Mechanical engineers can visualize themselves easily in a buzzing power plant or by an old boiler, but how about flying in a sailboat or powerboat, ripping through gorgeous strands of blue sea? Boat design offers adventurous opportunities for those with a natural affinity for the water, to go along with critical thinking skills. William Lasher, professor of mechanical engineering at Pennsylvania State University, who has spent the last decade focused on sail dynamics, says this is a field that becomes passion as much as career.
"Yacht design, for example, puts you up against the structural issues of racing boats, focusing on incredibly complex loading conditions," Lasher explains. "Show even a couple percent improvement in the speed and it's a major difference." Lasher utilizes finite element analysis, looking at areas such as hydrodynamic resistance of the boat in flat water versus performance in waves, or, for powerboats, the design of the propeller to correspond with the engine.
"When it comes to finite analysis, especially at the higher end of racing boats for structure, one of the places used a lot is in the design of keels," he says. "They hang on the bottom of the boat and it serves the purpose of keeping it from slipping sideways but is made out of lead. Some more recent boats are using canting keels to swing the boat sidewise, shifting from one side to the other to get better stability while dealing with the loads on them. When you're doing that with tens of thousands of pounds, you need to get pretty exact."
Where It Begins
Lasher says design can often start with a blank sheet of paper. "You're writing down the basic parameters of the boat: how long, wide, weight, how much sailing are you putting on it, what conditions are you sailing in," he says. A velocity prediction program is used to take these parameters and find an equilibrium balance between the forces on the sails and the forces on the hull.
Professor Lasher says that boat design can often start with a blank sheet of paper.
"The sails are trying to push it forward and sideways and the hull offers resistance," he says. "And that's the most interesting thing about it—how a very complex system interacts with everything else and it's hard to change one thing and not have it affect something else." It's the tradeoffs of constantly putting more sail on it, then needing more stability, he adds, or making the boat wider but then affecting the center of gravity. "You're trying to improve the performance but dealing with the ‘penalty of improvement.'"
For cargo ships, Lasher says designing is adjusted more to the economic impact, trying to carry as much cargo as you can safely for the lifespan of the ship and safety of the passengers. "These ships have tremendous loads and need to design a structure to support them; that's what's driving you when you consider the cost if your design is off," he says. "I remember when I was a student we went to a Society of Naval Architects meeting and toured an SL7 (sealand ship) and went down below. You'd be just amazed by the six inch-thick metal plates, how much material goes into it … it's a lot to manage."
Where Do I Sign?
But how do you get involved? Lasher says a good way is to get a Master's degree in naval architecture as he did, feeling that combining this with a Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering would give someone a good chance to pick up what boat designing requires. But you must also be committed to continuing to educate yourself long after the diplomas. "There are a number of good books out that outline processes and techniques at various levels," he says. "But the Bible is really Skene's Elements of Yacht Design revised by Kinney."
Finally, Lasher says you'll need one more thing: patience. "Someone once said to design a [large] ship you have to take the Empire State Building's structural issues, turn it on its side and run it through waves of 25 knots," he laughs. "Now that's not an easy challenge!"
Eric Butterman is an independent writer.
Someone once said to design a [large] ship you have to take the Empire State Building's structural issues, turn it on its side and run it through waves of 25 knots. Now that's not an easy challenge!
William Lasher, professor of mechanical engineering, Penn State University
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Saint ZachariasArticle Free Pass
Saint Zacharias, English Zachary (born , San Severino, duchy of Benevento [Italy]—died March 14/22, 752, Rome; feast day March 15), pope from 741 to 752.
The last of the Greek popes, Zacharias was supposedly a Roman deacon when he succeeded Pope St. Gregory III in November/December 741. His pontificate was devoted to diplomatic relations with the Lombard and Frankish kingdoms and with the Byzantine Empire. He initiated a policy of conciliation with the Lombards while endeavouring to dissuade their rulers, Liutprand and Rachis, from conquering the Byzantine exarchate of Ravenna. Successful, he thus made peace with the Lombards. He maintained amiable relations with the Byzantine emperor Constantine V Copronymus, whom he advised to restore the veneration of icons.
Zacharias’s relations with the Franks were similarly cordial, and his correspondence with St. Boniface, the apostle of Germany, shows how great his influence was on contemporary events in the Frankish kingdom. In 741 he made Boniface legate and charged him with the reformation of the whole Frankish church. He supported the deposition (751–752) of Childeric III, the last Merovingian king, and authorized the Frankish church to anoint Pippin III the Short as king of the Franks. Zacharias’s action in the transference of the royal crown from the Merovingians to the house of Pippin (Carolingians) began a new era for church and state by establishing the Carolingian-papal alliance, which was to be of the greatest significance in future relations between pope and emperor and was of extreme importance to the theorists and controversialists of the Investiture Controversy (11th and 12th centuries). The latter dispute concerned secular rulers’ right to invest bishops and abbots, which right became one of the paramount aspects in the struggle for power between the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire.
Zacharias is known especially in the East for his Greek translation of the Dialogues of Pope St. Gregory I the Great.
What made you want to look up "Saint Zacharias"? Please share what surprised you most...


North American Dipteran Pollinators: Assessing Their Value and Conservation Status
Carol Ann Kearns, University of Colorado at Boulder
Full Text: HTML
Recent attention to pollinator declines has focused largely on bees and vertebrates. However, few pollination systems are obligate, and pollinators that complement the role of bees may respond differently to environmental disturbance. The conservation status of North American fly pollinators remains undocumented. In this paper, methods for monitoring shifts in dipteran pollinator abundance are discussed. The need for further basic research into pollination by flies is addressed, and the significance of dipteran conservation is considered.
anthophilous flies, anthropogenic disturbance, conservation, Diptera, Dipteran conservation, generalist pollinators, North America, pollination, pollinator declines, population fluctuation, redundant pollination systems
Ecology and Society. ISSN: 1708-3087


ECU faculty, students work to authenticate Wright brothers artifact
(Apr. 22, 2008)
When the Wright Brothers moved to Kitty Hawk to follow the wind more than a century ago, they brought limited household supplies. Their thoughts seemed to be focused more on glider materials at first than basic goods to get their “camp” established.
One of the crates that shipped supplies to “W. Wright, Elizabeth City, North Carolina” is believed to have been recycled by the Wrights to create the top of a wooden kitchen table, which resurfaced last month in Kitty Hawk.
A leading Wright brothers authority, Dr. Larry Tise, and several of his students at East Carolina University have worked since that time to analyze and authenticate the history of the small wooden table.
The table will be shown publicly for the first time April 24 at the Wright Brothers National Memorial site in Kill Devil Hills. It will be presented during a public program at 7 p.m., when Tise and his students will discuss their research and findings on the little known secret flights of the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk in May 1908.
Tise, the Wilbur & Orville Wright Distinguished Professor of History in the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences, is author of the 2005 work, “Hidden Images: Discovering Details in the Wright Brothers’ Kitty Hawk Photographs 1900-1911.” In that book, Tise used modern computer technology to magnify and examine small areas of the black and white photos made by the Wright brothers to document their life and quest for flight while conducting experiments at Kitty Hawk.
Tise admitted he was skeptical when he was first contacted about the table by a Kill Devil Hills resident, but after close examination and further study, he said he is positive it is the same table shown in 1902 photographs of the Wright brothers’ living quarters.
How Ron Ciarmello, an Outer Banks jeweler, came to own the table is almost unbelievable: He answered a classified ad earlier this year.
A self-described aviation enthusiast, Ciarmello said he spotted the ad and called the telephone number. The person selling the table said her family had it for about a century and had used it through the years in the family laundry room and as a utility table in a family-operated barber shop. The family was moving and had decided to sell it. Ciarmello in his own research located a photo with the table in it on the Library of Congress Website.
Ciarmello contacted Tise after seeing his book at the Wright Brothers National Memorial gift shop and finding that the book contained a second image of the table.
Tise asked Ciarmello to send him digital images of the table. “When I saw the photos, I was 70 percent sure it was the table, but I wanted to see it in person,” Tise said.
Tise travelled to Kitty Hawk and met Ciarmello at the home of Bill Harris, whose grandfather welcomed the Wright brothers to the Outer Banks in 1900. “Bill has vast knowledge of the families in the area for the past century, which was quite helpful. We examined and studied the table for almost three hours. The more we looked, the more we decided this could not be a fluke,” Tise said.
The table consists of three “convincing” components: the legs are from a pre-existing writing table and the top is made from the sides of a shipping crate and two remnants of ash rib material used by the Wrights to build their gliders.
“The different types of wood combined with the shipping label, a distinctive exposed nail that can be seen in the photos which is in the same place in the table, it was exciting to put all the evidence together,” Tise said. The way the shipping crate has been addressed to Wilbur Wright was consistent with others that had been documented previously by Tise.
As for the future of the table, Ciarmello said he would like for it to be permanently displayed


Everybody knows the most famous vacation destination in Europe. But Rimini, or better ancient Ariminum, is also a city of art with over 22 centuries of history.
Rimini is a Roman city and certainly not just any old city, but one of the most important of ancient Rome. The official date of its founding is 268 BC when the Senate of Rome sent 6000 colonists to establish a new settlement there which took the name of the river Marecchia (Ariminus).
In the beginning it was a strategic settlement. Then (90 BC) it became a “municipium”, and finally a blossoming city of the Roman empire, with a grand forum (piazza Tre Martiri), two central streets - the cardo maximus (via Garibaldi and IV Novembre) and the decumanus maximus (corso d’Augusto) – and triumphal monuments: the Tiberus Bridge and Augustus’s Arch. And let’s not forget a rarity: the Surgeon’s Domus, a unique medical clinic from the ancient Roman world, miraculously still intact in 2011 AD.
Among the great works decided upon by the Senate of Rome, there are the two Roman roads: the via Flaminia and the via Emilia. The first connects Rome to Rimini and ends at Augustus’s Arch. The via Emilia starts at the Tiberus Bridge and runs 100 km to Piacenza.
It is a delight to walk among these historic places where cars are not allowed and every five minutes you run into a monument. To begin to get to know Roman Rimini, you must begin at Augustus’s Arch, the most ancient of the surviving Roman arches. Located in a strategic position – marking the end of the via Flaminia – it was commissioned by Emperor Augustus in 27 BC.
The tour continues with the Tiberus Bridge. One of the most noteworthy Roman bridges still around, began by Augustus in 14 AD and completed by Tiberus in 21 AD, it is impressive because of its architectonic design, the size of its structures and the building technique used.
Not many people know it, but this city also had a large amphitheater – only the Coliseum was larger – that was always crowded and held more than 12,000 spectators, with only 1800 seats not covered. Here a convent and other buildings were built. Today, only the ruins of the amphitheater on the side nearest the sea are visible. Guided tours of the site are organized by the City Museum.
The grand finale of the tour must not be missed: a stop in piazza Ferrari at the little Rimini Pompei, the archeological site called the Surgeon’s Domus. This exceptional archeological find was discovered right here: it held the most complete surgical toolset from the Roman era found to date.
First visitors will be astonished by the 700 square meter archeological area in which the working instruments of a surgeon who worked inside a house of Ariminum in the 3rd century, used in part for practicing medicine and as a pharmacy, were found.
An excavation that the architectonic work protects and emphasizes available for all passersby to see. The structure is set into the urban space around it, integrating itself into the garden of piazza Ferrari. On the inside there is a system of transparent walkways, suspended over the ancient structures, making it easier to visit them.
Luck would have it that the Domus is located right next to the Museum, which makes up an important part of the tour of this site. The City Museum houses, in fact, the exceptional surgical instruments found in the domus.
For tourist information:


Nephila jurassica: The biggest spider fossil ever found
Spiders are small arthropods, famous for their elasticity, strength and web-making abilities. For some people, spiders are not welcome in the home; as soon as they see one crawling on the ceiling, the first thought that comes to mind is to swat it at once.
But spiders predate us humans by a long way. And while sometimes spiders are tiny creatures, a team of scientists has discovered the largest spider fossil ever in a layer of volcanic ash in Ningcheng County, Inner Mongolia, China. The research was carried out by Paleontologist Professor Paul Selden, of the University of Kansas, with his team.
Named Nephila jurassica, this 165-million-year-old fossil is 2.5 cm in length and has a leg span of almost 9 cm. It is currently the largest known fossilized spider, and is from the family known as Nephilidae, the largest web-weaving spiders alive today.
According to research published online in the 20th April, 2011 issue of Biology Letters, this prehistoric spider was female and shows characteristics of the golden orb weaver. Widespread in warmer regions, the golden silk orb weavers are well-known for the fabulous webs they weave. Females of this family weave the largest orb webs known.
"When I first saw it, I immediately realized that it was very unique not only because of its size, but also because the preservation was excellent," said ChungKun Shih, study co-author, and a visiting professor at Capital Normal University in Beijing, China.
According to a press release: “This fossil finding provides evidence that golden orb-webs were being woven and capturing medium to large insects in Jurassic times, and predation by these spiders would have played an important role in the natural selection of contemporaneous insects.”


The Egg Matrix
Creating a Ubiquitous Information Architecture and Designing Across Devices
The Egg Matrix is a tool for planning content, features, and scenarios when creating an information architecture that will exist across multiple devices and touch points.
Where Did the Idea Come From?
In college, I had an environmental design professor who described the field as such:
Architecture is the profession that designs the shell or the structure of the built environment. Interior design is the profession that designs the interactions and spaces inside that built environment. Landscape architecture is the profession that designs the space outside this structure.
Environmental design encompasses all three, studying our interactions with the built environment, how we move through it, how we move around it, how we integrate with the natural environment, and so on.
I always had the idea of an egg in my head, in part because he described architecture as being like a shell of sorts, and partially because we talked a lot about animal habitats and homes.
Environmental design is a human-centered design discipline that covers our physical surroundings. It considers the shared ecology between places and spaces, interiors and exteriors, the mechanic and the organic. Many of the same principles and ideals carry over into the digital space.
When the Digital World Spills Over into the Physical World
When we design for digital spaces today, it’s no longer safe to assume that the majority of our users will access our information from a similar static setup in an office or home. Digital information travels freely now between devices, locations, and online and offline habitats. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to know the context or situation that surrounds each of our users.
It also seems likely that even before we have mastered the art of designing across desktop and mobile platforms, we will find ourselves creating spaces in cars, kiosks, mirrors, table tops, refrigerators, and many other devices. There is no set of rules that tells us how to create the right mix of content and features so that our users will have a seamless experience whenever and wherever they access our information.
The Egg Matrix
The Egg Matrix is my attempt to create a tool for cataloging the different forces that should be considered when determining the architecture, features, and overall design of a multi-device experience. My hope is that it is flexible enough to be applicable to topical challenges, like designing for mobile vs desktop spaces, but that it also will encompass future needs, such as television or in-car apps.
The concept is simple. There is a subset of the experience (the egg) that you can directly control. You are responsible for the structure, the content, the messaging, and the interaction that goes into your design. There are also two equally important forces at play that contribute to the experience and overall success of what you’ve designed. There is the internal composition of the user (the yolk) and the extrinsic environment that the experience takes place in (the nest). You might be able to influence certain aspects of both areas, and you might be able to design around certain scenarios, but you’ll never be responsible for the creation of these realms.
By breaking each area down into individual factors, you’ll be able to create a better model for your structure. I’ve broken each field out into the initial factors that I thought were most crucial, but there is certainly room for expansion, refinement, and feedback.
Start with a single node of content, and build out from there. What features are needed to interact with that content? How often is the content accessed by the user? What possible contexts might the user be in when accessing the content? What belief systems might he or she be bringing to the experience?
The breakdown currently is as follows:
The Nest covers environment, location, context, and locomotion.
The Egg covers message, content, task, frequency, urgency, privacy, intimacy, tracking, and measurement.
The Yolk covers motivations, needs, desires, and knowledge.
You may find yourself creating multiple columns for a single content node to cover the array of possible touch points or devices your users might encounter.
I included a section called “messaging.” This may relate to a marketing campaign, a company brand message, or a common slogan. It’s important the spaces you design don’t contradict the messaging being broadcast to users.
I’ve also included fields for noting tracking and measurements. These are for listing how you plan to measure the experience and what measurement points you’re going to look for.
How Do You Know If The Model Is Working?
Like any other model, it has to be put into action and tested. Fortunately, this “model” can be tested in several ways. You can gather feed and ask questions of users. You can create a prototype to test. When you’re satisfied with the performance of a prototype, you can design the real deal, and then continue to make refinements with ongoing feedback.
I’ve listed the Egg Matrix worksheet here so that others can download it, play around with it, refine it, and provide feedback.


- Provide the child with a special notebook just for homework assignments. Nothing else is to be written in this notebook.
- When homework assignments are completed, the work is put into the special notebook so it can be turned in at school.
- Ask teachers to send a note home with the homework assignmnet which parents must sign and return.
It is best to have the child do his/her homework at the same time every day. Meals and bedtime are at regular times, and giving homework the same consideration gives it equal importance. Work should usually come before play, especially is the child is having difficulty remembering or completing assignments. A half hour after arriving home from school gives children time for a snack, but not time to get involved in other activities.
STUDY HABITS BEGIN AT AN EARLY AGE
Good study habits should begin in the first grade. Insist no radio or television be playing while the child is doing homework. Studies have repeatedly shown the most people learn better in a quiet atmosphere. Be willing to help, but don't do your child's work.
- Use a homework notebook.
- Set a regular time for doing homework.
- Check and approve homework before the child goes out to play.


QUESTION: I ran a virus scan and my program turned up a bunch of things it labeled "third-party" cookies. What are these?
ANSWER: When you visit most websites, they place cookies on your browser. These are small bits of data that store your site settings for future visits. This is why you don't have to constantly log into Facebook any time you browse to a new Facebook page. Those are first-party cookies. Third-party cookies are when an advertiser or other third-party service on a site places a cookie. These can often be related to advertising tracking, so it's best to opt out of them in your browser. Try a service like SelectOut.
Q: I bought a new computer to replace my 6-year-old desktop. Should I just throw out the old one?
A: No, no and no! Computers contain hazardous materials that make it dangerous to just throw them out. Instead, you could try recycling it with help from a site like Earth911. It will tell you where you can take it and any special considerations. Of course, you could give it to a friend or family member that needs a PC, too. Just remember to completely wipe your personal information. .
Q: I just gave my teenage daughter her first cell phone. What can I do to make sure she's not visiting any adult sites with it?
A: If she does most of her surfing on the house's Wi-Fi, you can use OpenDNS. It filters content at your network router so it protects her from inappropriate sites no matter what gadget she surfs on. If she starts using her gadget's 3G or 4G connection to circumvent those blocks, you can download a filtering browser like Bsecure. On iPhones, however, Apple doesn't have an official way to change the default browser from Safari. You should have a chat with your daughter and make sure she knows what sites are appropriate.
Q: I keep seeing online that people recommend buying solid-state hard drives instead of conventional drives. What's the point?
A: A solid-state drive is a little brick of flash memory, like a large USB drive. SSDs can make a laptop faster, lighter and more energy efficient. The catch is they can raise the price of a laptop $200 to $300 and they usually don't offer a lot of storage. If you want a performance boost and don't store too many large files on your computer, it's a good upgrade. If you have a lot to store, or need a less expensive option, stick with a conventional drive.
Q: Someone told me the photos I take on my smartphone are geotagged. What does this mean?
A: Geotagging means your smartphone's GPS attaches a location to the photos you snap. Your photos are tagged with other revealing information, too. You can turn your smartphone's GPS off to stop this. However, that might mess with other useful location services work. If you don't want to keep turning location services on and off, you can use an app like Pixelgarde to strip the GPS data out of photos before you post them online.
Kim Komando hosts the nation's largest talk radio show about computers: www.komando.com/listen.


1852 Vuillemin Map of Spain and Portugal
Description: An uncommon and extremely attractive 1852 map of Iberia or Spain and Portugal by A. Vuillemin. The map covers all of Spain and Portugal from France to the Mediterranean Sea and includes the Balearic Islands of Ibiza, Majorca, and Minorca. Throughout, the map identifies various cities, towns, rivers and assortment of additional topographical details. As this map was drawn the Spanish prime minister Juan Bravo Murillo was dismissed form office . Liberal sentiments within Spain were growing rapidly, leading to the Progressive Biennium, in which the Progressive Party tried to replace the conservative liberalism of the Moderate Party and advocated radical liberalism. The map features a beautiful frame style border. Prepared by A. Vuillemin for publication as plate no. 16 in the 1852 Maison Basset edition of Atlas Illustre Destine a l'enseignement de la Geographie elementaire.
Date: 1852 (undated)
Source: Barbie du Bocage, J. D., Atlas Illustre Destine a l'Enseignement de la Geographie Elementaire, (Paris: Maison Basset) 1852.
Cartographer: Alexandre Vuillemin (1812-1880) was a cartographer and an book editor based in Paris, France. Despite a prolific cartographic career, much of Vuillemin's life is shrouded in mystery. What is known is that his studied under the prominent French Auguste Henri Dufour (1798-1865). Vuillemin's most important work his detailed, highly decorative large format Atlas Illustre de Geographie Commerciale et Industrielle. Click here for a list of rare maps from Alexandre Vuillemin.
Cartographer: Jean Denis Barbie du Bocage (1760 - 1825) and his son Jean-Guillaume Barbie du Bocage (1795 - 1848) were French cartographers and cosmographers active in Paris during late 18th and early 19th centuries. The elder Barbie du Bocage, Jean Denis, was trained as a cartographer and engraver in the workshops of mapmaking legend J. B. B. d'Anville. At some point Jean Denis held the post of Royal Librarian of France and it was through is associations with d'Anville that the d'Anville collection of nearly 9000 maps was acquired by French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The younger Barbie du Bocage, Jean-Guillaume, acquired a position shortly afterwards at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, in time, became its head, with the title of Geographe du Ministere des Affaires Etrangeres. Click here for a list of rare maps by the Barbie du Bocage family.
Size: Printed area measures 13 in height x 10 inches in width (33.02 x 25.4 centimeters)
Condition: Very good. Blank on verso. Map exhibits some soiling and toning, especially to margins.
Code: SpainPortugal-vuillemin-1852 (to order by phone call: 646-320-8650)
© Geographicus Rare Antique Maps, Kevin Brown, 22/5/2013


BERKELEY LAKE - The term "summer camp" usually conjures images of outdoor play and physical activity.
However, these assumptions are false when it comes to Camp Invention, a summer day camp focused on hands-on education.
The nationally acclaimed camp is a weeklong program for rising first- through sixth-graders that combines science and creativity to open up kids' minds and broaden their horizons.
Camp Invention uses hands-on activities that teach kids to use their imaginations to invent solutions to problems.
The camp consists of five modules to help accomplish this feat. These modules, or classes, encourage kids to take apart used appliances, and then recycle the different parts to create something new.
Each module focuses on something different, and the focus ranges from transportation to alien invasion.
The unique idea for Camp Invention was developed by the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1990. The camp began as a summer program taking place in two elementary schools, but has since grown to reach more than 800 schools in 46 states.
In Georgia, Camp Invention takes place at several elementary schools throughout the summer.
At Berkeley Lake Elementary School, students and staff Friday finished a successful week at Camp Invention.
Director Kathy Bentley said the camp concentrates on bringing the participants creative, problem-solving experiences that don't involve homework, tests or worksheets.
"The kids think of things in different ways here," Bentley said. "They have fun with the hands-on activities."
In the "Wild Blue Y'Under" module, campers created different modes of transportation.
Sixth-grader Parker Cutler, and her team, the "Motorgirlz," were trying to invent a rolling car that would be faster than the other team's creations.
To make their car, the girls and their fellow campers were using supplies from a large table of appliance parts.
"We get to use our imagination for these projects," Cutler said.
Cutler's friend, fifth-grader Hayley Williams, agreed.
"You can create anything you want," Williams said. "There are no limits."
The Motorgirlz collectively decided heavier cars rolled faster, so were determined to create a heavy, unique car.
"The teacher gives you a general idea about the project," Cutler said. "But you get to make whatever you want."
Just down the hall, in the "I Can Invent Module," third-grader Olivia Johnson was surrounded by appliance parts as she concentrated on creating a robot.
"I want to make a robot that can cook," Johnson said. "So he can help my mom cook when she is too tired."
Johnson was using the cover pieces from a portable CD player for the robot's head, and the case of a graphic calculator as one of the robot's arms.
Johnson said her favorite part of camp is taking appliances apart.
"You get to see things you never knew about," Johnson said.
Third-grader Blake Davis was also working hard on his own invention. Davis was trying to create a shocking device.
Camp Invention has stringent safety regulations, so none of the supplies Davis used in his device carry an electric charge.
However, Davis used his imagination to overcome his creation's physical short comings.
"This is to shock annoying people," Davis said, as he described his invention.
At Camp Invention, participants also get a taste of forensic science as they investigate a pretend crime scene.
In the "Solve It" Module, campers are encouraged to be detectives and discover who stole an inventor's log.
"The kids get really serious and are very observant," Bentley said. "They focus on putting information together."
Jack Kraus, a second-grader, said the crime scene investigation was his favorite part of Camp Invention.
"I like finding out different clues," Kraus said.
With it's unique approach, it's no surprise Camp Invention continues to grow and attract more campers.
"The program appeals to a wide range of kids," Bentley said. "Everyone can be successful at Camp Invention."
Most people don't expect summer camp to be a haven of knowledge and scientific discovery. But then again, most people don't usually expect science and learning to be so much fun.
When asked about her favorite part of Camp Invention, fifth-grader Sarah Krix couldn't decide.
"I can't choose," Krix said. "It's all fun and I like everything about it."
Camp Invention is clearly breaking the mold for both science and summer camps alike.
Todd Bentley, a staff member at Camp Invention, said he loves seeing the kids be inventive and create new things.
When asked to describe Camp Invention, Todd Bentley smiled and said, "It's educational fun in disguise."


Cleopatra, queen of Egypt and lover of Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, takes her life following the defeat of her forces against Octavian, the future first emperor of Rome.
Cleopatra, born in 69 B.C., was made Cleopatra VII, queen of Egypt, upon the death of her father, Ptolemy XII, in 51 B.C. Her brother was made King Ptolemy XIII at the same time, and the siblings ruled Egypt under the formal title of husband and wife. Cleopatra and Ptolemy were members of the Macedonian dynasty that governed Egypt since the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C. Although Cleopatra had no Egyptian blood, she alone in her ruling house learned Egyptian. To further her influence over the Egyptian people, she was also proclaimed the daughter of Re, the Egyptian sun god. Cleopatra soon fell into dispute with her brother, and civil war erupted in 48 B.C.
Rome, the greatest power in the Western world, was also beset by civil war at the time. Just as Cleopatra was preparing to attack her brother with a large Arab army, the Roman civil war spilled into Egypt. Pompey the Great, defeated by Julius Caesar in Greece, fled to Egypt seeking solace but was immediately murdered by agents of Ptolemy XIII. Caesar arrived in Alexandria soon after and, finding his enemy dead, decided to restore order in Egypt.
During the preceding century, Rome had exercised increasing control over the rich Egyptian kingdom, and Cleopatra sought to advance her political aims by winning the favor of Caesar. She traveled to the royal palace in Alexandria and was allegedly carried to Caesar rolled in a rug, which was offered as a gift. Cleopatra, beautiful and alluring, captivated the powerful Roman leader, and he agreed to intercede in the Egyptian civil war on her behalf.
In 47 B.C., Ptolemy XIII was killed after a defeat against Caesar's forces, and Cleopatra was made dual ruler with another brother, Ptolemy XIV. Julius and Cleopatra spent several amorous weeks together, and then Caesar departed for Asia Minor, where he declared "Veni, vidi, vici" (I came, I saw, I conquered), after putting down a rebellion. In June 47 B.C., Cleopatra bore a son, whom she claimed was Caesar's and named Caesarion, meaning "little Caesar."
Upon Caesar's triumphant return to Rome, Cleopatra and Caesarion joined him there. Under the auspices of negotiating a treaty with Rome, Cleopatra lived discretely in a villa that Caesar owned outside the capital. After Caesar was assassinated in March 44 B.C., she returned to Egypt. Soon after, Ptolemy XIV died, likely poisoned by Cleopatra, and the queen made her son co-ruler with her as Ptolemy XV Caesar.
With Julius Caesar's murder, Rome again fell into civil war, which was temporarily resolved in 43 B.C. with the formation of the second triumvirate, made up of Octavian, Caesar's great-nephew and chosen heir; Mark Antony, a powerful general; and Lepidus, a Roman statesman. Antony took up the administration of the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire, and he summoned Cleopatra to Tarsus, in Asia Minor, to answer charges that she had aided his enemies.
Cleopatra sought to seduce Antony, as she had Caesar before him, and in 41 B.C. arrived in Tarsus on a magnificent river barge, dressed as Venus, the Roman god of love. Successful in her efforts, Antony returned with her to Alexandria, where they spent the winter in debauchery. In 40 B.C., Antony returned to Rome and married Octavian's sister Octavia in an effort to mend his strained alliance with Octavian. The triumvirate, however, continued to deteriorate. In 37 B.C., Antony separated from Octavia and traveled east, arranging for Cleopatra to join him in Syria. In their time apart, Cleopatra had borne him twins, a son and a daughter. According to Octavian's propagandists, the lovers were then married, which violated the Roman law restricting Romans from marrying foreigners.
Antony's disastrous military campaign against Parthia in 36 B.C. further reduced his prestige, but in 34 B.C. he was more successful against Armenia. To celebrate the victory, he staged a triumphal procession through the streets of Alexandria, in which he and Cleopatra sat on golden thrones, and Caesarion and their children were given imposing royal titles. Many in Rome, spurred on by Octavian, interpreted the spectacle as a sign that Antony intended to deliver the Roman Empire into alien hands.
After several more years of tension and propaganda attacks, Octavian declared war against Cleopatra, and therefore Antony, in 31 B.C. Enemies of Octavian rallied to Antony's side, but Octavian's brilliant military commanders gained early successes against his forces. On September 2, 31 B.C., their fleets clashed at Actium in Greece. After heavy fighting, Cleopatra broke from the engagement and set course for Egypt with 60 of her ships. Antony then broke through the enemy line and followed her. The disheartened fleet that remained surrendered to Octavian. One week later, Antony's land forces surrendered.
Although they had suffered a decisive defeat, it was nearly a year before Octavian reached Alexandria and again defeated Antony. In the aftermath of the battle, Cleopatra took refuge in the mausoleum she had commissioned for herself. Antony, informed that Cleopatra was dead, stabbed himself with his sword. Before he died, another messenger arrived, saying Cleopatra still lived. Antony had himself carried to Cleopatra's retreat, where he died after bidding her to make her peace with Octavian. When the triumphant Roman arrived, she attempted to seduce him, but he resisted her charms. Rather than fall under Octavian's domination, Cleopatra committed suicide on August 30, 30 B.C., possibly by means of an asp, a poisonous Egyptian serpent and symbol of divine royalty.
Octavian then executed her son Caesarion, annexed Egypt into the Roman Empire, and used Cleopatra's treasure to pay off his veterans. In 27 B.C., Octavian became Augustus, the first and arguably most successful of all Roman emperors. He ruled a peaceful, prosperous, and expanding Roman Empire until his death in 14 A.D. at the age of 75.


Medical Foods Policy and Regulatory Developments
Global Policy and Regulatory Medical Foods Developments
- Codex Alimentarius was created by FAO and WHO in 1963 to develop food standards and guidelines, as well as related texts such as codes of practice under the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. The Codex Alimentarius Commission aims to protect consumer health, ensure fair trade practices, and promote coordination of all food standards work undertaken by international governmental and non-governmental organizations.
- The Codex Committee on Foods for Special Dietary Uses agreed to develop guidelines on labeling and claims for medical foods in 1980 and accepted the offer of the United States to prepare a set of proposed draft guidelines for consideration at the next session in 1982. Report of the Twelfth Session of Codex Committee on Foods for Special Dietary Uses, ALINORM 81/26.
- The draft guidelines on labeling and claims for medical foods prepared by the United States were discussed at the 1982 meeting. Report of the Thirteenth Session of Codex Committee on Foods for Special Dietary Uses, ALINORM 83/26.
- The draft guidelines on labeling and claims for medical foods prepared by the United States were also discussed at the 1985 meeting. Report of the Fourteenth Session of the Codex Committee on Foods for Special Dietary Uses, ALINORM 85/26.
- The Committee developed a standard instead of a guideline in 1987 and agreed to use “foods for special medical purposes” instead of “medical foods.” The Proposed Draft Standard was submitted for step 3 comment. Report of the Fifteenth Session of Codex Committee on Foods for Special Dietary Uses, ALINORM 87/26.
- The Proposed Draft Standard was submitted to the 1989 session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission for adoption as a draft standard. Report of the Sixteenth Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses, ALINORM 89/26.
- The Committee decided essential information for health professionals should be on the label but was not necessary for consumer labeling. Report of the Meeting of Intergovenmental Working Groups (CX/FSDU 87) and Report of the Sixteenth Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses, ALINORM 89/26.
- Medical foods were to be labeled in accordance with the Codex’s “General Standard for the Labelling of and Claims for Foods for Special Dietary Uses.” Codex Alimentarius Committee on Codex General Standard for Labeling of and Claims for Foods for Special Dietary Uses (1985).
- Certain additional provisions were required for labeling medical foods. Specifically, medical foods must label the energy value and the content of protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and if applicable, amino acids or essential fatty acids. Osmolality and acid-base balance, where appropriate, must also be on the label. Report of the Sixteenth Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses, ALINORM 89/26.
National Policy and Regulatory Medical Foods Developments
- Defines a “food for special dietary use” as a food that has been specially processed or formulated to meet the particular requirements of a person: (a) in whom a physical or physiological condition exists as a result of a disease, disorder, or injury; or (b) for whom a particular effect, including but not limited to weight loss, is to be obtained by a controlled intake of food. 9.9 Foods for Special Dietary Use [Division 24, FDR]
- Compiles European Union rulings and resources relating to foods for special medical purposes.
- Vitamin-Mineral Amendments, Pub. L. No. 94-278 (1976)
- Prohibited the FDA from classifying vitamin and mineral supplements as drugs based solely on their combinations or potency, unless drug claims were made. The legislation also incorporated FDA’s 1941 definition of special dietary use into the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
- Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, Pub. L. No. 75-717, § 201 (f), (g), 52 Stat. 1040, 1041 (1938), as amended 21 U.S.C § 321 (f), (g) (1982)
- Medical foods were regulated as drugs prior to 1972 according to Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C.321(g)(1)(B).
- Orphan Drug Act, Pub. Law. 97-114 (1983)
- Congress amended Orphan Drug Act to formally define a medical food in 1988; reaffirmed in 1992, and again in 1996.
- Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 and subsequent amendments give the FDA authority to require nutrition labeling of most packaged foods regulated by FDA and requires all nutrient claims and health claims meet FDA regulations. The legislation incorporated the definition of medical foods from the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and exempted medical foods from nutrition labeling, health and nutrient claim requirements, and identified five criteria characteristics of medical food (21 CFR 101.9(J)(8)). FDA incorporated the statutory medical food definition of this Act into 21 U.S.C.343. FDA provided guidance on medical foods indicating that Section 101.9(j)(8) exempted medical foods from nutrition labeling, nutrient content claims, and health claim regulations if the product is:
- Specially formulated and processed product for the partial or exclusive feeding of a patient by means of oral intake or enteral feeding by tube;
- Intended for the dietary management of a patient who, because of therapeutic or chronic medical needs, has limited or impaired capacity to ingest, digest, absorb, or metabolize ordinary foodstuffs or certain nutrients, or who has other special medically determined nutrient requirements, the dietary management of which cannot be achieved by the modification of the normal diet alone;
- Provides nutritional support specifically modified for the management of the unique nutrient needs that result from the specific disease or condition as determined by medical evaluation;
- Intended to be used under a medical physician’s supervision; and
- Intended only for a patient receiving active and ongoing medical supervision wherein the patient requires medical care on a recurring basis for, among other things, instructions on the use of the medical food.
- Medical Foods Equity Act of 2011 (S.311 and H.1311) have been introduced and referred to Committee to provide coverage for medically necessary food under Federal health programs and private health insurance.
United States Department of Health and Human Services
Food and Drug Administration
- FDA provided guidance on medical foods in 1997.
- FDA announced a new proposed regulations (ANPR) in 1996 but withdrew a couple years later.
- Exempted foods for the use solely under medical supervision to meet nutritional requirements for specific medical conditions from certain labeling requirements. 21 C.F.R. §§ 101.9, 101.9 (h) (3),(4)
- In 1991, FDA published in the Federal Register information on what a medical food is and the distinctive nutritional and medical supervision requirements of medical foods.
- FDA contracted to develop enteral products with high nutritional efficacy to improve tissue repair and shorten convalescence during World War II and to address needs of the aerospace program for easily consumable, low residue, high calorie dietary products. Fisher K, et al. A review of foods for medical purposes. FDA Contract No. 223-75-2090 June 1977; as noted in Hattan DG & Mackey DR. A review of medical foods: Enterally administered formulations used in the treatment of diseases and disorders. Food Drug Cosm. L. J. 44;479-501(1989).
- FDA implemented a compliance program for medical foods in 1988, requiring all products to be manufactured according to Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations.
- FDA expressed during rulemaking in 1973 on vitamin and mineral dietary supplements that the Commissioner recognized medical foods as foods. 38 Fed. Reg. at 2152.
- FDA reclassified medical foods as “foods for special dietary use” to encourage product development in 1972. 37 Fed Reg. at 18,230.
- FDA defined foods for “special dietary uses” in 1941. 21 C.F.R. § 105.3
Non-Government Developments & Reports


Townships are a product of Indiana’s early history, and Indiana is one of 20 states that currently has some form of township government. A township in the Indiana refers to a small geographic area, ranging in size from 6 to 54 square miles (15.6 km² to 140.4 km²), with 36 square miles (93 km²) being the norm. A civil township is a unit of local government. Township government powers in Indiana have grown to the point that it is difficult to discern the differences between townships, cities and villages.
There are, however, significant differences that are important to the people charged with administering township affairs and deciding township policies. Townships and counties are statutory units of government, having only those powers expressly provided or fairly implied by state law. Cities and most villages are vested with home rule powers, meaning they can do almost anything not prohibited by law.
State laws authorize townships to perform a wide variety of functions and state laws specify details for performing these functions.
Township trustees are elected officials, but many are volunteers, too, who help make their communities better places to live. By far the largest single group of elected officials in Indiana, Township Trustees govern 1,008 townships covering every part of the state. Like most elected officials, the Township Trustee serves a four-year term and many Township Trustees work at other jobs in addition to serving their constituents.
Assisting the Township Trustee in managing this very localized form of government is a three-member Township Board. Among its duties are the adoption of the annual budget, serving as a board of finance, and approving township contracts.
Indiana law requires that the Township Trustees provide essential services to the residents and businesses of the Township. Because of its "grassroots" structure, the Township Trustee system is designed specifically to quickly meet the needs of the individual in an emergency.
The ITA is the only township organization that provides legislative services to the 1008 townships. Our lobbyists meet with law makers on a daily basis while the legislature is in session. The ITA insures that all proposed legislation is studied to assess its impact township government. The ITA is the only association from local government that testifies on proposed bills that impact townships. Members of the state legislature come to the ITA when they have questions about township government.
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MINNETONKA, Minn. -- Backpacks are lighter this year for ninth graders at Minnetonka High School.
"I have most of my textbooks in iBooks," said 9th grader Rachel Marks.
That not only makes her load lighter, Marks can highlight text and digitally assemble all of her notes in an iBook, something she can't do in a school textbook.
It's just one aspect of a pilot program Minnetonka High School unveiled this year -- to put iPads in the hands of students.
"We've long believed in technology as an accelerator of learning," explained Julie Carter, Executive Director of Technology for Minnetonka Public Schools.
The district has been digitizing its curriculum for the past decade, and was looking for a way to put that information in the hands of students.
Laptops had drawbacks, including price, so when the iPad came along, Minnetonka took notice, and developed a plan that hinged on a key requirement. "Identifying a group of students that we could work with to have a controlled experiment where we could see, 'How does the technology change the learning experience for students?'" said Carter.
Minnetonka started by issuing iPads to half the 9th grade class, and using the other half of the class to compare. Teachers quickly noted some changes for the iPad group.
"Student engagement," said English teacher Sara Martinson. "They seem to be more involved in what they are doing."
The district also saw fewer D's and F's in the iPad group, as well as fewer late and missing assignments. Armed with that information, the district proceeded to give iPads to the other half of the ninth grade.
Now, teachers are incorporating the iPad into daily use. Science teacher Drew Danner says it doesn't work for everything, but many applications are proving useful for students, including one that allows students to take tests and have their results recorded in real time.
"Now they can go back on their practice tests or their quizzes and they can look at, 'Hey, I need to work on this certain set of problems,'" said Danner.
Danner is also able to plug important dates and assignments into students' Google calendars, which they can pull up on their iPads anytime they want.
Students' work is saved in "the cloud" so if an iPad should break, or be lost, the work is accessible from any computer or internet device. Carter says so far, there have been few issues of screens breaking, and no iPads have been lost.
Looming in the future for Minnetonka, the need to purchase new textbooks for two core subjects. At $100 a pop for a traditional copy, Apple's recent announcement it will be offering more textbooks at $14.99 in iBooks could prove to be a real cost-saver for the district.
If this year's pilot project continues to go well, Minnetonka hopes to use iPads at the 10th grade level, and continue expanding from there.
Minnetonka has created a series of tutorials for students and teachers to learn how to use and take care of their iPads. You can access that here.
(Copyright 2012 by KARE. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


Ganglion (GANG-lee-on) cysts are the most common type of soft tissue mass that form under your skin. Most commonly, ganglions are seen on the backside of the wrist and fingers, but they can also develop on your shoulder, elbow, and knee. Ganglions form when tissues surrounding certain joints become inflamed and swell up with lubricating fluid. In some cases, cysts can increase in size when the tissue is irritated and often can disappear spontaneously. Although these masses, which can be painful or painless, sometimes grow, they're not tumors or cancerous. The cause of ganglions is not always clear, however, conditions such as rheumatoid (rue-MAH-toyd) arthritis (arth-RYE-tis) have been associated with these cysts. Occupational factors can also play a role in the development of ganglions. Those occupations that require you to overuse certain joints, such as your wrist and fingers, pose a risk for developing ganglion cysts. A physician recognizes most ganglion cysts during physical examinations, but sometimes X-rays are used to confirm the diagnosis. A procedure called 'aspiration,' or the draining of the contents of the cyst, may be required to distinguish the differences from other causes of swelling. Other treatments for cysts can consist of rest or splinting the affected joint. If the cyst continues to reoccur, a surgeon can remove it.


By Pure Matters
Detailed information on pregnancy and childbirth, including information on birth statistics, pregnancy planning, preconception care, prenatal care, pregnancy discomforts, pregnancy tests, pregnancy risks, pregnancy warning signs, labor and delivery.
A pregnancy is divided into three phases, called trimesters. Each trimester has its own significant milestones. The first trimester is the most fragile period, during which all major organs and systems are formed. Most birth defects and miscarriages occur during the first trimester. During the second and third trimester, the fetus is fully formed and grows and matures rapidly. The trimesters are divided as follows:
- first trimester: 0 - 12 weeks
- second trimester: 12 - 24 weeks
- third trimester: 24 - 40 weeks
(However, some authorities use the 42 weeks method divided by 3 trimesters with the 1st trimester, 0 - 13 weeks; the 2nd trimester, 14 - 28 weeks; and the 3rd trimester, 29 - 42 weeks.)
Listed in the directory below, you will find additional information regarding the three phases of pregnancy, for which we have provided a brief overview.


Tour by Subject || Tour by Time Period || Introduction || Catalogue || Home
Chromolithography was developed in Germany in the 1840s but was not used much in bookbinding until the 1880s, when it became all the rage in England. Whether for entire book covers or only for onlays, many of these illustrations were printed on glazed paper so that the vibrant colors stood out. Childrens books have particularly good examples of this technique.
|Tschantre, Gracia. Tin Tan Tales. London: Ernest Nister; New York: E. P. Dutton & Company, ca. 1895.|
Introduction || Tour by Time Period || Tour by Subject || Catalogue
On exhibit through September 30, 2000, Rare Book Room, fourth floor, University of North Texas Libraries,
Weekdays 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Victorian Bookbinding Home || Rare Book and Texana Collections || Exhibits || UNT Libraries
Exhibit by Kenneth Lavender. Web design by Gwen Smith.
This page was last modified on Thursday, July 08, 2004.
University of North Texas © 2000 - All rights reserved.


AIDS dementia complex (ADC) can occur in people with
. ADC results in changes in multiple neurologic areas:
ADC is a common nervous system complication of late-stage HIV infection.
HIV destroys white blood cells vital to the immune system.
Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.
It is not clearly understood how HIV infection causes ADC.
Risk factors that increase your chances of having ADC include:
Symptoms usually develop slowly and worsen over time. They are grouped into stages:
Walking, balance, and coordination require a great deal of effort at this stage.
If you have any of these symptoms, do not assume they are due to ADC. These symptoms may be caused by other conditions.
Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done.
Tests may include:
Talk with your doctor about the best treatment plan for you. Treatment options include:
Anti-HIV drugs are often used to treat ADC. Your doctor will create a medicine plan that is right for you. These drugs are often given in combination.
Other medicines may be used along with antiretroviral therapy to treat symptoms of ADC. These may include:
ADC occurs in people with HIV. Ways to help reduce the risk of getting HIV include:
American Foundation for AIDS Researchhttp://www.amfar.org/
National Association of People with AIDShttp://www.napwa.org/
AIDS Committee of Torontohttp://www.actoronto.org/
Canadian AIDS Societyhttp://www.cdnaids.ca/
AIDS dementia complex. EBSCO Patient Education Reference Center website. Available at:
. Updated February 28, 2012. Accessed November 21, 2012.
AIDS dementia complex. Project Inform website. Available at:
. Updated January 2011. Accessed November 21, 2012.
AIDS dementia complex. University of California at San Francisco website. Available at:
. Accessed November 21, 2012.
HIV-associated dementia. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:
. Updated February 10, 2012. Accessed November 21, 2012.
Luo X, Carlson KA, Wojna V, et al. Macrophage proteomic fingerprinting predicts HIV-1-associated cognitive impairment.
Meehan RA, Brush JA. An overview of AIDS dementia complex.
Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen.
Nicholas MK, Lukas R, van Besein K.
Textbook of Neurological Surgery.
6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins; 2011: chap 46.
Royal W. HIV-associated Dementia. In: Gilman S, ed.
San Diego, CA: MedLink Corp.
Still have questions? Contact firstname.lastname@example.org. We are happy to assist you!
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- a. Identify two constellations and the North Star in the night sky.
- b. Make a pinhole planetarium and show three constellations.
- c. Visit a planetarium.
- d. Build a model of a rocket or space satellite.
- e. Read and talk about at least one man-made satellite and one natural one.
- f. Find a picture of another planet in our solar system. Explain how it is different from Earth.
This elective is also part of the World Conservation Award.
- a. Learn how to read an outdoor thermometer. Put one outdoors and read it at the same time every day for two weeks. Keep a record of each day's temperature and a description of the weather each day (fair skies, rain, fog, snow, etc.).
- b. Build a weather vane. Record wind direction every day at the same hour for two weeks. Keep a record of the weather for each day.
- c. Make a rain gauge.
- d. Find out what a barometer is and how it works. Tell your den about it. Tell what relative humidity means.
- e. Learn to identify three different kinds of clouds. Estimate their heights.
- f. Watch the weather forecast on TV every day for two weeks. Describe three different symbols used on weather maps. Keep a record of how many times the weather forecast is correct.
- a. Build a crystal or diode radio. Check with your local craft or hobby shop or the nearest Scout shop that carries a crystal radio kit. It is all right to use a kit.
- b. Make and operate a battery powered radio, following the directions with the kit.
- a. Wire a buzzer or doorbell.
- b. Make an electric buzzer game.
- c. Make a simple bar or horseshoe electromagnet.
- d. Use a simple electric motor.
- e. Make a crane with an electromagnetic lift.
- a. Help an adult rig and sail a real boat. (Wear your PFD.)
- b. Help an adult repair a real boat or canoe.
- c. Know the flag signals for storm warnings.
- d. Help an adult repair a boat dock.
- e. With an adult on board, and both wearing PFDs, row a boat around a 100-yard course that has at least two turns. Demonstrate forward strokes, turns to both sides, and backstrokes.
- a. Identify five different kinds of aircraft, in flight if possible, or from models or photos.
- b. Ride in a commercial airplane.
- c. Explain how a hot-air balloon works.
- d. Build and fly a model airplane. (You may use a kit. Every time you do this differently, it counts as a completed project.)
- e. Sketch and label an airplane showing the direction of forces acting on it (lift, drag, and load).
- f. Make a list of some of the things a helicopter can do that other kinds of airplanes can't. Draw or cut out a picture of a helicopter and label the parts.
- g. Build and display a scale model airplane. You may use a kit or build it from plans.
7. Things That Go
- a. With an adult's help, make a scooter or a Cubmobile. Know the safety rules.
- b. With an adult's help, make a windmill.
- c. With an adult's help, make a waterwheel.
- d. Make an invention of your own design that goes.
8. Cub Scout Band
- a. Make and play a homemade musical instrument - cigar-box banjo, washtub bull fiddle, a drum or rhythm set, tambourine, etc.
- b. Learn to play two familiar tunes on any musical instrument.
- c. Play in a den band using homemade or regular musical instruments. Play at a pack meeting.
- d. Play two tunes on any recognized band or orchestra instrument.
- a. Do an original art project and show it at a pack meeting. Every project you do counts as one requirement. Here are some ideas for art projects:Cub Scout Art Belt Loop #2, or Pin #2, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, or #11
- Mobile or wire sculpture
- Acrylic painting
- Watercolor painting
- Clay sculpture
- Silk screen picture
- b. Visit an art museum or picture gallery with your den or family.Cub Scout Art Pin #1
- c. Find a favorite outdoor location and draw or paint it.Cub Scout Art Belt Loop #2 or Pin #11
Cub Scout Art Pin #11
- a. Make a simple papier-mâché mask.
- b. Make an animal mask.
- c. Make a clown mask.
Cub Scout Art Pin #7
- a. Practice holding a camera still in one position. Learn to push the shutter button without moving the camera. Do this without film in the camera until you have learned how. Look through the viewfinder and see what your picture will look like. Make sure that everything you want in your picture is in the frame of your viewfinder.
- b. Take five pictures of the same subject in different kinds of light.
- 1. Subject in direct sun with direct light.
- 2. Subject in direct sun with side light.
- 3. Subject in direct sun with back light.
- 4. Subject in shade on a sunny day.
- 5. Subject on a cloudy day.
- c. Put your pictures to use.
- 1. Mount a picture on cardboard for display.
- 2. Mount a picture on cardboard and give it to a friend.
- 3. Make three pictures that show how something happened (tell a story) and write a one-sentence explanation for each.
- d. Take a picture in your house.
- 1. With available light
- 2. Using a flash attachment or photoflood (bright light)
12. Nature Crafts
This elective is also part of the World Conservation Award.
- a. Make solar prints of three kinds of leaves.
- b. Make a display of eight different animal tracks with an eraser print.
- c. Collect, press, and label ten kinds of leaves.
- d. Build a waterscope and identify five types of water life.
- e. Collect eight kinds of plant seeds and label them.
- f. Collect, mount, and label ten kinds of rocks or minerals.
- g. Collect, mount, and label five kinds of shells.
- h. Build and use a bird caller.
- a. Learn and show three magic tricks.
- b. With your den, put on a magic show for someone else.
- c. Learn and show four puzzles.
- d. Learn and show three rope tricks.
- a. With an adult, help take care of your lawn or flower beds or help take care of the lawn or flower beds of a public building, school, or church. Seed bare spots. Get rid of weeds. Pick up litter. Agree ahead of time on what you will do.
- b. Make a sketch of a landscape plan for the area right around your home. Talk it over with a parent or den leader. Show which trees, shrubs, and flowers you could plant to make the area look better.
- c. Take part in a project with your family, den, or pack to make your neighborhood or community more beautiful. These might be having a cleanup party, painting, cleaning and painting trash barrels, and removing weeds. (Each time you do this differently, it counts as a completed project.)
- d. Build a greenhouse and grow twenty plants from seed. You can use a package of garden seeds or use beans, pumpkin seeds, or watermelon seeds.
15. Water and Soil Conservation
This elective is also part of the World Conservation Award.
- a. Dig a hole or find an excavation project and describe the different layers of soil you see and feel. (Do not enter an excavation area alone or without permission.)
- b. Explore three kinds of earth by conducting a soil experiment.
- c. Visit a burned-out forest or prairie area, or a slide area, with your den or your family. Talk to a soil and water conservation officer or forest ranger about how the area will be planted and cared for so that it will grow to be the way it was before the fire or slide.
- d. What is erosion? Find out the kinds of grasses, trees, or ground cover you should plant in your area to help limit erosion.
- e. As a den, visit a lake, stream, river, or ocean (whichever is nearest where you live). Plan and do a den project to help clean up this important source of water. Name four kinds of water pollution.
16. Farm Animals
- a. Take care of a farm animal. Decide with your family the things you will do and how long you will do them.
- b. Name and describe six kinds of farm animals and tell their common uses.
- c. Read a book about farm animals and tell your den about it.
- d. With your family or den, visit a livestock exhibit at a county or state fair.
- a. With the help of an adult, fix an electrical plug or appliance.
- b. Use glue or epoxy to repair something.
- c. Remove and clean a drain trap.
- d. Refinish or repaint something.
- e. Agree with an adult in your family on some repair job to be done and do it. (Each time you do this differently, it counts as a completed project.)
18. Backyard Gym
- a. Build and use an outdoor gym with at least three items from this list:
- 1. Balance board
- 2. Trapeze
- 3. Tire walk
- 4. Tire swing
- 5. Tetherball
- 6. Climbing rope
- 7. Running long jump area
- b. Build three outdoor toss games.
- c. Plan an outdoor game or gym day with your den. (This can be part of a pack activity). Put your plans on paper.
- d. Hold an open house for your backyard gym.
There is something about this elective that is different from any other. That is this rule: Whenever you are working on the Swimming elective, you must have an adult with you who can swim.
- a. Jump feetfirst into water over your head, swim 25 feet on the surface, stop, turn sharply, and swim back.
- b. Swim on your back, using the elementary backstroke, for 30 feet.
- c. Rest by floating on your back, using as little motion as possible, for at least one minute.
- d. Tell what is meant by the buddy system. Know the basic rules of safe swimming.
- e. Do a racing dive from edge of pool and swim 60 feet, using a racing stroke. (You might need to make a turn.)
- a. In archery, know the safety rules and how to shoot correctly. Put six arrows into a 4-foot target at a distance of 15 feet. Make an arrow holder. (This can be done only at a district/council day or resident or family camp.)
- b. In skiing, know the Skier's Safety and Courtesy Code. Demonstrate walking and kick turn, climbing with a side step or herringbone, a snowplow stop, a stem turn, four linked snowplow or stem turns, straight running in a downhill position or cross-country position, and how to recover from a fall.
- c. In ice skating, know the safety rules. From a standing start, skate forward 150 feet; and come to a complete stop within 20 feet. Skate around a corner clockwise and counterclockwise without coasting. Show a turn from forward to backward. Skate backward 50 feet.
- d. In track, show how to make a sprint start. Run the 50-yard dash in 10 seconds or less. Show how to do the standing long jump, the running long jump, or high jump. (Be sure to have a soft landing area.)
- e. In roller skating (with conventional or in-line skates), know the safety rules. From a standing start, skate forward 150 feet and come to a complete stop within 20 feet. Skate around a corner clockwise and counterclockwise without coasting and show a turn from forward to backward. Skate backward 50 feet. Wear the proper protective clothing.
- f. Earn a new Cub Scout Sports pin. (Repeat three times with different sports to earn up to three Arrow Points.)Cub Scout Badminton Pin
- a. Take part in a council- or pack-sponsored, money-earning sales program. Keep track of the sales you make yourself. When the program is over, add up the sales you have made.
- b. Help with a garage sale or rummage sale. This can be with your family or a neighbor, or it can be a church, school, or pack event.
22. Collecting Things
- a. Start a stamp collection. You can get information about stamp collecting at any U.S. post office.
- b. Mount and display a collection of emblems, coins, or other items to show at a pack meeting. This can be any kind of collection. Every time you show a different kind of collection, it counts as one requirement.
- c. Start your own library. Keep your own books and pamphlets in order by subject. List the title, author, and subject of each on an index card and keep the cards in a file box, or use a computer program to store the information.
- a. Look up your state on a U.S. map. What other states touch its borders?
- b. Find your city or town on a map of your state. How far do you live from the state capital?
- c. In which time zone do you live? How many time zones are there in the U.S.?
- d. Make a map showing the route from your home to your school or den meeting place.
- e. Mark a map showing the way to a place you would like to visit that is at least 50 miles from your home.
24. American Indian Life
- a. American Indian people live in every part of what is now the continental United States. Find the name of the American Indian nation that lives or has lived where you live now. Learn about these people.
- b. Learn, make equipment for, and play two American Indian or other native American games with members of your den. Be able to tell the rules, who won, and what the score was.
- c. Learn what the American Indian people in your area (or another area) used for shelter before contact with the Europeans. Learn what American Indian people in that area used for shelter today. Make a model of one of these shelters, historic or modern. Compare the kind of shelter you made with the others made in your den.
25. Let's Go Camping
- a. Learn about the ten essential items you need for a hike or campout. Assemble your own kit of essential items. Explain why each item is "essential."
- b. Go on a short hike with your den, following the buddy system. Explain how the buddy system works and why it is important to you to follow it. Tell what to do if you are lost.
- c. Participate with your den in front of the pack at a campfire.
- d. Participate with your pack on an overnight campout. Help put up your tent and help set up the campsite.
- e. Participate with your den in a religious service during an overnight campout or other Cub Scouting event.
- f. Attend day camp in your area.
- g. Attend resident camp in your area.
- h. Earn the Cub Scout Leave No Trace Award.
|| The official source for the information shown in this article or section is:|
Bear Handbook, 2003 Edition (BSA Supply No. 33451)
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Source: youtube channel funfunfunfunfunfive, wikipedia
"Paper Marbling is a method of aqueous surface design, which can produce patterns similar to smooth marble or other stone. The patterns are the result of color floated on either plain water or a viscous solution known as size, and then carefully transferred to an absorbent surface, such as paper or fabric. Through several centuries, people have applied marbled materials to a variety of surfaces. It is often employed as a writing surface for calligraphy, and especially book covers and endpapers in bookbinding and stationery. Part of its appeal is that each print is a unique monotype."
The history of Paper Marbling is said to originate in different parts of East Asia. Known to be used in China, Persia, Ottoman Turkey, in Islamic Empires then Europe.


When reference is made to the value of a property, generally fair market value is meant. Market price is what one might get from the sale of the property in terms of money. Sometimes value and price are the same, most particularly when there is no compulsion to buy or sell. Under other circumstances, there might be a wide difference between the market value of a property and the actual sale price. The appraiser must be careful to consider normal buyers and sellers attitudes for the type of property appraised. The appraiser is estimating actual market value not theoretical value.
The immobility of real estate makes it unique. Theoretically, there are no two parcels exactly alike and therefore no means of making a total comparison between properties. Circumstances of one buyer and one seller affect the sale price of a specific property, whereas the actions of many buyers and sellers of similar type properties determine the going rate for the sale or exchange of property on the open market.
Among the various types of value that have been designated from time to time are book value, tax value, market value, cash value, capital value, speculative value, par value, true value, exchange value, reproduction value, physical value, replacement value, insurance value, investment value, rental value, face value, depreciated value, leasehold value, sound value, sales value and cost value.
The real estate broker should be concerned mostly with the concept of Fair Market Value, or simply market value, for this is the basis upon which most property is generally bought and sold.


More and more people over the age of 50 are being diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections — a development that has a medical journal urging doctors to be more vigilant when treating older patients.
The Student BMJ, an international journal published for medical students, says doctors need to ensure that when they are diagnosing older individuals, they aren't ruling out sexually transmitted infections based on age alone.
"Sexually transmitted infections are not high on your list of differential diagnoses — but increasing evidence indicates that they should be," as cases of common infections have more than doubled in people aged 50 to 90 years old, the editorial says.
According to one study, 80 per cent of the people in that age group are sexually active.
One of the authors of the editorial, Rachel von Simson, a medical student at King's College London, said in an email that despite the dramatic rise in infections, there isn't enough awareness and more education is necessary.
Von Simson says that it shouldn't be more difficult to educate older adults.
"Whilst we have a huge evidence base on what works to educate young people about sex and sexually transmitted infections and we have had lots of campaigns over the years dedicated towards them, we don't have any evidence base on what will work with older adults," she said.
"If all the campaigns older adults see are targeted at young adults, it is not surprising that they might take from that that they are not at risk."
At the Calgary Sexual Health Centre a program called Seniors A GoGo is helping bring the message to older people in the city, according to the centre's spokeswoman.
Pam Krause said that through monologues on sexuality led by seniors and education seminars, Seniors A GoGo is able to educate people who may not have had sex ed when they were in school.
"The first year what was interesting was (the seniors) talked about sexuality in a really, really broad way about it being about relationships and love and not being lonely," Krause said. "Then the seniors themselves said the second year, 'I think we actually need to kick it up a notch.' "
From there the sessions for Seniors A GoGo involved discussions about condoms and the dangers of unprotected sex.
"It's funny, but it is shocking sometimes how uncomfortable people when thinking about older adults and sexuality. So there's this immediate barrier," Krause said. "You can talk to youth about a lot of stuff . . . but as soon as you address anything with older adults, for whatever reason our culture is ill prepared to deal with the fact that people over 50" are still having sex, she said.
Krause said that previously there were few resources for seniors making the transition after the death of a spouse or after moving into a seniors' home. Seniors A GoGo helps by opening up a conversation with experts and other seniors so they get the right information.
Practicing safe sex is especially important for older people because of their general decline in immunity, von Simson said. If more seniors are aware of the consequences of STIs and more doctors are on the lookout for them, the infections can be caught earlier and are less likely to cause serious harm.
Von Simson said that more research is required so that the medical community can get a better handle on STI rates in older people, and how they can be better educated.


The Life LineMade in United States, North and Central America
Winslow Homer, American, 1836 - 1910
Oil on canvas
E1924-4-15The George W. Elkins Collection, 1924
LabelThe dramatic rescue from a foundering ship shown here was made possible by a recent innovation in lifesaving technology, the breeches buoy. Secured firmly to ship and shore, the device permitted the transfer of stranded passengers to safety by means of a pulley that was hauled back and forth by crews at either end. Cropped down to its essentials, Homer's composition thrusts us into the midst of the action with massive waves rolling past, drenching the semiconscious woman and her anonymous savior. The Life Line was immediately recognized by critics as a major contribution to American art, portraying a heroic, contemporary subject with both painterly virtuosity and detailed observation.
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* Works in the collection are moved off view for many different reasons. Although gallery locations on the website are updated regularly, there is no guarantee that this object will be on display on the day of your visit.


The Coca-Cola System Announces New Global Targets for Water Conservation and Climate Protection in Partnership With WWF
The Coca-Cola Company, in partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), today announced ambitious new targets to improve water efficiency and reduce carbon emissions within its system-wide operations, while promoting sustainable agricultural practices and helping to conserve the world’s most important freshwater basins.
“Our sustainability as a business demands a relentless focus on efficiency in our use of natural resources. These performance targets are one way we are engaging to improve our management of water and energy,” said Muhtar Kent, president and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company.
“In this resource constrained world, successful businesses will find ways to achieve growth while using fewer resources,” said Carter Roberts, president and CEO of WWF-US. “The Coca-Cola Company’s commitment to conservation responds to the imperative to solve the global water and climate crisis.”
The partnership, announced by WWF and The Coca-Cola Company in 2007 with $20 million in funding, has now been extended an additional two years (through 2012) with the Company providing $3.75 million in new funding.
The Coca-Cola Company also joined WWF’s Climate Savers program in which leading corporations from around the world work with WWF to dramatically reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. By 2010, Climate Savers companies will collectively cut carbon emissions by 14 million tons annually – the equivalent to taking more than 3 million cars off the road each year.
Water Efficiency — Saving 50 billion liters in 2012
The Coca-Cola system will improve its water efficiency 20 percent by 2012, compared to a baseline year 2004. While water use is expected to increase as the business grows, this water efficiency target will eliminate approximately 50 billion liters of that increase in 2012.
To support this efficiency target, The Coca-Cola Company and WWF have developed a Water Efficiency Toolkit to help reduce water consumption within bottling plants. This software-based instruction manual has been distributed to managers and operators throughout the Coca-Cola system, providing strategies to shrink the water footprint of their operations.
Climate Protection — Preventing 2 million tons of CO(2) emissions
The Company has set two emissions reduction targets: 1) grow the business, not the carbon system-wide and 2) a 5 percent absolute reduction in Annex 1 (developed) countries. The emissions targets apply to manufacturing operations in the year 2015 compared to a baseline year of 2004.
The Coca-Cola Company and its bottlers anticipate substantial volume growth globally during this period, thus growing the business without growing the carbon is a significant commitment. Without intervention, emissions would grow proportional to volume and reach 7.3 million metric tons in 2015. Thus, the global commitment will prevent the release of more than 2 million metric tons of CO(2) in 2015 – the equivalent of planting 600,000 acres of trees.
Supply Chain Sustainability
The Coca-Cola Company also will work with WWF to promote more sustainable agricultural practices in an effort to reduce the impact of its supply chain on water resources. This work will initially focus on sugarcane production. The Coca-Cola Company and WWF are working with the Better Sugarcane Initiative to establish standards, evaluate suppliers and set goals for the purchase of sugar. The Coca-Cola Company will identify two additional commodities on which to work in 2009.
The Coca-Cola system and WWF are working together to conserve some of the world’s most important freshwater resources, including the Yangtze, Mekong, Danube, Rio Grande/Rio Bravo, Lakes Niassa and Chiuta, the Mesoamerican Reef catchments, and the rivers and streams in the southeastern region of the United States. More than a dozen production plants and/or bottlers in the areas surrounding these rivers are developing and implementing water stewardship plans to serve as models throughout the Coca-Cola system.
“Water and energy conservation are areas where we can truly make a difference. Last year, we set a goal to return to communities and to nature an amount of water equal to what we use in our beverages and their production. These targets support our work to achieve that goal,” said Kent. “The expansion of our partnership with WWF demonstrates our shared dedication to achieving large-scale results, and a grounded understanding that collaboration is key if we are to help address the world’s water challenges.”
To learn more about the partnership, please visit www.thecoca-colacompany.com or www.worldwildlife.org.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 450 sparkling and still brands. Along with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world’s most valuable brand, the Company’s portfolio includes 12 other billion dollar brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid and Georgia Coffee. Globally, we are the No.1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company’s beverages at a rate of 1.5 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. For more information about our Company, please visit our Web site at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.
About World Wildlife Fund
WWF is the world’s largest conservation organization, working in 100 countries for nearly half a century. With the support of almost 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, stop the degradation of the environment and combat climate change. Visit www.worldwildlife.org to learn more.


During the Star Wars years of the 1980s, Tom Paterson worked at a defense think tank creating elaborate mathematical models to help military commanders quickly decide which weapons to deploy to counter incoming missiles. Inputs from hundreds of sensors had to be combined to generate a consummate picture of events that would be unfolding in a matter of minutes, enabling the fateful choice about when to launch.
When the cold war ended, Paterson, like many defense engineers, tried to find a way to apply his skills elsewhere. He ultimately took on a task that made shooting down missiles seem pedestrian. A challenge faced by engineers in the Star Wars program--designing software to pick out critical targets despite an overload of data--carried over to simulations of how drugs work in the metabolic and immune systems that drive the most complex machine we know.
This article was originally published with the title Reverse-Engineering Clinical Biology.