Ali Sadollah

Learn More
A novel population-based algorithm based on the mine bomb explosion concept, called the mine blast algorithm (MBA), is applied to the constrained optimization and engineering design problems. A comprehensive comparative study has been carried out to show the performance of the MBA over other recognized optimizers in terms of computational effort (measured(More)
This paper presents a modified version of the water cycle algorithm (WCA). The fundamental concepts and ideas which underlie the WCA are inspired based on the observation of water cycle process and how rivers and streams flow to the sea. New concept of evaporation rate for different rivers and streams is defined so called evaporation rate based WCA(More)
Despite dental implantation being a great success, one of the key issues facing it is a mismatch of mechanical properties between engineered and native biomaterials, which makes osseointegration and bone remodeling problematical. Functionally graded material (FGM) has been proposed as a potential upgrade to some conventional implant materials such as(More)
In this paper, the water cycle algorithm (WCA), a recently developed metaheuristic method is proposed for solving multi-objective optimization problems (MOPs). The fundamental concept of the WCA is inspired by the observation of water cycle process, and movement of rivers and streams to the sea in the real world. Several benchmark functions have been used(More)
Since the fiber diameter determines the mechanical, electrical, and optical properties of electrospun nanofiber mats, the effect of material and process parameters on electrospun polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) fiber diameter were studied. Accordingly, the prediction and optimization of input factors were performed using the response surface methodology(More)


The Wolf T is your new favorite undercover tech everyday shirt with a high-tech moisture management Dri-Release material that wicks sweat away from the body to keep you dry. This wicking material is combined with FreshGuard odor prevention technology to keep you smelling fresh all day. The result is a noticeably softer, lightweight, quick-drying and fresh smelling T-shirt. Details: 85% polyester and 15% cotton blend, lightweight, breathable 155g Dri-Release jersey, dries 4x faster than cotton, two year limited warranty. Material: Polyester, Cotton.


The Blog

Affordable Microscopes for Everyday Use

March 05, 2014

At we often say that the technology of light microscopes has not changed much over the past 500 years. Strictly speaking, this is no longer true. Scientists at Hokkaido University in Japan have found a way to use ordinary light to detect objects smaller than the limit of traditional light microscopes. Up until now, light microscopes have been limited by the Rayleigh diffraction limit, which states that light cannot be used to resolve a structure smaller than its own wavelength. Since the shortest wavelength of visible light is a few hundred nanometers, scientists have turned to X-Rays and electron microscopes in order to resolve smaller elements.

However, for some time scientists have suspected that a weird effect of quantum mechanics known as entanglement might overcome the Rayleigh limit and the Hokkaido team have done just that. Einstein referred to Entanglement as “spooky action at a distance”. It involves two photons in opposite polarization states that become entangled so that even when separated by infinitely large distances (think light years), changes to one are reflected in the other. Using such entangled photons, the microscope visualizes much smaller structures than could be achieved with ordinary light.

In this case, the scientists generated entangled photons by converting a laser beam into pairs of photons that were in opposite polarization states at the same time (superposed particles). The physicists used special nonlinear crystals to achieve this superposition and then focused the entangled photons on two adjacent spots on a flat glass plate with a Q-shaped pattern made in relief on the plate’s surface. This pattern is only 17 nanometers higher than the rest of the plate and almost impossible to see with a standard optical microscope. However using the entangled pairs, the lettering was completely visible and 1.35 times sharper (signal-to-noise ratio) than the standard quantum limit.

Inevitably, obtaining an image was not as simple as using an eyepiece. In this case, the team generated the image electronically by measuring the difference in optical path length between the two beams, a difference that is caused by the marginally thicker glass where the letter rises up from the surrounding surface. The scientists could not measure this directly, so they used the interference pattern of both beams as they passed through the glass. Since each of the entangled protons provides information about the other, the process is more efficient and results in a sharper image.

The major drawback to the process is that it took almost a full day for the microscope to generate actual images so a key improvement for commercial development is the ability to speed image development. However, the team has proven that the refractive index of light microscopes can be enhanced which could have a major beneficial impact on Life Sciences and other disciplines such as cryptography. Currently, in order to observe transparent organisms in such detail, X-Rays or electron microscopes are required. Both are expensive while X-Rays cause damage to living cells. Since this entangled photons approach uses simple lasers with infrared rays, it offers both an inexpensive and harmless solution to future generations.

[Research paper: 10.1038/ncomms3426 – “An entanglement-enhanced microscope”; open-access PDF]


Dinosaurs > Triceratops

Triceratops is a genus of herbivorous ceratopsid dinosaur that first appeared during the late Cretaceous period, about 68 million years ago in what is now North America. It is one of the last known non-avian dinosaur genera, and became extinct in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event 66 million years ago. The term Triceratops literally means “three-horned face”.

The exact placement of the Triceratops genus within the ceratopsid group has been debated by paleontologists. Two species, T. horridus and T. prorsus, are considered valid, although many other species have been named. Research published in 2010 suggested that the contemporaneous Torosaurus, a ceratopsid long regarded as a separate genus, represents Triceratops in its mature form. The view was immediately disputed and examination of more fossil evidence is expected to settle the debate.

Triceratops has been documented by numerous remains collected since the genus was first described in 1889, including at least one complete individual skeleton. Paleontologist John Scannella observed: “It is hard to walk out into the Hell Creek Formation and not stumble upon a Triceratops weathering out of a hillside.” Forty-seven complete or partial skulls were discovered in just that area during the decade 2000–2010. Specimens representing life stages from hatchling to adult have been found.

Clade: Dinosauria
Order: Ornithischia
Family: Ceratopsidae
Subfamily: Chasmosaurinae

Size: 9 m (30 ft) long
2 meters (7 ft) tall

Weight: 6 to 12 tons

When: Cretaceous Period
68 million years ago

Where: North America

Diet: Herbivore

The function of the frills and three distinctive facial horns has long inspired debate. Traditionally these have been viewed as defensive weapons against predators. More recent theories, noting the presence of blood vessels in the skull bones of ceratopsids, find it more probable that these features were primarily used in identification, courtship and dominance displays, much like the antlers and horns of modern reindeer, mountain goats, or rhinoceros beetles. The theory would find additional support if Torosaurus was found to be the mature form of Triceratops, as this would mean the frill also developed holes (fenestrae) as individuals reached maturity, rendering the structure more useful for display than defense.

Source: Wikipedia


Twitch IRC vs. my nick

I noticed that you can connect to Twitch.TV channels via IRC following the instructions here.  I was happy to see they even had specific instructions for KVIrc.  What I was unhappy to see is that it wouldn’t work because of my user name.

On IRC, nicknames beginning with numbers are not allowed.  So, KVIrc refused to let me put “3vi1” in the nick field as per the instructions.  I got around it by putting a temporary value (_3vi1) in the server configuration, closing KVIrc, then editing .config/KVIrc/config/serverdb.kvc to contain 3vi1.

After that, it connects fine!


Browse Prior Art Database

Acoustic notification system for IT or other equipment Disclosure Number: IPCOM000249307D
Publication Date: 2017-Feb-16
Document File: 3 page(s) / 133K

Publishing Venue

The Prior Art Database

An acoustic notification system for IT or other equipment is disclosed.

This text was extracted from a PDF file.

Acoustic notification system for IT or other equipment

Disclosed is an acoustic notification system for IT or other equipment. With today's IT equipment reaching noise hazard acoustical levels, it is desirable to report in real time when a single piece of equipment or a network of interconnected equipment is approaching or exceeding sound pressure levels that are considered hazardous.

Identifying when an acoustically varying environment reaches sound pressure levels high enough to be a noise hazard can easily be done with a microphone. However, speech privacy is a concern with a microphone that constantly monitors sound levels. Even if the microphone monitoring hardware and software is done such that speech privacy is ensured the very presence of the microphones may be viewed with suspicion and considered an intrusion on privacy. The disclosed method eliminates that concern.

Method: Generate an acoustical alert when operating conditions for equipment cause noise hazard acoustical levels based on available non-microphone sensor and configuration data eliminating the speech privacy concerns that occur with the use of microphones.

Various equipment sensors are monitored. Examples include fan rotations per minute (rpm), equipment vibration, altitude and others that provide an indicator of acoustical noise. The method combines this information with acoustical characterization data that has been collected for those parameters with system configuration information available from various sources such as Vital Product Data (VPD) and other configuration data to calculate an estimated noise level for the equipment being monitored.

That information is relayed to displays,...


The Lifelong Traveler

Subscribe to TLT Newsletters!

Meaning, not Definition

August 7, 2014

In a community that is as densely and globally connected as we are, we need to acknowledge that we are all different, and we must respect the cultures and opinions of those around us. Such a cliché statement, but nevertheless entirely relevant and true. However, in observing and analyzing the thousands of cultures and nuanced lifestyles in the global population, there is one common trait that's found every single culture with not a single exception. Art.

Granted, art itself takes limitlessly diverse forms throughout the ages and between cultures, but the meaning and power of art forms remains almost wholly unchanged for every one of the 7.2 billion individuals on the planet. And that says something about the nature of art, and what it can do for us in our lives.

If it's still not clear, "art" here isn't just referring to visual arts or even forms of music. The number of seemingly differing definitions of "art" is no doubt greater than the number of artists in the world, but it's typically defined in various sources as an embodiment of the expression of human creativity and imagination. I take it to include anything from drawings, paintings, photography, sculptures, the countless forms of music, plays poetry, novels and other written media to the more modern forms such as digital art, filmmaking, magic tricks, speaking, and industrial design. Some choose to cross the borders of the various types of art and bring a new perspective to the definition of performing arts. And like almost all facets of culture, art evolves with time. With such evolution comes radical changes in its definition.

But I'm not going to discuss the topic of definition of art, partly because it's one of those things that will bring up millions of results on a single Google Search of "define art" -- a list to which I do not wish to add --, and partly because art simply resists definition. To define something is to constrain it and limit what it can be. And by being what it is, a form of expressing limitless imagination, it cannot be limited by a single definition. What I am going to discuss is the meaning of art: what I interpret it to be. While a definition attempts to constrain the subject, a meaning merely describes a facet of it in a subjective way.

To me, the universality of art in the various incarnations of human beings is its most powerful and most important trait, because no matter the background or genetics of people, art can unify them through their passions. While we have the power to rationalize, to think logically, and to meticulously calculate, we are ultimately ruled by our emotions, because that's the final "filter" through which we process all information, rational or irrational. (Just because I know that a passerby merely spilled paint on my new pants by complete and innocent accident (a totally rational thought) doesn't stop me from being mad at the passerby to some degree, simply because the moment's emotion filters out the rationality of analytical thought. My actions will no doubt convey understanding of the situation in a rational way, but you can be sure I would be annoyed at the passerby to some degree.) However unlike much of human disciplines, art speaks not to the rational but the irrational and the emotional. And from that nature of art it draws its power to unify across seeming borders between people. Something no logical thought, no matter how meticulously crafted, can do, art does simply by its nature. And this power in music, in visual arts, in writing and poetry, and in speaking and acting captivates me to pursue and help others pursue their creative passions. Because that's going to be my and their best, most human method of communication.*

But really, when you get down to the heart of the matter, the reason art persists through all facets of human culture isn't because of its power to bring together individuals. It's simply because of the freedom that it allows and the degree of expression possible that is implicit in art and only art. By resisting definition, it resists borders and becomes universal. A carefully written argument for universal suffrage or cultural oppression can buckle under censorship, but a song written in expression of such emotion cannot -- unless, of course, one censors all forms of music -- be put under the same treatment. Such liberty to overcome the boundaries of rationality and supersede the limits of logical expression is, I believe, why art forms are existent consistently throughout the human culture.

Considering this, the most apt description of art may be that it is limitless. Limitless in its power to cross borders and boundaries of other disciplines, limitless in its form, execution, and purpose, and limitless in its degree of liberty it allows for the souls on both sides of art: the creators and the consumers. And such is life itself. It's a blank canvas capable of containing any form of human expression, and the power and the liberty granted to the creator of a life is limitless. For me, the canvas of life is one that mimics a travelogue, an expression of a lifelong journey of the grandest scale. And the limitless nature of the journey is what makes it so interesting, because by being limitless, it resists definition. And by being so, it refuses to be explained, only to be interpreted. It begs to have meaning, yet defies definition.

And in that lies its beauty.

*And there are scientific studies confirming that music and other forms of art can speak to the parts of consciousness inaccessible by mere logical argument, in case you were doubting for some reason.


Thank you for your interest in joining The WorkFaith Connection team!

Job Coach

Coach and guide a caseload of 40-45 Bootcamp 101 graduates that are seeking and maintaining employment. Assist graduates in understanding their abilities, talents, interests, and personality characteristics in order to develop realistic career options. Offer direction, encouragement, and motivation in order to prepare individuals for job search and to help them through difficult life situations.


Imran wasted precious time in protests, did nothing for KP: Muqam

Profile Picture

PESHAWAR, April 30 (APP): Advisor to the Prime Minister Engineer Ameer Muqam Sunday said Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan had wasted precious time of around four years in holding protests and sit-ins as he was now thinking of launching developmental works.
The people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were complaining that Imran Khan and his party government had done nothing, he said while addressing a public gathering in Nowshera.
Ameer Muqam, who is also president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) KP Chapter, said other parts of the country had witnessed development, but KP was deprived of progress as the PTI government had failed to deliver. It was apparent from the fact that even the constituency of KP chief minister was a backward and a non-developed area, he added.
The KP health department, he said, was in a shambles because of the PTI government’s policies. KP’s People’s Primary Healthcare Initiative was gifted to Jahangir Tarin, Imran’s close associate, he added.
Similarly, he alleged, that the PTI government had destroyed the peaceful atmosphere at the universities in the province.
He said it was strage that Imran Khan was asking an elected prime minister to resign while he was unable to seek resignation of KP Speaker Asad Qaiser and some ministers, who were allegedly involved in corruption. Imran Khan was an expert in blame game, he added.
He assured the people of Nowshera to resolve their problems of drinking water and gas on priority basis.


Maybe it's the bright color. Maybe it's the fresh, vibrant taste. Whatever the reason, Easter has become inextricably linked to lemon (and chocolate, of course). So we decided to refresh the conventional breakfast cinnamon bun, infusing it with lemony goodness three different ways.

We start by replacing the cinnamon sugar with sugar spiked with lemon zest. Then we fill the buns with purchased lemon curd (a decadent, tangy treat that also is good simply spread on toast). Finally, we drizzle our finished buns with icing made from lemon juice and powdered sugar.

The result is vibrantly lemony, but not mouth puckering. And to keep things fast and easy, we use frozen bread dough as the base for the buns. All you need to do is thaw the dough, roll it out, fill it, then roll it back up before slicing and baking. These buns are the perfect way to start Easter - or any spring - morning.

Sticky Lemony Breakfast Buns

Makes 15 servings

¼ cup granulated sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

Two 1-pound loaves frozen white-bread dough, thawed and allowed to come to room temperature

½ cup lemon curd

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1¼ cups powdered sugar

Instructions: Line a baking sheet with kitchen parchment.

In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Sprinkle half of it on a clean counter. Place 1 loaf of the dough on the sprinkled counter, then roll it out to form an 8-by-16-inch rectangle (with one of the long sides facing you).

Roll out the second loaf to the same size, then set it on top of the first. Spread the lemon curd over the dough, leaving a 1-inch strip bare along the long edge farther from you. Starting at the edge closest to you, roll the dough up into a log. Pinch the dough along the seam to seal it. Using a sharp knife, slice the roll into 1-inch-wide rounds. Arrange the rounds on the prepared baking sheet, then cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until puffy.

After 15 minutes, heat the oven to 350 degrees. When the buns have risen, uncover and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. The internal temperature of the buns should reach 185 degrees.

Allow to cool slightly before icing. To make the icing, in a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice and powdered sugar. Drizzle over the tops of the buns. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Per serving: 250 calories; 50 calories from fat; 6g fat; 25mg cholesterol; 44g carbohydrate; 2g fiber; 17g sugar; 7g protein; 370mg sodium.


Health Intuitive

Archive for the ‘Chinese medicine’ Category

Foods That Can Help Restore Kidney Balance And Make It Run At Optimal Levels

Nutrition has played a vital role in Chinese medicine for a long time, generating health within people. There are specific foods that help strengthen a certain organ system including the kidney, metal, liver, spleen, and heart systems. Each of these systems has an express role in the functioning of the body. The nutritional requirements of the kidney organ system will be the topic of this article.

In Chinese medicine, the kidney organ system’s main function is to maintain the strength of a person’s willpower, control urine flow, optimize the function of the brain, preserve bone health, regulate growth and reproduction, and house life essence. Every other organ systems are affected by the kidneys. When kidney function is out of balance, symptoms such as ear disease or infections, loss of hearing, dental problems, lower back pain, weakening of the knees may occur. Another sign of a kidney imbalance is hair problems including premature graying, split ends, and hair loss. Any reproductive, sexual, or urinary health issues are also kidney-related issues and so too are excessive insecurity and fear, poor development and growth, and premature ovarian failure.

We can drink or eat various foods to help strengthen the kidney organ system. Of these, drinking water is perhaps, the most important thing to do. Water is the element associated with water and so to keep yourself well-hydrated, remind yourself to drink water throughout the day.

The kidney system can also benefit from salty flavored foods such as kimchi (a Korean dish), sauerkraut, miso, tamari, seaweed, and sea salt.

It’s important that you balance your salt intake. Switch to sea salt from table salt and do not consume too much salt.

Believe it or not, the kidney system can also benefit by eating foods shaped like a kidney. These include most beans but especially kidney beans, and black beans. This is called the doctrine of signatures, which states that herbs and foods that look like certain parts of the body can be utilized to resolve issues of that part of the body. The doctrine of signatures is a philosophy usually followed by most herbalists.

Black and blue foods such as figs, black beans, mulberries, blackberries, and blueberries can support the function of the kidney. The blue and black color is affiliated to the kidney element of water.

Eating certain seafoods can also be good for the kidney. These can include seaweeds, shrimp, fish, oysters, mussels, fresh water clams, and crab. Meat products such as duck, duck eggs, chicken and chicken eggs as well as pork are also good for the kidneys.

Seeds that reinforce the kidneys include black sesame, sunflower, flax, and pumpkin seeds. They all help regulate fertility and growth, which are physiological functions that the kidneys govern.

When a certain organ system is out of balance, you can help restore it to normal function by choosing the right foods to eat. With acupuncture treatment administered by a licensed acupuncturist in Orlando, you can get your body working at optimal levels and help your system feel great!

Foods That Can Help Improve The Function Of Your Kidneys

In Chinese medicine, nutrition plays a huge role in creating health within a person. In this type of medicine there are specific foods that can help reinforce the organs systems of the spleen, heart, liver, kidneys, and metal. Each of these systems plays a specific role in the functioning of the body. We will discuss the nutritional requirements of the kidney organ system.

The kidney organ system’s primary responsibilities are to maintain the willpower strength of a person, regulate urine function, optimize the function of the brain, maintain bone health, govern growth and reproduction, and to store jing or life essence. This organ system is also very important to the other organs in the body. When the Kidneys are out of balance ear disease and infections, hearing loss, and bone issues affecting the teeth, lower back, and knees can all set in. An imbalance in the kidney may also lead to hair problems such as premature graying, split ends, and hair loss. Kidney problems may also play a role in any reproductive, sexual or urinary health problems as well as in excessive insecurity and fear, poor growth, premature ovarian failure, premature graying, and premature aging.

Drink Lots of Water – One of the most important things to do to reinforce the kidney organ system is to drink lots of water and to eat various kinds of foods. The element that is related to the kidneys is water so you need to keep your body well hydrated by drinking water throughout the day.

Salty Tasting Foods – The kidneys can also benefit when you eat a diet of salty tasting foods like sauerkraut, miso, tamari, seaweeds, sea salt, and kimchee, a Korean dish made up of cultured vegetables.

Salt – You need to balance your intake of salt. This means do not take in too much salt. Using sea salt instead of table salt is more preferable.

Seeds – Eating seeds such as black sesame, sunflower, flax, or pumping seeds has been known to help strengthen the kidneys. All these seeds are associated with fertility and growth, both which are controlled by the kidneys.

Seafood – Seafood such as seaweed, shrimp, fish, oysters, mussels, fresh water clams, and crab as well as duck and chicken eggs, duck, and pork can all support the kidneys.

Black and Blue Foods – Figs, black beans, mulberries, blackberries, blueberries all support the function of the kidney. The blue and black color is associated with water which is the element related to the kidneys. By selecting these two colors, we then can help strengthen the elements.

Kidney Shaped Foods – According to Chinese food therapy, foods that are shaped like a kidney can actually help strengthen the kidneys. This belief is called the doctrine of signatures and is a principle that herbalists abide in. According to this doctrine, herbs and plants that mimic the shape of specific parts of the body can be utilized to treat conditions affecting those parts of the body.

You’ll be able to improve the function of an organ system that is out of balance by selecting the right foods to eat. This helps improve its function getting your body to work at optimal levels!

Ivelisse DeJongh is a Miami acupuncturist and the medical director at DeJongh Acupuncture Clinic.

The Effects Of Cupping Therapy Can Help Eliminate A Lot Of Physical Illnesses

One aspect of Traditional Chinese Medicine that’s rising in popularity in the US is cupping. You may not have heard of the treatment before but rest assured, it can provide with you tons of benefits – from relieving acute and chronic pain to curing certain respiratory diseases.

What is Cupping Therapy?

An ancient form of Chinese medicine, cupping is a procedure that uses a cup or cups that are applied to the skin with the pressure in the cup reduced (either by suction or heat) in order to hold and draw the skin and superficial muscles into the cup to produce a therapeutic effect. The practitioner moves the cup while the suction is active which causes the muscle and skin to be pulled. This procedure is known as gliding cupping.

Cupping therapy focuses on certain acupuncture points and areas of the body that are experiencing pain, where the pain is more profound deeper than the tissues to be pulled. Greater emphasis is placed on acupuncture points located on the back because this treatment is most easily performed when done on the back. Most practitioners utilize the da shui, bladder meridian, and back shu acupoints. Cupping is usually used after plum blossom treatment, bloodletting, or acupuncture.

The meridian theory of the body is where cupping treatment is based. Cupping opens up the meridians and eliminates stagnation in the body so that energy can move without hindrance. Cupping also aids in the rejuvenation of organs and certain energy channels that are not functioning optimally. From the viewpoint of science, cupping has been proven to repair deep tissue injury, enhance blood and energy flow, and activate the lymphatic system.

How Cupping Therapy is Done

Cupping treatment oftentimes uses glass cups although sometimes, bamboo cups are also used. The cups used come with a valve that connects to a small manual pump, enabling the healer to pump out air without having to use fire to first depressurize the cup. This also allows them to have better control over the amount of suction. Cupping is also referred to as suction cup therapy or ba guan fa.

Oil infused with medicinal herb extracts is applied to the skin in order to allow the cups to move smoothly over the skin. The cups are used at room temperature. The moving cups generate a little friction which produces a small amount of heat that adds to the potency of the therapy.

For about 10 to 15 minutes, the cups are left in place. Due to the congestion of blood and the suction’s effect on the capillaries, the skin will bruise and redden and turn purplish. Afterwards, the cup is then removed from the skin. This is done by pressing the skin on one side causing outside air to enter the cup and equalize the pressure.

Conditions Cupping Therapy Can Address

Cupping is usually performed to address paralysis, lung conditions (asthma and chronic coughing), gastrointestinal disorders, and pain, although it can also be useful for other illnesses. It should not be used on inflamed skin and should be only performed over fleshy parts of the body. It should not be used on people, who are easily bruised, suffer from convulsions or those with a high fever. In pregnant women, cupping should not be performed on their lower back region.

The effects of cupping therapy can be felt deep within the body, actually, as deep as four inches into the tissues, causing these tissues to release toxins. Cupping can also enhance the appearance of varicose veins, eliminate stretch marks, activate the skin, clear and energize the capillaries, arteries, and veins, clear colon blockages, and stimulate the lymphatic system.

Jamie Catlett is an acupuncturist in Jacksonville, FL and the founder of Jacksonville Acupuncture Clinic.

The Difference Between Chinese Medicine And Western Medicine

While Chinese medicine is deemed in the West as alternative medicine, it is still used as a primary form of treatment by a lot of people in China, which it has been so for thousands of years. However, more and more people in the West are now turning to this type of medicine because they prefer a natural approach to healing rather than using synthetically manufactured drugs that come with really bad side effects.

How Chinese medicine began is not really known although it is believed its practice dates back more than 5,000 years ago. The first documented history mentioning Chinese medicine come from the Canon of Internal Medicine (Hung-Di Nei-Jing) which is believed to be more than 2,000 years old and is ascribed to the Yellow Emperor, although there is still debate over the authors and dates.

Most of us know about the basic forms of Chinese medicine like acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in Bellingham. Some may know that Chinese medicine also includes food therapy, qi gong, and massage therapy. However, only a few people are aware that Chinese medicine and all types of ancient therapies focus more on the restoration of balance and harmony to prevent the rise of conditions instead of treatment of a disease.

The main reason for illness is the lack or absence of balance or harmony in the body. While modern Western medicine uses vaccines and antibiotics to destroy viruses and bacteria, Chinese medicine uses a holistic approach and addresses imbalance to build the body and make it strong enough to resist all types of diseases and illnesses.

These days, more and more medical schools in the West are including alternative medicine subjects in their curricula. However the relationship between Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine is still contentious. Compared to their Chinese counterparts, older Western physicians tend to view Chinese medicine as a form of pseudo medicine.

However, far from being seen as useless in the West, Chinese medicine is slowly being acknowledged by scientists, doctors, and researchers as effective for certain conditions that cannot be treated by Western medicine. Moreover, a growing number of Western hospitals are now offering Qi Gong and Tai Chi classes as part of their health and inpatient programs.

Although Chinese Medicine is still tagged as alternative medicine in the West, more than 75 percent of the world’s population uses it as a primary form of treatment and it is in the fields of prevention and dealing with emotional or physical conditions that it excels. Chinese medicine is free of risks and is a therapeutic and non-invasive form of treatment.

The views about Chinese medicine are rapidly changing by the day and more and more people are willing to try it especially after Western medicine has failed to address their problem or because they are just so sick and tired of taking prescription and OTC medications that do not work and give them nasty side effects. More people are taking a proactive approach to their health and well being by maintaining their health through Chinese medicine and by exercising and eating the right foods. This is really the best way to avoid falling into illness and disease.

Acupuncture Montclair and the Meridians

According to traditional Chinese medicine, the meridian systems are the invisible highway networks that deliver chi to every part of the human body.  Meridian lines run through the nervous system from the brain to the coccyx, the shoulder, limbs and lower extremities of the body and delivers blood and the life force known in TCM as chi or qi.

Chi is what gives a body life.  It is the life force in the universe.  Where there is life, there is chi.  Chi is represented in various ways in creation.  A different form of chi manifests itself in the animal kingdom while another in the plant kingdom.  There may be infinite number of manifestations of chi in the universe considering the size and greatness of the universe where life in one form or another exists.

All meridians are connected to the brain.  Each meridian is one or another connected to an organ in the body.  In TCM, an organ is not the same as is thought of in western conventional sense. The kidneys, for example, in western medicine, are organs that filter blood, normalize the blood electrolytes and help excrete waste.  In TCM, the kidneys govern the water aspect of the body.  They are also the organ responsible for reproduction, growth and sexuality.

The meridians act like the circulatory system.  Instead of blood, they deliver chi throughout the body.  Meridians may develop blockages or cause the chi to stagnate.  These blockages or stagnations are result of various factors such as high emotional states, stress, depression, accidents, injuries, unhealthy lifestyle and exposure to harmful elements and environmental pollution.

TCM considers physiological, physical, emotional and psychological issues as chi inhibitors and cause of blockages in the meridian system.  TCM treats sickness in a holistic manner and thus provides holistic treatments and therapies for the human being.  This is a very sensible and realistic way of thinking considering that some physical illnesses and diseases are products of emotional and psychological problems thus, weight loss or drug addiction, maybe the result of stress and depression.  What TCM does is to find out what particular organ may be the cause of the person’s emotional and psychological problem.

When the organ is identified, reed-thin needles are applied to it and to the other organs than may have been affected by the organ suffering chi deprivation.  Some of the organs affected usually govern both the physiological and the psychological aspects of the problem.  When the addiction is healed or cured, the underlying cause for the addiction itself is healed, say depression or lack of self-confidence.

Acupuncture Montclair presents itself not merely as a cure for a symptom posing as the disease; it does cure the body entirely of the cause of the symptom/disease.


Helium Prices on the Rise in N. Texas - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

Helium Prices on the Rise in N. Texas

    Helium Prices on the Rise in N. Texas
    Shutterstock, Vladru

    Florists and balloonists in North Texas and elsewhere say the prices they're paying for helium are sky-high.

    The Fort Star-Telegram reports that helium is getting more expensive and more difficult to find. Francey Freeman, the owner of a Fort Worth balloon store, says prices have quadrupled with no signs of slowing down. Some grocery stores have stopped selling helium tanks altogether.

    Texas is home to the nation's only federal helium reserve, located near Amarillo. But federal law requires the reserve to sell off all of its helium by 2015.

    Some warn of a looming helium shortage and are calling on Congress to change the law.

    Besides filling balloons, helium also cools MRI machines and is used in a variety of electronics.


大型放射光施設 SPring-8

副題／演題 6th International Conference on Inelastic X-ray Scattering
開催期間 2007年05月07日から11日まで
開催場所 淡路夢舞台国際会議場（兵庫県淡路市）
主催 財団法人高輝度光科学研究センター
形式 研究発表（学会）
分野 ビームライン・装置（加速器・光源を含む）, 物質科学, 生命科学

IXS2007 will cover a wide range of topics in the field of inelastic x-ray scattering, including electronic resonant and non-resonant scattering, meV-resolved atomic dynamics, nuclear resonant methods, and Compton scattering.  Theoretical calculations will also be addressed.  The conference will deepen our understanding of inelastic x-ray scattering, a set of techniques that have demonstrated their great potential to contribute to condensed matter physics, geophysics, chemistry and bio-physics.

The conference is intended to provide a forum for presenting new research and exchanging ideas about scientific applications and technical developments.  It will promote scientific collaboration combining the different techniques.  Presentations will consist of plenary, invited, and contributed talks, and a poster session, all scheduled so as to provide ample time for discussion.

The conference venue is the Awaji Yumebutai International Conference Center (http://www.yumebutai.org/conf_e/index.html) in Awaji on Awaji Island.  It is located 30 minutes from Kobe and 90 minutes from Kansai International Airport (KIX) by bus, via Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the world.

No proceedings will be published, since inelastic x-ray scattering has become a relatively mature field, with most people preferring to publish independently in standard journals.

URL http://ixs2007.spring8.or.jp
問い合わせ先 垣口伸二 JASRI研究調整部
最終変更日 2009-05-27 12:36


Assess the Importance of Ideology in the Formulation of Nazi Foreign Policy to 1939

Only available on StudyMode
  • Download(s) : 1060
  • Published : May 3, 2011
Open Document
Text Preview
ASSESS THE IMPORTANCE OF IDEOLOGY ON THE FORMULATION OF NAZI FOREIGN POLICY to 1939 From Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor on January 30 1933 to the beginning of WWII on Sept 3 1939, the Nazi state pursued an aggressive foreign policy that contributed largely to the outbreak of war. This foreign policy was largely reflective of the goals Hitler had set out in his 1924 autobiography “Mein Kampf”, particularly Germany’s easterly moving aggressions. However, although Nazi ideology played a dominant role in structuring foreign policy to 1939, it was also greatly influenced by the response of the Allies to aggressions and therefore Hitler’s perception of which foreign policies could be most successful. Hence, whilst Nazi ideology surmises the ultimate goals of Nazi foreign policy to 1939, the role of events from 1933-1939 played a significant detail in determining Germany’s actions. Hitler’s understanding of politics and race can be summed up in “Weltanschauung” (world view), as described in Mein Kampf. Written in 1924 after Hitler had been arrested for an attempted coup, the autobiography deals with the issues plaguing Germany at the time, including the instability of the Weimar Republic and the problem of WWI reparation payments as set out in the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. Hitler, as a member of nationalist Nazi party, despised democracy, and believed that it undermined Germany’s success. Further, Hitler gave validity to the “stabbing in the back” myth, claiming that WWI’s loss had been unnecessary, and had been caused as a result of the “scheming” Jewish population. Using these understandings, Hitler believed that should Germany be expanded into a grossdeutschland by creating Lebensraum (living room) in the resource-rich East, wherein the superior Aryan race could reside. All other races, particularly Slavs & Jews, were denoted as racially inferior, and were intended by Hitler to be used as slaves. Throughout Mein Kampf, Hitler euphorically and openly describes his war intentions for Germany, in quotes such as “Any alliance whose purpose is not the intention to wage war is useless”. However, when Hitler came to power in 1933, Germany was unfit to pursue Hitler’s aims, and required a great deal of restructuring in order to increase output and production. Therefore, despite Hitler’s ultimately war goals, he was forced to delay aggressions until the German military could be rebuilt. This began in 1935, when Hitler announced open plans for rearmament and introduced conscription, in order to strengthen and prepare the Wehrmacht. This was a direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles, however the Allies chose not to act. At this stage, Hitler’s popularity as a leader was large, seen by the success of the Saar plebiscite in January 1935 in which the Saarland’s population chose to rejoin Germany, as before the Treaty. Even by the end of 1935, it was clear that Nazi Germany was expanding, and intended to continue. On March 7th 1936, Hitler ordered the invasion of the Rhineland. This foreign policy was incredibly aggressive, and showed even greater disregard for the terms of treaty. The Rhineland had been established by the Treaty as buffer between France and Germany, in order to ensure France’s safety after the German invasion of WWI. By invading it, Hitler directly threatened France, and demonstrated his serious intent to expand Germany, as outlined in Mein Kampf. However, although this invasion coheres to the ideologies outlined in Mein Kampf, namely the reversal of the Treaty of Versailles, the invasion was largely experimental, and based on the previous non-action of the Allies to Hitler’s defiance of the treaty. A mere 22,000 German troops entered the Rhineland, and could have easily been suppressed by Allied forces, Hitler himself admitting that had the French resisted, Germany would be forced to retreat immediately. Despite this, the Allies chose not to respond yet again. This was a critical point in structuring future Nazi...
tracking img


Official reprint from UpToDate®

Medline ® Abstract for Reference 1

of 'Anaphylaxis: Emergency treatment'

Lessons for management of anaphylaxis from a study of fatal reactions.
Pumphrey RS
Clin Exp Allergy. 2000;30(8):1144.
BACKGROUND: The unpredictability of anaphylactic reactions and the need for immediate, often improvised treatment will make controlled trials impracticable; other means must therefore be used to determine optimal management.
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the circumstances leading to fatal anaphylaxis.
METHODS: A register was established including all fatal anaphylactic reactions in the UK since 1992 that could be traced from the certified cause of death. Data obtained from other sources suggested that deaths certified as due to anaphylaxis underestimate the true incidence. Details of the previous medical history, the reaction and necropsy were sought for all cases.
RESULTS: Approximately half the 20 fatal reactions recorded each year in the UK were iatrogenic, and a quarter each due to food or insect venom. All fatal reactions thought to have been due to food caused difficulty breathing that in 86% led to respiratory arrest; shock was more common in iatrogenic and venom reactions. The median time to respiratory or cardiac arrest was 30 min for foods, 15 min for venom and 5 min for iatrogenic reactions. Twenty-eight per cent of fatal cases were resuscitated but died 3 h-30 days later, mostly from hypoxic brain damage. Adrenaline (epinephrine) was used in treatment of 62% of fatal reactions but before arrest in only 14%.
CONCLUSIONS: Immediate recognition of anaphylaxis, early use of adrenaline, inhaled beta agonists and other measures are crucial for successful treatment. Nevertheless, a few reactions will be fatal whatever treatment is given; optimal management of anaphylaxis is therefore avoidance of the cause whenever this is possible. Predictable cross-reactivity between the cause of the fatal reaction and that of previous reactions had been overlooked. Adrenaline overdose caused at least three deaths and must be avoided. Kit for self-treatment had proved unhelpful for a variety of reasons; its success depends on selection of appropriate medication, ease of use and good training.
Immunology Unit, Central Manchester Healthcare NHS Trust Hospitals, St Mary's Hospital, Hathersage Road, Manchester M13 0JH, UK.


The Mexican Caribbean is a world known tourist destination filled with natural and cultural beauty. Some of the most important attractions are the interesting archaeological site vestiges of the Great Mayan Culture, one of the most enigmatic civilizations that have inhabited the Earth. You will be surprised and will have a close encounter with a culture that is still Continue Reading


Helpful topics and some frequently asked questions.

Do I need to make a provision in my will for my pets?

Whether or not one needs to make a provision for their pets in their will is a fact-specific question. Someone may have close family members or friends who the person can trust to care for their pets in that event. There is no reason to put it in the will on the other hand Florida law does allow for provisions for the pet to be in the will if one desires that.