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Question: I have trouble with leaking gas tanks. I bought a new Ford Thunderbird in 1978, and everything was fine for about two years until it started leaking. I would patch a section and then shortly after another area would start to leak. I finally said to myself: "No more Fords." In 1985, I bought a new Chevy pickup. It was fine for about two years, and then the same thing started to happen again. I took the tank cover off and painted it with a rust-inhibiting paint, but it didn't help. I suspect that my problem might be that methanol was mixed in with my gas, since I have read that you need a special gas tank to use with methanol. Could this be my problem? And is it possible to buy a test kit to see if I am being ripped off?--J.J.
Answer: It is possible that methanol, which is a type of alcohol, is being added to your gas without your knowledge.
Ordinary gas tanks have a special plating inside called terne, which is a lead tin plating that is used to retard corrosion of the steel tank. It is not uncommon for water to collect in gasoline, so the terne plating is supposed to prevent water from rusting out the tank.
Methanol is very corrosive and can eat through the terne. If methanol is properly blended and contains corrosion inhibitors, then it usually can be used safely. But once a pinhole develops in the terne, the methanol can eat through the carbon steel outer tank.
It is typical for persons using high concentrations of methanol regularly to refit their vehicles with stainless-steel tanks, which cannot be corroded by even badly blended methanol. One alternative fuel that needs a stainless-steel tank is called M-85, consisting of 85% methanol and 15% gasoline.
Ford, General Motors and Nissan recommend against using fuels that contain more than 5% methanol. Chrysler, Toyota, Mazda and Honda recommend against using fuel that contains any methanol.
Many states, including California, have laws requiring gasoline retailers to state whether their fuel contains alcohol. Generally, fuels do not contain alcohol because it is more expensive than gasoline, even with federal tax incentives. But alcohol does boost octane, and it is sometimes used for that purpose and as a gas line antifreeze. You shouldn't confuse methanol and ethanol, another type of alcohol that isn't as corrosive.
As for a test kit, they are not generally available. If a chemist were to look for alcohol, he would measure a given volume of gasoline in a graduated laboratory cylinder and then add a quantity of water. If alcohol is present, it will combine with the water and result in an apparent increase in the water volume and a reduction in the gasoline volume. For example, if you were to mix 100 cubic centimeters of fuel that contained 10% alcohol and 10 cubic centimeters of water, you would end up with only 90 cubic centimeters of fuel and 20 of water.
Q: I have a 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, purchased new and driven only 12,340 miles. Service station attendants have always added water to the reservoir, but the dealer told me to not let anybody add fluid. But if they don't add the water, the car seems to overheat. No leaks were found when the cooling system was pressure-tested. What could be the problem?--M.M.
A: If you have to add water periodically, you may have a leak somewhere in the system. A pressure test, in which a mechanic puts a gauge on the radiator and adds pressure to the system, should have verified that it is leaking.
Whenever a motorist has a difficult-to-diagnose cooling problem, it always pays to make the lowest-cost and most obvious repairs first. Try replacing your radiator cap. It has two valves on it, one that allows pressure to be released from the system and another to allow fluid to be drawn back into the radiator. A malfunctioning valve could cause the problem and would not show up in a pressure test.
Vartabedian cannot answer mail personally but will respond in this column to automotive questions of general interest. Do not telephone. Write to Your Wheels, You section, The Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053.

domain: chemistry


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What Are The Dental Services And How To Get Them Online!
Posted: Jan 09, 2016
Dental services are related to the maintenance of the teeth - very important part of the human body. The health of the teeth plays an important role in the healthy body. You can observe the different problem occurs in the teeth or the mouth due to which the teeth become unhealthy. To treat the teeth and to maintain the health of the teeth there are dentists who are always available to do this job satisfactorily. There are types of dental care services available through which you can take the appropriate dental services.
You can take the service of the dentist online! There are websites available through which you can select the appropriate dental services. If you are living in Boca Raton and seeking the dentist services for the family there, then you can search for the Family Dentist Boca Raton.
A dental crown or the porcelain crown is the tooth shaped cap, which is used in the place of the real teeth. If the any individual is not having a particular tooth, then the porcelain crown can be used. In this way the people can replace the teeth with the dental crown. You can also ask the dentist to fill the gap between the teeth with the porcelain crown.
You can make your smile bright & white with the help of the teeth whitening solutions. A teeth whitening is the process through which the color of the teeth is changed into white with the help of the technology.
You can also take the service of the tooth filling from the dentist. If your mouth is suffering from the cavity of the teeth then you can ask your dentist to fill your teeth. In other words you can say that the filling of the teeth is the process in which the teeth is filled with some of the medicinal powder to fill the gap of the teeth in between which is caused by the germs in the teeth.
Following are the ways through which you can get the dental services online:
There are many websites of the dental care are available online through which you can take the service of the dental care online.
There are details of services which are provided online through which you can maintain the health of your teeth. You can go through the services of the dental care available online like dentures and so on. If you are looking for the denture service in Boca then you can go through the Dentures Boca Raton website.
You can contact the dental care services available online through the website or through the mail. You may sue the contact us form of the dental care website through which you may contact the dental care services easily.
These are the ways through which you can take the services of the dental care online easily and quickly.
Family and cosmetic dentist with a conservative treatment philosophy. We deliver the most comfortable, affordable, quality dental experience in Boca Raton. Dentist In Boca Raton

domain: medical


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Beth Belew added it Sep 01, Deb marked it as to-read Mar 09, However, the poor story lines are consistent throughout like watching a bad pornographic film. Steven West marked it as to-read Aug 04, Want to Read Currently Reading Read. C marked it as to-read Mar 02, Hilly added it Nov 17,
I'm now venturing into historical erotic romance too, with a new novel for Harlequin Spice set in London in the year Open Preview See a Problem? The Conference Two sexy meeting planners take care of 'business'. Thanks for telling us about the problem.
The Bartender A bartender pours gasoline on her flames. My favorite obsessions are all things coffee, almost everything on HGTV, and dreaming up new stories. Mother-In-Law Seduction Sexy lady seduces her son-in-law. Marisella rated it really liked it Jul 25,
Susan Nare rated it it was amazing Oct 02, Thanks for telling us about the problem. BlackRoze Tamibates marked it as to-read Jun 15, Pamela rated it really liked it Nov 03, No trivia or quizzes yet. Open Preview See a Problem?

domain: literature


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According to a recently released report by the noted credit rating agency ICRA, the broader Q4 financial results reflect growing pressure on the performance front for the companies. The report based on the analysis of 642 companies in the Indian corporate sector underlines revenue growth in Q4 FY2018-19 slipping to six-quarter low at 10%.
Weal consumer sentiments and softening of commodity prices have been cited as the major reasons for somewhat sluggish revenue growth pattern. Shamsher Dewan, Vice President – Corporate Sector Ratings, ICRA commented, “The weakness in the consumer-linked sectors was visible across most consumer-oriented sectors such as passenger vehicles, two-wheelers, consumer durables and FMCG since H2 FY2019. The decline in consumer sentiments was visible in both urban and rural segments”.
The EBITDA margin of ICRA’s sample declined by 44 bps on a YoY basis and 23 bps on a QoQ basis to 16.6%. However, several sectors such as airlines, cement, consumer food and consumer durables reported a sequential improvement in margins because of price hikes initiated by companies in select sectors, lower cost of imports (benefits of improvement in INR vis-a-vis US$ in Q4 compared to Q3) and softening in commodity prices. “Although commodity prices were higher on a YoY basis for both FY2019 and Q4 FY2019, there was a softening in prices of key commodities such as oil, steel and aluminium on a sequential basis which supported an improvement in the EBITDA margins on a QoQ basis,” Dewan added.

domain: news


Franklin - Two 19-year-old men were arrested for burglary after an alert police officer pursued a vehicle speeding out of a Franklin subdivision Monday.
According to the Franklin police report:
The officer attempted to pull the vehicle over after he saw it speed out of a subdivision near 76th Street and Drexel Avenue about 3 a.m. Monday. The driver failed to stop for the officer and a pursuit ensued.
The chase ended when the driver pulled over in the 9500 block of West Loomis Road. After police discovered numerous stolen items in the car, the occupants, a 19-year-old Franklin man and a 19-year-old Milwaukee man, were arrested.
A police investigation determined the men stole the items from a home and four vehicles in the 7900 block of South 55th Street prior to the police chase. They apparently entered the home while the residents were sleeping.
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- Oak Creek police report: Oct. 16, 2014 issue
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- 2 arrested after having sex in car in grocery store parking lot
- Star Wars-themed events held through Saturday at Oak Creek Public Library
- Oak Creek Police Report: Oct. 9, 2014 issue
- Wrecked car cautions high schoolers against impaired, distracted driving
- Oak Creek Police Report: Oct. 2, 2014 issue
- Oak Creek teams with Packer Radio Network for merchandise giveaway
- Hotel calls police about woman being beaten, but it was a couple role-playing during sex
- Enter Halloween contest to win tickets to Legends & Lore


Today marks the end of the 11th Annual Madcat International Women’s Film Festival. This two week long festival strives to showcase the work of women who have taken a new approach to visual storytelling. It’s a unique endeavor, curating film programs tackling a variety of themes that extend beyond what might traditionally be considered womens’ issues.
In this vein, tonight’s program, shown outdoors at El Rio, will showcase 12 short silent films created around the theme “So Loud It’s Silent”. The evening won’t be silent, though, as Bay Bridged alumni Tartufi and Silian Rail have been brought on board to score and perform the soundtracks to a few of the short films! We’re very excited to hear how each band’s unique approach to songwriting will work alongside a new visual component.
If all of that greatness wasn’t enough to get you to check this out, Silian Rail and Tartufi will be performing together for one of the films as a new supergroup, Junk as a Ship! I know, we couldn’t believe it either when we found out.
More details and short synopses of each of the films can be found on Madcat’s web site. There will be free BBQ at 6:30pm for all in attendance and the films will start promptly at 8:30pm. Tickets are $7-20 (sliding scale/cash only) and the event is 21+.
And of course, take a listen to our feature shows on both of these bands!
Click to listen to our feature episode on Tartufi!
Click to listen to our feature episode on Silian Rail!


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Louise walks into the hotel foyer which is opulently-silent with its deep crimson carpet and brightly-polished brass lights; and the reception desk staffed by a man in a suit and a young woman; both as motionless as mannequins; the man holding a white phone to his left ear, the chord twirling downwards, the woman looking ceaselessly, mindlessly, at her computer screen; not like people at all, but modern artworks, made of plastic. Incredibly real but real people would not be so frozen, so still.
She walks up to the desk, goes behind it, searches the pigeon holes and collects a few keys. She touches the cloth of the man’s suit, feeling its warmth. She touches the woman’s skin, on the side of her face; it is warm, soft, the flesh of someone alive but without volition; these strange, sad, unmoving people of the frozen past.
She heads to the elevator and presses the button for floor nineteen. She rides the elevator in total silence and when it reaches the floor the doors ‘ding’ and open.
She steps out into the carpeted hallway. On the floor outside the room directly opposite are the remains of someone’s meal on a tray: empty coffee cups, an empty glass, plates, knife and fork, a metal teapot, a half-finished croissant. Nothing decayed or changed despite it having been there for months.
She finds a room to one of the keys. She opens the door. Inside the lights are off and a man stands naked at the window, looking down, illuminated by moonlight. His pale-fleshed nakedness, the thighs and buttocks, the line of his spine, are like a marble statue. She admires him briefly, then closes the door. She finds another one. It is empty and made-up.
She goes in and closes the door behind her. She goes to the bar fridge and takes out a small bottle of gin. She pours it into a glass, opens a bottle of tonic water and fills the glass; adds ice cubes, then, ice chinking against the glass, she kicks off her shoes and lies down on the bed, sipping her drink.
There are no sounds. No cars, no people, no birds. Nothing. Just her own breathing and the sound of ice on glass.
On a roof, a couple of young teenagers lie looking up at the night sky.
- How long since we saw the day? the boy, Peter, asks.
- Over a year, Alice replies.
- No sun, no clouds, just darkness and stars.
- Yeah. Stars.
- Why!? Why!? he asks exasperated.
- You keep asking that question.
- I know. But why us?
- And that one, she says in a slightly irritated tone.
He turns to look at her.
- Shut up. You don’t ask yourself?
- Of course. But there are never any answers, so why bother?
- Do you think we’ll find someone else? he asks.
- We found each other.
He looks at her wonderingly.
- But could we be the only ones?
- keep asking questions I don’t know the answers to, she says irritably.
- The world doesn’t just come to a stop without a reason, but how do you fathom the reason?
- Do you believe in God? she asks, spinning their conversation around with her question.
- No. I don’t think so, he answers doubtfully.
- But God could do a thing like this.
- Why would He do it though?
She thinks for a quiet moment but can come up with no answer.
- You think it’s us? she suggests, just us and not the rest of the world? Everything else is normal and people are rushing around everywhere but there’s something wrong with us and we can’t connect with that world?
- Now you’re asking a question we can’t answer.
In her hotel room, Louise finishes her drink, then heads down to the kitchens. Women and men stand frozen over pans, sinks, cupboards. A fork hovers in mid-air, fallen from a tray. She touches the fork with the tip of her finger and it falls with a hard, metallic ring to the floor.
She looks at the plates sitting ready for collection. She chooses one and takes it into the restaurant. She finds an empty table and eats the dish, still hot, looking at the people around her. She takes a bottle of wine from a nearby table and pours some into an empty glass. She drinks it. It is over a year-old, this opened wine, but it is fresh and good.
Afterwards, she goes into the bar and finds a bottle of whisky. She takes it to a booth and sits down. She lifts the bottle to her mouth and drinks.
Time can’t have stopped, otherwise how could she drink? This whisky, it flows, yet the clocks remain forever at 7.46; the people remain as motionless as dummies; cars, with their lights on, stand still on the dark roads. The world as it was at 7.46, thirteen months ago, preserved and mummified by some unimaginable force which only she escapes.
She drinks more whisky, wiping her mouth.
She remembers that first night, wandering around in a daze, looking at the motionless population. She had held someone’s hand, felt its warmth and softness, yet the man hadn’t moved and his eyes were like glass. There was another man she saw at a bus stop weeks later, so beautiful, so angelic; she had kissed his soft lips, her heart beating faster at the touching of their mouths, but he just stood there, his lips wet from her touch, like a waxwork-dummy, agonisingly lovely and serenely unattainable.
She remembers the tram, stopped in the middle of a crossroads, like a becalmed metal whale. She had walked beside it, her fingers tracing a cold line along its curved frame. She had looked up and a young boy was looking out; and their eyes met. She had started, thinking that he was looking at her. But she had shifted sideways, to the left, and his still-eyes had remained looking ahead. It was a moment of quiet heartbreak; one of many in those first few months alone.
And, she remembers the moth. After so much stillness and silence, the sound of it flittering under a lamp had astonished her. She had stood looking at it, grey and tormented, crashing into the bright heat of the lamp, until it fell, helpless and burned. It lay in the gutter, dazed, flapping. She had put it in her hands and felt its tiny wings, as thin as paper, tickle her palm. Her whole body had felt the thrill of that movement. Tender, gentle life.
For days she wandered aimlessly, calling out, hoping for an answer, but the city was asleep and only she was awake.
She takes the bottle outside the bar. She heads up to the swimming pool on the roof. The night is deathly silent. If she shouted, her voice would echo over the city and possess it. The swimming pool is illuminated from within. She kicks off her shoes and steps into the shallow end, wades out, fully-clothed, until the water laps around her waist. She drinks from the whisky bottle. She turns slowly, the water slapping gently. She causes ripples. Ripples which sing like bells.
Alice and Peter walk through the streets, hand-in-hand. He drinks from a bottle of lemonade, she eats an apple.
They know there are lapses in this madness. A wind sometimes blows, lifting leaves and dust; a fountain in a plaza miraculously flows and astounds them; a mouse skitters across the road in front of them, like a dusty ghost. Once there was bird; a single, fawn sparrow hopping about among the motionless pigeons and sparrows on the pavement beside it. They had raided a shop and broken up a loaf of bread for it and had watched her eat all afternoon.
These brief and strangely-wonderful moments give them momentary hope. Somewhere there must be someone else like them. They can’t be the last people on Earth still living and moving, can they?
Once, in a hotel, they had heard a splash. They had run to the swimming pool and it was lit with blue light. The pillars were mosaic tiles of aqua and azure blue. The water rippled. They dared to hope that there was someone swimming under the surface but it was empty; water reflecting and breaking up light as it swayed.
At the edge of the pool, was a woman in a red swimsuit, mouth open, in the middle of removing a white robe. Peter went up to her and put a hand on one of her shoulders, which was warm and soft. The woman stared across the pool, not moving.
They both stood, looking down at the rippling water, wondering what had caused the loud splash, watching its wake as the still pool swelled gently, mysteriously. They had held each other for comfort.
They find a shop that sells cakes. They look at all of the multi-coloured confectionary, laid out like soft jewels. He chooses a cake with lemon-coloured icing and glace cherries, she a tart with glazed strawberries on custard and a bottle of sparkling water. They eat as they walk, savouring the indulgent sweetness. When they finish, they hold hands again, their fingers sticky.
- Do you think it’s the Americans? she asks.
- Why would it be the Americans?
- Well, I read somewhere they were experimenting with a Quantum Bomb.
- What’s a Quantum Bomb?
- I don’t know. Something to do with disrupting time. Stopping time in a selected area so the troops can go in.
- That’s just comic book stuff, he says derisively.
- No. It was real.
- If they were doing that kind of thing, they’d hardly let it into the papers would they?
- It was in a magazine.
- Same difference. It’s just someone’s imagination.
She looks around her.
-This isn’t imagination is it? she says vehemently.
She is angry with him, but she holds his hand even tighter because she is sometimes afraid of losing him. They walk past a woman sitting on the front step of a shop, a bottle of beer poised against her mouth, glass touching dark red skin, the liquid poised like an amber globule inside a spirit level.
- Maybe it’s the Americans, he concedes, but I don’t know. Probably a force of nature.
- What kind of force? she asks curiously.
- How do I know?
Ahead of them, a building is on fire, the flames frozen, like sheet-metal, bright and reflective. A woman is petrified in mid-run, her clothes on fire. They rush up to her. They douse the flames with their drinks. They hiss and disappear. The flames have melted away but the woman remains transfixed to the spot, her clothes burned, flesh exposed and red raw.
- Let’s go back to the roof, he suggests.
- I like being near the sky.
Louise wakes. She has no idea what time it is. She laughs in the darkness. Of course: it is 7.46. She turns on the light. She undresses and showers. How can water flow when everything is still? It is something to do with her touch? Perhaps. She touches things and they come alive? But then, why don’t people come alive when she touches them? Nothing makes sense.
She stands under the water, soaping herself, then washes off the soap.
She dries herself then dresses. She goes downstairs to the café and makes herself a black coffee. She makes toast. See, the miracle of time in a timeless world where everything is frozen but here, in this café, when she touches the toaster, the toaster heats and turns bread into toast, hot to the touch and smelling of burned wheat.
She butters it, spreads on marmalade. The coffee is good.
Beside her, at an adjacent table, sits a man reading a book. He has an espresso cup lifted to his lips and a glass of port on the table beside him.
It is morning to her but, in reality, 7.46 at night; the day forever poised in that plum-coloured moment between late afternoon and night.
There were days, at the beginning, when she had left money for the things she had taken on the counter, but now she takes coins from the tills, using them in vending machines and coin-operated doors. Why bother worrying about stealing from those who can not use the metalled artefacts of a lost world? She could steal all the money she could carry and it would be mostly useless now.
She goes to the fridge and takes out a grapefruit. A young woman in a mauve dress stands beside the counter. She cuts the grapefruit into quarters and then halves the quarters. She stands by the counter, biting into the sharp-sweet flesh, sucking, chewing, until she is left with eight yellow and white rinds which she drops carelessly at the young woman’s feet.
She goes out into the silent, still street. She has long-since given up trying to find a word to adequately describe this silence; this terrible, night-loneliness; this empty space of madness.
She walks among the motionless world. She weaves in between cars and buses. Pedestrians are obstacles for her to meander through.
If only the world turned. If only the night changed into day. If only she could see the remembered-sun.
She sees her own reflection in the window of a shop. It moves. It makes her laugh, as if such movement in this world is a comic surprise.
Behind the glass are teddy bears and dolls. They look out with bead eyes, dull and hard.
- What do you want me to do? Alice asks.
- You don’t want me to do anything?
- I said so, didn’t I?
- But I’m cold.
- Well hold me.
- Can’t we go back inside?
- I want to look at the night and the stars, he says distantly and the distance scares her.
- It’s not going away, she says, Ever. And we could be in beds with cotton sheets and woollen blankets.
- Well go downstairs, he says coldly.
- I don’t want to be alone, she says in a quiet, childlike voice.
He turns his head, regretting his indifference.
- I’ll be up here when you wake, he promises.
- How do I know?
He looks at her.
- I won’t ever leave you.
- How do I know?
- Why would I?
- I don’t know.
He walks up to her. He holds her, wrapping her up in his arms.
- No-one’s ever been as married as us. Not in the whole history of time. We’re the only people in the history of the human race who can never let go of each other because we’re the only people we’ve got. Just us. No-one else. Forever.
She touches his face, stroking it. He smiles.
- Go downstairs. I’ll be up here waiting, he says gently.
She nods. She goes down into warmth and the gentleness of cotton.
Louise finds a cinema. She helps herself to popcorn and soda. The woman behind the counter is smiling, her mouth parted slightly, like a piece of art, imitating reality.
She goes into a darkened cinema. A few people sit in chairs around her. The movie has frozen on one frame: a woman, looking to her right, with blonde hair down to her shoulders.
She sits sipping her drink, looking at the woman on the screen. Her eyes are brown, lit up. Her face glows with some distant light, perhaps a fire? She has a tiny mole under her left nostril. Her mouth is open, as if she is about to say something or perhaps let out a gasp?
The movie mirrors the world; a frozen moment in time, a piece of unfinished choreography waiting for the moment of its completion.
She eats her popcorn and drinks her soda, watching the screen and the face of the woman, which is as big as the side of a house. The cinema is lit by a pale blue glow and the people around her are in shadows, as still as statues.
In an office somewhere, on the twentieth floor, a woman sits at her desk. Her colleagues are gone and the sole occupant, aside from her, is a cleaner, frozen in the moment of picking up a bin.
She has returned to this place time and time again and again, though she has no idea why. She has spent the last year surrounded by silent, unmoving people, alone and lost.
Each time she returns to her old office, she looks at the cleaner, bent over to lift the mesh bin. She remembers speaking with her many months ago. She sometimes speaks to her still, like you might speak to a gravestone in memory of a loved one.
She stands at the window looking out at a city which exists always in night. Surely there must be other people like her, still aware and walking through lonely streets? She can’t be the only one.
She walks across the room and sits at her desk. She reaches for the phone directory. She lifts the phone from its hook.
She will be like a holy person, performing some long, hopeful ritual. Measuring the death of time with her fingers.
She opens the directory to the first page. The ‘A’s. The first name is Aab, a name she has never encountered before. She puts the phone against her left ear, listens to the dial tone, then punches in the number. Somewhere, in the suburbs or city, a phone rings. Loudness in the midst of silence. She lets it ring and ring. She gives it time. There are millions of names in this book. She will spend her days ringing every number. If there is someone else out there, they will answer. One day the phone won’t just ring and ring but will be answered by a human voice.
She hangs up, runs her fingers down to the next person, and punches in the number.
When Alice wakes from her cotton-warm sleep, she wonders how long she has been asleep. There is no way of measuring time anymore. No clocks or watches, no movement of the sun; just the ever-present moon, hanging like a lamp in the velvet sky. She still finds herself looking at the clock. The illuminated dial says 7.46. It is always the same and always a shock.
She climbs out of bed. She goes up to the roof.
He is not there.
She looks out on the eerily silent city and wonders, in a moment of panic, if he has betrayed her, though she can fathom no good reason for him doing so.
She sits, cross-legged, on the hard roof. She waits. He will come to her. Please let him come to me.
She thinks of her parents, still sitting in front of the TV. She wished she hadn’t left them but there was no point in remaining; touching them, feeling their warm flesh, the hardness of the bones underneath; looking into bright, glassy eyes. It was heartbreaking; they were there, within the realm of her touch, but gone; gone.
So she had wandered, alone, for months, before she had found him; the shock and wonder of another human being like her.
They shared their bewilderment and loss. They walked strangely among people who might as well be corpses. They both wondered.
He comes to her after a while. She is aware of him without seeing him. The sound of his footsteps and breath. She is ridiculously relieved.
- Have you eaten? she asks.
- I was waiting.
- Let’s go down.
- Did you sleep?
- A long time.
They ride the elevator down to the foyer, past the frozen reception clerks. They go outside.
- It doesn’t have to be God, he says.
- I was thinking. Last night. It doesn’t have to be God or Americans.
- It could easily be nature. I mean, I remember at school they told us that every now and then the magnetic field of the Earth changes.
- It does?
Well, something like that. You know, the way the water goes when you pull out a plug? Anticlockwise or the other way?
- Yeah. And every so often it changes. Reverses.
- So, what if, every now and then, Time changes?
- But it hasn’t before, has it?
- How would we know? What if it changes every million years? We haven’t been around that long have we?
- But what about us? Why has everything else stopped but not us?
- I don’t know that bit. I mean, it doesn’t fit, does it?
- Let’s eat. What do you fancy?
- Pancakes, he grins.
She laughs and they run down the street, holding hands, heading towards a kitchen that has good pancakes and which they know has a plate piled high, just waiting for them.
Louise leaves the cinema, with the other people still sitting in their seats and the face of the woman still on the screen. She throws the empty popcorn box and soda cup into a bin.
The thing to do, she has decided, is to act as normally as possible; to live her days as if this is the every-day world. Days? Even the most fundamental thoughts are mocked by the world around her.
She passes a newsagent’s stand. She has read every single newspaper, with its news about a long-lost world. The man inside looks out, his jaw still in the same state of unshaven-ness. She picks up a magazine. She leafs through it but is only half-interested. She sees faces of famous people, more animated than the people around her.
She has a sudden desire to visit the train station, though she has no idea why.
She looks into the faces of the people she walks by. She has begun to think of them as Dolls, though they are real people. Perhaps it is she who is a ghost in their world? It is one of the possible permutations which have run through her mind over the months.
She finds the stairs to a nearby station. She heads lower, under the earth.
People wait, looking at newspapers, sitting, standing, craning their necks to see down the tunnel. There is a light from within. She stands on the edge of the platform. She jumps.
She lands on the tracks. She suddenly gasps, and thinks she is going to die. In the tunnel is a train, its lights pouring over her but, of course, it doesn’t move. She has commited suicide but only in the world which moves. In this world she can walk slowly up to the train; put her hands against its warm, metal frame; look up at the driver who stares blindly out of the window.
If the world were to become suddenly alive, she would be dead. She has thought of this often as she walks among stationary cars. This doesn’t stop her from walking beside the train, in the gap between its carriages and the curved wall of the tunnel, looking up at the windows lit from within and the lifeless passengers, reading newspapers, listening to silent iPods, talking, sleeping. Perhaps the sleeping have the best deal?
She climbs back onto the platform. She has ruined her cardigan with grease.
She walks past a young man, with his bling and tracksuit pants and cap back-to-front. She takes off his hat and flings it across the platform, across the rails, to the other side. She has no idea why.
She passes a man collecting for charity. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a handful of clattering coins and forces them into the box, pressing them in with gluttonous determination. A meaningless gesture.
She sees a man in a suit standing beside a young woman, his eyes preserved in a moment of leering at her cleavage. She finds his wallet and opens it. She peels out hundred dollar bills. She slips them into the girl’s jacket pocket and throws his wallet onto the tracks. She turns him so that he is leering at a drunk sleeping with his back to white tiles.
The two of them enter the fair ground. They are holding hands again. They wander through the stationery crowds; children, like them, with toffee apples and candy floss; adults, laughing, shouting, eating, drinking; a couple locked together in an eternal kiss in the corner of an alley.
- Have you ever been here before?
- When I was younger.
- It’s like we’re living in Madam Taussards.
She looks at a girl like her with red lips and bright blue eyes, beautiful and creepy at the same time, erotically-strange in her unbreathing loveliness. She looks away. Sometimes it is hard to look at these people, who might easily be dead or asleep or in a world between existences.
Look at the people on the roller-coaster. Those people screaming silently. They’ve been going down like that curve for over a year.
- Only to us.
- To them it’s probably not even a second. If this thing ever stops. I mean, if time ever gets back to normal I bet it will be the blink of an eye to them.
- Do you think it will?
- Get back to normal?
She looks at a woman standing beside her, wiping her glasses clean with a cotton cloth.
- How would I know? It might stay like this forever.
- Just you and me.
- Unless we find someone else.
- What are the odds of that?
- We can’t be the only ones.
- Have you ever thought it might be us and not the others?
- What do you mean? Like you said before?
- Yeah. That the rest of the world has left us behind? That everything else has moved on and it’s us who’ve fallen out of step with Time?
- But how?
- Maybe this happens sometimes? People slip through and get trapped in a moment?
- So my parents, they’re somewhere in the future? They’ve left me behind?
- They wouldn’t have had any choice. It just would have happened. They went on as normal but we didn’t.
She looks at the crowd around her. Will they live here among the silent citizens of a becalmed world for the rest of their lives?
- Will we grow old? she asks wonderingly.
- I suppose we will.
- What if we don’t? Maybe we’ll stay young forever?
He looks down at the ground. It is littered with papers; old tickets, scraps, sweet papers. Perhaps in sixty years from now they will come back to his place and he will remember this moment? The world will still be spellbound and nothing will have changed? The people on the roller-coaster will still be on their downward plunge, their mouths open in silent screams? But what will have become of them?
- Let’s do something silly, he says suddenly.
- Imagine if things get back to normal…
As he says this, he walks up to a red-headed man wearing black pants. He undoes them and tugs them down. He is wearing white underwear with a rose print on them.
- Do her, he says, gesturing with his head.
She looks at the woman standing beside her.
- Imagine time starts again, he says with a laugh, and they all have their trousers around their ankles. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?
She smiles. Feeling a little shy, she pulls the woman’s pants down. They both laugh merrily. They wander the crowds, removing trousers and skirts until they are surrounded by dozens of people with pink-skinned, bare legs, clothes puddled around their ankles, like a scene from a silent movie. They sit in the saw dust, holding each other, laughing. She rests her head against his shoulder and he pulls her close into him, stroking her gently, hot tears rolling down his sobbing face.
Louise finds a wine bar and goes into the kitchen. She takes a sandwich and a bottle of white wine to a table by the window. She finds a CD-player and puts on a CD. Bach Cello Suites. The mournful music fills the café.
She eats. She looks at the people on the street. It has been thirteen months since she has spoken with a fellow human being; thirteen months since she heard a human voice. Sometimes she will go up to one of the mannequin-like people and touch them; stroking their faces, holding their hands, smelling their clothes, just to remind herself that they are real people, not painted dolls.
Once, a few weeks ago, seeing a beautiful man standing at the edge of a street, she had longed for the touch of another human being. She had looked into his blue eyes. He was handsome. She could imagine sharing a meal with him, going home, making love. She had unbuttoned her cardigan and had lifted the man’s heavy arm, placing his hand on her left breast. She had closed her eyes, feeling his warm fingers against her skin, yearning for tenderness.
She had cried. She had stood on the edge of the street and cried with this stranger’s hand held up against her chest.
He is still standing on the edge of the street. She knows with absolutely certainty that, if she were to walk back there, he would still be standing in the same position, still looking out across the street, with his mouth slightly parted, a sad reminder of hollow, manufactured intimacy.
She drinks her wine from the bottle. She finishes her sandwich.
Where will this end? she wonders. Will it stretch out into years? The rest of her life? An entire life lived without human contact or companionship?
She goes outside. She enters a hotel foyer. She rides the elevator to the top floor. She finds the steps to the roof. She goes up onto the roof and stands looking at the lights of the city. But for the absolute silence, it could a normal city, alive and thriving.
She drinks from the bottle, contemplating the endless darkness. It, too, has its effect on her. She is locked away from the day and sunlight forever. She drinks more wine, wiping her mouth.
She walks to the very edge of the building. The tips of her pink shoes are over the edge. She holds out her arms. She need only topple forward to drop twenty storeys to the street below.
That would end all of this.
Surely it would?
She takes a deep breath, tasting the city on her tongue.
To freefall to her death. It is a thought.
The neck of the bottle slips through her fingers and falls. It is a little time before she hears it, but the city is so silent, hear it she does, crashing below.
She laughs at the absurdity of it all.
She steps back.
- Damn you! she shouts defiantly, then heads back downstairs, where she will drink more wine, not yet ready to die.
Not only wine. Whisky, vodka, absinth, brandy, beer and champagne until, drunk, she finds a room and falls asleep in her clothes, with the clock beside her telling her it is still 7.46.
In the amusement park, they marvel at the rides, stopped in mid-swing or swirl. They laugh at a boy stopped in mid-run, being chased by a man waving a stick. They take sweets from stalls and munch on them as they wander the sawdust aisles. He picks out some flowers from a bunch and pulls out the yellow petals, dancing backwards before her, scattering them at her feet, as if she is a princess or goddess. She laughs gleefully.
He goes behind a hotdog stand and makes them hotdogs with bright-yellow mustard and relish.
They drink Coca Cola and search through show-bags to eat Violet Crumbles and Jaffas.
At a shooting gallery he shows off by putting a rifle to his shoulder, shooting at a metal duck, which he misses seven times, which makes her laugh loudly.
They walk past a band, their instruments still to their mouths, cheeks puffed. She bangs the drum and it falls out of the drummer’s still hand, clattering to the floor.
They stand under the Ferris wheel. People sit in carriages, waiting to ride. There is a queue. He tells her to get in.
She climbs into an empty seat, then he presses the button and it starts moving. He jumps in beside her and they ride slowly to the top, looking out at the bright lights of the sleeping city, holding hands while they circle around and around.
On the third revolution, they hear a phone ring.
They look at each other.
They are on the rise so have to wait until it ends its spin then jump out but, by this time, the ringing has finished.
The memory of the rings echo around them.
- No! he shouts, running around, trying to find the phone but, eventually, he falls to his knees in the sawdust. She falls gently beside him and lays an arm over his shoulder.
- They’ll ring again.
- What if they don’t?
- There’s someone else out there! We’re not alone.
He looks up at her.
- But what if they don’t ring again?
- It doesn’t matter, does it? There’s someone else out there, looking. One day. One day, we’ll find each other.
He looks at her and nods. He is crying. She wipes away the tears from his cheeks with her fingers. They kiss for the first time. Three quick, soft kisses. They hold each other tightly, lovingly. Above them, the Ferris wheel turns and turns and turns.
Louise wakes. She has no idea how long she has been sleeping. Instinctively she turns to look at the clock.
She sits up and stares at it in disbelief.
She puts a hand to her mouth, gasping.
Time has moved! A single minute. It has taken Time thirteen months to move a single minute. She slides off the bed. At this rate it will take, what? Fourteen or fifteen years to complete the hour. Time is moving infinitesimally slowly, but it is moving. This changes things, but she is not sure how. For the first time in a long time, she feels hope, though it is like the thinnest sliver of light in a dark room.
She walks to the window. From up here she can see the west of the city. The lights of cars not moving. The shopping precinct. The amusement park.
Something catches her eye.
The Ferris wheel is moving! She can see its multicoloured lights revolving in a pattern of red, yellow, white and green.
Is the world slowly awakening or is the changing of the minute on the clock and the slow revolution of the wheel a coincidence?
Last night she had wanted to kill herself but here she is, looking at some magical hope, some possibility of change. She watches the wheel turn beautifully, mesmerised, trying to fathom its meaning, wondering if she dare dream of salvation.
She goes downstairs, riding the elevator in a rush of impatient excitement. She steps out into the street. She walks past people standing in various poses. She wanders through the lines of cars. She doesn’t recognise this part of town. She wonders if she is heading in the right direction and, for a moment, panics. But, as she turns a corner, she comes across a street which heads downwards and there, not so far away, is the slowly turning Ferris wheel, brightly-lit, like a beacon.
She heads in its direction, having no idea what she might find there, but thinking that it might be some sort of beginning. It is a hope she tries to hold down but it flutters upwards like a bird.
As she heads closer she can smell sawdust and sweetness, the musty smell of horses and other animals. The wheel is magnificent, turning, turning, making the air sing, its gleaming lights lending it the quality of something sacred and ceremonial.
As she enters the front gates, she thinks she can hear voices. They are too far away for her to be sure, too quiet, but she begins to run. The lights wash the air with beautiful colours and the hurdy-gurdy music of the Wheel is making the world giddy and strange.
She feels like she is falling now; falling forwards into the vortex of the Wheel, like a leaf being drawn into a whirlpool. She prepares herself for astonishment or, perhaps – please no! - disappointment?
Above her, the stars, whose ancient light has taken hundreds and hundreds of thousands of years to arrive here, pierce the night sky with their astonishing brightness.

domain: artistic


text:
In Supporting mental health patients, The Strength Foundation is one of the leading forces. It is our mission to support everybody as much as e can. Several studies have been performed to show a rise in BAME community mental health related cases. A every point, it is important for us to help this community. We are all working together to impress the life and living conditions of this people.
WE ARE ONE OF THE LEADING FORCE
IN HELPING THE HELPLESS!

domain: sociology


text:
A Secret Weapon for What Is a Salt in Chemistry
If you have a school project to make a 3D https://expert-writers.net/thesis-help/ model of the sodium atom, you might use several materials. Today, it’s popular in the chemical market. When you’ve gathered all of your materials, you’ll be prepared to start your experiment.
Learning how to produce your water softer and more acidic is therefore wise. It took years to develop the ideal ingredients to create a lava lamp work. It is among the few minerals that are eaten a good deal by humans, but nevertheless, it may be used for different things besides giving food its flavor.
What Is a Salt in Chemistry – the Conspiracy
S. pasteurii are a particularly hardy kind of harmless bacteria that could be located in soil. But due to its explosive nature, it’s not safe to use this salt for experiments, so scientists started to look for another means to acquire oxygen. Hence, they have a great need for a reliable source of clean freshwater for drinking.
Salt crystals begin to grow inside a couple of hours and will become larger overnight. The visit is going to be http://jobs.gcu.edu/student-services-advisor-online-division-college-of-doctoral-studies/job/4395579 concluded by means of a cocktail party provided by the Orleans town council. It can help to enhance flavor and color.
Any substance with a uniform and unchanging composition is thought to be pure. Once all changes are made, re-run the partial optimization to permit the hydrogen atoms which were modified to move in their correct positions. Because of buffering, however, the procedure isn’t simple to get right.
There are some variations on this. There are a couple of things that generally boost the total amount of solute which can be dissolved. These different kinds of mixtures are interesting but might not be essential knowledge for GCSE Chemistry.
Learning how to produce your water softer and more acidic is therefore wise. At the end, you are able to make your very own delicious ice cream employing the very same principles that you applied in the undertaking. There’s an entire bunch of bubbling and foaming!
Antibiotics are certainly the biggest offenders. Aluminium hydroxides are precipitated out together with several pollutants to provide an easily separated good phase. Water is additionally a pure substance.
As soon as an organic solvent like ethyl acetate or alcohol is poured via the column, among the elements of the mixture will have a tendency to adhere to the silica better than the other. An individual can raise or lower pH with the addition of chemicals. Typically, strong acids or bases have to be added as a way to attain hydrolysis where water doesn’t have any result.
For instance, it isn’t attracted by magnets. By way of example, such is true for Epsom. When you’ve gathered all of your materials, you’ll be prepared to start your experiment.
Various substances have different specific heats, meaning they require various amounts of energy to elevate their temperature. In the existence of HF it functions as a base. Several new strategies for softening water without introducing sodium ions are beginning essay writers to appear on the market.
The manufacture and application of salt is just one of the oldest chemical industries. Sulfuric acid is utilized in the production of several car batteries. Another coating method runs the movie below a hopper full of the emulsion.
Chemistry is cool and we’ve got the coolest chemistry activities for children to share with you. You’ll use kitchen-safe materials to produce science accessible and enjoyable. You’re now ready to initiate the science experiment.
Cut out a little part of your preferred paper, about 1×5 cm in dimension, and see whether it fits the parameters described in the directions. Make sure you have sufficient salt boxes for each individual to share and participate in the experiment. Salt with a bigger grain size may have a stronger flavor and last longer on your tongue.
As soon as an organic solvent like ethyl acetate or alcohol is poured via the column, among the elements of the mixture will have a tendency to adhere to the silica better than the other. Even in the event that you do your best not to use much salt, it’s almost not possible to avoid it. Also it may be prepared by way of evaporating the brine with a particular chemical composition.
Occasionally, you will understand that there’s no reaction whatsoever. There are a couple of things that generally boost the total amount of solute which can be dissolved. All the variables tested had an influence on the surface tension.
Salt is among the products of a neutralization. Pickling salt is made from ultra-fine grains to speed dissolving to earn brine. Himalayan salt consists of a little potassium.


text:
CHARLOTTE– Chowan came into the CIAA Tournament looking to make an extended run for the first time, but Livingstone College ended those dreams with a 74-69 win on Thursday afternoon.
The Hawks were in control most of the game, but the Blue Bears kept hanging around until the end. A monster day by senior forward, David Duncan, helped lead the Blue Bears past the Hawks. Duncan had 13 points, 30 rebounds, and three assists as he out-rebounded the Hawks by himself.
Chowan lack of rebounding was heavily exposed and exploited by Livingstone. Livingstone out-rebounded Chowan 52 to 27. It also gave up 19 offensive rebounds and 14 second-chance points. LC made its free throws in the clutch moments to help seal the win.
Livingstone will play the winner of the Virginia Union vs. Bowie State matchup on Friday at 7 pm as they try to advance to their fifth straight CIAA Championship Game.

domain: sports


text:
A copy of this work was available on the public web and has been preserved in the Wayback Machine. The capture dates from 2022; you can also visit the original URL.
The file type is application/pdf.
Yoshiya SHINAGAWA, Miyako KIKUCHI. "情報構造としての宇宙." Annals of the Japanese Association for Philosophical and Ethical Researches in Medicine 7.0 (1989) 21-30

domain: library


text:
Graphic communication senior Nate Ross recreated “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury through his limited edition book project in Book Design Technology (GRC 439).
The course is taught by graphic communication professor Lorraine Donegan. She assigned this project every quarter for the 19 years she has taught at Cal Poly.
“It’s a creative project that allows them to learn a lot of really fine technical skills as well as craftsmanship,” Donegan said. “The objective of the project is for them to take a book they’ve read and loved and are passionate about, giving it a fresh new face.”
In the forward of the novel, Bradbury explained he could not think of a title and wanted to know what the heat of combustion was for paper. So, he called the fire department which gave him the answer of Fahrenheit 451.
Ross followed in Bradbury’s footsteps for his project, contacting the San Luis Obispo Fire Department (SLOFD) to help him make his rendition of “Fahrenheit 451.” SLOFD let Ross use an old pair of fireproof pants to make a cover and case for the book.
Other style choices included natural-looking maroon paper for the beginning and end of the book, burnt pages at the end of the book and water-painted, original illustrations for each chapter.
“There’s all these different aspects to it that make the design communicate the feel that you’re trying to express,” Ross said. “It’s a process of learning how to do that effectively.”
Students make all the design choices for their project. They must find the text online and put the entire book together as well.
Book Design Technology teaches students not only the aspects of designing a book, but also how to bind a book. After printing the text using the graphic communications department’s digital press, students must fold and sew every page of their book themselves.
“Print is not dead and despite what everyone says, books have become even more special as we go through the digital age,” Donegan said. “The class is just one of my favorite classes because students are reintroduced to this beautiful thing called the book and I don’t think they’ll look at books ever the same after this class.”
After the projects are complete, the entire class submits them to the Professional Publishers Network Scholarship competition in June. A panel of judges are chosen by esteemed publishers to give away thousands of dollars in scholarship money in order to foster up-and-coming book designers.
“Part of me wanted to keep [the book] because it’s my little baby, but I was thinking it would be cool if someone else had it as part of a collection” Ross said. “I’m definitely really proud of what I came up with; I feel like I had an idea outside of the box and tried to make it happen and it worked.”

domain: design


text:
For Immediate Release, September 9, 2010
||Collette Adkins Giese, Center for Biological Diversity, (651) 955-3821
Noah Greenwald, Center for Biological Diversity, (503) 484-7495
Bill Bunch, Save Our Springs Alliance, (512) 784-3749
Lawsuit Launched to Save Rare Texas Salamander Threatened by Austin Water Project
AUSTIN, Texas— The Center for Biological Diversity and Save Our Springs Alliance today formally notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of their intent to sue the agency for failing to provide emergency protection for a rare Texas salamander, the Jollyville Plateau salamander, threatened by construction of a water-treatment plant. The city of Austin’s project in the heart of salamander habitat poses an urgent threat to the species’ survival. The groups are seeking immediate protections under the Endangered Species Act; today’s 60-day notice is a prerequisite to filing suit.
“The Jollyville Plateau salamander needs immediate protection under the Endangered Species Act to survive,” said Collette Adkins Giese, a newly hired lawyer at the Center for Biological Diversity and the world’s first attorney focusing exclusively on protecting rare amphibians and reptiles. “This rare salamander is running out of time, especially in light of Austin’s plans to build a water plant smack in the middle of its habitat.”
In response to a 2005 petition from Save Our Springs Alliance, the Fish and Wildlife Service determined in 2007 that the rare salamander warranted listing as a threatened or endangered species but that such listing was precluded. Instead, the agency added it to the list of candidates, which currently includes 245 species, most of which have been waiting decades for protection. The delay has allowed the city of Austin to move forward with construction of a new water-treatment plant and associated transmission tunnels proposed to run directly through key salamander habitat.
“Because of the city’s proposed water-treatment plant and other urban sprawl, the house is on fire and the alarm bells are ringing for the Jollyville Plateau salamander,” said Noah Greenwald, the Center’s endangered species director. “Similar situations are happening all over the world, where more than a third of all amphibians are threatened with extinction and at least a fifth of all reptiles are threatened. That’s why we’ve hired an attorney specifically to work on protecting rare amphibians and reptiles.”
Under the Endangered Species Act, the Fish and Wildlife Service can delay protection of a species by designating listing as precluded. But the agency is required to monitor these species and provide immediate, emergency protections if their survival is threatened. On April 27, the Service received a letter from several scientists who have studied the Jollyville Plateau salamander for years and have grave concerns about the water-treatment plant. “We are concerned that drilling and tunneling in and adjacent to Jollyville Plateau salamander habitat poses significant risks to the survival of the species,” wrote the scientists. They warned that there is a “significant” risk that construction of the transmission tunnels for the water-treatment plant may dewater critical salamander habitat. Indeed, the drilling of a test well has already resulted in loss of one population of the salamander in an area called Moss Gulley Springs.
“The Jollyville Plateau salamander is faced with imminent extinction,” said Adkins Giese. “The fact that one population has already been lost to drilling demonstrates there is a significant risk to the salamander. The Fish and Wildlife Service has a clear duty to emergency-list the species.”
Scientists recognized the Jollyville Plateau salamander as a distinct species in 2000. Unlike most salamanders, it retains external gills throughout its life and inhabits springs, spring runs and wet caves. Populations that occur in caves exhibit morphology similar to other cave-dwelling animals, such as reduced eyes, flattened head and loss of pigmentation. The salamander is limited to a small number of drainages both on and off the Jollyville Plateau in Travis and Williamson counties in Texas.


text:
Getting back to school or the office after a winter break can be tough. You’re coming down from a holiday high – saying bye-bye to family, friends, well-balanced meals, and gifts. And being brought back to the realities of life, coupled with a vitamin D deficiency (or even calcium deficiency), makes seasonal depression a very real thing.
So what can you do to pick up your mood? Take a selfie.
According to a study conducted at the University of California, Irvine, regularly snapping selfies on your phone and sharing them with friends can actually make you happier.
The study surveyed 41 college students – 28 female and 13 male – in which participants were asked to take one of three different types of photos: a selfie while smiling, an image of something that would make the photo taker happy, and a photo that would bring another person happiness (which was then sent to that person). The subjects were asked to report their moods three times a day and to provide any details about events that may have affected their emotions.
At the end of the study, over 2900 mood measurements were collected, with all three groups noting that they experienced increased positive moods. Of the participants that were asked to take selfies, some reported that felt more confident and comfortable. Those who were asked to take photos of things that made the photo taker happy said they became more reflective and appreciative. And those who were asked to send photos said taking the photos made them calmer and connecting to family and friends helped relieve stress.
So if you think your mood has taken a turn for the worst, pick up your phone and get to snapping.

domain: psychology


text:
|Title||Stable isotope analyses of web-spinning spider assemblages along a headwater stream in Puerto Rico|
|Publication Type||Journal Article|
|Year of Publication||2015|
|Authors||Kelly, SP, Cuevas, E, Ramírez, A|
|Keywords||Aquatic insects, El Yunque National Forest, reciprocal subsidies, riparian zone|
Web-spinning spiders that inhabit stream channels are considered specialists of aquatic ecosystems and are major consumers of emerging aquatic insects, while other spider taxa are more commonly found in riparian forests and as a result may consume more terrestrial insects. To determine if there was a difference in spider taxa abundance between riverine web-spinning spider assemblages within the stream channel and the assemblages 10 m into the riparian forest, we compared abundances for all web-spinning spiders along a headwater stream in El Yunque National Forest in northeast Puerto Rico. By using a nonmetric dimensional scaling (NMDS) abundance analysis we were able to see a clear separation of the two spider assemblages. The second objective of the study was to determine if aquatic insects contributed more to the diet of the spider assemblages closest to the stream channel and therefore stable isotope analyses of δ (15)N and δ (13)C for web-spinning spiders along with their possible prey were utilized. The results of the Bayesian mixing model (SIAR) however showed little difference in the diets of riverine (0 m), riparian (10 m) and upland (25 m) spiders. We found that aquatic insects made up ∼50% of the diet for web-spinning spiders collected at 0 m, 10 m, and 25 m from the stream. This study highlights the importance of aquatic insects as a food source for web-spinning spiders despite the taxonomic differences in assemblages at different distances from the stream.

domain: biology


text:
- Top of page
Summary: Purpose: To determine whether long-term treatment with valproate (VPA) and/or lamotrigine (LTG) in children with epilepsy is associated with altered growth and/or bone metabolism.
Methods: Twenty-seven boys and 26 girls, aged 3 to 17 years (9.2 ± 3.9, mean ± SD), with epilepsy treated with VPA and/or LTG for ≥2 years were evaluated for growth, nutrient intakes, physical activity, bone mineral density (BMD), and blood biochemical indices of mineral and bone metabolism.
Results: Twenty-three (43.4%) of the children had a body height below the 10th percentile. Z-scores for BMD below –1.5 occurred in 24.4% of the children. When patients were divided into two groups according to daily activity score, a significantly lower Z-score for total body BMD (p = 0.007), percentile for body height (p = 0.05), and plasma parathyroid hormone (PTH; p = 0.04), osteocalcin (p = 0.04) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) (p = 0.01) were found in the inactive compared with the active group. Z-score for total body BMD was correlated with daily activity score (r = 0.43, p = 0.008). Plasma intact osteocalcin and intact PTH values correlated significantly (r = 0.36, p = 0.02). Plasma 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D was within normal range for all subjects. When patients were divided into LTG-alone, VPA-alone, and LTG-plus-VPA treatment groups, significantly lower (p < 0.05) plasma osteocalcin and percentile for body height were found in the VPA-plus-LTG treatment group.
Conclusions: Long-term VPA and LTG therapy, particularly when combined, is associated with short stature, low BMD, and reduced bone formation. These alterations may be mediated primarily through reduced physical activity rather than through a direct link to the VPA and/or LTG therapy.
Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) such as phenytoin (PHT), carbamazepine (CBZ), and phenobarbital (PB) are associated with bone abnormalities when used in children (1–7). Children treated with these AEDs compared with healthy children may have reduced circulating calcium (Ca) (2–5), 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) (2,4), and low bone mineral density (BMD) (1,7). Current evidence suggests that there are drug-induced increases in hepatic microsomal catabolism of vitamin D and its biologically active metabolites (8–10). However, previous studies reported that treatment with vitamin D increased the low serum 25OHD concentration but failed to correct the hypocalcemia (11–13). These findings suggest that other factors, rather than vitamin D alone, may play an important role in the abnormal bone metabolism induced by AEDs. There is evidence that AEDs might directly affect bone cells and inhibit intestinal transport of Ca (14).
Alternative AEDs such as valproate (VPA) and lamotrigine (LTG) have been widely used as effective seizure control agents in children. In previous descriptive studies that measured bone mass, reduced BMD was reported in children with epilepsy treated with VPA in some (15,16,17) but not all (18) studies. It is generally agreed that VPA is not an inducer of liver enzymes, nor does it reduce circulating calcium, 25OHD, or alkaline phosphatase concentration (19,20). A study in pubertal girls with epilepsy showed that VPA alone did not affect statural growth (21). Furthermore, it is unclear whether the reduced BMD is mediated by VPA itself or whether the reduced BMD is associated with other conditions such as insufficient physical activity or inadequate calcium and vitamin D intake. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the long-term treatment of epilepsy with VPA and/or LTG is associated with altered growth and bone metabolism in children and adolescents, and if so, to elucidate a possible mechanism by which interference with these growth processes occurs.
- Top of page
The clinical characteristics of the subjects are summarized in Table 1. Gender was balanced within the treatment and activity groups. The mean ages and gender did not differ between the three treatment groups. A mean daily vitamin D intake in excess of the recommended adequate intake (AI) (31) occurred in 51.9% of the children (Table 2). Mean calcium intake above the recommended AI occurred in 46.4% in the children aged 3–8 years, whereas this occurred in only 8.3% of the children aged 9–18 years (Table 2). Vitamin D and Ca supplements were taken by 30.8% and 25.0% of patients in the respective age groups.
Table 1. Clinical characteristics
|Treatment||Gender||Age (y)||Tanner stage|
Table 2. Daily calcium and vitamin D intake
|Nutrient||Age (y)||No.||Daily intake||AI||% Subject >AI|
|Calcium (mg/d)||3–8||29||803||539||800||46.4 (13/28)|
| ||9–18||24||696||416||1,300||8.3 (2/24)|
|Vitamin D (μg/d)||3–18||53||7.9||5.7||5||51.9 (27/52)|
Twenty-three (43.3%) patients had a body height less than the 10th percentile (Fig. 1). A Z-score for BMD below –1.5 was found in nine (24.3%) patients (Fig. 1). Forty-three (81.1%) patients had plasma intact osteocalcin less than the 25th percentile, and none of 53 patients had plasma intact osteocalcin higher than the 75th percentile (Fig. 2). Compared with reference values, plasma intact PTH was in the lower limit, whereas observed values for plasma 25OHD and 1,25(OH)2D were not below reference ranges (Fig. 3). An activity score of –25% was set as a “cut-off” point to divide patients into active (n = 24, 13 boys and 11 girls) and inactive (n = 29, 14 boys and 15 girls) groups. The cut-off point is based on the lower limit of activity score observed in a small group of healthy children with ages similar to those of the study subjects. The median activity score was –12.5% (range, +20% to –25%) and –58.3% (–33% to –100%) in the active and inactive groups, respectively. Mean age was not different between the active (8.0 ± 4.1 years, mean ± SD) and inactive (8.8 ± 3.8) groups. Patients in the inactive group had a lower body height percentile (p = 0.05; Fig. 1), lower Z-score for total body BMD (p = 0.007; Fig. 1), and lower plasma intact PTH (p = 0.03; Fig. 3) and osteocalcin (p = 0.03). A Z-score for BMD below –1.5 occurred in seven (36.8%) of 19 in the inactive group but only in two (11.1%) of 18 in the active group (Fig. 1). Plasma CrossLaps was similar in the active and inactive groups.
Figure 1. Comparison in body height (top), weight (middle), and bone mineral density (BMD; bottom) between children with epilepsy in inactive (low activity score) and active (high activity score) groups. The horizontal lines represent medians for body height and weight percentile, and represent medians for BMD Z-scores.
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Figure 2. Plasma intact osteocalcin in boys (top) and girls (middle), and the correlation between activity score and Z-score for bone mineral density (BMD) (r = 0.43, p = 0.008) (bottom). The solid lines represent 50th percentile values, and the areas between dotted lines represent 25–75th percentile in plasma intact osteocalcin (27).
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Figure 3. Comparison in plasma intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) (top), 1,25(OH)2D (middle), and 25OHD (bottom) between children with epilepsy in inactive (low activity score) and active (high activity score) groups. The horizontal lines represent means. The boxes represent reference ranges (29,30).
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When patients were divided into treatment groups of VPA alone, LTG alone, or a combined therapy of VPA and LTG, lower body height percentile and plasma intact osteocalcin (p < 0.05; Fig. 4), but not plasma CrossLaps and activity score, were found in patients treated with the combined therapy of VPA and LTG. The mean physical activity score was 25% and 32% lower in the combined-therapy group compared with the LTG-alone and VPA-alone groups, respectively, but statistical analysis did not show a significant difference between the three treatment groups (Fig. 4). Only six patients completed a DXA scan in the combined-therapy group. The limited number did not allow us to compare the difference in BMD between the three treatment groups. Z-score for total body BMD was significantly correlated with daily activity score (r = 0.43; p = 0.008; Fig. 2). Plasma intact osteocalcin and CrossLaps were correlated with plasma intact PTH (r = 0.36, p = 0.02, and r = 0.29, p = 0.05, respectively).
Figure 4. Comparison in body height (upper left), activity score (upper right), plasma osteocalcin (lower left), and CrossLaps (lower right) between children with epilepsy treated with valproate (VPA) alone, lamotrigine (LTG) alone, or a combined therapy of VPA and LTG. The bars represent means, and the whiskers represent standard errors. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between groups with different letters.
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In the children with epilepsy studied, treatment with VPA and/or LTG therapy for >2 years was associated with short stature, low bone mass, and reduced bone formation. These outcome measures were particularly compromised in those children whose physical activity was low and who took a combined therapy of VPA and LTG.
The observation of low BMD in children treated with VPA is consistent with some previous studies (15,16,17) but not others (18). Physical activity was not analyzed in the previous studies. It is well known that physical activity influences bone-mass acquisition in growing children (32,33), whereas high turnover offers a greater potential for skeletal hypertrophy. Physical exercise also was associated with an increase in circulating intact PTH and osteocalcin (32–36). We propose that the lower physical activity in children with epilepsy in the present study led to an uncoupled bone remodeling, as indicated by the reduced plasma intact osteocalcin in the presence of unchanged plasma CrossLaps. The reduced Z-score for BMD in the inactive patients likely results from the reduced bone formation, which in turn is a function of the reduced physical activity.
In previous studies of children and adolescents receiving AEDs, limitation of mobility was significantly associated with low bone mass and delayed bone development (2,37,38). However, in children receiving VPA alone, low bone mass was observed in the absence of restricted mobility. Both Sheth et al. (18) and Kafali et al. (17) observed a low bone mass in the lumbar spine and middle or distal radius in children without physical handicaps who were treated for ≥6 (17) or 18 (18) months. In contrast, a normal bone mass of the lumbar spine was observed in a similar population with normal physical activity who were treated for ≥12 months (18). Although the reason for the inconsistent results observed among the previous studies and our present study is not clear, the following hypotheses may provide a partial explanation. First, whole-body bone mass was measured in our study, whereas regional skeletal mass was measured in other studies. Measurements of the regional skeleton such as forearm, lumbar spine, or proximal femur are often done clinically because of their importance for predicting fracture risk in the elderly. However, measurement of the whole-body bone mass is critical in evaluating bone acquisition in children. Measurement of the whole-body bone mass is particularly important if low physical activity is suspected, because the regional skeletal site for weight bearing is different in different life styles. Second, to date, all studies in children and adolescents receiving VPA are cross-sectional in design. To monitor bone growth and development, well-controlled longitudinal designs are needed in future studies. Third, the inconsistency on the findings suggests that there may be other factors that have not yet been identified, such as growth failure, that contribute to the development of low bone mass in children and adolescents treated with VPA.
Although the circulating vitamin D metabolites were normal in the present study, which is consistent with previous reports (19,20), we cannot entirely rule out the possibility that high vitamin D intake in this study population masked an altered vitamin D homeostasis. This hypothesis is based on the following facts: (a) inactive patients had a lower plasma 25OHD than did active patients, which is possibly mediated by the insufficient exposure to sunshine; and (b), plasma intact PTH was lower in the inactive patients. Vitamin D and Ca supplements were taken by many of the participating children with epilepsy, particularly by young children. It is likely that parents are aware of the side effects of traditional AEDs on vitamin D and Ca metabolism. We believe that for children who do not consume adequate dietary sources of calcium and vitamin D (or who are not habitually exposed to sunlight), supplementation is appropriate. There is no evidence that children requiring therapy with VPA and LTG require intakes of these nutrients in excess of the Dietary Reference Intake recommendations (31).
Statural growth was not affected by a single drug therapy such as VPA, as also observed by Rattya et al. (21). However, the combined therapy of VPA and LTG was associated with lower height percentiles. Patients treated with more than one drug usually have more severe seizures and, in turn, may have lower physical activity. Because reduced body height is associated with a significantly reduced circulating intact osteocalcin and a 25–32% reduction in a physical activity score in the combined-therapy group, we speculate that the alteration in growth is primarily mediated through reduced physical activity. The lack of statistical significance in physical activity between the three treatment groups in our study may simply reflect the small number of study subjects.
In conclusion, long-term VPA and LTG therapy, particularly when combined, is associated with short stature, reduced bone formation, and low bone mass, especially in those children whose physical activity is low. Future studies in children with epilepsy should focus on reduced physical activity, rather than a direct link to the VPA and/or LTG, as a component for intervention to prevent clinically significant reductions in growth and bone-mass accretion. A limitation of the present study is that we could not establish a geographically similar age- and sex-matched healthy control group for comparison with our population with epilepsy. This, however, does not diminish the clinical relevance of the observed differences in outcomes of growth and bone between the children treated with single and combined therapy, and in relation to activity level.


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The Record: Gun control stalls
SOON AFTER a gunman killed 26 people, including 20 children, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., three months ago today, there seemed to be unprecedented momentum to strengthen the nation's gun laws. President Obama vowed as much when he spoke at a vigil for the victims two days after the Dec. 14 incident. That momentum is fading in Congress.
The surge of support three months ago for quick action on gun control legislation certainly has ebbed on Capitol Hill. That's unfortunate.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is trying to get the process moving. The committee last week endorsed a measure increasing penalties for "straw purchasers" of guns, the practice of buying a firearm for someone else. This week, the committee approved a bill for universal background checks for all gun buyers. Now, they are generally required only when a transaction involves a licensed gun dealer.
What's troubling is that both measures were endorsed in virtually straight party-line votes with Democrats in favor. Only one Republican backed the bill on straw purchasers and none supported expanding background checks. None of these bills poses a threat to individual gun ownership. What they would do, according to law enforcement officials, is to help police identify criminals and mentally ill individuals who try to buy firearms. And that's a very good thing.
We have seen this pattern before. No matter the details of gun legislation, most Republican backers of the National Rifle Association reflexively oppose it regardless of the merits of the individual law. That does not do the cause of controlling gun violence any good. Nor does it meet the wants of the public.
As the committee voted this week, a new McClatchy-Marist poll showed that 84 percent of respondents support expanding gun-sale background checks and that only 15 percent are opposed. A majority also backs a federal ban on so-called assault weapons and limiting the capacity of ammunition clips, measures the committee is scheduled to take up today.
Republicans who instinctively oppose every new gun law may get kudos from uncompromising backers of the NRA, but they are clearly out of step with the mood of the country.


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What Are Magnolia Seed Pods?
Magnolia seed pods are pods filled with seeds that grow from a magnolia tree each year. The seed pods are cone-shaped and spread open to reveal bright-red seeds that look like berries. When the outer red casing of the berries is removed, the seed inside is revealed.
Gardeners can propagate magnolia seedlings from these seeds, but the seeds must be harvested prior to drying out. To do this, the pod must be taken from the tree when the seeds are still inside. As the pod dries out, the red berries push through the holes in the pod.
After the berries push through, place them into water and let them soak overnight. The red outer coating can be easily removed with a cloth the next day. The next step involves stratification of the seeds. Place the seeds and moist sand inside a container and mix together, and then place the container in the refrigerator. Leave it there for three months or so, or until it is time for planting.
The seeds can be planted in pots or in the ground. Either way, cover the seeds with about a quarter-inch of soil. Keep the soil moist until the seedlings emerge. Once seedlings emerge, place a layer of mulch around them to help provide support for them until they grow larger.


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Most people wonder why certain people are successful and others are not, even though all of them are trying hard. I bet you wondered that many times as well? There is no any magic or mystery! There are certain habits that successful and effective people have and others don't. And you are able to know all of them in this one amazing book.
Find answers to some of the most interesting and important questions of how human mind works! Discover reasonable explanations to the most mystical and magical things like paranormal faculties, hypnosis, telepathic, voodoo, auras, shamans, miracles and many more.
Genetics is nothing to blame on! If your weight shows numbers that you don't like, it's your job to reduce them. Your body is a very serious part of your life and you should treat it accordingly. Sex? Well, we all believe that we know everything, but a little more knowledge about 15 minute woman orgasm would be a great deal, don't you think so?!
Are you tired of your life? Do exactly the same Mondays and other days of the week don't make sense to you? Do you feel that there is something more waiting in life for you? If you have such or similar questions I believe this book can be an answer for you! But just reading it and not practicing is not going to make any changes in your life!
Are you tired of your life? Do you do things that don't bring any meaning in to your life? Are you so busy that you have never thought of these questions before? Do you own a Ferrari? You can spend couple of hours reading this book and might find the answers to your questions or you can keep on rushing and realize these things by yourself on the last day of your life!
Most people would say that love is very important in their life and relationship, but how many people really know what love is? Most people don't even have any idea how to love themselves and they already try to love others. Most people are trained how to love by their parents, surroundings and most people don't even realize that the real intimacy of two souls starts in a much different place and proceeds in a much different way!
Have you ever been cheated or tricked? Have you ever put so much trust in somebody but eventually it turned out that he/she lied to you? Do you like the feeling of being fooled? I believe you don't!


SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
The Indian Army is set to bolster its offensive capabilities with the procurement of 500 HELINA Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs). The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) had earlier approved the acquisition of these missiles, along with launchers and associated support equipment, to be integrated into the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH).
The integration of HELINA ATGMs into the ALH is a significant step towards weaponizing these helicopters for countering enemy threats. These missiles will enhance the Army’s offensive capabilities and provide a valuable asset for anti-tank warfare.
The decision to order 500 units of HELINA ATGMs is part of the Indian Army’s broader plans to equip its aviation corps. The Army Aviation Corps is planning to procure 90 Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) named “Prachand.” Additionally, the Army is keen on outfitting approximately 60 ALH-Rudra Weapon System Integrated (WSI) helicopters with the potent HELINA ATGM.
The induction of these missiles into the ALH and LCH helicopters will significantly enhance the Army’s firepower and its ability to tackle Armoured threats effectively. This move represents a strategic step to strengthen India’s defence capabilities and readiness for modern warfare scenarios. The orders for the HELINA ATGMs are expected to be placed next year, marking a crucial milestone in enhancing the Indian Army’s combat capabilities.
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As of July 8, 2021, Oregon OSHA has adopted an emergency rule that strengthens requirements for employers to protect workers from the dangers of high and extreme heat. The requirements expand access to shade and cool water. They also include regular cool-down breaks, training, communication, emergency planning and other measures that apply to both indoors and outdoors.
Some of the new requirements include:
– At 80 degrees or over:
- Need to provide shade for required breaks and meal periods.
- Need to provide water for employees.
- Supervisor and Employee training by August 1st.
– At 90 degrees or over (everything above plus):
- New direct communication requirements.
- Monitor employees and emergency contacts.
- 10-minute break for cool down every two hours.
- Have an Emergency Medical Plan.
- Develop an acclimatization plan/practice for employees going into the heat.
This temporary rule is effective for 180 days. Here is the full rule language here:


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- Höfert, Johannes "Hans"
Generalmajor der Flieger. Kommandeur District München.
- 26-01-1880, Magdeburg-Buckau.
- 13-02-1944, age 64, Tegernsee.
Tegernsee, Stadtfriedhof. Seestrasse 13. Sektie V-Reihe 2-Grab 56 B.
Höfert, Johannes "Hans"
Johannes Höfert “Hans”, born 26-01-1880 in Magdeburg, Buckau, entered the Army Service as a Fähnrich in the 64th Field Artillery Regiment on 15-02-1902, age 22. He is in the fields of the first war and ended the war as a Hauptmann and commander of the Flak Battalion Plauen. He joined the Police Service after the was and retired on 30-09-1935. From 01-08-1935 he is Supplement Officer in Hermann Goering's (see Hermann Goering) (did you know) Luftwaffe. Detached to the Military Replacement Supplement in Berlin from 03-07-1937 until 31-12-1937. He became the Luftwaffe Advisor with Military Replacement Inspection in Munich to 28-02-1940. His last command is of Military District Munich and retired on 30-01-1943, not useful anymore for Hitler’s warfare (see Adolf Hitler) (did you know). Living in Tegerensee he died at the age of 64, on 13-02-1944 and is buried on the Stadtfriedhof of Tegerensee, and his neighbours are the Flying Ace Gerhard Barkhorn (see Barkhorn) and the SS Obergruppenführer Friedrich von Eberstein (see Eberstein), General Hans Reinhardt (see Reinhardt), General Otto Grün (see Grün) and General August Wagner (see Wagner).

domain: history


New Braunfels moves to Stage 3 water limits
Published 9:44 pm, Thursday, August 9, 2012
NEW BRAUNFELS — Outdoor watering for New Braunfels Utility customers will only be allowed once every other week, starting later this month, because the Edwards Aquifer keeps dropping, the utility announced Thursday.
The utility moved from Stage 2 to Stage 3 water limits after the aquifer fell below 640 feet this week. On Thursday, it was at 639.6 feet.
San Antonio Water System this week opted not to go to Stage 3 and will rely on stored water instead.
Under stage 3 restrictions, landscape watering using a sprinkler or irrigation system is permitted one day per week, every other week according to the last digit of the customer's address.
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Through Aug. 24, NBU customers can continue watering their lawns one day a week. Starting the week of Aug. 27, no watering with a sprinkler or irrigation system will be allowed.
The week of Sept. 3, customers will be allowed to use a sprinkler or irrigation system on their designated day, according to the last number of their address.
Details about the restrictions are available at www.nbutexas.com or by calling the NBU Information Line at (830) 608-8925


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Last Friday night (cue the Katy Perry music) was the annual Wellesley ABC Gala. ABC stands for A Better Chance, an organization devoted to providing outstanding academic opportunities to women who may not have otherwise had the chance to demonstrate their potential. This year's benefit was Luau-themed, complete with pina coladas, hula hoop toss, and a smoking volcano - courtesy of my most creative mama! Below, behold some of the highlights of the night:
Oh, did I mention this was a grown-up event? My friends and I were the only 20-somethings there, and personally I'm convinced we were invited solely because we bring the dancing and the good times everywhere we go (just wait til Summer Solstice - you'll see).
Dancing so fast, the cameraman couldn't keep up.
Ladies in bright colors
Griff and Marmsicle gettin' wild on the dance floor
Boyz in the Hood (and by "hood" I mean Tommy Bahama)
Griff living out his dream of being a rockstar in an oldies band
And my personal favorite - me and my mama just havin' a good time


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People who have Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Stroke, accidents, etc. often have the use of only one hand, making everyday tasks difficult or impossible. To assist, Emeritus Professor and Dean Allen Samuels has designed a set of dishes that secure food within “V” shaped raised walls.
The walls enable a user to cut food with a downward and pulling motion using one hand and a knife. The “V” shaped raised walls contain the food as it is cut into smaller portions until the last and smallest portion is consumed. Samuels continues to create designs for the elderly, the disabled, and victims of natural disasters.

domain: food


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Toenail Fungi – What is Nail Fungus?
If you’ve been wondering what nail fungi looks like, you’re not alone. Having fungal nail infections is a common trouble, yet just how do you spot the fungus and also get it controlled? Luckily, fortunately is that this infection is treatable, as well as in most cases, you can stay clear of the demand for removal. As a matter of fact, treating nail fungus at the earliest indicator is vital to reducing the danger of permanent damage.
There are a number of different kinds of nail fungi, and also some are much more common than others. Nail fungus is most usual on the huge toenails, which create at the front and sides of the nail. Less frequently, the fungus starts at the base of the nail, which is typically more prevalent in people with a weak body immune system and severe health problems. Fungis that infect skin as well as nails are called dermatophytes, though they are often called yeast.
Oral drugs are often prescribed for fungal nails. However, these medications can trigger liver damage and can harm your health and wellness. Oral treatment is usually not as efficient as topical treatments, and also may take a couple of months to function. Topical medications may be a far better selection, yet they are less efficient. In addition to taking antifungal tablets, you can also look for expert treatment for nail fungi.
There are several types of therapies for nail fungi. There are dental drugs like Sporanox, Lamisil, and also terbinafine, which have a variety of negative effects and also can cause liver troubles. Dental drugs have to be tested in a laboratory to determine their effectiveness. In recent times, applied treatments have taken their place. These therapies generally need a few months before they see any type of results, so they may be less reliable for temporary use.
Fungal infections generally begin on the end of a nail, particularly in the foot. Fungi expands inside the nail and also can get in cracks or cuts in the skin. The infection can proceed right into a bigger issue as the cuticle ends up being broken as well as thickened. It can also trigger the nail to fall apart and blemish. When this takes place, it is far too late for treatment. It is for that reason important to obtain immediate treatment to avoid more damage.
Prevention of nail fungus begins with lifestyle changes. You ought to avoid choosing your nails, don’t go barefoot in public places, as well as prevent letting your footwear splash. Additionally, see to it to put on shoes that fit correctly, as well as avoid sharing your nail files or other nail-care tools. Use rubber gloves to protect your hands when you’re working around your house. Likewise, don’t wear other individuals’s footwear if you’re prone to nail fungi.
Stay clear of limited shoes as well as socks. These can foster fungal growth. Limited shoes can likewise promote the growth of nail fungi. Always put on breathable and moisture-wicking socks while using shoes. When possible, put on shoes or flip-flops when you remain in public places. Use tidy shoes whenever possible, particularly while in the shower. Last but not least, see to it to change your socks routinely and do not wear the same set of footwear greater than when a week.
Root Causes Of Smelly Feet
Smelly feet are a typical trouble for 10% to 15% of the population. The germs responsible for this condition, called Kyetococcus sedentarius, produces volatile sulfur compounds that create the feet to smell like rotten eggs. If you believe your feet smell like rotten eggs, it’s time to look for help. There are a number of root causes of smelly feet. Continue reading to discover the most common causes.
If you’re continuously on your feet, after that you’ve most likely seasoned foot smell at one factor or an additional. The human foot contains over 250,000 sweat glands, and also these gland are fed by bacteria that produce waste as byproducts. This waste is what causes foot odor, as well as feet have an odor greater than any other part of the body. To fight foot odor, it is very important to clean and also dry your feet routinely, clip your nails, as well as file off dead skin.
The symptoms of hypothyroidism might include smelly feet and cold hands. Hypothyroidism impacts the thyroid, the gland that regulates the body’s temperature. When the hormonal agent is reduced, the body’s metabolic rate slows down. This causes the body to rely on catabolism, which breaks down body tissues for energy. In this phase, muscle toughness lowers, causing throbbing and weak feet.
If you are diabetic, then you are most likely familiar with the inconvenience of smelly feet. This problem can make walking, standing, or resting uncomfortable. Apart from smell, diabetic issues can cause issues with your blood circulation. To lower the event of these troubles, you must make use of a moisturizing cream or soap on your feet. If you have actually cracked heels, you ought to prevent utilizing medicated pads or bathroom surgical treatment. Moreover, you must wear footwear that fit appropriately. If you are unable to locate ideal footwear, you can think about purchasing diabetic-specific socks. These socks have additional pillow as well as don’t have elastic tops. They are made of fibers that wick away moisture from the skin. Constantly wear socks when you go to bed. Never ever utilize hot pad on your feet!
The therapy of peripheral neuropathy and also smelly feet relies on the underlying reason. Drugs for diabetes mellitus and also vitamin shortage are 2 typical options. If no recognized reason is found, treatment might include taking over-the-counter painkiller or taking an oral medication. Anti-seizure drugs or topical medications including capsaicin as well as lidocaine might be utilized. If neither of these alternatives are effective, a physician can suggest a mix of drug to aid the signs and symptoms.
If you have foul-smelling feet, you might be struggling with bromodosis. Typically, the trouble is triggered by inappropriate health, such as infrequent washing and also not altering socks routinely. Microorganisms can expand and create the feet to scent, which can be unpleasant and make individuals self-conscious. Fortunately is that there are several means to deal with the problem. In most cases, house treatments will certainly fix the problem, yet a lot more severe cases might need more powerful methods.