The menopause can often be associated with Osteoporosis: a condition of thinning and weakness of the bones which can result in fractures in later life particularly of the hip, the spine and the wrist. It is a major health hazard that results in an osteoporotic fracture in 1 in 3 women.

A DEXA scan compares your bone density with the bone density expected for a healthy adult of your own age, gender and ethnicity. This allows a clinician to diagnose if you have a low bone density, which can be associated with the oestrogen deficiency that follows the menopause, treatable with HRT, particularly in women under 60.

A DEXA bone scan can be a very important step in protecting and safeguarding your bones – and general health – during the menopause.

Why is there a need for a bone scan?

Osteoporosis is currently diagnosed on a bone density scanning machine when the amount of bone we have, as measured on the scan, is found to be significantly lower than average. The lower our bone density, the higher risk we have of breaking bones.

Bone density scans are only recommended for people who are considered to be at risk of having a fragility fracture.

What is osteoporosis?

What is a DEXA Scan?

Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) bone density scanning is the most commonly used diagnostic technique for osteoporosis.

As osteoporosis causes no symptoms until a bone is broken, it has traditionally been difficult to identify who may have fragile bones before a fracture occurs. Due to advances in technology and the development of bone densitometry (the measurement of bone density), We can now detect osteoporosis prior to any bones breaking. This gives individuals who are at a higher risk of fractures the opportunity to take treatments and adopt lifestyle changes in order to reduce their risk of breaking their bones.

What will happen when I have a scan?

It is a simple, painless procedure that uses very low doses of radiation, which is similar to natural background radiation – less than one tenth of the dosage of a chest x-ray.

A DEXA scan involves lying on a firm couch whilst a scanning arm passes over the body taking an image of the spine and hips.

A DEXA scan will take approximately ten minutes. It is a quick, simple and comfortable procedure.

It does not involve being enclosed in a mechanical tunnel or having any injections.

Usually you will not have to remove any of your clothing, but if there is a significant amount of metal near the hips or along the spinal area, this clothing may have to be removed so it does not affect the scan.

What is the difference between a DEXA scan and an ultrasound?

Ultrasound is an alternative method of investigating the health of other organs in your body, such as imaging the womb, liver, kidney, gallbladder, spleen, ovaries, bladder, breasts and eyes.

It works by generating sound waves of a high frequency, which are beamed into the body. The echoes of the reflected sound, or the rate and path of transmission of the sound, are used to build up an electronic image or measurement of the structure being examined. Ultrasound does not use radiation.

Where will I be scanned?

You will be scanned within the comfort of our 92 Harley Street clinic where we have a cutting edge DEXA scanner installed in its own premium room.

How I book?

Patients can make their own booking and they will not be charged a consultation fee. Please call 020 7034 1300 to make an appointment.

Check out our latest news post

The Fertility Partnership Donates £45,150 to Bliss Charity

Meet us at our next open evening:

Wednesday 22 August

Boston Place IVF and Fertility Open Evening


Long-Term Implications of Emergency Versus Elective Proximal Aortic Surgery in Patients With Marfan Syndrome in the Genetically Triggered Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms and Cardiovascular Conditions Consortium Registry

Study Questions:

Does failed surveillance of aortic size and missed opportunities for prophylactic aortic surgery impact outcomes in patients with the Marfan syndrome (MFS)?

When the aortic root reaches appropriate size for intervention based on surveillance imaging, elective aortic root surgery in patients with the MFS can be performed with low morbidity and mortality; whereas emergent surgery is associated with higher morbidity and mortality. However, the impact of failed surveillance leading to emergent surgery is not well defined. The GenTAC (Genetically Triggered Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms and Cardiovascular Conditions) registry was queried for all patients with MFS. Those patients who had undergone proximal aortic replacement procedures, either emergent or elective, were included in the analysis. Procedure information, quality of life (QOL) scores, and imaging data were assessed.

The GenTAC registry included 635 patients with the Marfan syndrome as of March 2011. Of these, 194 (31%) had undergone proximal aortic surgery. Of these, 147 (76%) were elective for aneurysm or aortic insufficiency, whereas 47 (24%) were emergent in the setting of aortic dissection. Most of the patients were white males in young adulthood or middle age (18-69 years). Patients in the elective group tended to be younger than those in the emergent group at the time of initial surgery (mean age 34.9 vs. 38.0 years, p = NS). Patients who underwent elective surgery were more likely to receive valve-sparing procedures (42% vs. 17% in the emergent group, p = 0.01), and were less likely to undergo multiple aortic procedures (9.9% vs. 26.9% in the emergent group, p = 0.003). Cross-sectional imaging was available in 95 patients at approximately 7 years post-initial surgery. Those in the emergent group were more likely to have evidence of chronic dissection distal to the proximal repair (73% vs. 12% elective group, p < 0.001) and larger aortic dimensions in the more distal aorta. Finally, those in the elective group had higher QOL measures than those in the emergent group at approximately 5-year follow-up.

In patients with MFS, emergent initial surgery has important long-term consequences including less valve-sparing procedures, multiple subsequent aortic procedures, increased incidence of distal dissection, increased aortic size in the un-operated aorta, and lower QOL scores.

When patients with the MFS undergo emergent surgery for dissection, there is known high upfront morbidity and mortality. This study highlights other important longer-term implications of emergent surgery in the population. However, even in carefully monitored patients with MFS, aortic dissection can occur at aortic dimensions that are smaller than the recommended size for aortic repair. Additionally, the diagnosis of MFS is often not clear at the time of emergent presentation and can impact initial surgical therapy. The GenTAC registry does not currently collect data that can pinpoint when failures in diagnosis and treatment occur. Overall, this study reminds us that increased physician awareness of MFS, and its implications and presentation, may help improve surveillance and optimal initial surgical interventions in this population.

Keywords: Heart Diseases, Follow-Up Studies, Marfan Syndrome, Emergencies, Cardiac Surgical Procedures, Vascular Surgical Procedures

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How telehealth has enhanced Cleveland Clinic's value-based care strategy

As reimbursement models uphold outcomes over volume of services rendered, hospitals are tasked to improve the health of the populations they serve both within and outside of their walls. Given its capacity to reach patients in their homes, provide early intervention and care for minor conditions and alleviate overutilization of hospitals' emergency rooms, telemedicine has become an integral part of many hospitals' core patient access strategy.

In a webinar sponsored by American Well and hosted by Becker's Hospital Review, Matt Stanton, senior director of distance health at Cleveland Clinic, and Danielle Russella, president of customer solutions at American Well, discussed how Cleveland Clinic incorporated telehealth into its spectrum of care and services.

In September 2014, Cleveland Clinic partnered with American Well to deliver urgent care via telehealth. The partnership set out to increase patient access to care, support Cleveland Clinic's transition to value-based care, improve efficiency and expand the system's reach to new patients.

"Part of this is about expanding our access and our reach, around the world, without having to build buildings all the time," Mr. Stanton said. "We recognize that's not a long-term sustainable strategy, to keep building hospitals."

How to determine where to implement telemedicine

"We've seen that the real value of telehealth goes well beyond urgent care," Ms. Russella said of the services American Well offers, which include patient-to-provider and provider-to-provider interaction. "We've watched and influenced how our clients have taken our infrastructure to market. In the early days, it was specifically with urgent care. Today, it's with all kinds of care."

The hospital is nearing the end of a six-month hypertension pilot project, during which roughly 100 patients would track data from remote monitoring devices at home. That data was integrated with Cleveland Clinic's telehealth platform. Providers could then view these vital signs, such as blood pressure, during scheduled virtual visits, to help patients manage their care.

"I do think urgent care is a good place to get started," Mr. Stanton said, "but in thinking about where you would go outside of urgent care, I think this is where telemedicine really becomes part of the fabric of healthcare."

Telemedicine helps health systems foster innovation

"I think this is where providers need to be thinking about using telemedicine, if we really want to make a difference in our patients' lives," Mr. Stanton said of Cleveland Clinic's expansion into experimental modes of remote care.

3 factors for a successful telehealth program

"We do have make sure everybody on the team understands why we're doing this, why it's good for patients and what exactly the process is going to be," he explained. "There is no staff meeting that is too early in the morning or too late at night to show up at and present the concept."

Along with staff outreach, Mr. Stanton highlighted how Cleveland Clinic's CEO has been a strong proponent of virtual healthcare, and has been strongly encouraging department chairs to integrate it into their services.

"In my opinion, it really comes down to the physician, nurse and administrator," Mr. Stanton said. "Without any one of these three people being excited about doing this, invariably it becomes very difficult to get it launched."

Today, Cleveland Clinic's EMR supports scheduling on the telehealth platform, and automatically inputs data into patients' medical records based on information they provide online. The EMR has also integrated revenue cycle management capabilities, to help streamline patient payments.

"Once we got our scheduled integration done with our EMR, it enormously increased our ability to get departments launched and eliminated all sorts of training we had to do for front desk personnel," Mr. Stanton explained.

"I wouldn't underestimate the amount of awareness that you have to build on the patient side," Mr. Stanton said. "There's a fair amount of talking to them about why this is appropriate for them and that we're only using this in situations where we feel that it's clinically appropriate, but I think all of that is going to evolve as this becomes a more visible part of the healthcare system."

To drive patient awareness, Cleveland Clinic launched a few different marketing campaigns, including email outreach. Outside of more traditional marketing attempts, Cleveland Clinic also debuted a telehealth-focused advertisement during this past February's Super Bowl LI, which Mr. Stanton said led to a spike in traffic on the hospital's website and app.

Listen to the webinar recording here.

Top 40 Articles from the Past 6 Months


Diseases and Conditions

Antibiotic-associated diarrhea

Most often, antibiotic-associated diarrhea is mild and requires no treatment. The diarrhea typically clears up within a few days after you stop taking the antibiotic. More-serious antibiotic-associated diarrhea might require stopping or switching antibiotic medications.


Barbecuing uses a source of heat in the open air to cook vegetables.

Barbecuing is a quick way to cook vegetables which means most of the nutrients are retained. It’s also tasty, as they develop a delicious smoky flavour. If you don’t have a BBQ, you can use a grill pan instead.

Brush vegetables with a small amount of oil before throwing them on the BBQ. Small chunks will cook more quickly than larger sized vegetables.

Veggy tip

If you’re cooking with frozen vegetables, don’t defrost them first as this will reduce the amount of vitamins available to you.


3D Printing Pushes Innovation in Medicine through QUT Partnership

3 ਡੀ ਪ੍ਰਿੰਟਿੰਗ 3 ਡੀ ਮੈਡੀਕਲ ਪ੍ਰਿੰਟਿੰਗ, 3 ਜੀ ਅੰਗ ਪ੍ਰਿੰਟਿੰਗ, 3 ਡੀ ਪ੍ਰਿੰਟਿੰਗ ਵਧ ਰਹੀ
November 30, 2016

The QUT Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation in Australia is building a dedicated facility. Although you still are unable to get 3D-printed liver transplant made from your own cells. An Australian hospital is trying to progress the technology into the mainstream. The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is Brisbane is building a dedicated “bio-fabrication” space in which physicians and researchers can produce technology to model and print cartilage, bone…

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Keloids are an overgrowth of scar tissue that develops around skin tissue that has been damaged, or a wound. The cause of keloids are not known, but they are more prevalent in people who have darker skin color. There are varied treatments that are available. People prone to develop keloid should avoid tattoos, piercings, and unnecessary surgery. A Keloid is the overgrowth of sacred tissue, which usually forms after the…

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Le bucce di lattina chimiche sono un trattamento popolare per le persone con acne severa. I peeling chimici possono essere somministrati fino al 70% di resistenza o fino al 20% di resistenza da parte di estetisti nelle spa e nei saloni.  I peeling chimici sono acidi che vengono applicati sulla pelle circa una volta ogni due settimane.
November 27, 2016

Chemical can peels are a popular treatment for people with severe acne. Chemical peels can be administered up to 70% strength or in up to 20% strength by estheticians in spas and salons. Chemical peels are acids which are applied to skin about once every two weeks. These acid peels chemically exfoliate the top layers of skin. This exfoliation indicates the cells inside the skin to produce at increased speed,…

Top 9 Acne & Pimple (Zit) Removal Products

ਸਪਲੀਅਸਿਲ, ਮੁਹਾਸੇ ਦੇ ਪੋਰ ਸ਼ਰੂਬ, ਨਿਊਟ੍ਰੋਜੈਨਾ, ਤੇਲ ਫ੍ਰੀ ਐਕਨੇ
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  Acne Treatment Comparisons: Proactive, Oxy Maximum, and AcneFree Finding Treatments that can help you get rid of those pesky pimples can seem like a never-ending and ongoing struggle, but some of the best acne products on the market can be found for prices as little as $1. However, between all of the acne treatments out there, how would you know which products really work. Based on our reviews of…

Acne Treatment Comparisons: Proactive, Oxy Maximum, and AcneFree

ਪ੍ਰਕ੍ਰਿਆਤਮਕ, ਆਕਸੀ ਵੱਧ, ਅਤੇ ਮੁਹਾਵਰੇ, ਮੁਹਾਸੇ ਦੇ ਇਲਾਜ, ਮੁਹਾਸੇ ਦੇ ਘਿਣਾਉਣੇ ਪ੍ਰਭਾਵਾਂ, ਫਿਣਸੀ, ਮੁਹਾਸੇ ਨੂੰ ਹਟਾਉਣ, ਮੁਹਾਸੇ ਹਟਾਉਣ
November 26, 2016

Many skin care products have the claim that it can clear up acne, the bane of many adolescents and adults. However, do any of this blemish removing remedies actually work? Topical treatment with benzoyl peroxide is so of the best performing over the counter options for acne, which si caused by bacteria trapped in clogged pores. We recently tested Proactive ( advertised by Justin Bieber, and Katy Perry) it cost…

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November 25, 2016

The long-term goal of medical additive manufacturing is to be able to print full functional 3-D printed organs. However, this does not mean that 3D doesn’t have anything tangible to offer the medicinal world in today. Full-color 3-D printing company WhiteCloud has launched a new medical 3D printing service called 3D printing Scan: which offers personalized full-color pre-surgery educational models based on a patient’s CT/MRI scans. Most impressively of all, these…

What is Gestational Diabetes

forme di diabete gestazionale durante la gravidanza (gestazione). Come altri tipi di diabete, il diabete gestazionale influenza il modo in cui le cellule usano zucchero (glucosio). Il diabete gestazionale causa alti livelli di zucchero nel sangue che possono influenzare la gravidanza e la salute del bambino.
November 25, 2016

Gestational diabetes forms during pregnancy (gestation). Like other types of diabetes, gestational diabetes influences how your cells use sugar (glucose). Gestational diabetes causes high blood sugar that can affect your pregnancy and your baby’s heath. The pregnancy complication is concerning, but there’s good news, Expectant moms can help manage gestational diabetes by eating healthy foods, exercising and, if needed, taking medication. Controlling blood sugar can prevent a difficult birth and…

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November 24, 2016

The odds of having twins in multiple births are much greater than any other type multiple birth. Around 90% of all multiples consist of twins, the remaining 10% are triplets, quadruplets and sometime quintuplets and more. Recently there has been a large increase in the number of twins being born; This is due to higher maternal ages and assisted reproduction technology and the wider use of fertility drugs. Importantly, better…

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Mandy is an old nosey neighbour, with grey hair and wrinkles who stares over Kath and Kim's house whenever something is going on in the front yard. She was first seen in the episode Gay, but her name was not mentioned. She appeared again in Season 4, episode 2 where she appeared in most of the episodes for the rest of season 4. In Wine Time for the episode House, she has thrown dog poop over to Kath's garden. Kim throws it back and Kath comments. Mandy throws it back, which hits Kim on the arm. This becomes a War, throwing Cujo's poop and Mandy's dog poop


The Ireland Land Trust

William Roper

"One of the significant attributes of the Land Trust arrangement is that it is a voluntary
process - the farmers come to the process and work with the Land Trust and agree to the imposition of certain restrictions on the farm that will prevent future development.

Landscape protection is ordinarily either an intrinsic goal or an imposed objective. In
response to development encroachment on significant habitats, coastal zones and
aesthetic amenities, Irish communities have slowly begun to wake up, and are
beginning to look at regional development plans as a tool for shaping future growth.

This presentation will cover:

  • The Ireland Land Trust being founded to provide an alternative means to achieve the end of landscape protection.
  • How the Land Trust differs from regional development plans and SAC's.
  • How the Land Trust accomplishes its goals.
  • Some examples to illustrate how the Land Trust would operate.
  • How one essential component of the Land Trust is adequate funding.

Now is a critical time in Ireland's land development. There are significant
opportunities to positively shape this development and avoid many of the mistakes
that abound in Europe and the United States.

There are many challenges facing the proposed Land Trust. The concept of
"development rights" is a new one and needs legislative attention. Ireland's laws on
charitable contributions and non-profit companies are antiquated and require
overhauling. We are attempting to ensure that the Land Trust's work will complement
rather than replicate other attempts at landscape protection. And, of course, the
biggest challenges lie in finding the right landowners to work with and the funding
necessary to make the land trust concept a reality in Ireland.

To date the concept has been very well received, and there is a high degree of
enthusiasm for the projected work and benefits. The long-term impact in the United
States has been profound, and there is no reason why the Ireland Land Trust cannot
succeed in Ireland.

Good morning, my name is Bill Roper, I'm from Vermont which is a state on the east coast of
the United States and I think it's probably going to be helpful if I tell you a little bit about

As you can tell, I'm from the United States, but I did live in Ireland last year for the year, in
Westport, and for the previous two years before that, knowing that I was going to live in
Westport, I spent many hours studying the environmental issues that Ireland was facing and
came over here regularly to make sure that what I was reading was in fact accurate. I
attended a number of conferences such as this one and I agree with Terry that there are many
types of issues that are discussed over and over again and hopefully this Forum can help
promote actual results rather than continued papers and talk, because I have been to too many
conferences where very good ideas were aired but did not really go anywhere beyond the
presentation of the reports and I think it behoves all of us to try and push it from the report
stage to actually having something happen on the ground.

Sara's talk today was a good overview of directives and legislation that have been passed, but
there is still obviously a great need to turn those regulations into effective management of the

I started coming over to Ireland in 1992 and that was actually my first view of the Irish
landscape and I have been very troubled by what I have seen over the last six years in terms
of what has happened in the landscape and part of what I was working on last year was to
look at what has happened just in the last six years, both in the west of Ireland and in other
parts of the country.

My life experience has been in the United States and if you look at what has happened in the
United States and you will see the mistakes that have been made, but you will also find that
solutions have resulted from those mistakes. In many ways in relation to certain landscape
and development issues the United States is now coming out the other side of the scenario, it
has experienced development, it has experienced the acrimony that development has
produced and now it's starting to implement solutions.

Part of what I worked on in the past year was to try to help Ireland avoid some of the mistakes
that have been made elsewhere. After spending a year talking with many people, working
with the county councils, it's a little unclear whether in fact Ireland is able to avoid the
mistakes, because if you look around the landscape, many of the same mistakes are already

One of the major mistakes that the United States experienced was the acrimony and the
division that resulted from land use development and part of what I tried to encourage last
year was avoidance of such acrimony.

In the United States as a result of development, the business community and the
environmental community often became very divided and there was very little discussion
between these two opposing sides until recently. Over the last five years however in the
United States, what you have started to see is the business communities, the government
communities and the environmental communities begin to work together instead of against
each other and there have been some very creative solutions where certain types of
development that at first posed serious threats to the landscape were revised and modified so
that they could be implemented in a way that was much more friendly to the environment.

So when I came over here what I discovered after talking with many people, particularly in
the West, (my main focus was there), was the fact that the communities are as fractured over
here as they were in the United States. Not only did I find divisions between the
environmental community and the business community, but I found very serious divisions
within the environmental community itself. People at the Forum here and at other fora face a
challenge in itself to mend these past rifts. I found that people have very long memories here
and people that should be talking together no longer talk together because of past perceptions
of betrayal and adversity. It's really later than it should be for people to start working together
again within the environmental community and to start to build the kind of bridges that are
necessary with the business communities, and the agricultural communities.

The West, in particular, shows a very serious divide between the farming communities and
the environmental communities and yet when I talk with farmers in the west I find what I
found in my state at home. My own state is an agrarian state, based on the dairy industry, but
it is also a very beautiful state. If you imagine the West of Ireland with a lot of trees then
that's Vermont. So it has a significant tourist industry but it's also got a significant farming
industry and often times, these can either work together or they can conflict.

What has happened in Vermont is that the tourism industry has realised that its beauty and its
character relies largely on the working farm and so they have tried to work with the farmers to
preserve the farms and thereby preserve the landscape and thus preserve the tourism that
results from that.

The other thing about a beautiful landscape is that it provides a quality of life that you won't
find in less beautiful surroundings. That's what you have in Ireland and in the West, you have
a very high quality of life in terms of the environment in which you live.

What Vermont has very successfully done is to capitalise on that quality of life, to draw in
industry and I have seen that happen in a general sense in Dublin. Dublin markets Ireland's
quality of life and then as a result a lot of industries come to Dublin. The West has been less
successful in being able to trumpet its quality of life and draw in industry because of
infrastructural issues.

As I talk and as I listen - what I see is a tremendously complicated picture where you have
major infrastructural constraints: the roads are not very good in the West. Where you can't
afford infrastructural development, you have problems with population decline and the
economic sector, but the poor infrastructure also inhibits the development of the tourism
sector. However if you want tourism you must improve the infrastructure which means more
cars, perhaps more by-passes, which impact on the landscape, so there are many complex
relationships that are difficult, but that still need to be addressed.

What I also found, and it reflects to some extent the serious concern voiced in Sara's talk, is
the high degree of frustration with the regulations. There are frustrations on both sides, on the
environmental side there is a frustration that the regulations are not stringent enough and are
not being enforced. On the other side there is a frustration that the regulations come from
above and don't always reflect the reality of the life of local communities, so you have one
side fighting for greater regulation and the other side fighting for less regulation.

Amongst the non-regulatory solutions that I have been talking about and trying to bring to
fruition in Ireland is something called the Ireland Land Trust. This is based on a Land Trust
that has been developed and utilised both in Vermont and around the United States and has
been a tremendously successful mechanism for promoting landscape and habitat preservation
in tandem with farming preservation.

This is how it works: the Land Trust is a non-profit organisation, it's not out to make money,
it's simply out to preserve landscape and farms. I should note the Ireland Land Trust is not
a corporate reality yet, under your laws it requires seven people to organise and begin the
corporation, we have got six out of the seven and during my trip here I hope to obtain the
seventh member so that we can become an actual corporate reality. I am quite confident the
seventh person is conceptually agreed. Then we will be up and running.

There will be a limited guarantee company that will likely achieve non-profit status under
your charitable status legislation.

So the Land Trust is almost a functioning corporate entity and I will now describe the way it
works in my State and then I will look at how it can work in Ireland.

This organisation focuses mainly on working farms and it solicits and receives applications
from farms all over the State and what these farms are looking for basically is money.
Money to help promote their livelihood, promote their longevity. These are farmers that have
typically been in operation for a number of generations and are looking for ways to continue
their farming activities. They are facing many of the same challenges as the farming industry
here in Ireland such as lower prices, and a lack of financial support on a number of different

And so the farmers apply to the Land Trust. The Land Trust in Vermont has been in
existence for twenty years so the financial aspects are now fairly secure. The farmer owns the
property and when the farmer looks to sell certain rights to the Land Trust, these do not
include ownership of the farm. The Land Trust does not buy the actual property ownership,
what the Land Trust buys is a thing called a development right, and the development right is,
for example, the right of a farmer to build another house on the farm, or to sell a site for a
commercial enterprise or an industrial manufacturer.

The Land Trust looks at the farm and looks at the regulations that apply to the farm, the soil-
type and all other features of the farm, and through a number of different snapshots, develops
a range of different scenarios as to how that farm can be utilised for development purposes
and so the Land Trust might conclude, based on the applicable regulations and the soils that
ten houses can be built on the farm, or that in any commercial zone under the regulations that
five commercial lots can be developed.

Whatever that development scenario is, once the Land Trust sizes up the development
potential for that farm, it then looks at the revenue the farmer would generate through that
development. So if for example ten houses could be built on this farm and house sites in the
area generally sell for œ20,000 then the development value is œ200,000. The Land Trust then,
through various financial means, is able to pay the farmer for that development value.
œ200,000 is typically more than the farmer will receive. The farmers in Vermont receive
anywhere from $50,000 to $250,000 at the most. So it can give rise to a fairly high economic
value and return for the farms.

It is a process that typically takes about a year. If the farmer agrees that the value is fair, or at
least acceptable the farmer will then eventually convey the development rights to the Land
Trust. The way that the conveyance occurs is through a document that is about 10 pages long.
The farmer agrees what can't be done on his land, and so typically if the Land Trust buys 10
development sites or the potential of 10 development sites it means that those sites will never
be developed. The Land Trust buys the rights to those development sites. But the Land Trust
is not a development company - it's not looking to develop the sites, instead it buys the sites
so that the farm will remain open and will remain in agricultural use.

There are uses that are both prevented within the covenants and uses that are allowed, so
typically the agricultural uses can be continued and actually expanded which is within the

One of the significant attributes of the Land Trust arrangement is that it is a voluntary process
certain restrictions on the farm that will prevent future development. So it's very different
from regulations being imposed on the farmers.

I am a also an environmental attorney, and I am a great believer in the power of regulations
and the need for regulations, so the Land Trust is not meant to replace the regulations, what
it's meant to do is supplement them and provide a different opportunity for the realisation of
an economic value in the farm.

The challenge for the Land Trust here is to find farmers and land owners (it doesn't
necessarily have to be a farmer) that are open to this kind of Land Trust idea. It has actually
generated a lot of interest in the west of Connemara and Mayo and we hope that our pilot
projects will be out in that area. In a country that has so jealously and so doggedly fought for
land ownership over such a long period of time, it is very hard to convince people that they
should start to give up some of these property interests now that they finally own them, but
there are people that are interested in the concept and I think once the Trust becomes a legal
entity and we have some pilot projects which show exactly how it works, we will begin to see
even more success - that's certainly been the case in Vermont.

In Vermont about 5% of the entire land area is now held by the Vermont Land Trust, which is
tremendous growth over 20 years and it has quite a significant impact when you start to
couple it with our State Parks and I see very real potential for that.

The same kind of scenario is here in Ireland. Let me explain the funding mechanics:
typically these are funded through a range of financial means. At governmental level in our
State we actually have a tax, so that when a person buys a piece of property they pay a tax and
a portion of that tax goes into a trust fund and then the trust fund is used to help finance this
kind of landscape preservation.

Two other significant sources are private membership and private contributions from
individuals and private foundations, about half of the Land Trust work is financed by private
foundations around the United States. Actually I have one foundation that is looking at this
proposal in Ireland with a fair degree of interest, I think and hope.

It's an idea that I have a very high degree of confidence in. It is almost a reality, and if you
have questions or comments I will be here for lunch and most likely for dinner and I look
forward to talking to you.

"The ultimate purpose of environmental activity should be to ensure that each
generation transmits to its successors a world that has the range of natural
wealth (enhanced, so far as possible), and the richness of human possibilities
that it received from its predecessors. Environmentally insensitive development
can threaten that goal. We need to acquire greater awareness and knowledge,
and more comprehensive understanding, of the interdependence between the
environment and all forms of human activity, especially those that bear upon the land, its soils, its waters, and its varied forms of life."

Daniel Hillel,
'Out of the Earth'
Civilisation and the Life of the Soil, University of California Press, 1991


At Long Last Love Cole Porter (1937), Ozzie Nelson (#3 in 1938)

Is it an earthquake or merely a shock?
Is it the good turtle soup or merely the mock?
Is it a cocktail, this feeling of joy?
Or is what I feel the real McCoy?

Is it for all time, or simply a lark?
Is it Granada I see or only Ashbury Park?
Is it a fancy not worth thinking of?
Or is it at long last love?


Box 10020 Huntsville, ON P1H 2K1

Why Everyone Needs To Go On A Retreat!

Everyone needs to go a retreat to pull back for their busy daily routines, to build a temporary community with like-minded people in a fun natural environment and focus on being spiritually renewed and refreshed with a pace that is unhurried and conducive to rest and relaxation...

Without Faith, Nothing Fun Happens

If you take faith out of the Bible, nothing FUN happens!! Hebrews 11 is often called the “Faith Hall of Fame.” Theses are stories of remarkable men and women whose stories stand out to encourage and challenge our faith. Moses never would have talked to Pharaoh or...


Make Sculptures

Sculpture originated from antiquity till the 20th century where only a few changes were made in doing it.

Doing sculpture relies on the type of material that is used to do it. It could either be made of stone,wood,metal or clay. It consists of 3 different methods.

The first method is called carving. It is where an artist tries to carve out a certain material until a general shape is formed. There are many materials involved to do it. The first part of carving in the rocks is where a skilled artist tries to cut out the edges of the material using sharper and tougher tools until a certain physical shape is formed. The sculptor follows next wherein he really tries to cut and shapen the material until the planned shape that it's supposed to look like is reached. On the first part he uses chisels. On the later part till completion,he uses tools which gives lesser thrusting force like bow drills.Fine rasps completes the shaping. To give it the shine,the rock is rubbed with sand or applied with oil to have smoother texture.

Another method of doing other forms of sculpture is through modeling.It involves the use of soft and easier to mold materials.An example is by using clay. Softer materials being used helps the artist do the work easier since it is completely flexible and completion is done faster. The clay is just molded to the desired form and it is baked to give it a better quality.

The last way is called casting. It gives the sculpture the lasting durability. Bronze can be used to do it. The first step is to mold a clay into a certain shape. A negative mold is then shaped from the clay model and a liquid casting material is poured into it. The resulting replica that formed after the negative mold was hardened is the positive cast.This constitutes the final piece of artwork.

© High Speed Ventures 2011


The device, in conjunction with supporting open-source apps and software developed at Georgia Tech, allows children with good motor impairments to gain access to off-the-shelf apps such as for example YouTube and Facebook, and also custom-produced apps for therapy and science education. ‘Every child wants usage of tablet technology. So to say, 'No you can't use it because you have a physical limitation' is unfair totally,’ Howard said. ‘We're providing them with the capability to use what's within their mind so they have an wall plug to impact the global world.’ The existing prototype of the Gain access to4Kids device includes three force-sensitive resistors that measure pressure and convert it into a transmission that instructs the tablet.In this stage of the trial, alfuzosin 10 mg OD had a higher rate of effective voiding of the bladder after catheter removal compared with placebo . Alfuzosin 10 mg OD nearly doubled the probability of an effective TWOC in these patients and its own beneficial effect was particularly marked in patients with a high threat of TWOC failure, i.e. Males over 65 years and/or with a retention level of more than 1,000 ml. In the next phase of the ALFAUR study, all individuals who were effectively voided in the initial phase were re-randomized to get alfuzosin 10 mg OD or placebo for a further period of six months to evaluate whether alfuzosin could reduce the need for BPH-related surgery defined by the recurrence of AUR or symptomatic impairment.


Foodie Spotlight: Epicurean Nights

Brooklyn is famous for many things, but one of the main things that has put Brooklyn on the map is its growing food scene. From Smorgasburg to secret supper clubs, fad foods like rainbow bagels, ramen burgers, raindrop cakes and, of course, pizza, there is now an interactive food experience coming to Brooklyn.

National Sawdust in Williamsburg will host Epicurean Nights for the first time on February 20 and 21. To find out what this is all about, we decided to interview founder and producer Olivia Chessé.

How did the idea of Epicurean Nights come about?

Well, I’m French and I am an Epicurean! Three years ago I moved to New York from China, and in Shanghai I had the incredible chance to meet Chef Paul Pairet and to experience Ultraviolet Shanghai twice! This is the best culinary experience in my whole life  by far! For a few years I’ve been exploring the culinary and event scene in New York City, and I thought the city that never sleeps needed something that truly does not sleep – a concept that would combine food, music and technology.

So I decided to launch Epicurean Nights, a series of immersive, multi-sensory fine-dining and art experiences. This will be a unique experience with premium food, fantastic wines, cocktails and champagnes, musical performances, video projection and scent diffusion. In a nutshell: a journey through the senses.

Why this kind of event?

To explore new ways of perceiving taste in a tailored atmosphere. To answer the question: is your perception of taste altered by environmental factors?

In addition, the former executive sous chef of Ultraviolet Shanghai, Chef Frederic Robert, now based in New York, is part of the Epicurean nights team!

If you had to explain what to expect in three words, what would those words be?

Taste, Excellence, Emotion

What should I expect to taste?

The cocktail, followed by a seated four course dinner, will transport you into a magical world of subtle, smooth, earthy, creamy tastes, like an enchanted forest. Let the perfume of the truffle, the crispiness of the caviar, the richness of a sauce or the delicacy of white chocolate carry you to another dimension. Every taste is paired with a selected cocktail or wine, a unique musical note, movement and light, every sound is nourished with a culinary sensation…

What should I expect to hear?

Talented and famous artists. Multi genre music: experimental, Opera, drums and percussion… all amazingly paired with food! Be curious, come and join Epicurean Nights to know what that means!

What should I expect to see?

 Do you want to know everything before? The mystery begins here…


Tag Archive | parents

Attachment Parenting – In My Opinion

My opinion on attachment parenting comes down to one word, “choice”.  If you choose to use attachment parenting that’s okay but if you don’t you should not be judged negatively because of it.  As long as your child is raised in a loving, caring and nurturing household they will be fine.   I have two grown children, a son and a daughter.  I breastfed my son for six weeks but did not breastfeed my daughter because I had gestational diabetes during my pregnancy as well as lactose intolerant.  But in both cases I did bottle feed and by doing so it gave my husband an opportunity to bond with “his” children as well.  Why does the rise and fall of parenting rest on the shoulders of mothers alone?

Children are created by two parents and therefore should be parented by two parents.  I was a working mother but my children always had a parent at home and they were not key-latch children once they went to school.  My husband optioned to go to the third shift at his job so he could be home with the children during the day.  He would also cook dinner and helped the children with their homework.  We were always able to sit down and have dinner together and discuss our days.  So, attachment parenting is a choice but it also requires “parents”, a mother and father.  What is your opinion?

Support Business Women and Moms

I recently read an article on NYTimes.com called “Proud to Be a ‘Mompreneur'”, by Jill Salzman. In the article it spoke about how she was a mother and ran a business called ‘The Founding Moms’ which is the first and only kid-friendly meeting for momprenuers. She also coined the phrase herself, but it seems others don’t exactly embrace this term. It shocked me to to find out that even other women business owners felt this word was derogatory and demeaning. A writer named Lindsay Cross of the Grindstone wrote a blog post called “I Hate Mompreneurs But I Support Women in Business”. She felt when the word “mompreneur” was used to describe a business owner, it told everyone that women have other priorities.
The author of the article noted that in the age of the internet when people constantly reveal their habits and what they do, why must a mom keep her kids a secret? She also noted when she was asked to speak at business associations,conferences or conventions she is told not to bring up the ‘mom’ aspect of what she does. It is amazing that this women has 2,500 members in Founding Moms in over 30 countries around the world and she still can’t be taken seriously because she works with moms. What do you think? Why do you think other business women feel this way?


Model code of conduct to be strictly followed in CMC poll

Cuttack: Candidates contesting next month’s civic body elections here have been asked in specific terms to adhere to model code of conduct sincerely and any deviation from it would invite stringent action.

CMC election officer Laxmidhar Mohanty said no party or candidate shall include any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic.

“Parties and candidates shall refrain from criticism of all aspects of private life, not connected with the public activities of leaders or workers of other parties,” Mohanty said addressing candidates yesterday adding criticism of other parties or their workers based on unverified allegations or distortion shall be avoided.

He said pasting of posters, banners, festoons or making welcome arches and writing slogans on government buildings and boundary walls are strictly prohibited and these could be pasted on private house after taking advance permissions from the owners.

No candidate would be allowed more than two campaign vehicles to move around the wards and political parties are allowed to have only two campaign vehicles for the whole city.

Campaign vehicles are not allowed to use loudspeakers on them between?8 pm and 7 am?next morning and the campaign should end 48 hours before the end of voting on?February 6, Mohanty said. He also asked the candidates not exceed their poll expenditures beyond the specific limits and the poll expenditure details should be submitted with the poll (financial) observers in appropriate format on the due date.

Similarly, the Commissionerate police also briefed the candidates on their conducts so that a free and fair election is held in the city without any breach of peace.

The candidates expressed satisfaction after the briefing of the officials and said since most of them are contesting the election for the first time, the officials should have held such meetings much before.


ProbioCharge - 100 Billion CFU
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Imbalances in the intestinal terrain may lead to or contribute to the propagation of yeast overgrowth, parasites, and harmful bacterial growth. Introducing the right type of probiotic strains of microorganisms on a daily basis is a powerful way to regulate your gut health. This daily practice will improve your immune system, digestive system and help improve hormonal and brain health (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).

Signs of Poor Gut Health:

Your Gut is Alive:

There is thought to be about 500 different species of microrganisms within the gut.   Many of the microorganisms in the human gut have yet to be characterized.  The majority of the gut is made up of different forms of bacteria but there are also many forms of yeasts, single celled eukaryotes, helminth parasites and various different viruses.

Communities of microorganisms are located in every exposed area and cavity of the body.  However, the gut provides a dark, moist environment with continuous supply of nutrition and so it is the optimal breeding ground for microbial life.

The Importance of Progenic Microbes:

These organisms provide a protective barrier that guards the intestinal wall against pathogenic bacteria, parasites, fungi, viruses and environmental toxins. These organisms also create anti-microbial substances that destroy pathogenic organisms. They are very powerful, natural antibiotics, antivirals, and antifungals.

Most Americans today have this ratio flipped in favor of the antagonistic microbial communities.  This is called dysbiosis or bad bacterial balance.  Dysbiotic conditions are due to the influence of environmental toxins that wipe out progenic species and create an environment conducive to parasitic growth.

Introducing ProbioCharge:

Probiotics Consumption Has Been Shown too:

Research Support for ProbioCharge:

Bifidobacterium lactis HN019:
Discovered in 1899, B lactis plays a key role in the human microflora throughout a person’s life. Researchers have identified strain HN019 as having excellent probiotic potential based upon its ability to survive the transit through the human gastrointestinal tract, adhere to epithelial cells and proliferate (6).

B lactis HN019 has been extensively studied, and its safety and effectiveness is well-accepted (7, 8). To assess the impact of B lactis HN019 supplementation on whole-gut transit time in adults, 100 subjects were given daily doses for 14 days of 17.2 billion colony forming units (CFU), 1.8 billion CFU, or placebo.

Decreases in mean whole-gut transit time over the 14-day study period were statistically significant in the high-dose group and the low-dose group, but not in the placebo group (8). This level of dosing also supported other parameters of healthy GI function, as were self-reported by patient survey (8). In another study of preschool-age children, supplementing milk for one year with 1.9 x 10 CFU per day B lactis HN019 and 2.4 g/day of prebiotic oligosaccharides supported both healthy iron status and weight gain (9).

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled human dietary intervention study in elderly subjects (>60 yrs.), supplementary B lactis HN019 resulted in statistically significant increases in the beneficial organisms bifidobacteria and lactobacilli (10).

Lactobacillus Acidophilus La-14:
This common inhabitant of the human mouth, intestinal tract, and vagina is also found in some traditional fermented milks (e.g., kefir) and is widely used in probiotic foods and supplements. It has a history of safe human consumption. The L acidophilus La-14 strain is of human origin and has been identified as a type A1 L acidophilus. L acidophilus shows excellent adhesion to human epithelial cell-lines (11, 12).

Lactobacillus Plantarum Lp-115:
This bacteria was isolated from plant material and is abundantly present in lactic acid-fermented foods, such as olives and sauerkraut. In vitro studies have shown that L plantarum strain Lp-115 has excellent adhesion to epithelial cell lines (13). In addition, L plantarum is resistant to low pH conditions and survives the presence of bile at duodenal concentrations (13,14).

Bifidobacterium longum B1-05:
The B longum Bl-05 strain is well-accepted as safe for human consumption. B longum is resistant to low pH and bile salts and is well-suited to the intestinal environment (14).

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Healthy Living

Research Says Allergy Medications Can Fight Multiple Sclerosis

MRIs present a temporary challenge

The team attempted to observe the regeneration of myelin directly via magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, but the technique proved incapable of offering them access into this visual. Chan explained, "we still don't have imaging methods that have been proven to be able to detect remyelination in humans." However, that does not mean that their results are null or void; the researchers note that myelin regeneration is the only way to explain the results found in the VEPs, as it is able to act as a catalyst to neural transmission. This concept is present throughout neurobiology, and is a cornerstone of Chan's preclinical research. Therefore, just because the MRI has proven to be too weak for direct observation does not mean that their hypothesis did not occur.

The drug is a great choice for those with multiple sclerosis who want to fight against neuron damage due to its powerful properties, but also lack of side effects. Fatigue is often present with those who take the drug, but nothing more serious has been reported to be connected.


parking lots

parking lots

REMI Network

Self-driving cars may condense parking lots: study

New research from the University of Toronto shows that adoption of self-driving cars could reduce the amount of urban space dedicated to parking.
parking lot

Facility Cleaning & Maintenance

Why parking lot cleaning should be a priority


Jimmy Carter is aFeminist

This is a beautiful and heartbreaking piece by Jimmy Carter about why he is, after six decades, breaking ties with his church.

He also does a fantastic job of arguing against a sadly common mindset in the American Christian church:


Two rebel fighters near the town of Bizaa, in the suburbs of the Syrian town of al-Bab

Picture copyright

Picture caption

Two insurgent fighters close to the city of Bizaa, within the suburbs of the Syrian city of al-Bab

The Syrian city of al-Bab was reasonably insignificant till it emerged as a strategic stake between the Syrian president and his allies (Russia and Iran), Turkey, the Kurdish PYD (Democratic Union Occasion) and the so-called Islamic State group.

Located simply north-east of Aleppo, this small administrative centre of the bigger al-Bab district has about 100,000 inhabitants, along with 50,000 individuals dwelling in its suburbs.

Al-Bab was shortly occupied by rebels in spring 2012, and subsequently seized by IS through the winter of 2013-2014, which eradicated the opposite insurgent factions. The city has since change into an IS stronghold, dwelling to many international jihadists and their households. It has served as the premise of IS’s offensives in opposition to the Syrian military and the rebels in Aleppo province.

In the present day, town and its suburbs (Qabasin, Bizaa and Tadif) are virtually surrounded. Operation Euphrates Defend forces, led by the Turkish military, are closing in from the north, whereas the Syrian military, which has shortly superior over the past two weeks, strikes in from the south.

The Russian air pressure has additionally bombed the IS positions south of al-Bab, leaving Turkish aviation to strike targets within the metropolis itself. This implies that reasonably than competitors between the Syrian military and the Euphrates Defend forces for al-Bab, there’s coordination and a shared space of affect.

The Aleppo-Manbij street, to the south of al-Bab, could perform because the border between the Syrian Military and Euphrates Defend forces: al-Bab, Bizaa and Qabasin can be occupied by Turkey and Turkish-backed rebels, whereas the Syrian military can be happy with Tadif.

‘Stopping the Kurds’

The target of the Turkish intervention in northern Syria is to forestall the linkage of the Kurdish cantons of Afryn and Kobane. After regaining the htown of Manbij from IS in August, the Kurdish-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had deliberate to subsequent seize al-Bab and thus unify their territories. A race in the direction of al-Bab started between the SDF and the Turkish military. This was halted in December when Turkey bombed the SDF, sending a message that their advance wanted to cease.

Neither the Syrian regime nor Turkey had any curiosity within the Kurds taking al-Bab. The settlement between Russia and Turkey, in August 2016, joined by the Iranians, got here on the expense of Kurdish pursuits. Within the deal, Turkey additionally ceased aiding rebels in trade for Russian neutrality in Turkey’s marketing campaign in opposition to the Kurds.

East Aleppo was retaken by the regime quickly after the conclusion of this settlement; al-Bab, it appears, can be left for the Turks.

Rebels with totally different priorities

Turkey is, nonetheless, experiencing difficulties in seizing town. It has been making gradual progress since mid-November 2016 and should ship important reinforcements as a result of its Syrian proxies are usually not motivated by the battle for al-Bab. The first goal of those insurgent teams is to combat the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, not IS, and definitely to not collaborate with the Syrian Military in al-Bab.

Picture copyright

Picture caption

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Istanbul in January, carrying the coffin of a Turkish soldier killed in a IS assault close to al-Bab

However Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has no alternative, as he wants to make use of the battle of al-Bab to show the effectiveness of the Turkish military and its Arab proxies, if there’s to be any hope of getting america to surrender a plan of creating SDF its principal ally within the offensive against IS in Raqqa, the group’s different stronghold within the nation’s east.

Taking al-Bab can also be a problem of home politics for President Erdogan, because it appeals to Turkish nationalism. If it succeeds, the Turkish military could lastly flip in the direction of Manbij, to be able to repulse the SDF to the east financial institution of the River Euphrates.

What subsequent?

President Assad is just not happy with Turkey making a zone of affect within the north, lower than 30km (20 miles) from Aleppo. Al-Bab was anticipated to have fallen to the Syrian military, which has been solely 10km south of town since January 2016. However the Russo-Turkish agreements appear to have determined in any other case.

Picture copyright

Picture caption

A girls carrying a toddler whereas fleeing IS-controlled al-Bab in February

What do Russia and Turkey foresee for the long run? Will the Turkish military be allowed to advance even additional south, after which head for Raqqa by the southern shore of Lake Assad?

That is troublesome to think about: the development of the Syrian military south of al-Bab appears to point that it’s going to subsequent go in the direction of Lake Assad to chop the Turkish route.

If President Erdogan needs to go to Raqqa he should assault the SDF, the US allies postpone the offensive on Raqqa. It’s, due to this fact, in IS’s curiosity to lengthen the battle of al-Bab, growing the potential for Turkish-US discord, as its finest technique for shielding Raqqa.

Fabrice Balanche is a visiting fellow on the Washington Institute for Close to East Coverage within the US


Cooking Tips Everyone Should Know And Understand

It’s not necessarily as hard as you believe to become an excellent chef. You can enjoy experimentation while you learn to cook, in order to develop your skills. The following tips can help you improve your knowledge of cooking, and give you the confidence to try new ideas. You can grow as a chef by implementing these suggestions when you cook.

Your meat need to be sliced thinly across the grain when you are preparing stir-fry. This is rather difficult to do, and can take a lot of time. Remove the meat from the freezer before it is frozen, but when it is solid to touch. Next, position the meat at 45 degrees to the chopping board and slice across the grain with a sharp knife.

You should keep your spices and herbs in a space that is cool and away from light. Light, heat, and humidity will cause their flavor to weaken. Generally speaking, properly stored herbs and ground spices can keep a good portion of their flavor as long as one calendar year. Spices which are kept whole can retain their flavor for between three and five years. When stored properly, spice stay fresh for longer periods of time.

To make it easier for you to slice meat into thin strips, you should partially freeze it. The thin sliced meat is great in many dishes including many Chinese and Thai meals. When you partially freeze meat, its fibers don’t tear as easily so slicing is cleaner. Then don’t forget to let the meat strips completely thaw, so it will cook evenly.

To easily slice meat thinly, place it in the freezer until firm but not frozen. This is especially helpful if you are preparing an Oriental dish. When the meat is partially frozen, cutting becomes cleaner as the meat fibers are less likely to tear or stretch. Though, before cooking the strips, they must completely thaw.

Cooking Methods

Cooking methods like boiling tend to destroy a lot of the nutrients that are in vegetables. Quick cooking methods like steaming and sauteing will retail flavor and nutrients better. You can also enjoy vegetables in their raw state to get a boost of natural energy!

Try to cut down the amount of oil used when cooing if you are trying to lose weight. Butter and oils have fat that you do not need! Consider using a nonstick cooking spray as replacement for oil.

Chicken Broth

When preparing a dish that calls for garlic, purchase garlic that is as fresh as possible. Usually, fresh garlic has a sweeter taste. If it isn’t soft, bruised or shriveled and it has some firm skin then you know that the garlic is fresh.

Tomatoes can be easily dried. You can use Roma tomatoes cut lengthwise, or ripe tomatoes sliced about a half inch thick. Place on a cooling rack, cut-side up and lightly salt them. Put the rack on a baking sheet, and slow-bake in an oven that is set to 190 degrees for about 10 hours. You can then freeze your tomatoes in Ziplock bags. Another way to preserve your dried tomatoes is in olive oil, with herbs for added flavor, in a glass jar. This jar should be used within 2 weeks and kept refrigerated.

This way, you have fruits that stay fresh throughout the year. Plus, you will have fruits which are not available during certain periods of the year.

You should always organize your cooking supplies. If you don’t organize your supplies, you’ll constantly be wasting time looking for what you need. Consider storing similar things together. To be more specific, put peanut butter and jelly on the same shelf, since they both serve the same purpose.

As the fruit becomes ripe, it will emit ethylene gas. By using the plastic bag with small holes, you are circulating the air in the bag which allows the fruit the retain its taste.

Don’t take the bone out of a roast if you need to cook it quickly. The idea is that the bone will help carry heat to the center of the roast, thus cooking it faster. When the meat is finished being cooked, you can avoid the bone when you cut and serve it.

Keep your spices and herbs stored in a dark, dry, and cool area. Spices quickly lose their flavor when they are exposed to excessive light, humidity, or heat. Constant exposure to these elements will ruin herbs and spices.

You can make a simple dish much better with seasonings and herbs. Complex dishes with multiple tastes are fine places to use dried herbs, such as oregano or basil. Regardless, fresh herbs always offer better flavor than their dried counterparts. If your situation allows, plant an herb garden, so that you are never at a loss for fresh herbs.

After your Thanksgiving meal, don’t throw away turkey leftovers. Rather, cut up the meat and store it in an airtight container in the freezer. Cooked turkey that has been frozen can be enjoyed for weeks by defrosting and using for soups, salads and sandwiches.

There are quite a few different types of potatoes. Not all potatoes can be interchanged in recipes. Waxy potatoes are great for boiling and potato salads while other potatoes are better for making french fries, baked potatoes and mashed potatoes. When your potatoes will be used for these purposes, choose a fluffy variety, such as a Russet.

To reduce the amount of stress you experience when cooking a complicated dish, you can prepare some of the ingredients the night before you need them. Start by getting all of your ingredients in one place to make sure you have whatever you need. Have all ingredients chopped and measured. The next day when you have to cook your meal, all you need to think about is assembling and cooking the dish.

There are many fresh new ways to enjoy oysters. Try preparing your oysters differently if you are tired of the usual drizzling of lemon juice. Go ahead and open the oysters and lay them on a pan. Drizzle cream on them and place them in the broiler. Adding fresh ground black pepper and a little Parmesan will give great flavor. After adding the seasonings, broil the oysters until they are bubbling. Furthermore, you can saute oysters. Using a bit of seasoned flour, dredge the oysters and fry them up with hot butter for roughly two minutes, until they turn golden brown. You can also keep the oysters inside their shells, then bake them. If you bake oysters put butter and breadcrumbs on each oyster and bake them in the oven at about 425 degrees for about five minutes. When the juices and butter start bubbling, serve very hot along with a baguette that is toasted.

When boiling pasta, salt the cooking water generously. This helps to add flavor to the pasta while it is boiling. Salting after boiling your pasta will not give the same effect of absorption.

You should have stackable cooling racks in your kitchen. It is common to have your complete workspace overtaken as things like muffins and cookies finish cooling. These racks utilize the vertical spaces in your kitchen. This leaves you enough counter space to start on your next project.

To make pasta sauce even more delicious, save some of the water you boiled the pasta in. Measure out one quarter cup of water, and put it to the side. Put in some of the water when you mix the pasta and the sauce. Starch in pasta water has a thickening effect on your sauce, making it seem creamier.

To use leftover meat and veggies in your fridge prior to shopping try making fried rice in a wok. Rice from the day before is the best choice, but if you have to make it fresh, use less water for drier rice. Vegetables and meats need to be fried in a little oil before the rice and seasonings are added.

If you know that your home made salsa will not be used right away, take the time to rinse and dry the chopped onions before adding them to the salsa. Sulfurous gas is a property of fresh onions. This gas can taint the flavor of your fresh salsa. Rinsing the onions with cold water removes this gas.

Always make sure that you use softer utensils when cooking with nonstick cookware. If you use harder utensils, you might scratch the cookware, and damage it as well as ruin your food. Not only is this nasty, but this could also be potentially harmful.

Fruit works fabulously on a grill. Try taking slices of melon, nectarines, and peaches and then putting them on some skewers. Watch the fruit carefully, and leave the skewer on until your fruit is nicely covered with grill marks. Place atop grilled pound cake or on ice cream to serve.

When baking a cake, be sure not to over or under cook it. The times on the recipe are great as a guide for cooking, but factors like elevation and various oven temperatures can effect the actual cooking time of cakes. Insert a toothpick into the cake’s middle. If it removes cleanly, it’s done; if batter is on it, it needs longer to bake.

For fried foods, use ketchup in the batter. Ketchup may be used for dipping veggies and chicken into prior to them being dipped in breadcrumbs. Adding ketchup or another sauce will add more flavor to your recipe.

Measuring and chopping ingredients before you begin cooking can save you time. Many ingredients can be prepared a few days before you actually cook the meal for which they’re needed. A longer cooking time can yield a more flavorful meal. When you become used to preparing your cooking ingredients in advance, you will wonder how you ever managed to cook without this practice.

Frozen sweet corn can get old after a while, which is why you should find new ways to serve it. Try mixing coconut flakes in your corn for Thai-inspired flavor adults and kids alike will enjoy.

Test out these ideas to determine how they can improve your cooking technique. Try each of these tips at least one time. It is a great idea to practice these ideas in order to perfect your cooking techniques. You’ll become much better at cooking in a short amount of time when you apply these tips in your kitchen.

If you should decide to experiment with spices, include saffron in your investigation. Saffron has a very unique and exotic flavor. Saffron has been used for thousands of years, and it remains popular today. This spice is quite popular around the world, and often comes with a high price tag attached.

God mad
Find din restauranter


219 kilometres east of Perth

East of Kellerberrin on the Great Eastern Highway is small town of Doodlakine.

The current town is the second location for Doodlakine.

It was first gazetted as a town in 1891 five kilometres north of the current site on the old route to the Goldfields adjacent a good supply of water. A few years later the railway reached the town but was sited five kilometres to the south so the town moved to be adjacent the railway line.

Between 1893 and 1894 Doodlakine was the terminus of the railway and prospectors going to the fields transferred from the train to a coach, horse or walked from here to Coolgardie and the Yilgarn fields.

Doodlakine is a Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail site.

Doodlakine Garden Cafe
817 Doodlakine Kununoppin Road
Doodlakine WA 6411
Mobile: +61 427 458 257  Tina Thomas

Come on out and enjoy the garden, weather permitting, sit outside and soak up the tranquillity or sit inside in air-conditioned comfort. Everything on the menu will be freshly cooked.

Opening Hours:  Open by appointment for after dark meals, functions, parties, lunches, weddings, birthdays and meetings


The current highlights and trends are:

Recovered textile prices

 The price of textile recovered from banks rose to £315 per tonne in April 2018. Prices are around £40 per tonne higher than during the same period in 2017. Charity shop textile prices continued to perform well, reaching £475 per tonne in March 2018.


Plant Growth Experiments Hypothesis Statement

Once you’ve solidified your research question, you should try to develop hypotheses. Hypothesesare potential answers to your research question, or parts of your research question that are supported by prior knowledge. This is why a lot of people refer to hypotheses as ‘educated guesses’, meaning you use information to predict what your study might find.

In science, it’s important to not swap this term with the term ‘theory.’ While hypotheses are based on prior knowledge — ideas that have already been supported with evidence — we don’t know whether they’re true yet. Meaning, we don’t know whether our idea will match what happens in experiments, or in nature.

Theories,on the other hand, are substantiated with evidence, reproducible, fact based, and repeatedly offer reliable explanations of the natural world. Even if you find a lot of evidence in support of some hypothesis, it still doesn’t make it a theory. It’s a very hard club to get into!

Hypotheses are formed before you start gathering data, but they should be supported with data from previous studies or observations. Science is a living thing that builds upon itself, revises, and renews constantly. If your research question is a person, existing data make up it’s family tree. And a family history is crucial to making the best predictions and designing the best experiments!

Perhaps most importantly, hypotheses need to be testable, and so, they can’t be questions of what’s moral or ethical. To form one you need to consider how you’ll approach the research question, and what factors (called variables) you are comparing or monitoring.

Post-testing, it doesn’t matter whether your hypothesis is supported by the evidence you gather or not. Even a refuted hypothesis can provide valuable information about a topic and define a reproducible experiment for other scientists to work from.

Types of Hypotheses

Null hypothesesassume that two variables are not related in any significant way.

Ex. There is no difference in the speed of plant growth when plants are grown with or without fertilizer.

It’s customary to make this hypothesis before the alternative hypothesis, because it allows for a lot less ambiguity in the researchers expected results. The researcher seeks to nullify, provide evidence against, or disprove the null before moving forward.

Alternative hypotheses assume that two variables are related in a significant way. They’re setup to establish a conclusion through testing.

Ex. Plants grow more quickly when fertilizer is used than when it’s not used.

These hypotheses assume, after the null hypothesis is rejected, that there is some significant relationship between two variables.

How to test hypotheses

The point of testing is to gather evidence that can help you decide if your hypothesis is true. And we test through experiments!

This step can get a bit tricky, so let’s first look at an example and then come up with some rules for good experiment making. Here’s our sample hypothesis:

You can start to test your hypothesis by getting two, near identical plants and growing one with fertilizer and one without fertilizer, but you’ll also have to make sure the test is reproducible and can provide the necessary data.

The first thing to consider is that the conditions the plants are growing in are identical (or at least as close as you can get), and that the plants themselves are of equal health. If one plant has more sun and fertilizer than the other, you won’t know what caused your results. If one plant has a leaf eating parasite, then it might’ve been doomed regardless of fertilizer levels.

Secondly, if you use the same species of plant then your results will be limited to that species. To make the claim that the above hypothesis is correct (to apply your data to all plants), you’d have to show that the fertilizer influences a trait that is ubiquitous in all plants, like the Calvin Cycle.

Thirdly, since not all fertilizers contain the same ingredients in the same ratios, it’ll be best to pinpoint an active ingredient in all plant fertilizers that you can suggest influences growth (as opposed to all the other ingredients). Testing multiple fertilizers would yield an even more significant result!

Then, of course, you’re going to need some way to keep track of changes to your variables. There are two kinds of variables in most experiments, independent and dependent.

Independent variablesare factors a scientist modifies during an experiment (fertilizer, in this case), and dependent variableschange because you’ve altered the independent variable (plant growth). They literally ‘depend’ on their independent half in order to change.

Decide on the unit you’ll be using to track changes in your variables, and then plot the relationship between them. If your data doesn’t confirm your hypothesis or you make a mistake in testing, you must record it! Research isn’t about getting everything right, it’s about exploring. Only good things can come from a refuted hypothesis.

Based on this example, we can come up with some general features that are crucial to a good experiment.

  1. You need something to compare your tests to. In science, this is called a control.
  2. If there are multiple variables involved, and you’re only comparing two of them, keep the others the same.
  3. You need to be honest about the limitations of your experiment and your data
  4. You need to keep track of your data and any errors in experimentation.

Most examples you see of experimentation and hypotheses tend to be very centered in life sciences, but physical scientists (like geologists, and physicists) use this method, too!

Physics asks especially big questions about the entire natural world. While biologists might look at a tree and chemical reactions, microbial activity, transpiration, and a species names — things that distinguish the tree from its surroundings, a physicist might notice the things that apply to all matter in the universe — like forces.

Since most things in physics can be described mathematically, the subject relies on a lot of deduction (we’ll learn what that is further down) and can come to conclusions that are logical necessities. Procedurally, the process of testing a physics hypothesis can be complex and often don’t make the best examples, but physicists still rely on making predictions, seeing what those predictions would lead to, and then comparing that result with nature and experiments.

Evaluating your results

The superstar term of evaluating results is statistical significance, which uses mathematics to assess how valid the results of an experiment are. If you perform an experiment multiple times and the data you collect shows roughly the same pattern, your results are more statistically significant than if multiple experiments have completely different patterns.

In addition to all this formal stuff, we can take a few steps back and answer the simple question: does it work? Do your results match what’s happening in the natural world? Is it effective in application? While you can’t coast on this alone, good science should withstand nature’s scrutiny.

As any scientist will eagerly tell you, science relies on evidence (which we’ve collected in the testing phase) and reasoning (how we interpret the results of our test). But, what is reasoning? Loosely, it’s thinking about things logically and rationally. But, those definitions only lead to more questions about what logic and rationality is, and who decides what it is. A tempting answer to these questions is: ‘you’ll know it when you see it’, but a more effective way to explain reasoning is by exploring it’s many forms.

Reasoning method #1: Inductive

A lot of scientific research is based on this method! It’s all about gathering evidence to support a likely conclusion. However, the conclusions a lot of research relies on aren’t logical certainties, just extreme likelihoods. This method is based on overwhelming evidence. Present what you’ve found in your study, and then tell us what it could mean.

This doesn’t mean that it’s impossible for science to come to conclusions about anything (you can do this mathematically, or by gathering observable things in nature), but most research relies on this method in the initial stages. That’s not necessarily a liability, however, as evidence is crucial to arriving at honest answers. The most important thing about this method is that it’s dynamic — constantly changing. New or contradictory evidence always has the potential to come along, and may cause your conclusions to change.

Reasoning method #2: Deductive

Mathematicians rely heavily on this method to find out what is true in their fields, and scientists use it, too! This method of reasoning starts with assertions — statements that say something is true. Then, from those assertions, you can come to logical conclusions that are guaranteed true.

For example, if you assert that x = 10 and y = 20, then x + y = 30. Any other answer is illogical.

Similarly, if you assert that all people named John wear blue pants, and you meet John Legend at one of his concerts, he has to be wearing blue pants. This example shows why it can be hard for some natural sciences to use this method. In nature, John Legend might not want to wear blue pants, so it’s hard to come up with assertions that would make deduction possible.

Reasoning method #3: Abductive

This is a kind of reasoning science doesn’t rely on too heavily. Instead, it’s the process most of us use to come to conclusions in our everyday lives. The problem, and the reason I’m including this method, is that the observations used in abductive reasoning are incomplete, while the conclusions are typically stated definitively. But, this method isn’t all bad!

Medical diagnoses and judicial cases rely on this kind of reasoning, and thinking this way can throw imagination into the picture, which can be useful for scientists, too.

Coming to conclusions

Conclusions usually begin with an equally pretentious and informative introduction, “The data suggest…”

This is because your conclusions need to be based on the data you collect! What relationships did you find within variables? What can then be said about your test subjects?

It’s important to not make conclusions that are so broad that they’re no longer supported by your evidence. For example, if you’ve found that your plants grow better with fertilizer, it might be best to hold off on saying that fertilizer could help all living things grow. Keep your statements honest. There’s no pressure to cure diseases or solve the world’s issues — every little bit of reproducible research helps!

Life Science, Plant Biology

Middle School, Seventh Grade

Difficulty of the Project

Safety Issues

No known safety issues.

Time Taken to Complete the Project

About three weeks.

  • 1 packet of mung beans
  • 3 gardening pots
  • Enough soil to fill the 3 pots
  • Gardening utensils
  • Tap water
  • Caffeine tablets
  • Coffee powder
  • 2 beakers
  • 1 measuring cylinder
  • 1 digital weighing scale
  • 1 black marker

Author: Euphrasie N.

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New hero Roxie is now available!

The Arena of Valor newest tank hero Roxie is now available in Europe, US/Canada, Latin America and Asia servers. Arena of Valor players can grab Roxie with 18,888 Gold / 999 Vouchers or Roxie bundle (Roxie + Detective Roxie) with 1649 Vouchers from August 3rd until August 9th, 2018.

Roxie Bundle

Roxie and Agnie were a happy go lucky pair of adventure seekers.

Roxie came from a long line of historically renowned explorers—some of them were, in fact, the ones who dug up the mineral veins that brought riches and prosperity to Mildar. The happy (and definitely a bit insane) family would have been able to just settle down and enjoy a peaceful life of affluence, yet the desire for adventure that ran in their veins would not allow them to do so. Instead, they paid their most trusted friends a generous amount, enough to raise a newborn all the way to adulthood, and entrusted them their offspring so that they could continue seeking out grand new worlds without needing to lug around a whining child.

That was how Roxie’s grandfather grew up. It was how her father grew up. Roxie herself, too, was no different. The only childhood memories she had of her parents were letters that came every few months—as long as the intrepid couple hadn’t managed to trap themselves in some mysterious crypt or gotten too immersed in exotic locations to remember to write to their only child.

Roxie envied the lifestyle of her parents to no end. She remembered little about either of them, but their letters spoke of happiness and romance, and Roxie, being young and full of imagination, was completely sold. “The day will come when I set off on an adventure of my own and meet my Prince Charming,” she would always say. Her days were well spent in detailed daydreams of her future travels, where she would journey to the end of the world and unearth exciting relics and mystic treasures alongside some dashing gentleman.

Unfortunately, Roxie did not find her Prince Charming—life throws curveballs like that. Instead, she found her travel companion in a mischievous and infinitely annoying fire spirit named Agnie.

A gift from Roxie’s parents to celebrate her coming of age, Agnie was energetic and loved pranks of all kinds. With it came a treasure map Roxie’s parents had lovingly drafted, marking countless explored and unexplored treasure locations. On the birthday card were the words: “Go on, search for everything you could ever want. We look forward to meeting you somewhere along the way! Love, Mom and Dad”.

This was clearly her cue to set off on her first adventure! Roxie could hardly wait. She had her backpack and her mining pick. She was ready for Roxie’s Grand Adventure.

“What about me? You should call it ‘Agnie and Roxie’s Grand Adventure’,” the fire spirit complained, poking its head out of the backpack.

“Who cares about you? I don’t even need you.”

“Bet you won’t be able to even read the map without me, dummy!”

Roxie couldn’t really argue with that. Agnie was right, for Roxie, despite her aspirations to become the greatest explorer to have ever been born, was hopeless with directions. She could barely tell which side of the map was up. That was the true reason her parents had gifted Agnie to her—she would probably spend days walking in circles otherwise.

After bidding farewell to the kind, old man Moren, the optimistic Max and the well meaning, little spitfire Wisp, Roxie was finally on her way. Agnie was a pain in the neck, but at least it was good company.

“But where, oh where is my Prince Charming?”

Fire Spirit (Passive)

Wild Fire

Roxie’s boots are infused with the power of fire while consuming mana, and flames ignite under Roxie’s feet as she walks. Each flame lasts 2.5 seconds and deals magic damage every 0.5 seconds to targets nearby (stacks up to 3 times). If an enemy is marked by Agnie, Roxie’s health is restored by 1% of HP she lost (2% if the target is an enemy hero), but this effect does not stack.

Blazing Shield

Roxie gains 20% movement speed and a flame shield that absorbs damage and lasts for 3 seconds.

The movement speed of enemies that come into contact with Roxie while her shield is active is reduced by 50% for 1.5 seconds.

Agnie’s Grasp (Ultimate)

Agnie reaches out, marks and pulls the first target it touches towards itself for 2.5 seconds, dragging the target along as Roxie moves. The cooldown for Wild Fire is immediately reset.

While being dragged, the target ignores obstacles and is immune to other control effects. The target also takes magic damage.

Use Wild Fire to attack marked targets as much as possible and to stay alive.

Welcome to the Roxie hero spotlight narrated by DTwo, head writer of Samurai Gamers.

Roxie Pocket guide