What is Strabismus?
Strabismus is a visual defect in which the eyes not offer regular and seem to see the different directions. It may be this remarkable lack of integrity or he may always appears and disappears. Where one of the eyes directed forwards directly, while the other eye deviates inward or outward, or up or down. Note that the eye upright deviant may sometimes appear straight eye deviation sometimes. And is Eye Squint Surgery is a common condition affecting children and stands 0.5% in males and females alike, as well as a possibility at a later stage of life, taking into account the fact that the year may affect more than one individual in the family or that might affect people who have no relatives living with this situation .
Vision using both eyes
normal in a healthy person, where the eyes tend to the same visual target. The Centre for Sight in the brain integrate the two pictures into one image three-dimensional (stereo image). Eye Squint Surgery When one eye deviates or become a non-integrity, it results in sending two different images to the brain. The young children affected by this situation, the brain to receive the image transmitted from the eye that provides better visibility and ignores the image from the other eye, and this causes low vision in the eye is not straight (laziness Visual) with some loss of ability to perceive the third dimension of vision (stereo image ).
For those adults who develop strabismus, are often have double vision because the brain due to receive pictures memoranda from both eyes, and therefore can not ignore the image from the eye is not straight.
Failure to the integrity of the eyes in childhood may cause decline in capacity optical or laziness in one eye, where the brain receives the image from the eye that sees better, ignoring the image from the eye of others straight or lazy, and this happens with half of children with strabismus approx. May be treated by the laziness of the eye by covering the eye that provides vision best for the child in order Eye Squint Surgery to improve the visual ability of the eye weaker.
Causes and symptoms of strabismus
Common causes of about as follows:
* Infection may occur as a result of hereditary factors,
* Or after sight,
* Loss of sight in one eye, which usually happens as a result of injury to specific diseases.
* It may also be damage to nerves in the eye muscles specific cause of injury strabismus.
Eye Squint Surgery ,There are six muscles controlling eye movement, these muscles are connected to the external part of the eye. In order to install and focus both eyes on the goal of visible and one must be a balance and coordination of work between the six muscles in each eye.
Detection and diagnosis of the situation
Should be an examination of children by a specialist doctor during the early stages of childhood, especially before they enter school, in order to detect any possibility of the presence of eye diseases. This is all important if a relative suffer from the presence on or lazy eye. It is worth mentioning that he had observed in some infants and there is about as a result of the fact that they have a broad nose and a fold in the eyelid, which may obscure the eye by staring at it may appear as if their eyes on the so-called false strabismus. This situation is improving with the growth of the child, while the year do not improve with the real growth of the child if it exceeds four months old. Eye Squint Surgery The eye doctor can distinguish real cases of the year, so you must examine the child in case of doubt about the existence of the child's eye.
The purpose of the treatment of strabismus
is as follows:
1 - To maintain the visual ability of the eye.
2 - achieving the integrity of the eyes.
3 - the ability to restore vision in both eyes simultaneously.
The different treatment of strabismus from case to case depending on the reason leading to the injury, where treatment may include the use of eyeglasses or Eye Squint Surgery to modify the development of eye muscles, or eradication of cataract (lens of the eye dark), or correct any other defects are the cause of deviation of the eye normal. In the light of in-kind comprehensive examination of the parts of the internal and external eye, eye doctor determines the quality of treatment appropriate to the situation, whether visually or treated medically or surgically, may require treatment that combines two or more of these treatments. In addition to covering the sound eye to improve visual ability in the affected eye if necessary.
Eye Squint Surgery
That strabismus surgery does not require eye out, it may be necessary to perform the surgery in one eye or both. That Eye Squint Surgery for children requires the use of anesthesia either with the full adult patients can use local anesthesia. And the need will continue to wear prismatic glasses or contact lenses after surgery. Correction might occur plus or minus correction of about, which may require a second operation. It is recommended early surgical intervention to correct strabismus in infants where the possibility of growth of normal vision in both eyes may be realized as soon as the integrity of the eyes. And this is the timing of the Eye Squint Surgery by the ophthalmologist by-case basis that strabismus surgery is like any other surgery where it can be some complications such as bleeding or infections, etc. .. However, in general, surgery is the year of surgery is safe and effective treatment for cases of non-integrity of the eyes, should be noted, however, it is not a substitute for the use of eyeglasses or remedies to cases of lazy eye.
Botox is a drug and a new drug has been used recently as an alternative to Eye Squint Surgery, the eye muscles of some patients with strabismus. When injecting the drug into the muscle of the eye, occurs twice a temporary relaxation of a muscle causing the muscle to pull the interview and thus integrity of the eye. Although the effects of this drug usually fades after several weeks, the achievement of integrity in the eye may continue in some patients permanently.


A Colorado student space research consortium led by the University of Colorado Boulder teamed up with a Virginia space consortium led by the University of Virginia this week to help aspiring rocket scientists from around the country learn how to design, build and fly payloads.
The program allowed more than 120 students and educators from around the country to delve into the world of rocket science June 15-21 during Rocket Week at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. All participants -- including 10 CU-Boulder students -- were present for a sounding rocket launch carrying various experiments developed by students that successfully lifted off June 20 at 5:30 a.m. EDT.
Activities during the week included a “RockOn!” workshop for 50 university and community college-level participants led by Chris Koehler, director of the Colorado Space Grant Consortium, or COSGC. RockOn! introduces participants to building small experiments that can be launched on suborbital sounding rockets and supports a national program known as STEM that uses classes in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to improve the nation’s competitiveness in technology.
“Working with NASA, we have developed a step approach to expand the skills needed for students to enter careers in STEM,” said Koehler of CU-Boulder’s aerospace engineering sciences department. “RockOn! is the first step, followed by RockSat-C and then RockSat-X. Each step is technically more challenging than the previous one, allowing the students to expand the skills needed to support the aerospace industry.”
The RockOn! participants built standardized experiments that were launched Thursday on a NASA Terrier-Improved Orion suborbital sounding rocket. The 35-foot-tall rocket flew to an altitude of about 75 miles. After launch and payload recovery, the participants began conducting preliminary data analysis and discussing their results.
Nine custom-built Rocksat-C experiments, developed at universities that previously participated in a RockOn! workshop, also flew inside a payload canister on the rocket, said Koehler. About 50 students who designed and built the experiments attended Rocket Week.
Also attending were university participants in RockSat-X, said Koehler. They are previous Rocksat-C participants who flew six custom-built experiments aboard a sounding rocket from Wallops in August.
COSGC is a statewide organization involving 17 colleges, universities and institutions around Colorado and is funded by NASA to give students access to space through innovative courses, real-world, hands-on telescope and satellite programs, and interactive outreach programs, said Koehler.
COSGS is one of 52 space grant consortia in the nation -- including Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia -- and is one of the most active, having flown scores of payloads on high-altitude balloons, sounding rockets and even space shuttles, giving thousands of undergraduates and graduate students a taste of space research since the program began in Boulder in 1989, said Koehler.
The week’s activities also included activities by the Wallops Rocket Academy for Teachers and Students, or WRATS, for a high school audience. The rocket programs at Wallops continue NASA’s investment in the nation’s education programs by supporting the goal of attracting and retaining students in STEM disciplines critical to the future of space exploration.
The RockOn! and WRATS workshops are supported by NASA’s Sounding Rocket Program. RockOn! also is supported by NASA’s Office of Education and NASA’s National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program in partnership with the Colorado and Virginia Space Grant Consortia.


The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Language and Communication Quotes Page 1
How we cite our quotes:
"Oh I dasn't, Mars Tom. Ole missis she'd take an' tar de head off'n me. 'Deed she would." (2.7)
However crude Twain's attempt to render Jim's manner of speaking may seem, his commitment to capturing different dialects is noteworthy.
"Umf! Well, you didn't get a lick amiss, I reckon. You been into some owdacious mischief when I wasn't around, right enough." (3.22)
Twain's ability to capture the sound of speech on the page becomes more evident when you compare the different ways characters speak. Here you can see how Aunt Polly's voice compares to Jim's.
"Hold! Who comes here into Sherwood Forest without my pass?"
"Guy of Guisborne wants no man's pass. Who art thou that -- that --"
"Dares to hold such language," said Tom, prompting -- for they talked "by the book," from memory. (8.17-19)
Here we see that Tom and Joe Harper are actually able to change their manner of speaking to suit their role-playing; they, like Twain, understand what a difference "voice" can make. (It should also be noticed that Tom has no trouble remembering lines from Robin Hood, but he can't even memorize the smallest bit of the Sermon on the Mount for Sunday school.)


Sequoia sempervirens/Coast Redwood Information Sources
Sequoia sempervirens/Coast Redwood is found along a narrow strip of coastal land in central and northern California and extreme southwestern Oregon. It is renown for its enormous biomass and exerts a dominating influence on its ecosystem. The lumber of Coast Redwood is of economic importance because of its high resistance to decay.
This research guide lists print and Internet sources that contain basic information on Coast Redwood biology, ecology, and wood characteristics. The references found within these sources lead to other more detailed studies.
For brief introductions to Coast Redwood see:
- Annotated Bibliography of the Biology of the Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens (D.Don) Endl.) (Rogers) 1997 (print copy available in SD 397 R3 R65 1997) Covers literature on the biology of redwood from 1955-1997. Entries are grouped into one of seven major categories. Updates California Coast Redwood: An Annotated Bibliography.
- Annotated Bibliography on the Ecology of Redwood, Sequoia Sempervirens (Jacobi & McBride) 1977 (SD 397 R3 J33) Prepared for the National Park Service. Includes 311 references along with a subject index.
- California Coast Redwood: An Annotated Bibliography To and Including 1955 (Fritz) 1957 (print copy available in SD 397 R3 F75) Comprehensive annotated bibliography through 1955 on all aspects of redwood. The 2,000 included references are from magazines, reports, and books. Arranged by subject with author and subject indexes.
- Redwood and Sequoia Bibliography (California Academy of Sciences) Selective list of internet sites and books on redwood.
Basic Information Sources
- Coast Redwood: a Natural and Cultural History (Evarts and Popper) 2001 (SD 397 R3 C63 2001) A popularly written work that covers redwood ecology; harvest and utilization; wildlife associated with redwood forests; and redwood preservation, conservation and management.
- Coast Redwood: Sequoia sempervirens (SelecTree for California: A Tree Selection Guide) Contains brief information on 49 characteristics (site characteristics, tree characteristics, maintenance and use) that can be used to determine horticultural site selection.
- Coast Redwood Ecology and Management (Norman) "Website developed to help managers and the public appreciate how redwood forests change over time due to fire, wind, climate and human influences."
- Coastal Redwoods (Snyder) Includes the text of James Snyder's master's thesis on "The Ecology of Sequoia sempervirens" and seven other general presentations from a series on the "California Redwoods."
- Ecology of the Coast Redwood Region (Humboldt State College) 1963-64 (QK 941 C3 H8 Hum Co Coll) Report prepared for the National Park Service. Contains individually authored chapters on climate, fish, redwood ecology, birds, big game and miscellaneous animals.
- Forests of Northwestern California (Sawyer), pp 253-295 IN Terrestrial Vegetation of California (Barbour and Major) 2007 (QK 149 T44 2007) Describes both the coastal temperate rain forest characterized by redwood and the interior conifer forests known for their species richness.
- Northern California Coastal Forests (World Wildlife Fund) Contains a general description of this ecoregion. A more extensive conservation assessment appears in Terrestrial Ecoregions of North America: a Conservation Assessement (Ricketts) 1999 (print copy available in Ref Qh 77 N56 T47 1999)
- Plants of the Coast Redwood Region (Lyons, Cooney-Lazaneo and King) 1988 (QK149 L95 1988 Hum Co Coll) Popular work containing short descriptions and color photographs organized into five categories--conifers, broadleaf trees, flowers, ferns and exotic (non-native) plants. Covers the redwood forest, mixed evergreen and oak woodland plant communities.
- Pocket Flora of the Redwood Forest (Becking) 1982 (QK 149 B38 1982 Hum Co Coll) Contains identification keys and descriptions of 200 common plants in the redwood forest community.
- Proceedings of the Conference on Coast Redwood Forest Ecology & Management : June 18-20, 1996, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California (LeBlanc)1996 (print copy available in SD 397 R3 C65 1996 Hum Co Coll) Collection of papers presented at a redwood ecology conference. Following a section of general overview papers presented at plenary sessions there are more specific papers on silviculture, ecology and management, wildlife, watershed and restoration, and genetics and physiology.
- Proceedings of the Redwood Region Forest Science Symposium: What does the future Hold? (Standiford and others) 2007 USFS General Technical Report PSW-194) (print copy available in Docs A13.88: PSW-194) Papers provide a sampling of current scientific work on coastal redwood to enable access to more detail and other sources of information and to put these findings into a context where such information can be synthesized and interpreted for applications in land and resource management. Session papers cover water and watersheds, genetics and regeneration, forest ecology, silviculture, wildlife and fisheries, erosion and physical processes, and forest policy.
- Proceedings of Coast Redwood Forests in a Changing California: a Symposium for Scientists and Managers (Standiford, Weller, Piirto and Stuart) 2012 (USFS Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-238) Includes over 75 papers that present the current state of knowledge about coast redwood forest ecosystems and sustainable management practices.
- Redwood (Olson and Fiske), pp 37-40 IN Silvicultural Systems for the Major Forest Types of the United States (Burns) 1983 (USDA Agriculture Handbook #445) (print copy available in Docs A 1.76:445) Summarizes the silviculture treatments for commercial growth of redwood along with associated biological factors.
- Redwood Ed: a Guide to the Coast Redwoods for Teachers and Learners (Roa) 2007 (print copy available in QK 494.5.T3 R63 2007 Humboldt County Collection) Written for teachers, naturalists and others who wants a comprehensive guide to the coast redwood forests and parks in a format that is easy-to-use and understand, rather than an in-depth scientific study. Covers both natural and human history of the redwoods. Prepared for California State Parks and the Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods.
- The Redwood Forest and Associated North Coast Forests (Zinke) pp 679-698 IN Terrestrial Vegetation of California (Barbour and Major) 1988 (QK 149 T44 1988) Describes the ecological relationships of the redwood vegetation type.
- The Redwood Forest: History, Ecology, and Conservation of the Coast Redwoods (Noss) 2000 (SD 397 R3 R455 2000 Hum Co Coll) Scholarly work on the biology and ecology of redwood forests with chapters on geological history, redwood biology, terrestrial fauna, aquatic ecosystems, conservation and management.
- Redwood Forests pp 12-27 IN California Forests and Woodlands: A Natural History (Johnston) 1994 (QH 105 C2 J59 1994) Popular treatment of redwood ecology and the interrelationships between plants and animals in the redwood forest.
- Redwoods: The World's Largest Trees (Hewes) 1981 (SD 397 R3 H48 Humboldt County Collection) Popularly written book that covers the biology, logging history, and conservation of redwood.
- Sequoia sempervirens pp 128-139 IN Silva of California (Jepson) 1910 (print copy available in Q 11 C34 vol. 2) (Memoirs of the University of California vol. 2) Early scholarly work on the "timber trees" of California. Accounts for each species include taxonomy, geographical distribution, dendrological characteristics and economic importance.
- Sequoia sempervirens/Redwood (Olsen, Roy & Walters) pp 541-522 IN Silvics of North America (Burns & Honkala) 1990 (USDA Agriculture Handbook #654) (print copy available in ref QK 481 B87 1990) Describes the silvical characteristics of redwood, including habitat, special uses, genetics and life history during reproduction, early growth stages, sapling and pole stages to maturity.
- Sequoia sempervirens pp 110-112 IN Softwoods of North America (Alden) 1997 (USFS General Technical Report-FPL-102) (print copy available in Docs A 13.88:FPL-102) Includes sections on nomenclature, general wood characteristics, working properties, durability, preservation, uses, and toxicity.
- Sequoia sempervirens (Sloan and Boe) (Woody Plant Seed Manual - US Forest Service) (print copy of 1974 version available in Seeds of Woody Plants in the United States (Schopmeyer) 1974 (USDA Agriculture Handbook 450) (Docs A 1.76:45) Account includes information on growth habit; flowering and fruiting; collection of cones and extraction of seeds; seed germination; and nursery practice.
- Sequoia sempervirens (Fire Effects Information System--U.S. Forest Service) Contains background information on taxonomy, distribution, basic biology, and ecology along with references to pertinent literature. Emphasis is on fire and how it affects redwood.
- Sequoia sempervirens (CalFlora) Includes brief information on nomenclature, distribution, habit and life form; a database of observations of occurence; and links to photos in the CalFlora database and to other sources of information.
- Sequoia sempervirens (Gymnosperm Database) Includes basic information on taxonomy, description, and range. Also includes information on the largest trees and other remarks.
- Sequoia sempervirens (Plants Database - US Natural Resources Conservation Services) Includes brief information on taxonomy, distribution, morphology and physiology, growth requirements, and reproduction. Also includes links to other species accounts and images.
- Sequoia sempervirens (Flora of North America) 1993 (print copy available in Flora of North America, Vol. 2, p 402, QK 110 F55 1993 vol.2) Includes a taxonomic description and associated images of the needles and cones.
- The Sequoia sempervirens (Coast Redwood) Forest of the Pacific Coast, USA (Duff), pp 221-236 IN Coastally Restricted Forests (Laderman) 1998 (QK 115 C63 1998) Includes sections on distribution, ecological factors influencing distribution, dominance, community status, classification, successional stages, vegetative reproduction, geological history, taxonomic relationships, genetics, and economic and conservation issues.
- Silvical Characteristics of Redwood (Roy) 1966 (print copies available in the HSU Library) ( US Forest Service Research Paper PSW-28) Describes the climatic, edaphic, physiographic, and biotic habitat conditions of the natural range of redwood and how it reproduces, grows, and dies.
Last Updated: February 11, 2013, by Robert Sathrum


Despite hype by environmentalists and many media outlets, the slow collapse of major glaciers in western Antarctica is nothing new, according to scientists. The warming and cooling in the South Pole is well in line with historical trends dating back thousands of years.
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has released two major studies in the last year that have shed light on western Antarctic collapsing glaciers — both of which show that the thinning sea ice in the western south pole is nothing new.
A BAS study released in February found that 8,000 years ago Antarctica’s Pine Island glacier thinned just as fast as it has in recent decades. This happened thousands of years before the Industrial Revolution, which scientists and environmentalists blame for releasing massive amounts of carbon dioxide emissions that have warmed the atmosphere.
The point of the BAS study was to see how a thinning Pine Island glacier affected sea levels thousands of years ago. Scientists say Pine Island is currently going through “ocean-driven” melting — as more warm ocean water is getting under the ice shelf.
“Our geological data show us the history of Pine Island Glacier in greater detail than ever before,” the study’s lead author Joanne Johnson of BAS said in a statement. “The fact that it thinned so rapidly in the past demonstrates how sensitive it is to environmental change; small changes can produce dramatic and long-lasting results.”
“Based on what we know, we can expect the rapid ice loss to continue for a long time yet, especially if ocean-driven melting of the ice shelf in front of Pine Island Glacier continues at current rates,” Johnson said.
Not only did Pine Island glacier experience similar melting to today, it also was able to reverse the melting naturally.
Another study from BAS released last year found that the current melt in the western Antarctic is within the “natural range of climate variability” of the last 300 years.
“The record shows that this region has warmed since the late 1950s, at a similar magnitude to that observed in the Antarctic Peninsula and central West Antarctica,” said a BAS study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters last year, “however, this warming trend is not unique.”
“More dramatic isotopic warming (and cooling) trends occurred in the mid-19th and 18th centuries, suggesting that at present the effect of anthropogenic climate drivers at this location has not exceeded the natural range of climate variability in the context of the past ~300 years,” the study said.


One of the best parts of being a child is the inherent creativity and curiosity. Children are open to new ideas, trying different things, and exploring. So how do you encourage them?
We’ve created a list of ideas to inspire your children to pursue their current interests and discover some new ones. Plus, you don’t need to spend a lot (or any!) money to nurture your child’s imagination and interests. Take the opportunity to expose your child to a variety of different activities to encourage a love of learning and exploration. You never know where it might lead.
Take your child’s interest to the Internet, while modeling safe use, by exploring areas your child wants to learn more about. Check out YouTube videos about a topic, use a hashtag on Instagram to view pictures about this topic, and check out websites geared toward kids’ exploration, such as PBS Kids or Info Ohio. Download podcasts geared toward children or watch a how-to video and learn to do something new.
Connect with or Shadow Someone
If your child has a particular interest, see if there is anyone in your community willing to talk to your child or event let them visit at work. Your child can learn more about the topic by asking first-hand questions and watching.
Your local library is a great resource full of free opportunities to explore and try out new things. Make sure your child has their own library card and challenge them to check out a nonfiction book or biography during each visit. This will allow them to investigate a topic they might not have thought about before.
Community Centers/Local Theaters
Community centers and theaters are good places to look for sample-sized programs. Many offer one-day workshops or classes that combine multiple activities. Summer camp programs also are a good source for shortened programs, allowing your child to try out something without committing a large amount of time or money.
Think beyond sports at your child’s school. Most schools also have fun and unique afterschool clubs (such as photography, art club, theater, etc.). Challenge your child to join one or two of them. Not only will they explore a new topic, they may meet new friends.
Volunteering provides a variety of positives for your child. It teaches them how to help others and it allows your child to explore different interests. Consider connecting some volunteering to your child’s topic of interest. If they like animals, volunteer at the local shelter. If your child likes theater, perhaps they could help take tickets at a community production.


This important aspect of Paediatric Dentistry is covered in detail, with special reference to the inter-disciplinary nature of diagnosis and treatment of medically compromised and special needs children. Trainees must become proficient in the management of children with many conditions, including congenital cardiac disease, haematological disorders, immunodeficiencies, malignancies, endocrinopathies, respiratory diseases and neurological disease. They must also develop the knowledge and skills to provide high quality care to children with intellectual and physical disabilities.
clinical prac 24hr/wk, 4x3 hr tut
clinical prac (25%), tutorials (25%), 1x3 hr written exam (25%), 1x viva voce(25%)
Handbook of Pediatric Dentistry, Cameron and Widmer, 4th Edition


search-forward function is used to locate the
zap-to-char. If the search is
search-forward leaves point immediately after the
last character in the target string. (In
target string is just one character long.
zap-to-char uses the
char-to-string to ensure that the computer treats that
character as a string.) If the search is backwards,
search-forward leaves point just before the first character in
the target. Also,
t for true.
(Moving point is therefore a side effect.)
search-forward function looks like this:
(search-forward (char-to-string char) nil nil arg)
search-forward function takes four arguments:
As it happens, the argument passed to
zap-to-char is a single
character. Because of the way computers are built, the Lisp
interpreter may treat a single character as being different from a
string of characters. Inside the computer, a single character has a
different electronic format than a string of one character. (A single
character can often be recorded in the computer using exactly one
byte; but a string may be longer, and the computer needs to be ready
for this.) Since the
search-forward function searches for a
string, the character that the
zap-to-char function receives as
its argument must be converted inside the computer from one format to
the other; otherwise the
search-forward function will fail.
char-to-string function is used to make this conversion.
nilas the third argument causes the function to signal an error when the search fails.
search-forwardis the repeat count—how many occurrences of the string to look for. This argument is optional and if the function is called without a repeat count, this argument is passed the value 1. If this argument is negative, the search goes backwards.
In template form, a
search-forward expression looks like this:
(search-forward "target-string" limit-of-search what-to-do-if-search-fails repeat-count)
We will look at


CBD To Reduce Inflammation Caused By MS
Multiple sclerosis, or better known as MS, is a disabling disease of the central nervous system. It affects the flow of information from the brain to the body. The cause of MS is currently unknown and symptoms can relieve in time. Two-thirds of those affected with the disease are women. The signs and symptoms of MS vary from person to person but are typically quite debilitating. Recent research has shown CBD to reduce inflammation caused By MS. However, before we dig deeper into this enlightening information, the most common signs and symptoms of MS are:
- Loss of cognitive function
What is CBD?
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a major non-psychotomimetic compound of the Cannabis Sativa plant. It provides many benefits similar to that of Cannabis, but contains no THC. Therefore, CBD is completely legal in all 50 states and delivers no psychoactive effects. CBD has been shown to carry neuroprotective and neurogenic effects as well as anxiolytic effects in humans and animals. CBD is currently being used to treat many mental and autoimmune disorders and is currently being tested for its anti-cancer properties. However, the most thought provoking and research-based facts have been shown in CBD to reduce symptoms of MS.
In a federal funded research study, which can be read about more here, mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) were tested. EAE is a disease in rats with extremely similar composition to humans with MS. After the symptoms of EAE became prominent in the rats, they were given a topical CBD cream of 1% CBD strength. They were observed for 28 days.
Spinal cord and spleen sample cells were taken almost daily. The evidence became increasingly clear that the CBD cream had reduced the symptoms of EAE. Likewise, these symptoms were similar in the way of CBD to reduce inflammation caused by MS. Reversal of back leg paralysis was noticed. Also, spinal cord damage and white blood cell count had improved. There was a reduction in the release of lymphocytes from spleen cells. Lastly, there was a reduction in inflammatory signals. This study greatly displays that CBD can reduce symptoms of many autoimmune/inflammatory diseases. It also shows that CBD can provide biological benefits. These benefits can be seen even when only applied to the skin.


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Konkan, also known as the Konkan Coast or Kokan, is a rugged section of the western coastline of India. It is a 720 kilometres (450 miles) long coastline. It consists of the coastal districts of the Western Indian states of Maharashtra, Goa, and the South Indian state of Karnataka. The ancient Saptakonkana is a slightly larger region. The region is known as Karavali in Karnataka.
According to the Sahyadrikhanda of the Skanda Purana, Parashurama shot his arrow into the sea and commanded the Sea God to recede up to the point where his arrow landed. The new piece of land thus recovered came to be known as Sapta-Konkana, meaning "piece of earth", "corner of earth", or "piece of corner", derived from Sanskrit words: koṇa (कोण, corner) + kaṇa (कण, piece). Xuanzang, the noted Chinese Buddhist monk, mentioned this region in his book as Konkana Desha; Varahamihira's Brihat-Samhita described Konkan as a region of India; and 15th century author Ratnakosh mentioned the word Konkandesha.
Konkan extends throughout the western coasts of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. It is bounded by the Western Ghats mountain range (also known as Sahyadri) in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west, the Mayura River in the north and the Gangavalli River in the south.
The Gangavali flows in the district of Uttara Kannada in present-day Karnataka. Its northern bank constitutes the southernmost portion of Konkan. The towns of Karwar, Ankola, Kumta, Honavar and Bhatkal fall within the Konkan coast. The exact identity of the Mayura River, the northern limits of the historic Konkan, is indeterminate.
The largest city on the Konkan coast is Mumbai, the state capital of Maharashtra. It lies within the Konkan division, an administrative sub-division of Maharashtra which comprises all the coastal districts of the state. These are, from north to south:
Ethnic groups and communities found in the region which makes a larger Konkani community are the Vaishya Vani, Malvani, Aagri, Kunbi, Koli, Vadavali, Maratha, Bhandari, Goud Saraswath Brahmins, Daivadnya Brahmins, Kumbhar, Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins, Gabit, Padti, Chitpavan Brahmins, Brahmins, Kudaldeshkar Gaud Brahmins, Kuruba, Namdev Shimpi.
Tribal communities in Konkan include the Katkari, Konkana, Warli and Kolcha in southern Gujarat, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Maharashtra's Palghar district. The Katkari are found in Raigad and Ratnagiri districts.
Minorities of Muslim community form Konkani Muslims, Bene Israel in Raigad district, Christians form East Indians in Mumbai, Goan Catholics in Goa, Karwari Catholics in Uttara Kannada, Mangalorean Catholics in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada
- People of the Konkan Division
- Konkani people
- Konkani language
- Konkan Railway
- Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project
- Malabar Coast
- Shastri Gaytonde, Gajanan (ed.). Shree Scanda Puran (Sayadri Khandha) (in Marathi). Mumbai: Shree Katyani Publication.
- Satoskar, B. D. Gomantak Prakruti ani Sanskruti. Part 1 (in Marathi). Shubhada Publication. p. 206.
- Saradesāya, Manohararāya (2000). "The Land, the People and the Language". A History of Konkani Literature: From 1500 to 1992. Sahitya Akademi. pp. 1–14. ISBN 8172016646.
- List of districts in Konkan division, http://www.swapp.co.in/site/indianstatedistrictlist.php?stateid=j1YKCtUvHkShwKBqk6iHow%3D%3D&divisionid=bRbHGKvCu7LMDJJGUsYuQA%3D%3D


SPIKES are high frequency oscillatory variations from a steady state level generated when reactive loads are switched. In a properly operating electrical systems, spikes can be expected to reach +/- 250 volts for durations up to 70 us decaying slowly to a steady state voltage.
These are faults which cause the voltage of the power supply to go outside normal limits for a period of time. Many transients are capable of causing immediate equipment failures. But, most of the time they cause minor damage to semiconductors, degrading their performance. This damage is cumulative and eventually reaches a point where sudden and complete failure of the component results.
OVERVOLTAGE is a sustained voltage that exceed normal steady state limits. In a 12 volt system, this is defined as any voltage that exceeds 15 volts. In a 24/28 volt systems, the limit is 30 volts. Overvoltage is caused by malfunctioning alternators, voltage regulators, poorly adjusted 'fast charge' controllers, battery chargers and solar panels. Another source, often overlooked, is the jump starting of vehicles during cold weather. This is usually done using a 24 volt battery to jump start a 12 volt system.
A sudden dip in voltage caused by engine starting or other heavy loads. This is one of the primary causes of memory loss in GPS navigation systems and crashes in mobile computer systems. Cranking voltage with a fully charged battery can drop to 6 volts during the initial engagement of the starter motor. With the engine OFF, battery voltages can be expected to drop to 10 Volts in a 12V system, or 20 Volts in a 24/28 volt system under normal use. Frequent events, like a fuse blowing on a lighting system, will drop system voltages below this for a few seconds before the fuse or circuit breaker opens.
SURGE DC and AC
Technically, a 'surge' is a variation from the controlled steady state level. When applied to a DC system like those in mobile and marine applications, it results in a temporary increase in DC voltage. But, we also need to consider surges on AC power lines, since at one time or other most DC systems will be connected to battery chargers.
ELECTRO MAGNETIC INTERFACE
E.M.I. is noise and interference from electrical appliances and nearby transmitters. EMI from VHF/UHF radios, Cellular phones, SSB marine or ham radio transmitters effect mobile equipment and degrade performance. The RF voltage levels present at equipment terminals varies over a wide range depending upon frequency, proximity and power output of the interfering device. Installations cause even more variability. The length of power supply wires and cables often determines whether the fault is a 'minor annoyance' or a major cause for failure within the equipment. If the wire becomes 'resonant' at the operating frequency it can absorb significant amounts of power from the transmitter and present very high voltages at the equipment power terminals.
INDUCED ELECTROMAGNETIC FORCE
INDUCED EMF are excessive voltages are induced into electrical wiring (which acts like an antenna) by nearby lightning strikes. Particular care should be exercised when using solar panels since their large conductive surface area acts like an antenna that couples lightning induced emf directly into your electrical system.
Reverse Polarity faults typically occur while jump starting vehicles or installing new batteries. While these are the result of 'accidents', their damaging effect can be devastating. Because of poor design techniques, much of the electronic gear brought into the marketplace over the past several years can be severely damaged by reverse polarity.
RIPPLE is defined as the regular or irregular variations of a voltage about a fixed DC voltage level during steady state conditions.


Scholastic Education helps teachers reach kids with a broad range of technology- and print-based programs
At its core, Scholastic has always been a company dedicated to helping children read. Beginning in the early 1960s, when Scholastic began to produce supplementary books and teaching texts, to the current explosion of technology and digital learning, the Company has stood out as a true partner to teachers and administrators. Today, Scholastic is harnessing the power of adaptive technology with programs that are grounded in research to help students achieve significant growth in reading and math, and through Scholastic Achievement Partners, serves as a solutions partner with school districts across the country.
“Technology plays a central role in reaching today’s kids in today’s classrooms,” said Margery Mayer, President, Scholastic Education. “Many of our programs have strong technology components to engage students, target their lessons, and monitor their progress.”
Programs like READ 180® and System 44™ are proven-effective reading intervention programs that have cemented Scholastic as a valued resource and helped transform school districts. Additional innovative products like Expert 21™, Expert Space, Read About, Timeliner® XE, FASTT Math™, Do the Math®, Scholastic Zip Zoom™ English, Wiggleworks®, BookFlix™, and Fraction Nation™ all target the hardest-to-reach children and support the development of core skills for a wide range of age groups and skill levels.
Scholastic also offers tools for assessment and data management, such as Scholastic Reading Inventory and Scholastic Reading Counts!, which help educators measure reading levels and provide customized instruction. And, teachers receive valuable support with the professional development resources of Scholastic U.
Scholastic Classroom and Library Group
“Every child has the right to read—and must read—in order to make sense of their world and to thrive in it,” said Greg Worrell, President of the Scholastic Classroom and Library Group (SC&LG). “Books and reading should be a part of every child’s life, in their classrooms and homes, with their teachers and families—from the day they are born and for the rest of their lives.”
In the classroom, after school, in libraries and at home, SC&LG reinforces learning everywhere. Our mission is to provide young people with access to text that is relevant and engaging, while supporting content area learning and information literacy that insures the highest levels of student achievement. Along with books and instructional materials to meet students’ needs, SC&LG provides workshops and extensive teaching resources to address the professional development needs of all teachers.
For classrooms, that means helping to identify critical resource gaps, and providing options that build classroom libraries to drive meaningful independent reading practice or for guided and leveled reading to differentiate instruction. We believe after-school hours are just as important, so Scholastic After-School Learning provides creative, fun, easy to implement lesson plans and activities that keep students engaged.
Because learning and literacy in the home are cornerstones of Scholastic’s mission, SC&LG partners with schools to extend literacy mentoring programs like Scholastic R.E.A.L. In addition, we work with community based organizations like Reading is Fundamental and Reach Out & Read to provide children and their families with best-selling, high-interest books they can cherish and enjoy at home.
Listening to Educators
Ever since the Company’s founder, M.R. Robinson, consulted with a group of principals in Pittsburgh on the creation of his first magazine in 1920, Scholastic has partnered with teachers, administrators, and other educators to learn about their instructional needs and goals. That is still the case today. Through the National Advisory Council, comprised of educators and researchers, Scholastic participates in conversations about the important topics and trends in education; what the Company learns helps inform product development and guides efforts to support instruction, engage students, and deliver effective educational resources.


The National Science Foundation, an independent federal science and engineering agency, has provided support for hundreds of discoveries since its 1950 inception. Recently, Ivy Tech Northeast became one of the organizations across the country to get support from the foundation.
The University of New Mexico recently won a multimillion dollar grant from the foundation, and it searched for partners to help out: That’s where Ivy Tech Northeast comes in.
As part of the partnership, Ivy Tech Northeast’s engineering department chair Andy Bell is working with the university to help provide kits that explain MEMS to students. MEMS are micro-electro-mechanical systems, which means they’re itty bitty teeny tiny, combining computers with small devices like sensors, mirrors, and valves. (Your phone, for example, has a micro-electro-mechanical system to sense when you turn it on its side to take a photo, Bell says. The MEMS sensors are how the phone knows to rotate the screen view.) The kits take these systems and make them much bigger, using inexpensive everyday materials to explain something that can’t be seen without a microscope.
In fact, Bell has created two kits of his own that he hopes to see manufactured by the University of New Mexico or, even better, in Fort Wayne. One explains how a cantilever beam works. The kit shows the beam as a 2-foot piece of particle board that Bell sets up to hang off a counter, like a diving board. He flicks the overhanging end, making the board vibrate. Bell’s addition to the kit has been able to add a sensor to the end of the board that remains stationary to sense what is making the board vibrate. In reality, a cantilever beam is just a fraction of a millimeter long.
The kit, as Bell received it from the University of New Mexico, helps out one Ivy Tech Northeast class. With Bell’s addition, he can use it in multiple classes.
“We made it so it’s much more adaptable to our curriculum,” he says.
At right: The robot that students and faculty are creating for the Mad Ants is more electrically complex than the robot the College created for the Mad Ants last year. At left: The robot is controlled by a PlayStation 2 controller.
Green Light will take a break during finals week and winter break. See you next semester!


Virtual Mentor. May 2005, Volume 7, Number 5.
Spirituality, Prayer, and Medicine: What Is the Fuss Really About?
Research studies on the influence of spirituality on health are still immature but have still made strides in advancing physicians' understanding of the issues.
Larry Dossey, MD
The idea that prayer can affect living organisms is an ancient belief spanning ideology, religion, culture, and race. As anthropologist Stephan A. Schwartz states, "The shamanic cave art of Altamira, Tres Freres, and Lascaux presents compelling testimony that our genetic forebears had a complex view of spiritual and physical renewal, one that has survived to the present unchanged in at least one fundamental respect. The intent to heal, either oneself or another, whether expressed as God, a force, an energy, or one of many gods, has consistently been believed to be capable of producing a therapeutic result" .
For at least 50,000 years, shamans and healers have believed that it is their duty to engage the spiritual beliefs of sick persons in the task of restoring health. This fact alonethe enduring centrality of spiritual interventions in the healer's repertoireshould make us modern physicians pause before rejecting this form of therapy.
What is spirituality? I consider it a felt sense of connectedness with "something higher," a presence that transcends the individual sense of self. I distinguish spirituality from religion, which is a codified system of beliefs, practices, and behaviors that usually take place in a community of like-minded believers. Religion may or may not include a sense of the spiritual, and spiritual individuals may or may not be religious. I regard prayer as communication with the Absolute, however named, no matter what form this communication may take. Prayer may or may not be addressed to a Supreme Being. Buddhism, for instance, is not a theistic religion, yet prayer, addressed to the universe, is a vital part of the Buddhist tradition.
Even if prayer connects us with the Absolute, does it work in an empirical sense? Rudolf Otto, the eminent theologian and scholar of comparative religions, asserted that it is "a fundamental conviction of all religions" that "the holy" intervenes "actively in the phenomenal world" . This is an empirical claim, and science is the most widely accepted method of adjudicating such claims. The earliest modern attempt to test prayer's efficacy was Sir Francis Galton's innovative but flawed survey in 1872 . The field languished until the 1960s, when several researchers began clinical and laboratory studies designed to answer 2 fundamental questions: (1) Do the prayerful, compassionate, healing intentions of humans affect biological functions in remote individuals who may be unaware of these efforts? And (2) can these effects be demonstrated in nonhuman processes, such as microbial growth, specific biochemical reactions, or the function of inanimate objects?
What has been accomplished? In a 2003 analysis, Jonas and Crawford found "over 2,200 published reports, including books, articles, dissertations, abstracts and other writings on spiritual healing, energy medicine, and mental intention effects. This included 122 laboratory studies, 80 randomized controlled trials, 128 summaries or reviews, 95 reports of observational studies and nonrandomized trials, 271 descriptive studies, case reports, and surveys, 1286 other writings including opinions, claims, anecdotes, letters to editors, commentaries, critiques and meeting reports, and 259 selected books" .
How good are the clinical and laboratory studies? Using strict CONSORT criteria, Jonas and Crawford gave an "A," the highest possible grade, to studies involving the effects of intentions on inanimate objects such as sophisticated random number generators . They gave a "B" to the intercessory prayer studies involving humans, as well as to laboratory experiments involving nonhumans such as plants, cells, and animals. Religion-and-health studies, which assess the impact of religious behaviors such as church attendance on health, were graded "D," because nearly all of them are observational studies, with no high-quality randomized controlled trials.
The depth and breadth of healing research remains little known among health care professionals, including many of those who have offered critiques and analyses of it. Unfortunately, these critiques are almost never comprehensive, but rely on philosophical and theological propositions about whether remote healing and prayer ought to work or not, and whether prayer experiments are heretical or blasphemous [6, 7]. Are these studies legitimate? Should they be done? Dossey and Hufford recently examined this question, and critiqued the 20 most common criticisms directed toward this field .
It is true that healing research is immature, and anyone hoping to find perfect studies will have to go elsewhere. Yet, this field has already matured greatly and can be expected to continue doing so.
Why do these studies evoke such sharp criticism? It is an article of faith in most scientific circles that human consciousness is derived from the brain, and that its effects are confined to the brain and body of an individual. Accordingly, it is widely assumed that conscious intentions cannot act remotely in space and time. The above healing studies call this assumption into questionand this challenge, I suspect, underlies much of the visceral response this field evokes.
What do we really know about the origins and nature of consciousness? As philosopher Jerry Fodor says, "Nobody has the slightest idea how anything material could be conscious. Nobody even knows what it would be like to have the slightest idea about how anything material could be conscious. So much for the philosophy of consciousness" . And philosopher John Searle states, "At the present state of the investigation of consciousness we don't know how it works and we need to try all kinds of different ideas" .
Are prayer-and-healing studies blasphemous? These experiments are not an attempt to prove or test God, as many critics charge; and, as far as I know, they never involve an attempt to advance anyone's personal religious agenda. Above all, these studies are explorations of the nature of consciousness. In view of our appalling ignorance on this subject, it would seem prudent that these investigations go forward, for they might fill in some of the massive blank spots on the current scientific map.
Another frequent criticism of these studies is that they are so theoretically implausible that they should not be done. In other words, they radically violate the accepted canons of science and the known laws of consciousness, and this places them so completely off the scientific map that they do not deserve consideration. Yet, there are no inviolable laws of consciousness. As Sir John Maddox, the former editor of Nature, has said, "What consciousness consists of...is...a puzzle. Despite the marvelous successes of neuroscience in the past century,...we seem as far from understanding cognitive process as we were a century ago" . These studies violate not laws of consciousness, but, it often seems, deep-seated, largely unconscious prejudices.
Another common criticism is that these studies are metaphysical; they invoke a transcendent agency or higher power, which places them outside the domain of empirical science. This is a straw-man argument, because researchers in this field make no assertions about entelechies, gods, or metaphysical agents in interpreting their findings. They are searching for correlations between intentions and observable effects in the world. Nearly always they defer on the question of mechanism, which is an accepted strategy within science. Harris et al, for example, in their 1999 study of prayer in patients with coronary heart disease, concluded, "We have not proven that God answers prayers or even that God exists.... All we have observed is that when individuals outside the hospital speak (or think) the first names of hospitalized patients with an attitude of prayer, the latter appear to have a 'better' CCU experience" [12, 13].
Spiritual Lives of Patients
Should physicians concern themselves with the spiritual lives of their patients? Should they pray for them? These questions are unanswerable without first becoming aware of the data in this field. What are the correlations between prayer and other religious behaviors, and health and longevity? What is the effect size? What about risk, cost, availability, and patient acceptance? If penicillin instead of prayer were being considered, we would not answer the question of use before asking key questions such as these.
Even if it is conceded that prayer and religious behaviors affect health outcomes positively, what then? Should physicians become involved with spirituality? I believe we can decide these questions by means similar to those we have used to approach other sensitive issues in the past. For example, not long ago many physicians believed they should not query patients about their sex lives. Doing so was too personal and disrespectful of privacy. Then the epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS arose, and overnight physicians began to see the issue differently. As a result, most physicians have learned to inquire about their patients' sexual behaviors with respect and sensitivity. Inquiries into peoples' spiritual and religious practices can be done with comparable delicacy. Codes of ethics and conduct already exist among hospital chaplains that prohibit evangelization, heavy-handedness, and crass intrusiveness, and similar guidelines can help physicians navigate this territory. Indeed, this is already taking place, as medical students around the country are learning to take spiritual histories from patients in ways that honor privacy and personal choice [14, 15]. Moreover, consultation is always an option, and physicians can refer patients who voice spiritual concerns to a religious professional. That said, physicians who are not comfortable with spiritual inquiry may sit on the sidelines.
No one expects physicians to be as expert as clergy in these matters, but that does not mean we cannot develop a basic level of expertise. We teach laypersons basic CPR without expecting them to be cardiologists or heart surgeons; just so, physicians can learn the rudiments of spiritual inquiry without becoming as skilled as clergy or hospital chaplains.
This area can also be viewed as a matter of public education. Physicians routinely convey to patients the facts surrounding smoking, the use of seat belts, and protected sex. They can also matter-of-factly deliver information about the latest findings on spirituality and health, and encourage patients to make their own choices in these matters.
Sensitivity and delicacy are eminently achievable if physicians remain patient-centered. An internist friend of mine became interested in the prayer-and-healing studies, and eventually decided that he had an obligation to pray for his patients. He developed a 3-sentence handout that his receptionist gave to each patient as they entered the waiting room. It simply said, "I have reviewed the evidence surrounding prayer and health, and I believe that prayer might be of benefit to you. As your physician, I choose to pray for you. However, if you are uncomfortable with this, sign this sheet below, return it to the receptionist, and I will not add you to my prayer list." Over many years, no one signed the sheet.
Researchers are currently exploring hypotheses from several areas of science that are cordial to the remote effects of prayer and intentionality [16, 17]. As a theoretical framework gradually emerges, spirituality and the remote effects of healing will begin to seem less foreign, and future physicians may well wonder why we experienced such indigestion over these issues.
The game is early; this field of research hardly existed a few years ago. It took the British Navy around 200 years to require the use of citrus fruit in preventing scurvy aboard its ships, in spite of overwhelming evidence of its effectiveness. The idea that a mere teaspoonful of lime juice a day could prevent such a lethal disease was considered lunacy: theoretical implausibility writ large.
Where spirituality is concerned, let us hope we won't be as obstinate .
Larry Dossey, MD, is executive editor of EXPLORE: The Journal of Science and Healing.
The viewpoints expressed on this site are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the AMA.
© 2005 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.


The Impact of Constructive Controversy on Moral Development
Journal of Applied Social Psychology
By Michelle Tichy, David W. Johnson, Roger T. Johnson, & Cary J. Roseth
Abstract: We examined the effects of a constructive controversy compared with individualistic learning on 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade students' (N = 56) moral development, ethical skills, academic achievement, and attitudes toward social interdependence. The results indicated that participating in constructive controversy (compared with individualistic learning) resulted in greater moral development (i.e., moral reasoning, moral motivation, moral character), greater ethical skills (i.e., perspective taking, perception of self as a moral person, rule orientation), higher academic achievement, and more positive attitudes toward competition. These results extend constructive controversy theory, as well as Piagetian and social interdependent theories. They also provide guidance as to how discussions of moral dilemmas and conflicts among students should be structured and conducted.
Read the article.
Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons.
(Something interesting I found)Posted: Friday, January 7, 2011


The art of argumentation is not an easy skill to acquire. Many people might think that if one simply has an opinion, one can argue it effectively, and these individuals are always surprised when others do not agree with them because their logic seems correct. Additionally, writers of argumentation often forget that their primary purpose in an argument is to "win" it--to sway the reader to accept their point of view. It is easy to name call, easy to ignore the point of view or research of others, and extremely easy to accept one's own opinion as gospel, even if the writer has not checked his or her premise in a couple of years, or, as is the case for many young writers, never questioned the beliefs inherited from others.
When you pick a topic, you should avoid writing about issues that cannot be won, no matter how strongly you might feel about them. The five most popular topics of our time seem to be gun control, abortion, capital punishment, freedom of speech, and probably the most recent, euthanasia, or the right to die. If possible, avoid writing about these topics because they are either impossible to "win." The topics may be fine reading material, however, because most people are somewhat aware of the problems and can then concentrate on understanding the method of argument itself. But care should be taken that if you read one side, you also read the other. Far too many individuals only read the side that they already believe in. These issues cannot be won for good reason: each touches on matters of faith and beliefs that for many people are unshakable and deeply private.
Structure of an Argumentative Essay
- So, what do you write about? Pick a well-defined, controversial issue. (Spend some time with the latest copies of several news magazines, the Washington Post, the New York Times, or watch 60 Minutes, CNN, or listen to National Public Radio to generate ideas.) Readers should understand what the issue is and what is at stake. The issue must be arguable, as noted above. After stating your thesis, you will need to discuss the issue in depth so that your reader will understand the problem fully.
- A clear position taken by the writer. In your thesis sentence, state what your position is. You do not need to say: "I believe that we should financially support the War in Iraq." Using the first person weakens your argument. Say "The War in Iraq is imperative to maintain America's safety." The thesis can be modified elsewhere in the essay if you need to qualify your position, but avoid hedging in your thesis.
- A convincing argument. An argumentative essay does not merely assert an opinion; it presents an argument, and that argument must be backed up by data that persuades readers that the opinion is valid. This data consists of facts, statistics, the testimony of others through personal interviews and questionnaires or through articles and books, and examples. The writer of an argumentative essay should seek to use educated sources that are non biased, and to use them fairly. It is therefore best to avoid using hate groups as a source, although you can use them briefly as an example of the seriousness of the problem. Talk shows fall into the same category as they are frequently opinionated or untrue.
- A reasonable tone. Assume that your reader will disagree with you or be skeptical. It is important, therefore, that your tone be reasonable, professional, and trustworthy. By anticipating objections and making concessions, you inspire confidence and show your good will.
- Decide on a topic. Make sure it is one you are interested in and that it is not too broad or too narrow to analyze adequately.
- Begin your library research. Start with the card catalogue or computer subject headings. Use the periodical index. Your best bet may be to find a few general books on the subject, and then study the bibliographies in the back of the books. Oftentimes, the very best sources are found this way. You may note, as you read, that one person may be quoted repeatedly in several articles. This should tell you that this person may be an authority. (See if their name is in the catalogue.) If you run across the mention of an article while reading another article or book, go find it. Use encyclopedias, reference books, newspapers, microfilm, the librarians, the World Wide Web, and other professors' advice. Research is a back-and-forth, in-and-out process, rather like the strategy of a good card game.
- As you scan possible sources, make a list of sources you won't use, sources you might use, and sources you will definitely use. Make bibliography cards for the latter two right away. Photocopy all material that you might or will use--even pamphlets and personal books. This will save you time later, should you need to return to the library. If you conduct a good deal of research, the first list will help you keep up with sources you've already checked (unless you enjoy checking them three and four times). Use appropriate APA citation.
- After acquiring some knowledge of your subject matter, it is time to decide on your personal interview and/or questionnaire, should you choose to use one. Write the interview questions and prepare the survey. Be careful to word both objectively. Your research is only as valuable as the interview or questionnaire.
- Write the outline, rough draft, and the final paper. Then rewrite it to make it sound as professional as possible.
Essay Paragraph Outline
To analyze something, divide it into parts. Since you are writing about a problem, the body of your paper might look something like this:
Paragraph 1: General introduction of the problem. Thesis statement which states your opinion.
Paragraph 2-3: History of the problem (including, perhaps, past attempts at a solution). Sources needed
Paragraph 4-6: Extent of the problem (who is affected; how bad is it, etc.). Sources needed.
Paragraphs 7-8: Repercussion of the problem if not solved. Sources needed.
Paragraphs 9-10: You should have led up to a conclusion that your argument is sound. Pull it all together by connecting your argument with the facts. Anticipate objections and make concessions.
Paragraph 11: Conclusion: Restatement of thesis and summary of main ideas.


World War Two was a truly global war. The war in the Mediterranean took military conflict beyond the areas in Europe hit by Blitzkrieg. However after the events surrounding Dunkirk and the closeness of victory in theBattle of Britain, the events that unfolded in the Mediterranean did much to stir the hearts of the civilians in Britain and other Allied powers occupied by the Nazis.
In June 10, 1940, Mussolini declared war on Great Britain and France. Fighting between British and Italian troops started almost immediately as British troops were stationed in Egypt and Italian troops in neighbouring Libya. The Italian general in Libya (General Balbo) complained to Rome about the uselessness of his troops weapons, especially tanks that were cut open by bullets as their armour plating did not work.
On 28th October ,1940, Italy invaded Greece. It proved to be a disaster for the Italians as they took insufficient ammunition, equipment etc. Mussolini’s generals complained that he had no idea on how to run a campaign – it is said that Mussolini believed that there was no difference between fighting a campaign in the mountains or on flat ground as fighting spirit would suffice !!
On November 11th ,1940, British planes bombed the Italian navy at Taranto. Half the Italian fleet was lost. Britain lost 2 aircraft.
Hitler decided to help his ally fearing a British invasion of Europe via Greece. In April 1941, Germany invaded Yugoslavia and then Greece. It took one month to beat the Greeks and 40,000 troops from Britain, Greece and New Zealand were evacuated to Crete.
On 20th May, 1941, the Germans attacked Crete. The island fell in eight days and only 18,000 troops escaped; however, the Germans also experienced heavy casualties.
The Italians had fared no better in North Africa. A British force lead by General O`Connor, and outnumbered eight to one, raided Libya and found the Italians in no mood to fight. Both Tobruk and Tripoli were taken and once again Hitler had to send help.
In January 1941 the British attacked the Italians in Abyssinia and by May 1941 they had been defeated and Haile Selassie was put back in charge of the country.
Mussolini had made no gains in the Mediterranean region but his involvement was of huge consequence for Hitler as he had to assist his ally in areas of Europe that had no intrinsic value to Nazi Germany. Germany’s involvement in Greece, the old Yugoslavia etc. were all to greatly hinder the input that the Wehrmacht could make in the attack on Russia. Also, the German involvement in North Africa tied up valuable equipment, valuable fuel supplies and men who could have been used in Russia. One of Germany’s most able generals was also tied up here – Erwin Rommel. Germany got nothing positive out of her involvement in Northern Africa but was left, as a result, short of men, equipment and fuel on the European mainland. The Mediterranean theatre of war greatly affected the war in Europe.


moderate-sized wildcat with a short tail, penciled ears, more or less spotted fur, and 28 teeth, inhabiting Eurasia, Africa, and North America; mid-14c., from Latin lynx (source of Spanish, Portuguese, Italian lince), from Greek lyngx, an old name of the lynx found also in Armenian, Germanic, and Balto-Slavic, though often transformed or altered. Often linked to PIE root *leuk- "light, brightness," in reference to its gleaming eyes or its ability to see in the dark, but there are phonetic problems with that and Beekes suggests a loan from a non-IE substrate language.
If that men hadden eyghen of a beeste that highte lynx, so that the lokynge of folk myghte percen thurw the thynges that withstonden it. [Chaucer's "Boethius," c. 1380]
Cognates probably are Lithuanian lūšis "lynx," Old High German luhs, German luchs, Old English lox, Dutch los, Swedish lo, Armenian lusanunk'. The dim northern constellation was added in 1687 by Johannes Hevelius. Lyncean "pertaining to a lynx" (from Greek lynkeios) is attested from 1630s.
"wildcat," c. 1300, from Old French once "lynx" (13c.), from lonce, with l- mistaken as definite article, from Vulgar Latin *luncea, from Latin lyncea "lynx-like," from lynx (see lynx). Originally the common lynx, later extended to other large, spotted wildcats, now mainly used of the mountain-panther or snow leopard of Asia.
African wild cat, 1771, from Modern Latin serval, French serval (Buffon, 1765), from Portuguese (lobo) cerval "lynx," from Latin lupus cervarius (source of French loup cervier) "lynx," literally "wolf that hunts the stag," from cervarius "pertaining to a stag," from cervus "stag," from PIE *ker-wo- "having horns," suffixed form of root *ker- (1) "horn; head."


The Corporate Business Organisations: International Cartels, Merits and Demerits!
Character of Corporate Organisation. The corporate form o private business enterprise is the most important and the largest type of business group. Generally, banking, insurance manufacture, mercantile enterprise and air transportation are the leading business occupations which have adopted the corporate form of organisation. Under this form of organisation the needed capital is supplied by a number of persons who become its shareholders.
Each shareholder receives his proportionate share o stock and is liable only upon the value of the shares he holds. The general management of the corporation is delegated to a Board or Directors who choose the general manager—a full time officer of the Corporation. The Corporation, before starting its work generally has to receive a license from the Government. It is regulated by the Company Act of the country.
The workers generally receive a share in the profits of the corporation in proportion to their wages or according to some other scale. The bonuses, by which profits are distributed may be given in cash or combined with a kind of retirement pay or may be transformed into shares of the same enterprise. The scheme is called profit sharing.
In recent times a form of corporate business under the name of ‘international cartel’ has come to the forefront. An international cartel is “a combination of capital groups operating in several countries to control the distribution and prices of particular articles of manufacture.” Many of these cartels have really become manipulators of prices for private financial interests of a relatively few people.
They sometimes enter into an agreement which is internationally harmful. Cartels are prone to develop totalitarian bureaucratic methods not only of national but international scope. In 1948 the United Nations provided for an International Trade Organisation to have control over international cartels and combines and to prevent them from exercising harmful practices.
The corporate business enterprise has many merits, it has eliminated competitive costs and permits the purchase of large quantities of materials at lower prices than the proprietor of the small enterprise can obtain. Secondly, such enterprises permit the undertaking of vast enterprises requiring huge wealth and extending over many years. Thirdly, goods are provided in large quantities so that the country does not suffer from want of goods. Fourthly, large units of capital bring about technological changes such as manufacture and installation of automatic machinery, development and application of electric power. Lastly, they create a spirit of cooperation among citizens.
But often big business rushes into an orgy of speculation and becomes legalized gambling on a gigantic scale. Likewise it may lead to overproduction causing slump in the market. Large corporate groups become impersonal and ignore their responsibility to the people. They get control over the government through their money power and pollute the democratic process. Some of them develop attitudes of economic superiority, of profitism, of class aloofness, and of competitive shrewdness opposing needed economic reforms.


The vast majority of articles on SleepBetter.org cover the problems caused by not sleeping enough and the benefits of sleeping better. However, new research indicates that there is a growing population of people out there who are sleeping too much … and it’s not good for them either.
The new study was conducted by researchers at the University of Sydney. It reviewed information from surveys done in 10 countries which asked participants to record how much time they allocated to different tasks in a 24-hour period. The study included surveys from over three decades.
Researchers found that between 1970 and 2007, the percentage of survey participants who reported sleeping for more than nine hours over a 24-hour period increased from 28 percent in 1985 to 37 percent in 2007. What’s more, the percentage of people who slept for less than six hours a night decreased, from about 11 percent in 1985 to 9 percent in 2007.
Studies show that sleeping more than nine hours a night is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, cognitive issues, and other problems.
Sleep Apnea Symptoms Vary Between Races


|Posted on June 16, 2016 at 7:50 AM||comments (0)|
The Value of Magic as a Teaching Tool - Free PDF Teaching Tool
The Nelsons have put together a nice 25 page PDF to faciliate teaching magic to kids of all ages. Although the effects they teach are not difficult, they do serve to make their point. There are a couple of detailed articles about magic and several lists of interest to magicians. Nothing to download. The PDF will open when you click the link. Since it's designed for printing and freely distributing.. it's printer frendly.
- Learning magic involves provides practice at following and interpreting printed instructions.
- Learning magic involves reading, research and memory work. Practicing magic teaches that patience and perseverance bring rewards.
- The performance of magic involves learning how to plan and multi-task.
- Performing magic provides practice at public speaking skills.
- Learning to perform magic provides shy people with a special ability that can help boost confidence.
- Performing magic involves developing creative writing skills used in creating "patter" scripts to go along with tricks. Creative writing skills are also required for scripting actions in magic routines and recording instructions on how to perform tricks.
- Practicing small magic tricks improves dexterity in people with normal motor skills.
- For people with impaired motor skills, learning magic tricks provides the motivation to do therapeutic exercises that result in improved movement and gratification from achievement when a trick is successfully performed.
- Inventing or developing a magic trick involves problem solving, learning how to think outside the box, and inspires the use of imagination and creativity.
- Building magic tricks requires use of drawing, design, crafting and other artistic skills.
- Magic inspires us with wonder and causes us to consider what it might be possible to achieve.
- It teaches us that we can be fooled and that we don't always know or understand everything.
- Magic encourages us to think.
|Posted on April 30, 2016 at 8:30 PM||comments (0)|
Do you feel inspired to learn more about magic as a performing art o hobby?
Do you want to perform magical illusions yourself?
Now, you can teach yourself how to perform magic!
Learn Rope Magic with JULIUS MAGIC:
Learn Sponge Ball Magic:
|Posted on April 30, 2016 at 7:25 PM||comments (0)|
The world of magic first captivated Julius at a very young age. When he was a very young boy, his parents owned a Hungarian restaurant in New York City where he was born, and one day a butcher delivered a pig to her, carrying it over his shoulder.
Awed by the sight of the man dressed in a long white coat, little Julius was delighted when the butcher magically pulled a quarter out of the pig’s ear. Then made it vanish. And then pulled the coin out of Julius’ ear.
“I was fascinated,” says Julius, now a professional magician with the stage name JULIUS MAGIC.
The power of magic is not in the illusion or trick we think we see
It's in the imagination; the image the magician creates.
The way it makes us feel . . . . . . that certain sense . . . . . . . . .
of childlike . . . . . . . wonder.
Having never forgotten his feelings of wonder and amazement at that moment, he now delights in entertaining children and adults with magical illusions. He can make a black scarf turn multicolored just by waving it in the air. He can make a deck of cards vanish in front of a child’s eyes. He can put one ball into a spectator’s hand and then have it multiply into many. And he can make a rope appear to pass right through his waist, one of his favorite tricks.
“I do that one at the end of the show,” says Julius, who performs at children’s birthday parties and corporate events. “I save it for last, because it’s the most memorable.”
He engages his audience throughout his shows, striving to make it appear that they are the ones doing the magic. Which he says surprises them, and makes them laugh. "I learned that laughter is important,” he says. “The more I can make them laugh, the more they’ll enjoy the magic.”
Despite his early fascination with magic, Julius didn’t become a serious magician until later in life. He attended Yale University for three years and then 20 years later finished his bachelor’s degree, followed by a Masters Degree in Science and Management.
He’s worked in sales most of his life, and schedules magic gigs around his day job. He was always fascinated by magic, and tried to learn some tricks from books, “but it wasn’t until I was in my forties that I was lucky enough to go to a magic convention,” he says.
He took his young daughter with him, thinking magic would be a fun way to entertain her. They saw dozens of magicians and after seeing some cool sleight of hand magic performed, he bought some super soft sponge balls.
As he drove home, his daughter taught herself a sponge ball trick by reading the instructions while riding in the back seat . . . and his little girl amazed him with magic! She inspired Julius to learn, practice and begin entertaining people at work. Then he started shopping in magic stores, where he bought more tools of the trade. Shortly after learning a few more effects, he got his first paid gig as a restaurant magician! One gig led to another and now he loves performing magic for kids, families and businesses.
While many of his props are designed for magicians, much of magic can be done with unprepared props, such as real coins, he says. Learning how to perform illusions takes skill, practice, and investment in time and money. He looks forward to perhaps doing magic full time one day. “One of my dreams after I retire is to be able to travel the world and do magic shows in other countries,” he says. “It’s a dream—but you never know.”
|Posted on April 26, 2016 at 7:45 AM||comments (0)|
As a result of learning magic, people of all ages can:
help heal people
earn better grades
share their joy with others
improve their success in school
receive invitations to many parties
teach others how to perform magic
meet people and make new friends
win prizes at school fundraiser sales
make extra money in their spare time
make others feel special and appreciated
become better readers and critical thinkers
improve their public speaking skills and confidence
become the most popular guest and family favorite
"work" their way through college performing magic shows
provide therapeutic rehabilitation to others using "magic therapy"
develop more confidence & new skills learning how to perform magic
receive personal rewards and satisfaction from bringing smiles to faces
|Posted on March 6, 2015 at 6:45 AM||comments (0)|
Close-Up Magic - Sleight-of-hand magic, also known as prestidigitation ("quick fingers") or léger de main (Fr., "lightness of hand") to secretly manipulate small objects such as sponge balls, cards and coins. A magician performs close-up magic in an intimate setting usually no more than a ten-foot (three-meter) distance from the audience with the party guests all around him. The magic happens right in front of you "in your hands." This performance is best for relatively small groups of people. Sleight of hand magic is intended for more intimate environments. Perfect for kids and adult birthdays, receptions, cocktail or dinner parties, trade shows, hospitality suites and restaurants. The magic involves colorful silk handkerchiefs, money, ropes, rings, coins, cards and other small objects.
Table Magic - Performed on a table with the audience in front. This type of performance is not limited to magic that must be performed solely "in the hands" because props can rest on the magicians table or pad. This performance is also best for a relatively small group of people. Sleight of hand magic is intended for more intimate environments. Perfect for birthdays, receptions, cocktail or dinner parties, trade shows, hospitality suites and restaurants. Magic involves coins, cards and other small objects.
Stand-Up Magic - Performed while standing in front of the entire audience. This type of performance is suitable for either a small group, or with proper staging (lights, microphone, etc.), the audience can consist of several hundred people. This act features comedy and audience participation and it is particularly appropriate for large parties and banquets. Perfect for private parties, trade shows, banquets, conventions and corporate entertainment.
Mingling Magic - Performed in the magician's or guests hands while the magician mingles with the guests. This type of performing is most suitable for events where there is not a specific performing area such as a reception or cocktail party and usually involves some audience participation.
|Posted on July 14, 2013 at 5:25 PM||comments (0)|
If you were to weigh the benefits of learning how to perform magic illusions against buying another video game the comparison becomes clear. Learning Magic with your child can pay back immensely over the course of a lifetime! What benefits does another video game offer?
The last thing you want is to frustrate your child with magic tricks that are too complicated for your child's age or ability! Frustration can set in if things aren't going right for your child.
Learning tricks alone without learning how to perform them willnot move a child's confidence forward. More likely it will just increase their anxiety that they aren't good enough to show them to anyone.
I recommend "self-working" illusions for beginners and younger children. Please take the time to enjoy magic with them! Help them to understand and practice magic tricks. It's a great opportunity for you to spend more time with your child and perhaps develop a hobby that you both love!
Ask anyone who has ever seen a magic show, and you’ll hear“Magic is Fun!” Not only is magic fun to watch, but it is also fun to perform. Magic can make people smile, laugh and marvel at the mysterious wonders the magician presents, if, of course, you present the magic properly.
Above all, please understand that magic is nothing more than illusion used in an entertaining way. No mortal truly possesses magical powers. Realize that you will be learning how to entertain with illusions which make it appear that you have magical powers.Don’t claim to be supernatural or better than anyone else. Magic is designed to do two things: amaze and entertain your audience
Magic offers amazement, excitement and mystery, but it must always entertain those involved, either as spectators or as participants.Perfecting magical techniques is one thing, but it is quite another to go out and face an audience, knowing that they are waiting to be entertained. Buying a magic set or a magic book doesn’ tautomatically make you a magician, but with practice and interest,you could go a long way.
Every game, profession, or organization has certain rules to adhere to. I recommend following generally accepted "rules of magic":
Never tell your secrets. A magician never gives away the secret of a magic trick. The audience’s enjoyment of magic is to a certain extent due to the mystery of how the magic happened. To tell the secret of a trick would deny the audience of that enjoyment. Once people know how to do a trick, all of the mystery is gone. Plus, if they can do the trick too, your talent and skill is no longer special to them. People are naturally fascinated by magic as long as they don’t know how it’s done. So, keep it that way! Keep the secret!
Throughout history, magicians have maintained an oath of secrecy. This oath is a cornerstone of the magician's art, in that it both binds magicians into a world-wide brotherhood and serves as a constant reminder of their responsibilities as deceptive entertainers.
The original magician's oath was written some 2,400 years ago by Charlatates, the Greek father of modern magic. Over the years, the oath has been modified to keep up with changing times (for example, the bit about not performing for women has been removed), but its core has remained intact.
The current magician's oath, as used in the ascension ceremony though which every magician must pass before being recognized, is as follows:
The Magician's Oath
I promise I will always guard against exposing the secrets of magic, whether through lack of practice before performing, or through explanation to any person not entitled to know the secrets. I make this promise seriously,realizing that in violating it, I am not only violating my word of honor, but I am violating the trust and rights of all other magicians who, by the very nature of their form of entertainment, are entitled to the preservation of the secrets of magic.
The only exception to this secrecy rule is when students need a little extra help and ask Mom, Dad or an older sibling to help interpret instructions. Students should always guard against exposing secrets unnecessarily.
Practice, practice, practice! Practice is learning the secret, learning how to execute the trick, and then lots of rehearsal. Never perform a magic trick for someone unless you can do it really well.The best magician is a well-rehearsed magician! It is a good idea to practice in front of a mirror, to get an idea of what the audience would see.
Never repeat a trick for the same person. If they ask you to do it again…..and they will…. they are really looking for an opportunity to catch you in the secret the next time. So, DON’T DO IT AGAIN …. keep them wondering!
Anyone can do a "trick"; only magicians can perform magical illusions. Your performance affects your audience’s perception of every other magician. If you perform well, they’ll think that all magicians are good, and visa versa if you perform poorly. Make sure that your performance is high quality so you’ll be remembered for your good work.
Be a good audience member. Now that you will be learning some magical secrets, if you see someone performing, you MUST treat that person the same way YOU want to be treated. In other words, don’t let them or the audience know that you know how the tricks are done.
Most importantly, be yourself and perform magic to entertain and mystify, not to show you are better than others. Remember,always try to entertain your audience and treat them with respect. Without an audience, there is no magic.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Who do you know that has expressed a desire to learn how to perform magic tricks themselves after they've seen a magician do what appears to represent "the impossible"?
When have you or anyone you know experienced feelings of wonder during and after a magic performance?
How strong is your curiosity or desire to learn how it works?
Are you inspired to want to learn more?
Please visit http://www.juliusmagic.webs.comto learn more about how JULIUS MAGIC can benefit you, your children,and your organization.
|Posted on April 30, 2013 at 9:20 AM||comments (0)|
When you start to learn magic and gegin to amaze and delight your friends and family, many of them will beg and plead for you to reveal the secret.
You will feel tempted to tell them how it's done. Of course, you will not share the secret with them.
That would take all the mystery, wonderment and magic out of your newly acquired skills.
You will have wasted all of your hard efforts in learning how to perform magic.
All the fun will "disappear." Magic is about amusing your audience and leaving them with a feeling of awe.
Therefore, before I start sharing specifics on how to perform specific illusions in future articles, I will start by asking my readers to review and let me know whether or not they agree to uphold the Magician's Oath:.
"As a magician I promise never to reveal the secret of any illusion to a non-magician, unless that one swears to uphold the Magician's Oath in turn. I promise never to perform any illusion for any non-magician without first practicing the effect until I can perform it well enough to maintain the illusion of magic."
If you are truly dedicated to learning and understanding magic, then by taking the Magician's Oath listed above, you establish yourself as a magician along with making the promise to yourself and other magicians that you will uphold your promise and not reveal secrets of the trade either purposely or due to your inexperience with performing a trick.
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