The IRS has released the 2012 cost-of-living adjustments affecting health savings accounts. The HSA contribution limits and HDHP out-of-pocket maximums will increase slightly, while the HDHP minimum required deductibles remain unchanged for the third year in a row.
[See also: 2012 HSA and FSA cheat sheet]
Here are the details:
HSA Contribution Limits: The 2012 annual HSA contribution limit for individuals with self-only HDHP coverage is $3,100 (a $50 increase from 2011), and the limit for individuals with family HDHP coverage is $6,250 (a $100 increase from 2011).HDHP Minimum Required Deductibles: The 2012 minimum annual deductible for self-only HDHP coverage remains $1,200 and the deductible for family HDHP coverage remains $2,400.HDHP Out-of-Pocket Maximum: The 2012 maximum limit on out-of-pocket expenses (including items such as deductibles, co-payments, and co-insurance, but not premiums) for self-only HDHP coverage is $6,050 (a $100 increase from 2011), and the limit for family HDHP coverage is $12,100 (a $200 increase from 2011).Everything else, including eligible expenses and penalties, remains as is. As a reminder, as of Jan. 1, over-the-counter medications (with the exception of insulin) are no longer a covered expense under an HSA, FSA, or HRA without a doctor’s prescription, and the penalty for using HSA funds for ineligible expenses increased from 10 percent to 20 percent.


Despite its status as a solar pioneer, the U.S. has lagged behind many other nations with regards to actual deployment of solar. However, the U.S. has seen dramatic growth in solar installations in the last few years, driven partly by several key federal solar incentives, including:
The Section 48 Investment Tax Credit (ITC) provides a dollar-for-dollar cash credit equal to 30% of eligible solar system expenditures. The ITC is available to solar projects that are placed in service prior to the end of 2016.
The federal Modified Accelerated Cost-Recovery System (MACRS) allows solar system owners to deduct their solar investment on a significantly accelerated 5-year schedule. In addition, solar projects that are placed into service in 2012 are eligible for a 50% first-year depreciation bonus.
There are several other federal incentives that may be available on a situation- specific basis, including the USDA Rural Energy Grant Program and the New Markets Tax Credit Program. EnterSolar will ensure you tap all incentives available to you.
Federal solar incentives can provide corporate solar system owners with significant economic benefits, often reducing the net effective cost of solar by more than 60%.
Contact EnterSolar to learn how the U.S. Federal Solar Incentives can benefit your business.


Political scientists have long been concerned about the tension between institutional fragmentation and policy coordination in the U.S. bureaucracy. The literature is rife with examples of agencies competing with each other or asserting their independence, while cooperation is relatively rare. This is of particular importance in policy areas such as biodiversity, where species, habitats, and ecosystems cross various agency jurisdictions.


04/16/12 - 10:20am
One of the recurring themes in this year's presidential primary campaign is how to address the growing divide between our country's haves and have nots. No matter where you stand on poverty and the importance of the individual being responsible for their behavior, it is clear that those at the bottom of the economic ladder are likely to live in what I've heard described as social disorganization. This disorganization articulates itself in many ways including low school performance.


Scotland can generate all its domestic electricity using renewable methods by 2020, the Government has confirmed. However, it will be challenge to reach the target and green energy generation will need to be supported by at least 2.5 GW from thermal power units that will be increasing their carbon capture and storage rates. The Government also aims to completely remove carbon from electricity generation by 2030, under plans outlined in the
Electricity Generation Policy Statement (EGPS), which has just been released. Fergus Ewing, Scotland's Energy Minister, says, "We know there is doubt and scepticism about our 100 per cent renewables target, and the financial and engineering challenges required to meet it. But we will meet these challenges. I want to debate, engage and co-operate with every knowledgeable, interested and concerned party to ensure we achieve our goals."


Reduced Tire Wear - Improper alignment is a major cause of premature tire
wear. Over the time, a properly aligned vehicle can add thousands of miles
to tire life.
Better Fuel Mileage - Fuel mileage increases as rolling resistance decreases.
Total alignment sets all four wheel parallel which, along with proper inflation, minimizes rolling resistance.
Improved Handling - Does your car pull to one side? Does the steering wheel
vibrate? Do you constantly have to move the steering wheel to keep your car
traveling straight ahead? Many handling problems can be corrected by total alignment. With all the system components aligned properly, road shock is
more efficiently absorbed for a smoother ride.
Safer Driving - A suspension system inspection is part of our alignment
procedure. This allows us to spot worn parts before they cause costly
problems.


Book Description: This accessible study investigates the role of banks in financing British industry. Despite the City of London's importance as a financial center, there has been much dispute over the level of support that banks have given to British industry. Michael Collins weighs the conflicting arguments. Is there evidence of failure in the money markets? Has the estrangement of financial and industrial capital hindered Britain's economic development? He places these and other questions in a historical context and provides a survey of recent literature on this contentious subject.


On June 18, 2012, Governor Brown directed the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation (“Bureau”) to recommend changes to California’s four-decade-old flammability standard for upholstered furniture. Specifically, Governor Brown is seeking to reduce toxic flame retardants in furniture while still providing fire safety. Toxic flame retardants are found in a variety of items, such as high chairs and couches. Evidence suggests that toxic flame retardants harm the environment and are linked to liver and thyroid toxicity, neurological problems, and reproductive issues.
Continue Reading...


How do you assess your progress in the development of skills? In 1980, brothers Stuart and Hubert Dreyfus came out with an 18-page report on their research at the University of California, Berkeley. The Dreyfus model of skill acquisition proposes that a student passes through five clearly defined stages. They are as follows: 1. Novice- You have no experience and new to a certain task. 2. Advanced beginner- You begin learning. 3. Competent- You have sufficient knowledge. 4. Proficient- You have sufficient knowledge and training. 5. Expert- You have a high degree of skill resulting from experience. As an example, in the field of target shooting, participants are classified as follows: 1. Tyro 2. Marksman 3. Sharpshooter 4. Master 5. Expert


Flies are not just a nuisance, they're a major cause of disease, suffering and economic hardship around the world.
All told, they are known to be involved in the transmission of more than 65 diseases to humans alone, including typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera, leprosy and tuberculosis.
They are also responsible for significant reductions in the production of farmed meat and dairy products. It's estimated that flies are responsible for global livestock and poultry production losses measured in the billions of dollars.
Modern methods of livestock and poultry farming often provide an ideal breeding environment for flies, making control a major challenge.
However, it's a challenge to which we at Novartis have committed the full wealth of our experience in the chemical, pharmaceutical and biological disciplines.
The result is the Anti-Fly Program. It's a program which combines our knowledge with a range of products to provide fly control solutions for almost any farm animal production system in use today.


September 12, 2007
Not Just Chaos Theory
Researchers at UCLA have found that people living with HIV do not receive the best possible medical care when their lives are disorganized, characterized by lacking a set routine from week to week and having difficulty in keeping a schedule. The study, which will be published in this month’s Journal of General Internal Medicine, examined 220 low-income HIV-positive individuals, utilizing a new scale to determine the level of chaos in each of their lives. The scale, derived from a measurement tool originally designed for parents to assess chaos in their children’s lives, consisted of participants’ responses to six statements regarding their personal schedules. Participants indicated to what extent they agreed with statements such as “my life is organized” or “my routine is the same from week to week.” Through these responses, researchers determined that HIV-positive people with a more chaotic lifestyle were less likely to make and keep HIV care appointments.
[Go to top]


[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: Guanine quadruplex (G4 DNA) is a four-stranded structure that contributes to genome instability and site-specific recombination. G4 DNA folds from sequences containing tandemly repetitive guanines, sequence motifs that are found throughout prokaryote and eukaryote genomes. While some cellular activities have been identified with binding or processing G4 DNA, the factors and pathways governing G4 DNA metabolism are largely undefined. Highly conserved mismatch repair factors have emerged as potential G4-responding complexes because, in addition to initiating heteroduplex correction, the human homologs bind non-B form DNA with high affinity. Moreover, the MutS homologs across species have the capacity to recognize a diverse range of DNA pairing variations and damage, suggesting a conserved ability to bind non-B form DNA.Here, we asked if E. coli MutS and a heteroduplex recognition mutant, MutS F36A, were capable of recognizing and responding to G4 DNA structures. We find by mobility shift assay that E. coli MutS binds to G4 DNA with high affinity better than binding to G-T heteroduplexes. In the same assay, MutS F36A failed to recognize G-T mismatched oligonucleotides, as expected, but retained an ability to bind to G4 DNA. Association with G4 DNA by MutS is not likely to activate the mismatch repair pathway because nucleotide binding did not promote release of MutS or MutS F36A from G4 DNA as it does for heteroduplexes. G4 recognition activities occur under physiological conditions, and we find that M13 phage harboring G4-capable DNA poorly infected a MutS deficient strain of E. coli compared to M13mp18, suggesting functional roles for mismatch repair factors in the cellular response to unstable genomic elements.Taken together, our findings demonstrate that E. coli MutS has a binding activity specific for non-B form G4 DNA, but such binding appears independent of canonical heteroduplex repair activation. BMC Molecular Biology 07/2012; 13:23. · 2.86 Impact Factor


Mechanical Principles The Rules of Sport Skill Technique Mechanical principles applied to sports are rules that govern the efficient execution of skills. Using these rules as guides, athletes can build excellent technique and gain the greatest mechanical advantage. Newton's Laws of Motion are the foundation for these mechanical principles, which must be applied in concert with other sports training principles to achieve higher levels of sport performance.
Principles from the Law of Inertia 1. To achieve skilled movements, athletes must effectively combine linear and angular motion. For example, a discus thrower's body must move in a straight path from the back to the front of the ring while rotating with increasing velocity.
2. When two or more motions are required, athletes must execute movements continuously in sequence. For example, if a javelin thrower hesitates or stops at the end of the approach just prior to the throw, the advantage of the the approach is lost. 3. Athletes can increase mass and/or velocity to realize proportional gains in momentum.
For example, if a football player gains both weight and speed, it is more difficult for an opposing player to alter his path. 4. Transfer momentum efficiently from each segment to the whole body. For example, a sprinter coming out of the starting blocks uses the driving action of his or her arms to contribute to the total momentum and direction of the body.Principles from the Law of Acceleration 5. Acceleration is proportional to force. For example, a sprinter increases acceleration by increasing the force that he applies against the track. Increasing force by 10% causes a 10% increase in acceleration. If he could lose fat weight but maintain the same level of force (power), acceleration would also increase. See Power Fitness 6. Maximum acceleration is achieved when all body forces are coordinated in the intended direction. Body actions that do not contribute to a skill should be minimized to prevent wasted energy or detract from productive movements. For example, a swimmer coordinates the body actions to generate maximum force while minimizing unnecessary movements that cause excessive bobbing or lateral deviations. 7. When rotating, lengthening the radius slows the rotation and shortening the radius increases rotation. For example, a diver rotates faster when the tuck is tightened, creating a shorter body radius. A pike produces slower rotation because the radius is longer. 8. When jumping, the path in the air is set upon take off. Once a long jumper is in the air, his or her arms or legs may cause body rotation, but the flight path is not affected.Principles from the Law of Counterforce 9. Maximize counterforce with stable surfaces. If a surface is stable, it offers the same amount of force back as is generated against it. The less stable the surface, the less counterforce is returned. For example, sand does not offer a stable surface for running as compared to a concrete surface. 10. To achieve maximum jumping height, push directly downward upon take off. The direction of counterforce is directly opposite that of the applied force, and the applied force is most effective when it is perpendicular to the supporting surface because "give" is minimized. 11. Maximize total force. When batting (or for other striking skills), the total force at impact depends upon the both the momentum of the bat and the momentum of the ball. 12. Stay in contact with the ground. In activities involving throwing, pushing, pulling, or striking, one or both feet should be kept in firm contact with the ground until the force application is complete.
The Speed Jerk Boosts Sprint Speed and Technique These mechanical principles are valuable guides for developing technique, but applying them is accomplished using sound training principles and effective teaching methods. Learn how to choose weight training exercises, like the speed jerk (above) for sports using these principles in Strategic Weight Training for High Performance Athletes DVD.
Top of Mechanical Principles
Back To Sport Biomechanics
Back to Home Page


Allergies can flourish during holidays If you're experiencing typical cold symptoms, it might be because of allergic reactions to your holiday decorations.
According to Kansas State University Cooperative Extension, many people experience an increase in allergic symptoms during the holidays. The reactions often occur as skin allergies, nose and sinus area inflammation, sinus headaches and sinus infections, or chronic cough or asthma.
Some holiday allergy-causing agents include:
n Live Christmas trees: Real Christmas trees themselves rarely are the culprits with allergies, but molds or pollens often are attached to branches or needles. Bill Loucks, Kansas Forest Service conservation forester, recommends spraying trees with water before bringing them into the home. Some evergreens, particularly junipers and cedars, might be pollinating even in winter. Look for a yellowish tinge on the trunk and needles.
n Artificial trees: Improper storage can make artificial Christmas trees a potential source of mold and dust. Using a hair dryer set on cool, dust them outside before decorating. Additional features, such as sprayed-on snow, can aggravate symptoms.
n Christmas decorations: Ornaments stored from previous years can become coated with dust and mold. To prevent the buildup, thoroughly clean and dry decorations. When packing, seal them in plastic bags and store in airtight containers.
n Food allergies: Common holiday foods might contain ingredients that cause allergic reactions. The top allergy-causing foods include shrimp, soy-based items and tree nuts. If you are allergic to certain foods, inform family and friends of special dietary restrictions so they can prepare dishes that are safe to eat. The best way to prevent reactions is to avoid the foods.
n Mold allergies: Mold can flourish indoors if the humidity level is too high. Depending on comfort levels and minimal allergy symptoms, indoor humidity should be kept below 50 percent with a dehumidifier.
n Heating vents: Clean or replace furnace filters to prevent accumulated dust and debris from distributing throughout your home.
n Potpourri: Limit or eliminate scented candles, potpourri, air fresheners, plant arrangements and holiday baking with strong odors that can cause discomfort for people with asthma.
KAREN THOMAS is a family and consumer sciences educator for Penn State Extension in Lackawanna County.


Results
CEF students are achieving remarkable results, especially when you consider the socio-economic obstacles they face every day. Loyola Marymount University issued a report in Spring 2008 highlighting the benefits of a Catholic school education for the poor and marginalized.
100% of CEF students continue from 8th to 9th grade
98% of CEF high school students graduate
98% of CEF high school graduates go on to college


The editors of this on-line journal seek manuscripts that critically examine and expose the lies perpetuated in the larger neo-liberal and right wing assaults on democracy and the public sphere. Authors must demonstrate genuine academic rigor in addressing specific sets of lies and deceptions currently used to manufacture consent for increasingly draconian domestic policies and imperialistic foreign policies. We are soliciting submissions that are not simply based on opinion or conjecture. What is significant to changing public opinion and public policy is academically grounded and sound research.
Unlike federal funding agencies, we do not restrict research to “experimental design.” On the contrary, we heartily encourage humanities based, arts based, narrative, ethnographic (including autoethnography), visual, cyborgian and other methodological approaches. Submissions are welcomed from across the academic disciplines, and we encourage the submission of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary works. We also solicit articles that can document this traumatic and critical juncture in both American and world history and culture. Therefore, submissions from teachers, students, citizen groups, and teacher educators are encouraged.
Send comments and questions to H-NetWebstaff. H-Net reproduces announcements that have been submitted to us as afree service to the academic community. If you are interested in an announcementlisted here, please contact the organizers or patrons directly. Though we striveto provide accurate information, H-Net cannot accept responsibility for the text ofannouncements appearing in this service. (Administration)


US authorities have charged eight former executives and agents of the German corporation Siemens AG and its subsidiaries with a conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt practices Act (FCPA). The charges allege that the individuals used over $100 million illicitly to secure a lucrative contract in Argentina for the production of national ID cards.
The details of the case concern the Argentine Government’s issuance of a tender for bids in 1994 to replace its existing system of national identity booklets with the ‘DNI project’ - digitalised national identity cards. The estimated value of the project was $1 billion. Argentina awarded the DNI project to a subsidiary company of Siemens AG in 1998. The US Department of Justice (DoJ) claims that this lucrative contract was granted as a result of a decade-long corruption scheme.
The DNI project was terminated in May 2001, the consequences of which causing the members of the conspiracy allegedly sought to avoid. The indictment alleges that the conspirators attempted to recover the anticipated proceeds of the DNI project by causing Siemens AG to file a fraudulent arbitration claim against the Republic of Argentina in Washington, D.C. The claim accused Argentina of wrongful termination of the contract and demanded approximately $500 million in lost profits and expenses.
The eight individuals are charged with conspiracy to violate the FCPA and a number of related offences. Residents of Germany, Switzerland and Argentina, the defendants have not been taken into custody but the DoJ plans to seek the assistance of its international partners to detain the individuals. The Securities and Exchange Commission also filed a related civil action, alleging that over $100 million in bribes were paid in connection with Siemens’ efforts to secure the DNI contract.
This development comes three years after Siemens’ record-breaking $1.6 billion global settlement of bribery allegations with the DoJ, SEC and German authorities and illustrates just how prolonged and multi-faceted corruption investigations can become once initiated.
The case also offers a stark reminder for managers and executives of the personal consequences of becoming embroiled in corporate corruption. The US authorities, which have at times received criticism for failing to convict individual employees in FCPA cases in which their employer settles, have demonstrated by bringing this indictment that there is appetite for prosecuting individuals involved in corruption. This case marks the first time a board member of a Fortune 50 company has been charged with FCPA violations.
Lanny Breuer of the DoJ observed that the indictment ‘reflects our commitment to holding individuals, as well as companies, accountable for violations of the FCPA.’


Contributor. Gordon K. Klintworth There are many different types of nystagmus. Some are congenital [nystagmus - congenital motor]; other types are acquired. Regardless of the mode of inheritance the visual acuity and eye movement recordings are indistinguishable. Congenital motor nystagmus needs to be differentiated from other ocular diseases of infancy that are associated with nystagmus (albinism, achromatopsia, Leber congenital amaurosis, congenital cataract [cataract - congenital]). X-linked conditions associated with nystagmus include Nettleship-Falls albinism, complete congenital stationary night blindness [night blindness - congenital stationary complete], and blue cone monochromacy. A tenotomy can lead to a significant improvement in individuals with the infantile nystagmus syndrome [nystagmus - syndrome infantile]. Numerous types of nystagmus are recognized amaurotic nystagmus, amblyopic nystagmus, ataxic nystagmus, caloric nystagmus, central nystagmus, Cheyne nystagmus, congenital nystagmus, convergence nystagmus, disjunctive nystagmus, dissociated nystagmus, downbeat nystagmus, end-position nystagmus, fixation nystagmus, galvanic nystagmus, gaze nystagmus, jerk nystagmus, latent nystagmus, lateral nystagmus, miner's nystagmus, opticokinetic nystagmus (optokinietic nystagmus and railroad nystagmus), palatal nystagmus (also known as palatal myoclonus), paretic nystagmus, pendular nystagmus (also known as ossilating nystagmus, undulatory nystagmus, and vibratory nystagmus), periodic alternating nystagmus, positional nystagmus, retraction nystagmus (also known as nystagmus retractorius), rotatory nystagmus, secondary nystagmus, see-saw nystagmus, spontaneous nystagmus, unilateral nystagmus, upbeat nystagmus, vertical nystagmus, vestibular nystagmus(also known as aural nystagmus and labyrinthine nystagmus), and voluntary nystagmus. Speciific types occur in certain disorders. De Morsier syndrome (see-saw nystagmus). Lesions causing vestibular nystagmus may be located in the vestibular labyrinths [labyrinthitis, Mèniére disease], brainstem and cerebellum (involving the vestibular nuclei, and connections to the flocculonodular lobes of the cerebellum), or eighth cranial nerve [vestibular neuritis].


Most nutritionists and dieticians recommend the following guidelines for the maximum limits of calories and nutrients you should eat on an average day:
Calories: 2400
Total Fat: 65 grams
Unsaturated Fats: 45 – 50 grams
Saturated Fats: 15 - 20 grams
Trans Fats: 0 grams
Cholesterol: 300 mg
Sodium: 2,300 mg
Carbohydrates:
Added sugars: 40 grams
Fiber: 25 – 35 grams
Protein: 80 - 120 grams
(take half your weight in pounds as the number of grams)
Vitamins and Minerals: Look at the % daily value recommendation and eat foods that boost specific vitamins such as vitamin C or minerals such as calcium or iron.


Managing patient pain levels and the associated documentation is crucial for compliance standards and the patient's satisfaction. The GetWellNetwork Pain Management Pathway provides an efficient workflow to manage pain assessments, improve documentation and is recognized by the Joint Commission as a “best practice for pain management.”
Automating the workflow can eliminate hundreds of nurse hours at your facility. For many hospitals, traditional pain management workflows are time consuming and inconsistent. Often times, nurses revisit the patient after administering medication to reassess pain levels and then manually document the process in the patient’s medical record. The Pain Management Pathway ensures that the patient’s pain is assessed within an hour, as required by the Joint Commission standards, eliminates the need for nursing to manually document pain assessments, and avoids unnecessary trips to the patient’s room when they are not in pain.


Some common asthma medications such as albuterol and inhaled steroids effectively relieve the airway constriction caused by a ragweed exposure. Acoustic rhinometry can assess nasal obstruction in the dog model after a challenge of ragweed. Allergy drugs such as d-pseudoephedrine block ragweed-induced nasal congestion.
Characteristics of Our Dog Model:
Experimental Capabilities:


Posts Tagged ‘IFSG’ Early in my Feng Shui schooling, I learned that your home mirrors your life. Very simply, if there is a lot of clutter in your home, your life will probably be one of confusion, indecisiveness, and exhaustion. However, I was skeptical about the correlation between a new home and a client’s long-standing issues. Being a ...Read more.
Earlier this year a hospital has been built, not only with LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design developed by the US Green Building Council) sustainable design standards, but with feng shui principles. It’s the Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital in Michigan. The core mission, as I see it, is putting the patient and their ...Read more.
Many of the principles of Feng Shui are inherently within the sustainable building movement: namely, treading lightly on the Earth and using her resources wisely. However, there is a significant part of Feng Shui that is often missing from typical green designs. This wisdom can be integrated into sustainable-design practices to enrich human beings through ...Read more.


A zero-defects mentality exists when a Command and Control structure does not tolerate mistakes. This atmosphere is now widely acknowledged to be ineffective in both military and corporate life.
The results of a zero-defects mentality can include careerism, reduced motivation and stifled innovation. Soldiers or employees will feel neither empowered by their successes nor accountable for their failures.
Eliminating a zero-defects mentality is one of the primary goals of Lean manufacturing , specifically through the application of Kaizen and Andon in the Toyota Production System.


The United States government has designated nearly 600 counties across 14 states as primary disaster areas due to severe drought and heat, in the first disaster designations of the new year.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday that farm operators across 597 counties now qualify for low-interest emergency loans. “As drought persists, USDA will continue to partner with producers to see them through longer-term recovery, while taking the swift actions needed to help farmers and ranchers prepare their land and operations for the upcoming planting season,” agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack noted in the announcement. The counties have shown a drought intensity value of at least D2 (Drought Severe) for eight consecutive weeks based on U.S. Drought Monitor measurements, providing for an automatic designation. The Drought Monitor measures drought intensity on a scale from D1 to D4, or moderate, severe, extreme and exceptional respectively. The counties designated as disaster areas include: Alabama, 14; Arkansas, 47; Arizona, 4; Colorado, 30; Georgia, 92; Hawaii, 2; Kansas, 88; Oklahoma, 76; Missouri, 31; New Mexico, 19; Nevada, 9; South Carolina, 11; Texas, 157; and Utah, 17. In 2012, USDA designated 2,245 counties in 39 states as disaster areas due to drought, or 71% of the country.


Mediated Agreements and Facilitated Conversations for Lasting Resolutions and Sustainable Results Interpersonal disruptions and disagreements stifle every team’s effectiveness. Conflict costs organizations nearly $400 billion annually in loss of morale, sick days and decreased productivity.
Formal mediation services--long before legal entanglements--with a certified, experienced mediator are available for resolving your sticky situations. Following a tried-and-true process of getting all parties needs and interests heard and on the table, a mediator passionately advocates for the process rather than the individuals.
Group facilitation is a less structured, inherently safe environment for conversations to flourish, using methods cutting edge methods as Open Space technology and Large Group Process pioneered by Arnold Mindell. Both lead to lasting, sustainable resolutions.
In addition experiential workshops, tailored specifically for each group's needs increase team communication skills and individual ability to manage conflicts more effectively.
Why wait for confusion and chaos to stifle the productivity and potential of your family or group?


Skilled legal service coordination ensures that victimsâ€™ time-sensitive civil legal needs, like restraining orders, receive immediate attention. Â The practical assistance and emotional support our advocates provide helps victims who are in crisis situations to navigate the legal system and increase their safety.
We also offer court accompaniment to survivors attending family court hearings, helping them feel safe and supported during what can feel like daunting legal proceedings. Â For a woman or teen who must face her batterer in court, the presence of a support person during a hearing can bolster feelings of confidence and safety.
For survivors who require more specialized legal support to ensure safe outcomes in child custody, visitation, or restraining order hearings, our burgeoning Pro Bono Representation Project provides access to free legal representation. Â The project connects volunteer attorneysâ€”members of the California Barâ€”with domestic violence survivors who are engaged in family court proceedings.Â Please for more information or to become involved.


NOT YOUR MOTHER'S LIBRARY
At Ingersoll District collegiate institute, this connected, multi-use facility isn’t even called a library — it’s a learning commons 0 At Ingersoll District collegiate institute, teacher librarian Bruce White swapped empty shelves for couches, silent study and musty volumes for hi-tech readers, cameras and computers, turning a traditional library into a learning commons that’s uncommonly popular, Kate Dubinski reports.
--- --- ---
When Bruce White arrived at Ingersoll District collegiate institute, he did something many other librarians would have found abhorrent: he got rid of a bunch of bookshelves.
He put out couches and arm chairs, started ordering e-books and buying digital and video cameras.
The school’s collection of graphic novels increased, as did audio books and space allocated for group work.
Oh, and the library isn’t called a library anymore — it’s a learning commons.
“It’s a learning commons because it’s not just books,” said White, the teacher librarian at IDCI.
“Just like a grocery store would only carry what is popular, I see what the students and teachers need and allocate my resources that way.”
The learning commons concept — transforming a traditional library that encourages silent, individual study into one filled with technology and collaborative study space — is gaining ground.
It was endorsed by the Ontario School Library Association in 2010, which said in a report that school libraries must transform to meet the demands of tech-savvy, multi-tasking and digitally plugged-in young people.
What’s happened at IDCI isn’t an anomaly. Traditional libraries across the province — and throughout this region’s school boards — are being made over into learning commons.
At IDCI, a room filled with half-empty book shelves, little wall art and no comfortable seating has been transformed into an open-concept, bookstore-like atmosphere that offers one-stop shopping for students and teachers.
“When you come to the library, I want to set it up so you can get whatever you need, do whatever you want, so the space is set up in an open format,” White said.
“When people come to the library, they can’t believe it’s the same place. When I first came, it didn’t have couches for leisure reading. It didn’t have posters on the wall. It wasn’t inviting. Teachers didn’t come here. Students didn’t come here.”
Students now go there to use their laptops — the library has Wi-Fi — or to book the conference room for group projects.
They can read the day’s newspaper, prominently displayed in the entranceway to the library, or check out an e-book, either by visiting library or accessing White’s website.
“The library traditionally has been just books but students now have access to a lot of different skills and different toys,” White said.
“Technology is really important. It’s in all our curriculums, and a space like this has the ability to be flexible.”
--- --- ---
WHAT THEY SAID: Teacher-librarian Bruce White: "It’s a learning commons because it’s not just books. Just like a grocery store would only carry what is popular, I see what the students and teachers need and allocate my resources that way." Tayler Collins, 17, sitting on one of several couches in the commons: "I come here pretty much every day. I can relax here." Aleida Prinzen, 16, studying on one of 60 computers "I come here every spare . . . The way it’s set up is great. The couches make it seem more comfortable." --- --- --- WHAT'S DIFFERENT Ingersoll District collegiate institute’s learning commons features:
Two computer lab spaces, out in the open. Bulky computer monitors are being replaced by flat-screens.
A Smart Board area A green-screen for video production Couches for leisure reading Collaborative work spaces High-interest magazines near the checkout An expanded graphic novel section that’s grown to more than 300 titles from 60 Conference room with data projector Ability to sign out hi-tech microphones, video cameras and digital cameras Monitors that display 24-hour news channels Several e-readers that students or teachers can sign out, as well as corresponding hard copies of books and audio-books --- --- ---
ONLINE Librarian Bruce White has created a one-stop-shop website for his learning commons. Here’s some of what students have access to:
Electronic books Literature tests and study guides Student feedback surveys Web catalogue Book suggestion form Audio books that can be downloaded to phones Alternatives to Google searches, like Encyclopedia Britannica Poll Have you ever checked out an e-book at your library?


LTE Advanced Heterogeneous Networks (HetNets) use a mix of macro, pico, femto and relay base stations, effectively bringing the network closer to the user. To deliver high spectral efficiency per unit area, advanced techniques are needed to manage and control interference when low power small cells are added to macro cells in the same channel. Qualcomm has developed two LTE Advanced techniques, enhanced inter-cell interference coordination and advanced terminal receivers with interference cancellation (eICIC/IC) to provide a performance leap for heterogeneous networks in LTE.
LTE Advanced HetNets will support Range Expansion and Resource Partitioning with an eICIC software upgrade to a LTE-R8 network. Range Expansion allows more user terminals to benefit directly from low-power basestations such as picos, femtos and relays. Adaptive inter-cell interference coordination uses Almost-Blank Subframes (ABS) to provide smart resource allocation amongst interfering cells and improves inter-cell load balancing in heterogeneous networks. Advanced terminal receivers cancel interference of legacy overhead channels in ABS from interfering cells to enable full Range Expansion of low-power small cells.
The LTE Advanced eICIC feature has been standardized in 3GPP Rel. 10 while the device requirements for interference cancellation receivers have been specified in Further enhanced ICIC (FeICIC) of Rel. 11. Qualcomm Research and other 3GPP participants have been leading the standardization of HetNets features. Qualcomm Research has also built a prototype to demonstrate and test these features in OTA heterogeneous networks in San Diego.
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) allows LTE systems to deliver high-quality, high-capacity voice calls using packet switching core. The VoLTE service including features such as Transmission Time Interval (TTI) bundling can coexist with LTE HetNets using eICIC/IC. Qualcomm OTA networks in San Diego have implemented and demonstrated the coexistence operation.
For an LTE operator that needs to significantly increase network capacity, deploying LTE Advanced HetNets and using 802.11 Wi-Fi access points (APs) in unlicensed spectrum offers two complementary options to offload macro user traffic. Based on our study, with the same number of low-power nodes, pico cells offer a superior performance to Wi-Fi APs due to expanded coverage of LTE Advanced pico cells. Wi-Fi is effective in improving the user experience when a significant portion of users are located in the vicinity of hotspots.


[show abstract] [hide abstract]ABSTRACT: The linear syntheses of 4'-C-aminomethyl-2'-O-methyl uridine and cytidine nucleoside phosphoramidites were achieved using glucose as the starting material. The modified RNA building blocks were incorporated into small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) by employing solid phase RNA synthesis. Thermal melting studies showed that the modified siRNA duplexes exhibited slightly lower T(m) (∼1 °C/modification) compared to the unmodified duplex. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the 4'-C-aminomethyl-2'-O-methyl modified nucleotides adopt South-type conformation in a siRNA duplex, thereby altering the stacking and hydrogen-bonding interactions. These modified siRNAs were also evaluated for their gene silencing efficiency in HeLa cells using a luciferase-based reporter assay. The results indicate that the modifications are well tolerated in various positions of the passenger strand and at the 3' end of the guide strand but are less tolerated in the seed region of the guide strand. The modified siRNAs exhibited prolonged stability in human serum compared to unmodified siRNA. This work has implications for the use of 4'-C-aminomethyl-2'-O-methyl modified nucleotides to overcome some of the challenges associated with the therapeutic utilities of siRNAs. The Journal of Organic Chemistry 02/2012; 77(7):3233-45. · 4.45 Impact Factor


“Eco-Justice” Helping Teens Situate and Interrogate School Knowledge
Julie H. Carter, The School of Education, Department of Curriculum & Instruction
Abstract : The project under study is an environmental justice program that works to engage teens in a range of projects connected to “food security.” The program is located in a Northeast “Rust Belt” neighborhood described as among the most food insecure in the northeast. This ethnographic study explores student experiences during the winter months of the program - working on an urban farm, fishery, mobile green market, and an entrepreneurial food project. The paper explores the articulated knowledge that students gain from contributing to community food systems while advocating for social change agendas such as cuts in funding for youth programming. The connection between situated school knowledge, environmental activism, and urban identities are explored. The project under study has the potential to help teachers and teacher educators tackle a range of civic and economic issues including, but not limited to, food security and food systems, access to healthy food in urban areas, youth activism and urban revitalization.


Abstract:Using U.S. apparel catalogue data, we estimate hedonic price functions to identify market valuation of environmental attributes of apparel goods. We identify a significant and robust premium for the organic fibers embodied in the apparel goods. We find an additional organic premium for baby items. However, we do not find evidence of a premium for environment-friendly dyes. We further investigate the pricing behavior of apparel suppliers for potential departure from competitive pricing of this environmental attribute and find no evidence different premium across firms, suggesting price-taking behavior in the environmental attribute space.


The nucleus-nucleus interaction potentials in heavy-ion fusion reactions are extracted from the microscopic time-dependent Hartree-Fock theory for mass symmetric reactions $^{16}$O${}+^{16}$O, $^{40}$Ca${}+^{40}$Ca, $^{48}$Ca${}+^{48}$Ca and mass asymmetric reactions $^{16}$O$ +^{40,48}$Ca, $^{40}$Ca${}+^{48}$Ca, $^{16}$O+$^{208}$Pb, $^{40}$Ca+$^{90}$Zr. When the center-of-mass energy is much higher than the Coulomb barrier energy, potentials deduced with the microscopic theory identify with the frozen density approximation. As the center-of-mass energy decreases and approaches the Coulomb barrier, potentials become energy dependent. This dependence signs dynamical reorganization of internal degrees of freedom and leads to a reduction of the "apparent" barrier felt by the two nuclei during fusion of the order of $2-3 %$ compared to the frozen density case. Several examples illustrate that the potential landscape changes rapidly when the center-of-mass energy is in the vicinity of the Coulomb barrier energy. The energy dependence is expected to have a significant role on fusion around the Coulomb barrier.


This study reviewed the degree to which guidelines for SMIs and SUDs archived by the National Guidelines Clearinghouse addressed treatment for co-occurring disorders. Slightly more than half of the total guidelines retrieved included some type of recommendation for the treatment of co-occurring disorders. These recommendations included assessment, referrals, and collaboration with other professionals in the other sector of care. With the exception of two guidelines (described below), these recommendations contained minimal elaboration or specificity, leaving considerable room for interpretation on how the recommendations should actually be implemented in routine practice.
Two guidelines are particularly noteworthy with respect to their specificity regarding treatment for co-occurring disorders. This included the treatment guideline for schizophrenia, authored by the American Psychiatric Association (Guideline R). This guideline provided a comprehensive description of the major features of treatment (e.g., case management, family interventions, rehabilitation, pharmacotherapy, and housing) and noted the importance of the same clinicians treating both the SMI and SUD. Overall, these recommendations are consistent with the broader literature on comprehensive and integrated treatment for this population (
Drake et al., 1998,
2001). It should be noted that the treatment guideline for bipolar disorder, also authored by the American Psychiatric Association (Guideline J), did not contain any treatment recommendations regarding SUDs. This is a surprising finding, given the evidence suggesting that the rates of co-occurring alcohol and drug problems among persons with bipolar disorder are at least equal to or greater than the rates among persons with schizophrenia (
Robins and Regier, 1991).
The second guideline to address treatment targeted substance use disorders with co-occurring psychiatric disorders (Guideline B). This is a comprehensive treatment guideline that contains screening suggestions, essential components of treatment (e.g., psychoe-ducation, double trouble groups, and community-based dual recovery mutual self-help groups), and treatment strategies (e.g., motivational interviewing, contingency management, relapse prevention, and assertive community treatment). This guideline also corresponds to a larger treatment manual provided by the
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (2005).
The majority of the guidelines targeting co-occurring disorders were intended for a multidisciplinary audience of service providers. This reflects the wide recognition that treating SUDs, SMIs, and these conditions as they co-occur requires coordination with many different provider types. However, the outcomes targeted by the guidelines were generally restricted to the primary focus of the single disorder, even though the assessment and/or treatment issues addressed co-occurring disorders. This suggests that many of these guidelines have limited utility for addressing the full range of problems and needs that are commonly encountered among persons with co-occurring disorders.
Limitations and Generalizability
This systematic review was restricted to guidelines archived on the NGC. This excluded a potentially large number of proprietary and nonproprietary guidelines that are available in print and electronically. Thus, the generalizability of this study is limited. Additionally, it was beyond the scope of this study to examine the quality and consistency of the recommendations contained in the guidelines against the extant literature. Despite these limitations, it is important to emphasize that the NGC remains as one of the largest (or the largest) data base that provides readily obtainable guidelines from major organizations that are free.


All Research Sponsored By:Voltage Security, Inc. This short white paper explores the top 5 tips for protecting your organization against new looming security threats from smartphones and tablets. These 5 tips can make or break mobile data security efforts. Read now to learn more.
This resource examines the challenges of securing business communication and how to overcome it. View now to explore the shortcomings of existing encryption solutions, key requirements for ubiquitous secure business communication, how Identity-based encryption (IBE) meets these requirements, and more.
The insurance industry has experienced unprecedented levels of change that has driven the need to secure customer and corporate data – beyond what is required for NAIC compliance. This resource offers key guidance for tackling the security challenges of this changing environment and how to ensure comprehensive data protection.
Traditional perimeter-based security controls are no longer effective as today’s threat landscape continues to evolve and cybercriminals become more skillful and advanced. This Forrester Research resource examines how encrypting data – both in motion and at rest – is a more effective way to keep up with determined cybercriminals.
With sophisticated key management, multiple integration options and a stateless architecture, SecureData enables enterprises to quickly secure their test and development application environments to ensure against the risk of data compromise.


Longwave indirect effect of mineral dusts on ice clouds
Atmospheric Sciences Research Center, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12203, USA
Abstract. In addition to microphysical changes in clouds, changes in nucleation processes of ice cloud due to aerosols would result in substantial changes in cloud top temperature as mildly supercooled clouds are glaciated through heterogenous nucleation processes. Measurements from multiple sensors on multiple observing platforms over the Atlantic Ocean show that the cloud effective temperature increases with mineral dust loading with a slope of +3.06 °C per unit aerosol optical depth. The macrophysical changes in ice cloud top distributions as a consequence of mineral dust-cloud interaction exert a strong cooling effect (up to 16 Wm
−2) of thermal infrared
radiation on cloud systems. Induced changes of ice particle size by mineral
dusts influence cloud emissivity and play a minor role in modulating the
outgoing longwave radiation for optically thin ice clouds. Such a strong
cooling forcing of thermal infrared radiation would have significant impacts
on cloud systems and subsequently on climate.


E-commerce up 10% in Q1, best since Q2 2008: ComScore E-commerce spending jumped 10% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2010, accounting for nearly $34 billion, according to digital marketing intelligence firm ComScore. The quarter was the first time e-commerce spending increased by double digits since the second quarter of 2008.
Although these figures are promising for e-commerce merchants, comScore noted that consumers who earn $100,000 or more per year predominantly drove this growth.
“It's the first positive sign of the return to strong consumer discretionary spending,” said Andrew Lipsman, senior director of marketing communications at ComScore. “It does come with a caveat, especially with the market looking shaky. We hope it's not short-lived.”
Lipsman added that the upper-income consumers responsible for the double-digit Q1 gain might tighten their purse-strings for the rest of the year if the economy remains sluggish.
“We're taking a wait and see approach,” he explained.
ComScore also noted that large online retailers generated higher growth rates than their smaller counterparts during the first quarter. However, smaller e-commerce merchants are seeing positive growth again, according to the firm.
ComScore also noted that online retail is also continuing to gain market share of overall multichannel retail.


If Ronda Rousey had a trophy case, it would be a gruesome sight to see. It would feature a row of mangled, disembodied arms, arranged in grim testimony to the armbar submission skills she began learning from her Judoka mother at an age when other teenage girls were preoccupied with pretty boys and pop music. After this weekend's championship bout against the former Strikeforce Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate, the trophy case acquired a new addition: Miesha's arm, displayed in all its bloody, broken glory as a testament to Judo's lethal power.
I had argued that Judo was a complete grappling art, imbuing its practitioners with effective and advanced takedown and submission skills, a fact that rendered Miesha's wrestling style largely redundant in the mixed martial artist's arsenal. This combined with Ronda's extensive high-level competitive experience- which some pundits irrationally discounted- made her victory inevitable. After three spectacular Judo takedowns and two vicious submission attempts within five minutes, the debate was conclusively settled- at least for those open to accepting reality.
However, the devastating triumph begs the intriguing question: was Ronda truly invincible? Even accepting and fully factoring in her formidable skills arsenal, was victory inevitable for her? And what does the answer to this mean for her future opponents, the most likely of which is Sarah Kaufman? I think that like with all fighters, Ronda's strengths and background contained the seeds for her potential defeat. I knew Miesha Tate could not exploit these, but someone else could have. So objectively assessing Ronda's strengths and weaknesses, how could she have been defeated?
Since Ronda's strengths are now obvious, let's focus on her weaknesses. The first of these is her striking defence. Ronda spent almost her entire competitive career in a sport in which it was illegal to strike your opponent. As such she has not fully developed the reflexes necessary to apply footwork, parrying, blocking or slipping to avoid being hit. This was painfully obvious as Miesha was able to punch her in the face almost at will, literally knocking her backwards:
The converse of course, is that Ronda is not yet an accomplished striker. Knowing this, she plays to her strengths, quickly closing the striking gap against her opponents to enter her comfort zone, the clinch. The results thereafter are almost routine: spectacular takedowns followed by the dreaded technique no can defend.
A third possible weakness is in cardiovascular endurance. Judo matches tend to place relatively little anaerobic stress on competitors. The typical pace of a Judo match involves the practitioners tentatively feeling each other out and staying out of each others' grasp for extended period of time, interspersed by brief periods of frantic and violent action. Explosive speed, agility and strength are thus developed. Cardiovascular endurance, not so much.
Taking these as a whole, the approriate strategy for defeating Ronda Rousey becomes crsytal clear. It is also immediately obvious that Miesha Tate did the exact opposite of what she should have done, thereby sealing her defeat. The most memorable model for how to defeat Ronda Rousey was the very same tactic that Carlos Condit controversially employed in defeating Nick Diaz: the frustratingly effective though much derided stick-and-move strategy.
Above all, Keep your distance: If you don't close the gap with Ronda, she cannot throw you to the ground and have her way with you. If you don't grapple with her, she cannot rip your arm off. This should have been the simple assumption underpinning Miesha's strategy. And adding in Ronda's relatively weak striking defense, the tactics Miesha should have employed within this broad strategy are: Retreat, don't advance. Miesha should have hung back, and used nimble footwork to dance around Ronda, staying frustratingly out of reach. Backpedaling, bouncing and side stepping while forcing Ronda to attack would have ensured she remained safe from the lethal clinch while frustrating Ronda and extending the duration of the fight. Instead, having allowed Ronda to get into her head, Miesha foolishly rushed in with a barrage of punches, a tactic which, due to its forward momentum, is virtually guaranteed to result in a clinch and takedown. This grave tactical error happened at least twice: Apply straight stopping techniques. Whenever Ronda closed the gap, Miesha should have kept her at bay with straight side and front kicks to the legs and mid-section. Ronda would have found these hard to defend against, and they would have kept her outside the range at which she could grapple Miesha. Straight jabs to the face followed by a quick retreat should also have been used to score points while frustrating Ronda. Her weak defence would have made this a very viable strategy. Use wrestling only to escape and stand back up. Even with this stick-and-move strategy, there is a chance that Ronda might still have achieved a clinch and takedown. When these happened, Miesha should have used her wrestling skill for one purpose and one purpose only: getting up, fleeing the scene and resuming dancing just out of reach. Instead, she twice tried to aggressively gain control and a possible submission from the back, hoping to out-grapple the master grappler. Had she adopted my recommended strategy, the likely result would have been that Miesha slowly accrued a lead in striking points, while Ronda slowly became frustrated and possibly even tired. By the second or third round, her explosive speed and power would have subsided, making her less dangerous. This would have made the tactic even more effective: a slow, tiring fighter is relatively easy to jog away from and is vulnerable to low, straight kicks and stiff jabs. A decision win could have been eked out.
Would this have won Miesha many fans? Probably not. She would probably have invited the same hailstorm of scorn and opprobrium that Carlos Condit endured for 'running away' from the Nick Diaz juggernaut. But like Condit, she would have survived the onslaught, smartly stayed out of the reach of the weapons that could destroy her, and patiently accrued the points that would have earned her the victory.
Sarah Kaufman, take note. Failure to do so could cost you an arm and a leg.


Obesity in the U.S. is on the rise, and you don't have to be a genius to see that Americans eat too much and exercise too little. But could other factors play a role as well?
A new study, according to the Los Angeles Times, links high levels of bisphenol A (BPA) exposure during childhood and adolescence to elevated rates of obesity in white children. Researchers found that, when compared with white children whose urine contained low levels of BPA, those with higher levels were "six times more likely to be obese."
However, scientists caution that the research does not prove cause-and-effect. They call their findings "at best hypothesis generating."
But anti-BPA sentiment is nothing new. The Los Angeles Times explains: "In recent years, alarm has grown among consumer groups and public health officials amid mounting evidence that BPA readily accumulates in the body's fat stores and can disrupt hormones that play crucial roles in sexual development, energy use and fat deposition."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asserts that it's safe to use BPA in food containers. Still, you might want to play it safe! Motivators offers tons of custom BPA-free water bottles and other products that are high-quality and reliable. If you're heading to a health or wellness event, you might want to opt for one of these BPA-free giveaways.


Slice it - by Com2usWhy is it a recommended game? As puzzle a game, 'Slice It' has a nice engaging progression from very easy to quite difficult, appropriate hint support to keep things moving along and a very simple and intuitive user interface.
The game presents the player with a closed region (simple or complex) and a challenge to divide it up (dissect/cut) into a specific number of pieces (sub-regions) using a specific number of dissecting lines (that you must draw to cut up the original region).
Each time you draw a dissecting line across the original region it creates two or more pieces (two if it is your first cut, one additional if your dissecting line only cut through one sub-region, or multiple additional if you cut across multiple existing sub-regions). If you manage to create the correct number of sub-regions while using up all of your assigned dissecting lines (cuts) then your effort is labeled as clear.
Each adequately dissected region is given a star rating and a diagram is presented showing the relative sizes of each of the pieces. The rating ranges from 1 to 5 stars depending upon how consistent the pieces are in size. Initial challenges seem to allow a great deal of leeway but improved accuracy is expected as you move through the levels. If all of the pieces are exactly the same size (down to the 0.1%) then your effort is judged to be ‘perfect’ and you get extra badge on that challenge. Good ratings earn you hint points that you can cash in later when you are stumped by a future puzzle.
To support your slicing activity, you might use the inherent symmetry of the region presented (reflective or rotational), the power of overlapping cuts (2 slices can make 4 pieces), vertices (to align), congruent line segments (to identify sub-regions of equal size), the underlying grid (to estimate lengths or supporting estimation by counting of squares), and your knowledge of area relations (e.g., a triangle of equal base and height may not look the same, but has the same area; similarly with parallelograms).
Some of the features that support learning: The challenges progress nicely - starting with simple symmetrical regions with relatively intuitive dissection lines to generate a few congruent pieces and progressing through complex asymmetrical regions with many dissection lines generating many non-congruent pieces (but still of equal area). This makes it accessible and interesting to a wide variety of skill levels.
Even if the child can’t yet articulate a reason for their slicing pattern, they are given feedback on each of their efforts, and can improve. This improvement may be achieved through grinding (try, try, again) or reasoning, but all efforts have some potential to enhance the child’s pool of experiences and support the development of their intuitive understanding.
It is expected that greater benefits will be derived if the child is challenged to work with another child or tutor to explore the game. As they explain the reasoning behind their attempts they will be reflecting on and expanding their understanding of the terms and their related concepts. As they listen to others, they acquire new vocabulary and enhance the semantic value of the words and concepts – either by hearing correct claims/connections, or by hearing and challenging incorrect claims/connections.
Try using this app as a 5-10 minute warm-up activity for a few weeks in your class. At the end of each session ask a few students to share examples of regions that they had mastered during the session (to support this, have them note the challenge number, or teach them how to make a snapshot (power down + home)). You might also encourage the students to expand their use when they are finished other in class activities, and/or share the app in a newsletter or blog as one of several recommended apps that you will be using in class.
Bottom Line: As a game, ‘Slice It’ is a winner at 99 cents. However, when you consider that ‘Slice It’ is also a very effective and engaging geometry exploration tool it suddenly represents outstanding value.


Readers write about the evils of industrialization, abolishing the NCAA, and animal versus human intelligence.
A just society is a sustainably built society
Regarding Beth Kowaleski Wallace's March 22 Opinion piece, "Britain's ban on the slave trade: moral lessons for today": The article points out that many Britons, while they took no active role in the slave trade, benefited from this evil.
It then poses a daunting question: "Where are we similarly complicit with invisible or hidden social or commercial injustices?"
I would submit that it's nearly impossible to be a member of an industrialized society without being complicitous in some form of violence against indigenous cultures, nonhuman species, and the land we depend on for survival.
For example, if you're living in the Midwest, there's a possibility that the electricity that enables you to read this letter came from coal extracted through mountaintop removal, a process that destroys communities and streams.
Was this process harmful to the planet? You bet! Is a lifestyle based on such practices sustainable? Not on a finite planet with finite resources. Until we rely on sunlight for energy, our complicity in systemic evils such as global warming is inevitable. Building a modern society congruent with sustainability is the great challenge facing humanity today. We ignore it at our collective peril.
William W. Hollad Montpelier, Vt Let college basketball, football go pro
In response to your March 30 editorial, "NCAA's gambling madness": The term "scholar-athlete" is a sham in big-time collegiate men's football and basketball.
Players are recruited and given scholarships to be athletes, not great students. They are there to prepare for possible careers in professional sports.
The main function of the NCAA is to enforce rules that prevent colleges from uncapped financial bidding for the best athletes. Fans understand this, and most love the system. Colleges understand this as well and make big bucks from it.


[en] Galectin-3 is a laminin binding protein which expression is altered in a variety of human carcinomas including colon, breast and endometrium. In these tumors, we consistently observed a down regulation of galectin-3 expression related to increased aggressiveness. Galectin-3 belongs to a family of galactose-binding lectins and binds laminin through its numerous poly-N-acetyllactosamine chains. To date, the exact role of galectin-3 in the complex interactions between cancer cells and laminin has not been clearly defined. Adhesion of melanoma cells to laminin is a critical event during tumor invasion and metastasis. In this study, we explore the possibility that galectin-3 could modulate attachment of two human melanoma cell lines to laminin. A2058 and A375 melanoma cell expressed galectin-3 on their surface as demonstrated by immunofluorescence, and attached to laminin in an in vitro assay. We demonstrate that neither recombinant galectin-3 nor an affinity purified antigalectin-3 antiserum altered adhesion of A2058 or A375 melanoma cells to laminin. Our data strongly suggest that galectin-3 is not a key element in adhesion of the melanoma cells to laminin. These results are not surprising in light of the observation that galectin-3 expression is down regulated in cancer and that increased adhesion to laminin is a constant feature of invasive cancer cells.
BIOMED BMH1-CT92-0520 ; Association Contre le Cancer ; Association Sportive Contre le Cancer


There's a difference between "anti-social" behavior and "anti-social personality disorder (APD)" and relationship to PTSD, both before and after the PTSD occurred. And I think there might be some differences, at least in the kinds of studies, between 'war'-related and others, as well as adult and adolescent.Why are these answers always not very simple!! I'm not sure which category you're in, to be honest; perhaps you can clarify?
Hi. I wanted to say that my understanding was that "antisocial" behavior was always explained to me as being different from introverted or shy behavior. I think that antisocial behavior can be dangerous and involve actively harmful behaviors toward others and society as a whole.
That being said, dependent upon the trauma to which you were subjected, it may be the case that you prefer to be independent or introverted. For example, I understand that women who are gang raped prefer to be by themselves, while a woman who was raped while no one else was around might prefer to surround herself with others for her protection.
I agree that a little more description of your circumstances might make answering your question a little easier, but I hope that helps at least a little.


Be Aware of Emerging Bears
Date: March 27, 2007 Contact: Melissa Wilson, 406 888-7895
WEST GLACIER, MONT. – Glacier National Park Superintendent Mick Holm reminds park visitors that bears are beginning to emerge from hibernation and visitors therefore need to be alert for bear activity and obey safety regulations while visiting the park.
Holm said, “Glacier National Park is home to both grizzly and black bears and visitors must act accordingly when they visit. Take precautions to avoid a bear encounter. Make your presence known by calling out or clapping at frequent intervals, especially near streams and at blind spots on the trails. Additionally, maintain a safe distance from bears and other wildlife.”
While neither bears nor tracks have yet been reported this spring, mid-March is when male bears begin to emerge from hibernation. Once they emerge, bears roam widely in search of food, and will aggressively protect their food source. Females, which tend to emerge slightly later, will also fiercely defend their cubs. All visitors should be aware for any evidence of bear activity.
Holm added, “Park visitors must store food and other odorous items inside hard-sided vehicles or in food lockers and dispose of garbage in a bear-resistant trash can or dumpster. Proper food storage is essential to preventing bears from becoming habituated to human food.”
“Though bear encounters are extremely rare in Glacier, visitors can consider carrying bear pepper spray to be used in the event that a bear charges. However, it is imperative that people do not develop a false sense of security by carrying it; continue to take the precautions to avoid an encounter. Further, visitors must be familiar with the can’s operation, and the spray’s limitations,” Holm said.
According to the manufacturers, bear pepper spray should only be used at short distances (10-30 feet). Wind, cold, rain and product age may alter its effectiveness. The canisters have a safety feature, and visitors must understand how to disengage it. The spray must also be immediately available; do not store the spray inside a pack.
Holm also noted that bear pepper spray is not a repellent. “Do not apply bear pepper spray to people, tents, packs or other recreational equipment. It is only designed to be sprayed at charging or attacking bears at close range.”
Bear pepper spray is clearly labeled for use against bears and must be registered with the Environmental Protection Agency. Only brands specifically labeled for use against bears can be transported legally across the border into Canada. Personal defense sprays not designed for use on bears may be ineffective.
Visitors should report any bear sightings or signs of bear activity to the nearest visitor center, ranger station or by calling 406-888-7800 as soon as possible. This information helps park rangers keep bears away from unnatural food sources, as well as prevents bears from becoming habituated to humans.
For further information on Glacier National Park, visit the park’s Web site at www.nps.gov/glac or call 406-888-7800.
Did You Know? Did you know that the Glacier Centennial Program had a calendar of over 100 activities for its 100th anniversary? Over 35 community organizations worked together to make this possible.


814 Immune Evasion by Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus During Latency C. Tomescu*, W. K. Law, D. H. Kedes Univ of Virginia, Charlottesville
Background: Under selective pressure from host cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs), many viruses have evolved to downregulate MHC class I and/or T-cell co-stimulatory molecules from the surface of infected cells. Recently Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus (KSHV), a newly identified human gamma herpes virus and the etiological agent responsible for several AIDS-associated tumors, has been shown to encode two proteins, MIR-1 and MIR-2, that serve this function during lytic replication. However, KSHV exists in a predominantly latent state with less than 5% of infected cells expressing discernable lytic gene products. Thus, lytic-dependent mechanisms of immune protection are not likely to be active in most KSHV infected cells. As a result, we have searched for evidence of such defensive strategies in 2 endothelial cell culture systems that strongly favor latent KSHV infection.Methods: Utilizing a panel of antibodies against several endothelial cell surface proteins, we investigated the potential down-regulation of immune-modulatory proteins by KSHV in 2 complimentary endothelial cell culture systems: primary dermal microvascular endothelial cells (pDMVEC) infected with cell associated virus and telomerase immortalized endothelial (TIME) cells infected directly with cell free KSHV. Infected cells within the population were identified with a novel intra-nuclear flow cytometry technique utilizing a fluorescently labeled monoclonal antibody against the latent-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) of KSHV. Immunofluorescence assays (IFA) were then used to confirm the low level of lytic protein expression following de novo infection.Results: We observed a dramatic down-regulation of MHC class I, CD31 (PE-CAM), and CD54 (ICAM-I), but not CD58 (LFA-1) or CD95 (Fas), shortly following de novo infection with KSHV. Intranuclear flow cytometry confirmed that down-regulation occurred predominantly on KSHV infected (LANA-positive) cells, but not on uninfected neighbors. Importantly, while the vast majority of KSHV infected cells showed surface down-regulation of immune-modulatory proteins, less than 3% expressed lytic proteins such as MIR-1 and MIR-2 by IFA.Conclusions: Together, these results suggest that latent infection with KSHV results in the modulation of immune regulatory protein expression on the surface of infected endothelial cells. This may facilitate viral escape from CTLs, and suggests that KSHV possesses two complimentary mechanisms, one lytic and one latent, in outwitting host immune defenses.


Abstract With contingent valuation, both the goods being valued and the payment vehicles used to value them are mostly hypothetical. However, although numerous studies have examined the impact ofexperience with the good on willingness to pay, less attention has been given to experience with payment vehicles. This paper examines how this influences responses to a contingent valuation scenarioof maintenance for irrigation canals. Specifically, the paper uses a split-sample survey to investigate the effects of experience with monetary and labor payment vehicles on the acceptance of a contingentvaluation scenario and protest bids. Using convergent validity tests, we found that experience acquired from using both monetary and labor payment vehicles reduces the asymmetries in acceptance rates. These findings suggest that experience with payment vehicles reduces time/money response asymmetries in the contingent valuation method.


Imagine with me for a moment. What if Jesus were your boss?
How would He treat you? Would He pay you well? What if you made a mistake? How would Jesus respond? Would He berate and belittle you?
What if Jesus were your employee? What kind of worker would He be? What if Jesus were you neighbor, your co-worker, or a leader within your community? How would things be different? What kind of a culture would you live in? Imagine.
There is no doubt that if Jesus occupied any of these positions in life today, things would be different. The atmosphere surrounding us would be impacted with His wisdom, grace, goodness, and love - just as it was when He walked the earth. We, like those of His day, would be influenced by His way of being. Jesus’ behavior, attitude, morality and ethics would impact our way of being. If we agreed with Him, we would seek to become more like Him. If we disagreed with Jesus, we would despise Him. We would fight to keep our culture intact.
Culture is a force to be reckoned with. It is an energy that governs and rules. While on this earth, Jesus was a powerful man. Powerful people influence culture. His influence on the culture of His day was so profound that many sought to kill Him.
Culture is values, morals, and a lifestyle. It is behavior, ethics, and the social norm. Culture defines what is acceptable and right within a society. Culture determines everything from how we dress to how we respond to circumstances and situations. Culture influences what we think, say, how we behave. This is why culture is so powerful. It establishes what is normal and acceptable.
Powerful people change culture. They affect the thoughts, words, and actions of others. They influence, impact, and bombard society with the same message. We often complain about “the way of the world”, but seldom seek to directly impact the world’s culture with the culture of Heaven. As believers, we have been empowered by God to shape the culture of this earth. We are to bring God’s values, priorities, ethics and norms into everyday life. Just as Jesus impacted the culture of His day; we are to impact the culture of our day.
Create the culture of Christ in your life. Be like Him. Act like Him. Interact with others like He would. You have imagined Him as your boss, employee, neighbor, co-worker, and community leader. Now imagine yourself as one like Him. Infiltrate your family, neighborhood, work place, and community on His behalf so that you can transform the culture of earth into the culture of heaven.
As Matthew 5 tells us, You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. Export your culture into the world.


FDA has issued draft guidance on "Oversight of Clinical Investigations: A Risk-Based Approach to Monitoring." The guidance document is now available from the FDA's web site using the following web link:
The new draft guidance is being issued to assist sponsors of clinical investigations in developing risk-based monitoring strategies and plans for clinical investigations of human drug and biological products, medical devices, and combinations thereof. This guidance is intended to make clear that sponsors can use a variety of approaches to meet their monitoring responsibilities during clinical investiations. This guidance describes a modern, risk-based approach to monitoring that focuses on critical study parameters and relies on a combination of monitoring activities to effectively oversee a study.
Comments to this draft guidance are due by November 28, 2011.


Controlled foreign company ('CFC') legislation was introduced in phases to co-incide with South Africa?s move from a source based system to a residence based system. Initially with the introduction of the legislation it was directed at those foreign entities earning passive income. However, over the years the legislation has been amended to include active income of entities and additional aspects to the section have been inserted to provide clarity for taxpayers.An increase in cross border transactions and offshore investment has necessitated the need to introduce CFC legislation into the revenue codes of many countries, South Africa being one of them.In most revenue codes where CFC or similar legislation has been introduced it is one of the most complex areas in a country's revenue code (Sandler, 1998:23). This mini-dissertation aims to interpret section 9D and also aims to provide guidance on its application in practice with the help of practical examples and reference to relevant international case law.The end result of this research is a proposed interpretation note on section 9D which is attached as Appendix 1.


Most Americans don’t get their recommended daily allowance of 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day, and fresh juices can be a delicious way to reach your daily quota.
Ebooks During the production of our series Thought for Food last year, we met journalist Scott Haas at Craigie on Main in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
While we were there to learn about techniques and cooking insights from Chef Tony Maws, Scott had already been a regular fixture at the restaurant for more than a year, carefully observing and conducting research for his upcoming book about the psychology of chefs.


U.S. Approaches to Counter-Piracy Media Note
The United States takes an integrated multidimensional and multilateral approach to combating piracy in the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and the Indian Ocean region. This approach focuses on security through expanded naval operations; self-protection by industry; and deterrence, including through effective legal prosecution and incarceration.
Yet, as the international community has responded, pirates have adapted their tactics, resulting in increasingly numerous and violent attacks, such as the February 22 murder of four American citizens board the S/V Quest.
In a March 30 address sponsored by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Andrew J. Shapiro noted that an even more energetic and comprehensive international response to piracy is needed.
As outlined by Assistant Secretary Shapiro, the United States is engaging with its international partners to develop a broad range of new counter-piracy options, including steps to:
Reinforce international naval patrols in response to more aggressive and widespread pirate activity in the region; Expand the capacity of the international community and states in the region to prosecute and incarcerate suspected pirates captured at sea, as well as their leaders and financiers; Target financial flows from piracy, possibly by using approaches similar to those used to target other organized transnational criminal networks; Encourage the maritime industry to adopt best management practices, self-protection measures which have been effective in deterring piracy; Strengthen the capacity of Somalia and other countries in the region to combat piracy, in particular by contributing to the UN Trust Fund Supporting Initiatives of States Countering Piracy off the Coast of Somalia; and Continue diplomatic efforts to address the root causes of piracy by supporting initiatives to build governance, security, and economic livelihoods on land in Somalia. Full text of Assistant Secretary Shapiro’s address is available at: http://www.state.gov/t/pm/rls/rm/159419.htm
PRN: 2011/510


Posted by migrationpolicy on November 19th, 2009
Disproportionate minority contact (DMC) is an umbrella term for the disproportionate representation of individuals of color in the criminal and juvenile justice system. Past research has found that language barriers faced by parents may potentially lead to deeper court involvement for youth in the justice system. In New York City, a collaboration between government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and other stakeholders has sought to address this systemwide issue. This webinar focuses on how a multi-agency collaborative effort aims to provide LEP parents with the information necessary to understand their role in the juvenile justice system. Speakers include representatives from the workgroup from the Kings County (Brooklyn) District Attorney’s Office, the Legal Aid Society, New York City’s Department of Youth and Community Development, and the Vera Institute of Justice.
Related Documents: We Want to Know What They Are Saying: A Multiagency Collaborative Effort to Address Parental Language Barriers and Disproportionate Minority Contact


Abstract:Lignin peroxidase (LiP) and manganese peroxidase (MnP) enzymes were used to pre-treat empty fruit bunch (EPFB) before pyrolysis. Statistical analysis indicated that at 71.6%, LiP demonstrated greater lignin degradation compared to 67.9% MnP. Interestingly, the pretreatment sample has resulted in higher bio-oil yield compared to the untreated sample. Both LiP-treated and MnP-treated EPFB yielded approximately 30 wt% of bio-oil compared to 20 wt% of yield for the untreated sample.


Hot, dry summer predicted Australia will be hotter and drier than normal this spring and summer as a weak El Niño pattern develops across the Pacific Ocean.
This will be in stark contrast to the past two years, which were dominated by La Niña conditions that contributed to heavy rainfall and cooler temperatures across much of the country, Weatherzone meteorologist Josh Fisher said.
This year's El Niño will also combine with a phenomenon known as the "Indian Ocean Dipole" (IOD). During the next few months, we are expected to experience a drier phase of the IOD as a result of cooler waters off the north-west coast of Australia. The drier phase, combined with weakening easterly trade winds across the tropical Pacific, will lead to lower moisture levels over much of the country and warmer daytime temperatures.
Temperatures this spring and summer are expected to be near average or warmer for all capital cities - and are also likely to be warmer than temperatures in the past two years. These warmer days also come with in an increased risk of heatwaves, particularly for the southern capitals of Adelaide, Melbourne and Canberra.
While heatwaves in Sydney are rarer, they cannot be ruled out. The city experienced an unexpected heatwave in February 2011, a strong La Niña year, which is usually associated with cooler conditions.
Bushfire risk will be higher this season, exacerbated by increased vegetation growth following two years of wet weather. Southern states are at greatest risk due to the prevalence of stronger winds in summer.
Another feature of the warm season is thunderstorm activity. Widespread storms have already battered eastern Australia in the past week.
Quantifying the thunderstorms that we will see is difficult as the correlation to long-term climate drivers (such as El Niño) is low. Storm activity is more dependent on short-range weather patterns.
However, there is an elevated risk of severe thunderstorms, particularly in eastern Australia, due to expectations of high surface temperatures and moderate moisture levels. Compared to the past two years, there is an increased risk of large hail with storms. Localised flash-flooding remains a risk, but we are not likely to see the widespread flooding of the past two years.
Current indications show that tropical cyclone activity will be near-normal for the Australian region this season. While El Niño years typically produce lower cyclone activity over this region, the upcoming El Niño is not expected to be strong and is not expected to have a large impact on the number of cyclones.
smh.com.au Sydney weather statistics can be seen here. Weatherzone.com.au is owned by Fairfax Media, publisher of this website.


Lower-sodium recipes are ideal for individuals who are concerned about high blood pressure or who have liver conditions. At Company’s Coming, we cater to individuals who have many different dietary concerns, including those looking for lower-sodium recipes, low-carb recipes and low-fat recipes. And as part of the Company’s Coming promise, each lower-sodium recipe has been kitchen-tested for Guaranteed Great™ results.
Reduced Sodium Recipes—Eating Right Can Be Delicious If you thought all sodium-reduced recipes were bland and uninteresting, you haven’t tried the incredible, free lower-sodium recipes from Company’s Coming.
Our savoury Seafood Stew combines halibut, shrimp and mussels with garlic, white wine, onion and chopped red pepper. Our Beef and Eggplant Burgers are both lower-sodium and low-fat. And for a fun, delicious appetizer, how about bold Bruschetta with fresh roma tomatoes, basil and flavourful red onion? Easy Healthy Recipes From Company’s Coming At Company’s Coming, we have created a Lifestyle Series of cookbooks dedicated to offering low-fat, low-carb or lower-sodium recipes. These cookbooks are designed to offer individuals with specific health concerns out-of-the-ordinary, inspired meals that maintain healthy bodies and satisfied palates. We hope you enjoy our free healthy recipes!


In response to a petition to list the Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) in the Upper Klamath and Trinity Rivers Basin as threatened or endangered and designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act, the National Marine Fisheries Service issued a finding (pdf) that "the petition presents substantial scientific information indicating the petitioned actions may be warranted." The petition (pdf) was filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, Oregon Wild, Environmental Protection Information Center, and The Larch Company. NMFS is soliciting information pertaining to the species and its habitat until June 13, 2011.
NMFS previously defined an evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) of Chinook salmon to include all spring-run and fall-run populations from the Trinity River and the Klamath River upstream from the confluence of the Trinity River. This ESU is referred to as the Upper Klamath and Trinity Rivers Chinook salmon ESU. The petition focuses on the status of the spring-run population as the basis for listing.


BACKGROUND: Our previous studies have shown that the majority of African women were infected with multiple HIV-1 genetic variants, while in the remaining women only a single viral genotype was detected early in infection. Infection with multiple viral variants was associated with higher plasma HIV-1 RNA levels and faster CD4 T-cell decline.
METHOD: Socio-behavioral characteristics, use of hormonal contraceptives, and the presence of sexually transmitted diseases were prospectively assessed at approximately monthly intervals around the time of HIV-1 acquisition in female sex workers in Kenya. We assessed the relationship between these factors and HIV-1 genetic complexity early in infection.
RESULTS: One hundred and fifty-six women were included in this analysis, of whom 89 had multiple viral genotypes and 67 had a single genotype at primary infection. Women with multiple variants were more likely to have a genital tract infection [odds ratio (OR), 4.7; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.4-18.1] or to be using hormonal contraceptives (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.3-5.6) at the time of their infection than those with a single variant. In multivariate analyses, these factors were independent predictors of early HIV-1 genetic complexity, and the presence of multiple viral variants early in infection remained significantly associated with a higher steady state plasma HIV-1 RNA level.
CONCLUSION: The presence of genital tract infections and hormonal contraceptive use at the time of transmission were associated with the acquisition of multiple HIV-1 variants.


Please enable javascript to view this page in its intended format.
Staff, faculty and students gathered in the parking lot at Division and Union Streets on Tuesday, March 5, 2013, to recycle their e-waste and earn chances to win prizes. Participants were invited to bring e-waste from both work and home, resulting in almost 3.5 metric tonnes being collected at the event in just one day - more than 10% of the roughly 30 metric tonnes of e-waste that Physical Plant Services recycles annually. Recycled items included 2,179 kilograms of computer towers and 590 kilograms of monitors.
The event was organized in partnership with Queen's Sustainability and ITServices as part of GreenFest, a five-day campus-wide event. "This was a great opportunity for the Queen's community to find out more about how to manage their e-waste responsibly", said Nancy Simon, one of the event organizers from ITServices. "It was especially rewarding to partner on this initiative with other campus groups, including Queen's Sustainability, as we set our environmental goals for the future."
Participants enjoyed events such as the "Laptop Toss" and the "Handheld Accuracy Throw". Hard drives were removed onsite and degaussed by the Campus Computer to ensure the privacy of Queen's personal and confidential data.
The Recycle IT Games addressed both Education and Waste Diversion, two of GreenFest's five themes. Prizes for GreenFest were sponsored by the Campus Computer Store and include an iPad. Winners will be announced on March 20. More information on Queen's GreenFest is available on their website.


Ninety years ago, Stanford psychologist Lewis Terman began an ambitious search for the brightest kids in California, administering IQ tests to several thousand of children across the state. Those scoring above an IQ of 135 (approximately the top 1 percent of scores) were tracked for further study. There were two young boys, Luis Alvarez and William Shockley, who were among the many who took Terman’s tests but missed the cutoff score. Despite their exclusion from a study of young “geniuses,” both went on to study physics, earn PhDs, and win the Nobel prize.
How could these two minds, both with great potential for scientific innovation, slip under the radar of IQ tests? One explanation is that many items on Terman’s Stanford-Binet IQ test, as with many modern assessments, fail to tap into a cognitive ability known as spatial ability. Recent research on cognitive abilities is reinforcing what some psychologists suggested decades ago: spatial ability, also known as spatial visualization, plays a critical role in engineering and scientific disciplines. Yet more verbally-loaded IQ tests, as well as many popular standardized tests used today, do not adequately measure this trait, especially in those who are most gifted with it.
Spatial ability, defined by a capacity for mentally generating, rotating, and transforming visual images, is one of the three specific cognitive abilities most important for developing expertise in learning and work settings. Two of these, quantitative and verbal ability, are quite familiar due to their high visibility in standardized tests like the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). A spatial ability assessment may include items involving mentally rotating an abstract image or reasoning about an illustrated mechanical device functions. All three abilities are positively correlated, such that someone with above average quantitative ability also tends to have above average verbal and spatial ability. However, the relative balance of specific abilities can vary greatly between individuals. While those with verbal and quantitative strengths have opportunities to be identified by standardized tests or school performance, someone with particularly strong spatial abilities can go unrecognized through these traditional means.
A recent review, published in the Journal of Educational Psychology, analyzed data from two large longitudinal studies. Duke University’s Jonathan Wai worked with two of us (Lubinski and Benbow) and showed how neglecting spatial abilities could have widespread consequences. In both studies, participants' spatial abilities, along with many others, were measured in adolescence. The participants with relatively strong spatial abilities tended to gravitate towards, and excel in, scientific and technical fields such as the physical sciences, engineering, mathematics, and computer science. Surprisingly, this was after accounting for quantitative and verbal abilities, which have long been known to be predictive of educational and occupational outcomes. In a time when educators and policy-makers are under pressure to increase the number students entering these fields, incorporating knowledge of spatial ability into current practices in education and talent searches may be the key to improving such efforts.
The first source of data reviewed by Wai was a massive longitudinal study, Project Talent. While several studies have investigated the role of spatial abilities in tasks involving visual searching or path finding, Wai and colleagues focused on the relationship between spatial abilities and interests. finding that adolescents with strong spatial abilities also show greater interest than most in working with their hands, manipulating and tinkering with tangible things. While building, repairing, and working with inanimate objects might bore some, spatially gifted adolescents reported a preference for such activities. When those same individuals were contacted again in their late 20s, they had pursued and persisted in scientific and technical fields, earning bachelor's, Master's and doctoral degrees in these areas at higher rates than their peers. These findings suggest that the same child who likes to dismantle and reassemble old electronics may be particularly well-suited for doing the same in adulthood with electrons, molecules, or microchips.


Efficacy of Three Head-Pointing Devices for a Mouse Emulation Task By Anson, Denis, MS, OTR/L; Lawler, Gretchen, OTS; Kissinger, Alexis, OTS; Timko, Megan, OTS; Tuminski, Jason, OTS; Drew, Brian, OTS; Assistive Technology, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 140-150Publication Date: Winter 2002Study compares the functional performance of the HeadMaster Plus, Tracker 2000, and Tracer, which are head-pointing mouse emulation devices designed for computer users with upper extremity disabilities that prevent them from using a standard mouse. Each device was used to produce a series of drawings of similar complexity until the participants achieved a stable level of performance. The number of trials required to achieve mastery, the speed of drawing at mastery, and the accuracy of drawings was compared and contrasted among the devices. Each of the products proved to be the fastest for some participants, but the HeadMaster Plus produced the most consistently fast drawing times. Results indicated that although performance of the devices was similar, participant performance was driven by comfort more than by performance. The two fastest devices, the HeadMaster Plus and Tracer, both resulted in complaints regarding comfort, while the Tracker 2000 was preferred for comfort even though it was slightly slower in performance.
Assistive Products Discussed: TRACKER 2000HEADMASTER PLUS (MODEL HM-3P)
BOOST TRACER
Published by: Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) (Website:http://www.resna.org)This publication is included in the library of the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), accession number J46747


The 3-substituded indolic enamide moiety has been found in many marine compounds over the past 20 years. These indolic enamides exhibit various biological properties such as cytotoxic, anthelmintic, antimicrobial and HW-inhibitory activities. Among these indolic enamides, some are (E)-enamides, like coscinamide A and coscinamide B, others are (Z)-configuration in their natural form, like igzamide and halocyamine B. A general method to selectively construct (E)- and (Z)-indolic enamides was devised through an bydroxyl amide formed from amino alcohol followed by athermally assisted dehydration as the key step. Solvent effects were tested for the dehydration reaction. (Z)-Indolic enamides could be obtained in a moderate yield with xylene as the solvent for the dehydration reaction. (E)-Indolic enamides were the main products with N, N-dimethylformamide as the solvent. Total syntheses of three indolic enamides: coscinamide A, coscinamide B and igzamide have been described. The (E)- or (Z)-isomers of these natural compoundswere obtained during the syntheses as well. A synthetic study of halocyamine B is also reported in this thesis.


In a recent case, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court held that certain municipal regulations of gas drilling could not be challenged directly in state court but rather were under the exclusive jurisdiction of the municipal board. As such, these regulations could only be challenged by application to the municipal government and a hearing before the applicable municipal government board, followed by possible appeal to state court. The result is a potentially longer time for review of validity challenges to local ordinances involving gas drilling, unless the challenged ordinance is clearly an operational regulation. For a summary of this case click here.