By Julie Steenhuysen
An influential U.S. panel has called for routine HIV screening for all Americans aged 15 to 65, a change that could help reduce some of the stigma about getting tested for the sexually transmitted infection that causes AIDS.
The draft recommendations, released on Monday by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a government-backed group of doctors and scientists, also called for routine HIV testing for all pregnant women.
"The prior recommendations were for screening high-risk adults and adolescents," said task force member Dr Douglas Owens who is a medical professor at Stanford University.
"The current recommendation is for screening everyone, regardless of their risk," said Owens, who is also affiliated with the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System in California.
Nearly 1.2 million people in the United States are infected with HIV, yet 20 to 25 percent of them do not know it.
"This marks a monumental shift in how HIV in the United States can be prevented, diagnosed and treated," said Carl Schmid, deputy executive director of The AIDS Institute, an AIDS advocacy group.
The new guidelines by the task force are expected to affect the reimbursement of HIV testing, removing one of the barriers to the tests, Schmid's group said in a statement.
Under the Affordable Care Act, insurers are required to cover preventive services that are recommended by the task force. The change brings the group more in line with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which in 2006 recommended HIV testing for everyone between 13 and 64.
The recommendations, which had been expected, are based on the latest evidence showing the benefits of early HIV testing and treatment. Recent studies have shown that HIV treatment can reduce transmission of the virus to an uninfected partner by as much as 96 percent.
"Treatment has two benefits. One is to the person who has HIV, and also treatment helps prevent transmission and protects a person's partner," Owens said.
Dr. Jeffrey Lennox, a professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and chief of infectious disease at Grady Memorial Hospital, an inner-city hospital in Atlanta, said under the current recommendations, many doctors simply fail to offer the tests.
"In our practice, we see patients every week who are newly diagnosed with HIV - people who have seen many physicians in the past 10 years and none of them had ever offered testing," Lennox said.
Many of these patients have far advanced disease, that could have been caught earlier and successfully treated.
Owens said he hopes the change will make it easier for doctors to offer testing.
"You are offering this to adolescents and adults and everyone. The conversation you have with people is likely to be easier," he said.
The draft recommendations are based on a study of the most recent evidence on the risks and benefits of HIV testing published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
The guidelines will be available for a 30-day public comment period before final recommendations are released, likely some time next year.


Calorie Needs: Calculate Your Basal Metabolic Rate
Your BMR (basal metabolic rate) is the number of calories your body needs each day to simply perform basic functions. From the time you go to sleep one night until you go to sleep the next night, your body is using calories to fuel the body. Nearly 75 percent of the calories you eat each day are used by the body for this purpose.
You expend energy no matter what you're doing -- even when you are sleeping. It takes calories each day to breathe, build new red and white blood cells, build muscle tone, pump blood throughout the body, think, raise or lower your body temperature, and all other basic body functions -- not to mention the calories needed for moving around, working, reading and everything else you do in a day.
If you've noticed that every year, it becomes harder to eat whatever you want and stay slim, you've learned that your BMR decreases as you age. Likewise, depriving yourself of food in hopes of losing weight also decreases your BMR, as your body adjusts how it burns fuel depending upon the amount of fuel it is given.
If you eat more calories than your body metabolism needs, you will gain weight. There are 3,500 calories in every pound of body fat. So, if you eat 500 calories more a day than your body needs, you will gain one pound every week.
Knowing your BMR can help you maintain your weight, because you will know approximately how many calories you need each day to perform basic bodily functions; and help you determine your exercise needs.
Your BMR is influenced by many factors:
Gender -- Men have a greater muscle mass and a lower body fat percentage. This means they have a higher basal metabolic rate
Medications -- Some drugs slow down the BMR dramatically
Genes -- Some people are born with faster metabolisms, some with slower metabolisms; this genetic metabolic fact cannot be changed
Age -- BMR reduces with age. After age 20, it drops about 2 per cent per decade
Exercise -- Physical exercise influences body weight by burning calories, but it also helps raise your BMR by building extra lean tissue (lean tissue is more metabolically demanding than fat tissue), so you burn more calories even when sleeping
Weight -- The more your weight, the higher your BMR; for example: the metabolic rate of obese women is 25 percent higher than the metabolic rate of thin women
Body Surface Area -- The greater your body surface area factor, the higher your BMR, i.e., tall, thin people have higher BMRs
Body Fat Percentage -- The lower your body fat percentage, the higher your BMR; the higher body fat percentage in the male body is one reason why men generally have a 10-15 percent higher BMR than women
Diet -- Starvation, eating disorders or serious abrupt calorie-reduction can dramatically reduce BMR by up to 30 percent; restrictive low-calorie weight loss diets may cause your BMR to drop by as much as 20 percent
Other Factors -- Other factors include: body temperature and health, hormones, external temperature, and glands/ glandular function
A regular routine of cardiovascular exercise can increase your BMR, improving your health and fitness when your body's ability to burn energy gradually slows down.
Calculating Your BMR
Calculate calories for basic needs.
Multiply your weight in pounds by 10 (for women) and 11 (for men).
___ lbs. x 10 = _____ calories for basic needs
Calculate calories for physical activity.
Use the chart below to determine your activity level.
_____calories for basic needs x ___% activity level = ____calories for activity
||Examples of Activities
||Sitting, driving, sleeping, reading, typing
||Light exercise, < 2 hours per day
||Moderate exercise, gardening, dancing, little sitting
||Active in physical sports or labor-intensive job, such as construction worker
Calculate calories for digestion of food.
Add calories for basic needs (#1) and calories for activity level (#2), then multiply by 10%.
(___calories for basic needs + ____calories for activity) x 10% = ___calories for digestion
Calculate total energy needs.
Add calories from each section to get total energy needs.
___calories for basic needs + ___calories for activity +___calories for digestion = ____total energy needs
To lose weight, you need to take in fewer calories than your total energy needs. To gain weight, you need to take in more calories than your total energy needs.


EṣfahānArticle Free Pass
Eṣfahān, also spelled Isfahan, major city of western Iran. Eṣfahān is situated on the north bank of the Zāyandeh River at an elevation of about 5,200 feet (1,600 metres), roughly 210 miles (340 km) south of the capital city of Tehrān. Eṣfahān first thrived under the Seljūq Turks (11th–12th century) and then under the Persian Ṣafavid dynasty (16th–18th century). In addition to being an important regional and provincial capital (of Eṣfahān province), the city is one of the most important architectural centres in the Islamic world. In 1979 Eṣfahān’s Maydān-e Emām (Persian: “Imam’s Square”; formerly Maydān-e Shāh, “Royal Square”) was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Pop. (2006) 1,602,110.
What made you want to look up "Esfahan"? Please share what surprised you most...


Girls learn about fun of science, math and engineering at camp
By Cheryl Cottrill, Executive Director of WiN-Canada
Have you ever mined chocolate chips from a cookie or made a machine from recycled materials that would make flavoured water?
Last week at the Girls in Real Life Science (GIRLS) Camp, 25 girls aged eight to 13 took on the role of scientists and inventors in a number of science- and engineering-based activities. The day camp, run by Camp GEMS (http://www.gemscamp.org) (Girls Engineering Math Science) took the girls though a week-long program incorporating engineering, math and science principles in a hands-on and fun environment. Bruce Power sponsored the camp through the local Women in Nuclear (WiN)-Bruce chapter (www.wincanada.org).
“The girls’ collective intelligence and creativity was absolutely amazing as they brainstormed their way through various projects,” said Bruce Power’s Laurie Glover, a volunteer at the camp. “It was a great experience, watching these young minds solve complex problems together as a team.”
Each day the girls began working on a group project called ‘Rube Goldberg Machine’ to design a machine that could perform an activity. By the end of the week the machines were able to pop balloons, turn on a fan, sharpen a pencil, dunk a ball, pour water into a cup and make flavoured water. All were very ingenious and creative projects!
A little science magic was worked into the morning program so the girls could impress their siblings and parents with disappearing pennies, exploding Mentos and Coke and changing the colour of milk with a Q-tip and soap.
The campers learned everything from chromatography – separating colours from M&M candy – to telling time using homemade sundials, to the economics of mining using chocolate chip cookies, and to designing and building a Popsicle stick house on a budget.
The biggest hit of the week was ‘science tie and dye’ when the girls brought white items of clothing and applied permanent markers and rubbing alcohol to create colourful designs.
Mentors from Bruce Power, Ontario Power Generation and Ian Martin Limited helped out each day, providing the girls with female role models who are successful in science and technology.
Additional information and pictures from the camp may be found on the WiN-Canada website at www.wincanada.org.
A second camp will run July 23-27 at the Whitney Crawford Community Centre in Tiverton. There are currently two spots available. For further information, contact Kate McKenzie at firstname.lastname@example.org or call 519-361-2673 ext 17126.


Students of Heather Hanson, Class of 2011, thought a recent ABC News story, “A Hidden America: Children of the Plains,” did not give an accurate depiction of the life of Native American children living on reservations.
They wanted to do something to help set the record straight and share the message that “we are more than that.” Heather teaches English and speech at Todd County High School in Mission, S.D., which is located on the Rosebud Reservation. The ABC story hosted by Diane Sawyer depicted how children in the Lakota Sioux tribe on the Pine Ridge Reservation struggle in the face of poverty, alcoholism and related issues.
“I watched the 20/20 special and many of my students did as well,” says Heather. “Then we watched the video in class and had a discussion about ‘single stories’ and what image we want to represent us when we get out into the world outside of the reservation.”
“Many of my students were upset by the ABC story but were not entirely sure how to respond,” she adds. “So, I gave them choices. They could write a letter to Diane Sawyer, make a video, or tell a story about some of the great things that we do here.” They decided to produce a video, which was scripted and filmed entirely by her students. The video can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhribaNXr7A&feature=share
Heather thinks it is important for her students to present their side of the story, because they have a voice that needs to be heard. “They live here, they know what goes on. This is their hometown and this is their life. Diane Sawyer cannot capture the pride of the Lakota people in 45 minutes and she cannot voice what my students have to offer because one year will never beat a life time of rising above.”
“There are many negative statistics circling the reservations yet there are still people who are proud of who they are and where they are from, which they should be,” says Heather. “The American Indians are a proud people with a strong past that has been stifled by so many people and I personally am tired of people not listening to my students when they say, ‘I am more than that.’ I think they need to let the world know that this is their hometown and though negatives are here, there are negatives everywhere and those negatives do not define who you are. They want to succeed and they need to tell people that.”
“They did a wonderful job with the video and have gained back an enormous sense of pride,” adds Heather.


Cleveland Metroparks is committed to maintaining the health and diversity of the natural resources within the Park District by:
- Appropriately managing native plant and wildlife populations to promote balanced and naturally functioning ecosystems
- Identifying, protecting, and managing endangered species and habitats within the Park District
- Substantially improving water quality within the Park District through monitoring and advocacy of appropriate improvement measures
- Promoting fisheries in appropriate bodies of water within the Park District
Protecting the Resources
Healthy, functioning ecosystems provide services for a healthy, functioning human society. While this statement is clear from the perspective of ecology, it is not always apparent in human-dominated landscapes where issues related to the day-to-day repair and maintenance of our built infrastructure (e.g. water, wastewater, transportation, energy) appear separated from natural ecosystem processes.
Naturally functioning and sustainable ecosystems provide services that support human activities in the region. For example, forests, wetlands, and natural lakes slow storm water runoff and reduce flooding while also providing habitat for native plants, mammals, birds, amphibians, and fish.
Replacing natural infrastructure with human engineered infrastructure requires a large initial development investment and perpetual repair and replacement costs from human society. Protecting, conserving, and restoring natural ecosystem structure and function represent a cost-effective way to maintain and improve the benefits humans derive from the ecosystems they inhabit.
Cleveland Metroparks provides leadership in protecting existing and also additional open space throughout Northeast Ohio with special attention to areas adjacent to existing reservations. Through partnership, cooperative efforts, and the support of other agencies, the Park District aggressively pursues the protection of the remaining major river valleys within the seven counties of the Northeast Ohio region. To this end, the Natural Resource Division assists with the evaluation of tracts of land that are candidates for protection through acquisition, easement, or other means.
The mission of the Natural Resources Division is guided by Cleveland Metroparks primary responsibility for the conservation of natural resources:
The Board of Park Commissioners may acquire lands either within or without the Park District for conversion into forest reserves and for the conservation of the natural resources of the state, including streams, lakes, submerged lands, and swamplands, and to those ends may create parks, parkways, forest reservations, and other reservations and afforest, develop, improve, protect, and promote the use of the same in such a manner as the board deems conducive to the general welfare.
John Mack, Chief of Natural Resources
Jennifer Grieser, Senior Natural Resource Area Manager Urban Watersheds
Robert Golias, Natural Resource Area Manager Central
John Krock, Natural Resource Area Manager West
Ed Kuilder, Natural Resource Area Manager South
Erik Shaffer, Natural Resource Area Manager East
Jennifer Hillmer, Invasive Plant Coordinator
Terry Robison, Manager of Field Research
Mike Durkalec, Aquatic Biologist
Claire Weldon, Aquatic Research Coordinator
Constance Hausman, Plant and Restoration Ecologist
John Reinier, Wetland Ecologist


(CNN) -- The World Health Organization cautioned that the swine flu outbreak could gain momentum in the months ahead, despite claims by the health secretary of Mexico -- the epicenter of the outbreak -- that the virus "is in its declining phase."
The number of confimed cases of the H1N1 virus continue to multiply.
The outbreak is only about 10 days old, and even if the illness is declining, it could return, said Gregory Hartl, the WHO spokesman for epidemic and pandemic diseases, at a briefing Sunday.
"I ... would like to remind people that in 1918 the Spanish flu showed a surge in the spring, and then disappeared in the summer months, only to return in the autumn of 1918 with a vengeance," Hartl said. "And we know that that eventually killed 40 million to 50 million people."
Mexican authorities believe the virus's most active period in Mexico was between April 23 and April 28, and Mexican Health Secretary Jose Cordova described the outbreak as being in decline in his country.
As of late Sunday, Mexican health officials reported 568 cases and 22 fatalities linked to the flu. WHO says it has confirmed 506 cases and 19 deaths in Mexico.
The world has 898 confirmed cases of the virus, known to scientists H1N1 virus, in a total of 18 countries, WHO said Sunday.
The United States has reported 226 confirmed cases in 30 states. The U.S. cases include one death -- a Mexican toddler visiting relatives in the United States.
According to WHO, Canada has 70 confirmed cases; the United Kingdom has 15; Spain has 13; Germany has 6; New Zealand has 4; Israel has 3; France has 2; and Austria, China, South Korea, Denmark, Netherlands, Switzerland, Costa Rica and Ireland each have one.
In China, officials have quarantined 68 people, including 13 crew members, who were passengers of a Mexico City to Shanghai flight, which carried a passenger who tested positive for the virus, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported Sunday. None of the other passengers has exhibited any flu-like symptoms, one health official said.
About another 110 people who were on the Aeromexico plane went on to other destinations, and may face quarantines elsewhere, the news agency said. Fifteen have been quarantined at a Beijing hotel.
Shanghai's airport is now barring other Aeromexico planes from landing there, a representative of the airline told CNN. Aeromexico is suspending flights to Shanghai until May 15, the representative said. The airline does not fly to Hong Kong or Beijing.
In the United States, New York has the most confirmed cases, with 63, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Texas has 40; California has 26; Arizona 18; South Carolina 15; Delaware 10; Massachusetts and New Jersey each have seven; Colorado has four; Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, Wisconsin each have three; Connecticut, Kansas and Michigan each have two; Alabama, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Utah each have one.
California officials suspended visitation and other "nonessential activities" at Centinela State Prison in Imperial County after an inmate was suspected of having swine flu. The case has yet to be confirmed with lab testing.
On Sunday, health officials in North Carolina and Pennsylvania announced the first confirmed cases in those states, and Louisiana's governor said his state had seven confirmed cases. The cases from those three states were not immediately included in the CDC tally.
In Washington, U.S. Secretary of Health Kathleen Sebelius, appearing on CNN's "State of the Union," warned that even if the flu outbreak wanes, "it could come back with greater force in the winter and fall, when we get into flu season."
"So, this is no time for complacency," she said. "We want to stay out ahead of this."
Dr. Anne Schuchat, the CDC's interim deputy director for public health, told reporters Sunday that she was "heartened" by Mexican authorities' reports but still is "very cautious."
"I know that influenza can be surprising, and the time course here in the United States is later. We believe we're just on the upswing here, and in several parts of Mexico, cases began quite a while ago," Schuchat said.
"From what I know about influenza, I do expect more cases, more severe cases and I do expect more deaths," she added. "And I'm particularly concerned about what will happen in the fall."
Acting CDC Director Richard Besser, also speaking on "State of the Union," said U.S. health officials are examining whether people who received flu shots for the swine flu in 1976 may have some level of protection from the current swine flu.
"That's going to play in very, very big as we move forward with our plans around vaccines, because that may help guide some of the issues around who is most at risk at getting this in the future," Besser said.
Offering a general picture of the state of U.S. efforts to combat the virus, Besser said "there are encouraging signs."
"We're not out of the woods yet," he said. "But what we've learned about the virus itself -- it doesn't contain the factors that we know are seen in much more severe flu strains."
While the new virus strain in the recent outbreak has affected humans, Canadian officials said it has shown up at a pig farm in Alberta, Canada.
Officials said the pigs may have been infected by a Canadian farmer who recently returned from a trip to Mexico, the epicenter of the outbreak. The pigs have since been quarantined.
"We have determined that the virus H1N1, found in these pigs, is the virus which is being tracked in the human population," said Dr. Brian Evans of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. iReport.com: How should H1N1 be handled?
Evans and other officials said it is not uncommon for flu viruses to jump from humans to animals, and that it does not pose a risk for consuming pork. The number of pigs infected was not disclosed.
The infected farmer had flu-like symptoms, but he is recovering, Evans said. Learn about the virus »
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- About Deakin
1 June 2009
With one of the world’s largest populations of consumers, mainland China is a potentially lucrative market for many advertisers, but to successfully communicate their message to Chinese consumers advertisers need a visual strategy that does more than simply ‘stick a dragon on the box’ according to Deakin University lecturer in graphic design Dr Lisa Scharoun.
“Chinese consumers are open to western products and ideas, but if the wrong approach is used it can lead the audience to misinterpret the visual message and be highly offended as a result,” she said.
From 2003 to 2005, Dr Scharoun was a lecturer at the Raffles Design Institute in Shanghai and she said it was during this time she became particularly interested in the advertising western companies used in China.
“Living there I realised how completely at odds western style advertising was with Chinese culture.”
In her recent paper Made for China: Global Collaboration and Understanding in Advertising Design, Dr Scharoun refers to a number of examples where the misuse of culturally significant symbols in advertising offended Chinese consumers – for instance dragons portrayed as sinister, frightening creatures.
“The western interpretation of a dragon as an ‘evil demon’ doesn’t work in China because, while dragons are highly significant to the Chinese and are seen as possessing great power, they are considered to be good-natured. It’s a bit like presenting a kangaroo as an evil protagonist to an Australian audience,” Dr Scharoun said. Even the appropriateness of the research methods themselves need to be evaluated.
“Often an advertising agency or a company will take a strategy that works well in the west and try and use it in China without researching whether it is suitable for that market.
“Generally in the west, we have an individual mindset whereas in mainland China there is more of a collective mindset. For instance, if you were to run a focus group in mainland China, participants are less likely to express their own feelings and more likely to look to the group’s leader for their response,” Dr Scharoun said.
Understanding the Chinese market not only has implications for advertisers and their agencies, Dr Scharoun says, but also for the teachers of design.
“It’s very important that design students are given the opportunity to gain an understanding of the complexities surrounding advertising in China.” Dr Scharoun believes cross-cultural collaboration at the undergraduate level could be one of the ways to overcome this type of cultural misunderstanding.
“Global Design Strategies: China is a proposed 12-week course for Deakin University graphic design students providing an in-depth exploration of Chinese culture, history and design,” Dr Scharoun said.
As part of the course, it is planned for Deakin students to be paired with ‘design mentors’ from DongHua University in Shanghai, collaborations Dr Scharoun says she hopes will be ongoing.
“Hopefully through these collaborations students will form relationships they can take forward into their careers. Then when they are presented with a brief for developing advertising for China they can draw on the contacts they made through the course and on the knowledge they gained to develop work that is culturally sensitive and not just stick a dragon on the box.”
Deakin Media Relations
03 5227 71301 or 0488 292 644


If gas prices reached $5, $6, or even $7 a gallon, would you respond by purchasing a hybrid? How about an electric car? Some consumers are already contemplating their responses to those questions. And the news is that alternative fuel vehicles have apparently begun creeping into the mainstream consciousness.
A Consumer Reports survey conducted this year proves that. The magazine didn't query its respondents about what they would do if gas prices skyrocketed. It merely asked what they would look for in their next vehicle. The responses showed that they are concerned about the future of gasoline-burning cars.
GM's Chevy Volt: Are more consumers willing to switch to alternative powertrains?
(Source: General Motors)
Thirty-seven percent of the survey respondents told Consumer Reports that fuel economy was their most important consideration -- more important than quality, safety, value, performance, styling, or technological innovation. The majority of those surveyed said they expect to get better fuel economy from a gasoline-burning engine. Many expressed a desire to buy a smaller car.
But almost three-quarters of the respondents said they're ready to consider an alternative powertrain, and that's where the results got interesting. Among those, the most popular alternative choice was electric/hybrid at 43 percent, followed closely by flex fuel engines (which can run on E85) at 42 percent. Other alternatives cited by respondents included natural gas (21 percent), hydrogen fuel cells (18 percent), and diesel engines (15 percent). Up until now, consumers haven't shown much interest in plug-in hybrids and pure electric cars. GM sold just 1,462 Volts in April, and Nissan sold just 370 Leafs.
Clearly, though, survey respondents were open to the idea of new powertrain technologies. Among those willing to consider a hybrid/electric car, 58 percent expressed interest in a conventional hydrid powertrain (like that of the Prius). Twenty-one percent said they'd consider a plug-in hybrid, and 13 percent were willing to look at a pure electric car.
The bottom line is that many consumers have apparently reached a tipping point. About 80 percent of them said they support the idea of a government-mandated fuel standard of 55mpg, and an equal percentage said they would be willing to pay extra for a fuel-efficient vehicle if they could recoup that investment through lower operating costs. That's significantly different from what we're seeing in the marketplace. Hybrids are hovering at around 3 percent of new vehicle sales, and pure electrics comprise such a small category that it's almost immeasurable.
But if there's a takeaway from the Consumer Reports survey, it's that some consumers are already considering a plan of action if gas prices climb too high. They may not fully understand the available choices, but they're beginning to think an alternative powertrain isn't such a bad idea, after all.
Do you agree with the survey respondents? If gas prices reached $6 or $7 per gallon, what kind of powertrain would you consider? Tell us in the comments section below.


Response to Intervention (RTI)
The purpose is to provide support, guidance and technical assistance for intervention systems in districts and schools. Response to Intervention (RTI) is a multi-tier approach to the early identification and support of students with learning and behavior needs. The RTI process begins with high-quality instruction and universal screening of all children in the general education classroom. Struggling learners are provided with interventions at increasing levels of intensity to accelerate their rate of learning. These services may be provided by a variety of personnel, including general education teachers, special educators, and specialists. Progress is closely monitored to assess both the learning rate and level of performance of individual students. Educational decisions about the intensity and duration of interventions are based on individual student response to instruction. RTI is designed for use when making decisions in both general education and special education, creating a well-integrated system of instruction and intervention guided by child outcome data.


Organic EDEN Wild Blueberries are from low-bush wild blueberry fields called 'barrens' in northern Québec that have been organically managed since 1996. Formerly heavily forested, just a few years after logging they became filled with native wild low-bush blueberries. Blueberries are handpicked in August, washed, cleaned, sorted, and quick frozen. Later they are thawed and infused with organic apple juice concentrate to a targeted sweetness or 'Brix'. Infused blueberries are rinsed, slowly dried, and misted with organic sunflower oil to prevent clumping. They require no refrigeration.
Wild blueberries have been gathered from fields and forests by Americans for at least centuries, used in stews, soups, cooked with corn, sweetened with maple syrup or honey, and worked into jerky. The blossom or calyx of each berry forms a five pointed star. Native Americans called it 'star berry', and elders told stories of the Great Spirit bringing star berries to comfort children. Blueberry juice was used to ease "old coughs," and to dye rugs, blankets, and clothing. They made smoked berries, sun-dried berries, and blueberry powder to add to their meats and other dishes. Leaves and roots where used to make tea. Native Americans taught Pilgrims how to grow, store, and use native plants. Wild berries were important food of early settlers.
There are more than 450 plants in the blueberry family Vaccinium, but just a few are native to North America: the wild low-bush sweet blueberry Vaccinium angustifolium; two high-bush varieties now used to cultivate blueberries Vaccinium corymbosum and Vaccinium ashei; and the sour New England variety Vaccinium myrtilloides. The wild low-bush blueberry is native to northeastern North America growing from Minnesota to Maine, and from southern Canada to as far north as the Arctic. It grows in cooler regions producing small blueberries on a dwarf plant 1 to 2 feet high. Cultivated blueberries are a much taller bush grown in many areas and are planted like an orchard. Wild blueberry plants are not planted. They develop from native stands and their habitat is simply protected.
Although both types of blueberries contain antioxidants, it is the wild, low-bush blueberry that is far higher in antioxidant activity. USDA uses a system called Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC). By testing the ability of foods and other compounds to subdue oxygen free radicals, USDA determines antioxidant capability. The ORAC value of wild blueberries is 2,400. The highest of the 20 common fruits tested.
Unlike commercial dried fruit, organic EDEN Wild Blueberries contain no added refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup. They are free of sulfites, chemical preservatives, or any other additives.
Organic EDEN Wild Blueberries are a healthy snack food great for lunches, camping, and hiking, or just a real good snack anytime. There's no limiting them to a snack though. Use them in hot or cold cereals, cakes, scones and muffins, in pie fillings and puddings, and in grain and bread stuffing. Sprinkle them on salads. They're great in granola, muesli, granola bars, popcorn balls, and caramel corn.


Wednesday May 22, 2013
Library Hours: 7:30am to 10:00pm
Eastern Michigan University Library
Why use scholarly sources?
Because of the level of authority and credibility evident in scholarly sources they contribute a great deal to the overall quality of your papers. Use of scholarly sources is an expected attribute of academic course work.
In all disciplines, knowledge is built by responding to the ideas and discoveries of those who came before us. Scholarly journal articles are unique in that they require authors to document and make verifiable the sources of the facts, ideas, and methods they used to arrive at their insights and conclusions. Scholarly articles also strive to identify and discuss the merits of alternative explanations and viewpoints for the positions they espouse. This makes it easier to assess the truth, as well as the strengths and weaknesses, of the claims made in a paper. This is the case for those with knowledge of a subject (for example, your professor), as well as for those just beginning to learn about a subject (for example, you).
As you know, anyone can say just about anything in articles posted on the web. While you might agree with the conclusions of a paper found on the web, you are often not given the chain of evidence you need to assess the truth of those conclusions. Likewise, articles published in popular magazines, while they provide information and opinions, are not required to document evidence that either supports or negates their conclusions. Scholarly journal articles, unlike web-based or popular magazine articles, are designed and structured to provide the elements necessary to most thoroughly evaluate the validity and truth of an author's position.


Learn the ins and outs of an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
A grrateful Jacob Landers tells how his mother's support and advocacy on his behalf led him out of struggles with school and substance abuse.
New federal initiatives aim to improve early reading instruction in schools across the country.
If your child has an IEP, you should understand the legal provisions for disciplining him at school.
The key to performing well on tests is preparation - weeks, not hours, in advance. Learn to take good class notes, read to comprehend, and plan a test review schedule.
Get the information that drives school decisions about your child. Find out how to obtain your own copies of your child's school records.
Expert advice for parents on starting early to help kids with learning disabilities prepare for success in the workplace.
Sometimes your child doesn't pay attention or follow directions, but is it AD/HD? A guide to diagnosing and dealing with this disorder.
Researchers analyzed thousands of email exchanges between kids to get the insider view of life with a learning disability.
Expert strategies for working with your child's teacher on an effective classroom plan.


Learning standards describe what students should learn at each grade in a particular subject. State standards are created by the state's department of education.
Show me standards for a different state
Learn more: Why are standards important?
National standards are created by national education organizations. They are voluntary, and students are not held accountable to them. Some states use them as guidelines for creating their own state standards or simply adopt them.


Pythons are thought to be slithering around southern Florida like crazy but so far a contest to catch them has produced a paltry 21 of the invasive snakes.
The first week of the state's 2013 Python Challenge ended Friday with fewer than two dozen Burmese pythons received by the University of Florida even though 777 people signed up.
Wildlife experts say Burmese pythons are a threat to the Everglades ecosystem and are looking to whittle down their population, thought to number in the thousands on state lands alone.
Burmese pythons, native to Asia, are constrictors that can grow to 26 feet long and are known to be voracious predators of mammals, birds and reptiles. That diet makes it hard on the state's native predators such as foxes and bobcats.
The non-venomous Burmese pythons have been reported in extreme south Florida since the 1980s, and now are established mainly within the bounds of Everglades National Park.
The python-catching event runs through Feb. 10. The person who kills the most Burmese pythons by that date will receive a check for $1,500.
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The Impact of Evolution on the Humanities and Science
by John N. Moore, M.S., Ed.D.
The novels of Jack London, the plays of George Bernard Shaw, and even the poetry of Alfred Tennyson contain a seemingly convincing basis for belief in the "evolution" of humankind.1 Tennyson had expressed an evolutionary viewpoint actually some time before Darwin's book appeared in 1859. But the writings of these "greats" of literature, and authors of other belles lettres as well, were strongly instrumental in adding to the impact of Darwin's second book, The Descent of Man, in converting nineteenth century intellectuals to acceptance of the concept of the so-called evolution of human beings.
Actually both London and Shaw were English socialists and followers of the thinking of the Fabian Society, which came into existence due to the work and effort of Beatrice and Sidney Webb, who in turn were followers in England of Karl Marx. Thus the "web" of selected indoctrination and inter-relationship of propagandists for an evolutionary viewpoint or world outlook can be extended. And both London and Shaw used their literary works to present Marxian socialistic views as most plausible and to illustrate the struggle for existence concept. London especially popularized the "red tooth and claw" phrase through the struggles he wrote about in White Fang and The Call of the Wild. The latter book has been repopularized by way of television dramatization in the late 1970's. Continued use of evolutionary thinking by novelists can be shown in the works of Veblen, Norris, Dreiser and Michener, whose Centennial is a par excellence example of misapplication of "historical" geology in early chapters.
In philosophy the impact of evolutionary thought can be traced through the increasingly broad application of criticism of nineteenth century classification systems involving archetypes as possible created kinds of plants or animals. According to the evolutionist's position there has been a slow, gradual change between organisms as one kind supposedly had joint ancestry with another kind and all present kinds that are known today gradually came into existence over a great expanse of time.
As if that position were grounded in proper, orderly science, philosophers have mistakenly accepted that viewpoint and used it as a basis for their attitude that categories cannot be clearly defined and that absolutes are not identifiable, that is, all things are relative. Hence confusion has been introduced into logic as basic Aristotelian principles of thinking have been challenged by systems of multivalued logic. Further confusion has been fostered in ethics and aesthetics also by acceptance of evolutionary thinking in philosophy. Mention must be made especially of the importance of the writings of John Dewey, who fully accepted evolutionary thinking, because his views2 were very influential in development of the "new" philosophy of the twentieth century that has strongly contributed to the despair of existentialism, the New Consciousness, and "openness" to mysticisms of Eastern religions.3
By tracing acceptance of the concept of inheritance of acquired characteristics by Sigmund Freud, a good beginning is made toward showing the impact of evolutionary thinking in psychology and psychiatry. In the late edition of his book, The Origin of Species, Darwin utilized the concept of inheritance of acquired characteristics fostered by Lamarck, who believed that characteristics acquired during the lifetime of an individual were transmitted somehow to offspring. Though this idea is now fully discredited and completely rejected by leading biologists and geneticists, when Freud accepted the idea, he gave significant impetus to the environmentalist inclination so prominent in psychology. According to environmentalists, an individual's behavior is the consequence of the environment in which growth and development have occurred. Today, B. F. Skinner, and also Robert Ardrey, Konrad Lorenz, and Desmond Morris, reflect broad acceptance of the environmentalist approach which is based upon the unscientific idea of an evolutionary origin of humankind.4
In the multiple sub-fields of the scientific discipline the impact of evolutionary thought has been almost complete. The influential writings of such leaders as the late Julian Huxley, Theodosius Dobzhansky, and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin in support of the infusion of evolutionary thinking into all facets of biology and associated sciences still have great impact in the training programs of young scientists and in the mass communications media as well. In addition to their influence, G.G. Simpson still serves as a strong guide to almost ubiquitous application of evolutionary thought.
However, weaknesses and deficiencies in Darwinism, Neo-Darwinism, and even the modern synthetic "theory" of evolution have been published by scientists5 in every decade since The Origin of Species was published in 1859. Yet such criticisms have not been included to any significant extent in science textbooks. Actually specific impetus inaugurated in the 1960's to expand and augment the teaching of evolutionary origins in the secondary schools in the United States has really been an important cause in the 1970's for the development of creationism teaching, that is, explanation of the scientific basis or support of the creation account of origins.6
The "prime mover" of modern education, John Dewey, showed a broad acceptance of Darwinism in his extensive writings. He viewed the human being as an "evolved" creature that was slowly improving physically and mentally. According to Dewey, the environment in which schooling occurred was most important. Because Dewey stressed an evolutionary outlook in many if not all of his books, and since several generations of educators have followed Dewey's thinking in one form or another, environmentalism has become a strong viewpoint in the development of educational principles and policies in the public schools in the United States. The human being has been treated as an intelligent animal developing as a consequence of interaction with the environment, as a "survivor" by use of its wits.7
Finally, even the modern-day study of theology has been largely controlled by evolutionary ideas. Wherever acceptance of the Graff-Wellhausen "hypothesis" regarding criticism of Biblical texts can be shown, then evidence is gained for broad impact of evolutionary thinking. According to that view the Bible content has "evolved." A most influential spokesman for the view of "evolution" of the Bible was Harry Emerson Fosdick.8 He wrote extensively on the theme that man's worship of God "evolved" from the worship of a sun god and moon god, to a mountain god and river god, to a crop god, to a tribal god, to an Omnipotent God. Actually polytheistic worship has been a degenerate derivation of ancient, initial monotheism in all groups of peoples on the earth as can be shown by reference to outstanding present-day scholarships.9 The whole position of higher criticism and form criticism of the twentieth century is rooted in an evolutionary viewpoint.
1 Conner, Frederick W., 1949, Cosmic Optimism (A Study of the Interpretation of Evolution by American Poets from Emerson to Robinson), Gainesville, Florida: University of Florida Press; Leo J. Henkin 1940. Darwinism in the English Novel. N.Y.: Corporate Press, Inc.; Bert J. Loewenberg 1964. Darwinism: Reaction or Reform? N.Y.: Holt, Rinehart and Winston; Stow Parsons (Editor) 1956. Evolutionary Thought in America, N.Y.: George Braziller, Inc.; Georg Roppen 1956. Evolution and Poetic Belief. Oslo, Norway: Oslo University Press; Lionel Stevenson 1963. Darwin Among the Poets. N.Y.: Russell and Russell. See also Zirkle, Conway 1959. Evolution, Marxian Biology and the Social Scene. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, especially Chapter 10, "Marxian Biology in the Communist World."
2 See various Dewey books such as Reconstruction in Philosophy (1920) and The Quest for Certainty (1929).
3 Schaeffer, Francis A. 1968. Escape from Reason. Chicago: Inter-Varsity Press; and James W. Sire 1976. The Universe Next Door (A Basic World View Catalog). Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press.
4 Skinner, B.F. 1971. Beyond Freedom and Dignity. Toronto, N.Y. Bantam Books, N.Y.: Vintage Books; Robert Ardrey 1970. The Social Contract. N.Y.: Atheneum and African Genesis.1962. N.Y.: Atheneum; Konrad Lorenz 1966. On Aggression. N.Y.: Harcourt, Brace and World; Desmond Morris 1967. The Naked Ape. London: Cape. See Francis A. Schaeffer 1972. Back to Freedom and Dignity. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press in which he responds to the Skinner Book as well as to Jacques Monod's 1971 Chance and Necessity. N.Y.: Knopt and to Francis Crick's 1966 Of Molecules and Men. Seattle: University of Washington Press.
5 An accumulative computerized bibliographic compilation is available for one dollar upon request to Dr. Moore. These materials were gathered while using six research grants from Michigan State University over twelve years under the title, "Library Search for Representative Statements by Scientists on Organic Evolution, Natural Selection, and Related Topics since 1859."
6 Books published by Creation-Life Publishers, such as Origins: Two Models by Richard Bliss; Streams of Civilization, Vol. One. Ancient History to 1572 A.D. by Albert Hymn and Mary Stanton; Scientific Creationism by Henry M. Morris, Editor; or Biology: A Search for Order in Complexity Edited by John N. Moore and Harold S. Slusher. 1974. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House.
7 White Morton. 1943. The Origins of Dewey's Instrumentalism. N.Y.: Columbia University Press. Among many books by John Dewey see his Essays in Experimental Logic (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1916) and Logic: The Theory of Inquiry (N.Y.: Henry Holt & Co., 1938). See also Zirkle, Op. Cit., Reference 1.
8 McDowell, Josh. 1972. Evidence That Demands A Verdict (Historical Evidence for the Christian Faith). San Bernardino: Campus Crusade for Christ, International. Also excellent on the Graff-Wellhausen thesis is Oswald T. Allis, 1943. The Five Books of Moses. Philadelphia: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company; and Clifford Wilson, 1977. Ebla Tablets: Secrets of a Forbidden City. San Diego: Master Books.


.: My Research
The universe entered a dark age 300,000 years after the big bang as the primordial radiation cooled and shifted into the infrared. Darkness remained until the first non-linearities developed, eventually evolving into the galaxies that illuminate the universe today. To understand how the galaxies in the early universe evolved into those that we see locally requires an understanding of the chemical and star formation history of galaxies. I study how the amount of metals and star formation changes in galaxies over cosmic time using spectroscopy from the optical and near-infrared spectrographs on the Keck and Subaru telescopes on Mauna Kea. I compare the observed star formation and chemical properties of galaxies with detailed theoretical models including stellar evolution synthesis models and detailed photoionization models.
Web site contents © Copyright Lisa Kewley 2006, All rights reserved.


What is a pediatrician and who do they treat?
Pediatricians diagnose and treat a wide range of illnesses or injuries in children who range from newborns to young adults up to 21. Pediatricians -- also called pediatric doctors -- manage the prevention, early detection, and treatment of various conditions, including congenital defects, developmental disorders, behavioral issues, eating disorders (anorexia and bulimia), and familial and social stresses (including child abuse), as well as depression and anxiety disorders. They also oversee the general health of their patients by administering physical examinations and immunization shots
Pediatric doctors may also collaborate with other medical specialists and healthcare professionals to provide for the health and emotional needs of children. They may also specialize in fields such as adolescent medicine, pediatric cardiology, pediatric endocrinology (treating diseases such as diabetes), pediatric oncology (treating cancer in children), neonatal/perinatal medicine, and orthopedics (treating disorders of the musculoskeletal system), among other specialties.
Following graduation from medical school, pediatric doctors complete three years of education in an accredited pediatric residency program. A pediatric doctor is then eligible for board certification by the American Board of Pediatrics, and recertification is required every seven years.
When would I take my child to see a pediatrician, and what conditions does a pediatrician treat?
You will need to visit your pediatric doctor right after your baby is born to make sure your new child is healthy and growing properly. During this examination, the doctor will weigh and measure the baby, give appropriate immunization shots, explain the proper care of your baby (including care of the umbilical cord and, if applicable, circumcision), make sure the baby is feeding properly (breastfeeding or bottle-feeding), and address any concerns you may have. Your pediatrician may visit the hospital to examine your baby for the first time a day or two after he or she is born. Otherwise, you should schedule your first appointment within the first few days after you take your child home from the hospital.
In the first two years of your child’s life, you can expect a minimum of eight visits to the pediatrician: a one-month check-up, two-month check-up, four-month check-up, six-month, nine-month, one-year, 15-month, 18-month, and two-year check-up. During these visits, your child will be measured and weighed, receive a physical examination and health assessment, and receive all required immunization shots.
After age two, your child will visit the pediatrician annually for a physical examination until age 21. During these examinations, your child will also be measured and weighed, examined for overall health, and given any immunization shots to attend school, if required. You should also visit your pediatrician when your child is sick or injured, exhibits symptoms of a sleep disorder or behavioral problem (bed-wetting, depression, or hyperactivity), or needs a physical examination and health assessment to participate in sports.
Common conditions a pediatric doctor will treat include colic and failure to thrive
, attention deficit disorder
or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD), vomiting and diarrhea, sleep issues
, poisoning and other conditions. Pediatricians may also answer any questions you have regarding your child’s development, including how to handle a bully, the proper way to discipline a child, and the effects of TV and video games on children.
Kids with stubborn asthma may have food allergy
10 Ways You’re Making Your Child Fat


a combination of one or more elementary reaction steps which start with the appropriate reactants and end with the appropriate product(s)
a description of the path, or sequence of steps, by which a reaction occurs
a description of the path that a reaction takes
a detailed description of how a chemical reaction occurs
a detailed description of the way a reaction occurs and is based on the known experimental data about the reaction
a detailed (theoretical) description of how we think the chemical reaction proceeds
a series of elementary reactions or elementary steps that lead from reactants to products
a set of steps at the molecular level
a step by step description of the separate steps that occur during a chemical reaction
a stepwise description of the reaction path
mechanism. A list of all elementary reactions that occur in the course of an overall chemical reaction.
In chemistry, a reaction mechanism is the step by step sequence of elementary reactions by which overall chemical change occurs.


Medicinal Mushrooms and Cancer
Mushrooms are not just a tasty addition to a salad or casserole. They are much, much more. Most, of an estimated 38,000 species of mushrooms, provide a wealth of protein, fiber, B vitamins, and vitamin C, as well as calcium and other minerals. At least three of these species have demonstrated phenomenal healing potential: maitake, shiitake, and reishi. These medicinal mushrooms have been shown to lower the risk of cancer; promote immune function; ward off viruses, bacteria, and fungi; boost heart health; reduce inflammation; combat allergies; help balance blood sugar levels; and support the body’s detoxification mechanisms.
Medicinal mushrooms have several overlapping properties: all support cardiovascular health, all boost immune function, and all show promise in lowering the risk of, or treating, cancer. Maitake is specifically recommended for stomach and intestines, as well as blood sugar levels; shiitake helps with nutritional deficiencies and liver ailments, while reishi promotes respiratory health and spirituality.
Many of the medicinal mushrooms, including chaga mushroom, maitake mushroom, ganoderma (also known as gano) mushroom, and cordyceps mushroom, contain cancer-preventive and cancer-fighting actions. Along with research on polysaccharides with beta 1,3 glucan linkages, other mushroom extracts have been shown to have clinical effectiveness against human cancers, these being D-fraction extracted from the Maitake mushroom, and extracts from the split gill, turkey tail and Reishi mushrooms.
Medicinal mushrooms are sources of antitumor and immunity-modulating polysaccharides (a type of carbohydrate) that have been extensively researched. Cancer patients may also wish to investigate medicinal mushrooms (such types as reishi, shiitake, cordyceps, maitake, agaracus, and coriolus) as immune-boosting companions to chemotherapy.
Shiitake, as with many of the medicinal mushrooms, has been shown to be of benefit as an adjuvant cancer therapy. It has been shown to improve specific immune markers (including natural killer cells, tumor necrosis factor, T-helper cells, and a variety of interleukins), and patient outcomes.
Reishi can be used to treat cancer patients due to its ability to activate NK cells, macrophages, T-lymphocytes, and cytokines, all important immune system components. Kee Chang Huang reports that reishi “exerts a synergistic effect with other anticancer chemothera-peutic agents or radiotherapy, to augment the clinical therapeutic effect in the treatment of cancer patients.”


Relationships by their nature promote natural health-
it is considered that every positive relationship enhances a happy
and healthy lifestyle.
Welcome to Relationships
at Natural Earth
We all relate. We cannot be "out" of a relationship-
even with a person we 'hate'. The act or thought of hating is a
process of relating.
of a relationship.
a) Uncertainty reduction - through eye contact, identification,
opening disclosure, etc.
b) Perceptual - notice how a person looks at the other and their
c) Interactional cues - nodding, maintaining eye contact, etc.
d) Invitational - encouraging the relationship (e.g. asking if they
want to meet up later for coffee)
e) Avoidance strategies - if one person discloses and the other
does not, minimal response, lack of eye contact, etc.
a) Feelers - hints or questions (ex. asking about family)
b) Intensifying strategies - further the relationship (ex. meeting
old friend, bringing the other to meet family, becoming more affectionate,
c) Public - seen in public together often (ex. if in a romantic
relationship, may be holding hands)
3) Intimacy -very close, may have exchanged some sort of personal
belonging or something that represents further commitment. (ex.
may be a promise ring in a romantic relationship or a friendship
necklace symbolizing two people are best friends)
4) Deterioration - things start to fall apart. In a romantic relationship,
after six months, people are out of what is sometimes referred to
as the "honeymoon stage" and start to notice flaws. The
way this is dealt with determines the fate of the relationship.
love can be returned or unrequited. In the former case, the mutual
expressions of love can lead to marriage or to the establishment
of a permanent relationship, which in most cases will include passionate
sexual love. Where the love is one-sided (unrequited), the result
can be damaging to the esteem and/or the psychological welfare of
the spurned lover.
One aspect of romantic love is the randomness of the encounters
which lead to love. It may be for this reason that some in Western
society have historically emphasized romantic love far more than
other cultures in which arranged marriages are the tradition. However,
the globalization of Western culture has spread Western ideas about
love and romance.
Romantic love became a recognized passion in the Middle Ages, when
in some cases insurmountable barriers of morality or convention
separated the lovers. The effect of physical attraction and impossibility
of intimacy resulted in an excessive regard of the beloved as extremely
precious. Winning the love, or at least the attention, of the beloved,
motivated great efforts of many kinds, such as poetry, song or feats
Properties of romantic love purported by Western culture include:
* It must take you by surprise (the result of a random encounter).
* It cannot be easily controlled.
* It is not overtly (initially at least) predicated on a desire
for sex as a physical act.
* If requited it may be the basis for a lifelong commitment.
While romantic love as discussed above is a dream of many, some
claim that such love as is depicted in books and movies rarely,
if ever, occurs. They point to the modern practice of dating, where
often the goal is to have sexual intercourse as soon as possible
instead of building a lasting relationship. Often, the rigorous
demands of careers in the modern world rob people of the time to
find such ideal companions, and mental disorders such as social
anxiety disorder prevent people from approaching others. In addition,
the high prevalence of divorce in western society may be an additional
deterrent for individuals seeking long-term, romantic relationships
with the possibility of marriage.
here to read more about Relationships
PLEASE NOTE: Natural-Earth.com
does not necessarily endorse any of the treatments and therapies
in the natural health, natural medicine and lifestyles directory.
The material on this web site has been provided for your information
and we urge you to be discriminating in making your choice of complementary
or alternative therapy. We wish you Good Luck... and Good Health.


The Cassini probe may have already collected data that could reveal the presence of life on Saturn's moon Enceladus, a new study argues. But mission scientists say teasing out the subtle signature of life may prove difficult.
Researchers have been fascinated with Enceladus since July 2005, when Cassini revealed a dramatic plume of ice particles and water vapour shooting out from the moon's south pole.
The plume's origin is still being debated, but some models suggest the moon holds an ocean of liquid water beneath its surface. This ocean could be a potential habitat for extraterrestrial life.
Now, a team led by Christopher McKay of NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, says Cassini could offer up the first evidence that life exists or once existed on the 500 km-wide moon.
Though the probe was never designed to look for life, it could do so by studying organic chemicals such as methane in the plume, the team says.
"If you think about what you need for life, you need water, energy, organic material, and you need nitrogen, and they're all coming out of the plume," McKay told New Scientist. "Here is a little world that seems to have it all."
Life could take the form of methane-producing microbes, or methanogens, similar to those that have been seen buried under kilometres of ice in Greenland.
Cassini could potentially find evidence for such life by studying the relative abundances of methane and heavier organic chemicals, such as propane and acetylene.
Organic, carbon-containing molecules, including methane, are produced in various ways.
Abiological processes include the breakup of large, complex molecules called tholins, and the chemical buildup of carbon monoxide and hydrogen into organic molecules of varying weights.
None of these abiological methods should strongly favour the formation of methane over that of heavier organic molecules, McKay's team argues. Biological processes, in contrast, should produce much higher amounts of methane than heavier organic compounds, they say.
Researchers have taken advantage of this disparity to trace the source of organic compounds on Earth. Earlier this year, it was used to rule out a biological origin for oils and gases released from the "Lost City" hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
McKay and colleagues believe a similar study could be carried out on Enceladus using data from Cassini's Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS), which can measure the concentration of different molecules in the plume.
That hints that the moon's methane was created early on, perhaps in clouds of gas that predate the solar system.
"That doesn't mean there's not a biological signal hidden under the other stuff, but we don't have any evidence to suggest that is the case," says INMS lead scientist Hunter Waite of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas.
"It's not a clear-cut, hands-down winner for biology," McKay acknowledges.
To better understand what a biological signal on Enceladus might look like, McKay has reconfigured a chamber previously used to simulate conditions on Saturn's moon Titan to simulate non-biological ways of making methane and other organic molecules. The signatures could help researchers interpret Cassini's results, McKay says.
Waite says the best way to search for evidence of life may be to return to Enceladus with more sensitive instruments. In 2009, NASA will choose between two competing ideas for the next mission to the outer planets.
One mission would send two orbiters to Jupiter and its moon Europa. The other would send an orbiter to Saturn and a probe that could descend to the surface of Saturn's moon Titan. The Titan-Saturn mission would also include a number of flybys of Enceladus, Waite told New Scientist.
Journal reference: Astrobiology (vol 8, p 909)
View a slideshow of Cassini's best images, narrated by imaging team leader Carolyn Porco.
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Get To It Then
Tue Nov 04 08:39:59 GMT 2008 by Supernova
It would only be the discovery of the Century.
Not Quite Panspermia
Tue Nov 04 10:54:37 GMT 2008 by Constantino
Its Tuesday morning and im letting my imagination get carried away with itself, but what if the conditions underneath Enceladus are perfect life-starting condtions with plumes spewing out jets of "biological starter packs" that over time ended up on the friendlier earth where they were able to develop and evolve.
That's assuming that conditions on earth have never been quite right to actually start biological processes, see where I'm going with this?
Anyway I'm fairly certain my last assumption is incorrect so I will file this idea under whimsical fantasy but it is nice to think of our solar system as all connected and "one big process"
Tue Nov 04 15:32:30 GMT 2008 by Larian Lequella
I am enthralled at the innovative thinking going on here. Considering the news that I have been force-fed for nearly 2 years, and the historic events taking place at US polls, I find this to be the most awe inspiring and significant news of the day!
I've seen Dr. McKay on a few NatGeo and Discovery Channel specials as of late. Best of luck!
Constantino, no harm in that sort of speculation. I am interested in seeing what sort of actual results come through though before making any fanciful leaps of the imagination. But if your whimsical fantasy bears out, I guess we're all aliens! INS will have a heck of a time deporting us! :P
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Tuesday, November 22, 2011
They could lead the way to Hi-Def displays that are large, almost paper thin, and portable. While everyone is fully cognizant of the more common terms, such as LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and Plasma; which fortunately is not an acronym, but a rather a descriptive term of the weird, futuristic, fourth state of matter science going on behind the flat panel, there continue to be new sets of letters, and the latest seem to end in “ed”. Since the attack of the “eds” is all good news for lovers of state-of-the-art technology, I will attempt to elucidate some of the important points in an easy to understand way beginning with OLED.
Surprisingly, OLED is already in use in some smaller video applications such as cell phones and digital camera displays. It could have an extremely bright future in FPD (flat panel display), but its debut into the world of widespread mass production and sales in television is still a year or two off. Samsung has released a prototype 40-inch HDTV using OLED that is extremely thin. In the future, we could see an OLED set that is twice as large and only a fraction of an inch thick! It will even be possible to roll up these extremely thin screens and carry them around!
OLED works by conducting electrons through layers of organic materials that emit light to create the standards of current high definition television. Photons (particles of light) are emitted as electrons are sent from a cathode layer across two or three layers of organic material (the “o” in oled) to the anode layer. The colors of the HDTV are determined by the type of organic material used in the emissive layer and the brightness of the picture seen by the viewer’s eye is controlled by the level of voltage used. The “O” in OLED stands for organic material, which in this case means a carbon based chain of molecules, also known as a polymer.
OLED promises to give us extremely wide screen, HD televisions that could be only a few millimeters thick and use very little electricity. The tiny amounts of electrical power needed to power this type of display can solve the problem of hot operating temperatures in today’s LCD and Plasma sets. Newer generations of HD (High Definition) technologies are constantly being invented. There are already at least six types of OLED technology now in existence. It will be fascinating to view the subsequent forms of flat panel displays using OLED, as they begin to populate our world.


The Function and Strategy of Problem Solving
By Chris Bach and The Third Way – The Next Generation in Reinforcement Training
Last month, we moved into a very important area of dog training, PROBLEM SOLVING. Chris shared her theory on the “function and strategy" for teaching dogs.
We are continuing our discussion on Problem Solving. This month Chris explains her theory on the “function and strategy of problem solving”.
The function of problem solving is different than teaching and much more complex. Problem solving involves the entire teaching process but only as one of its components. It also entails totally changing and therefore totally controlling the consequences of a response. In addition, the trainer must also eliminate the emotional fluctuation brought on by the presence of specific stimuli as well as “stimulation” itself.
Changing a dog’s response to stimuli, both operantly and classically is infinitely more difficult than teaching new consequences, or keeping emotional fluctuations to a minimum in the first place.
Because the function of problem solving is changing rather than just teaching, strategies are also different and much more complex.
The strategy for problem solving has four keys:
- The dog is NEVER to blame.
- The problem response must never occur again.
- A new incompatible response must be taught and proofed in a separate venue.
- When this new response is reliable, it is cued before the problematic response can occur.
I always accept the blame if my dog fails to conform to my expectations or requirements. My expectations are wrong, not my dog. My dog is perfect. I have failed to either adequately teach him what I want, or to recognize some limitation that prevents him from meeting my goals. It is up to me to teach him properly and/or modify my expectations.
The problem solving process begins with people taking full responsibility for their dog’s actions. Next, people must recognize that there is a problem only because the dog is failing to meet some human-imposed expectation. Dogs are and always will be PERFECT at being dogs and at being their individual self. They are imperfect only in the minds of people.
Once people accept responsibility for there being a problem, they must precisely identify the problem and then explore their options for dealing with it.
The purpose of this is to assist dog owners and caretakers in identifying the real problem and exploring the options available. Then once an option is chosen, a viable and realistic program that the dog owner or caretaker can accept and/or implement can be developed.
The Third Way’s PROBLEM SOLVING FUNCTIONS and STRATEGIES
Problem Solving Function:
Modify the contingencies for a response and/or modify the contingencies for an emotional state change.
Problem Solving Strategy:
- Take responsibility for the problem
- Identify the problem
- Consider the Four Options (which will be discussed in up coming columns)
- Commit to the chosen option
- Design a program
- Management program for Option Two
- Problem Solving Program for Option One
(c) THE THIRD WAY ~ Chris Bach ~ 2002. All rights reserved.


Man in Space is an episode of Disneyland which originally aired on March 9, 1955. It was directed by Disney animator Ward Kimball.
Kimball was famous for his creation of the character Jiminy Cricket, The Cheshire Cat, The March Hare, The Mad Hatter, and for redesigning Mickey Mouse in 1938. He joined the Disney Studios in 1934, and rose up in the ranks to become a directing animator on such classics as “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Pinocchio,” “Fantasia” and “Peter Pan.” He directed Disney Oscar-winning shorts “Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom” in 1953 and “It’s Tough To Be a Bird” in 1969.
This Disneyland episode (set in Tomorrowland), was narrated partly by Kimball and also by such famed scientists as Dr. Willy Ley, Dr. Heinz Haber, Dr. Wernher von Braun, and Dick Tufeld of Lost in Space fame.
The show talks briefly about the lighthearted history of rockets and is followed by discussions of satellites, a practical look (through humorous animation) at what spacemen will have to face in a rocket (both physically and psychologically, such as momentum, weightlessness, radiation, even space sickness) and a rocket takeoff into space.
Both Haber and Wernher von Braun were involved with Operation Paperclip and intimately a part of the Nuremberg medical tribunal, which saw former Nazis war criminals rescued to the United States, ultimately resulting in a considerable contribution to the development of NASA.
Operation Paperclip was the Office of Strategic Services program used to recruit the scientists of Nazi Germany for employment by the United States in the aftermath of World War II (1939–45). It was conducted by the Joint Intelligence Objectives Agency, and in the context of the burgeoning Soviet–American Cold War.
Unknown to many Disney watchers, Kimball was also student of UFOs and Outer Space.
Kimball worked with technical advisor Werhner Von Braun to write and direct three key outer space documentaries for the “Disneyland” television series. The three documentaries were, “Man in Space,” “Man and the Moon,” and “Mars and Beyond.” Kimball referred to them as, “the creative highpoint of my career. According to Disney spokesman Howard E. Green, the three outer space documentaries are “often credited with popularizing the concept of the government’s space program during the 1950s.
The first of these, the 1955 “Man in Space, was so popular (viewed by over 42 million people) that according to Kimball, President Eisenhower phoned Walt Disney from the White House looking for a copy of the production. When Disney asked Eisenhower why he wanted it Eisenhower replied, “Well, I’m going to show it to all those stove-shirt generals who don’t believe we’re going to be up there!
It was Kimball, who at the July 1979 MUFON UFO symposium in California, told of his interest in the subject of UFOs. Then to a stunned audience he related the story of how the American government had approached Walt Disney himself prior to Sputnik to make a UFO documentary to help acclimatize the American population to the reality of extraterrestrials.


It is fair to say that the struggle for power in the USSR between 1924 and 1929 was partially to do with the economic policy because the way in which different members of the Communist Party treated the economic policy depended how much support they got from fellow members of the Communist party. However, there were other factors involved such as a lack of democratic elections, the nature of leadership and fear of a divided party.
You could argue that the struggle for power was due to the differing economic policies, this is because different key players in the power struggle wanted different things. For example, the Bukharinite model wanted gradualism – to allow market forces to drive the economy forward and so letting the peasants gain wealth individually. He believed this would lead to a prosperous consumer market and heavy industry that is centrally controlled, planned economy run by a proletariat dictatorship. This would please the peasantry and results in political and economic growth as well as increased trade. Trotsky and his leftist model agreed that the party must recognise the role of the market forces during the gradual change to socialism. However, in 1926 he became increasingly critical of the gradualist approach and didn’t approve of peasants who had no obligation to sell if the market wasn’t right and therefore wanted a slightly more capitalist approach to the economic policy so that the government had greater control over produce. This created a power struggle because different people wanted different things and approached economic policy in certain ways and whilst Bukharin was trying to ensure the happiness of the public, Trotsky was trying to ensure the wealth and growth of the USSR as a trade nation. Although these two models were important in why there was a power struggle in those years it is not the most important reason.
Secondly, you could say it... [continues]
Cite This Essay
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The World Health Organization (WHO) released a worldwide health alert Sunday (September 23) after the United Kingdom’s Health Protection Agency (HPA) confirmed that a newly identified virus—genetically related to the SARS virus—has infected a second patient, who was last reported in critical condition in London.
The virus was first identified this summer in Saudi Arabia following the death of a 60-year-old pneumonia patient. It is a type of coronavirus, a group that includes cold viruses as well as the SARS virus, which caused a global outbreak of severe respiratory illness between 2002 and 2003, killing more than 700 people. So far, health experts are optimistic that the new virus will not have the same tragic spread.
“SARS was very quick off the mark, infecting hospital staff etc., and this new virus does not to me appear to be in the same 'big bang' group,” John Oxford, a virology expert at Queen Mary, University of London told BBC News.
The London patient had recently traveled to Saudi Arabia where it is suspected he picked up the virus; the two confirmed infections shared 99.5 percent sequence identity. Experts are investigating other suspected cases in the Middle East and preparing outbreak responses if needed, but the WHO has yet to issue any travel restrictions or advice.
“For the moment, we're just assuming there were two individual infections, probably from some animal reservoir,” Ron Fouchier, a virologist at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam in the Netherlands and a lead researcher on one of the two recently publicized H5N1 papers, told ScienceInsider. “They occurred 3 months apart, which is too long for one to have infected the other,” added Fouchier, who sequenced the new virus's genomes from the two confirmed cases. “So let's keep both feet on the ground and not blow this out of proportion.”


The city of Coos Bay has drafted an ordinance to allow wind turbines in town.
The World of Coos Bay reports that turbines have been under a moratorium, but the city plans to take public comment in early 2013.
The draft ordinance would allow turbines no higher than 70 feet - industrial wind turbines are more than 250 feet.
For large turbines, residents would have to show that noise would be minimal, viewsheds would not be disturbed and that the device would meet tough safety standards. Restrictions would be reduced for smaller devices.
An Oregon State University expert tells the paper that urban settings aren't generally favorable for turbines: Both wind speed and elevation are low.


AKBARPUR KHUDAL, village 6 km northeast of Bareta (29Ã‚Â°52'N. 75Ã‚Â°42'E), in Mansa district of the Punjab, is sacred to Guru Gobind Singh, who came here in November 1706 to rescue a Sikh from captivity. According to Giani Gian Singh, Twaiikh Guru Khalsa, Gulab Singh, a goldsmith of Akbarpur Khudal, had been imprisoned by the village chief in a basement of his house on a false charge. The news of the Sikh in distress reached Guru Gobind Singh while he was at Sirsa, 80 km away, as the crow flies, already on his way to the South. But he turned his footsteps immediately with five of his Sikhs and, reaching Khudal by a forced march, rescued Gulab Singh and instructed the chief, Nabi Bakhsh, in the path of virtue and justice. Guru Gobind Singh then returned to Sirsa. A gurdwara was later established outside the village. The Maharaja of Patiala endowed it with 50 acres of land. The house of the chief inside the village was acquired after Independence, and Gurdwara Bhora Sahib Patshahi 10 was constructed on the site in February 1951 by a Sikh landlord of the area, Harchand Singh Jeji, who also made an endowment. The Gurdwara, handed over to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in 1977, has a domed sanctum, within a hall, on the first floor. The bhora or underground cell, in which Gulab Singh is believed to have been kept, is a small square cellar in the basement.


It comes as no surprise that one forward step for man equals one big step backward for nature as studies show a link between cell phone usage and the death of bees. Apparently the radiation from cell phones is wreaking havoc on the eco system of bees and this has the potential to rock our world too - after all, bees pollinate more than flowers... they pollinate crops and crops equal food.
The long term effects could mean food shortages on a worldwide scale putting into effect a chain reaction of higher prices and suffering the world over.
Cell Phones Killing Bees
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While we would all like to have the kind of healing factor that Wolverine possesses, we all know that this is but a pipe dream at the moment. What we can rely on, however, would be advances made in the medical field such as this laser-activated plaster that was specially designed to replace stitches for wounds. The “miracle” patch is known as SurgiLux, where it functions as some sort of biological Band-Aid. Using a material derived from chitin, the very same substance required for crab shells and insect exoskeletons to remain stiff and rigid, SurgiLux’s ultimate aim is to far outperform stitches or sutures for wounds and surgeries, considering how it remains atop the skin instead of threading underneath.
John Foster, a biotech researcher at the University of New South Wales who is working on SurgiLux, said, “Though sutures have a superior strength to SurgiLux, sutures are physically invasive. SurgiLux is a thin film, so you do not end up with any physical invasion or further damage to the tissue, thus allowing more complete healing.”‘
Sounds like this is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but would come in more handy for delicate operations. Even better is if this does not leave that much of scar tissue compared to regular stitches. Will the phrase “a stitch in time saves nine” be relevant should the SurgiLux surge in popularity?
Medbox Dispenses Marijuana
Melon Headband Improves Your Focus By Reading Your Brain Waves
Humans Welded Together Could Mean The End Of Stitches
Smart Cover Magnets Can Apparently Disable Implanted Defibrillators


Nausea and vomiting - adults
Nausea is the feeling of having an urge to vomit. It is often called being sick to your stomach.
Vomiting or throwing up is forcing the contents of the stomach up through the esophagus and out of the mouth.
Emesis; Vomiting; Stomach upset; Upset stomach
Many common problems may cause nausea and vomiting:
Nausea and vomiting may also be early warning signs of more serious medical problems, such as:
Once you and your doctor find the cause, you will want to know how to treat your nausea or vomiting
. You may be asked to take medicine, change your diet, or try other things to make you feel better.
It is very important to keep enough fluids in your body. Try drinking frequent, small amounts of clear liquids
If you have morning sickness during pregnancy, ask your doctor about the many possible treatments.
The following may help treat motion sickness:
- Lying down
- Over-the-counter antihistamines (such as Dramamine)
- Scopolamine prescription skin patches (such as Transderm Scop) are useful for extended trips, such as an ocean voyage. Place the patch 4 - 12 hours before setting sail. Scopolamine is effective but may produce dry mouth, blurred vision, and some drowsiness. Scopolamine is for adults only. It should NOT be given to children.
Call your health care provider if
Call 911 or go to an emergency room if:
- You think vomiting is from poisoning
- You notice blood or dark, coffee-colored material in the vomit
Call a health care provider right away or seek medical care if you or another person has:
Been vomiting for longer than 24 hours
Been unable to keep any fluids down for 12 hours or more
Headache or stiff neck
Not urinated for 8 or more hours
Severe stomach or belly pain
Vomited three or more times in 1 day
Signs of dehydration include:
- Crying without tears
- Dry mouth
- Increased thirst
- Eyes that appear sunken
- Skin changes -- for example, if you touch or squeeze the skin, it doesn't bounce back the way it usually does
- Urinating less often or having dark yellow urine
What to expect at your health care provider's office
Your health care provider will perform a physical examination, and will look for signs of dehydration.
Your health care provider will ask questions about your symptoms, such as:
- When did the vomiting begin? How long has it lasted? How often does it occur?
- Does it occur after you eat, or on an empty stomach?
- What other symptoms are present -- abdominal pain, fever, diarrhea, or headaches?
- Are you vomiting blood
- Are you vomiting anything that looks like coffee grounds?
- Are you vomiting undigested food?
- When was the last time you urinated?
Other questions you may be asked include:
- Have you been losing weight?
- Have you been traveling? Where?
- What medications do you take?
- Did other people who ate at the same place as you have the same symptoms?
- Are you pregnant or could you be pregnant?
The diagnostic tests may be performed:
Depending on the cause and how much extra fluids you need, you may have to stay in the hospital or clinic for a period of time. You may need fluids given through your veins (intravenous or IV).
Malagelada J-R, Malagelada C. Nausea and vomiting. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2010:chap 14.
Mcquaid K. Approach to the patient with gastrointestinal disease. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap 134.
This article uses information by permission from Alan Greene, M.D., © Greene Ink, Inc.
George F. Longstreth, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, San Diego, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.


Learn to make smart food choices on a limited budget. All it takes is a little planning and creativity.
Plan out your meals to keep stress low, surprises rare, and more money in your pocket.
Learn budget-survival strategies for the grocery store.
Shop and Save Online Course — Families can learn to save money at the grocery store with this short, free online course. Are you in the MFIP/TANF program? This course counts as one hour of Core TANF activity for Life Skills Training.
Simply Good Eating — Classes that help people with limited income discover how to make healthy food choices while stretching food dollars and be more active.
Cooking Matters® Minnesota — Hands-on, cooking based nutrition education programs that help low-income families prepare healthy and tasty meals.
Resource Management for Daily Life — Builds personal resource management skills through decision-based education and online resources.
Families in Tough Times — Resource for families experiencing, avoiding, or recovering from tough times. Materials on farm families, stress, disaster recovery, and more.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Food Assistance Programs — Minnesota Department of Human Services — Learn how to apply for food assistance and other food support.
Find Hunger and Food Resources— Hunger Solutions Minnesota — Find a food shelf, Meals on Wheels, Summer Food Service Program, food support office, or WIC program near you.
Women, Infants, & Children (WIC) Program — Minnesota Department of Health — Supplemental food program for pregnant women, infants and children. Find an office near you: English | Spanish | Hmong | Somali


Annual Report to Congress FY 2004
|MS Word (417 KB)|
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Congress enacted the civil rights laws as a mandate to bring the formerly
excluded into the mainstream of American education. These laws also are designed
to carry out the U.S. Department of Education's commitment to assuring access
to equal educational opportunity for every individual.
The federal civil rights laws have helped bring about profound changes in American education and improved the educational opportunities of millions of students. Many barriers that once prevented minorities, women and girls, and individuals with disabilities from freely choosing the educational opportunities and careers they would like to pursue have been eliminated.
While we applaud this progress, we recognize that there are persons who continue to be denied equal access to quality education. However, behind statistical data and research findings is a human face—a student hoping for a chance to learn and excel. This hope is expressed eloquently in the letter below from a college student with a disability. The statement serves as a reminder of the potential impact of the civil rights laws in making a difference in improving individual lives.
I am one of the millions of students who have a learning disability, dyslexia, and I also have health problems that make ordinary daily living a challenge….
The life I live is hard but not impossible. I am not looking for pity or sympathy or platitudes. I do not want undeserved special treatment. I am not an exception, a freak, a statistical abnormality. I am a real person with real disabilities. The problems I live with are hard for you to see. I have no wheelchair, white cane or hearing aid. If you use your imagination, maybe you can picture my life, wanting to talk, to listen, to read, to learn, and not being able to. Now add to that the confusion of harsh, chronic pain and frequent loss of motor control. This is my condition, a condition compounded by stress and frustration.
All I ask is a little respect in a world where people and institutions are allowed to discriminate against disabled persons in the interest of convenience and conformity. I can achieve anything, learn to do anything, but not in an environment of censure and bureaucratic red tape. I am asking for a chance, a fair chance, to get an education. I am willing to fight for my future. I should not be penalized by the attitudes of people who are allowed to sweep the disabled under a rug, refusing them their rights as individuals.
I am presenting this matter to you so that you might better understand the position of disabled persons. We are fighting for our lives, every day, both literally and figuratively. We have to fight for justice, both for ourselves and for each other, because, whether our disabilities are visible or not, we are easy to ignore. I pray that you will help me complete my education and that you will work to ensure the rights of all disabled students….
Letter from a college student forwarded to OCR


Cloning coast redwoods
William J. Libby, U.C., Berkeley.
California Agriculture 36(8):34-35. DOI: 10.3733/ca.v036n08p34b.
Not available – first paragraph follows:
In a redwood breeding program, time is a problem. Between germination (or planting) and harvest as a renewable source of wood, a redwood must survive and grow in a minimally managed environment for three to eight decades. Trees in park and amenity plantings may be expected to grow for centuries, or even millenia. Redwood foresters thus, and properly, tend to be conservative.
William J. Libby, Professor, Genetics, U.C., Berkeley.