Information Assurance Term Paper

Excerpt from Term Paper :

Role of Time in Information Assurance

The society at large is on the verge of a new era. This new era is the information age which is marked with a major paradigm shift in the area of information assurance. Information assurance has three main attributes: confidentiality, integrity, and availability. All the three tenants of information assurance must be well guarded and maintained in order to bring a marked improvement of both the current and future information systems. Some of the steps necessary to ensure the best information assurance practices must be addressed by the use of appropriate legislation. The best techniques of ensuring acceptable information assurance standards will take long time to formulate and implement. Time will therefore play a very integral role in the perfection of information assurance techniques.

Numerous scholars in a variety of disciplines have been concerned with the special roles that time apparently plays in the field of information assurance and the evolution of cyber laws. The architects of various information technology system have to contend to the fact that the systems eventually get outdated and hence the need for frequent upgrades. In this paper, I am going to illustrate the role that time might play in the field of information assurance or in the process of civilizing the cyber world and its laws. My analysis of the subject matter will be based on the chronology of events and problems in the field of information technology whose solutions are a function of time. The issue of cyber law is very crucial to the very foundation of the internet itself. This is due to the fact that without proper the regulation of the information being presented on the internet, the flow and integrity of the online information would be jeopardized (Yatindra, 2007).

As society progressively relies on the convenience of digitally transmitted and stored data, the existing applications therefore increasingly require higher resources so that their availability is guaranteed. This is in order to ensure constant availability, integrity, and overall confidentiality of the data being exchanged. However, as the amount and severity of the various cyber attacks and vulnerabilities increase, the current information security technologies are continuously becoming limited in the satisfaction of the security requirement. The numbers of successful has increased suddenly. This has therefore necessitated the rapid development of better platforms that employ more efficient technologies in order to take care of the vulnerabilities and risks. The new measures that are introduced are meant must be able to adequately handle the security exceptions. The goal is to come up with a fool-proof information assurance system that is capable of not only preventing information from being easily disclosed, destroyed or even modified without due permission. This has necessitated the continuous study of the methods and techniques of attacks. The process of exposing the vulnerabilities in the system is done by professionals who by themselves are white hat hackers. They are normally referred to as the Red Teams. It takes a considerable amount of time for these tem members to identify the causes of various vulnerabilities that could be present in the IA systems. The fact that the process of identifying the source of problem until a viable solution or patch is found is a function of time proves that the process of civilizing the cyber world domain is largely governed by time. The natural evolution of the solution finding process is evidence of the role that time plays in information assurance.

An overview of the Information Assurance technologies

An overview of the information assurance technologies reveals a three generation period that comprises of various important but collaborative technologies. All the three technologies exhibit a natural process of evolution over time. The maturity that is observed in the field of Information assurance is a sure sign that time is a crucial element in the improvement of the information assurance techniques and efficiency.

AI technologies can be grouped into three distinct groups. The first group which is termed as the first generation of IA is designed in order to prevent intrusions. This is through the prevention of hack attacks from being successful. The technologies applied in this generation include Trusted Computing Base, cryptography, access control and multiple level accesses among others. The second generation of IA is designed in order to detect the various forms and incidences of intrusion. This generation makes use of various technologies in the process of achieving its aim of intrusion detection. The technologies that it employs are firewalls, controllers of boundaries and intrusion detection systems.

The third and final generation of IA technologies is designed to operate through various forms of attacks. The key concept here is survivability. Some of the attacks will definitely succeed. However the main objective of this third generation of IA is to allow the information services to proceed with service delivery in the actual presence of the continuing attacks. The major technologies that are employed here include a variety of real-time issue awareness and response methods, intrusion tolerance and real-time trade-off of performance.

The three generations of IA are crucial in the process of maintaining a proper Information Assurance strategy. It is worth noting that no one generation can replace another. The foundations of IA were laid down by the 1st and 2nd generation IA technologies. However, the foundations of IA were built on the principles derived from the 1st generation. The natural evolution of the IA generations shows that time is very crucial for the maturity of various technologies.

The internet has provided an unprecedented new level of convenience. This has been made possible through the rapid developments that have been necessitated through the use and application of the internet. Miller Steven (2003) asked very pertinent issues regarding the ethics that surround the use of the internet. Jack Murphy (2006) in his article "Information Assurance Technologies: 10 Years Past, Present and Future" argued that the reality is that the current efforts are concentrated at a pervasive infrastructure that is based on the public key infrastructure (PKI). The future cyber laws will therefore be designed to optimize information assurance across all levels of the society and corporate world. The suggested infrastructure must be sufficient in the process of reducing the incidences of online intrusions through the establishment of proper intrusion detection systems. (Murphy, 2006).The process of formulating the information assurance policies and frameworks should be able to positively reflect on an organization's bottom lines. The process of formulating and implementing an organization's policies should be able to bear the brunt of a thorough development coupled with a rigorous testing regime. This must be a carried out in a manner that does not sacrifice the larger market or even the cost merits.

The previous information security techniques had their basis fixed on predefined variables of security measures and information control that was framed around a particular framework. It is these controls that the information system technicians and designers used as their checklist in the process of coming up with better and more secure systems. The high number of checklist however presents even more problems as it tedious and confusing to come up with the perfect and universal system of performing the security audit. A large number of literatures focus on the risk analysis techniques that were formulated by Courtney (1977).His analysis proposed a very straight forward and yet quantitative approach to be adopted in the process of evaluating the various risks. His approach has its basis and determinants pegged on the two most crucial elements of information management. Yet again several other scholars postulated methods that better in the determination of the risks involved in the process of implementing a certain kind of information system. The advance in technology has also accelerated the rate at which the information risk management can be carried out. Such systems include Smith-Liam approach (Smith & Liam).

Time is sure to play a very crucial role on the process of civilizing the cyber space. This is best illustrated by an analyst who concluded that individuals tend never to react until they have burnt. This suggests that a major disaster is necessary for individuals and corporations to fully protect their interests in the cyber space. The concept of information assurance is a very crucial element of the cyber space as portrayed by the online newsletter Security and Information (SIA, 2005).The article further supports the hypothesis that time is a crucial elements in the process of ensuring future information assurances and a more civilized cyber-space. The future system should be able to used codes and active scripts in the process of mending the human-computer interface (SIA, 2005).The future information assurance system should be built on very smart platforms that support the two most important technologies that facilitate the cognitive decision making ability in the systems. The two technologies to be used are data Fusin and Fuzzy logic. The Data Fusion technology should be able to automatically bring in the reconciliation and combination of the data in question. This technology would facilitate the quick extraction of meaningful…

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In the next few weeks we are going to cover some science activities you can do with your pet cat.

Prior to getting started with the activities, I have to share this. When I started writing this post, I did a quick Internet search to check what science activities with cats were available. I found a website with instructions for a preschool activity on demonstrating how to wash a cat. If you have ever tried to wash a cat, you will understand why number 7 below made me laugh out loud.

(Please do not actually try this as an activity for preschoolers).

Materials needed for the Activity:
1. Cat or Kitten, for demonstration purposes.
2. A Cat Brush.
3. Pet Shampoo.
4. Bucket or Baby Bath.
5. Jug.
6. Towel
7. Flee Powder.

Although I did once have a cat that enjoyed a bath (or at least didn’t fuss), most of the cats I have tried to bathe act like they have been powdered by “flee powder!”

For our first real activity:

To start learning more about your cat, you might want to start observing its behavior closely. My son enjoyed taking his cheap digital camera and following the cat around taking candid shots. If your camera doesn’t do so for you, record the time and date of each photo. Take some notes about what you see your cat doing at different times of day. This is great data recording practice. If you get enough data, you can even graph your cat’s daily activity patterns. Let me know if you need some more information on this.

Here are some of the results. Can you tell what the cat is doing? Why do you think he might do these things? The answers will be posted next week.

cat on bed

cat by post

cat on ground

cat with grass

Big Note: Before I get 100’s of angry comments from bird lovers about how the cat is outside, let me assure you the cat in these pictures was in a tiny fenced area with plenty of supervision. I can personally attest that he never touched a single bird throughout his entire life.

And I can also assure you that he was not positioned, posed or harassed for any on the photos.

My family and I were just talking about how much we enjoy our pets, and I thought it would be fun to investigate some science-related activities you can do with pet animals.

This week let’s start with mice. Be sure to leave a comment and tell me what pets you’d like to see next week. I'd like to hear about your favorite pet.

Have you ever had a mouse, gerbil or rat for a pet? They are lively and interested in everything that is going on. Here are some science activities to help you explore mice. Many of them do not even require that you actually own any mice.

Identification/Classification of Rodents
Learning to identify or classify animals is an important scientific skill. What kind of animals are mice? They are a type of mammal known as rodents. If you are unfamiliar with this term, you might want to visit to the “What is a Rodent?” Activity Page to learn more.

While you are at it, think about how to identify rats, hamsters, gerbils and mice. What are the similarities, and what are the differences between them? If you are interested in getting a pet rodent, you might want to research what each type needs in the way of housing and care, and make a list of the advantages and disadvantages of ownership. For example, hamsters are likely to sleep all day, whereas mice are have active periods during the day making it easier to interact with them. Mice produce more urine and feces, however, so need to be cleaned more often than gerbils. Decide what factors are more important to you.

Did you know there are many types of wild mice? You might want to find out about some really wild mice like jumping mice, cactus mice and grasshopper mice. Spiny mice are an interesting species kept in zoos and used for research. Gerbils and kangaroo rats have special characteristics for living in the desert.

What do mice eat? Did you say cheese? You hear about mice and cheese everywhere, but in truth it isn't a good idea to feed cheese to mice, it can make them sick. Can you believe it?

Now might be a great time to investigate what mice really do eat. One source of information, in addition to books and the Internet, might be the ingredients on the back of commercially available pet food. In a previous post, we introduced the idea of theme gardens. Once you have a good idea what mice eat, you can design a garden to grow some of their favorite foods, for example sunflowers and/or peanuts. If you don’t have mice, the birds and humans will still appreciate the results.

If you have some mice and you aren’t sure what they like to eat the best, you can do a food choice experiment. Gather a clean cardboard egg carton. Cut out a section of four egg carton cups. Place the items you want to test in the separate wells. You might want to mark them so that if all the food disappears, you’ll know which was which. Always provide your mice with something you know they like, so they won’t go hungry. Watch to see which food the mice eat first. Come back every hour and record which food is disappearing. To be very accurate, you can weigh each type of food beforehand on a kitchen scale and then at the end of the experiment. If the experiment doesn’t go as expected, think of ways to modify your methods and try again.

Making Houses and Toys
Another fun project might be design and build a house and/or nest box using wood or cardboard. The San Diego Zoo has a mouse house made out of bread! We saw one when we visited the zoo a few years ago. The idea seemed weird at first, but then we got to thinking it might be fun to live in a house that you can eat.

I cheated and used our bread maker to create the loaves. The mice seemed to enjoy being able to modify the structure and eat at the same time.

bread house

We found our mice always rush to investigate new objects. They also are very active, and love to run and climb. In addition to providing standard running wheels, you can design your own playthings like ladders or tubes to run through. Just make sure the toys are safe, that the mice can’t get tangled or fall. Adding toys and other fun items for the mice to examine helps with behavioral enrichment, so they don’t get bored.

Animal Behavior
Our mice are handled every day, so they are easy to pick up and hold. If you have new mice, you can tame them by gently picking them up and holding them. Once your mice are tame, you can train them to do tricks, such as sit on your shoulder. You can also make a maze, and see how fast the mice learn to go through it. We made a maze of lightweight CD cases, so there was no danger to the mice.

When you have mice, you will hear them make many different sounds and also behaviors. Investigate how mice communicate to one another. Recently scientists have found out that male mice sing a song when they meet females, but the sounds are ultrasonic, which means humans can’t hear them.

Mouse Development
Here is a link to an adorable story about a classroom mouse named Cheeser who gave birth. The website tells the story, complete with pictures of the growing young mice. If you don’t go to any other link, try this one.

Finally, be sure to write down your experiences, keep records, and share your stories. Who knows, you might come up with the next exciting scientific finding about mice.

There are literally 100's of fiction books with mice as main characters. Now would be a great time to reread some of your favorites or try a new one (images and linked titles are affiliate links to Amazon).

Could You be a Mouse? (1990) is a nonfiction book that is a fun game. The reader actually makes choices about what a mouse should do and then flips the pages to find out the results. Caution: There is a drawing of a dead mouse which could be disturbing to young and/or sensitive children. Older children should find it fun and informative.

Of Mice & Rats (Rookie Read-About Science) by Allan Fowler

Mice (Pet Care) by Rebecca Sjonger and Bobbie Kalman (2004)


Welcome to Bordo

In order to make everyone's stay as pleasant as possible please,

- be mindful and attentive in your contact with people, animals and nature.

- consume alcohol in a moderate and consious way.

- smoke only in the designated smoking area.

- respect that all other drugs are not permitted.

-do not bring pets unless agreed upon beforehand. Please keep dogs on the leash in the village.

- park your car in the valley at Rivera village. The upper carpark is only for residents of Chegggio and Bordo.

Thank you


Ambassador Melanne Verveer on Global Women’s Issues

Melanne Verveer was the keynote speaker to a packed house at Global Washington’s second annual conference where the theme was “Bridges to Breakthroughs.” She is recognized as a leader for global women’s issues and is the co-founder and chair of the board of the Vital Voices Global Partnership, an international NGO that supports global women’s leadership. She also worked to advance women’s rights working as Chief of Staff for the First Lady during the Clinton administration.  Most recently, she has been established as the US Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues by the Obama administration. As US ambassador, she coordinates foreign policy for international women’s economic, social, and political empowerment.

Ambassador Melanne Verveer

Verveer discussed the vital importance of incorporating women’s needs and challenges for achieving success in development strategies. “Data shows that strategies that ignore challenges of women have little chance of succeeding…No country can get ahead if it leaves half of it’s citizens behind,” she explained. For example, the Asia Pacific region is being shortchanged $40 billion because women are not enabled to fully realize their economic potential.

Historically, women’s issues have been seen as “soft” issues and not part of the world’s toughest “hard” issues. As a result, development policies and strategies have not succeeded because men and women around the world face different needs. Verveer discussed the difference between male and female farmers. Women make up the majority of the world’s small farmers and face consistent barriers because they are women. Women farmers need micro-credit, land-rights, and access to economic markets. Applying the gender lens to policies that help farmers is critical for creating a lasting positive impact.

Fortunately, there is growing recognition that women’s entrepreneurship and empowerment is central to solve the world’s pressing challenges from climate change to bringing about peace in Afghanistan. Every year, the World Economic Forum (WEF) puts out a yearly report on the gender gap in four areas; health, education, political empowerment, and economic participation. The WEF measures this data because it recognizes that countries where the gap is closing are far more prosperous and economically competitive. On a global level, the gap is closing in health and education, but still lags behind for political and economic participation. Verveer explained that while the potential in women is everywhere, world development is still struggling to implement the strategies that will empower them economically and politically. Therefore, gender equality remains key to progress and sustainable development. Verveer quoted Hillary Clinton’s stance that “Until women around the world are accorded their rights and opportunities to participate fully, global progress and prosperity will have its own glass ceiling.”

Verveer concluded, “the only way we can heal our world and the challenges of our time is to incorporate the needs of and challenges faced by women and girls around the world.”

Submitted by Nina Carduner


Commitment #5: Self-Care

Commitment #5: Self-Care

Like many who are fueled by vision and passion for the world, I often find it difficult to prioritize self-care. For example, in this moment, I am prioritizing writing about self-care over resting after five intensive days of training!

For a while, my motivation for self-care rested on the metaphor of the chef who cares for her knives. I recognized that me and my body were my instruments of my work, and care was needed to keep me sharp and present. Now, moving beyond “necessity,” I am learning to access self-care purely because I am a living, precious being, the same way my feline cousins do.

Slowly, I am countering the ethos of self-sacrifice and including myself, more fully, in the global circle of love. I am learning, with others, to let go of body image myths altogether while at the same time releasing the grip of seeing the body as lowly, only there to serve the mind. I am learning to recognize that I live beyond capacity, accountable to my schedule and my appointments more than to myself. I am developing, slowly, some internal resolve, without “incentive.” I am also learning to engage with my limitations instead of fighting against myself in an effort to create a “discipline” I can’t maintain.

As a result of my learning, I now integrate exercise with friendship. I have weekly walking dates with four different people and a twice-weekly small exercise group called “Fitness without Effort”. Fun, laughter, and intimacy now happily co-enhance strength and health. I now truly look forward to exercising instead of seeing it as a “chore” I never get to.

Ultimately, reaching the degree of self-care that I and others want will likely require us to transform our beliefs about scarcity, so we can find a way to contribute our gifts, have a rich life, and truly care for ourselves.

Make a list of all the ways you wish to care for yourself. For each one, ask yourself what keeps you from attending to it. For each such obstacle, look for a way to transcend it, gently. If you struggle to love your body, for example, write down the thoughts you have about your body, and identify the core longing that may be fueling each thought. If you struggle to keep your commitment to exercise or healthy food, consider combining them with other activities to bring pleasure and meaning to self-care. Aim to find specific actions. Remember to ask for support.

Review Commitment #4

About the author:


What is EDPS2000?

Early Detection & Prevention System 2000 (EDPS2000) is designed to enable early detection of diseases and nutritional deficiencies among the rural population. EDPS2000 is a computer software that consists of a database of disease characteristics and conditions, and the logic to diagnose symptoms.

Why is early detection and prevention necessary?

It is well accepted that early detection is the key to preventing subsequent complications and further deterioration in the condition of the patient. In addition to avoiding unnecessary suffering of the patient, the costs associated with early detection and prevention are far less than those related to treating advanced stages of disease.

Why is EDPS2000 needed?

Presently, health care needs of rural communities are served by Primary Health Centers (PHC). Often, these centers are not able to deal with early detection of diseases, due to a lack of multi-disciplinary medical expertise and laboratory facilities. Patients usually do not visit PHCs in the early stages of their diseases, while health care providers are forced to focus on only seriously ill patients due to the volume of cases. Even in the absence of the doctor, EDPS2000 provides early diagnosis of patient health status, and indicates whether further investigation by a physician is warranted. EDPS2000 screens patients who need prompt attention by a qualified physician.

How does EDPS2000 work?

The database of usually prevalent diseases and their symptoms are already initialized in EDPS2000. This is sourced from medical literature by specialists in different medical fields. The diagnostic logic used is based on established medical protocols and practices.

The patient's description of symptoms and the subsequent diagnostic questions prompted by EDPS2000 lead the system to decide whether blood, urine, stool, or any other laboratory tests are required. The system has built-in intelligence to decide which cases merit such investigations.

Based on the information gathered from the above process during the patient's current visit and the medical history of the patient already stored in the computer, EDPS2000 makes an expert diagnosis of the patient's condition.

EDPS2000 maintains an exhaustive database of patient medical history and treatment visits to the health clinic. It also allows gathering of statistics about diseases, deaths, vaccinations and inoculations, pregnancies, contagious diseases, and other valuable information.

Who operates EDPS2000?

EDPS2000 is designed to be very user- and culture-friendly so that a community service worker can operate it with minimal initial training.

What equipment is needed?

EDPS2000 operates on a simple PC with the required hard-disk storage space, and a printer.

How is EDPS2000 available?

EDPS2000 was developed by a team of computer specialists and doctors, both in the USA and India over a three-year period under the auspices of The George Foundation (TGF). EDPS2000 software will be made available to selected health care centers free of charge upon completion of beta testing in the year 2000. The goal is to implement the system in as many primary health centres as possible in developing countries where there is a shortage of qualified medical personnel available and willing to work. For further updates, see the section "News".

Role of EDPS2000 at PHCs and Baldev Centre:

It provides a probable diagnosis of disease conditions based on the complaints narrated by the patient, along with the results of a few simple procedures (such as pulse, temperature and blood pressure) and the patient's medical history. The software does not aim to give a confirmatory diagnosis in most cases, but only a probable diagnosis. Several conditions suggest laboratory tests that can be conducted on the spot, which in turn may support a confirmatory diagnosis. It functions as a first line of intervention whereby the patient, equipped with a probable diagnosis, can then go to the next level, like referral to a specialist, when required. Several minor or common illnesses will be treated at this level on instructions given by the software.

The diseases covered by EDPS2000 are based on the common disease patterns seen in South India, although we have also added many diseases more common in other parts of the world. This list of approximately 300 diseases presently covered by the software (over 90% of the cases in rural India) is given in Appendix A. A team of doctors and systems specialists has developed the program over the past three years.

The EDPS2000 software has been designed to be extremely user friendly. Staff involved in primary health care in remote, rural and backward areas will be able to use it easily. The basic qualifications expected of a person who will use this software are knowledge of basic English, a simple understanding of computers, and a strong motivation and aptitude for primary health care. It does not require someone with a medical degree or formally trained health workers and nurses. Users undergo specific training to operate the software, and also have hands-on training before they use it in the field.

There are two main persons involved in the use of this software: the patient and the interviewer (computer user). The software will prompt the interviewer with the questions to ask. Some basic information such as current height, weight, pulse, and temperature are also entered. The software will continue evaluating the answers and posing new questions until it has narrowed the list of possibilities down to a probable diagnosis or a future course of action. The interviewer is, therefore, passive in this process. This feature has been incorporated by design to minimize the medical knowledge expected of the interviewer. For cases referred to specialists or hospitals, the interviewer and/or an office assistant may be responsible for following up and making sure that the paperwork, diagnosis, and results of lab tests are entered into the computer to maintain a full and up to date medical history.

Because EDPS2000 was created to deal with the problems of rural healthcare, it incorporates many procedures of relevance to all providers of primary care in a rural setting:

  • Maintains on-line patient history/records
  • Updates each patient visit and lab results
  • Provides preliminary diagnosis and/or confirmation
  • Provides referral to a physician or specialist
  • Directs the daily workflow at the PHC and the field
  • Maintains a reminder list for taking pro-active measures, such as shots
  • Has the capability to provide regional statistics and reporting
  • Provides information to a centralized database for trend/pattern detection of community health.

EDPS2000 is available as a PC-based system using the Windows operating platform. It has been used on laptops, and is also available in a browser environment. An Internet version could be made available, if required. Other important attributes of EDPS2000 and its use in India that make its application more universal include:

  1. EDPS2000 was designed to exchange information over a LAN, WAN, or the Internet, and it is both feasible and cost-effective to connect EDPS2000 to existing systems for data collection.
  2. The simple English used in EDPS2000 is designed for staff that is likely to be communicating in the local dialect. The system can be easily adapted to other languages.
  3. A unique and powerful aspect of EDPS2000's design is its ability to continually improve itself based on experience. Although the engine of the program requires sophisticated programmers who understand the coding and logic, the medical front-end is written in a proprietary language tailored to be adjusted by doctors with little computer background. In India this process is already occurring, and the results of the testing have improved each month of the beta tests.
  4. The consequence of this feature is that EDPS2000 can "learn," similar to artificial intelligence, but without the programming complexity.
  5. The entire concept of EDPS2000 involves a "holistic" approach to the problem of rural health, emphasizing education and being "culture-friendly".

Pilot study in a Bagalur PHC of Dharmapuri District.

List of Diseases Evaluated by EDPS2000


Farm Ireland

Thursday 17 August 2017

Optimising your weanlings' winter weight gain

When animals are returned to grass in the spring, farmers are sometimes disappointed with how their animals have performed over the winter period. Recent trials have shown an average daily gain of just 0.3kgs per day for some weanlings over the winter.

If animals are only growing at 0.25kgs per day or less they can become stunted and this will have serious consequences on the lifetime gain and finishing of these animals.

Therefore we need animals to thrive at a level above this. The optimum level of daily gain over the winter period is around 0.6kgs per day.

At this level there is still room for cheap compensatory gain at grass. To achieve a gain of 0.6kgs per day, meal would need to be fed at a rate of 1 - 2.5kgs per head per day depending on the quality of the silage. (See table below).

The following are some factors to consider for maximum weight gain.

Feed meals pre-housing so that animals are at or above target at housing

Front load the meal at the start of housing and this can be reduced or eliminated four to six weeks prior to turn out.

Batch weanlings according to their weight as lighter weanlings respond better to meal feeding than heavier weanlings.

Early turnout to grass in the spring is as critical as meal feeding

Weanlings should not be overcrowded in the pen and should have adequate feed space at the trough. They should be housed according to their weight to prevent bullying at the feeding area.

Drinking troughs should be kept clean and they need to be checked daily.

They should have been treated at housing for worms, fluke and lice.

Housing can be a stressful event for a weanling so you need to ensure you do everything you can to minimise this stress so that their immune system is not compromised.

Check your weanlings for coughing in the month before housing and if you suspect lungworm, dose them and have them as clean as possible before housing. Depending on the product used and its timing, a repeat dose may be required as they all have different residual effects.

Monitoring performance

Depending on location, the winter period on farms in Ireland can represent between 25 and 40pc of the yearly production cycle on your farm.

Achieving good average daily gains during this period is essential in order to keep your farm's output high and reduce the days to slaughter.

Poor performance means extending the animals lifetime on the farm, increasing feed required, reducing stocking rate and ultimately reducing performance and profitability on your farm.

The best way to monitor performance on farm is by regular weighing of your animals.

Scales can be purchased and retained on farm for years of use, or alternatively ICBF have a number of weight recorders around the country that will weigh your cattle and leave you with a weight report on each individual animal.

All this information can be inputted on the ICBF website so that all animals can be monitored and an average daily gain and lifetime gain from birth calculated.

Animals should be weighed one to two weeks after housing, two to three months later and again at turn out if going back to grass, this will give a good indication as to how your animals are performing, otherwise you are shooting in the dark.

Regular weighing during the summer months is also very important.

All of the issues raised here need to be examined and resolved as a problem with any of them will reduce intake. This in turn will affect performance and hinder your progress in achieving 0.6kgs of average daily gain over the winter period.

Gordon Peppard is the programme advisor for Teagasc Green Acres email:

Was the correct  programme for worms,  fluke and lice followed?

Could rumen fluke be an issue?

Have they a continuous supply of fresh water?

Is feed in front of them kept fresh?

Have they enough trough space?

Was silage analysed and meal fed to match quality of silage?

Are there enough minerals and vitamins in the diet?

Have they adequate lying space?

Is their bedding dry?

Could ventilation be an issue?

Indo Farming


Raps' DeRozan among top 30 finalists for Olympic basketball

First posted: | Updated:

Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan passes the ball around Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel during the first half at Wells Fargo Center. (Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports)

DeMar DeRozan is a step closer to making his Olympic debut.

The star Toronto Raptors guard was among 30 players selected Monday as finalists for the U.S. basketball team that will attempt in Rio de Janeiro to win a third straight gold medal.

DeRozan joins an elite group including LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, each looking for a fourth Olympic berth, and Stephen Curry, who is in line for his first.

DeRozan was part of the American squad that finished 9-0 and won the gold medal at the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain. He averaged 4.8 points, 1.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 11.7 minutes, while shooting .536 from the field.

DeRozan scored 10 points off the bench during the gold medal game against Serbia.

The native of Compton, Calif., has spent his entire seven-year career with the Raptors. He is averaging a team-best 22.6 points (11th in the NBA) through 40 games this season and ranks second in the league in free throws made (279) and attempted (330).

"The depth of talent that exists in the national team program is extraordinary. Repeating as gold medallists at the 2016 Olympics will not be easy, but we feel confident that we have 30 finalists who offer amazing basketball abilities and special versatility," USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said in a statement.


It’s hard to imagine life without Google Maps nowadays.  We use the interactive map daily to find out how to get from point A to point B.  Wouldn’t it be great if there were an online map to guide neuroscientists to study the brain?  In the newest issue of Cell, researchers from University of Southern California published a project mapping the neural networks of the mouse cortex, and they call it the Mouse Connectome Project (MCP).

The cerebral cortex is responsible for processing information related to cognition, motivation and emotion.  To solve the puzzle of how the cortex carries out these functions, researchers have struggled to create a map that accurately shows the connections within the cortex.  As you are aware from the recent hype about connectomics, neuroscientists have been making brain maps for a long time.  So what is new about MCP?

Some of the oldest brain maps were made by neuroscientists focusing ona limited number of brain circuits, which were relevant to their own studies.  It’s like if you made a map of the locations you have visited in New York City and the routes you took, but neglected the rest of the city and the streets you missed.  Maps made this way don’t have enough information to cover all the roads in the city.  Like the Google team that drove vans around to get street views, it takes systematic group effort to collect information that can make a map useable for a broader audience.  MCP researchers spent years tracing the brain circuits to cover all over cortex in an organized fashion.

The MCP also used an advanced method to map the brain circuits better: double coinjection tract tracing.  The researchers injected one anterograde tracer, which travels down the axons of the cell, and oneretrograde tracer, which travels up toward the cell body, simultaneously to examine the input and output pathways of the cortex.  This allows the researchers to see if the traffic from two cortex parts is one-way, two-way, or if there are any pit stops along the way.  Having this directional information is essential to understand the brain.  Although MCP is not the first online brain connection map, it is the first brain connectivity map using the double coinjection tract tracing method.

Lastly, the MCP project created a user-friendly interface, which you can find  Like GoogleMaps, you can search brain regions and switch between layers of different tracers.  You can even look at individual experiments, just like street view.

With all the these features combined, MCP created an accessible map to understand the organization logic of the cortex.  Based on the map, the researchers have identified eight cortex subnetworks that are relatively segregated. Four of the eight subnetworks are related to movement and sensation of the body regions.  These networks have distinct regions for face, upper limb, lower limbs, the trunk and the whiskers.  Two networks along the medial bank of the cortex form the medial subnetworks, which are responsible for the integration of auditory, visual and somatic sensory sensations.  Cortical regions on the lateral sides of the cortex form subnetworks related to the sensation andhomeostatic control of internal states, such as hunger, and also serve as a major site of convergence for cortical information routed to the hippocampus.

The Mouse Connectome Project has created a useful tool for all neuroscientists to explore the brain circuits of their own interests.  With the anatomy data available, they can advance our understanding of brain circuits, which would help us better understand certain neurological diseases that alter brain circuits.

Credits: Xiaorui “Ray” Xiong

Numerous studies have examined the neuronal inputs and outputs of many areas within the mammalian cerebral cortex, but how these areas are organized into neural networks that communicate across the entire cortex is unclear. Over 600 labeled neuronal pathways acquired from tracer injections placed across the entire mouse neocortex enabled us to generate a cortical connectivity atlas.

A total of 240 intracortical connections were manually reconstructed within a common neuroanatomic framework, forming a cortico-cortical connectivity map that facilitates comparison of connections from different cortical targets. Connectivity matrices were generated to provide an overview of all intracortical connections and subnetwork clusterings. The connectivity matrices and cortical map revealed that the entire cortex is organized into four somatic sensorimotor, two medial, and two lateral subnetworks that display unique topologies and can interact through select cortical areas. Together, these data provide a resource that can be used to further investigate cortical networks and their corresponding functions

Neural Networks of the Mouse Neocortex

Brian Zingg et al.,

Cell Volume 156, Issue 5, p1096–1111, 27 February 2014


Shane Morris

shanemorris (2)

Field work in Sabah, Malaysia. ©Anna Heath

I have just begun my PhD with the D.E.E.P group so I will update my research outline regularly as it becomes more specific. My approach will combine field work with advanced modelling techniques. I was driven to work within the D.E.E.P research group by my passion and commitment to insuring the conservation of animals facing decline due to anthropogenic stresses. I believe that through the use of rigorous and effective science the negative impact of people on the natural environment can be abated and the Anthropocene need not be the period of ecological disasters that it’s predicted to be.

PhD Research within D.E.E.P;

The feasibility of the translocation of two endangered species of possum, Leadbeater’s Possum (Gymnobelideus leadbeateri) and the Mountain pygmy possum (Burramys parvus), from mainland Australia to Tasmania.

Leadbeater’s possum and the Mountain pygmy possum are both listed as critically endangered on the IUCN (The International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list. Both of these species were considered extinct until wild individuals were found in Victoria in the 1960’s. Their populations are still extremely low and are at risk from future human induced land use change both directly (i.e. logging) and indirectly (i.e. climate change). The loss of the Mountain pygmy possum would be particularly unfortunate due to its uniqueness as it is the only alpine Australian marsupial, and the only Australian marsupial which hibernates.

The main aim of this research is to analyse the feasibility, from a purely scientific point of view, of introducing these at risk possum species into suitable areas of Tasmania. By a purely scientific point of view I mean a view unclouded by the bureaucratic and political issues that surround such a translocation. The outcome of this study would be an objective perspective of the advantages and disadvantages of this translocation that could inform policy in the future. I will make use of mechanistic niche modelling to identify the most suitable habitat sites for each species and valid these by ground truthing.

A study of the impact of non-conservation minded translocations on Tasmanian ecosystems.

Since European settlement of Australia, a number of mainland Australian species have been brought to Tasmania. This research will focus on three mainland species which were brought to Tasmania from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century for non-conservation purposes. These three species are the superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae), the laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae), and the sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps). Two of these species (laughing kookaburra and sugar glider) have become widespread and damaging to native species. The lyrebird has not become widespread yet and could have potential benefits to the Tasmanian habitats it inhabits via fire suppression. This research will involve a combination of ecological modelling and fieldwork with an aim to help inform future plans to mitigate the negative effects of these Australian invasive species.

An investigation into the restoration of the previous mainland Australian ranges of three Tasmanian animal species by translocation.

The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), the Tasmanian native hen (Tribonyx mortierii), and the Tasmanian pademelon (Thylogale billardierii) are considered so unique to Tasmania that their common names specifically state they are Tasmanian. Yet all of these species were previously present on mainland Australia but have disappeared due to the introduction of foreign predators by humans. The Tasmanian native hen is thought to have disappeared from the mainland approximately 4,700 years ago due to predation from the newly introduced dingo. As dingoes could not make it across the Bass Strait native hens persisted in Tasmania. Dingoes are also assumed to be the reason behind the decline of the Tasmanian devil on the mainland as they are thought to have went extinct there roughly 3,000 years ago (though some evidence suggests it may be as little as 400 years ago). The Tasmanian pademelon is much more recent mainland extinction occurring about 100 years ago and was due to the introduction of foxes by Europeans.

Therefore translocation of these species back to the mainland would be simply restoring their previous ranges which were altered by the introduction of placental mammals by humans. This research would assess possibly translocation areas. The key aspect of a potential site would be its absence of predators such as foxes. As Tasmanian devil populations are in severe decline due to DFTD (Devil Facial Tumour Disease) translocating an insurance population to the mainland could insure the survival of the species in the future.

Hiking through western Tasmania. ©Thomas Ostersen

If you have any interest in gaining field work experience don’t hesitate to contact me at

Outside the D.E.E.P lab:

Processing a Whitehead’s rat in Sabah, Malaysia. ©Anna Heath

Originally from Ireland where I received an honours degree in Zoology from Trinity College, Dublin, and had an essay nominated for an international award (2012 Undergraduate Awards highly commended in the Life Sciences category). From there I took the odd detour of becoming a cocktail bartender in New York before returning to academia part-time at Imperial College London in 2014. As my degree was a MRes (Masters of Research) I undertook two theses.

The first I did in conjunction with Nichola Raihani at the University College London on the evolution of punishment in cooperation (on humans!).

The second, I carried out under the supervision of Rob Ewers at the S.A.F.E project ( in Malaysian Borneo. My research involved assessing the shift in population dynamics and morphological change in Whitehead’s rat (Maxomys whiteheadi) across a land use disturbance gradient. I also assisted in the long-term mammal monitoring program and was lucky enough to have put up camera traps that obtained photos of one of the most elusive cat species in the world, the bay cat (Pardofelis badia).

Outside of academia I’ve had a variety of different jobs including factory worker, waiter, woodcutter, bartender, restaurant manager, and street food chef.


Riding into the sunset

Riding into the sunset.

This image of the split firewood is a result of such conditions, allowing the outback sunset landscape to make its presence felt. The addition of the sun, the telegraph poles and wire, cyclist on a tandem bike, emphasises the vastness of the Australian outback.


Part of the fun of a new sensation like Star Wars: The Force Awakens is in dissecting the numbers. We’ve spent a lot of time sharing how amazing Wookiepedia has expanded in the wake of the film’s release as well as discussing the box office receipts for the movie but when peeking through the numbers something puts things in perspective. No matter how big this film ends up being, it’s a blip compared to the original Star Wars: A New Hope when you adjust for inflation. Especially considering that there was no Star Wars nostalgia in 1977. There was no marketing machine pushing the envelope in terms of global saturation. There was nothing except a little movie that proved the universe wrong.

As of this writing The Force Awakens has already become the number three grossing film of 2015. In a week. It’s going to crest $400,000,000 by the end of Saturday. It’ll be well over $800,000,000 globally by then. It’s bonkers. Until you look at the first film adjusted for inflation.

If Star Wars: A New Hope were a 2015 product based on ticket sales, the film would have pulled in $1,485,517,400 domestically. Add the rest of the world and the number is astronomical. In theory The Force Awakens could eventually do $1,500,000,000 domestically. It’s not impossible but it’s seriously improbable. It’d have to double Avatar‘s numbers. It’d have to double $760,507,625, which is the current high water mark in history. That’s all, just do double the business of the very best ever. That’s perspective. Disney has put the full weight of their energy into making this latest installment the film event of the decade and it’s not even in the same galaxy as the original film in terms of butts in seats.

Granted, in 1977 we didn’t have the television choices we have. We have hundreds of channels to keep us grafted to our couches. Back then had nowhere near as many distractions and forms of entertainment at our fingertips. But we have more people. A lot more. There are 100,000,000 more humans in America than there were in 1977. And we are very well-read and savvy culture. We embrace the buzz and hype and the watercooler discussion alone makes The Force Awakens a must-see part of the cultural spectrum. And while when the smoke clears this new juggernaut may have torn asunder all the known world records of the box office it will still gaze longingly at what George Lucas and his underdogs pulled off all those many years ago. It’s good too. Star Wars: A New Hope deserves that perch. Well, until realize that Gone With the Wind‘s blows it away by $200,000,000 when you account for inflation.

But there are no Jawas in Gone With the Wind so it’s instantly disqualified.

Source: Box Office Mojo

Nick Nunziata
Nick Nunziata created


Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Windswept Shoreline

"Windswept Shoreline" 8x8 oil on canvas, ©Laura Gable
I did a series of marshes along the shoreline recently. The first two ended up in the bin. (Recycle bin, that is.) The marshes were too labored, and the trees too static. Again, a painting done from a photograph that doesn't quite tell the entire story.

This one was painted after I did a series of sketches to arrive at a more compelling composition. As a result, the path was added, and the distant tree had more personality bending away from the wind. My under painted orange adds sparkle to the sky in the areas where it was allowed to peek through.


First Palaeozoic arachnid from Portugal and implications for Carboniferous palaeobiogeography

P. Correia, Geology Centre of the University of Porto (CGUP), Rua do Campo Alegre, 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal. E-mail:

The first occurrence of arachnids (Aphantomartus pustulatus) in the Carboniferous strata of Portugal is documented and its palaeobiogeographic significance is assessed. The Aphantomartidae species are thought to be native to Central Europe where its oldest example is recorded in Middle–Upper Mississippian strata. Known occurrences are preserved along the flanks of mountains such as the Appalachian Mountains, the Cantabrian Mountains and the Valongo Anticline (Portugal, Iberian Massif) and provide clear evidence that the Aphantomartidae species probably lived in upland or mountainous environments. The Iberian Massif may have served as a ‘link’ between the migration routes of several terrestrial animals from North America and Eurasia, and this linkage constrains the palaeogeographic and palaeoenvironmental conditions in equatorial Pangaea during the Carboniferous and Early Permian. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Pioneer 5 (1960 Alpha 1) was a spin-stabilized space probe used to investigate interplanetary space between the orbits of earth and Venus. The spacecraft measured magnetic field phenomena, solar flare particles, and ionization in the interplanetary region. The digital data were transmitted at 1, 8, and 64 bps, depending on the distance of the spacecraft from the earth and the size of the receiving antenna. Weight limitations on the solar cells prevented continuous operation of the telemetry transmitters. About four operations of 25-min duration were scheduled per day with occasional increases during times of special interest. A total of 138.9 h of operation was completed, and over 3 million binary bits of data were received. The major portion of the data was received at the Manchester and Hawaii tracking stations because their antennas provided grid reception. Pioneer 5 performed normally until April 30, 1960, after which telemetry transmission became too infrequent for any significant addition to the data. The spacecraft established a communications link with the earth from a record distance of 22.5 million miles on June 26, 1960, which was the last day of transmission.

Spacecraft and Subsytems

Proportional Counter Telescope
A triple coincidence omnidirectional proportional counter telescope was used to observe terrestrial trapped radiation and solar particles (protons E>75 MeV, electrons E>13 MeV). Measurements were obtained for about 2 months during which a week of quiescent magnetic field conditions followed by two geomagnetic storms closely spaced in time occurred. The date of transmission of the last useful information was May 16, 1960.

Search-Coil Magnetometer
This search coil magnetometer, which was similar to those flown on Pioneer 1 and Explorer 6, was designed to study the interplanetary magnetic field. The detector consisted of a single search coil that was mounted on the spacecraft so that it measured the magnetic field perpendicular to the spacecraft spin axis. The magnetometer could measure fields from 1 microgauss to 12 milligauss. No inflight calibration was provided for. The experiment had both digital and analog outputs. The magnetometer amplitude and phase were sampled continuously for analog transmission and intermittently (every 96, 12, and 1.5 s, depending on satellite bit rate) for digital transmission. Approximately 21,000 digital readings of the magnetic field amplitude were obtained. The last data were taken on May 6, 1960. However, no information was obtained on the phase angle of the field about the spin axis. See Coleman, J. Geophys. Res., v. 69, p. 3051, 1964, for further details.

Ion Chamber and GM Tube
This experiment consisted of a Neher-type integrating ionization chamber and an Anton 302 Geiger counter. The Geiger counter was mounted normal to the spacecraft spin axis. Due to the complex, nonuniform shielding of the detectors, the ion chamber responded quasi-omnidirectionally to protons greater than about 25 MeV while the Geiger counter responded quasi-omnidirectionally to protons greater than about 35 MeV. Energy thresholds fo quasi-omnidirectional responses to electrons were approximately 1.6 and 2.9 MeV for the ion chamber and Geiger counter, respectively. Counts from the Geiger counter and pulses from the ion chamber were accumulated in separate registers and telemetered by both analog and digital systems. The experiment performed normally from launch through May 17, 1960. Telemetry noise limited the timespan of useful data to the period from launch through April 29, 1960.

Micrometeorite Spectrometer
A micrometeorite detector (micrometeorite momentum spectrometer), which consisted of two diaphragm and microphone combinations, was used to measure the number and momentum of meteoritic dust particles at various distances between the orbits of Earth and Venus. The outputs from the piezoelectric microphones were connected in parallel to the electronics so that it was not possible to tell which of the individual detectors was hit. The experiment produced no meaningful data because the data system saturated and failed to operate properly as a counter of impulses from the micrometeorite detector.

Launch-Orbit Information

Launch Information

Launch Date: 1960-03-11
Launch Vehicle: Thor-Able
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral, United States
Mass: 43.0 kg

Trajectory Details

Central Body: Sun
Epoch start: 1960-03-11 00:00:00 UTC

Orbital Parameters

Periapsis Apoapsis Period Inclination Eccentricity
0.71 AU 0.99 AU 311.6 days 3.35° 0.1689


After School

After School影片简介

　　The story's main character is a 16 year old Secondary 4 student called Siao Han, whose parents abandoned him when he was young. At the start of the story, it shows Siao Han getting ready for the end of school with his ...展开best friend, his girlfriend Lily and his girlfriend's best friend. Reaching a shopping centre, they started to shoplift from various kinds of shops. Siao Han did his first try, only to get caught and reported to the police. The police team arrived, and Shao Han was shocked to find out that the leading officer of the team is his elder sister. His best friend came to his rescue, but Shao Han's sister decided to bring Shao Han to further investigations. Lily saw this and walked away in disappointment.
　　At home, during dinner, Shao Han was angry with his sister for arresting him in her first day leading a team. Infuriated, he went to his aunt's place to smoke and visit his cousin, Ah Xiong. Ah Xiong is his elder cousin and is a bookie, while his mother is a gambler addicted to smoking. After his sister comes and find him, Shao Han was angry once again and ran off. This was when Ah Xiong decided to confess his plan of wooing Siao Han's sister.
　　At Siao Han's school, his best friend discussed with him about Lily and their supposed breaking up. While talking, a fat bully hits Siao Han's best friend, and Siao Han gave him a hard glare which Lily saw, though the bully continues taunting him.
　　Lily went home and went out again after dressing to go to a nightclub, saying that she was going to do a project to her mother. Going to the nightclub, she failed to resist temptation and stole a phone, but was caught by gang members who supposed had control of the nightclub. However, the gang leader, nicknamed M, instead gave his number to Lily, which she saved. Afterwards, Lily started hanging out with the M's gang.
　　Siao Han and his best friend ask Ah Xiong for advice, while getting none, he gets his gang and bashes the bully up, while at the end, Siao han's best friend fights one-on-one against the bully. The next day, he started becoming a gangster and wore contact lenses instead. Then, he became the leader of the gang. His gang confronted M's gang and Lily, and Lily gave a preposition: Whoever (Siao Han or M)that steals the most expensive bag for her, she will be his at her 16th birthday, which was at the next day. Siao Han and M went to the same shop and tried to steal, but Siao Han was caught dumbfounded as he stood at the detector, resulting in him getting caught. He was later bailed out by his sister, which results in another argument between them.
　　Lily and M's gang celebrated her birthday on the same nightclub when she met them. She was drunk and M started caressing her body, afterwards dragging her to the toilet, where she vomited. M washed her face and threw her in the toilet stalls. Then, they took turns to rape her, which was seen after they left the toilet, leaving Lily with her pink panties draped over her thighs and spread legs. She committed suicide at her home afterwards, while Ah Xiong was beaten up by gang members for refusing to be a bookie anymore, resulting in both broken legs, which made Siao Han infuriated and thirsting for revenge. He contacted his best friend, which revealed that it was M's gang who raped Lily and caused her death, and also beaten up Ah Xiong. He sent his gang to beat M's gang up. Siao Han and his sister visited Ah Xiong at the hospital, but ran off with his sister chasing him, resulting in a dramatic chasing scene with a conversation between the siblings, which revealed that their parents favoured Siao Han more, leaving his sister to their grandmother, but in the end still leaving Siao Han to his aunt. During this, it was shown that M and his gang was in an argument because the newspaper had news of them raping Lily and causing her death, while Siao Han's best friend was intending to ambush them.
　　In the gangfight, M's gang members pushed all the blame to M, which made him chased by the gang. He met a dead end when he saw Siao han charging at him, while his best friend stabbed him from the back.
After School
Houren Zhu
Jacelyn Tay / Thomas Ong / Ruixian Wang
新加坡 Singapore
22 November 2003 (Singapore)
IMDB链接   豆瓣链接


Emerald Travel logo
peoples travel telephone number

Chengdu love pandas
Chengdu the capital of the Sichuan Province has a rich traditional and cultural history stemming back over 3,000 years. Immerse yourself in the traditional areas with tree-lined streets, lively alleyways and markets, charming wooden houses and bustling temples. Try the wonderfully spicy Sichuan cuisine, traditional Sichuan Hotpot with plenty of chilli heat, Mapo Tofu, noodles and dumplings. Wander down streets of teahouses with the clacking of mahjong tiles, explore the mountain regions and forest parks and enjoy a rare opportunity to visit the Chengdu Giant Panda Research Base to see these gentle creatures in their natural habitat now the symbol of the World Wide Fund for Nature.


Irritable Bowel Syndrome

What is irritable bowel syndrome?

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional disorder diagnosed by the presence of gastrointestinal symptoms including diarrhea, constipation, gas, cramping and abdominal pain. Different people, though, will experience different clusters of symptoms, thus requiring varying treatments. IBS can be a long-term condition requiring careful management, and it is often addressed with a combination of lifestyle and dietary changes, as well as pharmaceutical interventions in chronic cases.

IBS vs. IBD, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis

IBS does not cause inflammation or permanent damage such as bleeding or ulcers, nor increased risk of cancers, unlike the often-confused inflammatory bowel disorder (IBD). IBD is a more serious digestive condition, including chronic diseases such as ulcerative colitis, which affects the large intestine, and Crohn’s disease, which can affect the entire digestive tract and deeply affect the walls of the intestines.

IBS is diagnosed by considering recurrence of symptoms over the long-term, and unlike IBD it cannot be diagnosed based on physical examination or by looking at the bowel during colonoscopy.

Irritable bowel syndrome symptoms

The appearance of different symptoms determines the diagnosis of different kinds of IBS. Some people mainly experience diarrhea (IBS-D), some mainly experience constipation and painful abdominal cramps (IBS-C), while some experience both constipation and diarrhea at different times, which is called mixed IBS (IBS-M). Other people have diverse symptoms, which are categorized as unsubtyped IBS (IBS-U).

Abdominal Pain

Abdominal cramping, particularly felt in the lower belly, is one of the most common symptoms of IBS. They typically increase after meals, and are relieved by a bowel movement. These painful spasms indicate the passage of food through the digestive tract, either too quickly (as diarrhea) or too slowly (constipation).

Bloating and Gas

Intense bloating and gas is another common symptom of IBS. Some people may experience increased burping.

Some people experience diarrhea as a primary symptom of IBS, passing loose, watery stools more than three times per day. The urge to defecate may be difficult to control and can impact a person’s daily life. Diarrhea may occur in alternating patterns with periods of constipation.

Constipation and associated painful abdominal cramping is another common symptom of IBS. This may mean passing fewer than three bowel movements per week, or straining and feeling as though not all stool can be passed. When it is passed, stool is often small and hard.

Mucus or Blood in Stool

Appearance of mucus in the stool is a common symptom of IBS. Those passing blood in their bowel movements, however, should see a doctor, as this may be indicative of more serious issues such as Crohn’s disease or colon cancer.

Food Intolerance and Allergies

IBS sufferers commonly experience food intolerance, an unpleasant reaction to food involving cramps, fluid or gas and bloating. These reactions are different from a food allergy, and are the gut’s reaction to the food ingested. Foods commonly causing intolerance include: Wheat; dairy; fatty, creamy or fried foods; alums such as garlic or onions; stone fruits and other kinds of fruit; brassicae such as cabbage, cauliflower or Brussels sprouts; pulses such as lentils or beans and chili peppers.

Though it is far less common, some IBS sufferers, particularly those with IBS-D, may have food allergies. These allergies should be assessed and diagnosed by a specialist. Allergies are most commonly a factor in IBS when the person also experiences hay fever, eczema or asthma.

When to see a Doctor?

Though many people manage IBS on their own, some symptoms should be evaluated by a doctor. Symptoms like weight loss, rectal bleeding or nighttime cramping might be indicative of a more serious issue.

Causes of IBS

IBS is a functional disorder, which means it is diagnosed through changes in the function of the digestive system. This may be linked to a fault in communication between the brain and the digestive tract, or unusual activity of the colon or small intestines. These changes could be caused by several factors, including food sensitivity, infection or bacterial overgrowth. An individual’s psychological condition, hormone changes or stress levels are other possible causes.

Food Sensitivities

An individual may experience IBS due to an intolerance of foods such as wheat; dairy; fatty, creamy or fried foods; alums such as garlic or onions; stone fruits and other kinds of fruit; brassicae such as cabbage, cauliflower or Brussels sprouts; pulses such as lentils or beans and chili peppers. These may relate to a compromised ability to absorb fats, sugars or acids.

Infection and Bacteria

Infections such as gastroenteritis (commonly called the stomach flu) can cause symptoms of IBS. Other bacterial overgrowth, such as small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) or salmonella infection may be a cause – though salmonella infection can be life-threatening and should be treated by a medical professional. Though not as severe as an overgrowth, changes to the balance of normal gut bacteria may be a cause of IBS.

Individual Factors

IBS is often linked to psychological factors such as stress, anxiety or depression, and stress management is one possible treatment tool. Some people also experience more intense pain from gas trapped in the belly during digestion, which can cause IBS symptoms.

Neurotransmitters or reproductive hormones may be imbalanced in some IBS sufferers. This can be affected by changes to an individual’s hormones, such as throughout the menstrual cycle.

Genetics may be a cause of IBS, but there is limited evidence to support this.

Irritable bowel syndrome treatments

Lifestyle changes

Unlike IBD, IBS is often managed with lifestyle changes, and these are often the first approach to treatment. Lifestyle changes may address factors of diet or stress, though these vary from person to person, since each case of IBS is stimulated by different factors.

Stress and anxiety treatments

Doctors once believed that IBS was caused by stress, and although the causes are now seen as more varied, addressing stress and anxiety is a common treatment approach. Some people do not experience generalized anxiety or stress, but do experience anxiety and extreme vigilance around their IBS symptoms and gastrointestinal functions (known as GI symptom-specific anxiety). People with this kind of anxiety often limit their exposure to activities and situations that would be affected by their IBS, which can create a vicious cycle of building anxiety and stress, thus increasing symptoms. Behavioral therapy, like cognitive behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, relaxation therapy, biofeedback and hypnotherapy, may be used to help individuals both manage general stress and anxiety and break the cycle of GI symptom-specific anxiety.

Self-care to manage stress is another option, with common techniques including meditation, yoga and exercise.

IBS and diet

Each person has different dietary triggers for IBS, and a healthcare professional can help a person narrow down their specific issues, often with the help of a food diary to find connections between specific foods and symptoms.

If sensitivity to specific foods is a trigger for IBS symptoms, reducing or eliminating these foods from the diet is a treatment method. This is one of the simplest dietary changes. Another potential treatment is to eat smaller, more frequent meals, if large meals are trigger a person’s symptoms. Eating more slowly can reduce gas and bloating.

Foods commonly associated with abdominal cramping or diarrhea include coffee, caffeine, alcohol or high-fat foods, as well as poorly-digested sugars, such as sorbitol or fructose. Beans, raisins or breads can cause gas. Lactose intolerance can trigger IBS symptoms.

Eating a high-fiber diet can improve stool quality and keep the GI tract healthy. However, a diet with an excessive amount of fiber can also cause gas and diarrhea.

Studies have indicated that reducing consumption of FODMAPs (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols) is an effective approach. These foods cannot be easily absorbed by the small intestine and so increase fluid in the bowel. They are also easily fermented by colonic bacteria, increasing gas and bloating. The increased fluid and gas makes all foods require more time for digestion, causing pain and diarrhea.

Irritable bowel syndrome medications

Mild to moderate cases of IBS can usually be treated with diet and lifestyle changes, as well as stress management techniques. Medications are available for the treatment of moderate to severe IBS that does not improve in response to these changes.

Anti-diarrheal medications

Over the counter medications like loperamide (Imodium) are often used to treat IBS, and can decrease urgency and frequency of bowel movements. Common prescriptions drugs include diphenoxylate (Lomotil, Lomocot) and atropine. These drugs decrease the frequency of intestinal movement, thus allowing the stool to stay in the intestine longer and absorb more water, improving its form. They do not affect abdominal pain or cramping, though, and may cause or worsen constipation, making them inappropriate for IBS sufferers who experience constipation.

Atropine and diphenoxylate can be addictive, and their side effects can include itching, dizziness, nausea, vomiting or drowsiness. Loperamide can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea or dizziness, though these effects do not usually last long.

Bile acid binders like cholestyramine (Prevalite), colestipol (Colestid) or colesevelam (Welchol) benefit some people, though they may cause bloating.

These medications are not appropriate for people with IBD or intestinal infections. If a patient has severe diarrheal symptoms, such as blood in their stool, they should not take these medications.

Anticholinergic and antispasmodic medications

Antispasmodic medications such as dicyclomine (Bentyl) and hyoscyamine (Levsin) are commonly prescribed to decrease painful abdominal spasms. Antispasmotics prevent muscle contractions, while anticholinergics block acetylcholine’s effect in smooth muscle, secretory glands and the central nervous system. Both make bowel movements less urgent and painful. Smooth muscle relaxants, such as alverine, mebeverine and peppermint oil may also be used.

However, few studies have indicated that these drugs are effective for most IBS sufferers. They can also increase constipation and cause side effects, such as heartburn, difficulty urinating, constipation and dry mouth. These medications are not appropriate for all people with IBS, particularly if they have other intestinal issues, and should be taken under a doctor’s supervision.

Antidepressant medications

Antidepressant medications can treat IBS in two ways – as a treatment for depression, which is commonly associated with chronic disorders, and by affecting the connection between the brain and gut in cases where depression is not an issue. IBS patients with depression may be prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem) or paroxetine (Paxil), as well as tricyclic antidepressants, such as nortriptyline (Pamelor), imipramine (Tofranil) or desipramine (Norpramin). These medications both treat depression and decrease the signals of pain travelling from the gut to the brain.

A lower dose of these drugs may be prescribed for IBS patients without depression, as tricyclic antidepressants can reduce pain and diarrhea, and SSRIs can reduce anxiety and constipation. Some people experience IBS relief with the use of anti-anxiety medication, like diazepam (Valium), but these medications are not widely used to treat IBS.

Probiotics and antibiotics

The normal bacteria living in the human gut is called the gut flora, and these microorganisms play a role in gut functions such as immunity, food digestion and nutrient production and absorption. An imbalance in these bacteria can affect gut function and overall wellness in many ways. Harmful bacteria can also cause infections.

Probiotics are supplements that introduce healthy, normal bacteria into the gut flora. More research is needed to prove their overall effectiveness, but some IBS sufferers do gain relief from the use of probiotic supplements. The most commonly studied probiotic for IBS treatments is Bifidobacterium infantis, and its effects are most promising in reducing gas and bloating.

Some IBS may be associated with an overgrowth or infection of harmful bacteria in the gut, and antibiotic medications that reduce bacteria are a possible treatment. The antibiotic Xifaxan (Rifaximin) is used to treat this kind of IBS, particularly improving stool consistency and decreasing pain. Some patients experience improvement in IBS symptoms in a single treatment with Xifaxan, while others require a longer course of treatment.

However, as individual gut flora makeup varies, and IBS can be triggered by both the overgrowth of harmful bacteria and the lack of beneficial bacteria, there is no consistent treatment of IBS using probiotics or antibiotics.

Other medications

Alosetron (Lotronex)
Alosetron is sometimes prescribed for women with IBS-D, as it slows the movement of waste through the bowel by relaxing the colon, as well as decreasing abdominal pain by blocking serotonin sensory transmitters from the gut to the brain. Due to rare but serious side effects, it is only prescribed by certain doctors and in extreme cases. It is not approved for use by men.

Lubiprostone (Amitiza)
Women suffering from IBS-C may be prescribed lubiprostone, which helps stool be passed by increasing fluid in the small intestines and stimulating peristalsis (muscle contractions of the gastrointestinal tract). It is only prescribed for women with severe constipation and IBS that has not responded to other treatments. This medication is not proven safe or effective for men with IBS-C, but may be prescribed for both men and women with chronic constipation but who do not have associated pain in the abdomen.

Eluxadoline (Viberzi)
Recently approved for IBS-D treatment in both men and women, eluxadoline improves consistency of bowel movements and relieves abdominal pain by decreasing bowel contractions. Eluxadoline is not appropriate for a person who has had their gallbladder removed.

Linaclotide (Linzess)
Adults with IBS-C may be prescribed Linaclotide (Linzess) (sold as Constella in Canada and Europe) for treatment of constipation, pain and bloating. It both blocks pain signals from the intestines and increases movement throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.

Irritable bowel syndrome FAQs

Is it IBS, IBD, Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis?

IBS is often confused with IBD, a collection of inflammatory diseases including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. While symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, gas and abdominal pain may be similar, IBD causes inflammatory damage to the intestines and colon that can be seen through visual inspection. As IBS does not cause damage like this, it is instead diagnosed through the appearance of symptoms.

People with IBS who pass bloody stool, lose weight or experience extreme cramping should go to a doctor to be evaluated for IBD or another serious condition. However, people with IBS are not more likely to develop IBD.

Can IBS cause cancer? Is IBS fatal?

IBS does not cause permanent damage or increase risk of colon or other cancers. IBS is not fatal.

Can IBS be cured?

As symptoms of IBS and their treatments vary from person to person, there is no single cure for IBS. However, individuals can manage their symptoms to minimize their effects on daily life and activities, sometimes ending their symptoms entirely.

Is medication necessary for IBS?

IBS can often be controlled through lifestyle and dietary changes, under advice from a doctor. Medications to control symptoms like cramping, diarrhea, constipation and gas, as well as stress and anxiety, may also be used.

Other names for irritable bowel syndrome

  • Spastic colon


Dual Immersion

What is Dual Immersion?

Also called two-way immersion, it is a form of enrichment education where approximately equal numbers of students from language majority (English) and language minority (Spanish) homes are integrated and receive content and literacy instruction through both languages. Dual immersion is the only bilingual program model that enhances the educational experiences of both groups by bringing them together in a single classroom environment where they can serve as resources for each other.
Students from the two language groups attend class together, learning from one another and supporting each other's second language acquisition. Both groups of students develop linguistic and academic competence in two languages: their native language and one more. Academic instruction is structured so that the two languages are separated and used at designated times. This provides all students with the opportunity to be successful language role models and as second language learners.

How does Loma Vista Immersion Academy's Spanish English Dual Immersion (DI) program work?

DI is a rigorous standards-based academic program in which the target language (Spanish) is used as the vehicle of instruction, not the focus. Classrooms consist of half native Spanish speaking students and half native English speaking students. Thematic units integrate the curriculum, making the target language more meaningful to the students and provides the students with enough exposure to practice, use and extend his/her vocabulary. Teachers engage students in active participation activities requiring responses in the target language. Hands-on classroom projects provide additional opportunities for students to use the target language. Teachers use a reciprocal-interactive approach and cooperative learning techniques to encourage students to interact with one another in the second language.

Goals For Our Students

  • Academic achievement at or above grade level
  • Ability to read, speak, think and write fluently in two languages
  • Development of positive cross-cultural relationships

90/10 Model

90% Instruction in Spanish
10% Instruction in English

First Grade

80% Instruction in Spanish
20% Instruction in English

Second Grade

70% Instruction in Spanish
30% Instruction in English

Third Grade

60% Instruction in Spanish
40% Instruction in English

Fourth Grade

50% Instruction in Spanish
50% Instruction in English

Fifth/Sixth Grades

50% Instruction in Spanish
50% Instruction in English

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1431 SW Park Ave

1431 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR 97201

1 year ago

Beautiful Neighborhood

The location is key, where I live is so gorgeous. The rent is reasonable and the people are nice. Everyone here is willing to work together. However there is continuous shutting off of the main water and there is always construction going on in the building.


My obgyn prescribed a prenatal with NVP (nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, aka morning sickness) relieve called B-Nexa. However, I have been taking it on and off because I was feeling a bit nauseated after taking it. The instructions says take one tablet and one capsule daily, and the pharmacist told me that they all come in tablets so ignore the word capsule. So, I had been trying to take 2 each time I take it. After I took it last night, I started to feel really bad. My stomach was unsettled and I am more nauseated than the rest of the day.

I re-read the directions, and it says under Dosage section: “One or two tablets daily, in divided doses, or as directed by a physician.”

Mmm… Maybe I have been taking too many at each sitting. To confirm, I called my Obgyn office to ask how many I should be taking. The nurse said, “just one a day!”

Eeek! Can anyone say “Pregnancy Brain”?

I am glad I double checked, but I feel silly for not checking in the first place. I will continue to monitor and see if the B-Nexa makes me feel better once I start taking just one a day.

This morning, I decided to drive to work. Finally realized that part of what is exacerbating my nauseousness is possibly the rocky bus ride. I am feeling better, but still a bit queasy because of the prenatals I took last night. It might take a little while for my system to settle down.

Food is still unappealing, but I can eat some. I really can use naps too. *yawn*

Timeline: 9 weeks.


Bicuspid Tooth

Bicuspid teeth are the two smaller teeth in front of the molars that are used for chewing.

Instead of having four cusps (pointed areas) like a molar, bicuspids only have two cusps. Adults have a total of eight bicuspids - two on the lower right, two on the lower left, two on the upper right and two on the upper left.


Photo: General Atomics

For this year’s Fourth of July feature, The Cipher Brief revisits its coverage examining the concept of an electromagnetic railgun. Capable of firing projectiles at speeds of Mach 7 to strike targets over 100 miles away, electromagnetic railgun systems for the Navy and the Army are now reaching the final stages of development and could become operational for roles ranging from missile defense to naval surface warfare within the next few years. On the anniversary of American independence Cipher Brief takes a look at this revolutionary technology, and what it may mean for the future of U.S. defense.

With electromagnetic railgun systems (EMRS), “faster than a speeding bullet” takes on new meaning. The 32-megajoule – a measurement of power applied over a period of time, in this case equivalent to about nine kilowatt-hours – railgun in its second phase of testing by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) can fire a projectile at seven times the speed of sound (Mach 7), almost three times faster than an M16 rifle bullet. What’s more, the weapon achieves this blistering speed without the need for volatile, expensive, and heavy chemical propellants like gunpowder.

This technology has attracted U.S. military planners’ interest. ONR tests of the 32-megajoule railgun at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Site in Virginia are aimed at eventual deployment of the weapon on new vessels like the Zumwalt-class destroyer, which produces the energy necessary to power the weapon.

However, bringing this weapon of the future to the battlefield is not easy, and early hopes that the railgun could enter service by the end of this year now seem far-fetched. Given the progress made and the challenges ahead, what does the future hold for the military’s super gun?

The concept of EMRS is futuristic, but it is hardly new. French inventor Louis Fauchon-Villeplee filed the first patent for an “Electric Apparatus for Propelling Projectiles” nearly 100 years ago, and the idea has enjoyed periodic resurgences ever since. Most notably, during the 1980s, the Reagan administration’s “Star Wars” Strategic Defense Initiative hoped to use railguns to quickly intercept and destroy approaching ballistic missiles. However, until very recently, no one has been able to make the weapon practically viable.

Put simply, the railgun is a large electrical circuit made up of three parts: the power source, two metal rails, and an armature, which is a piece of conductive material that creates a circuit between the two rails. Once activated, the gun draws an electrical pulse from the power source, which then runs up the positive rail, through the armature, and back to the power supply through the negative rail. This circuit creates two magnetic fields around the rails, which exert a perpendicular force on the armature – encased in a “sabot” that guides projectile along the rails – and launches it out of the barrel.

In theory, this is all simple enough. However, getting this circuit to actually launch a supersonic projectile presents substantial challenges. First, keeping the railgun’s barrel to a manageable length requires pumping millions of amperes of electrical current into the rails to attain speeds of over Mach 5. This not only requires a large amount of power, it requires a system that can release megawatts of energy in a split second. As John Finkenaur, Director of Advanced Technology Programs at Raytheon’s Integrated Defense Systems tells The Cipher Brief, “it’s always a challenge to release that much energy at one time. Just getting to the point where you can fire once…is a real challenge.” Building a system that can store and deliver that power multiple times over, however, takes that challenge several steps further.

The second major challenge with implementing the railgun technology is simply building a weapon that can physically survive multiple shots. The barrel and rails, for instance, must be able to withstand the intense heat caused both by the electric current traveling through the rails, as well as friction from the armature traveling down the barrel at hypersonic speed. In addition, the magnetic fields surrounding the two rails conspire to exert enormous opposing forces and push the two rails apart.

Finally, creating a projectile with electronic guidance systems that can survive this intense environment is extremely difficult. This is the case not least because, unlike conventional projectiles, which lose acceleration from the moment they are fired, the railgun projectile speeds up as it travels down the rails. Perfecting this projectile is especially difficult because, as President of the General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems Group (GA-EMS) Scott Forney observes, the railgun “projectile” is “actually a hybrid missile.” As such, it contains a variety of microelectronics, navigation control, and other internal systems that must be shielded against this tremendously hostile environment.

For these reasons and more, many have begun to doubt theories that what Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work described as a “set of railguns that would be inexpensive but have enormous deterrent value” could form a key layer in the Pentagon’s new “Third Offset” strategy. They argue that the power needs for the Navy’s designs are so great that only the 78-megawatt electric Zumwalt destroyer could use it – only three of these ships are being made –  and that wear and tear could unreasonably limit the weapon’s use.

However, for those involved in the development effort, such criticism is shortsighted. First, as Finkenaur notes, the railgun is a very adaptable system that “can scale the firing velocity of the projectile just by how much of the system you charge up.” This means that, using a pulsed power system like the one Raytheon has begun delivering to the Navy, railgun operators decide how much energy to plug into the rails and how many shots to store up in their batteries, depending on need.

Thus, even if a 32-megajoule (or more) railgun optimized for offensive naval surface fire support at ranges of over 100 miles is not feasible in the near term, EMR systems can still be highly effective at the 5-, 10-, or 20-megajoule range for a number of different roles, including missile defense. Due to its high launch velocity, the railgun is ideal for missile interception, and indeed, General Atomics already demonstrated a mobile land-based missile defense-focused version of its Blitzer railgun for the Army this April. Packed with precise navigation hardware and what Forney describes as “essentially a tungsten shotgun shell at the tip of the projectile,” this system can accurately intercept speeding missiles with “a tungsten shield.”

At the end of the day, whatever the railgun’s power or range, its overriding advantage will always be cost. As Forney notes, when adversaries begin to threaten the U.S. with cheap missiles, possibly in swarms, “we will soon be able to respond with $25,000 hybrid missiles from a railgun rather than multimillion dollar conventional missiles.” Forney believes GA-EMS could field a system within three years, while Finkenaur guesses that five years is more realistic for a land-based system and ten years for the Navy.

Until then, the Pentagon is focusing on shorter-range defensive capabilities. However, given its scalability, adaptability to different missions, and cost-effectiveness, it is only a matter of time before the electromagnetic railgun becomes an operational reality.

Fritz Lodge is an international producer at The Cipher Brief. Follow him on Twitter at @FritzLodge.

Below is footage of an electromagnetic railgun being test-fired by the Office of Naval Research:


Little Guide to understanding ITU racing.

The ITU World Series is unique. New athletes require time to adapt to the demands of the races. To understand the spectacle, one must understand how they function.

The Swim

– The position on the start line is a function of the athletes World Ranking. The highest ranked get to choose first. Generally the top-end athletes such as Javier Gomez choose their spots on the far sides of the start line to limit the number of athletes around them and the chance of contact.

– For others, the position can often be random. Some try to place themselves close to faster swimmers   for drafting purposes. Others who have a quick start will place themselves in the middle, most likely amongst lower level swimmers.

–  The race within the race is always to the first turn buoy. For the men, 1:06 pace per 100 (faster with better water condition), and the women 1:13 will have the athlete well placed to make the first turn. The athletes in the middle and towards the back will often be stuck behind the pack around the turn buoys. This allows stronger swimmers to increase their lead. In some races these first few minutes can affect the entire 2 hour event.

The Bike

The first transition is crucial as a single error can cost so much. An athlete can’t simply swim well, they must be able to start the bike at an aggressive pace. If not, the chase pack and beyond awaits.

Here at Trimes, we have two theories.

1. The first break is made up of the athletes who are less than 20 seconds behind the first swimmer.

2. « The group of 8 »

There are certain athletes who are always in the lead group on the bike. In 2014 with the exception of Yokohama, Chicago, London and Edmonton (group of 3), the group of 8 was the rule. Unfortunately, with the absence of Alistair Brownlee, the group often can not stay away from the chasers.

– As the bike courses can often change from race-to-race the importance of the middle portion can differ. Technical courses, with many turns and twists and hilly courses will affect the athletes depending on their strengths. The athletes position will also determine their fatigue as they come off the bike. A common mistake is believing that an athlete who is sitting at the back is conserving their legs due to the protection from the wind. If a course is technical the athlete will strung out on the corners and have to work much harder to stay in the group.

On the last lap it becomes a battle for position into the second transition. If an athlete is in the back they can lose from 20 to 30 seconds to the lead athletes.

The Run

The kilometer is always the quicker than the rest. For the men that often means a sub 2:50 first kilometer, around 3:15 for the women (based on olympic distance).

The final few meters? Certain runners do not have confidence in their sprint. Some will attack in the preceding kilometers to prevent the final showdown.

The U-turns can be opportunities to gain time. An attack out of the corner can be surprising and throw off other competitiors.

Running against Gwen Jorgenson (current world champion) the other athletes will often see her pass by in a flash. Her dominance on the run requires the athletes have at least a 1:20 head start for the run.

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