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Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi

2009-08-02T22:01:00.000-07:00

Varanasi, also known as Benaras and Kashi, is a major city in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Situated on the banks of the holy river Ganga, the city has great religious significance for the Hindus. Varanasi is home to Kashi Vishwanath Temple, which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It enshrines one of the twelve Jyotirlingams of Shiva. It is said that this temple was rebuilt several times. The latest structure standing here dates back to the 18th century. Thousands of Pilgrims converge here to perform an abhishekam to the sacred Jyotirlingam, with water from the Ganga.

Beside its religious significance, the temple is also an architectural marvel. The magnificent edifice offers a breathtaking view to the onlooker. It is said that once Lord Shiva came in the dream of Rani Ahalya Bai Holkar of Indore. She, being a devotee of Lord Shiva, got the current temple built in 1777.

Vishwanath Khanda, also referred to as the Old City is located at the heart of Varanasi, between Dashashwamedha Ghat and Godaulia to the south and west and Manikarnika Ghat on the river to the north. The whole area rewards exploration, with numerous shrines and lingams tucked into every corner, and is buzzing with the activity of pilgrims, pandas and stalls selling offerings to the devotees.

Approached through a maze of narrow alleys and the Vishwanath Gali (or Lane), the temple complex of Vishwanath or Visheshwara, the "Lord of All", is popularly known as the Golden Temple, due to the massive gold plating on its shikhara (spire). Inside the compound, which is hidden behind a wall, and entered through an unassuming doorway, is one of India's most important shivalingams, made of smooth black stone and seated in a solid silver plinth. The shrines of the wrathful protectors Mahakala and Dandapani, and the lingam of Avimukteshvara are also situated within the temple complex.

Pilgrims offer their sankalpa or statement of intent here, before commencing the Panchatirthi Yatra. Slightly north, across the main road, the thirteenth-century Razia's Mosque stands atop the ruins of a still earlier Vishwanatha temple.

Varanasi is said to be the point at which the first jyotirlinga, the fiery pillar of light by which Shiva manifested his supremacy over other gods, broke through the earth's crust and flared towards the heavens. More than the Ghats and even the Ganga, the Shivalinga installed in the temple remain the devotional focus of Varanasi.

A visit to Darjeeling

2009-07-17T04:56:00.000-07:00

The town of Darjeeling is the headquarters of the district; it is known as the Queen of the Hills and is most famous for its fine, delicate tea. Some of the Beautiful places to visit when you tour Darjeeling.

Tiger hill

Situated at an altitude of 2590 meters (8482 ft.) and 13 kilometers from the town, this spot has earned international fame for the magnificent view of the sunrise over the "Kanchanjunga" and the great eastern Himalayan Mountains. Even Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, is visible from here. The hesitant rays of the early morning sun paint these peaks in pale gold.

Batasia loop and A War Memorial

The Batasia loop situated almost 5 km away from the town is a gigantic railway loop where the Toy Train makes a 360 Degree turn. It was basically built to make it possible for the Toy Train to cut the deep ascend. Strategically located the Batasia Loop offers a panoramic view of the Kanchanjunga Range. A War Memorial constructed in the memory of the brave sons of the soil who laid down their lives in the different wars since the independence of the nation adds to its attraction. There is also a well furbished market where visitors can buy locally made purses, bags and other decorative items.

Rock Garden and Ganga Maya Park
Situated 10 km from town, Rock Garden and Ganga Maya Park has now developed into a very attractive picnic spot with natural water falls. The park offers boating facilities and is endowed with great scenic beauty. Ample eateries are available for visitors to indulge in local delicacies and one can even buy souvenirs. No fees are charged for taking photographs. Visitors are however, required to make arrangements for transportation. A two way travel arrangement is advisable.

Happy Valley tea garden
Happy Valley tea garden is located just a kilometer away from the main town and is situated along 18 Lebong Cart Road (very near to the District Magistrate's Office) and offers tourist a refreshing ambience far from the otherwise noisy town. One can soak in the ambience of the tea garden and take a walk through the carpeted garden. You can take a pony from the Chowrasta or merely walk down the hill to reach the factory. The garden is presently closed but the residents are running it through a cooperative.

Dhirdham temple
Dhirdham temple is modelled on the lines of the famous Pashupatinath temple of Kathmandu and was built in 1939. It is a minute's walk from the Darjeeling Railway Station.

Nightingale Park/Srubbery Park
It is about 2-5 kms from Darjeeling Railway Station and walkable from the Chowrasta. It is a beautiful park with a package of cultural programmes performed daily during the tourist season and its opening time is 4.00 p.m. and closing time is 8.00 p.m. The park has recently been extensively re-developed, and now comprises of a giant Statue of Lord Shiva, a temple, and provisions for live-interactive entertainment. The best time to visit the park is in the evenings. Entrance fee is charged and nominal charges for photography may also be required to be made by the visitor.

Tips for a Healthy Family

2009-07-14T03:39:00.000-07:00

The health of both women and children can be appreciably improved by spacing births at least two years apart, by avoiding pregnancies before the age of 18 and by limiting the total number of pregnancies to three or less. Some basic parenting tips are:

• To reduce the danger of childbearing, all pregnant women should go to a health worker for pre-natal care and all births should be assisted by a trained midwife.

• For the first few months of a baby's life, breast milk alone is the best possible food and drink. Infants need other foods, in addition to breast milk, when they are four to six months old.

• Children below three years have special feeding needs. They need to eat 5 to 6 times a day. Mashed vegetables and small amounts of fats or oils should be added to their food to enrich their diet.

• Diarrhea can kill by draining too much liquid from a child's body. So the liquid lost each time the child passes a watery stool must be replaced by giving the child plenty of the right liquids to drink- breast milk, home - based fluids such as dal water, rice water, butter milk or a special drink called Oral Rehydration Suspension (ORS).

• Immunization protects against several diseases, which can cause poor growth, disability, and death. All immunization should be completed in the first year of the child's life and a booster dose should be given at one and half years.

• Most coughs and colds will get better on their own. But if a child with a cough is breathing much more rapidly than normal then the child is seriously ill and it is essential to go to a health centre quickly. A child with a cough or cold should be helped to eat and to drink plenty of liquids.

• Many sicknesses are caused when microorganisms go into the mouth. This can be prevented by using correct latrines; by washing hands with soap and water after using the toilets and before handling food; by keeping food and water clean; and by boiling drinking water if it is not from a safe piped supply.

• Parents should keep an eye on the child's actions and also have knowledge about the instrument of all the toys with which it plays

You’re favorite color and your character

2009-06-12T00:18:00.000-07:00

RED-strong
Red is associated with active, confident individuals who love attention and being in the focus. Those who love red live life to the fullest and are mulish and stiff in their endeavors.

PINK-soft
Pink is associated with kindness, softness and peaceful. Those who choose pink as their favorite color are often calm and are very sensitive and they concern about other feelings. Pink lovers are also generally sympathetic and kindhearted and dislike controversy of any kind.

GREEN-nature
Green lovers can guess things very easily and consider their status which is very important. If green is your favorite color, you may be expressive, thoughtful, aware of those around you and they love nature.

BLUE -calm
Blue is associated with quiet and settled. Those who choose blue as their favorite color you love harmony,are capable, reliable, sensitive, always make an effort to think of others and capable of handling things very easily.

PURPLE- royalty- spirituality
Purple is associated with royalty and nobility. Those who choose purple as their favorite color are believed to help people be creative and artistic and unique.

BLACK- artistic
Black is associated with sad things. People who choose black as their favorite color are often artistic,sensitive, and wealthy and are fashion.

BROWN-bold
Brown gives off a feeling of connection with the mother earth and all that is natural. Those who choose brown as their favorite are usually happy with what they have.

WHITE- cleanliness- innocence
White is associated with cleanliness, purity and innocence. People who like white are often well prepared and consistent and don't have a great deal of confusion, either tangible or emotional in their lives.

YELLOW - bright
Yellow is associated with good optimism and happiness. Those who love yellow are often imaginative, artistic, shared people who have vivid imaginations and are keen on creating new things.

ORANGE-sacred
Orange is associated with Thanksgiving, fall, spice, affection and orange is the only color named after an entity. This color is very rarely chosen.

Shilpa Getting Lamborghini From Fiance

2009-04-24T05:05:00.000-07:00

Since 'Big Brother' a little more than two years ago, Shilpa Shetty has gone luckier with each passing day. The fame in the UK lead to the launch of her perfume, her production House. Especially meeting millionaire Raj Kundra has changed loads of things for her. Lucky girl this one

She is the proud owner of an IPL team now and is enjoying the attention showered on her and having a gala time cheering for her team Rajasthan Royals with Raj. She even met Matt Damon recently.

At the moment, Shilpa and fiance Raj are so immersed in work and entertainment that they are not willing to discuss marriage which too is likely to happen soon though. As of now she is set to get a sports car from Raj which she has been dreaming of.

Source: http://entertainment.oneindia.in/

Funny Prank

2009-04-13T03:37:00.000-07:00

Gudi Padwa - A New Year Celebration

2009-03-26T21:32:00.000-07:00

The Gudi Padwa festival marks the beginning of the Hindu new year in Goa. Also known as Sansar Padwa, it is considered one of the most auspicious days to start new business ventures. The Hindu calendar year begins with the onset of Vasant season (spring) in Chaitra.

In some parts of Goa, Shigmo festival concludes on the day of Gudi Padwa. Once many villages situated in the remote corner of the Sahyadri hills were involved in the performances of Ranmale, a popular form of folk drama. Besides, Sattari and Sanguem, villages from Karnataka and Maharashtra bordering these talukas have performances of the Ranmale during the 5-day celebration of the Shigmo or on the Gudi Padwa's night.

In various parts of Goa, the new year celebration is observed with various cultural performances on the previous day of Gudi Padwa. In Nanoda, Bicholim, a folk dance called ghodemodni is performed besides the performance of virbhadra.

In Gaondongri, unmarried youth from the Velip community take part in Dinya Jatra'. The carry a stick of dino (Leea indica) decorated with flowers.

ForMoreInfo: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Goa/Gudi-Padwa---A-new-year-celebration/articleshow/4320723.cms

Egypt Is Ready Is forget Previous Threatening Statements

2009-03-18T02:30:00.000-07:00

The Egyptian ambassador to Israel said this week that his country is ready to forget previous threatening statements by Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman, who appears likely to be foreign minister in the incoming Israeli government.

Cairo was particularly incensed by Lieberman's statement several years ago that should Arab countries launch an attack on Israel, Israel would be justified in responding by bombing Egypt's Aswan Dam, among other targets. Egypt was also infuriated by his statement in the Knesset last October that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak "could go to hell."

Yasser Rida, speaking at the Egyptian embassy in Tel Aviv at the beginning of the week, said that Egypt would be ready to cooperate with the new government and would judge it by its actions, rather than by past statements. He added that Egypt would invite Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu to Cairo for an official visit as soon as he takes office.

Egyptian officials have expressed concern about the stance of a right-wing Israeli government. Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit told European lawmakers in Brussels Monday that the establishment of an "extreme" right-wing government would be negative and possibly damaging.

Bears Go Home After Failed Comeback

2009-03-12T22:14:00.000-07:00

When Patrick Christopher made consecutive three-pointers to turn an apparent blowout into a one-point game Thursday, the game started to have the feel of one of Cal's dramatic comebacks.

This time, however, the Bears couldn't rebound.

Literally.

USC scored seven of its next 10 points off offensive rebounds to further open a night-long wound for Cal in its 79-75 exit from the quarterfinals of the Pac-10 tournament at the Staples Center.

USC led by as many as 18 in the final seconds of the first half and seemingly had absolute control from a game-opening 15-3 run. Cal, however, kept adjusting and kept believing.

The Bears cut the deficit to 58-57 with a frenetic series that lasted 3 1/2 minutes and resulted in a 17-4 run, ending with Christopher's back-to-back threes. The defensive-sparked run included three steals, including one by Jorge Gutierrez, who scored a career-high 14 points and willed the Bears' comeback attempt.

USC outrebounded Cal 51-25 and scored 35 second-chance points. The Trojans got a putback from Marcus Simmons, a three-point play from Leonard Washington off a second chance and a Washington dunk off a third chance to take a 70-64 lead with 2:58 left.

Jerome Randle, an 85.9-percent career free-throw shooter, made only one of three to leave Cal trailing 72-70 with 1:14 remaining, but he made up for it. After a Dwight Lewis three-pointer made it 75-70 with 47 seconds left, Theo Robertson made a three and Randle hit a runner to tie it 75-75 with 19.6 left.

Daniel Hackett, who has six inches on Randle, drew a foul with 3.8 seconds left and all but clinched it with a pair of free throws. Randle fumbled the inbounds pass out of bounds, and Hackett made two more free throws for the four-point win.

It was an oddly-called game in which the officials went minutes at a time without blowing their whistles to stop physical play at both ends. The "let-them-play" tenor of the game favored USC (19-12), which had their postseason hopes on the line and advanced to the semifinals to play second-seeded UCLA at 8:30 p.m. today.

Cal (22-10) was coming off an uninspired loss to Arizona State in the teams' meaningless regular-season finales, but the Bears could use the valiant comeback attempts to build momentum for the NCAA Tournament.

The Bears and the Trojans split their regular-season meetings using varying strategies. USC correctly gambled that career nights from Cal posts Jamal Boykin and Jordan Wilkes wouldn't be enough in the game in Los Angeles, and the Bears responded by getting 54 points from their three perimeter players and a victory in Berkeley.

Simmons got just his third start of the season and made the most of it, chasing Randle all over Cal's offensive end to deny the guard the ball and frustrate him. The same thing was being done to Christopher and Robertson, so the Bears were forced to find someone else to score.

No one emerged as USC jumped out to a 42-24 lead in the final 30 seconds of the first half and only a last-second three-pointer by Randle kept Cal from heading to the locker room with its largest halftime deficit of the season.

USA Ready For World Baseball

2009-03-05T22:10:00.000-08:00

Whether or not the World Baseball Classic has excited baseball fans will be determined over the next three weeks, but the tournament certainly has the attention of the people in Team USA uniforms.

"We got kind of ambushed a couple of times in '06," says Chipper Jones, who was on the U.S. squad that didn't reach the semifinals in the inaugural event. "I don't think that's going to happen this time."

The USA begins play Saturday (2 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Toronto against Canada, the host of one of the four first-round groups. Venezuela and Italy also are in the group, from which two teams advance to one of two four-team second-round groups.

Suspended Reviews Of New Products From Ranbaxy

2009-02-26T05:15:00.000-08:00

Serious safety concerns have been raised over India’s generic drugs industry after US regulators said that they would no longer approve products produced at a factory run by the country’s largest maker of medicines.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that it had suspended reviews of new products from Ranbaxy’s plant in Paonta Sahib, in northern India, after uncovering “significant questions about the reliability” of information used to support requests to sell drugs in the US.

Shares in Daiichi Sankyo, the Japanese company that bought a majority stake in Ranbaxy for more than $4 billion last year, fell by almost 10 per cent in Tokyo. Ranbaxy plummeted as much as 18 per cent in Mumbai.

Investors fear that the FDA decision could have serious knock-on consequences for the generic version of the world’s most lucrative drug. Ranbaxy holds the right to distribute the first copies of Lipitor, the cholesterol pill developed by Pfizer, which achieved sales of $12.7 billion in 2007.

The Indian company has been the focus of FDA scrutiny for several years. Last year, the watchdog claimed it had evidence to suggest that Ranbaxy used active pharmaceutical ingredients from unapproved sources, resulting in the sale of "subpotent, super potent or adulterated medicines" in the US. It is alleged that test data was fabricated to show that medicines met FDA standards.

In September, it banned Ranbaxy from importing more than 30 generic drugs into the US due to serious manufacturing violations it cited at two company plants in India, including Paonta Sahib.

Researchers for HIV work

2009-02-19T04:56:00.001-08:00

Even as Connecticut considers reducing funding for AIDS programs, state public health researchers are winning accolades for their work with those living with HIV.

A program developed at the University of Connecticut's Center for Health, Intervention and Prevention is among a group of eight intervention programs commended recently by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Under the program, known as "Options," clinicians are trained to counsel HIV-positive patients during routine medical appointments to avoid risky behavior, such as unprotected sex and drug use, developing a list of behavioral prescriptions for patients to follow as they live with the virus.

"Most interventions focus on people not infected with HIV and not likely to become infected," said Jeffrey D. Fisher, a social psychology professor at UConn and director of the intervention center. "But we also need to help people who have HIV to practice safer sex and drug use."

Such precautions are necessary not just to protect the health of those living with HIV or AIDS, which make patients substantially more susceptible to infection and disease, but also to ensure that continued risky behavior doesn't spread HIV to those with whom diagnosed people share needles or have sex.

Fisher developed the program in the late 1990s with his brother, Bill Fisher, a professor at the University of Western Ontario, and three other researchers from CHIP and Yale University.

The Options program was developed from current behavioral theory and a process of collaboration with those struggling with HIV diagnosis and problems with substance abuse or risky sex, Fisher said. The intervention plan asks clinical workers to work with patients to develop strategies for reducing risk, and to evaluate each patient's willingness to change.

The program was included this year in "The 2008 Compendium of Evidence-based HIV Prevention Interventions," which is compiled annually by the CDC, and recognizes programs that have proven successful at reducing HIV infection and behavior that can increase the chance of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

The CDC estimates that 46,000 people were infected with HIV in the U.S. in 2006, the most recent year for which data was available.

Source: theday.com/re.aspx?re=76b88ed9-71a3-4510-a675-6361d367da02

Formal languages

2009-02-09T01:11:00.000-08:00

Mathematics and computer science use artificial entities called formal languages (including programming languages and markup languages, and some that are more theoretical in nature). These often take the form of character strings, produced by a combination of formal grammar and semantics of arbitrary complexity.

CD + Graphics

2009-02-02T23:15:00.000-08:00

Compact Disc + Graphics (CD+G) is a special audio compact disc that contains graphics data in addition to the audio data on the disc. The disc can be played on a regular audio CD player, but when played on a special CD+G player, can output a graphics signal (typically, the CD+G player is hooked up to a television set or a computer monitor); these graphics are almost exclusively used to display lyrics on a television set for karaoke performers to sing along with.

Homozygous

2009-01-26T22:30:00.000-08:00

An organism is homozygous for a particular gene when identical alleles of the gene are present on both homologous chromosomes. The cell or organism in question is called a homozygote. True breeding organisms are always homozygous for the traits that are to be held constant.

An individual that is homozygous dominant for a particular trait carries two copies of the allele that codes for the dominant trait. This allele, often called the "dominant allele", is normally represented by a capital letter (such as "P" for purple flowers, which are dominant in pea plants). When an organism is homozygous dominant for a particular trait, the genotype is represented by a doubling of the symbol for that trait, such as "PP".

An individual that is homozygous recessive for a particular trait carries two copies of the allele that codes for the recessive trait. This allele, often called the "recessive allele" is usually represented by the lowercase form of the letter used for the corresponding dominant trait (such as, with reference to the example above, "p" for white flowers, which are recessive in pea plants). The genotype of an organism that is homozygous recessive for a particular trait is represented by a doubling of the appropriate letter, such as "pp".

Cedars of God

2009-01-19T22:48:00.000-08:00

The Cedars of God are among the last survivors of the immense forests of the Cedars of Lebanon that thrived across Mount Lebanon in ancient times. Their timber was exploited by the Assyrians, Babylonians and Persians as well as the Phoenicians. The wood was especially prized by Egyptians for shipbuilding; Solomon used them in the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem and the Ottoman Empire also used the cedars to build its railroad system.

Cotton Tree

2009-01-12T23:06:00.000-08:00

The Cotton Tree is a historic symbol of Freetown, the capital city of Sierra Leone. It was found growing in the town centre in 1792 when a group of former African American slaves, who had gained their freedom by escaping to the British during the American War of Independence, joined the settlement and gave it the name Freetown. The tree is also the site for offering prayers for peace and prosperity.

Various members of the botanical family Bombacaceae (genus Bombax) are often called Silk-cotton tree.

The flowering plant, Hibiscus tiliaceus is sometimes known as the Cotton Tree.
Kapok, Java cotton tree.Cottontree, a village in Lancashire, England

Polyester

2009-01-07T03:00:00.000-08:00

Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyesters include naturally-occurring chemicals, such as in the cutin of plant cuticles, as well as synthetics such as polycarbonate and polybutyrate.

Polyesters may be produced in numerous forms such as sheets and three-dimensional shapes. Polyesters as thermoplastics may change shape after the application of heat. While combustible at high temperatures, polyesters tend to shrink away from flames and self-extinguish upon ignition. Polyester fibers have high tenacity and E-modulus as well as low water absorption and minimal shrinkage in comparison with other industrial fibers.

Woven polyester fabrics are used in consumer apparel and home furnishings such as bed sheets, bedspreads, curtains and draperies. Similarly, industrial polyesters are used in tyre reinforcements, ropes, fabrics for conveyor belts, safety belts, coated fabrics and plastic reinforcements with high energy absorption. Polyester fiberfills are also used to stuff pillows, comforters and cushion padding.

Morokweng crater

2009-01-01T23:36:00.001-08:00

Morokweng crater (or Morokweng impact structure) is a large meteorite crater buried beneath the Kalahari Desert near the town of Morokweng in the Northwest Province of South Africa, close to the border with Botswana.

The crater, formed by an asteroid 5-10 kilometers (3-6 mi) in diameter, is at least 70 kilometers (43 mi) in diameter and the age is estimated to be 145.0 ± 0.8 million years, placing it on the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary. Discovered in 1994, it is not exposed at the surface but has been mapped by magnetic and gravimetric surveys. Core samples have shown it to have been formed by the impact of an L chondrite asteroid.

In May, 2006, a group of scientists drilling into the site announced the discovery of a 25-centimetre (9.8 in) diameter fragment of the original asteroid at a depth of 770 metres (2,500 ft) below the surface, along with several much smaller pieces a few millimetres across at other depths. This discovery was unexpected since previous drillings on large impact craters had not produced such fragments, and it was thought that the asteroid had been almost entirely vaporised.[3] Some of the fragments can be seen in the Antenna Wing of London's Science Museum.

Language

2008-12-25T23:38:00.001-08:00

A language is a dynamic set of sensory symbols of communication and the elements used to manipulate them. Language can also refer to the use of such systems as a general phenomenon. Strictly speaking, language is considered to be an exclusively human mode of communication. Although other animals make use of quite sophisticated communicative systems, sometimes casually referred to as animal language, none of these are known to make use of all of the properties that linguists use to define language.

In Western Philosophy, language has long been closely associated with reason, which is also a uniquely human way of using symbols. In Ancient Greek philosophical terminology, the same word, logos, was used as a term for both language or speech and reason, and the philosopher Thomas Hobbes used the English word "speech" so that it similarly could refer to reason, as will be discussed below. More commonly though, the English word "language", derived ultimately from lingua, Latin for tongue, typically refers only to expressions of reason which can be understood by other people, most obviously by speaking.

Cell nucleus

2008-12-15T22:27:00.000-08:00

In cell biology, the nucleus (pl. nuclei; from Latin nucleus or nuculeus, or kernel) is a membrane-enclosed organelle found in all eukaryotic cells. It contains most of the cell's genetic material, organized as multiple long linear DNA molecules in complex with a large variety of proteins, such as histones, to form chromosomes. The genes within these chromosomes are the cell's nuclear genome. The function of the nucleus is to maintain the integrity of these genes and to control the activities of the cell by regulating gene expression.

The main structures making up the nucleus are the nuclear envelope, a double membrane that encloses the entire organelle and separates its contents from the cellular cytoplasm, and the nuclear lamina, a meshwork within the nucleus that adds mechanical support, much like the cytoskeleton supports the cell as a whole. Because the nuclear membrane is impermeable to most molecules, nuclear pores are required to allow movement of molecules across the envelope. These pores cross both of the membranes, providing a channel that allows free movement of small molecules and ions. The movement of larger molecules such as proteins is carefully controlled, and requires active transport regulated by carrier proteins. Nuclear transport is crucial to cell function, as movement through the pores is required for both gene expression and chromosomal maintenance.

Although the interior of the nucleus does not contain any membrane-bound subcompartments, its contents are not uniform, and a number of subnuclear bodies exist, made up of unique proteins, RNA molecules, and particular parts of the chromosomes. The best known of these is the nucleolus, which is mainly involved in the assembly of ribosomes. After being produced in the nucleolus, ribosomes are exported to the cytoplasm where they translate mRNA.

Soy milk Preparation

2008-12-03T01:19:00.000-08:00

Soy milk can be made from whole soybeans or full-fat soy flour. The dry beans are soaked in water overnight or for a minimum of 3 hours or more depending on the temperature of the water. The rehydrated beans then undergo wet grinding with enough added water to give the desired solids content to the final product. The ratio of water to beans on a weight basis should be about 10:1. The resulting slurry or purée is brought to a boil in order to improve its nutritional value by heat inactivating soybean trypsin inhibitor, improve its flavor and to sterilize the product. Heating at or near the boiling point is continued for a period of time, 15-20 minutes, followed by the removal of an insoluble residue (soy pulp fiber or okara) by filtration.

There is a simple yet profound difference between traditional Chinese and Japanese soy milk processing: the Chinese method boils the filtrate (soy milk) after a cold filtration, while the Japanese method boils the slurry first, followed by hot filtration of the slurry. The latter method results in a higher yield of soy milk but requires the use of an anti-foaming agent or natural defoamer during the boiling step. Bringing filtered soy milk to a boil avoids the problem of foaming. It is generally opaque, white or off-white in color, and approximately the same consistency as cow's milk.

For all raw soybean protein products heat is necessary to destroy the activity of the protease inhibitors naturally present in the soybean. The pancreas naturally secretes proteases to digest a protein meal. Eating raw soybeans on a regular basis causes the pancreas to hypersecrete, leading to benign tumors of the pancreas (just like exercise causes muscles to develop hypertrophy). This is why the above heating to properly prepare soymilk is essential for fatty acid breakdown.

Protect San José’s creeks and rivers

2008-11-28T03:21:00.000-08:00

Water that enters our City storm drain system flows untreated into the nearest creek or river and ultimately to the San Francisco Bay. Stormwater runoff, in the form of rain or irrigation water, collects pollutants by flowing over sidewalks, driveways, curbs, and landscaping.

Common pollutants - such as trash, oil, soap, paint, copper, nickel, mercury, and pesticides - can degrade, or impair, water quality in our local creeks and rivers. Less commonly recognized pollutants, such as leaves or landscape clippings, can reduce the amount of oxygen available in the creeks for fish which makes it difficult for fish to live. Even soil and sediment can impair water quality, both by degrading spawning habitat in the creeks and by carrying pollutants such as copper, nickel and other heavy metals that readily bind to sediment. Rivers carrying excessive sediment and other pollutants can significantly reduce spawning habitat for fish, which in turn impacts other wildlife. These pollutants, individually and cumulatively, adversely affect fish, plants and wildlife that live in and depend on the City’s rivers and creeks.

Also, it’s the law. Water quality in creeks, rivers, storm drains and the Bay is protected and regulated by State laws like the California Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, Federal laws, such as the Clean Water Act, as well as local ordinances.

Ontology

2008-11-19T04:02:00.000-08:00

On an individual being level, these questions are studied by the separate fields above, but are also more integrated into cognitive ontology of various kinds. This challenges the older linguistically dependent views of ontology, wherein one could debate being, perceiving, and doing, with no cognizance of innate human limits, varying human lifeways, and loyalties that may let a being "know" something (see qualia) that for others remains very much in doubt.

On the level of an individual mind, an emergent behavior might be the formation of a new concept, 'bubbling up' from below the conscious level of the mind. A simple way of stating this is that beings preserve their own attention and are at every level concerned with avoiding interruption and distraction. Such cognitive specialization can be observed in particular in language, with adults markedly less able to hear or say distinctions made in languages to which they were not exposed in youth.

Structure

2008-11-03T22:56:00.000-08:00

Structure is a fundamental and sometimes intangible notion covering the recognition, observation, nature, and stability of patterns and relationships of entities. From a child's verbal description of a snowflake, to the detailed scientific analysis of the properties of magnetic fields, the concept of structure is an essential foundation of nearly every mode of inquiry and discovery in science, philosophy, and art.

A structure defines what a system is made of. It is a configuration of items. It is a collection of inter-related components or services. The structure may be a hierarchy (a cascade of one-to-many relationships) or a network featuring many-to-many relationships.

Symptoms of brain tumors

2008-10-30T02:43:00.000-07:00

Symptoms of brain tumors may depend on two factors: tumor size (volume) and tumor location. The time point of symptom onset in the course of disease correlates in many cases with the nature of the tumor ("benign", i.e. slow-growing/late symptom onset, or malignant, fast growing/early symptom onset).

Many low-grade (benign) tumors can remain asymptomatic (symptom-free) for years and they may accidentally be discovered by imaging exams for unrelated reasons (such as a minor trauma).

New onset of epilepsy is a frequent reason for seeking medical attention in brain tumor cases.

Large tumors or tumors with extensive perifocal swelling edema inevitably lead to elevated intracranial pressure (intracranial hypertension), which translates clinically into headaches, vomiting (sometimes without nausea), altered state of consciousness (somnolence, coma), dilatation of the pupil on the side of the lesion (anisocoria), papilledema (prominent optic disc at the funduscopic examination). However, even small tumors obstructing the passage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may cause early signs of increased intracranial pressure. Increased intracranial pressure may result in herniation (i.e. displacement) of certain parts of the brain, such as the cerebellar tonsils or the temporal uncus, resulting in lethal brainstem compression. In young children, elevated intracranial pressure may cause an increase in the diameter of the skull and bulging of the fontanelles.

Depending on the tumor location and the damage it may have caused to surrounding brain structures, either through compression or infiltration, any type of focal neurologic symptoms may occur, such as cognitive and behavioral impairment, personality changes, hemiparesis, hypesthesia, aphasia, ataxia, visual field impairment, facial paralysis, double vision, tremor etc. These symptoms are not specific for brain tumors - they may be caused by a large variety of neurologic conditions (e.g. stroke, traumatic brain injury). What counts, however, is the location of the lesion and the functional systems (e.g. motor, sensory, visual, etc.) it affects.

Breadnut

2008-10-21T02:23:00.000-07:00

The breadnut (Brosimum alicastrum) is a Brosimum tree species under the Moraceae family of flowering plants, whose other genera include fig and mulberries. Other common names for the plant include the Maya nut and ramón (particularly in Spanish-speaking regions). The plant is also known by a range of names in indigenous Mesoamerican and other languages, including but not limited to: ojoche, ojite, ojushte, ujushte, ujuxte, capomo, mojo, ox, iximche and masica.

The breadnut fruit disperses on the ground in March and April and has a large seed covered by a thin, citrus-flavored orange-colored skin favored by a number of forest creatures. More importantly, the large seed which is enveloped by the tasty skin is an edible ‘nut’ that can be leached and ground into a meal for porridge or flatbread. Ramon is nutritious and has value as a food source, and formed a part of the diet of the pre-Columbian Maya of the lowlands region in Mesoamerica, although to what extent has been a matter of some debate among Maya historians and archaeologists.

It was planted by the Maya civilization two thousand years ago and it has been claimed to have been a staple food in the Maya diet, although other research has downplayed its significance. In the modern era it has been neglected as a source of nutrition and has often been characterised as a famine food

Mobile Telephone System

2008-10-13T00:08:00.000-07:00

The Mobile Telephone System (MTS) was one of the earliest mobile telephone standards. It was operator assisted both directions, meaning that if you were called from a land line the call would be routed to a mobile operator, who would route it to your phone. Similarly, to make an outbound call you had to go through the mobile operator, who would ask you for your mobile number and the number you were calling, and then would place the call.

This service originated with the Bell System, and was first used in St. Louis on June 17, 1946. The original equipment weighed 80 pounds, and there were initially only 3 channels for all the users in the metropolitan area, later more licenses were added bringing the total to 32 channels across 3 bands (See IMTS frequencies). This service was used at least into the 1980s in large portions of North America.

This protocol was replaced by Improved Mobile Telephone Service (IMTS).

Bluetooth low energy

2008-09-29T23:29:00.000-07:00

On June 12, 2007, Nokia and Bluetooth SIG announced that Wibree will be a part of the Bluetooth specification, being an ultra-low power Bluetooth technology.Expected use cases include watches displaying Caller ID information, sports sensors monitoring your heart rate during exercise, plus medical devices. The Medical Devices Working Group is also creating a medical devices profile and associated protocols to enable this market. Battery life for devices using Bluetooth low energy technology is designed to last up to one year.

IPv6 private addresses

2008-09-23T02:44:00.000-07:00

Just as IPv4 reserves addresses for private or internal networks, there are blocks of addresses set aside in IPv6 for private addresses. In IPv6, these are referred to as unique local addresses (ULA). RFC 4193 sets aside the routing prefix fc00::/7 for this block. The addresses include a 40-bit pseudorandom number that minimize the risk of address collisions if sites merge or packets are misrouted.

Early designs (RFC 3513) used a different block for this purpose (fec0::), dubbed site-local addresses. However, the definition of what constituted "sites" remained unclear, and the poorly defined address structure created ambiguities for routing. The address range specification was abandoned and must no longer be used in new systems.

Addresses starting with fe80: — called link-local addresses — are routable only in the local link area. The addresses are assigned automatically by the operating system's IP layer for each network interface. This provides instant network connectivity for any IPv6 host and means that if several hosts connect to a common hub or switch, they have an instant communication path via their link-local IPv6 address.

Kinesthetic sense

2008-09-16T03:34:00.001-07:00

Proprioception, the kinesthetic sense, provides the parietal cortex of the brain with information on the relative positions of the parts of the body. Neurologists test this sense by telling patients to close their eyes and touch the tip of a finger to their nose. Assuming proper proprioceptive function, at no time will the person lose awareness of where the hand actually is, even though it is not being detected by any of the other senses. Proprioception and touch are related in subtle ways, and their impairment results in surprising and deep deficits in perception and action.

Pillbox

2008-09-08T23:05:00.000-07:00

Dug-in guard posts (with loopholes through which to fire guns) and made from concrete are also known as 'pillboxes'. The originally jocular name arose from their perceived similarity to the cylindrical boxes in which medical pills were once sold.They are in effect a trench firing step hardened to protect against small-arms fire and grenades and raised to improve the field of fire.

Their use seems to have developed during the period of the First World War when defence in depth using the Machine Gun Corps was being perfected. However, most of those seen in Britain, having been left over from the 1940 invasion scare, are designed for use by riflemen rather than for machine gunners. The concrete nature of pillboxes means that they are a feature of prepared positions and their original use is likely to have been in the Hindenburg Line. This is likely to have been the time when they acquired their incongruous English name. The Oxford English Dictionary's earliest record of the use of the word pillbox in connection with a defensive post is from 13 September 1917, after the German withdrawal onto the Hindenburg Line.

Pillboxes are often camouflaged in order to conceal their location and to maximize the element of surprise. They may be part of a trench system, form an interlocking line of defence with other pillboxes by providing covering fire to each other (defence in depth), or they may be placed to guard strategic structures such as bridges and jetties.

Many pillboxes were built before WWII in the Czech Republic in defence against the German invasion of Czechoslovakia. None of these were actually used in the end, since the German military met no resistance when invading the country because it was effectively forced to capitulate as a result of Allies annexing the country's border areas and handing them to Germany. The Japanese also made use of pillboxes in their fortifications of Iwo Jima.

Human-computer interaction

2008-09-02T05:54:00.000-07:00

Human–computer interaction (HCI) is the study of interaction between people (users) and computers. It is often regarded as the intersection of computer science, behavioral sciences, design and several other fields of study. Interaction between users and computers occurs at the user interface (or simply interface), which includes both software and hardware, for example, general-purpose computer peripherals and large-scale mechanical systems, such as aircraft and power plants. The following definition is given by the Association for Computing Machinery

"Human-computer interaction is a discipline concerned with the design, evaluation and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use and with the study of major phenomena surrounding them."

Because human-computer interaction studies a human and a machine in conjunction, it draws from supporting knowledge on both the machine and the human side. On the machine side, techniques in computer graphics, operating systems, programming languages, and development environments are relevant. On the human side, communication theory, graphic and industrial design disciplines, linguistics, social sciences, cognitive psychology, and human performance are relevant. Engineering and design methods are also relevant. Due to the multidisciplinary nature of HCI, people with different backgrounds contribute to its success. However, due to the different value systems of its diverse members, the collaboration can be challenging

Device drivers

2008-08-25T03:30:00.001-07:00

A device driver is a specific type of computer software developed to allow interaction with hardware devices. Typically this constitutes an interface for communicating with the device, through the specific computer bus or communications subsystem that the hardware is connected to, providing commands to and/or receiving data from the device, and on the other end, the requisite interfaces to the operating system and software applications. It is a specialized hardware-dependent computer program which is also operating system specific that enables another program, typically an operating system or applications software package or computer program running under the operating system kernel, to interact transparently with a hardware device, and usually provides the requisite interrupt handling necessary for any necessary asynchronous time-dependent hardware interfacing needs.

The key design goal of device drivers is abstraction. Every model of hardware (even within the same class of device) is different. Newer models also are released by manufacturers that provide more reliable or better performance and these newer models are often controlled differently. Computers and their operating systems cannot be expected to know how to control every device, both now and in the future. To solve this problem, OSes essentially dictate how every type of device should be controlled. The function of the device driver is then to translate these OS mandated function calls into device specific calls. In theory a new device, which is controlled in a new manner, should function correctly if a suitable driver is available. This new driver will ensure that the device appears to operate as usual from the operating systems' point of view for any person.

Demographics

2008-08-19T03:08:00.000-07:00

Demographics or demographic data refers to selected population characteristics as used in government, marketing or opinion research, or the demographic profiles used in such research. Note the distinction from the term "demography" Commonly-used demographics include race, age, income, disabilities, mobility (in terms of travel time to work or number of vehicles available), educational attainment, home ownership, employment status, and even location. Distributions of values within a demographic variable, and across households, are both of interest, as well as trends over time. Demographics are frequently used in economic and marketing research.

Demographic trends describes the changes in demographics in a population over time. For example, the average age of a population may increase. It may decrease as well as certain restrictions may be in place, for instance like in China if the population is high.

The term demographics as a noun is often used erroneously in place of demography, the study of human population, its structure and change. Although there is no absolute delineation, demography focuses on population structure, processes and dynamics, whereas demographics is most often used in the fields of media studies, advertising, marketing, and polling, and should not be used interchangeably with the term "demography" or (more broadly) "population studies

Lecithin

2008-08-11T22:21:00.001-07:00

Lecithin is any of a group of yellow-brownish fatty substances occurring in animal and plant tissues, and in egg yolk, composed of phosphoric acid, choline, fatty acids, glycerol, glycolipids, triglycerides, and phospholipids (e.g., phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylinositol). However, lecithin is sometimes used as a synonym for pure phosphatidylcholine, a phospholipid that is the major component of its phosphatide fraction. It may be isolated either from egg yolk or from soy beans, from which it is extracted chemically (using hexane) or mechanically.

It has low solubility in water. In aqueous solution its phospholipids can form either liposomes, bilayer sheets, micelles, or lamellar structures, depending on hydration and temperature. This results in a type of surfactant that is usually classified as amphoteric.
Thus far, the only proven benefit and suggested use is for those taking niacin to treat high cholesterol. Niacin treatment can deplete choline, necessitating an increased amount of lecithin or choline in the diet.

Egg-derived lecithin may be a concern for those following some specialized diets. Egg lecithin is not a concern for those on low-cholesterol diets, but, if not purified before being used as a food ingredient, it could significantly raise the overall cholesterol content of the food. Consumer Product companies should clearly indicate the source of lecithin to help consumers.

For observant Jews under Kashrut, it is considered pareve, neutral, e.g., may be mixed with both meat and dairy.[citation needed] However, soy derived lecithin is considered by some to be kitniyot and prohibited on Passover.[citation needed] For most Muslims, lecithin or any other derivatives from plants, egg yolks or animals are allowed.[citation needed] There is no general agreement among vegetarians concerning egg-derived lecithin, but since it is animal-derived, Jains, strict vegetarians, vegans choose not to consume it.

Embryophyte

2008-08-04T04:27:00.000-07:00

The embryophytes are the most familiar group of plants. They include trees, flowers, ferns, mosses, and various other green land plants. All are complex multicellular eukaryotes with specialized reproductive organs. With very few exceptions, embryophytes obtain their energy through photosynthesis (that is, by absorbing light); and they synthesize their food from carbon dioxide. Embryophyta may be distinguished from chlorophyll-using multicellular algae by having sterile tissue within the reproductive organs. Furthermore, embryophytes are primarily adapted for life on land, although some are secondarily aquatic. Accordingly, they are often called land plants or terrestrial plants.

Embryophytes developed from complex green algae (Chlorophyta) during the Paleozoic era. The Charales or stoneworts appear to be the best living illustration of that developmental step. These alga-like plants undergo an alternation between haploid and diploid generations (respectively called gametophytes and sporophytes). In the first embryophytes, however, the sporophytes became very different in structure and function, remaining small and dependent on the parent for their entire brief life. Such plants are informally called 'bryophytes'. They include three surviving groups:

Bryophyta (mosses)

Anthocerotophyta (hornworts)

Marchantiophyta (liverworts)

All of the above 'bryophytes' are relatively small and are usually confined to moist environments, relying on water to disperse their spores. Other plants, better adapted to terrestrial conditions, appeared during the Silurian period. During the Devonian period, they diversified and spread to many different land environments, becoming the vascular plants or tracheophytes. Tracheophyta have vascular tissues or tracheids, which transport water throughout the body, and an outer layer or cuticle that resists drying out. In most vascular plants, the sporophyte is the dominant individual, and develops true leaves, stems, and roots, while the gametophyte remains very small.

Many vascular plants, however, still disperse using spores. They include two extant groups:

Lycopodiophyta (clubmosses)

Pteridophyta (ferns, whisk ferns, and horsetails)

Other groups, which first appeared towards the end of the Paleozoic era, reproduce using desiccation-resistant capsules called seeds. These groups are accordingly called spermatophytes or seed plants. In these forms, the gametophyte is completely reduced, taking the form of single-celled pollen and ova, while the sporophyte begins its life enclosed within the seed. Some seed plants may even survive in extremely arid conditions, unlike their more water-bound precursors. The seed plants include the following extant groups:

Cycadophyta (cycads)

Ginkgophyta (ginkgo)

Pinophyta (conifers)

* Gnetophyta (gnetae)

* Magnoliophyta (flowering plants)

The first four groups are referred to as gymnosperms, since the embryonic sporophyte is not enclosed until after pollination. In contrast, among the flowering plants or angiosperms, the pollen has to grow a tube to penetrate the seed coat. Angiosperms were the last major group of plants to appear, developing from gymnosperms during the Jurassic period, and then spreading rapidly during the Cretaceous. They are the predominant group of plants in most terrestrial biomes today.

Note that the higher-level classification of plants varies considerably. Some authors have restricted the kingdom Plantae to include only embryophytes, others have given them various names and ranks. The groups listed here are often considered divisions or phyla, but have also been treated as classes, and they are occasionally compressed into as few as two divisions. Some classifications, indeed, consider the term Embryophyta at the superphylum (superdivision) level, and include Land Plants and some Charophyceae in a subkingdom named Streptophyta.

On a microscopic level, embryophyte cells remain very similar to those of green algae. They are eukaryotic, with a cell wall composed of cellulose and plastids surrounded by two membranes. These usually take the form of chloroplasts, which conduct photosynthesis and store food in the form of starch, and characteristically are pigmented with chlorophylls a and b, generally giving them a bright green color. Embryophytes also generally have an enlarged central vacuole or tonoplast, which maintains cell turgor and keeps the plant rigid. They lack flagella and centrioles except in certain gametes.

Marxism and Humanism

2008-07-28T03:46:00.000-07:00

This trend of thinking is powerfully developed in the thought of Karl Marx (a student of Hegel's thought) and his secular historical materialism. With splendid rhetoric, Marx describes the mid-19th century condition in the Communist Manifesto as follows:

"The bourgeoisie cannot exist without constantly revolutionizing the instruments of production, and thereby the relations of production, and with them the whole relations of society. Conservation of the old modes of production in unaltered form, was, on the contrary, the first condition of existence for all earlier industrial classes. Constant revolutionizing of production, uninterrupted disturbance of all social conditions, everlasting uncertainty, and agitation distinguish the bourgeois epoch from all earlier ones. All fixed, fast frozen relations, with their train of ancient and venerable prejudices and opinions, are swept away, all new-formed ones become antiquated before they can ossify. All that is solid melts into air, all which is holy is profaned, and man is at last compelled to face with sober senses his real condition of life and his relations with his kind."

The capitalist era in history is understood here very radically as a process of continual change, in which the growth of markets dissolve all fixities in human life. This is an almost absolute rejection of the conservative ethos, according to which nothing really changes in human life. Marxism further states that capitalism, in its quest for higher profits and new markets, will inevitably sow the seeds of its own destruction. Marxists believe that, in the future, capitalism will be replaced by socialism and eventually communism.

White Nile

2008-07-21T00:41:00.000-07:00

The White Nile (Arabic: النيل الأبيض, transliterated: an-Nīl al-Ābyadˤ) is a river of Africa, one of the two main tributaries of the Nile, the other being the Blue Nile. In the strict meaning, "White Nile" refers to the river formed at Lake No at the confluence of the Bahr al Jabal and Bahr el Ghazal rivers. In the wider sense, "White Nile" refers to the approximately 3700 kilometers (2300 miles) of rivers draining from Lake Victoria into the White Nile proper. It may also, depending on the speaker, refer to the headwaters of Lake Victoria.

The 19th century search by Europeans for the source of the Nile was mainly focused on the White Nile, which disappeared into the depths of what was then known as "Darkest Africa". The discovery of the source of the White Nile thus came to symbolise European penetration of unknown jungle.

Tephritidae

2008-07-15T01:52:00.000-07:00

Tephritidae is one of two fly families referred to as "fruit flies." Tephritidae does not include the biological model organisms of the genus Drosophila, which is often called the "common fruit fly". Drosophila is, instead, the type genus of the second "fruit fly" family, Drosophilidae. There are nearly 5,000 described species of tephritid fruit fly, categorized in almost 500 genera. Description, recategorization, and genetic analysis are constantly changing the taxonomy of the fruit fly family.

Tephritid fruit flies are of major importance in agriculture. Some have negative effects, some positive. Various species of fruit fly cause damage to fruit and other plant crops. The genus Bactrocera is of worldwide notoriety for its destructive impact on agriculture. The olive fruit fly (B. oleae), for example, feeds on only one plant: the wild or commercially cultivated olive. It has the capacity to ruin 100% of an olive crop by damaging the fruit. On the other hand, some fruit flies are used as agents of biological control, thereby reducing the populations of pest species. Several species of the fruit fly genus Urophora have been shown to be effective agents against rangeland-destroying noxious weeds such as starthistles and knapweeds.

Most fruit flies lay their eggs in plant tissues, where the larvae find their first food upon emerging. The adults usually have a very short lifespan. Some live for less than a week.

Fruit flies use an open circulatory system as their cardiovascular system.

Their behavioral ecology is of great interest to biologists. Some fruit flies have extensive mating rituals or territorial displays. Many are brightly colored and visually showy. Some fruit flies show Batesian mimicry, bearing the colors and markings of dangerous insects such as wasps because it helps the fruit flies to avoid predators; the flies, of course, lack stingers.

Six kingdoms

2008-07-06T23:31:00.000-07:00

In the years around 1980 there was an emphasis on phylogeny and redefining the kingdoms to be monophyletic groups, groups made up of relatively closely related organisms. The Animalia, Plantae, and Fungi were generally reduced to core groups of closely related forms, and the others placed into the Protista. Based on RNA studies Carl Woese divided the prokaryotes (Kingdom Monera) into two kingdoms, called Eubacteria and Archaebacteria. Carl Woese attempted to establish a Three Primary Kingdom (or Urkingdom) system in which Plants, Animals, Protista, and Fungi were lumped into one primary kingdom of all eukaryotes. The Eubacteria and Archaebacteria made up the other two urkingdoms. The initial use of "six Kingdom systems" represents a blending of the classic Five Kingdom system and Woese's Three Kingdom system. Such six Kingdom systems have become standard in many works.

A variety of new eukaryotic kingdoms were also proposed, but most were quickly invalidated, ranked down to phyla or classes, or abandoned. The only one which is still in common use is the kingdom Chromista proposed by Cavalier-Smith, including organisms such as kelp, diatoms, and water moulds. Thus the eukaryotes are divided into three primarily heterotrophic groups, the Animalia, Fungi, and Protozoa, and two primarily photosynthetic groups, the Plantae (including red and green algae) and Chromista. However, it has not become widely used because of uncertainty over the monophyly of the latter two kingdoms.

Woese stresses genetic similarity over outward appearances and behaviour, relying on comparisons of ribosomal RNA genes at the molecular level to sort out classification categories. A plant does not look like an animal, but at the cellular level, both groups are eukaryotes, having similar subcellular organization, including cell nuclei, which the Eubacteria and Archaebacteria do not have. More importantly, plants, animals, fungi, and protists are more similar to each other in their genetic makeup at the molecular level, based on rRNA studies, than they are to either the Eubacteria or Archaebacteria. Woese also found that all of the eukaryotes, lumped together as one group, are more closely related, genetically, to the Archaebacteria than they are to the Eubacteria. This means that the Eubacteria and Archaebacteria are separate groups even when compared to the eukaryotes. So, Woese established the Three-domain system, clarifying that all the Eukaryotes are more closely genetically related compared to their genetic relationship to either the bacteria or the archaebacteria, without having to replace the "six kingdom systems" with a three kingdom system. The Three Domain system is a "six kingdom system" that unites the eukaryotic kingdoms into the Eukarya Domain based on their relative genetic similarity when compared to the Bacteria Domain and the Archaea Domain. Woese also recognized that the Protista Kingdom is not a monophyletic group and might be further divided at the level of Kingdom. Others have divided the Protista Kingdom into the Protozoa and the Chromista, for instance.

bacteriophage

2008-06-29T23:00:00.000-07:00

A bacteriophage (from 'bacteria' and Greek phagein, 'to eat') is any one of a number of viruses that infect bacteria. The term is commonly used in its shortened form, phage.

Typically, bacteriophages consist of an outer protein hull enclosing genetic material. The genetic material can be ssRNA (single stranded RNA), dsRNA, ssDNA, or dsDNA between 5 and 500 kilo base pairs long with either circular or linear arrangement. Bacteriophages are much smaller than the bacteria they destroy - usually between 20 and 200 nm in size.

Phages are estimated to be the most widely distributed and diverse entities in the biosphere. Phages are ubiquitous and can be found in all reservoirs populated by bacterial hosts, such as soil or the intestines of animals. One of the densest natural sources for phages and other viruses is sea water, where up to 9×108 virions per milliliter have been found in microbial mats at the surface, and up to 70% of marine bacteria may be infected by phages.

They have been used for over 60 years as an alternative to antibiotics in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. They are seen as a possible therapy against multi drug resistant strains of many bacteria.

Algae

2008-06-22T23:38:00.000-07:00

Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms. The largest and most complex marine forms are called seaweeds. They are photosynthetic, like plants, and "simple" because they lack the many of the distinct organs found in land plants. Though the prokaryotic cyanobacteria (commonly referred to as blue-green algae) were traditionally included as "algae" in older textbooks, many modern sources regard this as outdated and restrict the term algae to eukaryotic organisms. All true algae therefore have a nucleus enclosed within a membrane and chloroplasts bound in one or more membranes. Algae constitute a paraphyletic and polyphyletic group they do not represent a single evolutionary direction or line, but a level or grade of organization that may have developed several times in the early history of life on Earth.

Algae lack the various structures that characterize land plants, such as phyllids and rhizoids in nonvascular plants, or leaves, roots, and other organs that are found in tracheophytes. They are distinguished from protozoa in that they are photosynthetic. Many are photoautotrophic, although some groups contain members that are mixotrophic, deriving energy both from photosynthesis and uptake of organic carbon either by osmotrophy, myzotrophy, or phagotrophy. Some unicellular species rely entirely on external energy sources and have reduced or lost their photosynthetic apparatus.

All algae have photosynthetic machinery ultimately derived from the cyanobacteria, and so produce oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis, unlike other photosynthetic bacteria such as purple and green sulfur bacteria.

Mail transfer agent

2008-06-15T23:43:00.000-07:00

A mail transfer agent (MTA) (also called a mail transport agent, message transfer agent, or smtpd (short for SMTP daemon)), is a computer program or software agent that transfers electronic mail messages from one computer to another.

The term mail server is also used to mean a computer acting as an MTA that is running the appropriate software. The term mail exchanger (MX), in the context of the Domain Name System formally refers to an IP address assigned to a device hosting a mail server, and by extension also indicates the server itself.

An MTA receives mail from another MTA (relaying), from a mail user agent (MUA), thus acting as a mail submission agent (MSA), or from an MSA that got the mail from an MUA. The MTA works behind the scenes, while the user usually interacts with the MUA. Every time an MTA receives an e-mail, it will add a "Received:" trace header field to the top of the message. In this way, there is a record of which MTAs handled the e-mail and in which order. Upon final delivery, the "Return-Path:" header will also be added to record the return path.

The delivery of e-mail to a user's mailbox typically takes place via a mail delivery agent (MDA); many MTAs have basic MDA functionality built in, but a dedicated MDA like procmail can provide more sophistication.

According to one survey, sendmail, Microsoft Exchange Server, Postfix, and Exim together control over 85% of market share for SMTP service. Another survey suggests a more balanced playing field, though it included hosted email services such as Postini.

Post trance

2008-06-08T23:59:00.000-07:00

As an alternative evolution some artists have attempted to fuse trance with other genres such as drum'n'bass. Others have experimented with more minimalist sounds. Frustrated, extreme versions of trance have mutated through gabba into fringe genres of "hard trance" or "hardstyle" overlapping with hardcore and terrorcore.

Trance more loyal to its roots has begun to rear its head on the internet with the abundance of legal music download sites - including the likes of Juno Download, and Beatport, - enabling enthusiasts to avoid having to track down hard to find vinyl by downloading mp3s and uncompressed wavs, updated on a weekly basis. As a result, both commercial and progressive trance now have a much more global, if not chart-bound, presence, with big-draw artists such as Tiësto, ATB, Markus Schulz, Armin van Buuren, BT, Paul van Dyk, Ferry Corsten, Above & Beyond, Paul Oakenfold, Enigma, Schiller, Solarstone and the US's Christopher Lawrence and George Acosta able to maintain their esteemed positions while upcoming producers and DJs can also breakthrough into the public domain.

Lymphatic circulation

2008-06-02T00:29:00.000-07:00

Unlike the cardiovascular system, the lymphatic system is not closed and has no central pump. Lymph movement occurs with low pressure due to peristalsis, valves, and the milking action of skeletal muscles. Like veins, lymph travels through vessels in one way only, due to semilunar valves. This depends mainly on the movement of skeletal muscles to squeeze fluid through them, especially near the joints. Rhythmic contraction of the vessel walls through movements may also help draw fluid into the smallest lymphatic vessels, capillaries. Tight clothing can restrict this, thus reducing the removal of wastes and allowing them to accumulate. If tissue fluid builds up the tissue will swell; this is called edema. As the circular path through the body's system continues, the fluid is then transported to progressively larger lymphatic vessels culminating in the right lymphatic duct (for lymph from the right upper body) and the thoracic duct (for the rest of the body); both ducts drain into the circulatory system at the right and left subclavian veins. The system collaborates with white blood cells in lymph nodes to protect the body from being infected by cancer cells, fungi, viruses or bacteria. This is known as a secondary circulatory system.

Types of water

2008-05-28T00:51:00.001-07:00

Liquid water in motionWater can appear in three phases. Water takes many different forms on Earth: water vapor and clouds in the sky; seawater and rarely icebergs in the ocean; glaciers and rivers in the mountains; and aquifers in the ground.

Water can dissolve many different substances, giving it different tastes and odors. In fact, humans and other animals have developed senses to be able to evaluate the potability of water: animals generally dislike the taste of salty sea water and the putrid swamps and favor the purer water of a mountain spring or aquifer. Humans also tend to prefer cold water rather than lukewarm, as cold water is likely to contain fewer microbes. The taste advertised in spring water or mineral water derives from the minerals dissolved in it, as pure H2O is tasteless. As such, purity in spring and mineral water refers to purity from toxins, pollutants, and microbes.

Understanding the Context

2008-05-27T07:32:00.000-07:00

Many different methods of communication are possible on the Internet; some use specific software and all involve text and/or graphics.

* Some activities take place in real-time while others allow for a delayed reply.

* Discussion areas may be public or exist for a particular group of people.

* Information can either be broadcast or targeted at a particular user.

As the technology develops, and users and providers become more proficient, the boundaries between the different Internet services are blurred. For example, email is used in chat rooms, web pages include discussion areas and newsgroups can have files attached.

Each Internet service has its own educational value, risks, and recommended ways of dealing with problems, and these are detailed in the following pages. They are not exhaustive and many apply across Internet services. Schools should consider the sum of the advice in these guidelines across all areas.

Overview of the Click Thinking Pack

2008-05-22T08:01:00.001-07:00

Schools and government initiatives are encouraging the educational use of the Internet right across the curriculum and young people are taking readily to this way of learning and communicating.

At the same time, the media tends to focus on the rare occasions when use of the Internet causes distress. The Scottish Executive believes that young people need to be protected and informed; and that those responsible for them, whether teachers, parents or other careers, should be aware of the issues involved.

Previous Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED) publications in this area have dealt with the need to protect pupils from misuse of computers (Information Ethics) and to understand copyright implications (Copyright and Ethics in a Digital Age).

This booklet focuses on personal safety and wellbeing. It attempts to clarify potential risks and to empower Internet users in schools so that they can keep themselves safe. Those who manage Scottish schools, and all teachers, whether responsible for a primary class or for teaching a subject, will find policy guidelines and background information which will prepare our pupils to take their safe and well-earned place in the Digital Age.

Much of the advice in these guidelines will be relevant to other Local Authority staff responsible for overseeing young people's use of the Internet (e.g. managers and staff in community education centers, residential homes for young people, libraries and other settings). These groups should take account of the messages about personal safety, and put into place the recommendations suitable for their setting.

BACK TO SCHOOL SAFETY ALERT:

2008-05-07T04:50:00.000-07:00

CPSC Urges Bicyclists to Wear Helmets

CPSC Document #5002

Each year about 800 bicyclists are killed and more than half a million are treated in hospital emergency rooms. In recent years, almost two-thirds of the deaths and one-third of the injuries involved head and face injury. About one-half the injuries to children under the age of 10 involved the head or face. Helmets may reduce the risk of head injury to bicyclists by as much as 85 percent. Yet, only about 50 percent of bicyclists wear helmets.

The purpose of a helmet is to absorb the energy of an impact to minimize or prevent a head injury. Crushable, expanded polystyrene foam generally is used for this purpose.

A bicycle helmet should have a snug but comfortable fit on the rider's head. Some helmets are available with several different thicknesses of internal padding to custom fit the helmet to the user. If a parent is buying a helmet for a child, the CPSC recommends that the child accompany the parent so that the helmet can be tested for a good fit.

For a helmet to provide protection during impact, it must have a chin strap and buckle that will stay securely fastened. No combination of twisting or pulling should remove the helmet from the head or loosen the buckle on the strap. Children should be instructed to always wear the helmet level on the forehead, not tilted back. The chin strap should be adjusted correctly and firmly buckled.

Helmets manufactured after March 1999, are required by federal law to meet the CPSC standard. When purchasing a helmet, consumers are urged to examine the helmet and accompanying instructions and safety literature carefully. Consumers should also look for a label stating conformance with the CPSC standard.

Bicyclists should avoid riding at night. If you must ride at night, install and use front and rear lights on the bicycle and wear clothing with reflective tape or markings. These precautions are in addition to the reflectors that the CPSC requires to be on the front, rear, pedals, and wheels of bicycles.

Many bicycle-car crashes can be avoided by applying the rules of the road and by increasing attentiveness of cyclists and motorists. Bicyclists have a legal right to share the road, but they are often not noticed in traffic. Drivers should always keep an eye out for bicyclists, especially when turning, merging, changing lanes, or entering intersections.

All-Terrain Vehicle Safety

2008-04-28T05:57:00.000-07:00

Too many ATV riders -- young and old -- are dying or experiencing life altering injuries from incidents involving ATVs. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends that all ATV riders follow the seven safety tips below every time they ride.

An estimated 740 people died in 2003* in incidents associated with ATVs. In addition, in 2004* there were an estimated 136,100 emergency room treated injuries associated with ATVs. About a third of all deaths and injuries involved victims under 16 years old. CPSC also reported that ridership has continued to grow, with 6.2 million 4-wheeled ATVs in use in 2003*.

The major ATV manufacturers agreed in Consent Decrees in 1988 and in subsequent voluntary action plans that they would not manufacture three-wheel ATVs; they would place engine size restrictions on ATVs sold for use by children under 16; and they would offer driver-training programs.

Children and young people under the age of 16 should not ride adult ATVs.

All ATV users should take a hands-on safety training course.

Always wear a helmet and safety gear such as boots and gloves while on an ATV.

Never drive an ATV on paved roads.

Never drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Never drive a youth or single-rider adult ATV with a passenger, and never ride these vehicles as a passenger.

There are some ATVs that are designed for two riders. Passengers on tandem ATVs should be at least 12 years old.

J-Hook Shaped Stake style (Anchor Types)

2008-04-21T06:24:00.001-07:00

This style is used when holes are not pre-drilled into the ground shoes (bars) or rear ground shoe (bar) of the goal. Similar to the peg or stake style, this anchor is hammered, at an angle if possible, directly into the earth. The curved (top) portion of this anchor fits over the goal member to secure it to the ground. Typically, two to four stakes of this type are recommended (per goal), depending on stake structure, manufacturers specifications, weight of goal, and soil conditions. Stakes with larger diameters or textured surfaces have greater holding capacity.

Anchoring/Securing/Counterweighing Guidelines

2008-04-14T05:00:00.001-07:00

A properly anchored/counterweighted movable soccer goal is much less likely to tip over. Remember to secure the goal to the ground (preferably at the rear of the goal), making sure the anchors are flush with the ground and clearly visible. It is IMPERATIVE that ALL movable soccer goals are always anchored properly (see Figure 2). There are several different ways to secure your soccer goal. The number and type of anchors to be used will depend on a number of factors, such as soil type, soil moisture content, and total goal weight.

Soccer Goal Injuries and Deaths

2008-04-07T06:41:00.000-07:00

According to the 1994 National Soccer Participation Survey (Soccer Industry Council of America), over 16 million persons in the United States play soccer at least once a year. Seventy-four percent (over 12 million) of these persons are under the age of 18. Soccer ranks fourth in participation for those under 18, following basketball, volleyball, and softball and well ahead of baseball, which has an annual participation of 9.7 million.
There are approximately 225,000 to 500,000 soccer goals in the United States. Many of these soccer goals are unsafe because they are unstable and are either unanchored or not properly anchored or counter-balanced. These movable soccer goals pose an unnecessary risk of tip over to children who climb on goals (or nets) or hang from the crossbar.
The CPSC knows of four deaths in 1990 alone and at least 21 deaths during the past 16 years (1979-1994) associated with movable soccer goals. In addition, an estimated 120 injuries involving falling goals were treated each year in U.S. hospital emergency rooms during the period 1989 through 1993. Many of the serious incidents occurred when the soccer goals tipped over onto the victim. Almost all of the goals involved in these tip over appeared to be home-made by high school shop classes, custodial members, or local welders, not professionally manufactured. These home-made goals are often very heavy and unstable.
The majority of movable soccer goals are constructed of metal, typically weighing 150-500 pounds. The serious injuries and deaths are a result of blunt force trauma to the head, neck, chest, and limbs of the victims. In most cases this occurred when the goal tipped or was accidentally tipped onto the victim. In one case an 8-year-old child was fatally injured when the movable soccer goal he was climbing tipped over and struck him on the head. In another case, a 20-year-old male died from a massive head trauma when he pulled a goal down on himself while attempting to do chin-ups. In a third case, while attempting to tighten a net to its goal post, the victim’s father lifted the back base of the goal causing it to tip over striking his 3-year-old child on the head, causing a fatal injury.
High winds can also cause movable soccer goals to fall over. For example, a 9-year-old was fatally injured when a goal was tipped over by a gust of wind. In another incident, a 19-year-old goalie suffered stress fractures to both legs when the soccer goal was blown on top of her.

B.C.-Canada Place officially closes doors

2008-03-30T19:44:00.001-07:00

Monday, March 20, 2006 marks the official close of British Columbia-Canada Place, one of the most successful attractions of the 2006 Torino Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Over the course of the 2006 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, British Columbia-Canada Place drew more than 100,000 visitors and journalists. These visitors were able to experience first hand the province’s culture, heritage, natural beauty and bustling cities. Also, more than 80 British Columbia businesses were able to connect with an international audience and showcase some of B.C.’s best products and services.

B.C.-Canada Place will be a legacy to the people of Torino. The official transfer took place in a ceremony yesterday, with Torino Mayor Sergio Chiamparino accepting a ceremonial key to the building.

“This generous gift from British Columbia will be a constant reminder of our friends in Canada and the celebrations that took place in our city during the 2006 Winter Games,” says Mayor Chiamparino. “We are honored to have this permanent B.C. presence in our city.”

Kent Kickin' Mini-Scooters

2008-03-24T05:59:00.000-07:00

Kent is recalling about 90,000 scooters. The scooter handles can unexpectedly come out of the steering column if the clamp holding them in is not tight, causing the rider to lose control, fall and possibly suffer injuries.
Kent has received four reports of the handles coming out, resulting in four children suffering injuries, including broken arms, a broken wrist, bruises, abrasions and a cracked tooth.
These are Kickin' Mini-Scooters made of chrome-plated steel. A vertical decal on the steering column reads "KICKIN' MINI SCOOTER." The scooter's black plastic platform measures about 15 inches long, and it has 4-inch translucent in-line style wheels. "KENT" and "MADE IN CHINA" are written on the lower part of the steering column. The scooters were sold with black backpacks embroidered in white with the word "Kickin."
Toys R us stores nationwide sold the Kent scooters from May 2000 through September 2000 for about $60.
Consumers should stop riding these Kent scooters immediately, and call Kent International to receive a free replacement handlebar with pins to secure the handlebars. For more information, call Kent International at (800) 451-KENT (5368) between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.
Kent has sold other models to Toys R Us such as the Street Craze, the Street Racer and Scoot that are NOT part of this recall. Scooters that Kent sold to Wal Mart, Meijer's, Target and AAFES are also NOT part of this recall.

Trampoline Safety Alert

2008-03-17T06:51:00.000-07:00

The U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) wants you and your family to be safe when using trampolines. The CPSC estimates that in 2001 there were 91,870 hospital emergency room-treated injuries associated with trampolines. About 93 percent of the victims were under 15 years of age, and 11 percent were under 5 years of age. Since 1990, CPSC has received reports of 6 deaths of children under age 15 involving trampolines. Injuries and deaths were caused by:

* Colliding with another person on the trampoline.
* Landing improperly while jumping or doing stunts on the trampoline.
* Falling or jumping off the trampoline.
* Falling on the trampoline springs or frame.
Most of the trampolines associated with injuries were at private homes.
Here are the steps you can take to help prevent serious trampoline injuries, especially paralysis, fractures, sprains, and bruises:

* Allow only one person on the trampoline at a time.
* Do not attempt or allow somersaults because landing on the head or neck can cause paralysis.
* Do not use the trampoline without shock-absorbing pads that completely cover its springs, hooks, and frame.
* Place the trampoline away from structures, trees, and other play areas.
* No child under 6 years of age should use a full-size trampoline. Do not use a ladder with the trampoline because it provides unsupervised access by small children.
* Always supervise children who use a trampoline.
* Trampoline enclosures can help prevent injuries from falls off trampolines.

Accumulator

2008-03-10T04:15:00.001-07:00

In a computer CPU, an accumulator is a register in which intermediary arithmetic and logic results are stored. Without a register like an accumulator, it would be necessary to write the result of each calculation (addition, multiplication, shift, etc.) to main memory, possibly only to be read right back again for use in the next operation. Access to main memory is slower than access to a register like the accumulator because the technology used for the huge main memory is slower (but cheaper) than that used for a register.

The canonical example for accumulator use is adding a list of numbers. The accumulator is initially set to zero, then each number in spin is added to the value in the accumulator. Only when all numbers have been added is the result seized in the accumulator written to main memory or to another, non-accumulator, CPU register.

Silicon dioxide

2008-02-25T02:20:00.000-08:00

The chemical compound silicon dioxide, also known as silica or silox (from the Latin "silex"), is the oxide of silicon, chemical formula SiO2, and has been known for its hardness since the 9th century. Silica is most commonly found in nature as sand or quartz, as well as in the cell walls of diatoms. It is a principal component of most types of glass and substances such as concrete.

Viable Systems Model

2008-02-17T22:29:00.000-08:00

The Viable Systems Model is a abstract model of the organisational structure of any viable or autonomous system. A viable system is any system organised in such a way as to meet the demands of surviving in the changing environment. One of the prime features of systems that survive is that they are adaptable. The VSM expresses a model for a viable system, which is an abstracted cybernetic description that is applicable to any organisation that is a viable system and capable of autonomy.

A general view on Personal computer

2007-11-14T22:26:00.000-08:00

A personal computer or PC is commonly a microcomputer designed to be used by one person at a time, and appropriate for general purpose tasks like word processing, programming, sending messages or digital documents (comprising of images, text, audio or video) to added computers on the network (email), multimedia editing or game play, generally used to run software not written by the user. Unlike minicomputers, a personal computer is often owned by the human being using it, representing a low cost of purchase and ease of operation. The user of a modern personal computer may have considerable knowledge of the operating environment and application programs, but is not unavoidably interested in programming or even able to write programs for the computer.

In current usage PC nearly for all time refers to an IBM compatible and the word may even be used for machines that are in no way personal computers but still use the fundamental architecture of the IBM pc.

During the 1990s, the power of personal computers improved radically, blurring the previously sharp distinction between personal computers and multi-user computers like mainframes. At present higher-end computers time and again distinguish themselves from personal computers by greater dependability or greater ability to multitask, rather than by straight CPU power.

Fuse box

2007-11-04T22:16:00.001-08:00

A distribution board (known in the United States as a (circuit) breaker panel, panelboard, or load center or for old ones, fuse box) is a growing enclosure for several electrical circuit breakers. These are usually placed in two columns. Small single-phase boxes, with the waves in just one row, are known as consumer units in Britain. Distribution boards are characteristically found in central locations inside buildings and often serve as the point at which electricity is distributed within a building. Circuit breakers can be used to physically de-energize electrical circuits when the downstream wiring is being serviced.

Circuit breaker panels are constantly dead front, that is, the operator of the circuit breakers cannot contact live electrical parts. During servicing of the sharing board itself, though, when the cover has been detached and the cables are visible, North American breaker panels commonly have some live parts exposed. British distribution boards usually have the live parts enclosed to IP20, even when the cover has been removed for servicing.

The real facts about Saturn

2007-10-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second biggest. Saturn has been identified from the time when prehistoric times. Galileo was the first to analysis it with a telescope in 1610; he noted its odd look but was confused by it. Early observations of Saturn were complex by the fact that the Earth passes through the plane of Saturn's rings all few years as Saturn moves in its orbit. A low resolution image of Saturn therefore changes considerably. It was not in anticipation of 1659 that Christian Huygens properly inferred the geometry of the rings. Saturn's rings remained exclusive in the known solar system until 1977 when extremely faint rings were discovered around Uranus.

Saturn is clearly flattened (oblate) when viewed through a small telescope; its equatorial and polar diameters differ by almost 10% (120,536 km vs. 108,728 km). This is the end result of its rapid rotary motion and fluid state. The other gas planets are also oblate, but not so a lot so. Saturn's rings are very thin: though they're 250,000 km or more in thickness they're less than one kilometer thick. In spite of their impressive appearance, there's actually very little material in the rings -- if the rings were compressed into a single body it would be no more than 100 km across.

Saturn's outermost ring, the F-ring, is a difficult structure made up of number of smaller rings along which "knots" are visible. Scientists guess that the knots may be clumps of ring material, or mini moons. The odd braided appearance visible in the Voyager 1 images (right) is not visible in the Voyager 2 images perhaps for the reason that Voyager 2 imaged regions where the part rings are generally parallel. They are well-known in the Cassini images which as well show some as yet unexplained wispy spiral structures. The source of the rings of Saturn (and the other Jovian planets) is unidentified. Though they may have had rings since their formation, the ring systems are not firm and must be regenerated by continuing processes, perhaps the breakup of bigger satellites. The present set of rings may be only a few hundred million years old.

Asia

2007-10-16T20:41:00.001-07:00

Asia is the world's biggest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area (or 29.4% of its land area) and, with almost 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's present human population.

Chiefly in the eastern and northern hemispheres, Asia is conventionally defined as part of the landmass of Africa-Eurasia – with the western portion of the latter occupied by Europe – lying east of the Suez Canal, east of the Ural Mountains, and south of the Caucasus Mountains and the Caspian and Black Seas. It is surrounded to the east by the Pacific Ocean, to the south by the Indian Ocean, and to the north by the Arctic Ocean.
Given its size and diversity, Asia – a toponym dating back to classical antiquity – is more a cultural concept incorporating a number of regions and peoples than a homogeneous, physical entity.

microcomputer

2007-10-08T22:52:00.001-07:00

A microcomputer is mainly often taken to mean a computer with a microprocessor (µP) as its CPU. Another general characteristic of these computers is that they take up physically small amounts of space.Desktop computers, video game consoles, laptop computers, tablet PCs, and a lot of handheld devices may all be considered examples of microcomputers.Most microcomputers serve only a single user at a time, but some, in the form of PCs and workstations running e.g. a UNIX(-like) operating system, may cater to a number of users concurrently. The µP does the majority of the job of calculating on and manipulating data that all computers do.

Fresh skin-care tips

2007-09-23T23:21:00.000-07:00

Select fresh, organically grown fruit and vegetables for the highest benefits. Avoid making more than you require for a single application.Clean and sanitize all countertops and mixing utensils ahead of making any of the recipes. Clean all fruit and vegetables before using as ingredients. Leave all ingredients out of the fridge for up to an hour before integration. Don't let fruit acquire any warmer than room temperature.

Fresh fruit and vegetables are especially high in acids. If you apply anything to your skin and encounter a burning sensation, take out immediately and apply cool water.If you are in the care of a dermatologist and on acne medications, please consult with your physician first.

Sarus Crane

2007-09-13T22:37:00.001-07:00

The Sarus Crane is a occupant breeding bird in northern India, Nepal, Southeast Asia and Queensland, Australia. It used to be found on occasion in pakistan, but has not been found sience the late 1980's. It is the world's tallest flying bird.

This is an extremely big crane, 156cm in length, which is found in freshwater marshes and plains. It nests on the ground laying two to three eggs in a large nest. Unlike many cranes that make long migrations the sarus crane does not, meaning it cans expent the energy to raise both chicks. Both the male and female take turns sitting on the nest, and the male is the main guardian.

Adults are grey with a nude red head and white crown and a long dark sharp bill. In flight, the long neck is kept in a straight line, unlike herons, and the black wing tips can be seen; their long red or pink legs trail at the back them.

Sexes are similar, but little birds are duller and browner. The Indian, Southeast Asian and Australian subspecies is different mainly in plumage shade. There are some slight size differences, but on average the male is larger then the female, and the birds are six feet tall with an eight foot wingspan.

These sociable birds forage while walking in shallow water or in fields, sometimes inquisitive with their long bills. They are omnivorous, eating insects, aquatic plants and animals, crustaceans, seeds and berries, small vertebrates, and invertebrates.

The Indian population is about 10,000 birds, and the Australian population of 5,000 birds may be rising, but the Southeast Asian subspecies has been decimated by war and home obliteration.

In Australia, the Sarus can with no trouble be incorrect for the Brolga. The Brolga has a more extensive distribution across the country, and its red coloring is limited to the head. However the brogla and sarus are genetically completely different and the natives of astrillia were aware that they were two different types of bird’s referring to the sarus as the brogla who’s curved in its head in blood.

Sarus Crane

2007-09-13T22:37:00.000-07:00

Lighthouse of Alexandria

2007-09-05T23:45:00.000-07:00

The Pharos of Alexandria was a big tower built in the 3rd century BC (between 285 and 247 BC) on the island of Pharos in Alexandria, Egypt to give out as that port's landmark, and later, its lighthouse.

With a height variously estimated at between 115 and 150 meters (383 - 450 ft) it was among the tallest man-made structures on Earth for many centuries, and was recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the World by Antipater of Sidon. It was the third tallest building after the two Great Pyramids (of Khufu and Khafra) for its whole life. Some scientists approximate a much taller height exceeding 180 metres that would make the tower the tallest building up to the 14th century.

Minicomputer

2007-08-21T23:31:00.001-07:00

Minicomputer is a largely outmoded term for a class of multi-user computers which create the middle range of the computing spectrum, in between the largest multi-user systems (traditionally, mainframe computers) and the smallest single-user systems (microcomputers or personal computers). More modern terms for such machines consist of midrange systems (common in IBM parlance), workstations (common in Sun Microsystems and general UNIX/Linux parlance), and servers.

Vegetable

2007-08-13T20:29:00.000-07:00

Vegetable is a culinary term which usually refers to an edible part of a plant. The definition is traditional rather than scientific and is somewhat capricious and subjective. All parts of herbaceous plants eaten as food by humans, entire or in part, are normally considered vegetables. Mushrooms, though belonging to the biological realm fungi, are also commonly considered vegetables. In general, vegetables are thought of as being savory, and not sweet, even though there are many exceptions. Nuts, grains, herbs, spices and culinary fruits (see below) are usually not considered vegetables.

Sandstones

2007-07-30T00:56:00.000-07:00

Sandstone is an arenaceous sedimentary rock composed mostly of feldspar and quartz and varies in colour (in a similar way to sand), through grey, yellow, red, and white. Since sandstones often form extremely visible cliffs and other rock formations, certain colors of sandstone may be strongly identified with certain regions. For instance, much of the North American West is familiar for its red sandstones.

Tumor

2007-07-22T23:21:00.001-07:00

Tumor or tumour is an irregular growth or mass of tissue. A tumor can be either malignant or benign. Almost all tumors are examples of neoplasia, although certain developmental malformations or inflammatory masses may occasionally be referred to as tumors.

Neoplastic tumors are caused by mutations in DNA of cells, which interfere with a cell's capability to regulate and limit cell division. An accumulation of mutations is needed for a tumor to emerge. Mutations that activate oncogenes or repress tumor suppressor genes can eventually lead to tumors. Cells have mechanisms that repair DNA and other mechanisms that cause the cell to destroy itself by apoptosis if DNA damage gets too severe. Mutations that repress the genes for these mechanisms can also ultimately guide to cancer. A mutation in one oncogene or one tumor repressor gene is usually not enough for a tumor to occur. A combination of a number of mutations is essential.

China wall

2007-07-15T22:16:00.001-07:00

The Great Wall is the world's longest human-made arrangement, stretching over about 6,400 km (4,000 miles) from Shanhai Pass in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia. It is also the biggest human-made structure ever built in terms of surface area and mass. A number of walls, referred to as the Great Wall of China, were built since the 5th century BC, the most famous being the one built between 220 BC and 200 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. That wall was much farther north than the current wall, built through the Ming Dynasty, and little of it remains.

Web portal

2007-07-09T21:43:00.000-07:00

A Web portal is a site that functions as a point of admittance to information on the World Wide Web. Portals present information from diverse sources in a united way. Popular portals are MSN, Yahoo, and AOL. Aside from the search engine standard, web portals offer other services such as news, stock prices, infotainment and various other features. Portals provide a way for enterprises to provide a steady look and feel with access control and procedures for multiple applications, which otherwise would have been different entities altogether.

MS-DOS

2007-07-05T22:33:00.001-07:00

MS-DOS (MicroSoft Disk Operating System) is an operating system commercialized by Microsoft. It was the commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems and was the dominant operating system for the PC compatible platform during the 1980s. It has gradually been replaced on consumer desktop computers by a variety of generations of the Windows operating system.

MS-DOS was initially released in 1981 and had eight major versions released before Microsoft stopped development in 2000. It was the key product in Microsoft's growth from a programming languages company to varied software development firm, providing the company with essential revenue and marketing resources.

Whale

2007-07-01T22:10:00.000-07:00

The term whale is ambiguous: it can refer to all cetaceans, to just the larger ones, or only to members of particular families within the order Cetacea. The last definition is the one followed here. Whales are those cetaceans which are neither dolphins nor porpoises. This can lead to some confusion because Orcas ("Killer Whales") and Pilot whales have "whale" in their name, but they are dolphins for the purpose of classification.

Applied Micro Circuits Corporation

2007-06-27T21:51:00.001-07:00

Applied Micro Circuits Corporation is a fables semiconductor company scheming network and embedded Power Architecture, optical transport and storage solutions. They bought assets, IP and engineers concerning the PowerPC 400 microprocessors from IBM in 2004 for $227 million and they now market the processors under their own name. The deal also included access to IBM's SoC design methodology and advanced CMOS process technology.

3ware is a producer of RAID controllers and storage products. Founded as an self-governing company in 1997, it was acquired by AMCC in April 2004.This division has usually been focused on SATA and PATA RAID devices. They were one of the pioneers in implementing "multi-lane" cabling for RAID systems which greatly reduced cable difficulty in systems with many hard drives.

Lopping

2007-06-24T22:09:00.001-07:00

Lopping, also known as tree lopping and topping, is the practice of cutting trunks and branches of a tree in an effort to contain the tree's size or shape. Lopping is differentiated from other styles of pruning by where the cuts are made. When a tree is lopped, the cuts are made internodally, or not at branch unions and collars at the correct angles, leaving a piece of protruding timber that is called a stub.

Lopping in many cases is careful an inappropriate pruning method for amenity trees. The lopped stubs may regrow adventitious epicormic shoots which are bonded only to the bark. These epicormic shoots can grow dynamically and, unless regularly pruned off, may outgrow the original height and spread of the tree. Further, the ends of the lopped stubs are exposed to pathogens which may enter and infect the tree.

In orchards, fruit trees are often lopped to encourage regrowth and to keep a smaller tree for ease of picking fruit. The pruning regime in orchards is more intended and the productivity of each tree is an important factor. In an orchard, though, the natural longevity of a tree is often compromised in favor of its output in fruiting. Orchard trees are also carefully monitored and treated with fungicides and insecticides to minimise losses.

Krill fishery

2007-06-19T22:11:00.000-07:00

Krill fishery is the commercial fishery of krill, small shrimp-like marine animals that live in the oceans world-wide. Estimates for how much krill there is vary wildly, depending on the methodology used. They range from 125–725 million tonnes of biomass globally. The total global harvest of krill from all fisheries amounts to 150 – 200,000 tonnes annually, mainly Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and North Pacific krill (E. pacifica).

Krill are rich in protein (40% or more of dry weight) and lipids (about 20% in E. superba). Their exoskeleton amounts to some 2% of dry weight of chitin. They also contain traces of a wide array of hydrolytic enzymes such as proteases, carbohydrases, nucleases and phospholipases, which are intense in the digestive gland in the cephalothorax of the krill.

Most krill is used as aquaculture feed and fish bait; other uses comprise livestock or pet foods. Only a small percentage is prepared for human consumption. Their enzymes are interesting for medical applications, an expanding sector since the early 1990s.

Swan

2007-06-11T22:42:00.001-07:00

Swans are large water birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the intimately related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae.

Swans typically mate for life, though "divorce" does sometimes occur, mainly following nesting failure. The number of eggs in each clutch is between 3–8.
The word is derived from Old English swan, akin to German Schwan, in turn derived from Indo-European root *swen (to sound, to sing), whence Latin derives sonus (sound). Young swans are known as cygnets, from the Latin word for swan, cygnus. An adult male is a cob, from Middle English cobbe; an adult female is a pen .

Grafting

2007-06-07T22:42:00.001-07:00

Grafting is a method of plant propagation extensively used in horticulture, where the tissues of one plant are encouraged to fuse with those of another. It is most usually used for the propagation of trees and shrubs grown commercially.
In most cases, one plant is chosen for its roots, and this is called the stock or rootstock. The other plant is chosen for its stems, leaves, flowers, or fruits and is called the scion.
In stem grafting, a common grafting method, a shoot of a chosen, desired plant cultivar is grafted onto the stock of another type. In another common form called budding, a dormant side bud is grafted on the stem of another stock plant, and when it has fused successfully, it is encouraged to grow by cutting out the stem above the new bud.
For successful grafting to take place, the vascular cambium tissues of the stock and scion plants must be located in contact with each other. Both tissues must be kept alive till the graft has taken, typically a period of a few weeks. Successful grafting only requires that a vascular connection takes place between the two tissues. A physical weak point often still occurs at the graft, because the structural tissue of the two distinct plants, such as wood may not fuse.

Fire

2007-06-01T23:31:00.001-07:00

Fire is a rapid oxidation procedure that creates light, heat, smoke, and releases energy in varying intensities. It is commonly used to explain either a fuel in a state of combustion or a violent, destructive and uncontrolled burning (e.g., in buildings or a wildfire). The discovery of how to make fire is considered one of humankind's most important advances, allowing higher hominids to ward off wild animals, cook food, and control their own source of light and warmth.

Abstract art

2007-05-28T23:16:00.001-07:00

Abstract art is now usually understood to mean art that does not depict objects in the natural world, but instead uses colour and form in a non-representational way.In the very early 20th century, the term was more often used to describe art, such as Cubist and Futurist art, that depicts real forms in a simplified or rather reduced way—keeping only an allusion of the original natural subject. Such paintings were often claimed to capture amazing of the depicted objects' immutable intrinsic qualities rather than its external appearance. The more precise terms, "non-figurative art," "non-objective art," and "non-representational art" avoid any possible ambiguity.

Cooking

2007-05-24T22:29:00.001-07:00

The term "cooking" encompasses a vast range of methods, tools and combinations of ingredients to improve the flavour or digestibility of food. It usually requires the selection, measurement and combining of ingredients in an ordered procedure in an effort to achieve the desired result. Constraints on success comprise the variability of ingredients, ambient conditions, tools, and the skill of the individual cooking.

The diversity of cooking worldwide is a reflection of the myriad nutritional, aesthetic, agricultural, economic, cultural and religious considerations that impact upon it.
Cooking require applying heat to a food which usually, though not always, chemically transforms it, thus changing its flavor, texture, appearance, and nutritional properties.Cooking proper, as different to roasting, requires the boiling of water in a container, and was practiced at least since the 10th millennium BC with the introduction of pottery. There is archaeological evidence of roasted foodstuffs at Homo erectus campsites dating from 420,000 years ago.

History of Mainframe computer

2007-05-20T21:51:00.001-07:00

More than a few manufacturers formed mainframe computers from the late 1950s through the 1970s. In those "glory days" it was "IBM and the Seven Dwarfs": Burroughs, Control Data Corporation, General Electric, Honeywell, NCR, RCA, and UNIVAC. IBM's dominance grew out of their development of the 360 series mainframes; this basic architecture has sustained to develop into their current zSeries/z9 mainframes which are debatably the only mainframe architecture still extant that dates from this early period. That said; while they can still run 24-bit System/360 code, the 64-bit series and System z9 CMOS servers have almost nothing physically in common with the older systems. The larger of the latter IBM competitors were also often referred to as "The BUNCH" from their initials.

Postage Stamp

2007-05-15T22:13:00.001-07:00

A postage stamp is proof of pre-paying a fee for postal services. Usually a small paper rectangle which is attached to an envelope, signifying that the person sending the letter or package has paid for delivery; it is the most popular option to using a prepaid-postage envelope.

History
In it he argued that it would be well again for the sender to pay the cost of delivery, rather than the addressee who could refuse the letter if they could not or did not want to pay, as occasionally happened at the time. He also argued for a identical rate of one penny per letter, no matter where its end. Accounting costs for the government would thus be cut; postage would no longer be charged according to how far a letter had traveled, which necessary each letter to have an individual entry in the Royal Mail's accounts. Chalmers' ideas were finally adopted by Parliament in August, 1839 and the General Post Office launched the Penny Post service the next year in 1840 with two prepaid-postage symbolic envelopes or wrappers: one valued at a penny and one valued at two pence.

Police dog

2007-05-11T23:06:00.001-07:00

A police dog is a dog that is taught specially to assist police and similar law-enforcement personnel with their work. They are also known in the United States as police K9s
The term is occasionally used in the common parlance of several countries to refer to any German Shepherd Dog because of the long history of the use of the German Shepherd by the police and military; in some nations German Shepherds are the only dogs used by those forces. In the post-industrial era German Shepherds have often been depicted as police dogs in television, movies and police dog memorials. This breed is often still used, as are a few other breeds.

Ginger

2007-05-07T23:23:00.001-07:00

Ginger is usually used as a spice in cuisines throughout the world. Though commonly referred to as a root, it is really the rhizome of the monocotyledonous perennial plant Zingiber officinale.
Originating in southern China, cultivation of ginger spread to India, Southeast Asia, West Africa, and the Caribbean.Ginger contains up to 3% of an essential oil that causes the fragrance of the spice. The main constituents are sesquiterpenoids with (-)-zingiberene as the main component. Lesser amounts of other sesquiterpenoids and a small monoterpenoid fraction have also been identified.
The pungent taste of ginger is due to nonvolatile phenylpropanoids (particularly gingerol and zingerone) and diarylheptanoids (gingeroles and shoagoles); the latter are more pungent and form from the former when ginger is dried. With a specific procedure is used for cooking, where ginger root acquires a soda form and transforms gingerol into zingerone, which is less pungent and has a spicy-sweet aroma.

Freeway

2007-05-02T22:12:00.000-07:00

A freeway is a multi-lane highway designed for high-speed travel by large numbers of vehicles, and having no traffic lights, stop signs, nor other regulations requiring vehicles to stop for cross-traffic.

In general Design features
Freeways have high speed limits and multiple lanes for travel in each direction. The number of lanes may vary from four or six in rural areas to as high as sixteen or eighteen in certain global cities.
A median or central reservation separates the lanes traveling in opposite directions. Partition may be achieved through distance or through the use of high crash barriers like cable barriers and Jersey barriers.
Crossroads are bypassed by grade division using underpasses and overpasses. In addition to the sidewalks attached to roads that go over or under a freeway, nearly all countries also supply specialized pedestrian bridges and underground tunnels. Such structures enable pedestrians and cyclists to cross the freeway without having to make a long detour to the nearest road for which a grade separation has been provided.
Freeway entrances and exits are limited in number, and are designed with special onramps and off ramps, so as to ensure that vehicles do not disrupt the main flow of traffic as they enter or leave the freeway. In some countries, the exits are numbered. Exit numbering may be by mile or kilometer, or in a simple chronological fashion.

Arrestors

2007-04-29T21:30:00.000-07:00

A lightning arrestor is a mechanism that shunts or diverts the huge voltage and electrical current of a lightning hit to an earthed ground. Electrical equipment can be protected from lightning by an arrester, a device that contains one or more gas-filled spark gaps between the equipment's cables and earth. An arrester is designed to handle much higher jolts of electricity than a surge protector, which cannot handle a direct strike at all.
When lightning exceeds the arrestor's breakdown voltage, the currents arcs to the ground and prevents arcing around inside sensitive electronic equipment joined further down line. The glimmer gap may be filled with a noble gas, or with air. Other types may work by overcrowding normal irregular current, but allowing the direct current from a lightning discharge.
Lightning arrestors are normally installed on electric power broadcast lines, and on radio tower feed lines between the radio antenna and spreader. Smaller ones can also be installed on the mains electricity service coming into a building, just before the circuit breaker panel. Telephone wires also have fusible links sometimes where they enter a building, joined by carbon which will vaporize with very high current.

Blue Hen Chicken

2007-04-23T22:21:00.001-07:00

A chicken is a type of domesticated bird which is often raised as a type of poultry. It is believed to be descended from the wild Asian Red Junglefowl.Chickens are the most common bird in the world. The population in 2003 was 24 billion, according to the Firefly Encyclopedia of Birds.
General biology and habitat
Male chickens are known as roosters (in the U.S., Canada and Australia), cockerels, or cocks. Female chickens are known as hens. Roosters can be differentiated from hens by their striking plumage, marked by long flowing tails and bright pointed feathers on their necks. Both the male and female have characteristic wattles and combs. These organs help to cool the bird by redirecting bloodflow to the skin. In males, the combs are often more prominent, though this is not the case in all varieties.
Chickens are omnivores and will feed on small seeds, herbs and leaves, grubs, insects and even small mammals like mice, if they can get them. Domestic chickens are characteristically fed commercially prepared feed that includes a protein source as well as grains. Chickens often scratch at the soil to get at adult insects and larva or seed. Incidents of cannibalism can occur when a curious bird pecks at a pre-existing wound or from over-crowding. This is exacerbated in close quarters. In commercial production this is controlled with chick "de-beaking" (removal of 2/3 of the top half and 1/3 of the lower half of the beak) and red, or very subdued lighting to make blood indistinguishable from the rest of the bird.

Drag racing

2007-04-18T22:04:00.001-07:00

There are a range of sports involving racing motorcycles. FIM is the international sanctioning body for many such events.Drag racing is a form of auto racing in which cars or motorcycles effort to complete a fairly short, straight and level course in the shortest amount of time, starting from a dead stop. Drag racing originated in the United States and is still the most popular there. The most common distance is one quarter of a mile (1320 ft / 402 m), though one-eighth of a mile (201 m) tracks are also popular. The dragstrip extends well beyond the finish line to allow cars to slow down and return to the pit area.While typically thought of as an American and Canadian pastime, drag racing is also very popular in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the Caribbean, England, Mexico, Greece, Malta, South Africa and most European and Scandinavian countries. At any given time there are over 325 drag strips operating world-wide.

Transistor radio

2007-04-09T21:59:00.001-07:00

The transistor radio is a small radio receiver.
RCA demonstrated a prototype transistor radio in 1952. The first commercial transistor radio, the Regency TR-1, was announced on October 18, 1954 by the Regency Division of Industrial Development Engineering Associates of Indianapolis, Indiana and put on sale in November of 1954. It cost $49.95 (the equivalent of $361 in year-2005 dollars) and sold approximately 100,000 units.
The use of transistors in its place of vacuum tubes as the amplifier elements meant that the device was much smaller and necessary far less power to operate than a tubed radio. The characteristic portable radio of the fifties was about the size and weight of a small laptop computer, and contained several heavy batteries: one or more A batteries to heat the tube filaments and a large 45 to 90 volt B battery for plate voltage. By comparison, the "transistor" was about the size and weight of today's cassette-playing Walkman and operated off a single compact 9 V battery. The now-familiar 9 V battery was introduced particularly for powering transistor radios.

Stamp hinge

2007-04-05T22:49:00.001-07:00

Stamp hinges are small, folded, rectangular pieces of paper coated with a mild gum, used to hold postage stamps onto the pages of a stamp album. The short end is moistened and affixed to the stamp, the long end is similarly affixed to the page. The hinge keeps the stamp on the page while still allowing it to be lifted to examine the back
Not all makes of hinge have this property, and the backs of many stamps have "hinge remnants", where the hinge has torn away rather than letting go of the stamp. This is particularly common for mint stamps, where the stamp's own gum adheres tightly to the hinge. Some old stamps may in fact have multiple hinge remnants layered on top of each other. equally, careless removal of a hinge may take away a layer of the stamp's paper, resulting in a type of stamp thin known as a "hinge thin". The best stamp hinges are also intended to be "peelable", meaning that the stamp may be removed from the page, and the hinge from the stamp, without any damage to either.

Traffic psychology

2007-04-01T21:54:00.000-07:00

Traffic psychology is a young increasing field in psychology. Whereas traffic psychology is first and foremost related to "the study of the behaviour of road users and the psychological processes underlying that behaviour" as well as to the relation between behaviour and accidents, transportation psychology, sometimes referred to as mobility psychology, has its focus on mobility issues, individual and social factors in the movement of people and goods, and travel demand management (TDM).
There is no single theoretical framework in traffic psychology, but many specific models explaining, e.g., perceptual, attentional, cognitive, social, motivational and emotional determinants of mobility and traffic behaviour. One of the most famous behavioural models divides the various tasks concerned in traffic participation into three hierarchical levels, i.e. the strategic, the tactical and the operational level. The model demonstrates the diversity of decision and control tasks which have to be accomplished when driving a vehicle. However, until now, most of the psychological models have a rather heuristic nature, e.g. risk theories like the risk compensation hypothesis, Fuller's task capability model, and thus are not adequately precise to allow for concrete behavioural prediction and control. This is partly due to the importance of individual differences, a major topic of psychology which in traffic and transportation has not yet been adequately accounted for. On the other hand, social-psychological attitude-behaviour models, such as Ajzen's theory of planned behavior, have been helpful in identifying determinants of mobility decisions.

Contact lens

2007-03-27T22:06:00.001-07:00

A contact lens (also known as a "contact") is a corrective, cosmetic, or sometimes protective lens located on the cornea of the eye.
Contact lenses are obtainable in a number of varieties, including hard and soft. Hard contacts are classically not disposable, while soft contacts often are. Some soft contacts are also well-known as extended wear lenses. Contact lenses (both soft and hard) are made a variety of types of polymers, the latest containing some variant of silicone hydrogel. Previously, hard contact lenses were made of a polymer known as PMMA. They have since been replaced by rigid gas-permeable (RGP) contact lenses. Many contact lenses are made of hydrophilic (water-absorbing) materials, thereby allowing oxygen to reach the cornea, and make the lens more comfortable to wear.
Heavily tinted contacts are tinted to change the color of the iris, and are used for cosmetic reasons. Some standard contact lenses are somewhat tinted in order to make them more visible for handling purposes.

Battlecruisers

2007-03-22T21:54:00.000-07:00

Battlecruisers were big warships of the first half of the 20th century. They evolved from armored cruisers and in terms of ship classification they occupy a grey area between cruisers and battleships. Different nations built to commonly different designs. Some battlecruisers were lesser than heavy cruisers while others were larger than contemporaneous battleships. The chief similarity was the role specification. They were supposed to hunt down and outgun smaller warships, and outrun larger warships that they could not outgun. initially, to achieve this, they deviated from the standard practice of providing a ship with enough armour to protect against its own guns. The weight saving from the reduced armour permitted more powerful engines to be fitted. This idea was mostly conceived by British Admiral Jackie Fisher who believed "speed is the best protection". However, as technology developed design philosophy changed and led to the creation of more heavily armoured ships with less powerful guns. They were given different labels, but fundamentally performed the same task

Helicopter

2007-03-16T22:26:00.001-07:00

A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors (propellers). Helicopters are classified as rotary-wing aircraft to differentiate them from conventional fixed-wing aircraft. The word helicopter is resulting from the Greek words helix (spiral) and pteron (wing). The engine-driven helicopter was invented by the Slovak inventor Jan Bahyl. The first stable, fully-controllable helicopter located in production was invented by Igor Sikorsky.
Compared to conventional fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters are much more complex, more expensive to buy and operate, comparatively slow, have shorter range and restricted payload. The compensating advantage is maneuverability: helicopters can hover in place, reverse, and above all take off and land vertically. Subject only to refuelling facilities and load/altitude limitations, a helicopter can travel to any location, and land wherever with a clearing a rotor disk and a half in diameter

Baking powder

2007-03-12T21:38:00.000-07:00

Baking Powder is a dry chemical leavening agent used in baking and deodorizing. There are some formulations; all contain an alkali, characteristically sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), and an acid in the form of salt crystals, together by means of starch to keep it dry. When dissolved in water the acid and alkali react and emit carbon dioxide gas, which expands existing bubbles to leaven the mixture. Most current baking powders are double acting, that is, they have two acid salts, one which reacts at room temperature, producing a rise as soon as the dough or batter is ready, and another which reacts at a higher temperature, causing a additional rise during baking. Baking powders that have only the low-temperature acid salts are called single acting. Many recipes call for a process called creaming, where butter and sugar are beaten together to initiate tiny seed bubbles which the leavening gas will more expand.

Common low-temperature acid salts comprise cream of tartar, calcium phosphate, and citrate. High-temperature acid salts are regularly aluminium salts, such as calcium aluminum phosphate. They can be establish not only in many baking powders, but also in many non-dairy coffee creamers. Excess aluminium in the diet may be detrimental to human health, and so baking powders are available without it for people who are concerned and those sensitive to the taste.

While a variety of baking powders were sold in the first half of the 19th century, our modern variants were exposed by Alfred Bird. Eben Norton Horsford, a student of Justus von Liebig, who began his studies on baking powder in 1856, ultimately developed a variety he named in honor of Count Rumford. August Oetker, a German pharmacist, made baking powder very popular when he began selling his mixture to housewives. The same recipe he produced in 1891 is still sold as Backin in Germany. Oetker started the mass production of baking powder in 1898 and patented his technique in 1903.