Science may have the solution: a chemical "hydrogel" coating made from chitosan, derived from the shells of crabs and shrimp. Chitosan is already sprayed on lots of other fruits and vegetables to kill bacteria and keep produce fresh. And on Wednesday, Xihong Li of Tianjin University presented data at a meeting of the American Chemical Society showing that it can work to delay banana ripening -- bad news for fruit flies, good news for you.
"We found that by spraying green bananas with a chitosan aerogel, we can keep bananas fresh for up to 12 days," Li said in a statement Wednesday. "Such a coating could be used at home by consumers, in supermarkets or during shipment of bananas."
Like other fruits, bananas don't die when they're picked. They respire through their skin, taking in oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide. Increased respiration means quicker ripening. The chitosan coating used by Li and his colleagues slowed down respiration enough to keep the fruit fresh.
Bananas also release a compound called ethylene, which encourages ripening. So leaving a bunch of bananas in a bag will trap a lot of ethylene gas in there, which makes them ripen faster. Other fruits and vegetables produce ethylene too, so keeping your banana in the same bowl as a bunch of apples will hasten its progress toward gooey oblivion.
Chitosan, with its seafood origin, could possibly pose problems for strict vegetarians and vegans, but it wouldn't be the first food additive that flew under the radar. Shellac, which you might primarily think of as something to polish furniture, is also applied to apples to replace natural waxes lost during the cleaning process. It's also made from a resin secreted by the female lac bug. Starbucks caught flak from its crunchier customers after it was revealed that the coffee giant was using crushed beetle shells to color its strawberry frappuccinos.
Still, if you're not squeamish about animal products, chitosan could be a good way to keep good bananas from going bad.


Hitler has become an iconic figure in Asia in recent years, and his book Mein Kampf is being sold in bookstores across the continent. Israel has decided to work against that trend by inviting educators from India, Korea, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia to guide them in Holocaust studies.
For the first time a group of 20 school principals and teachers from India recently arrived in Israel to learn about the Holocaust at the International School at Yad Vashem (Israel's national Holocaust memorial and museum).
Dressed in traditional garb, the Indian guests were taught about the true horrors of the Holocaust as a background for ethics and history lessons at schools and universities in their own country. Some of the participants represented school systems that oversee the education of over two million students all the way from kindergarten to university.
The Indian delegation was invited by the Foreign Ministry's Department for Combating Anti-Semitism and by Yad Vashem, both of which hoped the visit would spark increased study of the Holocaust throughout Asia.
This month will also see the first visit by a group of 23 educators from New Zealand. Recently, a group of 20 teachers from Australia and another delegation from Singapore arrived for background lessons on the Holocaust.
"This demonstrates how the topic of the Holocaust remains of interest and is still relevant to the 21st century," said Gideon Baker, director of the Department for Combating Anti-Semitism.
"In 2013, we will expand the study of the Holocaust to countries that have not yet studied the subject in any organized manner, such as South Korea and Cyprus, as well as establish mobile training teams in India," Baker added.
There is no anti-Semitism in India. Mein Kampf sells in local bookstores and there is general admiration of Hitler as being a "strong man," but the public is mostly ignorant about who Hitler truly was and what he did to six million Jews. "Precisely for this reason it is important to teach the Holocaust in this country," said Baker.
Asia in general does not have an anti-Semitism problem. But Nazi symbols are widely used and Hitler is often idolized without true understanding of what this means to the Jews.
Israeli diplomats in Asia say that this phenomenon most often occurs as a result of ignorance and with no hostile intentions. "A lot of people in Asia are aware of what happened in Europe in general. Unfortunately, many people think that Hitler was a hero, not a monster, so it is important to strengthen the memory of the Holocaust," explained the Foreign Ministry.


More than three decades ago, Vietnamese refugees began to settle in Versailles, a then-isolated community in eastern New Orleans. By the early 2000s, this working-class enclave was home to 8,000 residents. But although the community had accomplished material successes, it remained divided between older immigrants and American-born youth. Many Versailles residents felt like perpetual outsiders in greater New Orleans, ignored by the local government.
A Village Called Versailles is the incredible story of this little-known, tight-knit community in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. When the storm devastated New Orleans in August 2005, Versailles residents rebuilt their neighborhood faster than any other damaged neighborhood in the city, only to find themselves threatened by a new toxic landfill slated to open just two miles away. Forced out of Vietnam by the war 30 years ago, many residents felt their homes were being taken away from them once again.
By January 2006, more than half of the neighborhood has been rebuilt, financed by friends and family, with no help from FEMA. Community leaders put together an ambitious redevelopment plan for Versailles, including its own senior housing, a cultural center, and a community farm and market. But New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin exercised his emergency power to open Chef Menteur Landfill mere miles from Versailles for toxic debris disposal from Katrina — without getting an environmental impact study first.
Outraged, Versailles fought back. Residents protested at City Hall and crowded public hearings by the hundreds, making the Vietnamese community’s presence felt in New Orleans for the first time. As elders and youth fought side by side — chanting in English and Vietnamese — Versailles finally won a political voice.
- S. Leo ChiangProducer/Director


Why Does Copper Turn Green?
Copper turns green because of chemical reactions with the elements.
For the same reason that iron rusts.
Just as iron that is left unprotected in open air will corrode and form a flaky orange-red outer layer, copper that is exposed to the elements undergoes a series of chemical reactions that give the shiny metal a pale green outer layer called a patina.
The patina actually protects the copper below the surface from further corrosion, making it a good water-proofing material for roofs (which is why the roofs of so many old buildings are bright green).
In fact, the weathering and oxidation of the Statue of Liberty's copper skin has amounted to just .005 of an inch over the last century, according to the Copper Development Association.
MORE FROM LiveScience.com


Functions in Lisp
|Column Tag:||Lisp Listener
"Functions in Lisp"
By Andy Cohen, Human Factors Engineering, Hughes Aircraft, MacTutor Contributing Editor
As you may recall from the first installment of the Lisp Listener, a procedure is a description of an action or computation. A primitive is a predefined or "builtin" procedure (e.g. "+"). As in Forth, Lisp can have procedures which are defined by the programmer. DEFUN, from DEfine FUNction, is used for this purpose. The syntax for DEFUN in Experlisp is as follows:
(DEFUN FunctionName (symbols)
(All sorts of computations which may or may Not use the values
represented by the symbols))
The function name is exactly that. Whenever the name is used the defined procedure associated with that function name is performed. The symbols are values which may or may not be required by the procedures within the defined function. If required, the values must follow the function name. When given, these values are assigned to the symbol. This is similar to the way values are assigned to a symbol when using SETQ. It is easier to see how DEFUN works when observed within an example:
;(DEFUN Reciprocal (n)
(/ 1 n))
The word "Reciprocal" is the function name and the numbers following are the values for which the reciprocal (1/n) are found. After the list containing DEFUN is entered and the carriage return is pressed the function and it's title are assigned a location in memory. The function name is then printed in the Listener window.
;(DEFUN Square (x)
(* x x))
;(DEFUN Cubed (y)
(* y (* y y))
;(DEFUN AVERAGE (W X Y Z)
(/ (+ W X Y Z) 4))
;(Average 2 3 4 5)
You might recognize "Average" from last month's Lisp Listener. One might imagine using defined functions inside other defined functions. If it was possible to have variables which have the same values in each procedure, then the version of Lisp used has what is called dynamic scoping. In this context the values of the variable are determined by the Lisp environment which is resident when the procedure is called. Experlisp, however, is lexically scoped. That means that variable values are local to each procedure. Two defined procedures can use the same labels for variables, but the values will not be considered as the same. Each variable is defined locally. This is in accordance to the Common Lisp standard. Lexical scoping makes it easier to debug someone elses'' programs. If you don't know what I mean yet, don't worry. This subject will come up again in more detail later.
If no values are required by the defined function then "nil" or an empty list must follow the function name.
;(DEFUN Line ()
The empty list obviously contains no atoms (I'll describe the above function, "Line" later in the section on bunnies). It is synonymous to the special term nil, which is considered by Lisp as the opposite of T or True. Nil is used in many other contexts.
;(cddr '( one two))
In the above, the first cdr returns "two". The second cdr returns nothing, hence "nil". The values of true and false are returned by procedures called predicates. While nil represents a false condition, anything other then nil, including "T", is generally considered true. Please note that I used lowercase letters in the above. ExperLisp recognizes both upper and lowercase. I've been using uppercase only to make it clear within the text when I'm referring to Lisp
EQUAL is a predicate which checks the equality of two arguments. Note the arguments can be integers or symbols. If the two arguments are equal then "T" is returned. If they are not equal then "nil" is returned.
;(EQUAL try try)
;(EQUAL 6732837 6732837)
;(EQUAL 6732837 6732833)
;(EQUAL First Second)
ATOM checks to see if it's argument is a list or an atom. Remember, the single quote is used to indicate that what follows is a not evaluated as in the case of a list. Symbols are evaluated.
;(ATOM (A B C D))
In the first of the above 'thing is an atom due to the single quote. In the second, thing is considered a symbol. A symbol is evaluated and contains a value or values as a list. In the third, (A B C D) is obviously a list.
LISTP checks if it's argument is a list.
;(LISTP '( 23 45 65 12 1))
;(SETQ babble '(wd ihc wi kw))
One interesting observation is that nil is both an atom and a list, ()=nil. Therefore ATOM and LISTP both return true for nil.
When one needs to know if a list is empty, NULL does the job.
;(NULL (X Y Z))
NUMBERP checks if the argument that follows is or represents a number rather than a string.
;(SETQ fifty-six '(56))
Now for a real slick one. MEMBER tests whether or not an argument is a part of a list. An easy demonstration follows:
;(MEMBER 'bananas (apples pears bananas))
;(apples pears bananas)
;(MEMBER 'grapes (apples pears bananas))
When the argument is a member, then the contents of the list are given. If not then nil is returned. MEMBER also checks symbols of lists.
;(SETQ fruit '(apples grapes pears))
;(MEMBER 'grapes fruit)
; (apples grapes pears)
;(MEMBER 'banana fruit)
EVENP tests to see if an integer is even and MINUSP checks if an integer is negative. ODDP and PLUSP are not needed since they are simply opposite of the first two.
;(EVENP (- 806 35))
;(MINUSP (-34 86))
In the second and fourth examples above the lists contained within are calculated prior to MEMBERP evaluation. (806-35=771 & 34-86=-52. There's a few more simple predicates such as NOT, <, >, and ZEROP. I'll discuss them along with conditionals next month. Now for something completely different.
If you've ever learned Logo, the concept of Bunny graphics should sound familiar. As mentioned last month, the Bunny is Expertelligence's version of the Turtle. All one needs to do in order to make a Bunny move is to tell it to. FORWARD X initially moves the Bunny upwards on the screen for 'X' display pixels. A negative number initially moves it down. When one enters the following in the Listener window,
the default graphics window (I'll discuss windows in more detail very soon in future installments) is then opened and the following is drawn:
RIGHT X aims the front of the line to the right by X degrees. If one then uses forward again the line moves in a different direction. For example:
;((RIGHT 50) (FORWARD 50))
or better yet
(RIGHT 50) (FORWARD 50))
After a line is moved, the end of the line remains where it was. If one made the Bunny move again the beginning of the new line would begin where the old left off. The original starting point is the graphics window default home position. This position is in the center of each graphics window when the window is first created. In order to return the Bunny to the original starting point one must use HOME.
The following produces a much neater triangle:
(DEFUN Triangle ()
(Penup) (Left 45)
(Forward 10) (Pendown)
(Right 90) (Forward 25)
(Right 90) (Forward 50)
(Right 135) (Forward 71)
(Right 135) (Forward 25))
After the above is typed into the edit buffer the "Compile All" selection should be chosen from the Menu Bar. The source code in the Edit Buffer quickly inverts to white letters on a black background as if the whole file was selected for a moment. The function name "Triangle is then printed in the Listener window. If the user enters the following in the Listener Window a different triangle is drawn in the default Graphics Window:
If you Look at the in Triangle you will see a couple more Bunny commands. LEFT does the same as RIGHT but in the opposite direction. PENUP raises the Bunny's pen so that when the Bunny moves no lines are drawn. PENDOWN returns the Bunny to the drawing orientation. The first line of code in "Triangle" puts the Bunny off the Home position so that the drawn triangle will be centered on the screen. As mentioned earlier, the orientation of the bunny remains. The last line of code in "Triangle left the Bunny aimed at about 1:00 rather than the initial position, 12:00. If we were to make "Triangle" execute ten times without eliminating the Graphics Window the following would result:
In getting "Triangle" to execute recompilation of the code in the edit buffer is not necessary. To get the above one can type the function name into a list ten times within the Listener window. The following however, is easier:
;(Dotimes (a 10) (Triangle))
DOTIMES is very similar to the FOR...NEXT looping routine in BASIC. I'll discuss it next month in a description of iteration and recursion in ExperLisp.
If we wanted to use a three dimensional bunny then the following would be added before "Triangle" in the Edit Buffer window:
(SETQ curbun (new3dbun))
(Pitch 30) (Yaw 45) (Roll 50)
Something like the following is drawn after the source code is recompiled and "(Triangle)" is entered into the Listener Window:
CURBUN is a special symbol in ExperLisp which always refers to the Bunny cursor. NEW3DBUN is a special term which always changes CURBUN. The default Bunny is 2 dimensional. If one wanted the Spherical Bunny then the following would be entered into the beginning of the first version of "Triangle":
(SETQ curbun (newspbun))
This would then produce what follows:
In order to have the above drawn in a different orientation, different Bunny direction would be required. Windows, two and three dimensional Bunny graphics and toolbox graphics use the same X,Y coordinate system. Home is 0,0. Dual negative coordinates are situated towards the upper left corner. Dual positive coordinates are situated towards the lower right corner. The range is +32767 to -32768 for each dimension. In ExperLisp one can sometimes use the third dimension, as in the 3D sample of "Triangle". Negative Z values are behind Home, while positive Z values are in front. The following illustrates the coordinate system in ExperLisp:
The ExperLisp disk contains three essential files; Compiler, LispENV and Experlisp. Compiler is not actually the entire Lisp compiler. It contains the information needed in generating all of the higher level Lisp syntactics, such as the Bunny graphics. LispENV stands for Lisp Environment and it is simply a duplication of Compile. LispENV contains information on how the Macintosh memory was organized by the programmer and ExperLisp during the previous session. It also contains information on the system configuration such as the number of disk drives, the amount of memory, etc. Sometimes LispENV can be messed up (i.e. by changing the variable table). When this happens one might not be able to start ExperLisp. In this case LispENV should be removed from the disk. Afterward, when ExperLisp is opened, Compiler generates a new LispENV. Compiler is not needed on the disk unless the LispENV is ruined. Deleting it will provide 100K more space on the disk. Before eliminating it from the disk however, be sure you have a backup as it is an essential file. The Experlisp file contains the assembly language routines which represent the lower level Lisp routines like CAR and CDR. It also allows access to the Macintosh toolbox routines and contains the Listener Window. One opens the Experlisp file in starting a programming session with ExperLisp. Another file on the disk is automatically loaded and activated when Experlisp is booted. It is labeled ªlispinit. The contents of this file can be added to so that when one boots up ExperLisp a program can be automatically executed. It can also do automatic configurations. However the contents of ªlispinit should not be changed since it configures the Macintosh memory for Exper- Lisp.
Next month I'll discuss a few more predicate procedures. I also hope to start discussing iteration, recursion and conditionals. If there is enough room left over I might also begin discussing how to access the toolbox graphics.


Lifestyle and home remediesBy Mayo Clinic staff
You'll probably need to make lifestyle changes to stop cycles of behavior that worsen your bipolar disorder, and to make sure you get the support you need from people in your life. Here are some steps to take:
- Quit drinking or using illegal drugs. One of the biggest concerns with bipolar disorder is the negative consequences of risk-taking behavior and drug or alcohol abuse. Get help if you have trouble quitting on your own.
- Steer clear of unhealthy relationships. Surround yourself with people who are a positive influence and won't encourage unhealthy behavior or attitudes that can worsen your bipolar disorder.
- Get regular exercise. Moderate, regular exercise can help steady your mood. Working out releases brain chemicals that make you feel good (endorphins), can help you sleep and has a number of other benefits. Check with your doctor before starting any exercise program, especially if you're taking lithium to make sure exercise won't interfere with your medication.
- Get plenty of sleep. Sleeping enough is an important part of managing your mood. If you have trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor or mental health provider about what you can do.
- Bipolar disorder. National Institute of Mental Health. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder/complete-index.shtml. Accessed Nov. 2, 2011.
- Bipolar disorders. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/psychiatric_disorders/mood_disorders/bipolar_disorders.html#v1028598. Accessed Nov. 2, 2011.
- Mood disorders. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Nov. 3, 2011.
- Practice parameter for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with bipolar disorder. Washington, D.C.: American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/member_information/practice_information/practice_parameters/practice_parameters. Accessed Nov. 2, 2011.
- Joska JA. Mood disorders. In: Hales RE, et al. The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry. 5th ed. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2008. http://www.psychiatryonline.com/pracGuide/pracGuideChapToc_8.aspx. Accessed Nov. 3, 2011.
- Martinez M, et al. Psychopharmacology. In: Hales RE, et al. The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry. 5th ed. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2008. http://www.psychiatryonline.com/content.aspx?aID=320111. Accessed Nov. 3, 2011.
- Post RM. Bipolar disorder in adults: Maintenance treatment. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 2, 2011.
- Andreescu C, et al. Complementary and alternative medicine in the treatment of bipolar disorder: A review of the evidence. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2008;110:16.
- Sarris J, et al. Bipolar disorder and complementary medicine: Current evidence, safety issues, and clinical considerations. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2011;17:881.
- Hall-Flavin DK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Nov. 8, 2011.


Peter S. Jensen, M.D., of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology at Mayo Clinic, combines use of an ADHD rating scale and Mayo Clinic's electronic medical record (EMR) to track the progress of children diagnosed as having ADHD over time and across health care providers.
"The ADHD rating scale and side effects measures assess key aspects of the child's progress when used with consistency. The EMR pushes physicians to use the rating scale consistently and allows us to record its results, as completed by teachers and families, to track symptoms and progress over time," says Dr. Jensen.
The combination of the rating scale and the EMR creates a reliable tracking process that is also a safeguard for both patients and physicians. "Pediatric patients' needs change as they age," says Dr. Jensen. "The EMR, coupled with rating scales, allows us to note when patients are doing well—and when they are not. We can view a patient's evolving needs and modify treatment on the basis of a complete record of progress."
The system also provides information that allows health care providers to reassure the family about the need for medications. "Across the United States, families go through 11 different health care providers on average before they find one that they fully trust to advise them. If families don't trust medications—a huge issue—they don't use them. The markers and double-checks in the EMR provide information that allows physicians to help reassure the family that they're making an informed choice," says Dr. Jensen.
The rating scale in the EMR includes questions that help health care providers rule out abuse and vision problems for patients. "Research shows that we can have 95% diagnostic accuracy if we use this type of system properly," says Dr. Jensen.
The Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology makes an effort to engage families fully in the health care process. "Input from the patient, family, and teachers is crucial," says Dr. Jensen. "Not just parents, but even kids can become experts at recognizing the symptoms, particularly as they grow older. The EMR tracking procedures become critical teaching and communication tools in that process."
For pediatricians, family medicine physicians, child psychiatrists, and psychologists (especially those trained long ago), incorporation of these kinds of assessment and treatment tools involves a learning process.
"In other areas of medicine, physicians learn by hands-on practice. They don't learn surgery by viewing slide shows. We are changing the way we are learning in our division and our continuing education courses," says Dr. Jensen.
Training includes role-playing, feedback from specialists, and 6 months of coaching with 8 to 10 physicians on weekly conference calls. Participants earn up to 30 hours of continuing medical education credits. More than 600 health care providers have completed the program.


Bright Light at Night Could Up Depression Risk, Mouse Study Suggests
Latest Depression News
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) -- A new study suggests that when the sun goes down, you might end up happier and better able to learn new things if you turn down all the lights -- even your computer screen.
Unfortunately, the research was done just with mice. But because they share the same set of special light-activated cells in their eyes that humans have -- known as ipRGCs -- it may be that the comparisons could apply to people.
Those cells, called intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, are stimulated by bright light, which affects the brain's mood, memory and learning centers, the researchers said.
"Expose yourself to bright light in the day and avoid it at night," suggested study co-author Samer Hattar, an associate professor of biology and neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore. "That will keep the ipRGCs that affect mood from being activated."
The research was published online in the Nov. 14 in the journal Nature.
Hattar said the research team was initially interested in whether seasonal affective disorder (SAD) -- a form of depression people sometimes experience in the lower-light winter months -- applied to mice. They exposed mice to an alternating cycle of 3.5 hours of light and then 3.5 hours of darkness. The mice got depressed.
How do you know that a mouse is sad? They take less interest in sugar and move less in the cage, and they have trouble learning and remembering, Hattar explained. When the mice were given Prozac (fluoxetine), a commonly prescribed antidepressant, their symptoms went away.
To understand the role of the retina's neurological circuits in affecting mood, memory and learning, the researchers studied animals that didn't have the specialized ipRGC cells.
Without them, the irregular light schedule did not impair mood and cognitive (thinking) function, even though their vision and general light detection ability remained intact. This showed that light affects learning and mood directly through these special photosensitive retinal cells, Hattar said.
The researchers created light-exposure patterns for the mice that allowed the scientists to rule out the possibility that circadian rhythm and sleep disruption were responsible for the changes in mood and learning ability they observed.
Circadian rhythms are physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a roughly 24-hour cycle, responding primarily to light and darkness in an organism's environment, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
One expert questioned whether the mice's normal circadian rhythm was indeed maintained. "Perhaps even though the overall sleep timing pattern remained intact, the quality of their sleep deteriorated," suggested Tony Tang, an adjunct professor in the department of psychology at Northwestern University, in Evanston, Ill.
Tang also found an important difference between how humans are exposed to light at night in modern life and how the reaction of mice to light was tested during the research.
"In the current study, the poor mice ended up having bright lights shining on them while they slept; but for humans in the past century, we've stayed up while we kept lights on, and then turned the lights off when we sleep," he said.
Scientists note that research with animals often fails to provide similar results in humans.
Study co-author Hattar said the study should be replicated in human subjects. "But even if it comes out not as clear as it did in mice, I think there will be some benefit for people to turn down their lights at night. I don't think there is any harm in it."
Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
SOURCES: Samer Hattar, Ph.D., associate professor, biology and neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore; Tony Tang, Ph.D., adjunct professor, department of psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.; Nov. 14, 2012, Nature online
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Exquisite workmanship and lavish use of precious materials distinguish this sword as a princely weapon and exemplifies the opulence and refinement of Ottoman luxury arts. Almost identical to a yatagan (now in the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul) made in 1526–27 by the court jeweler Ahmed Tekel, for the Ottoman sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (r. 1520–66), this sword was undoubtedly made in the same imperial workshop. The gold incrustation on the blade depicts a combat between a dragon and a phoenix against a background of foliate scrolls. These figures, like the gold-inlaid cloud bands and foliate scrolls on the ivory grips, are Chinese in inspiration, and were probably introduced into Ottoman art through contacts with Persia. This sword is one of the earliest known yatagans, distinctly Turkish weapons characterized by a double-curved blade and a hilt without a guard. Yatagans were commonplace in Turkey and the Balkans in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and served as sidearms for the elite troops known as janissaries.


ZOO 102 Primates
3 Credit Hours • 67.5 Contact Hours (Lecture/Lab Combination)
Investigate evolutionary concepts and trends including primate fossil records. Students will examine the taxonomic classification of primates and primate history and participate extensively in behavioral studies that require the acquisition and assemblage of data. Students will gain successful understanding of primate groups, morphology, adaptations, social structures, and conservation issues affecting a multitude of species. Exploring primatology in a thorough study will enable students to compare and contrast learned behaviors from a variety of other animal species as well as adapt techniques from a psychological perspective.


I highly recommend the Golden Spider Silk exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, where the world’s largest piece of cloth, made entirely from spider silk is being exhibited. The exhibition will run from the 25th January to the 5th June. Spider silk is an extremely strong material and on a weight basis is stronger than steel. These spiders are found throughout the tropics, in countries such as Madagascar, and are known as Gold orb weavers because of their gold coloured web. These spiders, large enough to fill the palm of your hand, are in fact blind. Their eyes are only able to vaguely detect changes in light. Instead they rely on a keen sense of touch to feel vibrations on their web and track down the entangled prey. The work of producing golden silk is completely a female endeavour! – the male spider does not produce silk – and it is a completely environmentally friendly process. However, as they are cannibals the spiders cannot be in close proximity to one another.
It took eight years to make the cloth using silk from 1.2 million Madagascar Golden orb spiders (nephila madagascariensis). The exhibition is the result of the work of two men, Briton Simon Peers who has lived in Madagascar since 1989, and his partner Nicholas Godley whose grandmother was born in Madagascar.
For more information visit the Victoria and Albert Museum website.
About our guest blogger: Anita has travelled extensively around the world, she is interested in art and history, and loves discovering new places!


Sprained ankles are relatively common in tennis players. Roger Federer, Andy Roddick and Andrew Murray have all suffered sprained ankles. The sudden sideways movements that are required during tennis can cause the ankle to twist, particularly if the surface is slippery or the player is fatigued.
A twisted ankle causes damage to ligaments and other soft tissues around the ankle. This is called a Sprained Ankle. The damage causes bleeding within the tissues, which produces a swollen ankle that can be extremely painful.
What can you do to prevent Sprained Ankles?
Applying an ankle brace to the ankle can help to reduce the risk of ankle sprains and it's a strategy that is employed by tennis pros such as Andrew Murray and Roger Federer.
Previous research has shown the injury incidence in people with taped ankles was 4.9 ankle sprains per 1000 participant matches, compared with 2.6 ankle sprains per 1000 participant matches in students wearing ankle braces. This compared with 32.8 ankle sprains per 1000 participant matches in subjects that had no taping or bracing.
What should you do if you suffer a Sprained Ankle?
In the first few days following an ankle sprain it is important to follow the PRICE protocol - protection, rest, ice, compression and elevation (never apply ice directly to the skin). An Ankle Cryo/Cuff is the most effective method of providing ice therapy and is the professional's choice. A Cryo/Cuff is ideal for home use as it is the safest and most effective method of ice therapy. It can provide continuous ice cold water and compression for 6 hours and significantly reduce ankle pain and swelling. Alternatively if you have to apply ice at home, the use of an Ice Bag is recommended. This is a safe method of ice application to avoid the risk of an ice burn.
Rehabilitation with a Chartered PhysiotherapistA member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, signified by the initials MCSP.','',250)" onmouseout=hideddrivetip() ;>chartered physiotherapist significantly improves the level of ankle function. Wobble board training in the later rehab stage is designed to assist the re-education of the ProprioceptiveRelating to the system by which nerve receptors in skin, muscle, ligament and joint tissue relay information to the brain about body position sense, where this information is quickly processed and movement strategies are formulated and executed using nerve signals to muscles.','',250)" onmouseout=hideddrivetip() ;>proprioceptive system. Previous research has suggested that patients with ankle instability who underwent wobble board training experienced significantly fewer recurrent sprains during a follow-up period than those who did not follow the training programme.
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE The articles on this web site are provided for general information only and should not be used as a basis for diagnosis or treatment. All exercises and information featured on this web site should only be practised under the supervision of a qualified healthcare professional
02-23-2009, 06:13 PM
I noticed Andy Murray hampered by his ankle again today, he did manage to win with a retirement in the final set by his oponent, looks bad for the rest of the week though !
02-26-2009, 12:37 PM
Now reported Andy has a virus and has suffered with it since the Australian Open ! he has pulled out of the quarters in Dubai now, rest a while Andy and get 100% fit again before playing tennis again !


Osgood-Schlatter disease is a painful swelling of the bump on the front, upper part of the lower leg bone. This bump is called the anterior tibial tubercle.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
Osgood-Schlatter disease is thought to be caused by small, usually unnoticed, injuries caused by repeated overuse before growth of the area is complete. The disorder is seen most often in active, athletic adolescents, usually between ages 10 and 15. It is common in adolescents who play soccer, basketball, and volleyball, and who participate in gymnastics. Osgood-Schlatter disease affects more boys than girls.
The main symptom is a painful swelling just below the knee on the front (anterior) surface of the lower leg bone. Symptoms occur on one or both legs.
The person may have leg pain or knee pain , which gets worse with running, jumping, and climbing stairs.
The area is tender to pressure, and swelling ranges from mild to very severe.
Signs and tests:
Your doctor can tell if you have this condition by performing a physical exam.
A bone x-ray may be normal, or it may show swelling or damage to the tibial tubercle. X-rays are rarely used unless the doctor wants to rule out other causes for the pain.
Treatment starts with rest, ice, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen. In many cases, the condition will get better using these methods.
In the rare case where symptoms do not go away, a cast or brace may be used to support the leg until it heals. This typically takes 6 - 8 weeks. Crutches may be used for walking to keep weight off the painful leg.
Rarely, surgery may be needed.
Most cases get better on their own after a few weeks or months. Most cases eventually go away once the child finished growing.
Adolescents should be allowed to play sports if the activity does not cause discomfort. However, the condition will get better faster if such activity is kept to a minimum.
Chronic pain is the most significant complication.
Calling your health care provider:
Call your health care provider if your child has knee or leg pain, or if pain does not get better with treatment.
The small injuries that may cause this disorder are usually unnoticed, so prevention may not be possible. Regular stretching, both before and after exercise and athletics, can help prevent injury.
Patel DR. Musculoskeletal injuries in sports. Prim Care. Jun 2006; 33(2): 545-79.
Cassas KJ. Childhood and adolescent sports-related overuse injuries. Am Fam Physician. Mar 2006; 73(6): 1014-22.
Mercier LR. Osgood-Schlatter disease. Ferri’s Clinical Advisor: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. 9th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2009:593.


Over 8,000 websites created by students around the world who have participated in a ThinkQuest Competition.
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Come To Your Senses
Our main objective in designing "Come To Your Senses" was to learn how to develop a Web site that would be useful and interesting for other students our age. We also wanted to learn everything that we could about the senses from a variety of materials so that we could then teach other students what we learned through the use of the Internet.
Another goal was to make learning about the senses more interesting and exciting through the use of technology. For example, we used several visual aids and created links to other interesting Web sites.
We hope to make the students' learning experiences more active and to allow them to have some hands-on activities. We feel that through the use of visual aids, "Sense-sational Activities" and "Sense-sational Facts" students can better understand the information.
19 & under
Health & Safety > Human Anatomy


How did this happen? Nearly twice as many women die of lung cancer than breast cancer, and three times as many men die of lung cancer than prostate cancer. Yet, lung cancer receives little public notice and even less research funding. The lung cancer survival rate for both men and women has remained virtually unchanged for more than three decades and, today, lung cancer remains among the most virulent and deadly diseases.
Perhaps it is because the prevalent myth about lung cancer is that the only people who get it are smokers. Fact: Eighty percent of those who suffer and die from lung cancer have never smoked or quit smoking decades ago.
Years ago, the states sued the tobacco companies and won. Yet the resulting revenue from what is called the Master Settlement Agreement did not deliver a single cent to lung cancer research.
Now in California, Proposition 29 will be on the June 5 ballot and, if passed, will increase the cigarette tax by $1 per pack. Should it pass, 60 percent of its funding is earmarked for grants and loans to support research into the prevention, detection and treatment of cancers and other tobacco-related illnesses, plus smoking prevention among children. While not exclusively tagged for lung cancer, the bill is expected to deliver $700 million annually.
Not surprisingly, it is strongly opposed by the tobacco industry.
Nationally, the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act (H.R. 1394 and S. 754) would encourage lawmakers to make lung cancer a national public health priority and calls for a comprehensive plan to address all aspects of the disease. The legislation authorizes multiple government agencies to develop a comprehensive plan of action to coordinate prevention, early detection and treatment research.
The National Lung Cancer screening trial that concluded in November 2010 shows that by using CT screening for early detection, the mortality rate can be reduced by 20 percent, which is greater than PSA screening for prostate cancer, mammography for breast cancer and colonoscopies for colon cancer. Other studies show that the mortality rate can be reduced as much as 90 percent using CT scans for early detection.
Just this month, news out of the national Lung Cancer Alliance also shows that treating early stages of lung cancer is much cheaper than treating late stages. This issue opens the door for insurance companies to cover early detection screening for those at high risk.
While both of California’s U.S. senators have signed on to S. 754, too many others – even those who have lost family members to lung cancers – continue not to join in on the theory, or excuse, that other agendas are “more important.” Yet the number of other states’ leaders of all parties backing this legislative “call to action” on lung cancer continues, fortunately, to gain in strength and numbers.
Still, there’s work to be done. Lung cancer is responsible for one out of three cancer deaths, and funding still trails the levels of other major cancers. (Lung cancer gets about $1,250 per death; breast cancer $26,500.) Survival rates, too, have all increased for other cancers yet remain unchanged for lung cancer.


Editors Note: This post is a modified version of an article that originally appeared in the Virginiana section of Virginia Memory.
The Watkins Family Papers (Accession 42063) include certificates, newspaper clippings, photographs, postcards, programs, and yearbooks documenting a prominent African American family in New Kent County, Virginia. While much of the collection consists of Jones and Watkins family photographs from Richmond and New Kent County, the collection is also significant for its connection to the struggle for school desegregation in Virginia.
Dr. George Washington Watkins (1898-1972) was born in Pickens County, South Carolina, the son of James and Lattie Watkins. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree (and later an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity) from Virginia Union University, and a Master of Arts degree from Hampton Institute.
Watkins is perhaps best known for his work in education, chiefly as principal of the New Kent Training School (renamed the George W. Watkins School in 1950). This school played an important role in the education of African Americans in the area and was at the center of one of the most significant school integration rulings to follow Brown v. Board of Education (1954). He was also a pastor, heading congregations at Second Liberty Baptist Church of Quinton, and Elam Baptist Church of Ruthville.
In 1930, there were 15 elementary schools in New Kent County, Virginia. Although … read more »


By: Doris Hausleitner
Date: September 2005
Teetering, the downy juvenile owl hops onto the edge of the cavity, wobbles its head around in a dizzying circle and furiously flaps its wings. The mother, perched on a nearby branch, keeps a watchful eye on her chick’s progress.
This fledgling Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis) is her hope for the future and the only addition to the dwindling population of Canada’s Northern Spotted Owls in 2005. A precipitous population decline has sparked concern among biologists and environmentalists alike.
Habitat modeling and population analysis suggests the historical population of Northern Spotted Owls in BC was around 500 pairs. With only 6 pairs and 9 individual birds, the Northern Spotted Owl is the most endangered bird in Canada.
What the Northern Spotted Owl has in common with the Western Screech (Otus kennicottii macfarlanei) and Flammulated Owl (Otus flammeolus), listed as endangered and threatened, respectively, is a requirement for old-growth habitat. The Northern Spotted Owl is resident in coastal and interior Douglas-fir forests and requires a home-range size of approximately 3,400 ha.
Scientists believe the Northern Spotted Owl’s need for old-growth habitat is related to reproduction, thermoregulation, and availability of prey. Their nests are in hollow chimneys, large cavities, branches, or are made from sticks. Spotted owls prey primarily on flying squirrels, pack rats, and other small mammals which can be readily found and captured in an old-growth forest. Additionally these owls have a tendency to overheat. In old-growth they can move vertically along temperature gradients to regulate their body temperature.
Flammulated Owls tend to be found in drier Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine forests in BC’s interior. They nest in old-growth habitat with a selection of available cavities and little undergrowth. Their breeding home-range size is 16 ha. Flammulated Owls are strictly nocturnal and prey upon moths and other insects. Due to the nature of their diet, they are migratory. They nest in British Columbia and winter in the southern USA and Mexico.
Western-Screech Owl habitat is associated with riparian areas and mature deciduous trees. In interior British Columbia, these owls occur in riparian forests containing black cottonwood, trembling aspen or water birch. The coastal sub-species is found in mixed forests of broadleaf maple, red alder, Douglas-fir and western hemlock. They are cavity-nesting individuals and their diet varies from insects to small mammals.
BC Hydro’s Bridge-Coastal Fish and Wildlife Restoration program, BC Conservation Foundation, Ministry of Environment and the St’at’imc First Nations have contributed to a study conducted by Doris Hausleitner and Vicky Young. Their objective was to inventory these three threatened and endangered owls within the BC Hydro footprint––land affected by dams.
Their research emphasizes the decline in the Northern Spotted Owl population in Canada and expands knowledge of the distribution of Western Screech and Flammulated owls in British Columbia. To learn more about the ecology and conservation of threatened and endangered local owls you are welcome to attend free presentations in:
Squamish: Monday, Sept. 26, 8:00 pm, Brackendale Art Gallery. (Hosted by the Squamish Environmental Society.)
Whistler-: Tuesday, Sept. 27th, 7:30 pm, Myrtle Philip Community School. (Hosted by the Whistler Naturalists.)
Pemberton: Wednesday, Sept. 28th, 6:30 pm, Room 111, Pemberton Community Center.


Unfortunately, the modern buildings we live and work in rival cars and factories as sources of harm to the environment, contributing to deforestation, global warming, overuse of water and energy and carbon dioxide emissions.
Sustainable building refers to those buildings that are built to have the least impact on the natural environment, both in terms of the building itself, its immediate surroundings and the broader global setting. To construct in a sustainable way, some basic rules need to be followed: (a) minimization of non-renewable resource consumption; (b) enhancement of the natural environment; and (c) elimination or minimization of toxic emissions.
Almost every step of the green building process is heavily focused on how building elements fit together to optimize efficiency and sustainability.
Sustainable development marries two important themes:
1. Environmental protection does not preclude economic development.
2. Economic development must be ecologically viable now and in the long term.
“Sustainable design” involves the planning and development of projects in a manner that minimizes impact on natural resources, such as water and energy. There are many aspects to the sustainable process, one of which involves “LEED” principles – Leadership in Engineering and Environmental Design, with standards for selecting materials and designing facilities established by the U.S. Green Building Council. Zurn strongly encourages organizations to consider including cost-effective and environmentally friendly practices in the design, construction and retrofit of buildings and facilities. In this way, your buildings and facilities not only exemplify your care for the environment and the well-being of the community that you serve, but they also decrease facility operating and maintenance costs.


While all curriculum areas share some of the same issues and concerns, individual curriculum areas seem to also have concerns specific to them and their courses. This list looks at the top ten concerns for social studies teachers.
1. Breadth vs. Depth
Social studies standards are often written so that it is virtually impossible to cover all the required material in the school year. For example, in World History
, the National Standards require such breadth of material that it is impossible to do more than just touch on each topic.
2. Dealing with Controversial Topics
Many social studies courses deal with sensitive and at times controversial issues. For example, in World History
teachers are required to teach about religion. In American Government
, topics like abortion and the death penalty can sometimes lead to heated debates. In these instances, it is important for the teacher to maintain control of the situation.
3. Making Connections to Students' Lives
While some social studies courses like Economics
and American Government
lend themselves well to making connections to students and their lives, others do not. It can be tough to connect what was going on in Ancient China
to a 14 year old's daily life. Social Studies teachers have to work very hard to make these topics interesting.
4. Need to Vary Instruction
It can be very easy for Social Studies teachers to stick to one method of instruction. There is a tendency to give a great deal of lectures
. It can be very tough to cover the depth of material without relying on lectures and whole group discussions. Of course, there are some teachers who go to the other extreme and have mainly projects and role playing experiences. The key is to balance the activities.
5. Staying at the Lower Level of Bloom's Taxonomy
Because much of teaching social studies revolves around names, places, and dates, it is very easy to create assignments and tests that do not move beyond the Recall level of Bloom's Taxonomy
6. History Is InterpretationThere is no such thing as "history" because it is truly in the eye of the beholder. Social Studies texts were written by humans and therefore are biased. A perfect example is two American Government texts that my school was considering adopting. It was obvious throughout that one was written by a conservative and the other by a liberal political scientist. Further, history texts might describe the same event in a different way based on who wrote them. This can be a tough one for teachers to deal with at times.
7. Multiple PrepsSocial Studies teachers are often faced with having to teach multiple preps. This can be especially tough for the newer teachers who have to prepare so many new lessons from scratch.
8. Too Much Reliance on TextbooksSome social studies teachers rely too much on their textbooks in class. Unfortunately, there are ditto masters out there who basically assign the students to read from their text and then answer a particular number of questions.
9. Some Students Have a Dislike of HistoryMany students come into a Social Studies class with a particular dislike of history. Some will complain that it has nothing to do with their lives. Others will just say it's boring.
10. Dealing With False KnowledgeIt is not rare for students to come into your class with inaccurate historical information that they were either taught at home or in other classes. This can be really hard to combat. One year I had a student who swore that Abraham Lincoln had slaves. There was really nothing I could to dissuade them of this belief. They had learned in in 7th grade from a teacher they loved. This can be really difficult to handle at times.


The Terrorism Act No 83 of 1967 (commenced 27 June) allowed the detention of an individual by a policeman of rank lieutenant-colonel or greater. Terrorism was very broadly defined in the Act and included most common criminal behaviour. People could be held indefinitely since the act allowed detention until all questions were satisfactorily answered or until no further useful purpose would be achieved by keeping the person in detention. Those held under the act were only permitted to be visited by a magistrate one every two weeks. No one else was allowed access (except the police and security services, of course).
Unlike the previous 90-day (General Law Amendment Act No 37 of 1963) and 180-day (Criminal Procedure Amendment Act No 96 of 1965) detention laws the public was not entitled to information about people held, including their identity this meant that people could effectively 'disappear' for official legal reasons.
In order to cover those arrested for the Rivonia trial and for anti-Apartheid acts in both South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) the Act was applied retroactively to 27 June 1962.
Repealed by the Internal Security and Intimidation Amendment Act 138 of 1991.


On this day in 1836, the City of Davenport was platted and named.
In order to understand the weight of history behind that simple sentence, one would have to look back at least to the treaty, signed on September 21, 1832, that ended the Black Hawk War and sold the land west of the Mississippi River to the United States government.
Chief Keokuk, considered by the United States to be the official leader of the Sac-Fox tribes, presented several acres on the bank of the Mississippi to Marguerite LeClaire, who was the granddaughter of Acoqua, a Sac chief, and wife to Antoine LeClaire, a government translator who assisted with the treaty. A condition of this gift was that the LeClaires build their home on the exact spot where General Scott signed the treaty. In the spring of 1833, Antoine built a log cabin on the site, later replacing it with a small clapboard house.
According to historian Franc Wilkie,* two other men had a prior claim to the gifted land. Forestalling a challenge, Antoine bought this quarter section from “Dr. Spencer and Mr. McCloud” for the boggling price (at the time) of “one hundred and fifty dollars!“ Mr. Wilkie went on to comment that “A splendid illustration is the sale of the immense fortunes made in the West by . . . judicious investment.”
But Antoine had plans. In the fall of 1835, he formed a company to organize the establishment of a town near what had come to be called the Treaty House. Among these gentlemen were Col. George Davenport, Major Thomas Smith, Alexander McGregor, Levi S. Colton, Philip Hambaugh, and Captain James May.
The company decided on the specific location of the new town with an eye to drainage, water power, and freedom from mosquito-laden marshes. They paid Antoine $1,750 for this perfect site, in which he retained an eighth interest. It was decided to name the town after Col. George Davenport.** And on May 14 of the following year, Major Gordon, a stockholder in the company, surveyed and laid the town out in a pattern of 7 blocks by 6 blocks-between Front Street (now River Drive) to 6th Street, and from Warren Street on the east side to Harrison on the west.
Davenport has grown just a little since then, beginning with Antoine LeClaire’s First Addition in 1841, which added Main and Brady Streets to the west side. From 42 blocks to 62 square miles in a little under 175 years-not bad!
This 1841 plat map shows the Original Town of Davenport as laid out 5 years previously,
plus the 8 blocks of LeClaires 1st Addition on the east side.
* Mr. Wilkie’s Davenport Past and Present was published in 1858, only 22 years after the founding of Davenport. One might think a town that young wouldn’t have generated enough of a past to warrant an entire book—but Mr. Wilkie and we beg to differ.
**A decision which deserves a blog entry of its own.
(posted by Sarah)


Should you choose to learn BSL using Makaton principles, the vocabulary stages are as follows:
Mum, Dad, Brother, Sister, Drink, Drink of Water, Biscuit, Dinner x2, Food, Toilet, Bed, Chair, Table, Washbasin, Bath, Shower, House, Home, Car, Bus, I, Me, You, Where, What, Here, There, To Sleep, To Drink, To Eat x2, To Look, To See, To Stand, To Get Up, To Sit, To Wash x2, To Bath, To Shower, To Go, To Come x2, To Give x2, More, Good x2, OK, Bad, Please, Thank You, Hello, Good Morning, Goodbye.
Man, Lady, Boy, Girl, Baby, Bread, Butter, Egg, Chapatti, Dal, Rice, Yoghurt, Noodles, Milk, Tea, Coffee, Juice, Sugar, Cake, Jam, Ice Cream, Knife, To cut with Knife, Fork, Spoon, Plate, Cup, Door, Window x2, Fire, Radiator, TV, Lamp, Phone, To Phone, Dog, Cat, Bird, Tree, Flower, Book, Teddy, Doll, Bricks, Ball, And, Hot x2, Cold, Clean, Dirty.
Chocolate, Crisps, Sweet, Cigarette, Banana, Orange, Apple, Fish, Rabbit, Chicken, Horse, Cow, Pig, Sheep, Butterfly, Boat, Train, Plane, Bike, To Have, To Run, To Walk, To Kick, To Dig, To Ride, To Ride a Horse ,To Ride a Bike, To Swim, To Jump, To Jump Off, To Jump On, To Jump Over, To Climb x2, To Fall Off, To Fall Over, To Smoke, Big, Small, Little, Up, Down, My, Your, Mine, Yours, Sorry, Now.
Teacher, Boss, Friend, Children, Name, School, Work, Outside, Cupboard, Pen, Pencil, Paper, Scissors, Picture, Sand, Water, String, Paint, Key, Box x2, To Put, To Create, To Do, To Sew x2, To Cook x2, To Sing, To Play, To Know, To Think, To Work, To Read, To Write, To Draw, To Paint, To Colour, To Cut, To Teach, To Build x2, To Create, To Break, We x2, Us x2, They x2, Them x2, In x2, On, Under.
Nurse, Doctor, Milkman, Milkwoman, Postman, Postwoman, Policeman, Policewoman, Police Officer, Firefighter, Ambulanceman, Ambulancewoman, Shop, Supermarket, Road, Garden, Blaze, Postbox, Money, Bag, Letter, Stamp, Time, Watch, To Carry, To Throw, To Catch, To Stop, To Help x2, To Like, To Want, To Love, To Quarrel, Quick, Fast, Slow, Happy, Sad, Difficult, Easy, Hard, Soft, Strong, Heavy, Clever, Angry, Frightened, To Be Patient, Trouble, Mistake, But.
Country, Town, Sea, Cinema, Disco, Holiday, To Start, To End x2, To Bring, To Ask, To Talk, To Listen, To Hear, Can, To Forget, To Grow x2, Same, Different, New, Old, Beautiful, Smart, Nice, Kind, Our x2, Ours x2, Their x2, Theirs x2, Another, With, Who, Which, Colour, Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, White, Yellow.
1-10, How, How Much, How Many, How Old, Many, A Lot, Some, Few, Time, Hour, Today, Tomorrow, Yesterday, Next Week, Last Week, Next Year, Last Year, Long Time Ago, Saturday, Sunday, Night, Day, When, Always, Again, Late, Early, Before, After, Wages, To Buy, To Save, Careful, Expensive, Sun, Rain, Wind, Snow, Stars, Moon, Sky, Snowman.
To Choose, To Win, To Dance, To Find, To Understand, To Remember, Birthday, Party, Present, Balloon, Photo, Camera, Mirror, Radio, Newspaper, Video Camera, Video Tape, Video Recorder, Music, Stereo x2, Audio Tape, Cassette Player, CD, Computer, First, Last, Next, Over, Through, Near x2, Between, Lucky, Hungry, Thirsty, Worried, True, Why, Because.
Deaf, Blind, Communication Problem, Medicine, Tablet, Injection, Operation, Sick, Ill, Pain, Dead x2, Hearing Aid x2, Glasses, Wheelchair, How are you, People, Airman, Airwoman, Soldier, Sailor, King, Queen, Prince, Princess, Farmer, Clothes, To Dress, To Undress, Hairbrush, To Brush Hair, Comb, To Comb, Shaver, To Shave, Toothbrush, To Brush Teeth, Soap, Towel, Bacon, Bagel, Beer, Burger, Canned Drink, Cereal, Cheese, Chicken, Chips, Curry, Fish, Fruit, Meat, Naan, Pasta, Pie, Pitta, Pizza, Potato, Salad, Sandwich, Sausages, Soup, Tomato, Vegetables, Wine, Al Salam Alicoom, Namaste, Shalom, Room, Bedroom, Bathroom, Dining Room, Lounge, Kitchen, A, The, This, That, You x4, Your x2, Yours x2, To Open x17, To Close x17.


Caring for a loved one with dementia poses many challenges for families and caregivers. People with dementia from conditions such as Alzheimer’s and related diseases have a progressive brain disorder that makes it more and more difficult for them to remember things, think clearly, communicate with others, or take care of themselves. In addition, dementia can cause mood swings and even change a person’s personality and behavior. This Fact Sheet provides some practical strategies for dealing with the troubling behavior problems and communication difficulties often encountered when caring for a person with dementia.
Ten Tips for Communicating with a Person with Dementia
We aren’t born knowing how to communicate with a person with dementia—but we can learn. Improving your communication skills will help make caregiv-ing less stressful and will likely improve the quality of your relationship with your loved one. Good communication skills will also enhance your ability to handle the difficult behavior you may encounter as you care for a person with a dementing illness.
1. Set a positive mood for interaction. Your attitude and body language communicate your feelings and thoughts stronger than your words. Set a positive mood by speaking to your loved one in a pleasant and respectful manner. Use facial expressions, tone of voice and physical touch to help convey your message and show your feelings of affection.
2. Get the person’s attention. Limit distractions and noise—turn off the radio or TV, close the curtains or shut the door, or move to quieter sur-roundings. Before speaking, make sure you have her attention; address her by name, identify yourself by name and relation, and use nonver-bal cues and touch to help keep her focused. If she is seated, get down to her level and maintain eye contact.
3. State your message clearly. Use simple words and sentences. Speak slowly, distinctly and in a reassuring tone. Refrain from raising your voice higher or louder; instead, pitch your voice lower. If she doesn’t understand the first time, use the same wording to repeat your message or ques-tion. If she still doesn’t understand, wait a few minutes and rephrase the question. Use the names of people and places instead of pronouns or abbreviations.
4. Ask simple, answerable questions. Ask one question at a time; those with yes or no answers work best. Refrain from asking open-ended ques-tions or giving too many choices. For example, ask, “Would you like to wear your white shirt or your blue shirt?” Better still, show her the choices—visual prompts and cues also help clar-ify your question and can guide her response.
5. Listen with your ears, eyes and heart. Be patient in waiting for your loved one’s reply. If she is struggling for an answer, it’s okay to suggest words. Watch for nonverbal cues and body language, and respond appropriately. Always strive to listen for the meaning and feelings that underlie the words.
6. Break down activities into a series of steps. This makes many tasks much more manageable. You can encourage your loved one to do what he can, gently remind him of steps he tends to forget, and assist with steps he’s no longer able to accomplish on his own. Using visual cues, such as showing him with your hand where to place the dinner plate, can be very helpful.
7. When the going gets tough, distract and redirect. When your loved one becomes upset, try changing the subject or the environment. For example, ask him for help or suggest going for a walk. It is important to connect with the person on a feeling level, before you redirect. You might say, “I see you’re feeling sad—I’m sorry you’re upset. Let’s go get something to eat.”
8. Respond with affection and reassurance. People with dementia often feel confused, anxious and unsure of themselves. Further, they often get reality confused and may recall things that never really occurred. Avoid trying to convince them they are wrong. Stay focused on the feelings they are demonstrating (which are real) and respond with verbal and physical expressions of comfort, support and reassurance. Sometimes holding hands, touching, hugging and praise will get the person to respond when all else fails.
9. Remember the good old days. Remembering the past is often a soothing and affirming activity. Many people with dementia may not remember what happened 45 minutes ago, but they can clearly recall their lives 45 years earlier. Therefore, avoid asking questions that rely on short-term memory, such as asking the person what they had for lunch. Instead, try asking general questions about the person’s distant past—this information is more likely to be retained.
10. Maintain your sense of humor. Use humor whenever possible, though not at the person's expense. People with dementia tend to retain their social skills and are usually delighted to laugh along with you.
Handling Troubling Behavior
Some of the greatest challenges of caring for a loved one with dementia are the personality and behavior changes that often occur. You can best meet these challenges by using creativity, flexibility, patience and compassion. It also helps to not take things personally and maintain your sense of humor.
To start, consider these ground rules:
We cannot change the person. The person you are caring for has a brain disorder that shapes who he has become. When you try to control or change his behavior, you’ll most likely be unsuccessful or be met with resistance. It’s important to:
Try to accommodate the behavior, not control the behavior. For example, if the person insists on sleeping on the floor, place a mattress on the floor to make him more comfortable.
Remember that we can change our behavior or the physical environment. Changing our own behavior will often result in a change in our loved one’s behavior.
Check with the doctor first. Behavioral problems may have an underlying medical reason: perhaps the person is in pain or experiencing an adverse side effect from medications. In some cases, like incontinence or hallucinations, there may be some medication or treatment that can assist in managing the problem.
Behavior has a purpose. People with dementia typically cannot tell us what they want or need. They might do something, like take all the clothes out of the closet on a daily basis, and we wonder why. It is very likely that the person is fulfilling a need to be busy and productive. Always consider what need the person might be trying to meet with their behavior—and, when possible, try to accommodate them.
Behavior is triggered. It is important to understand that all behavior is triggered—it doesn’t occur out of the blue. It might be something a person did or said that triggered a behavior or it could be a change in the physical environment. The root to changing be-havior is disrupting the patterns that we create. Try a different approach, or try a different consequence.
What works today, may not tomorrow. The multiple factors that influence troubling behaviors and the natural progression of the disease process means that solutions that are effective today may need to be modified tomorrow—or may no longer work at all. The key to managing difficult behaviors is being creative and flexible in your strategies to address a given issue.
Get support from others. You are not alone—there are many others caring for someone with dementia. Call your local Area Agency on Aging, the local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, a Caregiver Resource Center or one of the groups listed below in Resources to find support groups, organizations and services that can help you. Expect that, like the loved one you are caring for, you will have good days and bad days. Develop strategies for coping with the bad days (see the FCA Fact Sheet, Dementia, Caregiving and Controlling Frustration).
The following is an overview of the most common dementia-associated behaviors with suggestions that may be useful in handling them. You’ll find additional resources listed at the end of this Fact Sheet.
People with dementia walk, seemingly aimlessly, for a variety of reasons, such as boredom, medication side effects or to look for “something” or someone. They also may be trying to fulfill a physical need—thirst, hunger, a need to use the toilet or exercise. Discovering the triggers for wandering are not always easy, but they can provide insights to dealing with the behavior.
Make time for regular exercise to minimize restlessness.
Consider installing new locks that require a key. Position locks high or low on the door; many people with dementia will not think to look beyond eye level. Keep in mind fire and safety concerns for all family members; the lock(s) must be accessible to others and not take more than a few seconds to open.
Try a barrier like a curtain or colored streamer to mask the door. A “stop” sign or “do not enter” sign also may help.
Place a black mat or paint a black space on your front porch; this may appear to be an impassable hole to the person with dementia.
Add “child-safe” plastic covers to doorknobs.
Consider installing a home security system or monitoring system designed to keep watch over someone with dementia. Also available are new digital devices that can be worn like a watch or clipped on a belt that use global positioning systems (GPS) or other technology to track a person’s whereabouts or locate him if he wanders off..
Put away essential items such as the confused person’s coat, purse or glasses. Some individuals will not go out without certain articles.
Have your relative wear an ID bracelet and sew ID labels in their clothes. Always have a current photo available should you need to report your loved one missing. Consider leaving a copy on file at the police department or registering the person with the Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return program (see Resources).
Tell neighbors about your relative’s wandering behavior and make sure they have your phone number.
The loss of bladder or bowel control often occurs as dementia progresses. Sometimes accidents result from environmental factors; for example, someone can’t remember where the bathroom is located or can’t get to it in time. If an accident occurs, your understanding and reassurance will help the person maintain dignity and minimize embarrassment.
Establish a routine for using the toilet. Try reminding the person or assisting her to the bathroom every two hours.
Schedule fluid intake to ensure the confused person does not become dehydrated. However, avoid drinks with a diuretic effect like coffee, tea, cola, or beer. Limit fluid intake in the evening before bedtime.
Use signs (with illustrations) to indicate which door leads to the bathroom.
A commode, obtained at any medical supply store, can be left in the bedroom at night for easy access.
Incontinence pads and products can be purchased at the pharmacy or supermarket. A urologist may be able to prescribe a special product or treatment.
Use easy-to-remove clothing with elastic waistbands or VelcroÒ closures, and provide clothes that are easily washable.
Agitation refers to a range of behaviors associated with dementia, including irritability, sleeplessness, and verbal or physical aggression. Often these types of behavior problems progress with the stages of dementia, from mild to more severe. Agitation may be triggered by a variety of things, including environmental factors, fear and fatigue. Most often, agitation is triggered when the person experiences “control” being taken from him.
Reduce caffeine intake, sugar and junk food.
Reduce noise, clutter or the number of persons in the room.
Maintain structure by keeping the same routines. Keep household objects and furniture in the same places. Familiar objects and photographs offer a sense of security and can suggest pleasant memories.
Try gentle touch, soothing music, reading or walks to quell agitation. Speak in a reassuring voice. Do not try to restrain the person during a period of agitation.
Keep dangerous objects out of reach.
Allow the person to do as much for himself as possible—support his independence and ability to care for himself.
Acknowledge the confused person’s anger over the loss of control in his life. Tell him you understand his frustration.
Distract the person with a snack or an activity. Allow him to forget the troubling incident. Confronting a confused person may increase anxiety.
Repetitive speech or actions (perseveration)
People with dementia will often repeat a word, state-ment, question or activity over and over. While this type of behavior is usually harmless for the person with dementia, it can be annoying and stressful to caregivers. Sometimes the behavior is triggered by anxiety, boredom, fear or environmental factors.
Provide plenty of reassurance and comfort, both in words and in touch.
Try distracting with a snack or activity.
Avoid reminding them that they just asked the same question. Try ignoring the behavior or question and distract the person into an activity.
Don’t discuss plans with a confused person until immediately prior to an event.
You may want to try placing a sign on the kitchen table, such as, “Dinner is at 6:30” or “Lois comes home at 5:00” to remove anxiety and uncertainty about anticipated events.
Learn to recognize certain behaviors. An agitated state or pulling at clothing, for example, could indicate a need to use the bathroom.
Seeing a loved one suddenly become suspicious, jealous or accusatory is unsettling. Remember, what the person is experiencing is very real to them. It is best not to argue or disagree. This, too, is part of the dementia—try not to take it personally.
If the confused person suspects money is “missing,” allow her to keep small amounts of money in a pocket or handbag for easy inspection.
Help them look for the object and then distract them into another activity. Try to learn where the confused person’s favorite hiding places are for storing objects, which are frequently assumed to be “lost.” Avoid arguing.
Take time to explain to other family members and home-helpers that suspicious accusations are a part of the dementing illness.
Try nonverbal reassurances like a gentle touch or hug. Respond to the feeling behind the accusation and then reassure the person. You might try saying, “I see this frightens you; stay with me, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Restlessness, agitation, disorientation and other troubling behavior in people with dementia often get worse at the end of the day and sometimes continue throughout the night. Experts believe this behavior, commonly called sundowning, is caused by a combination of factors, such as exhaustion from the day’s events and changes in the person’s biological clock that confuse day and night.
Increase daytime activities, particularly physical exercise. Discourage inactivity and napping during the day.
Watch out for dietary culprits, such as sugar, caffeine and some types of junk food. Eliminate or restrict these types of foods and beverages to early in the day. Plan smaller meals throughout the day, including a light meal, such as half a sandwich, before bedtime.
Plan for the afternoon and evening hours to be quiet and calm; however, structured, quiet activity is important. Perhaps take a stroll outdoors, play a simple card game or listen to soothing music together.
Turning on lights well before sunset and closing the curtains at dusk will minimize shadows and may help diminish confusion. At minimum, keep a nightlight in the person’s room, hallway and bathroom.
Make sure the house is safe: block off stairs with gates, lock the kitchen door and/or put away dangerous items.
As a last resort, consider talking to the doctor about medication to help the agitated person relax and sleep. Be aware that sleeping pills and tranquilizers may solve one problem and create another, such as sleeping at night but being more confused the next day.
It’s essential that you, the caregiver, get enough sleep. If your loved one’s nighttime activity keeps you awake, consider asking a friend or relative, or hiring someone, to take a turn so that you can get a good night’s sleep. Catnaps during the day also might help.
Ensuring that your loved one is eating enough nutritious foods and drinking enough fluids is a challenge. People with dementia literally begin to forget that they need to eat and drink. Complicating the issue may be dental problems or medications that decrease appetite or make food taste “funny.” The consequences of poor nutrition are many, including weight loss, irritability, sleeplessness, bladder or bowel problems and disorientation.
Make meal and snack times part of the daily routine and schedule them around the same time every day. Instead of three big meals, try five or six smaller ones.
Make mealtimes a special time. Try flowers or soft music. Turn off loud radio programs and the TV.
Eating independently should take precedence over eating neatly or with “proper” table manners. Finger foods support independence. Pre-cut and season the food. Try using a straw or a child’s “sippy cup” if holding a glass has become difficult. Provide assistance only when necessary and allow plenty of time for meals.
Sit down and eat with your loved one. Often they will mimic your actions and it makes the meal more pleasant to share it with someone.
Prepare foods with your loved one in mind. If they have dentures or trouble chewing or swallowing, use soft foods or cut food into bite-size pieces.
If chewing and swallowing are an issue, try gently moving the person’s chin in a chewing motion or lightly stroking their throat to encourage them to swallow.
If loss of weight is a problem, offer nutritious high-calorie snacks between meals. Breakfast foods high in carbohydrates are often preferred. On the other hand, if the problem is weight gain, keep high-calorie foods out of sight. Instead, keep handy fresh fruits, veggie trays and other healthy low-calorie snacks.
People with dementia often have difficulty remembering “good” hygiene, such as brushing teeth, toileting, bathing and regularly changing their clothes. From childhood we are taught these are highly private and personal activities; to be undressed and cleaned by another can feel frightening, humiliating and embarrassing. As a result, bathing often causes distress for both caregivers and their loved ones.
Think historically of your loved one’s hygiene routine – did she prefer baths or showers? Mornings or nights? Did she have her hair washed at the salon or do it herself? Was there a favorite scent, lotion or talcum powder she always used? Adopting—as much as possible—her past bathing routine may provide some comfort. Remember that it may not be necessary to bathe every day—sometimes twice a week is sufficient.
If your loved one has always been modest, enhance that feeling by making sure doors and curtains are closed. Whether in the shower or the bath, keep a towel over her front, lifting to wash as needed. Have towels and a robe or her clothes ready when she gets out.
Be mindful of the environment, such as the temperature of the room and water (older adults are more sensitive to heat and cold) and the adequacy of lighting. It’s a good idea to use safety features such as non-slip floor bath mats, grab-bars, and bath or shower seats. A hand-held shower might also be a good feature to install. Remember—people are often afraid of falling. Help them feel secure in the shower or tub.
Never leave a person with dementia unattended in the bath or shower. Have all the bath things you need laid out beforehand. If giving a bath, draw the bath water first. Reassure the person that the water is warm—perhaps pour a cup of water over her hands before she steps in.
If hair washing is a struggle, make it a separate activity. Or, use a dry shampoo.
If bathing in the tub or shower is consistently traumatic, a towel bath provides a soothing alter-native. A bed bath has traditionally been done with only the most frail and bed-ridden patients, soaping up a bit at a time in their beds, rinsing off
with a basin of water and drying with towels. A growing number of nurses in and out of facilities, however, are beginning to recognize its value and a variation—the “towel
bath”—for others as well, including people with dementia who find bathing in the tub or shower uncomfortable or unpleasant. The towel bath uses a large bath towel and washcloths dampened in a plastic bag of warm water and no-rinse soap. Large bath-blankets are used to keep the patient covered, dry and warm while the dampened towel and washcloths are massaged over the body. For more information, see the book Bathing Without a Battle,
(details in the Recommended Reading
section below), or visit www.bathingwithoutabattle.unc.edu/.
Additional Problem Areas
Dressing is difficult for most dementia patients. Choose loose-fitting, comfortable clothes with easy zippers or snaps and minimal buttons. Reduce the person’s choices by removing seldom-worn clothes from the closet. To facilitate dressing and support independence, lay out one article of clothing at a time, in the order it is to be worn. Remove soiled clothes from the room. Don’t argue if the person insists on wearing the same thing again.
Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that others don’t) and delusions (false beliefs, such as someone is trying to hurt or kill another) may occur as the dementia progresses. State simply and calmly your perception of the situation, but avoid arguing or trying to convince the person their perceptions are wrong. Keep rooms well-lit to decrease shadows, and offer reassurance and a simple explanation if the curtains move from circulating air or a loud noise such as a plane or siren is heard. Distractions may help. Depending on the severity of symptoms, you might consider medication.
Sexually inappropriate behavior, such as masturbating or undressing in public, lewd remarks, unreasonable sexual demands, even sexually aggressive or violent behavior, may occur during the course of the illness. Remember, this behavior is caused by the disease. Talk to the doctor about possible treatment plans. Develop an action plan to follow before the behavior occurs, i.e., what you will say and do if the behavior happens at home, around other adults or children. If you can, identify what triggers the behavior.
Verbal outbursts such as cursing, arguing and threatening often are expressions of anger or stress. React by staying calm and reassuring. Validate your loved one’s feelings and then try to distract or redirect his attention to something else.
“Shadowing” is when a person with dementia imitates and follows the caregiver, or constantly talks, asks questions and interrupts. Like sundowning, this behavior often occurs late in the day and can be irritating for caregivers. Comfort the person with verbal and physical reassurance. Distraction or redirection might also help. Giving your loved one a job such as folding laundry might help to make her feel needed and useful.
People with dementia may become uncooperative and resistant to daily activities such as bathing, dressing and eating. Often this is a response to feeling out of control, rushed, afraid or confused by what you are asking of them. Break each task into steps and, in a reassuring voice, explain each step before you do it. Allow plenty of time. Find ways to have them assist to their ability in the process, or follow with an activity that they can perform.
Credits and Recommended Reading
Bathing Without a Battle , by Ann Louise Barrick, Joanne Rader, Beverly Hoeffer and Philip Sloane, (2002), Springer Publishing, (877) 687-7476.
Caring for a Person with Memory Loss and Confusion: An Easy Guide for Caregivers, (2002), Journeyworks Publishing, Santa Cruz, CA, (800) 775-1998.
Communicating Effectively with a Person Who Has Alzheimer's , (2002), Mayo Clinic Staff, www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=AZ00004
Steps to enhancing communications: Interacting with persons with Alzheimer's disease. Chicago, IL: Alzheimer's Association, 1997. (Brochure) Order no. ED310Z Cost: Single copy free, call 800/272-3900
Steps to Understanding Challenging Behaviors: Responding to Persons with Alzheimer’s Disease, (1996), Alzheimer’s Association, Chicago, IL. (800) 272-3900.
The Validation Breakthrough: Simple Techniques for Communicating with People with “Alzheimer's-Type Dementia,” Naomi Feil , 2nd Edition 2002, Health Professions Press, Baltimore, MD, (410) 337-8539.
Understanding Difficult Behaviors:Some practical suggestions for coping with Alzheimer's disease and related illnesses , A. Robinson, B. Spencer, and L.White, (2001), Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, (734) 487-2335.
Family Caregiver Alliance
785 Market Street, Suite 750
San Francisco, CA 94103
Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) seeks to improve the quality of life for caregivers through education, services, research and advocacy.
Through its National Center on Caregiving, FCA offers information on current social, public policy, and caregiving issues and provides assistance in the development of public and private programs for caregivers.
For residents of the greater San Francisco Bay Area, FCA provides direct support services for caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s and other debilitating health conditions that strike adults.
Practical Skills Training for Family Caregivers, Mary A. Corcoran, 2003, Family Caregiver Alliance, 785 Market Street, Suite 750,
San Francisco, CA 94103
FCA Fact Sheets. All Family Caregiver Alliance Fact Sheets are available free online. Printed versions are $1.00 for each title—send your requests to FCA Publications, 785 Market Street, Suite 750,
San Francisco, CA 94103. For the full list, see: www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/publications.jsp?nodeid=345
FCA Fact Sheet: Dementia, Caregiving and Controlling Frustration
FCA Fact Sheet: Taking Care of YOU: Self-Care for Family Caregivers
FCA Fact Sheet: Hiring In-Home Help
FCA Fact Sheet: Community Care Options
Other Web Sites
Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center
This service of the National Institute on Aging offers information and publications on diagnosis, treatment, patient care, caregiver needs, long-term care, education and research related to Alzheimer’s disease.
This service of the Administration on Aging offers information about and referrals to respite care and other home and community services offered by state and Area Agencies on Aging.
Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return Program
A nationwide program that identifies people with dementia who wander away and returns them to their homes. For a $40 registration fee, families can register their loved one in a national confidential computer database. They also receive an identification bracelet or necklace and other identification and educational materials.
This fact sheet was prepared by Family Caregiver Alliance in cooperation with California’s statewide system of Caregiver Resource Centers. Reviewed by Beth Logan, M.S.W., Education and Training Consultant and Specialist in Dementia Care. Funded by the California Department of Mental Health. © 2004 Family Caregiver Alliance. All rights reserved. FS-CGTU20050610.
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The WHO confirms a most horrifying trend in their recent study: one billion individuals cannot afford paid health care of any kind. Reuters reports the issue is even more complicated than that, however. Each year, the high cost of medical care takes 100 million paying customers to the arms of poverty. Post resource - One billion people cannot afford health care, says WHO by Personal Money Store.
Nations that cannot afford medical care must improve efficiency
The WHO's global report on health care pays particular attention to financing, as the number of countries with large numbers of individuals who cannot afford medical care has growth significantly. It's extremely essential, with universal coverage as the goal, that there are methods to make medical care more affordable by doing things like fund-raising measures and improving taxes.
Who’s director of health systems financing in David Evans. He explained that individuals end up making the decision to go without medical care because of the current state of health care worldwide.
“When (health services) are not really affordable, it means you either choose not really to use them or you suffer severe financial hardship,” he said.
World Health Organization intends to improve worldwide medical care
In order to keep those who do pay for medical care from sliding into poverty, the World Health Organization recommends that health care and insurance business practices ought to be tweaked so that 15 to 20 percent of a country's total health spending amounts to direct, out-of-pocket payments. There are 33 low-to middle-income nations right now that pay way too much in out of pocket payments. Over 50 percent is paid for them. With the suggestion of sin, taxes, currency transaction taxes and wealth taxes in the report that governments could diversify their revenue sources with, there ought to be less spent.
Medical care being unused
Health care is wasted when you will find one billion individuals world health organization can’t afford to get it. According to WHO director general Margaret Chan, 20 percent to 40 percent of all worldwide medical care spending is wasted through purchase of expensive, unnecessary drugs and treatments. Lack of proper medical training also contributes to such inefficiency. Some countries end up paying 67 times more than the international average for some medications that they need. Many see this and know that solving the medical care dilemma isn’t going to take place quickly.
"There is no magic bullet to achieving universal access,” said Chan. “Nevertheless, a wide range of experiences from all more than the world suggests that nations can move forward faster."
The need for health care reform in India


There are nearly two million known species on the planet. But many of those won't be around much longer; one out of every eight known bird species, one in four mammal species, and one in three amphibian species are at risk for extinction, according to the World Conservation Union (IUCN), which maintains the Red List, a catalog of the world's species classified according to their risk of extinction.
"It's supposed to inform conservation practice, to be a wake-up call for the extinctions that are happening," says Caroline Pollock, a program officer with the Red List unit. Animals that are classified as "critically endangered" are at the highest risk--their numbers in the wild may be extraordinarily low or their territories incredibly small. "It is possible to bring them back," Pollock says, "but it is quite work-intensive and financially expensive." Here, a look at five species on the brink.
Native to Spain and Portugal, there are fewer than 250 of these felines left in the wild. Habitat destruction has been a major cause of its decline as agriculture spreads through its homeland. Additionally, disease has claimed a large percentage of the region's rabbits, one of the lynx's primary food sources. Intensive captive breeding programs are currently underway to help save the lynx, Pollock says. If they do disappear, the lynx will be the first wild cat to go extinct in more than 2,000 years.
The wild population of these frogs has declined more than 80 percent in the last decade. The plummeting numbers of the frogs, which are endemic to Panama, is largely a result of chytridiomycosis, an infectious fungal disease that seems to be causing mass amphibian die-offs. The disease is still spreading, and deforestation is adding to the pressures faced by the frogs. Though there are captive-breeding programs in place for these amphibians, they will not be released into the wild until conditions improve.
Fewer than 100 of these birds, which are confined to one small island in Cape Verde, remain in the wild. The birds have been threatened by drought and increasing desertification on the island, conditions that may worsen as a result of global climate change. Because they build their nests on the ground, they also face risks from cats, dogs, and rats that have been introduced to the island.
Only 34 of these trees, native to Mexico, remain. The plants have a low rate of pollination--and don't reach maturity until they are approximately 25 years old--and are also profoundly threatened by agriculture. One tree was cut down in 2006 to expand farmland, and insecticides decrease the number of pollinators available to help the trees spread. Human-caused fires have also destroyed or damaged a number of these plants.
It could already be too late for the Yangtze River dolphin, or baiji. There has not been a documented sighting of these cetaceans, which lived in China's Yangtze River and nearby lakes, since 2002. A search for the dolphin--and the signature sounds that they make--was conducted in late 2006 but turned up no evidence of the mammals. However, further surveys are still needed to determine whether the dolphins truly have disappeared forever. The baiji's population decline is due, in large part, to the development of Chinese waterways and the expansion of commercial fishing.
Read more on helping endangered species by breeding captive animals in DISCOVER's Recall of the Wild
Emotion researcher Jaak Panksepp
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Description from Flora of China
Herbs, clambering subshrubs, shrubs, or lianas. Leaves alternate or opposite, entire, exstipulate. Flowers small, bisexual or unisexual, or sterile and reduced, subtended by 1 membranous bract and 2 bracteoles, solitary or aggregated in cymes. Inflorescences elongated or condensed spikes (heads), racemes, or thyrsoid structures of varying complexity. Bracteoles membranous or scarious. Tepals 3-5, membranous, scarious or subleathery, 1-, 3-, 5-, or 7(-23)-veined. Stamens as many as tepals and opposite these, rarely fewer than tepals; filaments free, united into a cup at base or ± entirely into a tube, filament lobes present or absent, pseudostaminodes present or absent; anthers (1- or)2-loculed, dorsifixed, introrsely dehiscent. Ovary superior, 1-loculed; ovules 1 to many; style persistent, short and indistinct or long and slender; stigma capitate, penicillate, 2-lobed or forming 2 filiform branches. Fruit a dry utricle or a fleshy capsule, indehiscent, irregularly bursting, or circumscissile. Seeds lenticular, reniform, subglobose, or shortly cylindric, smooth or verruculose.
Morphology of the androecium, perianth (tepals), and the inflorescence has traditionally been used to circumscribe genera and tribes. Pseudostaminodia are interstaminal appendages with variously shaped apices. Filament appendages are the lateral appendages of filaments (one on each side). The basic structure of the inflorescence is the cyme (branchlets arising from the bracteole axils, the bracteoles serving as bracts for upper flowers), which can be reduced to one flower with two bracteoles and a bract. Units of dispersal vary considerably (capsules opening with lower part persistent, flower and bracteoles falling together, or cymose partial inflorescences breaking off above bract) and can be characteristic for genera. Several genera possess long trichomes serving dispersal at the base of the tepals.
Digera arvensis Forsskål (Fl. Aegypt.-Arab. 65. 1775) has been reported from Anhui. However, we have seen no specimens and are therefore unable to treat it in this account.
About 70 genera and 900 species: worldwide; 15 genera (one introduced) and 44 species (three endemic, 14 introduced) in China.
(Authors: Bao Bojian (包伯坚) ; Steven E. Clemants , Thomas Borsch)
Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, Peoples Republic of China.
Herbarium, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1000 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11225-1099, U.S.A.
Abteilung Systematik und Biodiversität, Botanisches Institut und Botanischer Garten, Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Meckenheimer Allee 170, D-53115 Bonn,
Kuan Ke-chien. 1979. Amaranthaceae. In: Kung Hsien-wu & Tsien Cho-po, eds., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 25(2): 194–241.


One of the greatest composers of all time, Franz JosephHaydn made an enormous contribution in the creation and development of virtually all musical forms and genres. 1760, Haydn was appointed the official musician for the Esterhazy Princes. Only in 1790, Haydn was released and allowed to travel. Haydn went to London where he became the most important and influential musician. Haydn retired in Vienna still being in the service of Prince Nikolaus. Haydn remains one of the most popular musicians.