Request for Truthfulness and Full Disclosure in Annual Charlottesville Water Quality Reports
Submitted to Charlottesville City Council
May 16, 2012
1. Current data from the CDC does not support the statement “Fluoride is a water additive which promotes strong teeth.”(1) The statement should read: “Fluoride ingested during tooth development can result in a range of visually detectable changes in enamel opacity because of hypomineralization. These changes have been broadly termed enamel fluorosis, certain extremes of which are cosmetically objectionable.”(2)
2. The true statement “Fluoridated water should not be used to reconstitute powdered infant formula.” should be included in the Water Quality Report.(3) The statement should also be included with utility bills. (See* on next page)
3. The CDC reports that in the last survey of US children aged 12-15, 40.7% had dental fluorosis. 3.6% had moderate and severe dental fluorosis, up from 22.6% and 1.3% in the previous survey.(4) Blacks are disproportionately affected by fluorosis. Studies show Black children have twice the fluorosis as white children. Fluorosis in Blacks tends to be more severe compared to whites.(5) Parents and caregivers should be advised to carefully monitor fluoride intake.
4. Individuals consuming abnormally large quantities of water need to be informed to drink bottled water. These include people with kidney problems, diabetics, athletes, outdoor workers and military personnel.(6)
5. A 14 year investigation into the effects of fluoride ingestion determined that one percent of the group reacted adversely to the fluoride. The reactions affected the dermatologic, gastro-intestinal and neurological systems. Eczema, atopic dermatitis, urticaria, epigastric distress, emesis and headache occurred with the use of fluoride.(7) People exposed to water fluoridation need to be informed that in studies, 1% experienced adverse reactions.
6. Ethics require advising the public about any warnings of possible harm, especially when in the Special Precautions section the MSDS that accompanies delivery. Environmental concerns also need to be observed and addressed.(8)
7. Higher blood lead levels have been reported in children living in communities that receive fluoride-treated water.(9) Cities have reported reduced lead levels in water when fluoridation stopped.(10) Cognitive impairment is a serious issue and due consideration should be given to the multiple warnings about increases in lead levels.
8. Information in neurotoxicologist Phyllis Mullenix’s letter to the School Health Advisory Committee in Lee County, Florida should be passed on to people of child bearing age so that they can make informed decisions should an uninformed doctor, dentist or pediatrician describe systemic fluoride as safe and effective for their children.(11)
9. In 1980 the Virginia Department of Health asked toxicologist Brian Dementi to review the available literature relating to the health effects of fluoride. In the conclusion of his 41 page report he said “With regard to fluoridation, this writer is of the opinion that the evidence of adverse health effects is of such magnitude and human beings so varied in their individual constitution, state of health at any moment, eating and drinking habits, etc., that it is inappropriate to say that fluoridation is a totally healthful and safe practice for all. Widespread exposure to fluoride coupled with an inadequate data base substantiating it to be safe is a cause of great concern.”(12)
10. Owners of horses should be informed that studies have shown that horses drinking fluoridated water for long periods of time developed signs of fluoride intoxication, e.g. dental fluorosis, crooked legs, hoof deformities, allergic reactions etc. In addition to horses, a variety of other animals have shown signs of fluoride toxicity.(13)
11. The foregoing statements need to be taken seriously. If health issues alone aren’t enough to give one pause, understand that a Complaint for Damages has been filed that states: “Defendants know or should have known that their products, when taken as intended, cause and contribute to an increased risk of persistent and/or permanent serious and dangerous side effects including, without limitation, cognitive impairment and dental fluorosis.”(14)
12. The statement “Fluoride is added at the water treatment plant for the benefit of industry.” is a true statement that should be included in the Water Quality Report under Typical Source of Contamination. Documentation here:
*Infant fluoride intake when powdered formula is reconstituted with fluoridated water = up to 1.57 mg/day in a 3
month old.(Levy) Tolerable Upper Intake = 0.7 mg/day meaning a dose of more than double the limit.(CDC) As stated earlier, 3.6% of surveyed US children aged 12-15 had moderate and severe dental fluorosis.(CDC) Severe dental fluorosis occurs when developing teeth are exposed to excessive amounts of fluoride. There is a disparity between Blacks and whites with Blacks having twice the fluorosis that tends to be more severe.(NRC) Repair is difficult and costly.(JCDA, BMJ) Plus, the relatively acid environment of the stomach ensures that more than 90% of ingested fluoride will be in the form of hydrogen fluoride.(Ekstrand) Hydrogen fluoride damages cells and causes them to not work properly.(CDC, JADA) Hydrogen fluoride has been listed as a special health hazard by the State of New Jersey.(Univar MSDS) Hydrogen fluoride is so corrosive to tissues that Dreisbach’s Handbook of Poisoning: Prevention, Diagnosis & Treatment says that if it has penetrated under the fingernails, consider removing the nails using local anesthesia. Link to all references.(15)
Allowing a 3 month old infant to ingest 1.57mg of a topically reactive fluoride dental agent is neither safe nor effective.
(1) http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm4841.pdf MMWR, Oct. 22, 1999: Earlier beliefs of systemic action wrong.
(2) http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/rr/rr5014.pdf MMWR, Aug. 17, 2001: Action topical, Ductal saliva ineffective.
(3) http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/infant/ Published warnings about using fluoridated water with powdered formula.
(4) http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db53.htm CDC Data Brief, Nov. 2010. Fluorosis = 40.7% total, 3.6% mod/severe.
Health Effects of Ingested Fluoride (NRC): Dubious genesis of dose, scientific base weak, fluorosis seen at only 0.4 mg/L.
80.9% fluorosis, 14% moderate-to-severe in Augusta, GA. Blacks vs. whites fluorosis rates. Symptoms of skeletal fluorosis.
Also, World Health Organization (WHO) says skeletal fluorosis may be misdiagnosed as rheumatoid or osteoarthritis.
(6) http://www.scribd.com/doc/89465813/NIH-Water-Warning Warnings to diabetics, consumers of large amounts of water.
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11571&page=30 2006 NRC discussion of concerns about high water intake.
Feltman, DDS, Dental Digest 1956; 62: 353-357: Progress Report: 1% of people had adverse reaction to fluoride.
States that avoiding undesirable reactions to fluoride is more problematic and complicated when water is fluoridated.
Feltman and Kosel, Journal of Dental Medicine 1961; 16: 190-99: Fourteen years of investigation—Final report.
(8) http://www.scribd.com/doc/93113542/MSDS-Warnings Material Safety Data Sheet showing Special Precautions comments
that were not passed on to consumers. Univar MSDS with Hydrogen Fluoride and specific Environmental Warnings.
(9) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20188782 Fluoride increases lead levels in blood: Toxicology, 2010 Apr 30.
(10) http://www.scribd.com/doc/90123804/Thurmont-Tacoma-Lead When fluoridation was stopped, lead levels dropped.
(11) http://www.scribd.com/doc/17168581/Mullenix-School-Board-Letter Fluoridation and neurotoxicity found to be linked.
(12) http://www.scribd.com/doc/16925697/Dementi-Fluoride-Report Virginia Department of Health Toxicology Report.
(13) http://www.scribd.com/doc/89468991/Fluoride-Poisoning-in-Horses-Links Links to documents showing harm to animals.
(14) http://www.nidellaw.com/blog/?p=66 Legal Complaint for Damages filed for “cognitive impairment and dental fluorosis.”
(15) http://www.scribd.com/doc/93810959/Infant-Formula-References Documentation of fluoridated water danger to infants.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/90830396 R. Foulkes, MD. Why he changed mind. Evaluates Kingston/Newburgh. Proceedings 1951.
http://www.fluoridation.com/epa2.htm Why EPA’s Headquarters Union of Scientists Opposes Fluoridation. Wm. Hirzy, Ph.D.
http://www.fluoridenews.blogspot.com/ Fluoride News Tracker Blog covers escalating dental woes in fluoridated communities.
http://www.fluoridealert.org/hensley.pdf State Rep. Hensley, MD, recommends that Tennessee water systems stop fluoridating.
http://www.fluoridation.com/colquhoun.html Why I Changed My Mind About Water Fluoridation. (See revealing graph at end)
http://www.scribd.com/doc/90638965/Kennedy David Kennedy, DDS, explains to California officials why fluoridation is harmful.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/90207300/Wm-Marcus-PhD EPA Toxicologist told to quit submitting fluoride toxicity information.
http://www.fluoridealert.org/arkansas.2-19-09.letter.pdf Legal recourse when officials give misleading and incomplete statements.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/89602513/G-Heard-DDS-1953 Texas dentist identified fluoridation problems at the very beginning.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/93812938/Fluoridation-Failures Fluoride promoters’ promises unmet, dental crises in major US cities.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/88687940/Osmunson-BMJ-Letter Cosmetic Dentist explains lifetime costs of repairing fluorosis.
http://www.fluoridealert.org/top-10-reasons-against-fluoride.aspx Chemist Dr. Paul Connett argues against water fluoridation.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/17172739/Dr-Hardy-Limeback-Statement Prominent dental researcher outlines his arguments.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/16887647/Fluoridation-and-Cancer-John-Lee-MD Fluoride an “enabler” in the cancer process.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/89603161/Informed-Side-Wins-Fluoride-Debate-at-U-of-Pittsburgh Informed dental students win.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/46980434/Fluoridation-A-Clinician-s-Experience-Waldbott-SMJ-1980 Case studies of fluoride toxicity.


Wellesley, MA (PRWEB) May 17, 2013
The gasifiers sector has become a proven yet quickly evolving energy conversion and chemicals production technology. Needs of the present and the future are pressing them into adoption for bulk power generation, fuel production, oil refining and energy, industrial chemicals production, municipal waste treatment, and as a means to supply thermal and electrical energy at any scale in rural areas connected to and away from the power grid.
A primary driver of the markets for gasifiers is the need for energy in the forms of electricity and liquid fuels. Roughly half of the world’s most affordable electricity is fueled by coal, which is bountiful on all inhabited continents and some islands as well. Coal in its various forms is well-understood for power generation and conversion to transportation fuels, as well as serving as a low-cost source for carbon-based chemicals. A host of environmental and health protection constraints have been put in place to limit the quantities of pollutants allowable from coal use. Gasifiers have emerged as an effective technology for accessing the chemical energy and content of coal in a manner that makes it quite a bit safer, less polluting, and a more efficient to use. It is affordable when other energy and fossil fuel sources are scarce.
Gasifiers are proving to be an effective means of supplanting dwindling fossil fuel resources while raising efficiency when using fossil fuels. This is a necessity, since civilization has entered the era of unconventional sources of fuel (deepwater drilling, underground coal gasification, shale gas, coal-to-fuel, biomass-to-liquids [BTL], and so on). By using gasifiers, coal, petcoke, peat, biomass, and municipal and industrial waste can be converted to power, heat, drop-in liquid fuels, and chemical feedstocks.
The market for gasifiers has seen an ebb and flow for a century. It is now coming into its own, with devices from the very largest, such as integrated gasification and combined cycle (IGCC), a baseload power plant, to the very small, such as those for cooking heat in remote village homes. The largest gasifiers are the size of rocket boosters and are powering China’s continued industrialization using low-grade coal. The smallest are camp-stove-sized, utilizing twigs, nutshells, and leafy materials. In between, an entire spectrum of sizes and capabilities are now powering industrial parks, villages, microindustries, refineries, buildings, and villages in developed, transitioning, and developing regions of the world.
The four highest growth rate gasifier market sectors are: plasma gasifiers (the fastest expansion by far), CTL (coal-to-liquids), petcoke/residuals, and CTE (coal-to-energy). Direct reduction iron (DRI) melt gasifiers are in a bit of a slump due to steel market conditions in the United States and China. Petcoke/residuals gasifiers are essentially waste-conversion tools, and provide value to what would otherwise be toxic materials that are the residue of the refining and extracting industries. The low value of petcoke and its high carbon content make it an ideal feedstock for cogeneration applications at refineries and for power generation at utility power plants in emerging economies.
Continued strength of the CTE sector is almost strange unless the China effect is taken into account with the India effect. Both are emerging economic giants, account for a third of the world’s population, remain intense coal consumers, and have their own reserves. If the atmosphere and climate are to be saved, then proven, affordable, sustainable carbon capture and sequestration technology are necessary. The same could be said for CTL usage and petcoke/residuals gasification, both of which are expanding as quickly as CTE.
Biomass-to-energy (BTE) has bas become a fairly stable market expanding on a large base (for gasifiers). It will begin to accelerate later in the forecast interval due to proving out of new, well supported, reliable power generation options around the 1 megawatt (MW) level. Note that the BTE gasification aggregate total annual market exceeds all other gasifier segments combined. The market for very small gasifiers is also poised for explosive growth due to robust, simple, low-cost, well-engineered cook stove gasifiers that are beginning to be shipped in quantity from many Western Europe, U.S., and Indian manufacturers to developing regions everywhere.
The last and fastest-growing segment is plasma, which may be the best technology for waste-to-energy (WTE) applications and beyond, with the capability of destroying hazardous waste, medical waste, construction debris, unrecyclable parts of whole cars, almost anything nonradioactive.
GLOBAL MARKETS FOR GASIFIERS (EGY106A) identifies, characterizes, describes, and forecasts world markets for gasifiers on global and regional bases. Attention is given to national/state incentives, international agreements, regulatory regimes, and political policies that foster, hinder, or neglect (whether benignly or otherwise) the implementation of gasifiers.
Forecasts are provided to estimate the robustness of gasifier markets in their different size ranges, feedstocks, and applications over time, covering the period from 2012 through 2017.


Red meat is a key source of animal fats .
Replacing saturated fats with healthier options can reduce the risk of heart disease by up to a fifth, so an American study confirms.
The Harvard Medical School report adds to the increasing evidence regarding polyunsaturated fats which are found in certain fish and vegetable oils .
In their research, the team reviewed 8 previous studies of more than 13,000 people, in their research.
They found that reducing saturated fats, as found in butter and meat, is just a part of a healthy diet .
Adults ought not to get more than 11% of their energy from saturated fats.
The findings highlight that polyunsaturated fats would be a preferred replacement for saturated fats for improved heart health .
Saturated fats are unhealthy as they increase the levels of bad cholesterol which block the arteries to the heart.
On the other hand, polyunsaturated fats work in the opposite way by increasing levels of good cholesterol .
The Harvard analysis suggests that for each 5% increase in polyunsaturated fat consumption there is a related 10% decrease in heart disease.
It is essential to reduce saturated fats. However, one must be careful not replace it with further unhealthy options like trans-fats found in processed foods like biscuits and cakes.
The study findings suggest that polyunsaturated fats are a preferred replacement for saturated fats for improved heart health.
It is essential to eat oily fish as well as a minimum of five portions of fruit and vegetables on a daily basis.
Good Fat Lowers Risk of Heart Problem by a Fifth
Fri, 26 Mar 2010
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Oct 20, 2017. If the signs, symptoms, season, or initial spinal fluid results suggest that the child may have viral meningitis, the spinal fluid may be sent for.
Meningitis is an acute inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, and neck stiffness. Aseptic meningitis may also result from infection with spirochetes, a type of bacteria that includes Treponema.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining that covers the brain and spinal cord ( the. Viral meningitis is usually less serious than a bacterial cause. Leg pains.
Feb 1, 2017. Viral meningitis is an infection of the covering of the spinal cord and. neck stiffness and joint pains; drowsiness (excessive sleepiness) or.
Nov 21, 2015. Once meningitis is diagnosed as being caused by a virus, there is no need. Look for symptoms such as fever, vomiting, decreased appetite, age with meningitis may complain of a headache, pain in his back, or a stiff neck.
Dec 9, 2015. Learn about aseptic meningitis symptoms, causes, treatment, and. In most cases, your doctor will perform a lumbar puncture or spinal tap. Analgesics and anti-inflammatory medications may be recommended for pain and.
Read about meningitis, an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. Find out about the symptoms, vaccines and treatments.
Spinal meningitis is an infection of the fluid and membranes around the brain and spinal cord. spasm; Pain that radiates from the spine; Seizures; Stiff neck and back; Sweating; Vomiting; Weight loss. Bacteria or a virus usually cause this condition. The infection occurs 10 days to two weeks before the symptoms appear.
Oct 16, 2016. Classic meningitis symptoms include skin rash, sensitivity to light, and neck stiffness. membranes called 'meninges' around the brain and spinal cord. While viral meningitis is easy to treat, bacterial meningitis can lead to serious. with nothing more than fluids, adequate rest, or OTC pain medications.
Sep 15, 2010. Aseptic meningitis is an illness that appears similar to bacterial meningitis. However. Back to TopSymptoms. Treatment for noninfectious causes consists of pain medications and managing complications, if they occur.
Home » Gastro-Intestinal Diseases » Pancreatitis vs Pancreatic Cancer: Signs, Symptoms and Pain Pancreatitis vs Pancreatic Cancer: Signs, Symptoms and Pain
22.08.2017 · Viral meningitis is inflammation of the leptomeninges as a manifestation of central nervous system (CNS) infection. Viral names the causative.
Incidence Of Low Back Pain In The Us Can Juicing Help Back Pain The IBS Self Help and Support Group cannot provide direct medical advice. If you have a digestive disorder then you should consult a healthcare professional. Aug 2, 2017. People with acute neck and back pain often suffer from muscle spasms. Cherry juice can help combat the inflammation and muscle pain
How Is Meningitis in Children Diagnosed?. Facts on Meningitis in Children; What Causes Meningitis in Children? What Are the Symptoms and Signs of.
Get information on encephalitis and meningitis symptoms, treatment, causes, outbreaks. For viral meningitis, the incubation period can range widely from only a few days to. Encephalomyelitis is inflammation of both the brain and spinal cord. Over-the-counter pain relievers provide short-term relief for most headaches.
Sep 4, 2015. Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord and can be caused by a number of different virus and bacteria. include cold hands and feet , abnormal skin colour (pale, bluish or mottled), and leg pains.
Infections, and less commonly other causes, in the brain and spinal cord can cause. Infectious causes of meningitis and encephalitis include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and. Symptoms are flu-like and include fever, headache, and joint pain.
Mar 22, 2016. outbreak of meningitis linked to spinal injections for back pain. including which states have been affected and symptoms to look out. The symptoms of fungal meningitis are similar to those caused by a bacteria or virus;.
Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain, and meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges. Get information on encephalitis and meningitis symptoms.
Jun 13, 2016. Meningitis symptoms include fever, feeling of illness, and headache. There are. Meningitis is a swelling of the membranes of the brain and spinal cord. It can be due to. The most common cause of meningitis is a viral infection. But bacterial. Neck pain and stiffness are common symptoms of meningitis.
Get information about meningitis in adults. Learn about causes, symptoms, treatment, diagnosis, prevention, and vaccinations. Also, find out how meningitis.
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How to Recognize Spinal Meningitis Symptoms. Meningitis, sometimes referred to as spinal meningitis, is an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the.
Soap Note Back Pain Below you will find some of the more common tcm diagnoses and acupuncture treatment protocols for low back pain and related issues. There are many ways to. SOAP NOTE #5 PATIENT PROFILE. The pain has not gotten worse, but has not gotten better either. Her head hurts "in the back of head and goes to
What Will the Doctor Do? When someone is ill and may have symptoms of meningitis, a doctor will ask many questions to figure out how long the person has.
Meningitis affects the membranes around the brain and spinal cord. Bacterial meningitis is serious and can be fatal, but vaccination provides protection.
If you have a stiff neck or neck pain, particularly if it’s the type you get when you have the flu, it may be a sign of meningitis. Meningitis symptoms.
What Is Meningitis? Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, the membranes that enclose and protect the brain and the spinal cord.
Several conditions such as: insomnia, allergies, heavy periods, poor night vision, abdominal, side and pain between the shoulder blades, and gallstones.
If you have viral meningitis, symptoms may include fever, light sensitivity, headache, and a. In this procedure, your provider will take a sample of spinal fluid.
Learn about Bacterial Meningitis symptoms and causes from experts at Boston. fever; neck or back pain (or stiff neck); headache; confusion; sensitivity to light. What is the difference between bacterial meningitis and viral meningitis?
Frequently Asked Questions About Back Pain The Back Pain: Don't take it Lying Down campaign is focused on educating Albertans that. Frequently Asked Questions. What Is the best cure for back pain ? >. Frequently Asked Questions and Answers about Back Pain, Neck Pain, and Spinal Decompression from Spinal Care Canada in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Some frequently questions about back pain
Oct 16, 2012. Patients who received spinal taps for fungal meningitis can get headaches that. "I've had sinus headaches, which are more of a dull ache. The CDC recommends waiting to do a spinal tap until the onset of meningitis symptoms. Seoul Virus Spread by Pet Rats Under Investigation in Multiple States.
Aseptic meningitis can be fatal if not treated right away, so if your pet has neck and back pain and a high fever you should see a veterinary professional.
Liver pain can be caused by a wide variety of ailments. The pain is felt in the upper-right quadrant, usually underneath the rib cage. Liver pain location.
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Sometime between the 18th and 24th month, children start learning to jump. Eager parents often ask when to expect their child to jump with both feet off the ground. The simple answer is, every child is different. Of course, we as physical therapists and developmental experts will become concerned if a child is still making no attempts to jump by 2.5 to 3 years. However, what parents should know is that there are many reasons a child could be delayed on a particular gross motor milestone.
Usually, after 6 months of walking independently and participating in typical play (such as climbing on/off furniture, walking up and down stairs with help, and running on various surfaces) a child will have developed the strength and balance needed to jump without falling. When she first starts jumping, she might push off with one foot only and jump down from a low step without help. By 2 years, a typically developing child can most likely jump forward 3-4 inches while maintaining her balance, with both feet. She should also be able to bend her knees, with feet together, and propel herself upwards to try to touch something up high.
When to seek physical therapy interventions:
Around 2.5 years of age, if your child continues to show difficulty with jumping and shows any of the following, it is best to bring her into physical therapy so we can check out her alignment, strength and balance, and give her strengthening exercises as needed.
- Asymmetrical jumping: A typically developing child does not show side-preference until preschool age. If you notice your child always pushing off and landing with one side, seems to drag one side or hold it stiffly, or if one side barely participates in the initiation of jumping, it’s good to mention it to your doctor at her 24 months check-up.
- No power during push-off: If your child prepares to jump by initiating a squat but then her feet barely leave the floor, her leg muscles may not be strong enough yet to fully propel her weight forwards or upwards. Or, she might not know how to best coordinate the beginning and end of the activity. If she prefers to step off a low surface or step over an obstacle instead of jumping, she is showing weakness in her legs, especially her thigh and hip muscles.
- Frequent falls: If she crumbles to the floor or if her knees buckle every time she lands from a jump, or if she falls on purpose when trying to jump, your child may be showing that her body is just not ready for this milestone.
- Increased anxiety or behavioral resistance to the task: Does your 3 year old hesitate with apprehension, ask to be picked up, or ask for a hand any time she’s encouraged to jump down or over something on the ground? Does she throw a tantrum or flops to the ground if you don’t help her?
All of the above could mean something is keeping a child from jumping. There could be a visual discrepancy or a depth perception issue that can be addressed with occupational therapy, an anxiety/comfort matter that can be addressed by social work, or a deeper issue that can only be attended to after a thorough evaluation by a developmental expert.


Kids can be notorious when it comes to taking care of their teeth. To the point where it almost impossible to get some of them to brush even once a day let alone twice. Most children don’t see their family dentist until they are well over 2 years old, far later than is recommended by both dental and medical professionals. Here are a few things you ought to know about taking care of your child’s teeth the best.
Importance of primary teeth
Among children who have never visited the dentist or who have not seen a dentist in the last 12 months, the most frequently mentioned reason by their parents was that “the child is too young”. Sometimes parents fail to understand the importance of losing child teeth naturally.
It is very important to keep a child’s teeth in place until they are lost naturally. The primary teeth are important for many reasons including:
- Proper and efficient chewing..
- Good speech development.
- Helping save space for permanent teeth.
- Promoting a healthy smile that helps children feel good about the way they look.
How to care for child teeth
Child teeth can be far more sensitive than their adult counterparts Make sure your child brushes at least 2 times a day (morning and night) with fluoride toothpaste to prevent cavities. If your child is very young consider brushing their teeth yourself. But at the same time ensure that your child learns how to brush their teeth on their own in the best way possible. Especially in the morning when children can be particularly moody.
Watch your child’s diet.
What your child eats and drinks can hurt their baby teeth. Some drinks, including fruit juice and soda can be high in sugar or acid. Limit sugary treats like cookies, too. Sugar and acid can make the outer shell (enamel) of the teeth weak and put teeth at a higher risk for cavities.
When should you take your child to the dentist
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends that a child go to the dentist by age 1 or within six months after the first tooth erupts. Primary teeth typically begin growing in around 6 months of age.
If you begin taking your children to the dentist around the time the first tooth erupts, then they are probably too young to be nervous. But if you’ve waited until your child is older (for example, 2 years), then he or she may have some anxiety at the time of the first visit.
Choosing the right dentist for your child
Child teeth can be very delicate, so choosing a dentist who understands your child and their dental health is important. So if you’re looking for the ideal dentist in Goa for your child’s teeth. Then look no further. SmileCraft Goa is home to some of the most professional and gentle dentists in the city. Our child teeth experts will guide you and your child to the best dental care.
Need the best child dentist in Margao? You’ve come to the right place. Give us a call and we’ll have you sorted.


Revised 11/02 -- Author Reviewed 11/02 HIL-905
Japanese stiltgrass (also known as annual jewgrass, bamboograss, flexible sesagrass, Japanese grass, Mary's grass, microstegium, Nepal microstegium, or Vietnamese grass) is a summer annual commonly found in shady, moist areas and is spreading rapidly in woodlands as well as shaded landscapes and low-maintenance turf throughout the southeastern U.S. and mid-Atlantic states. Japanese stiltgrass germinates in early spring, several weeks before crabgrass, yet flowers and seeds much later, from mid-September through October. It has broader, shorter leaves than many other annual grasses; somewhat resembling broadleaf signalgrass or spreading dayflower. After frost, the foliage and wiry stems turn a distinctive light tan in color and persist through the winter. Vegetative identification characteristics include: rolled vernation, a very short membranous ligule, and leaf blades that are shorter and broader than most other grasses.
Japanese stiltgrass is a prostrate to erect, sprawling and freely branched summer annual with spreading stems that root at the nodes. The stems are still and climb over other vegetation reaching more than 3 feet (~1 meter) in height but will remain prostrate if mowed. Leaves are rolled in the bud; ligules are short (~0.5 mm) and membranous with hairs on the backside; auricles are absent. Leaf blades are broader than many other grasses, particularly under shady conditions. Young seedlings are easily distringuished from other summer annual grasses by the very broad, rounded first leaf. Leaves on older plants are narrowly elliptic, about 8 times longer than wide (3 to 8 cm long and 5 to 10 mm wide), sparsely hairy on the upper surface, and hairless or nearly so on the underside. The sheath has a hairy margin and hairs at the collar region but otherwise is not hairy. With age, some of the hairiness of the upper leaf blade may diminish. Plants have a shallow, fibrous root system. Plants tolerate mild frosts, often flowering after the first frost, but die with hard frost. Dead plant parts persist through winter and well into spring and early summer.
Key Identification Characteristics
Habitat and Distribution
Japanese stiltgrass is most commonly found in shady, moist, disturbed areas including wetlands, ditch banks, utility rights of way, mulched landscape beds, and low-maintenance turf; however, infestations are common in upland forests as well. Infestations typically begin in disturbed sites; once established, infestations can spread to undisturbed areas. Introduced from tropical Asia, it has spread rapidly in public lands throughout the Eastern U.S. It has been reported throughout the southeastern U.S., north to Ohio and New York. It is most common in the piedmont and mountains of the southeast, less common in the coastal plains. More recently, it has been reported to be encroaching on shaded lawns and landscape plantings throughout its distribution.
Reproduction and Spread
A summer annual, reproduction is by seeds that germinate in early to mid-spring (early to mid-March in central N.C.) and sporadically throughout the growing season. Plants flower in early to mid-autumn (late September through October in central N.C.). Flowers are produced in a branched spike, with 1 to 3 (rarely 6) branches (rachis), each 3 to 5 cm long. Spikelets are in pairs on the rachis, each 4.5 to 6 mm long. Japanese stiltgrass can produce large numbers of seeds - from 16,000 to 50,000 seeds per square meter. At least some of these flowers are cleistogamous (self-fertilized before the flower opens). Such an adaptation has direct implications on sanitation measures; to prevent seed production, early removal before anthesis is imperative because some florets will produce seed before flowers have opened.
Since Japanese stiltgrass infestations typically begin in disturbed areas and then spread from those sites, early detection and control can prevent severe infestations. Seeds are believed to be not long-lived in the soil. Although limited information on seed bank dynamics is available, research suggests that seeds last only 3 to 5 years in the soil. Therefore, long-term management programs should emphasize prevention of seedhead formation to deplete the seed reservoir. Mulches suppress germination; however, in shady, moist areas it can grow in mulch. Preemergence and postemergence herbicides used for crabgrass control generally are equally or more effective on Japanese stiltgrass. The only herbicide specifically labeled for Japanese stiltgrss is Plateau (imazapic). Plateau may be applied preemergence or postemergence to Japanese stiltgrass. Consult the herbicide label for details.
In research, postemergence non-selective herbicides such as Roundup-Pro (glyphosate) and Finale (glufosinate) provided excellent control with one or two applications, respectively. Selective postemergence grass herbicides were generally effective on this weed. Of the selective graminicides tested, Vantage (sethoxydim) provided the best control followed by Fusilade II (fluazifop-p), which was equal to Acclaim Extra (fenoxaprop) and better than Envoy (clethodim). Research at the University of Tennssee also suggests that sufentrazon (Authority or Oust) is effective. Dimension (dithiopyr), MSMA and Drive (quinclorac) were not effective for postemergence control. When using selective graminicides, young seedling weeds will be better controlled than larger plants. Several preemergence herbicides controlled Japanese stiltgrass, including: Preen (trifluralin), Dimension (dithiopyr), Surflan (oryzalin), Pendulum (pendimethalin), Barricade (prodiamine), Snapshot TG (isoxaben + trifluralin), Ronstar (oxadiazon) and XL (oryzalin + benefin). Pennant (metolachlor), Team Pro (benefin + trifluralin) and Devrinol (napropamide) were less effective. If preemergence herbicides are to be used, applications must be made before the weed germinates - which occurs several weeks before crabgrass germination.
Several preemergence and postemergence herbicides control Japanese stiltgrass. The goals of your site management program should influence your herbicide choices. If one wants to control Japanese stiltgrass without harming desirable vegetation, a selective grass herbicide might be most appropriate. If total herbaceous vegetation is the goal, then non-selective herbicides or broad-spectrum soil residual herbicides may be a better choice.
** Before using any herbicide, read the label and follow all label directions and restrictions.
Japanese stiltgrass resembles other coarse-textured summer annual grasses including smooth crabgrass and broadleaf signalgrass. In contrast, crabgrass has a tall membranous ligule (to 2 mm), longer and narrow leafblades (15 to 20 times longer than wide), and lacks hairs on the margin of the sheath. Broadleaf signalgrass is easily distinguished from Japanese stiltgrass and crabgrass by its hairy (ciliate) ligule. Under shady conditions, Japanese stiltgrass resembles the foliage of dayflower; however, the presence of a membranous ligule readily separates Japanese stiltgrass from members of the dayflower family (Commelinaceae) which do not have ligules and are not grasses.
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Published by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service


As Congress embarks on the process of reauthorizing the U.S. program to fight HIV and AIDS, and as other global donors recalibrate levels and allocations of funding for HIV/AIDS programs, prevention seems to be making a comeback. At the inception of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) five years ago, both the funding and the programmatic emphasis tilted heavily toward treatment.Yet, the rate of new HIV infection continues to outpace the world’s ability to deliver antiretroviral therapy, despite recent advances in access to such medications. A public health consensus is emerging, therefore, in favor of realigning the balance between treatment and prevention efforts.
Refocusing the priority on prevention is long overdue, as is an acknowledgment, especially within Congress, that HIV prevention cannot be accomplished with a disproportionate emphasis on abstinence. Indeed, preventing the sexual transmission of HIV requires going beyond the necessary but hardly sufficient strategy of ABC: abstain, be faithful, use condoms. It also requires increasing AIDS awareness through counseling and testing programs, investing in programs promoting the empowerment of women and girls, and increasing access to male circumcision. Other critical prevention interventions include ensuring a clean blood supply and clean medical injections, needle exchange programs for intravenous drug users and preventing the “vertical” transmission of HIV from a pregnant woman to her newborn infant.
Largely overlooked as an HIV prevention strategy, however, is the simple and low-cost act of helping HIV-positive women who do not want to have a child to avoid an unintended pregnancy through increased access to contraceptive services. Ward Cates, president for research of Family Health International (FHI), has dubbed contraception the “best-kept secret in HIV prevention,” and certainly, the significant contribution of unintended pregnancy prevention toward reducing the perinatal transmission of HIV has gone virtually unrecognized. Yet, a revitalized and more robust effort focused on HIV prevention cannot afford not to fully capitalize on the critical role of contraceptive services in fighting AIDS.
The Need for Progress on Prevention
Women of reproductive age comprise more than half of the 33 million people currently living with HIV around the world. The vast majority of these women live in Sub-Saharan Africa, and thus, it is not surprising that 90% of the 2.5 million children younger than 15 living with HIV live there as well. Almost all of these children became infected through their mothers during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding.
An HIV-positive woman about to give birth can dramatically reduce the likelihood of transmitting the virus to her newborn by delivering in a hospital or a primary care setting where she and her infant can receive even a single dose of the antiretroviral drug nevirapine. However, the challenges to delivering even this seemingly simple prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) service are substantial, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Pregnancy itself does not usually drive women, especially those in rural areas, to facilities where they could receive prenatal care and, potentially, an HIV test. In addition, many pregnant women may not want to know their HIV status for fear of public disclosure and the stigma that often results. Considering the difficulties of delivering services to HIV-positive pregnant women, and the simple fact that most women who are HIV-positive do not know it, it is not entirely surprising that only 11% of all theoretically eligible women in poor countries are benefiting from any PMTCT intervention. And without intervention, about one-third of babies born to HIV-positive women likely will become infected.
A long-standing goal of global prevention efforts, therefore, is to ramp up PMTCT efforts so that more pregnant women are tested and that those who are positive receive the treatment that they and their infant will need. PMTCT programs justifiably enjoy broad political support and are certain to continue to be a funding priority within the U.S. global AIDS effort.
The United States does recognize the importance of at least establishing linkages between PMTCT and family planning programs, since PEPFAR requires family planning counseling and referral as one of four elements comprising the minimum package of services for preventing mother-to-child transmission. However, a high-level consultation sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Population Fund in 2004 went considerably further, concluding that investing solely in narrowly defined PMTCT programs will not succeed in dramatically reducing the incidence of perinatal transmission. Rather, the Glion [Switzerland] Call to Action on Family Planning and HIV/AIDS in Women and Children emphasized that all four elements of the WHO approach to preventing HIV infection in infants are essential. PMTCT programs are key, but so are primary prevention of HIV infection in women; the provision of care, treatment and support for women living with HIV and their families; and prevention of unintended pregnancies among women living with HIV. Of these, the significant role that unintended pregnancy prevention already plays—and the much greater role it potentially could play—in averting new cases of HIV has been least recognized and supported.
According to a 2007 Guttmacher Institute study, one in four married women in Sub-Saharan Africa is sexually active and does not want to have a child or another child in the next two years, but is not using any method of contraception. As a result, unintended births are common, and occur in the very countries that are a focus of PEPFAR—countries in which HIV prevalence is high and 60% of all adults living with HIV are women (see table).
|HIV AND UNINTENDED PREGNANCY|
|In PEPFAR countries, high HIV/AIDS rates coexist with a high unmet need for contraceptive services and a high incidence of unplanned births.|
|PEPFAR Focus Countries (selected)||Unmet Need for Contraception, Married Women||Unplanned Births (as % of total births)||HIV/AIDS Prevalence (ages 15–49)|
|Source: Guttmacher Institute, 2007, and PEPFAR, 2007.|
Indeed, research into the HIV/AIDS health care system reveals that the unmet need for contraception among HIV-positive women and women at high risk of HIV is even greater than among women in the general population. According to a study published in JAMA in 2006, 84% of the pregnancies among women in three PMTCT programs in South Africa were unintended. Similarly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported earlier this year that 93% of the pregnancies among pregnant women receiving antiretroviral therapy in Uganda were unintended. And according to FHI research from 2006 of women in HIV counseling and testing clinics (where most women are HIV-negative but are at high risk for HIV), substantial majorities in Kenya (59%), Tanzania (66%), Zimbabwe (77%) and Haiti (92%) said they did not want another child in the next two years.
Contraception as HIV Prevention
To be sure, many women living with HIV do want to have a child or another child, notwithstanding pressure to forego childbearing from family members, people in their community and health care providers. And, in fact, HIV-positive women are likely to be able to sustain a healthy pregnancy and safely deliver a healthy baby if they can avail themselves of appropriate therapy (related article, Fall 2006, page 17). Nonetheless, many HIV-positive women who know their HIV status seek out contraceptive services specifically because of their status—because they fear infecting their baby if they become pregnant or leaving behind children, whether HIV-positive or not, as orphans. And many more women seeking contraceptives services are, in fact, HIV-positive but do not know it.
FHI researchers estimate that if the HIV-positive women in Sub-Saharan Africa who are currently using modern contraceptive methods to prevent unintended pregnancy were not able to do so, the number of HIV-positive births in the region would be 31% higher than it is now.This would translate to 153,000 more HIV-infected unplanned births each year—or 419 more per day.* Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and WHO published an analysis in AIDS in 2004 demonstrating that even a modest decline in the number of unintended pregnancies among HIV-positive women in Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Rwanda,Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe could lead to the prevention of the same number of births of HIV-positive infants as prevented by the current PMTCT programs in these countries. “It is clear from this analysis,” they wrote, “that only a combined approach utilizing all three intervention components simultaneously [reducing HIV infection among women, reducing unintended pregnancy and increasing the reach of PMTCT programs] will result in significant reductions” in new HIV infections among infants.
Helping HIV-positive women avoid unwanted pregnancies not only lowers the rate of new infections, but does so at a relatively low cost. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) examined PMTCT programs in the 14 countries comprising the Bush administration’s original initiative starting in 2002 aimed at preventing mother-to-child transmission. USAID projected that over a five-year period, adding family planning services to PMTCT programs could prevent almost twice the number of infections to children, and nearly four times the number of deaths to children, as PMTCT alone could prevent (see chart). In addition, a 2006 analysis by FHI concluded that for the same cost, voluntary family planning services can avert nearly 30% more HIV-positive births—that would have been unintended—than averted by identifying HIV-positive women during their pregnancy and providing nevirapine.
|FAMILY PLANNING ENHANCES PMTCT|
|Adding family planning to PMTCT programs could almost double the number of child infections averted and nearly quadruple the number of child deaths prevented compared to PMTCT programs without family planning.|
|Source: USAID, 2006.|
Greater access to contraceptive services then— whether among women in HIV treatment programs, PMTCT programs or counseling and testing programs, or among women in traditional family planning programs in high-HIV-prevalence countries—is a “win-win-win situation.” It increases the chances that women living with HIV can prevent future pregnancies they do not want, thereby reducing the incidence of perinatal transmission and the number of potential child deaths, and it achieves these humanitarian ends in a highly cost-effective way.
Implications for Prevention Policy
Outside the context of HIV prevention, it is indisputable that the health, social and economic benefits of investing in contraceptive services—for women, their families and their communities— are multiple and varied. By preventing pregnancies that are too early, too late or too closely spaced, contraception reduces the likelihood of infant mortality. And by helping women to avoid high-risk pregnancies and the need for unsafe abortions, it decreases the risk of maternal death or disability. A woman who can determine the timing and spacing of her children increases her own and her existing family’s opportunities for educational, social and economic advancement. Moreover, the evidence is compelling that increasing access to family planning programs also amplifies the overall effort to slow the rate of new HIV infection.
Yet, despite the ever-rising demand for contraceptive services and the fact that a woman’s ability to control her own fertility is integrally linked to almost all other aspects of health and development, U.S. funding for family planning has been lagging. Funding for family planning programs in developing countries through USAID peaked at about $550 million at the time of the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo in 1994 and early 1995. It dropped precipitously in 1997, after control of Congress shifted to lawmakers hostile to sexual and reproductive health programs, plummeting to below $400 million. By 2001, the final year of the Clinton administration, funding had regained some ground ($446 million), but that level has remained essentially constant ever since.
Clearly, USAID funding for family planning programs should be increased—both on their traditional merits and, in high-prevalence countries, as an HIV strategy. At the same time, as global donors to the fight against AIDS reconsider the new priority emphasis on prevention, particularly the United States through the reauthorization of PEPFAR, it would be an opportune moment to legitimize contraceptive services as the core HIV prevention intervention they are. This would mean ensuring that HIV treatment programs, where women already predominate, also provide contraceptive services directly or by referral to make it easier for HIV-positive women to coordinate their treatment regimen with their pregnancy prevention goals. Similarly, it would mean making family planning services more widely available through PMTCT programs, because many HIV-positive new mothers wish to delay or prevent a subsequent pregnancy. Finally, in high-prevalence countries, it would mean promoting greater integration of HIV counseling and testing services into family planning programs, so that more sexually active women at risk of HIV are likely to be tested and to receive appropriate counseling and treatment.
These strategies are more than academic.The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, the largest provider of PMTCT services under PEPFAR, has been striving to incorporate contraceptive services into its programs because “care and treatment staff members are uniquely positioned to address HIV-positive women’s needs concerning future pregnancy plans and counsel them based on their social circumstances, health status, and ART regimen.” Indeed, as negotiations in Congress got underway last month to reauthorize PEPFAR, the Foundation wrote to the House Foreign Affairs Committee to urge broadening the use of PEPFAR funds in order to support these “essential prevention services.…As implementers, we cannot overstate the importance of [integration] to the work we do on the ground to prevent the spread of HIV.”
For individual women who live where HIV is rampant, the interrelatedness of HIV prevention and unintended pregnancy prevention is a practical reality.Yet most international program donors, including the United States government, have viewed them as complementary goals but separate and unrelated outcomes. All along, the fact of contraception as HIV prevention has been hiding in plain sight. It is time to seek it.
*These data take into account the revised UNAIDS estimates released in late 2007 that indicate lower prevalence rates at the global and regional levels than in 2006. This explains most of the difference from FHI’s previous estimate of 173,000.


Artificial intelligence opens up many promising opportunities for businesses from different industries. What’s more, when applied right and with ethical goals in mind; AI is believed to help deal with global problems like food and water shortage, climate changes, and emissions. When it comes to AI in education, AI can help improve its quality and promote and support educational equity. Here is how artificial intelligence in education can work for this purpose.
5 Benefits of Artificial Intelligence or AI in Education:
AI in Education Provides Equal Educational Access
Despite the global economic development (or better to say, its gradual restoration after the Covid pandemic consequences); there are still more and less protected communities, the kids from which can’t expect equal access to education.
To date, 72 million primary school children have no opportunity to visit it. What’s more, 759 million adults are illiterate, and that’s why they can’t create any winning opportunities for their children; other than making them follow their path as well.
Artificial intelligence can make education more accessible. The development of e-learning platforms and virtual schools can be an opportunity for kids from remote areas; and children whose parents can’t pay for their tuition at the traditional educational institution.
Still, this promising opportunity goes hand in hand with another problem. 47% of the global population have no access to the Internet, smartphones, and other technologies necessary for receiving online education. Mostly, these are people from undeveloped countries. Still, the development of 5G and decreasing the price of mobile devices; with governmental support, can be the first step for resolving this problem.
Also Read: Innovative Educational Technologies for 2021
AI in Education Makes Performance Assessment Unbiased
According to the traditional educational model, the process of knowledge and skills transfer should go from one human to another; that is, from the teacher to the student. We also expect the teachers to share their knowledge with an ultimate mission in mind – to allow their students to become better specialists and better people since professional and personal development are directly interconnected in the process of studying.
Still, humans are humans. Teachers are humans with their emotions, attitudes, and sometimes, personal biases towards the students who don’t fit their expectations. When teachers’ personal attitudes are mixed up with the professional duties, they may treat some students; with more exceptional attention and care than others which directly affects their performance assessment. In this case, artificial intelligence can be a better performance evaluator since the technology is wholly deprived of anything personal.
Using AI in education in the process of performance assessment is also the way to automate routine tasks of teachers. Also, it reduces the likelihood of human-made errors.
Also Read: The Importance Of Technology In Education
One of the most promising opportunities for using artificial intelligence in education is a collaboration between human teachers and AI-tutors; with the long-running strategy of replacing the first with the latter. Using the ultimate set of AI-driven tools in online learning creates a winning opportunity for students with special needs; for example, with the ones with hearing and vision impairments and other disabilities.
In this case, they will be able to learn under the guidance of a specifically developed AI learning tool; creation of that was with their unique needs in mind. For example, the students with vision impairment will be able to interact with an AI platform; using its conversational features and voice technologies.
AI in Education Can Protect Students, Teachers, and Parents From Bullying
Bullying at school is quite a global problem. According to the statistics, one in three teens is regularly bullied. This is worldwide data, and it proves that this is not the case of a specific place, race, and religion. Bullying may have different reasons, but the traumatic experience will always be the same.
Bullying in teaching is also a relevant problem. In this case, teachers may bully other teachers, students, and parents. In this context, studying with the help of AI tutors seems a more ethical option that cuts the bullying opportunities;, especially when the students are gaining knowledge at home.
Still, the complete switch to online learning with the help of AI promises a new problem to solve; the lack of student socialization.
The modern educational system implies that a group of kids with different talents, abilities, and paces of information processing should be placed in the same environment and deal with the same tasks. For example, when one student is good at essay writing; the other one has to check writing services reviews Best Writers Online and Writing Judge. When one student is perfect at solving math tasks, the other one has to ask for additional help.
There are already a lot of debates around the effectiveness of this approach. Also, using artificial intelligence in the process of education can deliver more opportunities for kids; to show and develop their talents, choosing the subjects they are interested in and gaining knowledge at their own pace; which will be comfortable and effective for each student.
It becomes possible through the development of personalized learning plans and personalized AI assistance. While each student will get an opportunity to learn what they need and want, the initial conditions for each of them are still the same. They have to take the most benefits from the learning process.
The development, use, and adoption of artificial intelligence in education open up many promising opportunities. In addition to improving education quality, this is also a way to make access to education equal, the process of knowledge gain comfortable and exciting, and the academic performance assessment honest and transparent.
Adoption of AI in education will also lead to the development of more innovative and effective business models, which will drive profit for the technology creators and deliver ultimate benefits for knowledge gainers. The latter will also be able to flexibly manage their learning plan and schedule, achieving better efficiency and productivity.


There are currently 79 million people living in a state of poverty in the European Union. The situation is different in each Member State, but each state is affected by the social and economic phenomenon of poverty. Social policies are the responsibility of national governments, however the European Union supports and complements their actions through the implementation of a social and financial aid strategy in particular. During this period of economic crisis, the construction of a united society is more than ever a priority policy for the EU. To turn a decisive corner and mobilise troops into battle, the EU has designated 2010 as "European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion". This flyer is available in the 23 official languages of the European Union.


Hello Mr. Taylor. The other kids in my class say that every country celebrates Independence Day on July 4th and that it’s a global holiday, but I don’t think that’s right. Does every country really celebrate July 4th or are they just wrong?
The answer is a bit complicated because you’re both right. Your classmates are right that just about every nation on the Earth celebrates an independence day of some sort, but not all on the same day, and they certainly don’t all celebrate American Independence Day on July 4th each year. In fact, Canada’s independence day celebration, Canada Day, is just a few days earlier, on July 1, though unlike in the United States, that date isn’t an official moment in time when they changed from an English territory to an independent nation.
Other countries not only have different dates for their celebrations, but they also celebrate their independence differently too. For example, France celebrates the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, an event that marked the beginning of the French Revolution. On Bastille Day, as they call it, it’s customary for firefighters to organize dance parties, and there are also traditional military parades, along with festivals and fireworks.
Mexico celebrates September 16 as its independence day, commemorating the day in 1810 that the country declared its independence from Spain, and started a ten-year war with Spain. In fact, Mexico at the time was known as “New Spain”. Celebrations include rodeos, bullfights, parades and traditional Mexican dances.
A bit further south, in Peru, they celebrate July 28 as their independence day, actually starting the celebration the night before with folk and Creole music in public plazas and parks throughout the country. Three festivals are fundamental to the Peruvian Creole culture during the celebration: cockfighting, bullfighting and Peruvian paso horse exhibitions.
India celebrates its independence from England on August 15 each year, commemorating their declaration of independence in 1947. Flag-hoisting ceremonies occur throughout the country, including schools, homes and capital buildings. Flying kites has also emerged as a popular tradition for independence day, including aggressive fighting kite competitions!
Australia celebrates on January 26th, Indonesia celebrates on August 17th, Argentina on July 9, Cameroon on January 1st, Bolivia on August 6th, Costa Rica on September 15th, Libya on December 24th, Malta on September 21st, Moldova on August 27th, Portugal on December 1st and Singapore on August 9th. It’s all over the map.
Fireworks, it turns out, have been around for almost a thousand years, coming from both China and India originally. The first English use of fireworks was a celebration of the wedding of Henry VII in 1487. Enthusiasm for fireworks traveled across the Atlantic to the early colonies too. In fact, apparently tricksters in Rhode Island caused enough problems that a ban on the mischievous use of fireworks was established in 1731.
And in terms of fireworks being used for Independence Day in the USA? Turns out that John Adams wrote the following to his wife on July 3, 1776: “[our independence day] ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, bonfires and illuminations (fireworks) from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”
So now you know. Hope that helps you figure things out with your classmates!


History - Blue Brigade in Russia in WWIIEnglish | Español
Antonio Pérez Caballero
He was then 34 years old and already married, with two children. Spain had just ended its long civil war that caused terrible losses for both sides and had ruined the country.
In his mind, the battle against the Soviet Union symbolized his own fight against bolshevism, the same ideology that had inspired those who had murdered many of his and his wife's relatives and friends just 7 years before.
His unit arrived at the front in Leningrad, as Saint Petersburg was called then, on April 5th. Being a veterinarian by profession, he was assigned to practice in different towns and worked in Pulkovo and Gatchina. It seems there was an important German veterinary hospital at Gatchina.
During the time he spent in Leningrad, my grandfather and his fellow soldiers, despite what one might think, got the oportunity to befriend some of the local Russian inhabitants in the ocuppied towns. In these photographs that he took we can see him and one of the other spanish soldiers posing beside two russian girls. He also photographed an Orthodox procession, all the more unusual due to the political climate of the Soviets which discouraged religion after the revolution.
My grandmother would tell us many years later about how surprised her husband had been with the kindness and friendly attitude of the Russians. This may seem quite odd to the reader, but remember that those people had no other choice than to show themselves as cooperative with the invading forces. However, when I have been in Russia, I had the oportunity to discuss this subject with many Russians old enough to still remember the time of the occupation. They told me that the German and Spanish soldiers' behavior towards the local citizens were completely opposite. The Spanish being the far less cruel to them. Some of these old ladies, just young girls during the war, can remember even to this day some typical Spanish songs like "La Tarara".
My grandfather had no real interest for the arts. He would recall though, the impressive scale and beauty of the Russian palaces he saw: the Imperial Residences of Tsarskoe Selo (then renamed Pushkin), Pavlovsk and Gatchina. All these palaces were in fact looted and heavily destroyed by the German and Spanish soldiers who occupied these buildings for almost three years. Even today a Spanish inscription can be still be seen in one of Pavlovsk Palace's rooms.
The author wishes to thank Rob Moshein for his editorial assistance with the English version.
For any comments on this article or if you would like to contribute any information or photographs from this era of the Occupation by the Blue Brigade of the Alexander Palace or the other occupied palaces please email to Antonio Pérez Caballero


Many fish cannot be harvested with present-day gear because the species are
scattered over wide areas. Experiments with pelagic fish show that it may be
possible to attract large numbers of fish at night to a series of buoys or rafts
with pulsating lights. Then the pulsations would move the fish to a suction
hose attached to a factory processing vessel.


One of the mysteries of the English language finally explained.
A pea-sized conical mass of tissue behind the third ventricle of the brain, secreting a hormonelike substance in some mammals.
- ‘The pineal gland in the brain secretes melatonin, which has been linked to depression.’
- ‘The major glands that make up the human endocrine system are the hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, parathyroids, adrenals, pineal body, and the reproductive glands, which include the ovaries and testes.’
- ‘The cells of the suprachiasmatic nucleus send signals to other parts of the brain, especially the pineal gland, initiating hormonal and nerve signals that synchronize the body and the brain to the biological clock.’
- ‘In the human body there is a gland called the pineal gland located in the brain almost in the centre of the head.’
- ‘Other distinct anatomic structures such as the pineal gland and third ventricle could not be identified due to autolysis.’
- ‘A gland in the brain known as the pineal gland produces the hormone melatonin when the body is exposed to light - sunlight or artificial light.’
- ‘Some of these supplements, called glandulars, contain bovine brain, pituitary, pineal gland, and spinal cord, all organs where infectious prions may concentrate.’
- ‘Melatonin is produced and secreted by the pineal gland, whose activity is regulated by the suprachiasmatic nuclei.’
- ‘One theory is that it is related to the amount of melatonin in the body, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland.’
- ‘Secreted nightly by the pineal gland, the hormone alerts birds, lizards, and mammals to approaching mating seasons and helps them keep track of hibernation deadlines.’
- ‘Melatonin and serotonin are indoleamines derived from tryptophan which are produced by the pineal gland in vertebrates.’
- ‘The 24-hour circadian rhythm of light - dark (day-night) cycle is controlled by the hypothalamus through a neural pathway to the pineal gland.’
- ‘The pineal gland or pineal body is a small gland in the middle of the head.’
- ‘Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland, a small organ deep in the mammalian brain that conveys information to the rest of the brain and body about the length of light-dark cycles.’
- ‘Apparently, psychoactive substances stimulate the pineal gland in the brain.’
- ‘Melatonin is a hormone that is naturally secreted in the evening from the pineal gland in the brain and tells the brain it is time to sleep.’
- ‘Melatonin is a hormone secreted at night by the pineal gland of the brain.’
- ‘In addition to the latter, the following components of the epithalamus can be distinguished: the habenular commissure, the pineal body, and the posterior commissure.’
- ‘These are extremely rare benign tumours which develop from the pineal gland situated between the two halves of the brain (cerebral hemispheres).’
- ‘This diurnal variation in melatonin synthesis is brought about by norepinephrine secreted by the postganglionic sympathetic nerves that innervate the pineal gland.’
Late 17th century: from French pinéal, from Latin pinea ‘pine cone’. The anatomical term refers to the shape of the gland.
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The Agrias Butterfly is known by many as the gem of the insect world. They are not only rare, but extremely hard to find, and rarely do you ever get to see one in the wild - as they reside mainly in the tree tops of the Belize rainforest.
The Agrias Amydon Butterfly habitat, ranges from the southern tip of Mexico (northern part of Belize) going south through the Andes rain forests of Colombia to Bolivia, and East throughout much of the Amazon Basin, extending as far South as Iguazu Falls, Argentina.
There are 5 Agrias species, and numerous subspecies. In amydon the upperside is dark brown with vivid crimson patches on the forewings.
In some subspecies e.g. zenodorus and boliviensis the crimson is replaced by bright orange. The upperside hindwings have a smaller patch metallic blue (as you see above), which varies in size and hue according to subspecies. Males of all Agrias species have prominent yellow tufts of androconial scales on the hindwings.
The butterflies spend most of their lives high in the canopy of the rainforests in Belize, and for this reason - it is very hard to get a glimpse of one. Agrias have always been highly prized by collectors, who use plantain, rotting fish and various other cocktails to attract the males down from the tree tops. They are amongst the most vividly marked and beautiful butterflies in the world.
The Agrias are only active in hot conditions, and this is why their habitat is found in primary and secondary rainforest at altitudes between about 200-600m. The eggs are smooth, globular and laid singly on leaves of the food plants. The caterpillar when fully grown is olive brown, plump, and tapers toward the posterior, which is adorned with a pair of twisted caudal tails. The neck is narrow, and the head is very large in proportion to the body.
To see one of these babies in the wild, is a rare sight indeed, and for this reason they are considered a Belize rainforest gem.
The top of the winds are red, blue and black, the under part of the wings, look like the pictures below with yellow and dots.


OTTAWA, February 22, 2011–A perception exists that healthcare expenditures will rise to unsustainable levels as the proportion of seniors in our population continues to grow, creating concerns about service cuts and/or tax increases. But costs do not increase uncontrollably just because there are more seniors. Research shows that the main drivers of healthcare costs in the years to come will be inflation and technological innovation, not demographics. The myth that
aging is an important cost driver is tackled in the latest issue of the Mythbusters series, published today by the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF), entitled “Myth: The aging population is to blame for uncontrollable healthcare costs.”
It’s true that seniors cost the system more per capita than younger people. They are more likely to have multiple chronic conditions, leading to more doctor visits and longer hospital stays, and greater “need” for pharmaceuticals. However, all people with multiple chronic conditions experience this level of need, and all people—old and young alike—in their final years of life tend to cost the system more.
“People tend to confuse the fact of demographic change with the pace at which it occurs,” said Morris Barer, Director of the Centre for Health Services and Policy Research at the University of British Columbia. “Given enough time, population aging will have an impact on average use of all health care services. But aging plays out at a glacial rather than avalanche pace, and so there are ample opportunities to undertake the necessary system planning and adjustment. We cannot
afford to let claims about demographic Armageddon and unsustainability distract us from the real, and more immediate, sources of cost pressure,” he added.
Another issue is that there are too many seniors in expensive acute care settings only because they have poor access to residential care, assisted living or home care services in the community. “Better integration of care and more choice for community support could help address concerns about system sustainability as the baby-boom generation ages,” stated Maureen O’Neil, President of CHSRF. “Now is the time to make policy changes underpinned by evidence to ensure the
economic implications of our changing demographics are minimized,” she added.
Read the full article here
The Canadian Health Services Research Foundation is an independent, not-for-profit corporation with a mandate to promote the use of evidence to strengthen the delivery of health services that improve the health of Canadians. CHSRF is funded through an agreement with the Government of Canada.


A sustainable town, Vauban, Germany | leading the world in plus-energy green buildings |
Vauban, Germany is a sustainable town for every other city in the world to emulate. Vauban is a “zero-emission” district in Freiburg, Germany. Energy for buildings in Vauban is sourced from rooftop solar panels. Energy for Vauban is also supplied by a municipal bio-natural gas cogeneration plant.
Many homes in Vauban are either passive energy buildings (ultra energy efficient buildings that consume roughly as much energy as they produce), or plus-energy buildings (producing even more energy than they consume). Homes in the Sun Ship (Das Sonnenschiff) are entirely plus-energy buildings. Residents in plus-energy homes in Vauban simply sell excess energy generated by their home or building back to the municipality (for use in other homes in the community), resulting in lower electricity bills.
Urban Planning in Vauban
The urban planning strategies of “filtered permeability” and “fused grid” were implemented in the design of the municipality of Vauban. Residents primarily live in co-op buildings, such as the "solar ship", a large area of co-op buildings that run strictly on renewable energy.
Careful urban planning helped to create a city layout that lends itself to cycling as the primary mode of transit. The terms “filtered permeability” and ”fused grid” refer to a plan that ultimately means connected streets throughout the town, as well as plenty of pedestrian and bike paths. Residents primarily live in co-op buildings, such as the "solar ship", a large area of co-op buildings that run strictly on renewable energy.
The town of Vauban is virtually absent of all GHG emission-producing sources. Vauban is a “zero-emission” district in Freiburg, Germany. Vauban is not completely carbon neutral, as cars are actually allowed if you pay at least $23,000 USD for a parking spot on the outskirts of town. Thus, the majority of residents don’t own a car, choosing instead to use the tram, cycle or simply walk. Most streets don’t even have parking spaces.
The radical culture of Vauban has roots in its dramatic history. Ironically, Vauban was a military town through WWII and into the early 90’s. When the military left, the vacant buildings were inhabited by squatters. These vagabonds eventually organized Forum Vauban, organizing a revolutionary eco-community. Today, Vauban is modern, beautiful, and represents the very cutting edge of sustainable living.
Similar to Vauban, Germany (but in a variety of unique ways), these world cities are also taking the lead on climate action through novel urban planning strategies:
(and please also see the Green City Times article on Desalination for information about the largest desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere; in Carlsbad, San Diego)
And, here are the rankings for Green City Times top 10 greenest cities in the world>>>
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Matching family tree profiles for Ephraim F. Morgan, Governor
About Ephraim F. Morgan, Governor
Ephraim Franklin Morgan (January 16, 1869 – January 15, 1950) was born on a farm near Forksburg, Marion County, West Virginia, a descendent of the first white settler of western Virginia, Morgan Morgan, and his son David Morgan. He studied at Fairmont State Normal School and graduated from the West Virginia University law school in 1897. After establishing a law practice in Fairmont, Morgan enlisted in the First West Virginia Infantry during the Spanish-American War. Following the war, he became the Fairmont city attorney. He served as a judge of the Marion County Intermediate Court from 1907 to 1912 and as a member of the West Virginia Public Service Commission from 1915 to 1920. In 1902, he married Alma Bennett.
At the time Morgan became governor, a virtual state of war existed between union coal miners and coal operators. The United Mine Workers union was protesting for the right to organize miners in the southwestern part of the state. In late summer 1921, the governor called upon President Warren G. Harding to dispatch federal troops to end an armed miners' march in Boone and Logan counties. After the conflict ended, Morgan used National Guard troops to discourage miners from again taking up arms. A more detailed discussion of the 1921 armed miners' march and the Battle of Blair Mountain can be found in Clayton D. Laurie's "The United States Army and the Return to Normalcy in Labor Dispute Interventions: The Case of the West Virginia Coal Mine Wars, 1920–1921" in West Virginia History, Volume 50 (1991).
Under Morgan, the legislature created a sinking fund to provide financial assistance to new programs, namely a new road system. He appointed a Capitol Commission to devise a plan for replacing the old state capitol, which was destroyed by fire on January 3, 1921. The west wing of the present state capitol was completed in 1925. One week before leaving office, Ephraim and Alma Morgan became the first residents of the present West Virginia Governor's Mansion.
After his term as governor, Morgan served as solicitor for the United States Department of Commerce before retiring in Fairmont, West Virginia. In 1940, he was defeated for the Republican nomination for the United States Senate. He died in Bethesda, Maryland, in 1950.


What causes heat illness?
Extended exposure to hot temperatures can cause heat-related illnesses. This is due to the body trying to cool itself by rushing blood to the surface of your skin. Reduced blood flow to the brain muscles and other organs results in heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
Heat Exhaustion Symptoms
- Dark-colored urine (which indicates dehydration)
- Muscle cramps
- Pale skin
- Profuse sweating
- Rapid heartbeat
If you or anyone else has symptoms of heat exhaustion, it's essential to immediately get out of the heat and rest, preferably in an air-conditioned environment. If you can't get inside, try to find the nearest cool and shady place. Other recommended strategies include:
- Drink plenty of non-caffeinated and non-alcoholic beverages
- Remove any tight or unnecessary clothing
- Take a cool shower, bath, or sponge bath
- Apply other active cooling measures such as fans or ice towel
Dizziness and light-headedness
Lack of sweat despite the heat
Red, hot, and dry skin
Muscle weakness or cramps
Nausea and vomiting
Rapid heartbeat, which may be either strong or weak
Rapid, shallow breathing
Behavioral changes such as confusion, disorientation, or staggering
If you suspect that someone has heat stroke, immediately call 911 or transport the person to a hospital. Any delay seeking medical help can be fatal.
- Fan air over the patient while wetting his or her skin with water from a sponge or garden hose.
- Apply ice packs to the patient's armpits, groin, neck, and back. Because these areas are rich with blood vessels close to the skin, cooling them may reduce body temperature.
- Immerse the patient in a shower or tub of cool water or an ice bath.
If emergency response is delayed, call the hospital emergency room for additional instructions.
To avoid getting sick:
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Use sun protection
- Remain cool and avoid overheating by staying in the shade


After looking through the manual and booklet given to us the day before, I had a better understanding of the project before it even started. Our group members were raring to go and were in great anticipation for the day’s events. As we headed to the School of Physical and Mathematical Science, we started planning on what we were going to do when we got there. After we reached the location and had a quick and concise briefing by the teacher in charge, we began our experiment.
Project 3 - Fastest Ball Challenge
The first challenge was to reduce the time taken the ball to travel from the first photo-gate to the second. To accomplish this task, our team had to quickly discuss the angle, and vary the positions of where we release the ball bearing, so as to get the shortest amount of time.
The second challenge was to get as many variations of a one second timing as possible. This task was slightly more difficult and more time consuming as for the different angles we had to find the precise position to release the ball to get as close to the targeted timing as possible.
As a whole, I think today’s project has really helped that I have learnt to coordinate and work together with my teammates and to have an open mind to the different suggestions they have to offer. Also, I realised that just using a basic and concise knowledge of Physics, I can more or less understand how the different angles and positions affect the speed of the ball.
I think these skills will help me when I advance in my studies as there will be greater and more difficult projects that I would have to work on. This way, I can use my teamwork skills to reduce conflict and difficulty within the group and have a better outcome. Also, I learnt to better apply my knowledge to new things I will have to do in the future.


Key Stage 3 (Years 7 – 9 )
The move to the Senior School is exciting. Students are taught a range of subjects by a number of different teachers. This involves moving to specialist areas and being organised for each lesson.
Year 8 is the second year of Key Stage 3. The curriculum in Year 8 continues to offer a broad and balanced education, consolidating the work from Year 7 and providing, as part of Key Stage 3, the essential foundations for the GCSE courses offered later in Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11) and beyond.
The Year 9 curriculum offers a broad and balanced education, building on the programme laid down in the junior schools and Year 7 and 8, and is based on the National Curriculum for England.
During Year 9 students will have the opportunity to shape their curriculum for the following two years by choosing some of the subjects they wish to study at IGCSE. Further information about the options process will be given during this year.


As many as two thousand orangutans have been found in a remote Indonesian forest, raising hopes for the great ape’s future. Any discovery of a new population of an endangered species is good news, but this one’s extra-good.
Humans and the great apes — orangutans, bonobos, chimpanzees and gorillas — last shared a common ancestor 13 million years ago. That’s an evolutionary eye-blink. And as Wired Science has covered before, the great apes share many qualities, from self-awareness to emotion, that people consider fundamental to personhood. The Spanish government may even grant them human rights.
With their entire species in danger of disappearing, the Nature Conservancy’s finding of new orangutans is a bit like learning that a sick cousin’s health has improved. The situation is still grave, as most of the world’s 50,000 orangutans live in Malaysia and Indonesia, where rain forests are being rapidly cut down and replaced by palm oil plantations. But at least there’s hope.
"That we are still finding new populations indicates that we still have a chance to save this animal," said Paul Hartman, leader of the Orangutan Conservation Service Program, to the Associated Press.
- Chimps: Not Human, But Are They People?
- Free-Range Research Could Save Chimps — and Our Conscience
- A Different Take on Great Ape Personhood
- A Human-Like Race Is Going Extinct
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