Use security software that updates automatically

Keep your security software active and current: at a minimum, your computer should have anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a firewall. You can buy stand-alone programs for each element or a security suite that includes these programs from a variety of sources, including commercial vendors or from your Internet Service Provider. Security software that comes pre-installed on a computer generally works for a short time unless you pay a subscription fee to keep it in effect. In any case, security software protects against the newest threats only if it is up-to-date. That's why it is critical to set your security software to update automatically.

Some scam artists distribute malware disguised as anti-spyware software. Resist buying software in response to unexpected pop-up messages or emails, especially ads that claim to have scanned your computer and detected malware. That's a tactic scammers have used to spread malware. OnGuardOnline.gov can connect you to a list of security tools from legitimate security vendors selected by GetNetWise, a project of the Internet Education Foundation.

Once you confirm that your security software is up-to-date, run it to scan your computer for viruses and spyware. If the program identifies a file as a problem, delete it.

Keys To Use

Never leave a spare key in a convenient hiding place such as under the doormat, in a flowerpot or behind a loose brick - thieves know all the usual hiding places.

If you move into a new home, change the front and back door locks immediately – other people may have keys that fit. Look in your phone book for the names of local locksmiths who are members of the Master Locksmiths’ Association.

Never leave your house or car keys in or near a door or window. Some thieves have been known to use a fishing rod or magnet on a stick to steal them through the letterbox.

Decide on a safe place for your keys and always use it, so you can find them in an emergency.

Increasingly, burglars are breaking in to steal the keys of high-value cars. So take care of your keys and, if you have a garage, keep your car in it rather than on the drive.

Alternative Fuel Vehicles

Alternative Fuel Vehicles are designed to improve air quality and the environment by lowering or eliminating ozone-forming tailpipe emissions. GSA owns more AFVs than any single organization in the United States. We anticipate selling approximately 4,000 AFVs in the coming year, including sedans, pickups, buses, vans, delivery trucks and specialty vehicles.

Alternative fuels include compressed natural gas, propane, hydrogen, and gasoline blends containing up to 85% alcohol (methanol or denatured ethanol). Currently, three main types
of vehicles operating on alternative fuels are available:

• Flexible Fuel Vehicles contain a single fuel tank capable of operating on alcohol, gasoline or a combination of both (gasohol).
• Bi-Fuel Vehicles have two fuel systems, allowing the driver to switch between gasoline and compressed natural gas or propane.
• Dedicated Fuel Vehicles can only run on a single alternative fuel source.

In addition to environmental benefits, Alternative Fuel Vehicles offer owners numerous advantages. Many states permit AFVs to drive in HOV lanes and offer tax rebates on AFV purchases. GSA also provides matching funds to agencies participating in the
Federal Government's AFV User Program.

Cold Water Fishing

Featured species in the cold water fisheries of the Finger Lakes include brown trout, rainbow trout, Atlantic salmon, and lake trout. Lake trout is the "bread and butter" species in most of the lakes' coldwater fisheries and may be caught in Skaneateles, Owasco, Cayuga, Seneca, Keuka, Canandaigua, Canadice and Hemlock Lakes. Skaneateles and Keuka Lakes host natural reproducing lake trout. Rainbow trout are very abundant in Skaneateles lake, and also available in Owasco, Cayuga, Seneca, Keuka, Canandaigua, Canadice, and Hemlock Lakes. Although elusive in many of the lake fisheries, they avail themselves to anglers during the spring tributary fishing in Naples Creek, Catharine Creek, Grout Brook, Cayuga Inlet, Owasco Inlet, Cold Brook Stream (Keuka Lake Inlet), and Springwater Creek. Rainbow trout have become naturalized in Cayuga, Skaneateles, Owasco, Seneca, Keuka Hemlock, and Canandaigua Lakes with natural reproduction supplemented by stocking. Brown trout can be found in all the Finger Lakes except Conesus and Honeoye Lakes. Try shore fishing or surface trolling in the spring for browns. Atlantic salmon can be found in Skaneateles, Cayuga, Seneca, Keuka, and Hemlock Lakes.

Conflict with vehicles by Kangaroo

A collision with a vehicle is capable of killing a kangaroo. Kangaroos dazzled by headlights or startled by engine noise have been known to leap in front of cars. Since kangaroos in mid-bound can reach speeds of around 50 km/h (31 mph) and are relatively heavy, the force of impact can be severe. Small vehicles may be destroyed, while larger vehicles may suffer engine damage. The risk of harm to vehicle occupants is greatly increased if the windscreen is the point of impact. As a result, "kangaroo crossing" signs are commonplace in Australia.

Vehicles that frequent isolated roads, where roadside assistance may be scarce, are often fitted with "roo bars" to minimal damage caused by collision. Bonnet-mounted devices, designed to scare wildlife off the road with ultrasound and other methods, have been devised and marketed.

If a female is the victim of a collision, animal welfare groups ask that her pouch be checked for any surviving joey, in which case it may be removed to a wildlife sanctuary or veterinary surgeon for rehabilitation. Likewise, when an adult kangaroo is injured in a collision, a vet, the RSPCA or the National Parks and Wildlife Service can be consulted for instructions on proper care. In New South Wales, rehabilitation of kangaroos is carried out by volunteers from WIRES.

Types of Photographs

Types of Photographs

A photographic image is formed by the action of light falling onto a base material which has been coated with a light-sensitive emulsion. This latent image may then be "developed" and "fixed" by further chemical processing. The emulsion coating in most modern photographs is usually gelatin, which incorporates either silver halide salsts to form black and white images, or dyes or pigments to form colour images. The base can be made from any material that can be coated with an emulsion, but the most common bases are paper and film.

• Paper based prints-either color or black and white with a variety of emulsion types, depending on the age of the material. These can be simple "snapshots" to mounted presentation photographs to very large aerial survey shots.
• Negatives-reversed polarity images from which positive prints are produced which can be colour or black and white, and in a range of sizes. Early negatives were on glass, but for most of the twentieth century, flexible film bases have been used. Film-based negatives can be in either sheet or roll form.
• Transparencies or slides-positive images on a transparent film base, therefore requiring viewing with a back light source or projection system. The most common are 35mm slides, but other sizes are also used.

History of the Treasury Building

In the first years of the American republic's existence, the federal government was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1800, the federal government moved to Washington, DC and the Department of the Treasury moved into a porticoed Gregorian-style building designed by an English architect, George Hadfield.

This structure was partially destroyed by fire in 1801. Later it was burned by the British in 1814, but was rebuilt by White House architect James Hoban. This building was identical to three others located on lots adjacent to the White House, each housing one of the first four departments of the U.S. Government: the State Department, the War Department, the Navy Department, and the Treasury Department. The Treasury Building, to the southeast of the White House, was again burned by arsonists on March 31, 1833, with only the fireproof wing left standing.

The three years after the 1833 fire that destroyed the second Treasury Building, the Department was without a home of its own. On July 4, 1836, Congress authorized the construction of a "fireproof building of such dimensions as may be required for the present and future accommodations" of the Treasury Department.

This legislation authorized the East and Center Wings. They were partially occupied in August 1839 and were completed in 1842. They were designed by Robert Mills, who was also the architect of the Washington Monument and the Patent Office Building. The most architecturally impressive feature of the Mills design is the east front colonnade running the length of the building.

Each of the 30 columns is 36 feet tall and was carved out of a single block of granite. The material for the original Wing was Acquia Creek freestone, which was largely replaced with granite in 1908. The interior design of the east and center wings is classically austere, in keeping with the Greek Revival style. Perhaps the building when completed in 1842 was an imposing structure for the time, but it fell short of providing accommodations for the future. Having cost less than $700,000, the building, which is now only a part of the east wing, contained 150 rooms.

It was found necessary in a few years to enlarge the building, and on March 3, 1855, Congress granted authority to extend the building, by appropriating $100,000. Construction of what is now the South Wing was begun in July 1855 and completed and occupied in September 1861. Construction started on the west wing in 1855 and was completed and occupied in 1864. The preliminary design of the wings was provided by Thomas Ustick Walter, architect of the dome of the U.S. Capitol, but construction began under the supervision of Ammi B. Young and from 1862 until 1867 by Isaiah Rogers. They each refined the plans, designed the interior details. While the exterior of the building was executed along the lines of the original Mills wings, the interiors of the later wings reflect changes in both building technology and aesthetic tastes. Iron columns and beams reinforced the building's brick vaults, and the architectural detailing became much more ornate, following mid-nineteenth century fashion.

The Department continued to grow, and construction began on the North Wing, the final addition to the Treasury Building in 1867. The Government building housing the Department of State was removed from the north area of the site in 1866-67 to make room for the North Wing.The architect of the North Wing was Alfred B. Mullett, who subsequently designed the Old Executive Office Building, which originally housed the State Department, the War Department and the Navy Department.

The north wing of the Treasury Building contains the Cash Room -- a two-story marble hall in which the daily financial business of the U.S. Government was transacted. The room was opened in 1869 as the site of President Ulysses S. Grant's Inaugural Ball. This wing was completed in 1869. The Attic story, now the Treasury Building's fifth floor, was added in 1910.

The stone used in the South Wing, the West Wing and the North Wing, was quarried on Dix Island, near Rockland, Maine, and transported in sailing vessels. The facades are adorned by monolithic columns of the Ionic order, each 36 feet tall and weighing 30 tons. Each column cost $5,000.

There are 34 of these pillars on the east side of the building facing Fifteenth Street, 30 of them forming a colonnade 341 feet long. This colonnade has for many years provided viewing space for inaugural parades and other state functions. There are 18 columns on the west side and ten each on the north and south sides.

Thus, after more than a third of a century, the Treasury Building became the magnificent structure originally intended. One of the results of its expansion, though, was the violation of the original plan for the city -- to leave unobstructed the view from the White House to the Capitol.

The building as it is today is estimated to have cost approximately $8 million. Early planning had the entire capital city facing the Washington Canal which at one time ran through downtown Washington where the National Mall is now located. Because of its location, the south entrances of the Treasury Building, along with the south entrance of the White House, is the historical front entrance of the building.

The Treasury Building is the oldest departmental building in Washington, and the third oldest federally occupied building in Washington, preceded only by the Capitol and the White House. The Main Treasury Building covers five stories and a raised basement and sits on 5 acres of ground. The building measures 466 feet north to south by 260 feet east to west.

A Statue of Alexander Hamilton, the 1st Secretary of the Treasury, is located on the south patio of the building, while a statue of Albert Gallatin, the 4th Secretary of the Treasury, is located on the north patio. Gallatin served the longest as Secretary, from 1801 until 1814. The grounds of the building -- rose gardens at the north and south ends and grass, magnolia trees and other plantings gracing the west side -- add much to the beauty of the building.

The Main Treasury Building has had a great impact on the design of other government buildings. At the time of its completion, it was one of the largest office buildings in the world. It is unquestionably a monument of continuing architectural and historic significance. The Treasury Building was dedicated as a National Historic Landmark on October 18, 1972.

The First Afghan War

The background to the conflict

The problems with Afghanistan began in 1837. With Russian backing, a Persian army besieged the city of Herat, the British government saw this as a threat to their interests in India, and began to fear a Russian invasion of the North-Western frontier of Afghanistan. In addition, Shah Shoojah, a former monarch of Afghanistan, had been exiled to India, plus Runjeet Singh, the Sikh leader and a firm ally of the British, had been attacked by the dominant Afghan chief Dost Mahomed Khan. This led to a tripartite agreement between the British, Shah Shoojah and Runjeet Singh, which aimed to return Shah Shoojah to the Afghan throne, thus making Afghanistan pro-British.

The conflict

A combined army of British and Indian forces, entitled the Army of the Indus, was assembled to attempt to place Shah Shoojah on the throne. The 13th Foot was selected to form part of the infantry forces and arrived at Ferozepore in India on 26 November 1838 to take its place in the army. It was decided that the army should not approach Afghanistan through the Khyber Pass, as it was a dangerous and unpredictable passage, instead the Army of the Indus marched across Baluchistan to pass through the Bolan Pass with the objective of Kandahar. In April 1839 the Army of Indus reached Kandahar; on their approach the leaders of Western Afghanistan fled or surrendered, thus leaving the entrance to the city open.

June 1839 saw the army moving towards Kabul. On route lay the fortress of Ghuznee which was duly stormed and seized by a party from the 13th led by Colonel Dennie. With the taking of Ghuznee, the passage to Kabul lay open and on the 6 August 1839 Shah Shoojah entered the capital to an unsettling silence. It appeared to all that the Army of Indus had achieved its goals.

The next year saw the continued occupation of Kabul, Kandahar and Ghuznee. However, tensions within the country were starting to develop. Shah Shoojah was not popular amongst the Afghan people and only held his position due to heavy British backing. All that was needed was a catalyst to cement the feeling of unrest. This catalyst was found in October 1841 and took the form of Akbar Khan, the favourite son of Dost Mahomed Khan, in addition communication lines to India were cut and there was growing friction between the British civil and military authorities.

The growing tensions came to a head in early October 1841. A small party from the 35th Native Infantry moved to the entrance of the Khoord Kabul Pass. This group was attacked and suffered heavy losses. In response the 13th, under command of Colonel Robert Sale, was sent out to join this group. The Khoord Kabul Pass was forced and the troops fought onto Gandamak, a cantonment garrisoned by Shah Shoojah's troops which lay 25 miles south-west of Jellalabad.

Whilst at Gandamak Sale received news of an Afghan insurrection at Kabul and the overthrow of Shah Shoojah and the death of the British envoy to Afghanistan. With the sick and wounded it would have been impossible for Sale and the 13th to attempt a return to Kabul, it was thus decided to retire to Jellalabad. The arrival at Jellalabad found the fortress in ruins and the cantonments were burning. Ammunition and rations were short and the fort was soon surrounded by hostile Afghans. Meanwhile, the British forces in Kabul had capitulated, 17,000 Europeans were assured that they would receive safe passage from Afghanistan, however, once away from Kabul they were attacked, just one hundred survived to be taken prisoner and only one person, Dr. Brydon, reached Jellalabad alive.

The situation was ominous; Kabul had fallen and hostile forces surrounded the other garrisons, in addition communication links with India had become irregular and unreliable. The Afghans were also turning their attention to the destruction of Jellalabad. News of a relief force led by General Pollack was received, but just four days later an earthquake hit Jellalabad, destroying the newly defended walls. At the beginning of April 1842 the Jellalabad garrison received the disastrous (although incorrect) news that Pollack's force had been destroyed whilst crossing the Khyber Pass. This led Sale to make the decision to try to breakout from Jellalabad.

The day chosen was the 7 April, a day to be known throughout the regiment's history as Jellalabad Day. At daybreak the troops were awaiting the order for attack, the garrison were to attack in three columns with the 13th in the centre. The 13th came under attack from a small fort, which was duly attacked and the Afghans were pushed back before fleeing the scene. Just a week later General Pollack's forces reached Jellalabad and in the autumn of 1842 the remaining garrisons of the Army of the Indus again converged on Kabul. The prisoners held by the Afghans were released and by the 12 October 1842 the army was returning to India.

The repercussions for the regiment were vast; a twenty one-gun salute was fired at every principal Army station that was passed through on their return through India. In England, Prime Minister, Sir Robert Peel, sang the regiment's praises in the House of Commons and Queen Victoria re-titled the regiment the 13^th or Prince Albert's Regiment of Light Infantry and changed the uniforms facings from yellow to Royal Blue. A special campaign medal, the first ever issued, was struck to be awarded to those who took part in the siege. Jellalabad was now to appear in a scroll at the top of the Regimental badge, along with a mural crown which was to refer to the fortress wall of Jellalabad and the initials PA for their new title. Three more battle honours were also added to the regimental colours: Ghuznee 1839, Afghanistan 1939 and Cabool 1842.

Hydrogen Storage System

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have successfully designed and demonstrated key features of a hydrogen storage system that utilizes a complex metal hydride material known as sodium alanate. The system, developed through a multiyear project funded by General Motors Corp., stores 3 kilograms of hydrogen and is large enough to evaluate control strategies suitable for use in vehicle applications.

The design tools developed by Sandia researchers now provide GM with a workable template for future designs, which is expected to significantly save the company costs and time when developing hydrogen storage systems for onboard vehicular applications.

“For GM, the enduring value of this project can be found in the design concepts, computational tools, and control strategies that Sandia developed,” said Jim Spearot, GM lead executive for hydrogen storage. “With this new body of knowledge and information, we will be able to quickly design viable systems as new storage materials emerge.”

Methods have been validated

Sandia researchers are quick to point out that the system was not meant to fit on board a vehicle, and that sodium alanate will not be the material of choice for onboard storage of hydrogen. But, although it is indeed larger and heavier than a viable automotive storage system requires, the system’s engineered elements address many of the thermal management issues that are necessary for successful vehicular storage of hydrogen.

“We’ve shown that we can engineer vehicle-scale energy storage systems to meet a variety of operating requirements and driving cycles, and our design methods have been validated for relevant materials,” said Sandia engineer Terry Johnson.

Johnson said Sandia is well-equipped to do similar work on behalf of other companies, including those that manufacture rolling stock, specialty, or heavy-duty vehicles. Companies that focus on other niche applications, including underwater, military, or unmanned aerial vehicles, would likely benefit from Sandia’s expertise, too, he said.

Modular heat exchange system allows flexibility

In addition to its size and storage capacity, the unique features of the Sandia system include an advanced heating system whereby a fraction of the stored hydrogen is used to provide heat to release the remaining hydrogen. This method — the catalytic combustion of hydrogen — is not new, Johnson said, but is unique to this particular application and the first to be successfully demonstrated. “We chose not to use resistive (electrically driven) heating, because it would have necessarily resulted in a larger and heavier system,” he said.

After considering a number of thermal management options, Sandia selected a “shell and tube” heat exchanger, a heating technique common in many industrial processes. The “SmartBed” — a term coined by Sandia that refers to the method for controlling a modular storage system — consists of four identical modules, each of which contains a shell and tube heat exchanger. The material used to store the hydrogen — sodium alanate — resides within the tubes, which essentially serve as a high-pressure storage vessel. Inside the shell, a heating fluid circulates to transfer heat to and from the sodium alanate.

The modular design of the system means that only a minimum amount of the storage material needs to be heated at any one time. The design also aids in the packaging of the system to fit on board a vehicle.

Sandia’s work with GM on a hydrogen storage system reflects the lab’s long history of exploring basic science for energy and transportation. From developing renewable means of producing hydrogen, to discovering the science behind hydrogen safety, to creating the building blocks of hydrogen and fuel cell systems, Sandia scientists and engineers are actively working to help hydrogen and fuel cells take their place in a sustainable energy future. Sandia is actively seeking commercial partners to further develop its hydrogen storage technologies.

Fires and Food Safety

Fire! Few words can strike such terror. Residential fires are, unfortunately, a common occurrence. Some 2 million American homes are in flames yearly. In the aftermath of fire, people are left to salvage their lives and belongings.

Whether it's the whole house involved or just a fire in the kitchen, people try to save what they can — including food. But generally, saving food that's been in a fire is not a good idea.

Food exposed to fire can be compromised by three factors: the heat of the fire, smoke fumes, and chemicals used to fight fire.

Heat from the Fire
Food in cans or jars may appear to be okay, but if they've been close to the HEAT of a fire, they may no longer be safe.

Why? Heat from a fire can activate food spoilage bacteria. If the heat is extreme, the cans or jars themselves can split or rupture, rendering the food unsafe.

Fumes from a Fire
One of the most dangerous elements of a fire is sometimes not the fire itself, but TOXIC FUMES released from burning materials.

Those fumes can kill; they can also contaminate food. Any type of food stored in permeable packaging — cardboard, plastic wrap, etc. — should be thrown away. Toxic fumes can permeate the packaging and contaminate the food.

Discard any raw foods stored installing battery-powered smoke outside the refrigerator — such as potatoes or fruit — that could be contaminated by fumes.

Surprisingly, food stored in refrigerators or freezers can also become contaminated by fumes. The refrigerator seal isn't airtight and fumes can get inside.

If food from your refrigerator has an off-flavor or odor when it's prepared, throw it away.

Chemicals in Fires
Chemicals used to fight fires contain toxic materials and can contaminate food and cookware. The chemicals cannot be washed off the food.

Foods that are exposed to chemicals should be thrown away. This includes food stored at room temperature, such as fruits and vegetables, as well as foods stored in permeable containers like cardboard and screw-topped jars and bottles.

Canned goods and cookware exposed to chemicals can be decontaminated.

Wash in a strong detergent solution. Then dip in a bleach solution (1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water) for 15 minutes.

Fire Stoppers
The American Red Cross recommends that you:

• Make your home fire-safe by installing battery-powered smoke detectors on each floor and in the garage. Test the detectors twice a year and keep a working fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
• Plan two emergency escape routes from each room in the house. Have rope or chain ladders for upstairs rooms. Agree on where to meet after the family escapes.
• Have your own practice fire drills. Instruct everyone to crawl low under smoke.

Police Cars Benefitted by Latest Technology

West Ham Park In East London

West Ham Park has been owned and maintained by the City of London since 1874, and at 77 acres, is the largest park in the London Borough of Newham. Our aim has always been to provide a wide range of facilities, together with a pleasant and relaxing environment for all our visitors.

Our seven acre ornamental garden will lead you to a variety of horticultural delights, whilst out in the park, a wide range of recreational activities are available throughout the year including sports, guided walks and entertainment on the bandstand in the summer. We are also proud to be one of the few parks in the country with our own nursery, supplying over 200 species of plant for displays in the park, and a number of other open spaces in London.


Open every day of the year, patrolled by full time Park Keepers and supported by closed circuit television, it's no wonder that our one million visitors a year tell us they feel welcome and safe and that we are ‘the most popular park in East London’.

Pervention From AIDS

1. See the articles related on safe sex to learn how to reduce the chance of acquiring or spreading HIV, and other sexually transmitted diseases.
2. Try not to use injected drugs. If IV drugs are used, do not share needles or syringes. Many communities now have needle exchange programs, where you can get rid of used syringes and get new, sterile ones for free. These programs can also provide referrals to addiction treatment.
3. Avoid contact with another person's blood. Protective clothing, masks, and goggles may be appropriate when caring for people who are injured.
4. Anyone who tests positive for HIV can pass the disease to others and should not donate blood, plasma, body organs, or sperm. An infected person should tell any prospective sexual partner about their HIV-positive status. They should not exchange body fluids during sexual activity, and should use whatever preventive measures will give the partner the most protection.
5. HIV-positive women who wish to become pregnant should seek counseling about the risk to unborn children, and medical advances that may help prevent the fetus from becoming infected. Use of certain medications can dramatically reduce the chances that the baby will become infected during pregnancy.
6. Mothers who are HIV-positive should not breast feed their babies.
7. Safe-sex practices, such as latex condoms, are highly effective in preventing HIV transmission. HOWEVER, there remains a risk of acquiring the infection even with the use of condoms. Abstinence is the only sure way to prevent sexual transmission of HIV.

The riskiest sexual behavior is unprotected receptive anal intercourse -- the least risky sexual behavior is receiving oral sex. Performing oral sex on a man is associated with some risk of HIV transmission, but this is less risky than unprotected vaginal intercourse. Female-to-male transmission of the virus is much less likely than male-to-female transmission. Performing oral sex on a woman who does not have her period carries low risk of transmission.

HIV-positive patients who are taking anti-retroviral medications are less likely to transmit the virus. For example, pregnant women who are on effective treatment at the time of delivery, and who have undetectable viral loads, give HIV to the infant less than 1% of the time, compared with about 20% of the time if medications are not used.

The US blood supply is among the safest in the world. Nearly all people infected with HIV through blood transfusions received those transfusions before 1985, the year HIV testing began for all donated blood. Currently, the risk of infection with HIV through a blood transfusion or blood products is almost zero in the United States, even in geographic areas with a lot of HIV infections.

If you believe you have been exposed to HIV, seek medical attention IMMEDIATELY. There is some evidence that an immediate course of antiviral drugs can reduce the chances that you will be infected. This is called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and has been used to treat health care workers injured by needle sticks, to prevent transmission.

There is less information available about how effective PEP is for people exposed to HIV through sexual activity or IV drug use. However, if you believe you have been exposed, you should discuss the possibility with a knowledgeable specialist (check local AIDS organizations for the latest information) as soon as possible. Anyone who has been raped should be offered PEP and should consider its potential risks and benefits.

Coffee's History

The first reported appearance of coffee is in the year 850 in the region of Kaffa (hence its name) of Ethiopia. Out of curiosity some person tasted the red fruits from an unknown tree. Gradually the people of this region began to eat this semi-toasted (by the sun) grains. Those who ate said they felt happy and awake. It is unknown how this plant arrived in Yemen in the fourteenth century. The old shepherds of Yemen discovered that when their goats chewed on the leaves and fruits from some tree the goats became agitated and couldn't sleep at night. The shepherds told this to some monks that lived nearby, who began to make a beverage with these grains. This drink helped them stay up longer. One day one of these monks started burning some branches of the plant and without him noticing, some of the grains fell on the fire. A delicious aroma arose from the fire. This smell attracted the other monks who withdrew the grains from the fire and grounded them to make a better tasting beverage from this powder.

In time this new beverage arrived at the Golden Horn, one of the richest zones in the Ottoman Empire. In Istanbul two merchants, Djems de Damasco and Hakim de Alepo opened the first two known coffee houses side by side. In the middle of the XVII century merchants from the east introduced the beverage to the city of Dogos in Venice. According to historians the first "bottega da caffe" was open on the "Plaza San Marco" in 1645. From Venice coffee went to London where the first establishment was manage by an Italian. It was inaugurated in 1652 near the Saint Michael Cornhill Church.

Anti-Human Growth Hormone

The major isoform of hGH is a polypeptide of 191 amino acids. Human GH1-43 is an amino terminal segment of hGH1-191 which comprises the first 43 amino acids. This peptide is a potent regulator of glucose homeostasis. To facilitate our understanding of the physiological regulation of hGH1-43 an assay to measure its levels in biological fluids and extracts is needed. This communication describes the development of anti-hGH1-43 monoclonal antibodies and their use in the development of an indirect competitive ELISA for the quantification of hGH1-43. Hybridomas were produced by the fusion of FOX-NY myeloma cells with spleen cells taken from a mouse immunized with hGH1-43. The hybridomas were screened for production of antibodies to hGH1-43 by antibody capture ELISA. Hybridomas which produced antibodies reactive to hGH1-43 were cloned by limiting dilution. Three monoclonal hybridomas, CCL-1, CCL-2, and CCL-3 were subsequently obtained. These hybridomas secreted antibodies that were highly reactive towards hGH1-43 but minimally reactive towards hGH1-191. The isotypes of the mAbs secreted by CCL-1, CCL-2 and CCL-3 were all IgG1 kappa as shown by isotype specific antibody capture analysis. An indirect competitive ELISA with a detection limit that ranged from 1 to 10 ng/ml was developed using mAbs from monoclonal hybridoma CCL-3. Dose-response curves for competing hGH1-191, hPRL, and hPL indicated minimal cross-reactivity of mAbs with these hormones and conversely, a high degree of specificity for hGH1-43. Dose-response curves for dilutions of human serum and pituitary extract were parallel to the standard. The availability of a sensitive assay for the measurement of hGH1-43 will help us answer questions regarding the biosynthesis, regulation of secretion, and role of hGH1-43 in the control of glucose homeostasis.

Case History

A 5-month-old infant presented with a history of fever, vomiting for 1 week, and convulsions for 3 days. On physical examination, the child was febrile (38.5°C), continuous convulsions were present, and the pupils were reactive. There was a progressive deterioration of consciousness, leading to coma. There was no significant finding in the cardiovascular system or respiratory system or by abdominal examination. A computed tomography scan showed mild effacement of the basal cisterns and a thin hypodense collection in bilateral frontal convexity, suggesting a possibility of subdural hygroma or subdural effusion.

Laboratory data included a total leukocyte count of 7,300/mm3, with 71% neutrophils, 26% lymphocytes, and 3% eosinophils. The hemoglobin concentration was 10.2 g/dl. No parasites were seen in the peripheral smear. The blood electrolyte picture showed sodium at 133 mmol/liter, potassium at 4.4 mmol/liter, chloride at 95 mmol/liter, bicarbonate at 18.6 mmol/liter, phosphorus at 4.7 mg/dl, blood urea nitrogen at 14 mg/dl, a serum calcium level of 9.2 mg%, and a random blood sugar level of 120 mg/dl.

The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was cloudy and hemorrhagic; and analysis showed the presence of sugar at a concentration of 10 mg/dl, proteins at a concentration of 361 mg/dl, and a cell count of 130 cells/mm3, with 80% neutrophils and 20% lymphocytes. Gram staining showed numerous polymorphonuclear leukocytes but no bacteria. Examination of a wet mount showed actively motile trophozoites suggestive of PAM. A Giemsa-stained smear showed trophozoites.

CSF sediment culture on 1.5% nonnutrient agar preseeded with a lawn culture of Escherichia coli yielded oval, motile, flagellated forms of Naegleria fowleri (length, about 15 μm) after 48 h of incubation, as observed in a wet mount preparation

Next Generation Rocket Ejector