements and changes in the state of the Global Water System by creating a consistent set of annotated maps. The project will especially promote the collection, analysis and consideration of social science data on the global basis. Click here to access the GWSP Digital Water Atlas.
The ESSP office was carbon neutral in its office operations and travel in 2011. The ESSP supported the Gujarat wind project in India. More details.
The Global Carbon Project has published an ESSP commissioned report, "carbon reductions and offsets" with a number of recommendations for individuals and institutions who want to participate in this voluntary market. Click here to learn more and to download the report from the GCP website.
The ESSP is a joint initiative of four global environmental change programmes:


Tips for helping children behave
(especially in public)
I thought it was time to write down some of the tips I’ve acquired that concern children and behavior, as I’ve learned what I have about the brain and how it works. What I learned is that while you are thinking about something, you feel as you do about it. If you want to change how you feel, changing your thoughts helps us do that immediately. Just as I say, “ Imagine the tip of your left pinky finger… where the nail meets the skin…” Do you think of it? Did you think of your pinky because I mentioned it? You did that because that is how quickly our brain responds.
Tip 1. Keep a picture or small item (from a special time or event) that represents something special to the child with you.
Yes. Helping a child regain composure during a meltdown may be painful and embarrassing, not to mention the discomfort your child perceives at that time. There seems to be great debate over how to handle a situation like a meltdown like let them ride it out or leave immediately or yell or whatever… if you have tried these techniques I’d like you to pause and ask yourself how helpful your response was in the moment.
Keeping a picture of a grandparent or a party or a vacation or an item or toy that they really want for their birthday or special holiday… (Big breath…) you get the picture… it helps take your child’s thoughts to a more pleasant place. You can make this even more effective by asking them questions about it, even if you know the answers ; )
Ask questions like, “Hey remember this? Where/who is this again? Do you remember that thing in the picture…? What do you think happened right before this? What is your favorite thing about this? Can you make up a sentence/song/rhyme/or draw a picture about the picture? Can you spell something in the picture?
These questions will take their focus to something better. Once they’ve calmed down and appear to be past the issue, ask them what happened and explain why that behavior isn’t helpful or necessary.
Tip 2. A simple game of ‘I spy’ with extra OMG
This tip is great if you find yourself out and are caught empty handed without anything handy to keep your kids busy. Look around you and spot something ANYTHING that either you don’t see often or haven’t seen in awhile (not a person) and get excited while smiling and saying, “OMG you are never going to find what I am looking at! It is soooo _____________” This usually leads to a game of I spy which can be changed as your child develops I spy colors… I spy words that start with ___... I spy numbers …
Tip 3. Text Message back and forth
I noticed a long time ago how technology has changed the interpersonal dynamic. Being more of a “find the solution girl”, I established some rules like no cell phone at the table for meals. Please know my daughter was 4 when I did this knowing that when she is grown she will have a phone and I probably will want to use our dining times to connect. I figured our meals are relatively short and whatever needed me could wait the 30 minutes. Also, it was a perfect opportunity to demonstrate the behavior I hope to create.
This is what led me to texting with my child. I remember when she was beginning to read that I looked for every practical experience for her to do so… signs, menus, airport terminals… everything. But sometimes there is nothing to read and nowhere to go as you get stuck waiting in line or for an appointment or for whatever presents a time where you can text and you need to keep kids busy and have fun… text them. Hand them your phone and say here… and let them read your message for them. Then let them respond to you via text. Hand the phone back and forth…after a few texts you may be happy to learn what you do… and you will both have fun while doing it.
Tip 4. Start them on a story.
This is one I use all the time and changes just as much as I use it. I simply start a story using something that I see for example… “Once there was this really cool girl who sat down to write some really helpful stuff for parents…” then they have to look around and continue the story using something they see. Example “But that girl decided to step away from her desk and go play with the fairies living in her backyard…”
Start stories about the cars you see driving or the foods you see in the market or the stars in the sky… about the waves in the ocean and the mermaids that live deep below.
When you run out of time for your part and you’ve got them interested, tell them to draw a picture of it or write a story about it.
How smart and well behaved your children are now. Thanks for reading. You do make a difference in your child’s life. Much Love.


Ten common myths about teaching
Educators discuss the nation’s biggest misconceptions about teachers and their profession
It seems everyone has an opinion about teachers and their profession these days … and most of them aren’t teachers.
Perhaps it would be a different matter if the conceptions of teaching were like those of NASA engineers: smart, genius! Or maybe like those of firefighters: brave, self-sacrificing! However, in our nation’s current climate, saying the word “teacher” is like Forrest Gump opening a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re going to get, as teachers too often are seen as a convenient scapegoat for the perceived problems that are plaguing public education.
eSchool News recently asked readers: “If you could clear up one misconception about teachers and/or teaching, what would it be?” Our goal was not only to help others understand these misconceptions, but also to learn how teachers feel they are perceived by others.
Here are 10 misconceptions about teachers and teaching that emerged from readers (responses edited for brevity):
1. Those who can’t do, teach.
“The one misconception I would like to clarify is around the phrase, ‘Those who can cannot do, teach.’ While many educators are active contributors to the particular area in which they have domain expertise (i.e. Science, Language Arts, History), K-12 educators … have committed themselves to developing skills in how to engage and foster growth of young people around the content and processes that comprise that area of expertise. It is the very special practitioner [who] makes a good educator; however, good educators need to have enough knowledge of their areas of expertise to cultivate excitement, curiosity, and spark the passion to commit to a vocation or avocation. Maybe a better phrase is, ‘Those who teach create those who do.’” —Michael Jay
“One of my favorites is, ‘Those who can’t, teach.’ Teachers must be well educated in their field of study, of course, but that is only the beginning. Teachers need much pedagogical preparation on topics including educational psychology, classroom management, assessment, curriculum instruction, communication skills, and budgeting. And that is all before a teacher steps into a classroom. The requirements for a qualified teacher include all of the skills needed for the 21st-century workplace.” —Mary Montag, teacher, St. Teresa’s Academy


Vienna Philharmonic asks historians to look into alleged Nazi past
Historian says orchestra demonstrated sympathy for Austria's Nazi leadership during Holocaust.
The Vienna Philharmonic has asked three historians to research the orchestra's alleged Nazi past.
The announcement on January 22 came after Harald Walser, a historian and Parliament member for the Austrian Greens, said in an interview that the orchestra demonstrated sympathy for the country’s Nazi leadership during World War Two.
Historians Fritz Truempi, Oliver Rathkolb and Bernadette Mayrhofer will look into the "politicization" of the Vienna Philharmonic from 1938 to 1945, the fate of its Jewish musicians during that time and its relations with Nazis afterward, according to an orchestra statement, the French news agency AFP reported.
Their report is due in March.
Walser has called for forming a committee of inquiry into the role of the philharmonic during those years and said the orchestra has not released all its documents from the Nazi era or has destroyed some of them.
He cited a listing on the philharmonic’s official website that describes a concert delivered on New Year’s Day of 1939 as a “sublime homage to Austria,” when it actually was a celebration of the country's unification with Nazi Germany in 1938.
The New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic takes place each year on the morning of January 1 in Vienna and is broadcast to an estimated audience of 50 million in 73 countries.
Walser claims that after the war, an emissary of the Vienna Philharmonic gave a new copy of its honor ring in 1966 to Nazi war criminal Baldur von Schirach, who was responsible for the deportation of tens of thousands of Austrian Jews to death camps, following his release from Berlin’s Spandau Prison for war criminals. Von Schirach had received the original ring in 1942.
Six Jewish musicians from the philharmonic were murdered by the Nazis in Austria and 11 were deported to death camps, according to reports.


Kidney Disease of Diabetes
On this page:
- The Burden of Kidney Failure
- The Course of Kidney Disease
- Diagnosis of CKD
- Effects of High Blood Pressure
- Preventing and Slowing Kidney Disease
- Dialysis and Transplantation
- Good Care Makes a Difference
- Points to Remember
- Hope through Research
- For More Information
The Burden of Kidney Failure
Each year in the United States, more than 100,000 people are diagnosed with kidney failure, a serious condition in which the kidneys fail to rid the body of wastes.1 Kidney failure is the final stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Diabetes is the most common cause of kidney failure, accounting for nearly 44 percent of new cases.1 Even when diabetes is controlled, the disease can lead to CKD and kidney failure. Most people with diabetes do not develop CKD that is severe enough to progress to kidney failure. Nearly 24 million people in the United States have diabetes, 2 and nearly 180,000 people are living with kidney failure as a result of diabetes.1
People with kidney failure undergo either dialysis, an artificial blood-cleaning process, or transplantation to receive a healthy kidney from a donor. Most U.S. citizens who develop kidney failure are eligible for federally funded care. In 2005, care for patients with kidney failure cost the United States nearly $32 billion.1
African Americans, American Indians, and Hispanics/Latinos develop diabetes, CKD, and kidney failure at rates higher than Caucasians. Scientists have not been able to explain these higher rates. Nor can they explain fully the interplay of factors leading to kidney disease of diabetes—factors including heredity, diet, and other medical conditions, such as high blood pressure. They have found that high blood pressure and high levels of blood glucose increase the risk that a person with diabetes will progress to kidney failure.
1United States Renal Data System. USRDS 2007 Annual Data Report. Bethesda, MD: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2007.
2National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. National Diabetes Statistics, 2007. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008.
The Course of Kidney Disease
Diabetic kidney disease takes many years to develop. In some people, the filtering function of the kidneys is actually higher than normal in the first few years of their diabetes.
Over several years, people who are developing kidney disease will have small amounts of the blood protein albumin begin to leak into their urine. This first stage of CKD is called microalbuminuria. The kidney's filtration function usually remains normal during this period.
As the disease progresses, more albumin leaks into the urine. This stage may be called macroalbuminuria or proteinuria. As the amount of albumin in the urine increases, the kidneys' filtering function usually begins to drop. The body retains various wastes as filtration falls. As kidney damage develops, blood pressure often rises as well.
Overall, kidney damage rarely occurs in the first 10 years of diabetes, and usually 15 to 25 years will pass before kidney failure occurs. For people who live with diabetes for more than 25 years without any signs of kidney failure, the risk of ever developing it decreases.
Diagnosis of CKD
People with diabetes should be screened regularly for kidney disease. The two key markers for kidney disease are eGFR and urine albumin.
eGFR. eGFR stands for estimated glomerular filtration rate. Each kidney contains about 1 million tiny filters made up of blood vessels. These filters are called glomeruli. Kidney function can be checked by estimating how much blood the glomeruli filter in a minute. The calculation of eGFR is based on the amount of creatinine, a waste product, found in a blood sample. As the level of creatinine goes up, the eGFR goes down.
Kidney disease is present when eGFR is less than 60 milliliters per minute.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend that eGFR be calculated from serum creatinine at least once a year in all people with diabetes.
Urine albumin. Urine albumin is measured by comparing the amount of albumin to the amount of creatinine in a single urine sample. When the kidneys are healthy, the urine will contain large amounts of creatinine but almost no albumin. Even a small increase in the ratio of albumin to creatinine is a sign of kidney damage.
Kidney disease is present when urine contains more than 30 milligrams of albumin per gram of creatinine, with or without decreased eGFR.
The ADA and the NIH recommend annual assessment of urine albumin excretion to assess kidney damage in all people with type 2 diabetes and people who have had type 1 diabetes for 5 years or more.
If kidney disease is detected, it should be addressed as part of a comprehensive approach to the treatment of diabetes.
Effects of High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major factor in the development of kidney problems in people with diabetes. Both a family history of hypertension and the presence of hypertension appear to increase chances of developing kidney disease. Hypertension also accelerates the progress of kidney disease when it already exists.
Blood pressure is recorded using two numbers. The first number is called the systolic pressure, and it represents the pressure in the arteries as the heart beats. The second number is called the diastolic pressure, and it represents the pressure between heartbeats. In the past, hypertension was defined as blood pressure higher than 140/90, said as "140 over 90."
The ADA and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommend that people with diabetes keep their blood pressure below 130/80.
Hypertension can be seen not only as a cause of kidney disease but also as a result of damage created by the disease. As kidney disease progresses, physical changes in the kidneys lead to increased blood pressure. Therefore, a dangerous spiral, involving rising blood pressure and factors that raise blood pressure, occurs. Early detection and treatment of even mild hypertension are essential for people with diabetes.
Preventing and Slowing Kidney Disease
Blood Pressure Medicines
Scientists have made great progress in developing methods that slow the onset and progression of kidney disease in people with diabetes. Drugs used to lower blood pressure can slow the progression of kidney disease significantly. Two types of drugs, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), have proven effective in slowing the progression of kidney disease. Many people require two or more drugs to control their blood pressure. In addition to an ACE inhibitor or an ARB, a diuretic can also be useful. Beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and other blood pressure drugs may also be needed.
An example of an effective ACE inhibitor is lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), which doctors commonly prescribe for treating kidney disease of diabetes. The benefits of lisinopril extend beyond its ability to lower blood pressure: it may directly protect the kidneys' glomeruli. ACE inhibitors have lowered proteinuria and slowed deterioration even in people with diabetes who did not have high blood pressure.
An example of an effective ARB is losartan (Cozaar), which has also been shown to protect kidney function and lower the risk of cardiovascular events.
Any medicine that helps patients achieve a blood pressure target of 130/80 or lower provides benefits. Patients with even mild hypertension or persistent microalbuminuria should consult a health care provider about the use of antihypertensive medicines.
In people with diabetes, excessive consumption of protein may be harmful. Experts recommend that people with kidney disease of diabetes consume the recommended dietary allowance for protein, but avoid high-protein diets. For people with greatly reduced kidney function, a diet containing reduced amounts of protein may help delay the onset of kidney failure. Anyone following a reduced-protein diet should work with a dietitian to ensure adequate nutrition.
Intensive Management of Blood Glucose
Antihypertensive drugs and low-protein diets can slow CKD. A third treatment, known as intensive management of blood glucose or glycemic control, has shown great promise for people with diabetes, especially for those in the early stages of CKD.
The human body normally converts food to glucose, the simple sugar that is the main source of energy for the body's cells. To enter cells, glucose needs the help of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas. When a person does not make enough insulin, or the body does not respond to the insulin that is present, the body cannot process glucose, and it builds up in the bloodstream. High levels of glucose in the blood lead to a diagnosis of diabetes.
Intensive management of blood glucose is a treatment regimen that aims to keep blood glucose levels close to normal. The regimen includes testing blood glucose frequently, administering insulin throughout the day on the basis of food intake and physical activity, following a diet and activity plan, and consulting a health care team regularly. Some people use an insulin pump to supply insulin throughout the day.
A number of studies have pointed to the beneficial effects of intensive management of blood glucose. In the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), researchers found a 50 percent decrease in both development and progression of early diabetic kidney disease in participants who followed an intensive regimen for controlling blood glucose levels. The intensively managed patients had average blood glucose levels of 150 milligrams per deciliter-about 80 milligrams per deciliter lower than the levels observed in the conventionally managed patients. The United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study, conducted from 1976 to 1997, showed conclusively that, in people with improved blood glucose control, the risk of early kidney disease was reduced by a third. Additional studies conducted over the past decades have clearly established that any program resulting in sustained lowering of blood glucose levels will be beneficial to patients in the early stages of CKD.
Dialysis and Transplantation
When people with diabetes experience kidney failure, they must undergo either dialysis or a kidney transplant. As recently as the 1970s, medical experts commonly excluded people with diabetes from dialysis and transplantation, in part because the experts felt damage caused by diabetes would offset benefits of the treatments. Today, because of better control of diabetes and improved rates of survival following treatment, doctors do not hesitate to offer dialysis and kidney transplantation to people with diabetes.
Currently, the survival of kidneys transplanted into people with diabetes is about the same as the survival of transplants in people without diabetes. Dialysis for people with diabetes also works well in the short run. Even so, people with diabetes who receive transplants or dialysis experience higher morbidity and mortality because of coexisting complications of diabetes-such as damage to the heart, eyes, and nerves.
Good Care Makes a Difference
People with diabetes should
- have their health care provider measure their A1C level at least twice a year. The test provides a weighted average of their blood glucose level for the previous 3 months. They should aim to keep it at less than 7 percent.
- work with their health care provider regarding insulin injections, medicines, meal planning, physical activity, and blood glucose monitoring.
- have their blood pressure checked several times a year. If blood pressure is high, they should follow their health care provider's plan for keeping it near normal levels. They should aim to keep it at less than 130/80.
- ask their health care provider whether they might benefit from taking an ACE inhibitor or ARB.
- ask their health care provider to measure their eGFR at least once a year to learn how well their kidneys are working.
- ask their health care provider to measure the amount of protein in their urine at least once a year to check for kidney damage.
- ask their health care provider whether they should reduce the amount of protein in their diet and ask for a referral to see a registered dietitian to help with meal planning.
Points to Remember
- Diabetes is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and kidney failure in the United States.
- People with diabetes should be screened regularly for kidney disease. The two key markers for kidney disease are estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine albumin.
- Drugs used to lower blood pressure can slow the progression of kidney disease significantly. Two types of drugs, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), have proven effective in slowing the progression of kidney disease.
- In people with diabetes, excessive consumption of protein may be harmful.
- Intensive management of blood glucose has shown great promise for people with diabetes, especially for those in the early stages of CKD.
Hope through Research
The number of people with diabetes is growing. As a result, the number of people with kidney failure caused by diabetes is also growing. Some experts predict that diabetes soon might account for half the cases of kidney failure. In light of the increasing illness and death related to diabetes and kidney failure, patients, researchers, and health care professionals will continue to benefit by addressing the relationship between the two diseases. The NIDDK is a leader in supporting research in this area.
Several areas of research supported by the NIDDK hold great potential. Discovery of ways to predict who will develop kidney disease may lead to greater prevention, as people with diabetes who learn they are at risk institute strategies such as intensive management of blood glucose and blood pressure control.
Participants in clinical trials can play a more active role in their own health care, gain access to new research treatments before they are widely available, and help others by contributing to medical research. For information about current studies, visit www.ClinicalTrials.gov.
For More Information
National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse
1 Information Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3560
National Kidney Foundation
30 East 33rd Street
New York, NY 10016
Phone: 1-800-622-9010 or 212-889-2210
National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse
The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC) is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The NIDDK is part of the National Institutes of Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Established in 1987, the Clearinghouse provides information about diseases of the kidneys and urologic system to people with kidney and urologic disorders and to their families, health care professionals, and the public. The NKUDIC answers inquiries, develops and distributes publications, and works closely with professional and patient organizations and Government agencies to coordinate resources about kidney and urologic diseases.
Publications produced by the Clearinghouse are carefully reviewed by both NIDDK scientists and outside experts.
This publication is not copyrighted. The Clearinghouse encourages users of this publication to duplicate and distribute as many copies as desired.
NIH Publication No. 08-3925
Page last updated: September 2, 2010


Deep Vein Thrombosis
Exams and Tests
When you first see the doctor, he or she will do a physical exam and ask questions about your medical history. These help your doctor decide what tests you need based on your risk for deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Your doctor will check:
- Your heart and lungs.
- Your legs for warmth, swelling, bulging veins, or changes in skin color.
Your doctor may ask:
- Do you have any swelling or pain in your legs?
- Have you had a blood clot before?
- What medicines do you take?
- Have you had surgery recently or have you been on any long trips lately?
Reference Ultrasound is the main test used to help diagnose DVT. It creates a picture of the flow of blood through the veins.
If your doctor thinks you should have more tests, you might have two or three more ultrasounds over the next 7 to 10 days.
More tests may be used when ultrasound results are unclear. These tests often aren't needed, but they may help diagnose or exclude a blood clot in the leg. These tests may include:
Blood thinner testing
If you are treated with anticoagulant medicines, you may need periodic blood tests to monitor the effects of the anticoagulant on the blood. Blood tests include:
- Reference Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) to monitor treatment with heparin.
- Reference Prothrombin time (PT), also referred to as INR, to monitor treatment with warfarin (Coumadin).
Tests for clotting problems
Special blood tests may help identify Reference inherited blood-clotting problems that can increase your risk of forming blood clots or help explain why you got a blood clot. These tests check for genetic conditions or specific proteins in your blood.
Testing might be done if you have or had one or more of the following:
- A blood clot in a vein that has no clear cause
- A blood clot at age 45 or younger
- A blood clot in a vein at an unusual location, such as the gastrointestinal region, the brain, or the arms
- A first-degree family member (mother, father, brother, or sister) who has had a blood clot in a vein before age 45 or has had problems with blood clotting
Screening for these problems in the general population is not routinely done.
|By:||Reference Healthwise Staff||Last Revised: Reference August 17, 2012|
|Medical Review:||Reference E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Reference Jeffrey S. Ginsberg, MD - Hematology


To preserve our planet, scientists tell us we must reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere from its current level of 392 parts per million ("ppm")to below 350 ppm. But 350 is more than a number—it's a symbol of where we need to head as a planet.
At 350.org, we're building a global grassroots movement to solve the climate crisis and push for policies that will put the world on track to get to 350 ppm.
Scientists say that 350 parts per million CO2 in the atmosphere is the safe limit for humanity. Learn more about 350—what it means, where it came from, and how to get there. Read More »
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Since many ancestors of Americans were foreign born, naturalization records
are another a source of genealogical information that you might want to
investigate. Naturalization is the process through which a foreign born
person becomes a citizen of the United States and is eligible to vote.
Not all immigrants became citizens as it is not required. Many obtained
their citizenship because of pride in their new country and a desire to
participate in democratic elections, a privilege perhaps not accorded
to them in their country of birth. Others became citizens for more materialistic
reasons, such as the right to acquire free land through homesteading.
During times of war, there was often hostility towards people from the
enemy country and immigrants may have obtained citizenship to show their
loyalty to the U.S., especially if they had children serving in the U.S.
Was Your Ancestor Naturalized?
Before beginning a search for a naturalization record, it may save hours
of futile research if you try to determine if there is evidence that the
individual you are researching did become a citizen. There are several
ways to do this:
Even with the above information, keep in mind the following caveats:
- Location of Birth Was the person foreign born? Usually
there's no need to be naturalized if born in the U.S.
- Census The 1900 and 1910 censuses ask if a person is
naturalized and 1920 further asks the year of naturalization. Indirectly,
the 1820 and 1830 census provide a clue with the question "number of
foreigners in each household not naturalized."
- Homesteading Land The person had to have initiated the
naturalization process to be eligible for free land through homesteading.
- Voter Registration Lists Is he/she listed as a voter?
- Occupation Did this person hold a job that required
- Not all foreign born individuals applied for citizenship and a child
born abroad is still a U.S. citizen if his/her parents are. During much
of our history, the wife and children automatically became citizens
when the husband/father took out citizenship papers.
- Naturalization was one of many census questions. The person who provided
the answer may not have known in fact if someone else had been naturalized.
An individual may have said yes because he felt it was the right thing
to say or he intended to begin the process.
- A Declaration of Intent, not final papers, was all that was required
- Not everyone who became a citizen registered to vote. Also, some states
allowed people who had filed a Declaration of Intent to vote even if
they had not received their final papers.
What Is the Procedure?
By now you might be getting the idea that naturalization documents are
not necessarily as easy to use as some other records, such as the census.
Generally, for most of our history there are two rules that apply to naturalizations:
- It was a legal process handled through the courts.
- It was usually a two-part procedure, the first being a Declaration
of Intent indicating that the person intended to become a citizen (voluntary
after 1952). This may have included as part of the document or as a
separate certificate or record information on the individual's date
and place of arrival into the United States. After a required period
of residency (five years, with some exceptions) the individual would
then file a Petition for Naturalization and, if granted, would receive
a Certificate of Naturalization. Both or either the Declaration and/or
the Petition may contain valuable genealogical information.
The procedures and requirements differed greatly depending on the location
and the time period. The first important information the researcher needs
to establish is whether the naturalization was before 1906 or afterwards.
In 1906 the naturalization process was simplified and taken over by the
federal government. It is much easier to find out where to look and what
to expect if it took place after 1906.
Where are Records Located?
Prior to 1906, naturalization could take place in any court having common
law jurisdiction. The court could be federal, state, or local and be called
by many names circuit, supreme, civil, equity, district, common
pleas, chancery, superior. In some cases a municipal, police, criminal,
or probate court did not actually have the right to handle naturalization
but they issued certificates anyway. Prior to 1905, over 5,000 courts
had been handling naturalization. By 1908 that number was reduced to just
over 2,000 courts and the Department of Labor began issuing A Directory
of Courts Having Jurisdiction in Naturalization Proceedings. This
directory, available on microfilm through the Family History Library,
can help you determine which court your ancestor may have used. Naturalizations
can now be handled in either federal or local courts. Since 1929, most
naturalizations have been at federal courts, but earlier records are more
likely to be at a local court because it was closer to the individual.
Prior to 1906, the biggest problem confronting a researcher is where
to find the record. The two procedures did not have to take place in the
same court so the immigrant could have filed a Declaration soon after
his arrival in New York, or perhaps he lived in Ohio for a while and filed
his Declaration there, hoping to qualify for free land. Then, after settling
on land in South Dakota, he may have submitted his Petition to a local
court. The Family History Library has microfilm copies of many pre-1930
records. If your ancestor lived in an urban area, there are many rolls
of films relating to Chicago (1871-1930), New York (1792-1906), Philadelphia
(1793-1911) and New England (1791-1906).
The good news is that copies of all naturalization records from 1906
to 1956 are at the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Washington,
DC. This does not guarantee success though. Since you are dealing with
a government agency, be prepared for a long wait. I had a copy of one
certificate of citizenship which gave the court, location, date, and name
of the immigrant, but the INS was never able to locate the file. You may
also be able to obtain copies of the file from the court, but some courts
will refer you to INS in Washington.
Naturalizations after 1956 are kept at the local INS office. Some records
are being transferred to National Archives branches or state archives.
See their page "Naturalization
Records" for information about records at the National Archives.
What Do the Records Contain?
In 1906, the process was standardized and uniform forms were issued.
The forms have been revised periodically, but generally contain at least
the following information:
- Declaration of Intention The court date and location;
the individual's name, age, occupation, personal description, birth
date and location, and residence; their date and vessel of arrival and
last foreign residence. From 1929 to 1941, it asked for the spouse's
name, marriage date and place, and birth information, plus names, dates,
and places of birth and residence of each child. It also includes a
picture of the applicant. After 1941, it requests the spouse's name
(no details on birth) and doesn't mention children. After 1929, the
last foreign residence is omitted. A separate Certificate of Arrival
giving details of arrival was required for arrivals after 1906, with
- Petition for Naturalization The court date and location;
name, residence, occupation, birth date and place; immigration departure
date and place; U.S. arrival port, date, and ship; date and place of
Declaration of Intention; spouse's name, birth date and place; children's
names, dates and places of birth; residence, witnesses, and oath of
allegiance. From 1929 to 1941 it also asked race, marriage date and
place, date of spouse's entry into the U.S. and naturalization information,
last foreign residence, and name used on arrival. After 1941, a personal
description was added, as well as details of any trips longer than six
months out of the U.S.
- The actual certificate This is the document given to
the new citizen and the one a researcher is most likely to find in old
family papers. It contains little information: court, date. and name
of new citizen. It may contain other information, but the Declaration
and Petition are the papers the researcher should try to locate.
Prior to 1906
There is no predicting what you might find in naturalization papers prior
to 1906. Until 1828, the immigrant had to report to a court to register.
This report was supposed to contain information on the birthplace, age,
and nationality. These alien registry books were separate volumes in many
areas, especially in the northeast. The registry may be found in later
records combined with the Declaration. After 1911, the immigrant was issued
a certificate of arrival.
A Declaration of Intention was usually required, again with exceptions.
It may contain little more than the name of the immigrant, but may also
have some of the details incorporated in the post-1906 form described
above. These are also called "first papers."
Early Petitions are part of the court record and may even be recorded
in separate ledgers called "second papers" or "final record." Information
varies greatly. Certificates of Naturalization were given to the new citizen.
The information was recorded but duplicates of the certificate were not
kept on file.
Spouses and children may derive their citizenship from their husband/father
and not have to go through the procedure themselves. Up until 1922, a
foreign born woman who married an American citizen became naturalized
upon marriage or, if her husband was foreign born, when he became a citizen.
No separate filings were required. Prior to 1906, they usually were not
even mentioned in the husband's petition.
After 1922, a woman had to be naturalized on her own. However, from 1907
to 1922, if a woman married an unnaturalized alien, she took his citizenship.
This created one particularly bizarre situation for a woman who was born
in Poland in September 1901. In November of that same year she came to
the U.S. with her parents. Her father obtained citizenship in 1906 and
she automatically became a citizen as well. In 1918 she married a man
who had immigrated from Russia in 1913, but was not yet a citizen. She
lost her citizenship because of this rule. In November 1922, her husband
became a citizen. This did not help her because on September 22, 1922,
the law was changed to say that any alien woman who married an American
does not become a U.S. citizen automatically. She applied on her own and
again became a U.S. citizen in 1942!
Children under the age of 21 automatically become citizens by the naturalization
of a parent. However, there are many exceptions to this law regarding
residence, whether or not a Declaration is required, what happens if the
parent dies or becomes insane, adopted children, illegitimate children,
step-children, and children born abroad.
Obtaining citizenship generally has been made easier for aliens who served
in the U.S. military. Filing of the Declaration of Intention was often
not required and the period of residency eliminated or reduced. However,
in 1894 the law was changed and during times of peace no one (except Indians)
could serve in the military unless he or she was a U.S. citizen or had
filed a Declaration of Intention. Aliens were allowed to serve during
times of war and to become naturalized.
Some states had laws forbidding aliens from owning land unless they had
filed a declaration. Homesteaders were able to qualify for free public
land after filing the declaration. The National Archives has homestead
records prior to May 1, 1908 and Bureau of Land Management after that
date. BLM can be accessed at http://www.blm.gov/nhp/index.htm.
Obstacles to Research
Besides identifying the court (or courts) that handled the various steps
in the procedure, there are other pitfalls. Some immigrants filed the
Declaration, perhaps for homesteading, but did not follow through with
the final papers. If they could vote and obtain land with the Declaration
only, they had no need to complete the process. Others were allowed to
skip the declaration and only had to file the final petition. In addition,
fraud occurred on a large scale. Thousands of fraudulent certificates
were issued in 1868 in New York because votes were needed in an election.
These certificates had no court records documenting the citizenship. If
you cannot locate the naturalization record in the court where it was
supposed to have occurred, your ancestor may have had a fraudulent certificate.
For further information, see the National Archives and Records Administration
Records" page; the LDS Research Outline on the U.S. (p. 38-41)
and the excellent 43-page booklet American Naturalization Processes
and Procedures 1790-1985 by John J. Newman (Indianapolis: Family History
Section, Indiana Historical Society 1985).


This WebQuest was designed to meet the 3rd grade TEKS for TEXAS in the
Writing 3.1(C) revise selected drafts for varied purposes, including to
achieve a sense of audience, precise word choices, and vivid images.
Science 3.9(A) observe and identify characteristics among species that allow
each to survive and reproduce.
Social Studies 3.16(D & E) use various parts of a source, including the
table of contents, glossary, and index, as well as keyword computer
searches, to locate information;(E) interpret and create visuals including
graphs, charts, tables, timelines, illustrations, and maps.
Art 3.2(C) produce drawings, paintings, prints, constructions, ceramics, and
fiberart, using a variety of art materials appropriately.


The Syrian Flag :
color in the Syrian flag refers to a definite meaning or a period as follows:
1. Red Color: The blood of the martyrs.
2. Black Color: The Abbasids.
3. White Color: The Umayyad.
4. The Green: The Rashidun or the Fatimid.
5. The two stars represent the previous union
between Egypt and Syria.
Syrian flag is also found as a Shield in the middle of the Syrian Eagle's heart
which is derived from the Arabic history, which referred to the flag of "Khaled
Bin Al Waleed" that was held
at when he conquered Damascus in 635 AD. At the
bottom of the Shield , there are two wheat spikes to represent the country's first
crop and its agricultural nature. The eagle grabs in his claws a stripe that
has the words "Syrian Arab Republic" written on it in Kufic (an
Arabic type of writing).
Syrian National Anthem:
"Homat el Diyar"
(translated Guardians of the Homeland) is the national anthem of Syria, with
lyrics written by "Khalil Mardam Bey" and the music by "Mohammed Flayfel", who
also composed the national anthem of the Palestinian National Authority, as
well as many other Arab folk songs.
was adopted in 1936 and temporarily fell from use when Syria joined the United
Arab Republic with Egypt in 1958. It was decided that the national anthem of
the UAR would be a combination of the then-Egyptian anthem and "Homat elDiyar" When Syria seceded from the union in 1961, the
anthem was completely restored.
Translation of Syrian National Anthem:
Defenders of our home,
Peace be upon you;
The proud spirits had
refused to subdue.
The lion-abode of Arabism,
A hallowed sanctuary;
The seat of the stars,
An inviolable preserve.
Our hopes and our hearts,
Are entwined with the flag,
Which unites our country...
Listen Syrian National Anthem...Click Here


RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Biologists at the University of California, Riverside have found that voluntary activity, such as daily exercise, is a highly heritable trait that can be passed down genetically to successive generations.
Working on mice in the lab, they found that activity level can be enhanced with "selective breeding" – the process of breeding plants and animals for particular genetic traits. Their experiments showed that mice that were bred to be high runners produced high-running offspring, indicating that the offspring had inherited the trait for activity.
"Our findings have implications for human health," said Theodore Garland Jr., a professor of biology, whose laboratory conducted the multi-year research. "Down the road people could be treated pharmacologically for low activity levels through drugs that targeted specific genes that promote activity. Pharmacological interventions in the future could make it more pleasurable for people to engage in voluntary exercise. Such interventions could also make it less comfortable for people to sit still for long periods of time."
In humans, activity levels vary widely from couch-potato-style inactivity to highly active athletic endeavors.
"We have a huge epidemic of obesity in Western society, and yet we have little understanding of what determines variation among individuals for voluntary exercise levels," Garland said.
Study results appear online Sept. 1 in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
The researchers began their experiments in 1993 with 224 mice whose levels of genetic variation bore similarity to those seen in wild mouse populations. The researchers randomly divided the base population of mice into eight separate lines – four lines bred for high levels of daily running, with the remaining four used as controls – and measured how much distance the mice voluntarily ran per day on wheels attached to their cages.
With a thousand mice born every generation and four generations of mice each year, the researchers were able to breed highly active mice in the four high-runner lines by selecting the highest running males and females from every generation to be the parents of the next generation. In the control lines, breeders were chosen with no selection imposed, meaning that the mice either changed or did not change over time purely as a result of random genetic drift.
By studying the differences among the replicate lines, the researchers found that mice in the four high-runner lines ran 2.5-3-fold more revolutions per day as compared with mice in the four control lines. They also found that female and male mice evolved differently: females increased their daily running distance almost entirely by speed; males, on the other hand, increased speed but they also ran more minutes per day.
The study is an example of an "experimental evolution" approach applied rigorously to a problem of biomedical relevance. Although this approach is common with microbial systems and fruit flies, it has rarely been applied to vertebrates due to their longer generation times and greater costs of maintenance. The results of such studies can inform biologists about fundamental evolutionary processes as well as "how organisms work" in a way that may lead to new therapeutic strategies.
"This study of experimental evolution confirms some previous observations and raises new questions," said Douglas Futuyma, a distinguished professor of ecology and evolution at Stony Brook University, New York, who was not involved in the research. "It shows that 'there are many ways to skin a cat': different ways in which a species may evolve a similar adaptive characteristic – running activity, in this case. Garland and coauthors go further by beginning to explore the detailed ways in which an adaptive feature, such as muscle size or metabolic rate, may be realized and by showing sex differences in the response to selection. It would be fascinating to know, and challenging to find out, if any one of these different responses is adaptively better than others."
Garland was joined in the research by Scott Kelly, Jessica Malisch, Erik Kolb, Robert Hannon, Brooke Keeney, Shana Van Cleave and Kevin Middleton, all of whom work in his lab.
The study was supported primarily by a grant to Garland from the National Science Foundation.
Details of the experimental set-up
The mice run on wheels attached to their cages. Wheel running is a completely voluntary behavior for the mice. They can sit in their cages and not run at all. If they do run, they can get off the wheels at any time. For the experiments, each mouse was given access to the wheels for only six days of their lives. A computer recorded every minute how much distance (revolutions) the mice ran for the six days. The researchers selected breeders depending on how much distance the mice ran on days 5 and 6.
About Theodore Garland Jr.
Garland received his doctoral degree in biological sciences from UC Irvine. Before joining UCR in 2001, he was a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is trained in comparative physiology and evolutionary biology, as well as quantitative genetics with emphasis on exercise physiology. He is co-editor of Experimental evolution: concepts, methods, and applications of selection experiments (University of California Press, 2009). On the editorial boards of several scientific journals, he is the author/coauthor of nearly 200 peer-reviewed publications.
The University of California, Riverside (www.ucr.edu) is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment of about 18,000 is expected to grow to 21,000 students by 2020. The campus is planning a medical school and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Graduate Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion.
A broadcast studio with fiber cable to the AT&T Hollywood hub is available for live or taped interviews. To learn more, call (951) UCR-NEWS.
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


by George Heymann | @techeadlines
Google has started a new page on Google Plus to share their vision of what its augmented reality glasses could be. They are soliciting suggestions from users on what they would like to see from Project Glass.
“We think technology should work for you—to be there when you need it and get out of your way when you don’t.
A group of us from Google[x] started Project Glass to build this kind of technology, one that helps you explore and share your world, putting you back in the moment. We’re sharing this information now because we want to start a conversation and learn from your valuable input. So we took a few design photos to show what this technology could look like and created a video to demonstrate what it might enable you to do.”
Video after the break.
Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Android, General technology, Google, Media, Services, Augmented reality, eyeglasses, feature, featured, glasses, Google, Google Plus, Google Project Gass, google virtual reality glasses, New York Times, Project Glass, technology, turn by turn directions, UI, User interface, video chat, Virtual reality, Virtual reality glasses
January 18, 2012 • 11:07 am
$3 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will fund development
by Eric Klopfer
MIT Education Arcade
With a new $3 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the MIT Education Arcade is about to design, build and research a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) to help high school students learn math and biology.
In contrast to the way that Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) are currently taught in secondary schools — which often results in students becoming disengaged and disinterested in the subjects at an early age — educational games such as the one to be developed give students the chance to explore STEM topics in a way that deepens their knowledge while also developing 21st-century skills.
Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Gaming, Services, Software, 3 million dollar grant, Associate Professor, Augmented reality, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Common Core, Common Core standards, Education, education arcade, education program, Eric Klopfer, Filament Games, game to help teach math and science, High school, Math, mit, MIT education arcade, MMOG, Next generation science, StarLogo TNG, STEM, Washington, Washington D.C.
by George Heymann
Blackberry no sooner made its official Blackberry Bold 9900 announcement and then T-mobile tweeted that it would be carrying the device. The 9900 will be T-mobile’s first 4G capable Blackberry. It is rumored to be available on T-Mobile in the June/July timeframe.
The Blackberry Bold 9900/9930 will be a touch screen device with a 1.2 GHz processor, 8 GB of onboard memory, expandable to 32GB, HSPA+ 14.4 capable, 5 megapixel camera with flash, 720p HD video recording, dual-band WiFi, a built-in compass (magnetometer) and Near Field Communication (NFC) technology featuring the new Blackberry 7 OS.
Press release after the break
Filed under: Blackberry, Hardware, 4G, Augmented reality, BlackBerry, Blackberry Bold 9900, Blackberry Bold 9930, Evolution-Data Optimized, Evolved HSPA, Hertz, High-definition video, HSPA+, Research In Motion, T-Mobile, Touchscreen, Wi-Fi


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24 August 2007
Cardiff scientists exploring the safe storage of hydrogen to power vehicles as an environmentally friendly alternative to petrol have made a promising new discovery.
Having already developed an organic polymer capable of storing 1.7 per cent hydrogen by weight, Professors Neil McKeown from the School of Chemistry together with Peter Budd of the University of Manchester and David Book from the University of Birmingham can now report the creation of an organic polymer able to store around three per cent hydrogen by weight.
The figure is almost double the amount of hydrogen the group’s preliminary polymers could store last year, and offers hope of producing an organic polymer in the future capable of storing enough hydrogen to successfully power a vehicle.
Commenting on the development, Professor McKeown said: "We are excited to report this recent discovery by our research team of a polymer which can hold around three per cent hydrogen by weight. Although we still have a long way to go, it is clear that we are moving in the right direction, especially as we also have a number of promising new polymers to test. "
In order to make hydrogen a viable alternative to petrol, a material which can store hydrogen at a weight of over six per cent is required. This figure is estimated by the American Department of Energy as the minimum required to make a fuel tank for hydrogen to power a vehicle for 300 miles.
"In order to obtain a polymer that can store useful quantities of hydrogen we need to make a much more porous material," said Professor McKeown, "but one in which the holes are very small so as to fit snugly the small hydrogen molecules."
Professor McKeown and his team are investigating a number of promising methods to enhance pororosity as they attempt to build on their current success and produce a material that can store and release hydrogen safely and effectively. They are also collaborating with Professor Kenneth Harris within the School of Chemistry to develop other types of hydrogen storage materials.
Cardiff is the lead University in the research project, which is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
The EU: What’s in it for Wales?
New treatment for eczema trialled
New drugs in development for treatment of osteoarthritis
This is an externally hosted beta service offered by Google.


Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) occurs most often in infants who are born too early. RDS can cause breathing difficulty in newborns. If it is not properly treated, RDS can result in complications. This may include pneumonia, respiratory failure, chronic lung problems, and possibly asthma. In severe cases, RDS can lead to convulsions and death.
RDS occurs when infant's lungs have not developed enough. Immature lungs lack a fluid called surfactant. This is a foamy liquid that helps the lungs open wide and take in air. When there is not enough surfactant, the lungs do not open well. This will make it difficult for the infant to breathe.
The chance of developing RDS decreases as the fetus grows. Babies born after 36 weeks rarely develop this condition.
A risk factor is something that increases your chance of getting a disease or condition. Factors that increase your baby's risk of RDS include:
- Birth before 37 weeks; increased risk and severity of condition with earlier prematurity
- Mother with insulin dependent diabetes
- Multiple birth
- Cesarean section delivery
- Cold stress
- Precipitous delivery
- Previously affected infant
- Being male
- Hypertension (high blood pressure) during pregnancy
The following symptoms usually start immediately or within a few hours after birth and include:
- Difficulty breathing, apnea
- Rapid, shallow breathing
- Delayed or weak cry
- Grunting noise with every breath
- Flaring of the nostrils
- Frothing at the lips
- Blue color around the lips
- Swelling of the extremities
- Decreased urine output
The doctor will ask about the mother's medical history and pregnancy. The baby will also be evaluated, as outlined here:
Amniotic fluid is fluid that surrounds the fetus. It may be tested for indicators of well-developed lungs such as:
- Lecithin:sphingomyelin ratio
- Phosphatidyl glycerol
- Laboratory studies—done to rule out infection
- Physical exam—includes checking the baby's breathing and looking for bluish color around the lips or on trunk
- Testing for blood gases—to check the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood
- Chest x-ray —a test that uses radiation to take a picture of structures inside the body, in this case the heart and lungs
Treatment for a baby with RDS usually includes oxygen therapy and may also include:
A mechanical respirator is a breathing machine. It is used to keep the lungs from collapsing and support the baby's breathing. The respirator also improves the exchange of oxygen and other gases in the lungs. A respirator is almost always needed for infants with severe RDS.
Surfactant can be given to help the lungs open. Wider lungs will allow the infant to take in more oxygen and breathe normally. One type of surfactant comes from cows and the other is synthetic. Both options are delivered directly into the infant's windpipe.
Inhaled Nitric Oxide
Nitric oxide is a gas that is inhaled. It can make it easier for oxygen to pass into the blood. The gas is often delivered during mechanical ventilation.
Newborns with RDS may be given food and water by the following means:
- Tube feeding—a tube is inserted through the baby's mouth and into the stomach
- Parenteral feeding—nutrients are delivered directly into a vein
Preventing a premature birth is the best way to avoid RDS. To reduce your chance of having a premature baby:
- Get good prenatal care. Start as early as possible in pregnancy.
- Eat a healthful diet. Take vitamins as suggested by your doctor.
- Do not smoke. Avoid alcohol or drug use.
- Only take medicines that your doctor has approved.
If you are at high risk of giving birth to a premature baby:
- You may be given steroids about 24 hours before delivery. Steroids can help your baby's lungs develop faster.
- Your doctor may do an amniocentesis. This test will check the maturity of your baby's lungs. The results will help determine the best time for delivery.
- Reviewer: Michael Woods
- Review Date: 09/2012 -
- Update Date: 00/91/2012 -


Communities in Kenya have adopted one another’s food preferences and recipes. With the exception of the Coast and Indian communities for whom food preparation is an elaborate process, nearly all other communities garnish their food by frying it. They also boil, bake in hot ashes and roast. Common foods include:
It is a sticky mixture of flour and water and is accompanied by vegetables, meat, milk or milk mixed with blood especially for pastoralist communities. Traditionally, it is made from millet or cassava. But maize flour has increasingly taken pride of place.
lt is used to prepare sauces and stews. Communities have different ways of preparing meat, but roast meat is widely eaten as a delicacy especially in urban areas. Animals slaughtered for meat depend on the location, with beef and mutton the most common. Camel and game are the preserve of communities with access to the animals.
In the last quarter ofthe 20th century, maize replaced sorghum as the most important cereal in Kenya. lt is roasted and eaten as a snack and sold on the streets and in markets.
Green boiled maize, often garnished with salt, is also common. Among the Somali, fresh maize (galeey) is
fried in oil and eaten as a snack. Dry maize is also fried to make popcorn, popular with children.
A mixture of green or dry maize and beans, cowpeas, pigeon peas or even groundnuts is also popular. lt is eaten as a main course or snack. Sometimes, it is pounded with Irish or sweet potatoes, bananas and green vegetables.
A wide range of traditional and exotic fruits are consumed in Kenya, usually as snacks. Mango, citrus fruits, banana, jackfruit, papaya, melons, guava, passion fruit, custard apple and avocado pear are common. Many traditional fruits such as baobab, wild custard apple, carissa, dialium, flacourtia (Indian plum), marula, vangueria, tamarind, vitex and ‘jujube’ are picked in the wild.
They are used as accompaniments for starchy food such as ugali. Common traditional vegetables include
baobab, cowpeas, amaranth, vine spinach, Ethiopian kale, pumpkin leaves, spider plant and hibiscus.
Kale (sukuma wiki) is now the most common vegetable in Kenya.


When someone tells that there was no successful French tank, especially in WWI - don't you believe him!
The Renault FT or Automitrailleuse à chenilles Renault FT modèle 1917, inexactly known as the FT-17 or FT17, was a French light tank; it is among the most revolutionary and influential tank designs in history. The FT was the first operational tank with an armament in a fully rotating turret, and its configuration with the turret on top, engine in the back and the driver in front became the conventional one, repeated in most tanks until today; at the time it was a revolutionary innovation, causing armour historian Steven Zaloga to describe the type as "the world's first modern tank".
Studies on the production of a new light tank were started in May 1916 by the famous car producer Louis Renault. The evidence strongly suggests that Renault himself drew up the preliminary design, being unconvinced that a sufficient power/weight ratio could be achieved for the medium tanks requested by the military. One of his most talented designers, Rodolphe Ernst-Metzmaier, prepared the final drawings.
Though the project was far more advanced than the two first French tanks about to enter production, the Schneider CA1 and the heavy St. Chamond, Renault had at first great trouble getting it accepted. Even after the first British use of tanks, on 15 September 1916, when the French people called for the deployment of their own chars, the production of the light tank was almost cancelled in favour of that of a superheavy tank (the later Char 2C). However, with the unwavering support of Brigadier General Jean-Baptiste Eugène Estienne (1860–1936), the "Father of the Tanks", and the successive French Commanders in Chief, who saw light tanks as a more feasible and realistic option, Renault was at last able to proceed with the design. However, competition with the Char 2C was to last until the very end of the war.
The prototype was slowly refined during the first half of 1917. Early production FTs were often plagued by radiator fan belt and cooling system problems, a characteristic that persisted throughout World War I. Only 84 were produced in 1917 but 2,697 were delivered before the end of the war. At least 3,177 were produced in total, perhaps more; some estimates go as high as 4,000 for all versions combined. However, 3,177 is the delivery total to the French Army; 514 were perhaps directly delivered to the U.S. Army and three to Italy - giving a probable total production number of 3,694.
The tanks had at first a round cast turret; later either an octagonal turret or an even later rounded turret of bent steel plate (called Berliet turret after one of the many coproducing factories). The latter two could carry a Puteaux SA 18 gun, or a 7.92 mm Hotchkiss machine gun. In the U.S., this tank was built on a licence as the Six Ton Tank Model 1917 (950 built, 64 before the end of the war).
There is a most persistent myth about the name of the tank: "FT" is often supposed to have meant Faible Tonnage, or, even more fanciful: Franchisseur de Tranchées (trench crosser). In reality, every Renault prototype was given a combination code; it just so happened it was the turn of "FT".
Another mythical name is "FT-18" for the guntank. A 1918 maintenance manual describes the FT as the Char d'Assault 18HP, a reference to the horsepower of the engine.
FTs captured and re-used by the Germans in World War II were re-designated Panzerkampfwagen FT 18. Either of these might have led to the confusion. Also in "FT 75 BS", the "BS" does not mean Batterie de Support but "Blockhaus Schneider", a reference to the short 75mm Schneider gun with which it was fitted.
The FT was widely used by the French and the US in the later stages of World War I, after 31 May 1918. It was cheap and well-suited for mass production. It reflected an emphasis on quantity, both on a tactical level: Estienne proposed to overwhelm the enemy defences by a "swarm" of light tanks, and on a geostrategic level: the Entente was thought to be able to gain the upper hand by outproducing the Central Powers. A goal was set of 12,260 to be manufactured (4,440 of which in the USA) before the end of 1919.
After the war, FTs were exported to many countries (Poland, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Romania, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, Brazil, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and Japan). As a result, FT tanks were used by most nations having armoured forces, invariably as their first tank type, including the United States. They took part in many later conflicts, such as the Russian Civil War, Polish-Soviet War, Chinese Civil War, Rif War and Spanish Civil War.
FT tanks were also used in the Second World War, among others in Poland, Finland, France and Kingdom of Yugoslavia, although they were completely obsolete by then. In 1940 the French army still had eight battalions equipped with 63 FTs each and three independent companies with ten each, for a total organic strength of 534, all with machine guns.
Many smaller units, partially raised after the invasion, also used the tank. This has given rise to the popular myth that the French had no modern equipment at all; in fact they had more modern tanks than the Germans; the French suffered from tactical and strategic weaknesses rather than from equipment deficiencies. When the German drive to the Channel cut off the best French units, as an expediency measure the complete French materiel reserve was sent to the front; this included 575 FTs. Earlier 115 sections of FT had been formed for airbase-defence. The Wehrmacht captured 1,704 FTs. A hundred were again used for airfield defence, about 650 for patrolling occupied Europe. Some of the tanks were also used by the Germans in 1944 for street-fighting in Paris. By this time they were hopelessly out of date.
The FT was the ancestor of a long line of French tanks: the FT Kégresse, the NC1, the NC2, the Char D1 and the Char D2. The Italians produced as their standard tank the FIAT 3000, a moderately close copy of the FT:
The Soviet Red Army captured fourteen burnt-out Renaults from White Russian forces, and rebuilt them at the Krasnoye Sormovo Factory in 1920. The Soviets claimed to have originally manufactured these Russkiy Reno tanks, but they actually produced only one exact copy, named 'Freedom Fighter Comrade Lenin'. When Stalin began the arms race of the Thirties, the first completely Soviet-designed tank was the T-18, a derivation of the Renault with sprung suspension:
In all, the FT was used by Afghanistan, Belgium, Brazil, the Republic of China, Czechoslovakia, Estonia, Finland, France, Nazi Germany, Iran, Japan, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, the Russian White movement, the Soviet Union, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
Two interesting variants:


According to Wikipedia, the definition of Earth Day is “a day early each year on which events are held worldwide to increase awareness and appreciation of the Earth’s natural environment.” Earth Day, started in 1970, and is celebrated nationally and in over 175 countries world wide. Do you celebrate Earth Day in your home?
My family and I love to celebrate our mother earth not only on Earth Day, but everyday. Each step we make in our home to become a greener family means we are doing that much more to reduce our carbon footprint. Cox Communications, my local cable company, wanted a way to reduce their carbon footprint as well so they started Cox Conserves in 2007.
Launched in 2007, Cox Conserves is the company’s national sustainability program that is designed to reduce Cox Enterprises’ carbon footprint by 20 percent. Cox Conserves seeks to reduce Cox Enterprises’ energy consumption by embracing alternative energy, conserving natural resources and inspiring eco-friendly behavior. The program engages each of the company’s major subsidiaries (Cox Communications, Manheim, Cox Media Group and AutoTrader.com) and encourages Cox Enterprises’ more than 50,000 employees and their families to engage in eco-friendly practices. For more information, visit: http://www.coxconserves.com/
How does Cox Conserves make a difference right here in Las Vegas?
How does Cox Conserves make a difference nationally?
Alternative Energy – Cox actively identifies opportunities to harness solar energy and employ fuel cell technology, annually preventing more than 17,400 tons of greenhouse gases from entering the environment through its alternative energy projects.
Energy Conservation- Across Cox Enterprises, programs are in place to conserve energy, including producing alternative energy, constructing eco-friendly buildings, greening the company fleet, conserving resources and recycling materials.
Waste Management- Cox Enterprises employs a holistic approach to waste management including waste reduction, strategic partnerships for e-waste and customer engagement.
Water Conservation- Cox’s water conservation efforts save more than 20 million gallons of water annually and return high-quality reusable water to the community.
How can you celebrate Earth Day everyday? 5 Tips for a Green Home!
- Reduce your junk mail stream by joining a no-send list. This is where my family is listed.
- Use compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. They use 2/3 less energy than standard incandescent light bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. If every household in the U.S. replaced one light bulb with a CFL, it would prevent enough pollution equal to taking more than 800,000 cars off the road for an entire year. This was one of the first things we did when we moved into a new home.
- Buy bulk items. A family of four can save $2,000/year in the supermarket by choosing large sizes instead of individual serving sizes. This also reduces production of plastic wrappers and boxes. We love shopping our local super store.
- Avoid using non-native plants that may be invasive in your area. We have desert landscaping to help reduce our use of water.
- Skip pre-packaged items for school lunches and cut up your own cheese, meats and veggies to cut down on wasteful packaging.
Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children.”
~ Kenyan proverb
Disclosure: This post was written on behalf of Cox Communications. All my thoughts and opinions are my own.
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