Gondang Dam is located at Sugio district, 19 km south west of Lamongan. It was built in 1983-1987. The main use of the dam is for irrigation, but now on, many tourists come there for having relax and fishing; camping ground, water bicycle and mini zoo are available.
The manager of the dam has commit to implement the programs of Sapta Pesona (Seven Charms) to make the tourist always enjoy this tourism object.
There are place for the children who want to play, such as water bicycle, and mini zoo that dwelt the several animals such as dear, monkey, eagle, peacock and other animals. So those, the visitor can also bring their children to enjoy this place. By the motto of Sapta Pesona, Gondang reservoir always creating safety, orderly, clean, cold, beautiful, audience and give the good memory for the visitor.
Creativity
Rabu, 30 Juli 2008
Jumat, 16 Mei 2008
ಪೆಮಿಲಿಹನ್ ಪುತ್ರಿ ಪರಿವಿಸತ indonesia
PEMILIHAN PUTRI PARIWISATA INDONESIA
Dorong Masyarakat Lestarikan Budaya
Setelah memiliki Putri Indonesia dan Miss Indonesia, untuk pertama kalinya tahun ini Indonesia juga akan memiliki Putri Pariwisata. Kegiatan pemilihan Putri Pariwisata kini dalam proses penyaringan di tingkat daerah, dan pada 12 Juli nanti digelar grand final-nya di The Batavia Hotel, Jakarta.
Johnnie Sugiarto, Presdir El John selaku country director yang ditunjuk Organizer Miss Tourism International untuk menyeleksi Putri Pariwisata Indonesia, kepada wartawan, di Jakarta, Rabu lalu mengatakan, berbeda dengan proses penyaringan peserta pada ajang pemilihan Putri Indonesia atau Miss Indonesia, untuk menjadi Putri Pariwisata, selain harus memiliki tinggi badan minimal 165 cm, peserta seleksi juga harus menguasai pengetahuan tentang kepariwisataan dan kebudayaan daerah.
"Kami memberikan bobot standar pengetahuan tentang kebudayaan lokal yang harus dikuasai masing-masing calon Putri Pariwisata adalah 40 persen. Pengetahuan tentang kebudayaan lokal itu kami anggap penting karena Putri Pariwisata nantinya harus bisa mendorong semangat masyarakat luas dalam melestarikan kebudayaan Indonesia," ujar Johnnie Sugiarto.
Pengusaha yang banyak mengelola industri kepariwisataan di Tanah Air ini juga mengemukakan, penekanan sampai 40 persen bobot pengetahuan tentang kebudayaan yang harus dikuasai para peserta pemilihan Putri Pariwisata karena Indonesia memiliki keragaman budaya yang menarik, tetapi pada saat ini ada kecenderungan generasi muda kurang mengetahui potensi budaya di daerahnya. Kenyataan tersebut, apabila dibiarkan terus, akan mengakibatkan hilangnya pengetahuan budaya lokal di kalangan generasi muda.
"Dampaknya, mereka bisa mendewakan kebudayaan asing. Oleh karena itu, ketika ditawari pihak Miss Tourism International untuk mengikuti seleksi pelaksanaan Miss Tourism Indonesia, saya langsung bersemangat. Saya yakin, ajang pemilihan Putri Pariwisata tidak saja bisa meningkatkan apresiasi generasi muda tentang kebudayaan lokal, tetapi lebih dari itu, ajang pemilihan Putri Pariwisata bisa ikut menyukseskan program Visit Indonesia Year 2008 yang dicanangkan Depbudpar," tutur Johnnie. Dia menambahkan bahwa peserta yang terpilih menjadi Putri Pariwisata Indonesia nanti harus bersedia mengikuti ajang Miss Tourism International yang lokasinya akan diumumkan kemudian.
Dorong Masyarakat Lestarikan Budaya
Setelah memiliki Putri Indonesia dan Miss Indonesia, untuk pertama kalinya tahun ini Indonesia juga akan memiliki Putri Pariwisata. Kegiatan pemilihan Putri Pariwisata kini dalam proses penyaringan di tingkat daerah, dan pada 12 Juli nanti digelar grand final-nya di The Batavia Hotel, Jakarta.
Johnnie Sugiarto, Presdir El John selaku country director yang ditunjuk Organizer Miss Tourism International untuk menyeleksi Putri Pariwisata Indonesia, kepada wartawan, di Jakarta, Rabu lalu mengatakan, berbeda dengan proses penyaringan peserta pada ajang pemilihan Putri Indonesia atau Miss Indonesia, untuk menjadi Putri Pariwisata, selain harus memiliki tinggi badan minimal 165 cm, peserta seleksi juga harus menguasai pengetahuan tentang kepariwisataan dan kebudayaan daerah.
"Kami memberikan bobot standar pengetahuan tentang kebudayaan lokal yang harus dikuasai masing-masing calon Putri Pariwisata adalah 40 persen. Pengetahuan tentang kebudayaan lokal itu kami anggap penting karena Putri Pariwisata nantinya harus bisa mendorong semangat masyarakat luas dalam melestarikan kebudayaan Indonesia," ujar Johnnie Sugiarto.
Pengusaha yang banyak mengelola industri kepariwisataan di Tanah Air ini juga mengemukakan, penekanan sampai 40 persen bobot pengetahuan tentang kebudayaan yang harus dikuasai para peserta pemilihan Putri Pariwisata karena Indonesia memiliki keragaman budaya yang menarik, tetapi pada saat ini ada kecenderungan generasi muda kurang mengetahui potensi budaya di daerahnya. Kenyataan tersebut, apabila dibiarkan terus, akan mengakibatkan hilangnya pengetahuan budaya lokal di kalangan generasi muda.
"Dampaknya, mereka bisa mendewakan kebudayaan asing. Oleh karena itu, ketika ditawari pihak Miss Tourism International untuk mengikuti seleksi pelaksanaan Miss Tourism Indonesia, saya langsung bersemangat. Saya yakin, ajang pemilihan Putri Pariwisata tidak saja bisa meningkatkan apresiasi generasi muda tentang kebudayaan lokal, tetapi lebih dari itu, ajang pemilihan Putri Pariwisata bisa ikut menyukseskan program Visit Indonesia Year 2008 yang dicanangkan Depbudpar," tutur Johnnie. Dia menambahkan bahwa peserta yang terpilih menjadi Putri Pariwisata Indonesia nanti harus bersedia mengikuti ajang Miss Tourism International yang lokasinya akan diumumkan kemudian.
Jumat, 25 April 2008
सिगंदु Beach
Thousand watch kite-flying festival in Sigandu beach resort
Batang, Central Java (ANTARA News) - Thousands of visitors from various areas of Pekalongan and environs in Central Java on Sunday watched a kite-flying competition on the Sigandu beach tourist resort in Batang regency.
The thousands of visitors flocking the Sigandu beach resort cause heavy traffic congestions to and from the area, especially that the road leading to the beach is only an average of three meters wide, while all kinds of cars, personal, private, as well as buses, not to mention the thousands of motorcycles go through these relatively small roads.
Batang tourist office chief Bambang Ibnu Riyanto said he really did not expect that enthusiasm of the public to watch the third kite-flying competition, would be so great.
The competition is divided into the kite "fighting" category, with 128 participants, and the most beautiful and impressive kite category, with 66 participants.
The participants came from neighboring Pekalongan, Pemalang, Tegal and Batang, he added.
He said the kite-flying competition is also one way to promote the Sigandu beach resort, which is expected to contribute to the earnings of Batang regency from the tourism sector.
In the meantime, the event`s chief organizer Purwanto said that the winners of the kite fighting competition will take part in the grand final held in Parangtritis beach resort, Yogyakarta, on August 17 through 19, 2007.
The Sigandu winners will be rewarded a prize money, he added, without elaborating. (*)
Batang, Central Java (ANTARA News) - Thousands of visitors from various areas of Pekalongan and environs in Central Java on Sunday watched a kite-flying competition on the Sigandu beach tourist resort in Batang regency.
The thousands of visitors flocking the Sigandu beach resort cause heavy traffic congestions to and from the area, especially that the road leading to the beach is only an average of three meters wide, while all kinds of cars, personal, private, as well as buses, not to mention the thousands of motorcycles go through these relatively small roads.
Batang tourist office chief Bambang Ibnu Riyanto said he really did not expect that enthusiasm of the public to watch the third kite-flying competition, would be so great.
The competition is divided into the kite "fighting" category, with 128 participants, and the most beautiful and impressive kite category, with 66 participants.
The participants came from neighboring Pekalongan, Pemalang, Tegal and Batang, he added.
He said the kite-flying competition is also one way to promote the Sigandu beach resort, which is expected to contribute to the earnings of Batang regency from the tourism sector.
In the meantime, the event`s chief organizer Purwanto said that the winners of the kite fighting competition will take part in the grand final held in Parangtritis beach resort, Yogyakarta, on August 17 through 19, 2007.
The Sigandu winners will be rewarded a prize money, he added, without elaborating. (*)
adhd
“How You Can Banish Hyperactivity, Cure Inattention And End The ADD/ADHD Nightmare For Good . . . Safely, Naturally And Without The Use Of Drugs”
On this page, you’ll discover:
* The terrible truth about Ritalin, Straterra, Concerta and other popular, ineffective and dangerous ADD/ADHD Medications.
* Why one fed up Doctor said “no” to ADD/ADHD drugs.
* And a simple, proven, medically approved way for you to cure your child’s ADD/ADHD fast.
If You Live Within 30 Miles Of A Grocery Store You Can Cure Your or Your Child’s ADD/ADHD Without The Expense Or Terrible Side Effects Of ADD/ADHD Drugs . . . Guaranteed.
Order Dr. Saunder's ADHD / ADD Remedy Report
From The Desk Of: Dr. Scott Saunders, MD
15 year Medical Veteran, Natural Health Advocate And Medication Reduction Specialist
Watch Dr. Saunder's video introduction here.
Dear ADD/ADHD Parent,
It’s a nightmare, isn’t it?
Watching as your child tries so hard to concentrate, gets frustrated and careens off into another hyperactive tantrum . . . receiving call after call from exhausted and angry teachers . . . feeling that pit of shame and concern in your stomach as you watch grades slip further and further . . . lying awake at night wondering (and with good reason) about the horrible, lasting effects of ADD/ADHD medications . . . feeling guilty . . . feeling like a failure . . . . feeling judged . . .
My Name is Dr. Scott Saunders, M.D . . . .
And if you’re going through what I just described, I want to assure you, you are not alone.
In my 15 years as a medical doctor I’ve met hundreds of families and individuals forced to deal with the terrible effects of ADD and ADHD . . . and have watched in horror as millions of children have been prescribed dangerous, expensive and ineffective drugs designed to “fix” them . . . but that have no long term benefit at all.
And in my experience, every ADD/ADHD family has one thing in common . . .
A desperate desire to escape from the ADD/ADHD nightmare and go back to a time when things were calm and normal . . . to escape the cycle of drugs and to finally regain a sense of control.
Perhaps your child has just recently been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD and you’re smartly scouring the internet looking for sound, proven advice on how to manage or cure this problem and give your child all the advantages he or she deserves in life . . .
Perhaps you’re an ADD/ADHD “veteran” who’s tried drug after overpriced drug and cure after ineffective cure, has seen the mounting body of evidence against pharmaceutical ADD/ADHD drugs and is worried sick about what this “bad medicine” is doing to your child.
Perhaps you yourself are a teenaged or adult sufferer of ADD or ADHD searching for a way to find the concentration and focus you need . . . and are ready to finally say goodbye to the side effects, cost and danger of prescription drugs.
If you fit any of these categories, then this will be one of the most important messages you ever read.
Why?
Because in just a moment I’m going to tell you the truth about the dangerous drugs being doled out by greedy pharmaceutical companies and let you in on a safe, natural and effective way to cure your or your child’s ADD or ADHD without drugs
In fact, when you finish reading this short letter, I guarantee that you’ll find yourself dashing down the path towards regaining control, getting back to normal and saying goodbye to the turmoil and hyperactivity . . . the shame and guilt for good.
Sound good? I think so too.
But before I do, let me just set one thing straight.
Despite what the greedy pharmaceutical companies who have made a billion dollar industry out of ADD/ADHD would have you believe . . .
ADD/ADHD Is Not A Disease And You Can’t Cure It With Drugs
As a doctor, it makes me mad.
It seems like every day I read some new statistic about the “plague” of ADD and ADHD sweeping across this country . . . and about more and more children being forced to take dangerous prescription medications to “deal” with their ADD/ADHD . . . medications that have been shown again and again by study after study to retard growth . . . to cause nausea and allergic reactions . . . to cause a slew of mental disorders . . . and, in some extreme cases, to even cause death . . .
But I can assure you that ADD/ADHD isn’t a disease at all.
What Is ADD/ADHD And What Causes It?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder--more commonly referred to as ADHD--is a developmental disorder that affects approximately 5% of children worldwide . . . and that continues to affect many, many adults throughout the entirely of their lives.
While it’s often treated and medicated as a disease (such as diabetes,) ADD/ADHD is actually what we in the medical field call a “spectrum disorder.”
What that means is that the symptoms and the causes of ADD/ADHD range wildly from child to child . . .
While some children diagnosed with ADD/ADHD show just a subtle inability to pay attention, others fidget madly, bounce off the walls and experience bouts of terrible, terrible hyperactivity.
For some children ADD/ADHD is caused primarily by inherited genetic factors . . .
While other kids experience ADD/ADHD symptoms due to diet, hormonal imbalances or even allergies.
Yet our schools and our medical culture lump all of these children together into a “one size fits all” treatment . . . and literally dope any kid who shows ADD/ADHD symptoms until they act like a compliant, docile and easy to deal with zombie. . . filling our schools with unnaturally “calm” kids who are being raised to find the solution to all their problems in a pill bottle--and who grow up to be adults who have had all their personality and spark sucked out of them by dangerous drugs.
But I can tell you right now after years of hands-on experience that when it comes to addressing the cause of ADD/ADHD, actually curing this disorder and giving your children a shot at a normal and successful life . . .
The Drugs Don’t Work
Here’s a dirty little secret the big pharmaceutical companies don’t want you to know.
While popular ADD/ADHD drugs such as Adderall, Ritalin and Straterra can be very effective at temporarily treating the symptoms of ADD/ADHD . . . they do absolutely nothing when it comes to addressing ADD and ADHD’s root cause . . . and have no long term beneficial effect.
Put simply, treating ADD/ADHD with prescription drugs is a lot like . . .
Poking Your Finger In A Hole In A Dam . . .
You can hold the water back for a while . . . but the pressure builds and builds . . . and as soon as you stop--as soon as the nausea, the headaches, the dry mouth, the ramped up heart rate and the crushing expenses become too much--the water comes crashing back around you and you’re drowning in the ADD/ADHD nightmare again.
Think this is just one Doctor’s opinion? Not at all.
Medical research against pharmaceutical treatment of ADD/ADHD has been growing for years (despite big Pharma’s desperate attempts to suppress it). In fact . . .
The Biggest Bomb In The Fight Against ADD/ADHD Pharmaceutical Medication Has Just Been Dropped . . .
On November 12, 2007, a team of American scientists conducting the Multimodal Treatment Study of Children With ADHD released findings that showed that while pharmaceutical drugs such as Ritalan and Concerta can work well in the short term, over a 3 year period they brought about no demonstrable improvement in a child’s behavior. They also found that the drugs could stunt growth.
Asked about the findings, the report’s co-author, Professor William Pelham of the University of Buffalo said “We had thought that children medicated longer would have better outcomes. That didn’t happen in this case. The children had a substantial decrease in their rate of growth, so they weren’t growing as much as other kids in terms of both their height and their weight. And the second finding was that [Ritalin and other drugs had] no beneficial effects. None.”
I can tell you that when this report came out it sent shock waves through the medical establishment. In fact, many doctors and parents who have been swallowing the “pharmaceutical pill” for years now find themselves completely lost, having no idea at all how to treat ADD/ADHD.
But when I read this report, I just nodded my head and allowed myself a half smile (and so did my many patients) because I’ve known for years that . . .
You Can Cure Your Child’s ADD/ADHD Safely, Naturally And Without Drugs
In my 15 years in practice, I’ve treated literally hundreds of cases of ADD/ADHD.
Early in my career when I was young and didn’t know any better, I toed the pharmaceutical line . . . but after seeing firsthand the terrible effects these drugs have on children and families--the dazed look on a child’s face, the crushing expense, the retarded growth and the many, many other side effects--I decided that there had to be a better way.
Through my own practice and by studying the work of like-minded doctors around the world, I discovered that the right combination of behavioral modification, nutrition, exercise and therapy can get stunning results.
Results like . . .
Aiden . . . who was six years old when his mom came to me crying. Aiden’s teacher was insisting that he take another drug (on top of the other two they already had him on) for his ADHD. The school was threatening to kick him out of class and no matter how many pills he crammed down his throat, the drugs just didn’t work. After taking his family history, I found out that his mom, uncles, grandparents and cousins all had symptoms of ADHD. This was a familial problem and biochemical in nature. We immediately started targeted nutritional supplements with amazing results. Within a week he was off all his medications. In fact he was so “normal” that Aiden’s teacher found herself gushing about what a joy he was to have in class. She thought I’d given him yet a third bottle of pills . . . and was shocked to find out that he’d kicked the ADHD drug habit for good.
Monica . . . who was one of those excited little girls with poor impulse control. Whatever she felt like doing at any time she would just blurt out, talk, wiggle, stand up or walk out. There was no way to control her because she became distracted so quickly. Thanks to some behavioral modification and creative use of a PAC-MAN video game Monica’s ability to concentrate jumped by leaps and bounds. Now she’s actually able to sit and listen to instructions and perform a task to completion. She’s currently an honor student in high school . . . and drug free.
Sean . . . who’s teacher wanted him to go on Ritalin to control his behavior in class. Instead, his mom followed my advice and started a cognitive-behavioral therapy course at home. She began a whole-foods diet and set up a strict schedule for him to follow every day. He had scheduled reading, homework, exercise, play, eating and family time. Within weeks his teacher was raving about how great the “drugs” were working . . . even though he wasn’t taking any drugs at all! A few years later, Sean was accepted into the gifted program at his new school.
Can you imagine getting results like these for your child?
Can you imagine actually getting an excited call from your child’s teacher marveling at your kid’s “miraculous” improvement at school?
Can you imagine seeing that spark in your child’s eye at she realizes that it’s her . . . not that drugs that are truly succeeding?
Can you imagine sleeping soundly at night knowing that you’re finally free of the guesswork and the worry and that you’re doing everything you can and should to combat ADD/ADHD and to give your child every advantage in life?
Can you imagine ending the nightmare and finally getting back to normal?
If you’ve read this far, I’m willing to bet that you can. And that you’re ready to stop imagining and start doing.
Here’s What This Is All About
Every day my office is flooded with calls from concerned parents and from ADD/ADHD sufferers themselves all looking for a way to stop the drugs and to escape the nightmare of ADD/ADHD. In fact, since that landmark study was released on November 12, 2007, my phone has been ringing off the hook.
Unfortunately, there’s simply no way that I can personally help all of the millions of families in America and around the world who so desperately need simple and proven advice to help them naturally defeat their ADD/ADHD.
That’s why I’ve decided to partner up with my friends at Barton Publishing to create a simple, easy-to-follow manual that takes you, step-by-step through the same recommendations that I make to my patients who want to kick the prescription drug habit and fight ADD/ADHD naturally . . . a report that I call: “The ADHD/ADD Natural Remedy Report - A Safe, Natural And Proven Home Remedy To Cure Your ADHD & ADD.”
This isn’t just pat advice and useless “theory” . . .
This is a parent’s guide to effectively treating ADD/ADHD, to banishing drugs for good and for getting great results fast.
Here’s Just A Small Taste Of What You’ll Learn When You Download Your Copy Of The ADD/ADHD Natural Remedy Report Today
* The startling and sad truth about ADHD diagnosis . . . and the real reason why diagnosed ADHD cases have jumped by an astounding factor of 14 in just 2 short decades.
* Why teachers, doctors and child care professionals rush to prescribe dangerous and expensive stimulants to treat ADHD . . . and why so many of our nation’s kids are being damned to a lifetime of chemical dependency and prescription drug abuse.
* How stimulant medications like Ritalin, Concerta and Metadate can actually retard your child’s growth by half an inch per year or more!
* Suppressed for years . . .
The 13 “Unlucky” Side Effects Of Ritalin That The Big Pharmaceutical Companies Don’t Want You To Know . . .
* The link between ADHD and allergies . . . and a simple, 3 step plan you can use to cut “Hyper Foods” from your or your kid’s diet today.
* How to detox your body of ADHD-causing processed foods . . . and why the common American diet has practically forced millions of American children and adults to bounce in their seats and struggle to focus for even just a few minutes at a time.
* Real facts on the The Feingold Diet . . . and why this “nuclear option” of ADD/ADHD treatment can do much, much more harm than good.
* Simple science on how the brain of an ADHD differs from that of a “normal” child . . . and how to use simple natural remedies to skyrocket the amount of calm-producing neurotransmitters in your child’s brain.
* Why milk does the brain good . . . and why calcium-rich foods like milk, beans and dark leafy greens can can have a stunning and immediate calming effect on your child.
* From the “I wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t read the scientific proof file . . .”
The Weird And Dangerous Link Between
ADHD And Yellow Foods!
* The stunning power of Omega-3 Fatty Acids . . . why 82% of children diagnosed with ADHD show deficiencies of this “building block of the brain” . . . and how to make sure your child gets enough of this “wonder supplement” fast.
* Why the key to conquering ADHD might be found in the sardine tin! (And why you’ll be doing backflips of joy over your child’s “fish breath” when you see how calm and focused they suddenly are.”)
* Stone cold facts on the popular (and pricey) “natural” ADD / ADHD herbal supplements . . . some can work wonders, others are scams. Don’t even consider trying an herbal supplement “wonder cure” before reading our in depth analysis on natural medicines, where you will discover the supplements that will work for you! (Hint: Click Here)
* How to use simple exercise to burn off extra energy, flood your child’s brain with neurotransmitters and finally give them a fair shot at gaining the laser-like focus they need to tackle that science project head on.
The ADHD Parent’s “Survival Guide” . . .
. . . and how to keep yourself sane, happy and calm as you help your child defeat the “ADHD monster.”
* Simple steps you can use to develop a successful ADHD management system . . . boost your child’s self esteem, improve their academic performance and give them the tools they need to succeed in school and succeed in life.
* When and why to hire a family counselor . . . and how taking the focus off your child with ADHD and putting it on the whole family can give your kid room to gain the calm and focus you crave.
* The calming power of rigid structure . . . and why setting strict, simple rules for your child’s day can cut outbursts and instances of hyperactivity in half.
* How to set up a “Token economy” with your child and use rewards to quickly change bad behavior and turn good behavior into a fun game.
* Why behavior begets behavior . . . and how to set a positive example for your child that they’re able to quickly and calmly model.
* Why Bio-Feedback isn’t as “shocking” as it sounds . . .and how to use an EEG machine to allow a child to monitor and actually control her own brainwave activity!
* Green Environment Treatment and why “going out to play” can provide your child with much needed ADHD relief.
* How to use massage to calm the body and to calm the brain . . .
And much, much more.
But most of all, when you download your copy of the ADD/ADHD report, you’ll learn . . . How To End The ADD/ADHD Nightmare And Say Goodbye To Dangerous ADD/ADHD Drugs For Good
Please, picture yourself putting the solid, proven information you’ll find in this manual in action in the life of your child today. Literally every page has been packed full with focus-building, ADD/ADHD fighting advice that I’ve used in my own practice . . . all written in a conversational, easy to understand tone (because the last thing any parent needs is more dense medical jargon and malarky darkening up your day.)
Sounds Great, Dr. Saunders . . . But How Much Is It?
The cost of this amazing downloadable manual is just $33.97.
Does that sound like a lot?
It shouldn’t. It’s absolutely nothing compared to the cost of just one bottle of dangerous pharmaceutical pills. In fact, if your child is currently taking prescription medication to “deal” with their ADD/ADHD, then the cheap, natural remedy you’ll find in this report will actually save you money. And a lot of money at that.
But you know what? I want to make this a real “no brainer” for you and make it as easy as possible for you to make the smart choice about treating your child’s ADD/ADHD today. That’s why I’ve convinced Joe Barton, the owner of Barton Publishing, to sweeten the deal with a pair of tremendously valuable, health enhancing bonuses . . . each of which are worth more than $33.97 on their own.
Act now and you’ll receive . . .
Free Bonus #1 Lessons From
The Miracle Doctors
This 177 page ebook is nothing less than a step by step guide to optimum health and relief from catastrophic illness and was called "quite simply the best book ever written on complementary health."
Retail Value: $50
Today: FREE!
Free Bonus #2 10 Deadly Health Myths
Of The 21st Century
10 Deadly Health Myths Of The 21st Century will teach you secrets that most people never learn about the medical industry.This book will forever change your view of modern healthcare.
Retail Value: $47
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Total Bonus Value: $97
ADHD/ADD Natural Remedy Report: $33.97
Total Value: $130.97
And of course, your investment is completely covered by Barton Publishing’s . . . .
100% Risk-Free Money Back Guarantee
Like all my natural health reports, the ADD/ADHD Report is backed by a no hassle, no questions asked SIX MONTH money-back guarantee.
If you don’t think that you’ve gotten tremendous value from his report, all you
need to do is send me an email in the next 180 days and I’ll promptly refund 100% of your purchase price, no questions asked.
That six whole months to put this simple, natural remedy to the test. Why am I willing to make such a bold guarantee and take all on all the risk? Because I truly believe in the information available in this report and because I know that once you start putting these simple, natural remedies to work you’ll see amazing results fast . . . just like my thousands of other customers have.
After over 15 years as a practicing Physician I can tell you that . . . .
Education Is The Best Medicine
And the folks at Barton Publishing and I have worked hard to make sure that “The ADHD/ADD Natural Remedy Report - A Safe, Natural And Proven Home Remedy To Cure Your ADHD & ADD.” is full of simple, proven facts and natural cures that will finally let you escape the ADD/ADHD nightmare for good.
Please . . . I know that you care about your child, that you want the best for him or her and that you’re as fed up with the greedy and dangerous pharmaceutical industry as I am. Make the smart choice, click the link below and order today.
OR
Call 1-866-598-3509
To Place Your Order By Phone
Yours,
Dr. Scott Saunders, M.D.
15 year Medical Veteran, Natural Health Advocate And Medication Reduction Specialist
P.S. Remember, you risk absolutely nothing when you order today. Your full purchase price is covered by Barton Publishing’s generous 60-day guarantee. If at any time in the next 60 days you don’t believe that this was the smartest choice you ever made when it comes to escaping the ADD/ADHD nightmare and saying goodbye to dangerous ADD/ADHD drugs for good, your low price of $33.97 will be refunded in full.
P.S.S. I do have one more request. Click the order link and download your copy of “The ADHD/ADD Natural Remedy Report - A Safe, Natural And Proven Home Remedy To Cure Your ADHD & ADD” today. Read through the entire report and start putting these simple, natural steps into action. And when you see the stunning results that I know you will, shoot us an email at support@bartonpublishing.com and tell us about them. Even after 15 years in the medical profession, nothing brings me more joy than hearing about another happy family that I’ve been able to help.
P.S.S.S. Also, one last note regarding natural herbal supplements... I have done significant research to find the best natural supplements available and I have discovered a rare few that contain the specific blend of herbs that is necessary to help treat ADD/ADHD naturally. These supplements, if taken correctly AND if combined with the natural remedies outlined in the ADHD/ADD Natural Remedy Report can work very well. A few supplements to use in addition to my natural remedies are Brightspark, Focus Formula, and Brain Tonic. However, please read the "Natural Medicines" section of my report first, which details the important information you need to know...
On this page, you’ll discover:
* The terrible truth about Ritalin, Straterra, Concerta and other popular, ineffective and dangerous ADD/ADHD Medications.
* Why one fed up Doctor said “no” to ADD/ADHD drugs.
* And a simple, proven, medically approved way for you to cure your child’s ADD/ADHD fast.
If You Live Within 30 Miles Of A Grocery Store You Can Cure Your or Your Child’s ADD/ADHD Without The Expense Or Terrible Side Effects Of ADD/ADHD Drugs . . . Guaranteed.
Order Dr. Saunder's ADHD / ADD Remedy Report
From The Desk Of: Dr. Scott Saunders, MD
15 year Medical Veteran, Natural Health Advocate And Medication Reduction Specialist
Watch Dr. Saunder's video introduction here.
Dear ADD/ADHD Parent,
It’s a nightmare, isn’t it?
Watching as your child tries so hard to concentrate, gets frustrated and careens off into another hyperactive tantrum . . . receiving call after call from exhausted and angry teachers . . . feeling that pit of shame and concern in your stomach as you watch grades slip further and further . . . lying awake at night wondering (and with good reason) about the horrible, lasting effects of ADD/ADHD medications . . . feeling guilty . . . feeling like a failure . . . . feeling judged . . .
My Name is Dr. Scott Saunders, M.D . . . .
And if you’re going through what I just described, I want to assure you, you are not alone.
In my 15 years as a medical doctor I’ve met hundreds of families and individuals forced to deal with the terrible effects of ADD and ADHD . . . and have watched in horror as millions of children have been prescribed dangerous, expensive and ineffective drugs designed to “fix” them . . . but that have no long term benefit at all.
And in my experience, every ADD/ADHD family has one thing in common . . .
A desperate desire to escape from the ADD/ADHD nightmare and go back to a time when things were calm and normal . . . to escape the cycle of drugs and to finally regain a sense of control.
Perhaps your child has just recently been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD and you’re smartly scouring the internet looking for sound, proven advice on how to manage or cure this problem and give your child all the advantages he or she deserves in life . . .
Perhaps you’re an ADD/ADHD “veteran” who’s tried drug after overpriced drug and cure after ineffective cure, has seen the mounting body of evidence against pharmaceutical ADD/ADHD drugs and is worried sick about what this “bad medicine” is doing to your child.
Perhaps you yourself are a teenaged or adult sufferer of ADD or ADHD searching for a way to find the concentration and focus you need . . . and are ready to finally say goodbye to the side effects, cost and danger of prescription drugs.
If you fit any of these categories, then this will be one of the most important messages you ever read.
Why?
Because in just a moment I’m going to tell you the truth about the dangerous drugs being doled out by greedy pharmaceutical companies and let you in on a safe, natural and effective way to cure your or your child’s ADD or ADHD without drugs
In fact, when you finish reading this short letter, I guarantee that you’ll find yourself dashing down the path towards regaining control, getting back to normal and saying goodbye to the turmoil and hyperactivity . . . the shame and guilt for good.
Sound good? I think so too.
But before I do, let me just set one thing straight.
Despite what the greedy pharmaceutical companies who have made a billion dollar industry out of ADD/ADHD would have you believe . . .
ADD/ADHD Is Not A Disease And You Can’t Cure It With Drugs
As a doctor, it makes me mad.
It seems like every day I read some new statistic about the “plague” of ADD and ADHD sweeping across this country . . . and about more and more children being forced to take dangerous prescription medications to “deal” with their ADD/ADHD . . . medications that have been shown again and again by study after study to retard growth . . . to cause nausea and allergic reactions . . . to cause a slew of mental disorders . . . and, in some extreme cases, to even cause death . . .
But I can assure you that ADD/ADHD isn’t a disease at all.
What Is ADD/ADHD And What Causes It?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder--more commonly referred to as ADHD--is a developmental disorder that affects approximately 5% of children worldwide . . . and that continues to affect many, many adults throughout the entirely of their lives.
While it’s often treated and medicated as a disease (such as diabetes,) ADD/ADHD is actually what we in the medical field call a “spectrum disorder.”
What that means is that the symptoms and the causes of ADD/ADHD range wildly from child to child . . .
While some children diagnosed with ADD/ADHD show just a subtle inability to pay attention, others fidget madly, bounce off the walls and experience bouts of terrible, terrible hyperactivity.
For some children ADD/ADHD is caused primarily by inherited genetic factors . . .
While other kids experience ADD/ADHD symptoms due to diet, hormonal imbalances or even allergies.
Yet our schools and our medical culture lump all of these children together into a “one size fits all” treatment . . . and literally dope any kid who shows ADD/ADHD symptoms until they act like a compliant, docile and easy to deal with zombie. . . filling our schools with unnaturally “calm” kids who are being raised to find the solution to all their problems in a pill bottle--and who grow up to be adults who have had all their personality and spark sucked out of them by dangerous drugs.
But I can tell you right now after years of hands-on experience that when it comes to addressing the cause of ADD/ADHD, actually curing this disorder and giving your children a shot at a normal and successful life . . .
The Drugs Don’t Work
Here’s a dirty little secret the big pharmaceutical companies don’t want you to know.
While popular ADD/ADHD drugs such as Adderall, Ritalin and Straterra can be very effective at temporarily treating the symptoms of ADD/ADHD . . . they do absolutely nothing when it comes to addressing ADD and ADHD’s root cause . . . and have no long term beneficial effect.
Put simply, treating ADD/ADHD with prescription drugs is a lot like . . .
Poking Your Finger In A Hole In A Dam . . .
You can hold the water back for a while . . . but the pressure builds and builds . . . and as soon as you stop--as soon as the nausea, the headaches, the dry mouth, the ramped up heart rate and the crushing expenses become too much--the water comes crashing back around you and you’re drowning in the ADD/ADHD nightmare again.
Think this is just one Doctor’s opinion? Not at all.
Medical research against pharmaceutical treatment of ADD/ADHD has been growing for years (despite big Pharma’s desperate attempts to suppress it). In fact . . .
The Biggest Bomb In The Fight Against ADD/ADHD Pharmaceutical Medication Has Just Been Dropped . . .
On November 12, 2007, a team of American scientists conducting the Multimodal Treatment Study of Children With ADHD released findings that showed that while pharmaceutical drugs such as Ritalan and Concerta can work well in the short term, over a 3 year period they brought about no demonstrable improvement in a child’s behavior. They also found that the drugs could stunt growth.
Asked about the findings, the report’s co-author, Professor William Pelham of the University of Buffalo said “We had thought that children medicated longer would have better outcomes. That didn’t happen in this case. The children had a substantial decrease in their rate of growth, so they weren’t growing as much as other kids in terms of both their height and their weight. And the second finding was that [Ritalin and other drugs had] no beneficial effects. None.”
I can tell you that when this report came out it sent shock waves through the medical establishment. In fact, many doctors and parents who have been swallowing the “pharmaceutical pill” for years now find themselves completely lost, having no idea at all how to treat ADD/ADHD.
But when I read this report, I just nodded my head and allowed myself a half smile (and so did my many patients) because I’ve known for years that . . .
You Can Cure Your Child’s ADD/ADHD Safely, Naturally And Without Drugs
In my 15 years in practice, I’ve treated literally hundreds of cases of ADD/ADHD.
Early in my career when I was young and didn’t know any better, I toed the pharmaceutical line . . . but after seeing firsthand the terrible effects these drugs have on children and families--the dazed look on a child’s face, the crushing expense, the retarded growth and the many, many other side effects--I decided that there had to be a better way.
Through my own practice and by studying the work of like-minded doctors around the world, I discovered that the right combination of behavioral modification, nutrition, exercise and therapy can get stunning results.
Results like . . .
Aiden . . . who was six years old when his mom came to me crying. Aiden’s teacher was insisting that he take another drug (on top of the other two they already had him on) for his ADHD. The school was threatening to kick him out of class and no matter how many pills he crammed down his throat, the drugs just didn’t work. After taking his family history, I found out that his mom, uncles, grandparents and cousins all had symptoms of ADHD. This was a familial problem and biochemical in nature. We immediately started targeted nutritional supplements with amazing results. Within a week he was off all his medications. In fact he was so “normal” that Aiden’s teacher found herself gushing about what a joy he was to have in class. She thought I’d given him yet a third bottle of pills . . . and was shocked to find out that he’d kicked the ADHD drug habit for good.
Monica . . . who was one of those excited little girls with poor impulse control. Whatever she felt like doing at any time she would just blurt out, talk, wiggle, stand up or walk out. There was no way to control her because she became distracted so quickly. Thanks to some behavioral modification and creative use of a PAC-MAN video game Monica’s ability to concentrate jumped by leaps and bounds. Now she’s actually able to sit and listen to instructions and perform a task to completion. She’s currently an honor student in high school . . . and drug free.
Sean . . . who’s teacher wanted him to go on Ritalin to control his behavior in class. Instead, his mom followed my advice and started a cognitive-behavioral therapy course at home. She began a whole-foods diet and set up a strict schedule for him to follow every day. He had scheduled reading, homework, exercise, play, eating and family time. Within weeks his teacher was raving about how great the “drugs” were working . . . even though he wasn’t taking any drugs at all! A few years later, Sean was accepted into the gifted program at his new school.
Can you imagine getting results like these for your child?
Can you imagine actually getting an excited call from your child’s teacher marveling at your kid’s “miraculous” improvement at school?
Can you imagine seeing that spark in your child’s eye at she realizes that it’s her . . . not that drugs that are truly succeeding?
Can you imagine sleeping soundly at night knowing that you’re finally free of the guesswork and the worry and that you’re doing everything you can and should to combat ADD/ADHD and to give your child every advantage in life?
Can you imagine ending the nightmare and finally getting back to normal?
If you’ve read this far, I’m willing to bet that you can. And that you’re ready to stop imagining and start doing.
Here’s What This Is All About
Every day my office is flooded with calls from concerned parents and from ADD/ADHD sufferers themselves all looking for a way to stop the drugs and to escape the nightmare of ADD/ADHD. In fact, since that landmark study was released on November 12, 2007, my phone has been ringing off the hook.
Unfortunately, there’s simply no way that I can personally help all of the millions of families in America and around the world who so desperately need simple and proven advice to help them naturally defeat their ADD/ADHD.
That’s why I’ve decided to partner up with my friends at Barton Publishing to create a simple, easy-to-follow manual that takes you, step-by-step through the same recommendations that I make to my patients who want to kick the prescription drug habit and fight ADD/ADHD naturally . . . a report that I call: “The ADHD/ADD Natural Remedy Report - A Safe, Natural And Proven Home Remedy To Cure Your ADHD & ADD.”
This isn’t just pat advice and useless “theory” . . .
This is a parent’s guide to effectively treating ADD/ADHD, to banishing drugs for good and for getting great results fast.
Here’s Just A Small Taste Of What You’ll Learn When You Download Your Copy Of The ADD/ADHD Natural Remedy Report Today
* The startling and sad truth about ADHD diagnosis . . . and the real reason why diagnosed ADHD cases have jumped by an astounding factor of 14 in just 2 short decades.
* Why teachers, doctors and child care professionals rush to prescribe dangerous and expensive stimulants to treat ADHD . . . and why so many of our nation’s kids are being damned to a lifetime of chemical dependency and prescription drug abuse.
* How stimulant medications like Ritalin, Concerta and Metadate can actually retard your child’s growth by half an inch per year or more!
* Suppressed for years . . .
The 13 “Unlucky” Side Effects Of Ritalin That The Big Pharmaceutical Companies Don’t Want You To Know . . .
* The link between ADHD and allergies . . . and a simple, 3 step plan you can use to cut “Hyper Foods” from your or your kid’s diet today.
* How to detox your body of ADHD-causing processed foods . . . and why the common American diet has practically forced millions of American children and adults to bounce in their seats and struggle to focus for even just a few minutes at a time.
* Real facts on the The Feingold Diet . . . and why this “nuclear option” of ADD/ADHD treatment can do much, much more harm than good.
* Simple science on how the brain of an ADHD differs from that of a “normal” child . . . and how to use simple natural remedies to skyrocket the amount of calm-producing neurotransmitters in your child’s brain.
* Why milk does the brain good . . . and why calcium-rich foods like milk, beans and dark leafy greens can can have a stunning and immediate calming effect on your child.
* From the “I wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t read the scientific proof file . . .”
The Weird And Dangerous Link Between
ADHD And Yellow Foods!
* The stunning power of Omega-3 Fatty Acids . . . why 82% of children diagnosed with ADHD show deficiencies of this “building block of the brain” . . . and how to make sure your child gets enough of this “wonder supplement” fast.
* Why the key to conquering ADHD might be found in the sardine tin! (And why you’ll be doing backflips of joy over your child’s “fish breath” when you see how calm and focused they suddenly are.”)
* Stone cold facts on the popular (and pricey) “natural” ADD / ADHD herbal supplements . . . some can work wonders, others are scams. Don’t even consider trying an herbal supplement “wonder cure” before reading our in depth analysis on natural medicines, where you will discover the supplements that will work for you! (Hint: Click Here)
* How to use simple exercise to burn off extra energy, flood your child’s brain with neurotransmitters and finally give them a fair shot at gaining the laser-like focus they need to tackle that science project head on.
The ADHD Parent’s “Survival Guide” . . .
. . . and how to keep yourself sane, happy and calm as you help your child defeat the “ADHD monster.”
* Simple steps you can use to develop a successful ADHD management system . . . boost your child’s self esteem, improve their academic performance and give them the tools they need to succeed in school and succeed in life.
* When and why to hire a family counselor . . . and how taking the focus off your child with ADHD and putting it on the whole family can give your kid room to gain the calm and focus you crave.
* The calming power of rigid structure . . . and why setting strict, simple rules for your child’s day can cut outbursts and instances of hyperactivity in half.
* How to set up a “Token economy” with your child and use rewards to quickly change bad behavior and turn good behavior into a fun game.
* Why behavior begets behavior . . . and how to set a positive example for your child that they’re able to quickly and calmly model.
* Why Bio-Feedback isn’t as “shocking” as it sounds . . .and how to use an EEG machine to allow a child to monitor and actually control her own brainwave activity!
* Green Environment Treatment and why “going out to play” can provide your child with much needed ADHD relief.
* How to use massage to calm the body and to calm the brain . . .
And much, much more.
But most of all, when you download your copy of the ADD/ADHD report, you’ll learn . . . How To End The ADD/ADHD Nightmare And Say Goodbye To Dangerous ADD/ADHD Drugs For Good
Please, picture yourself putting the solid, proven information you’ll find in this manual in action in the life of your child today. Literally every page has been packed full with focus-building, ADD/ADHD fighting advice that I’ve used in my own practice . . . all written in a conversational, easy to understand tone (because the last thing any parent needs is more dense medical jargon and malarky darkening up your day.)
Sounds Great, Dr. Saunders . . . But How Much Is It?
The cost of this amazing downloadable manual is just $33.97.
Does that sound like a lot?
It shouldn’t. It’s absolutely nothing compared to the cost of just one bottle of dangerous pharmaceutical pills. In fact, if your child is currently taking prescription medication to “deal” with their ADD/ADHD, then the cheap, natural remedy you’ll find in this report will actually save you money. And a lot of money at that.
But you know what? I want to make this a real “no brainer” for you and make it as easy as possible for you to make the smart choice about treating your child’s ADD/ADHD today. That’s why I’ve convinced Joe Barton, the owner of Barton Publishing, to sweeten the deal with a pair of tremendously valuable, health enhancing bonuses . . . each of which are worth more than $33.97 on their own.
Act now and you’ll receive . . .
Free Bonus #1 Lessons From
The Miracle Doctors
This 177 page ebook is nothing less than a step by step guide to optimum health and relief from catastrophic illness and was called "quite simply the best book ever written on complementary health."
Retail Value: $50
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Free Bonus #2 10 Deadly Health Myths
Of The 21st Century
10 Deadly Health Myths Of The 21st Century will teach you secrets that most people never learn about the medical industry.This book will forever change your view of modern healthcare.
Retail Value: $47
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Total Bonus Value: $97
ADHD/ADD Natural Remedy Report: $33.97
Total Value: $130.97
And of course, your investment is completely covered by Barton Publishing’s . . . .
100% Risk-Free Money Back Guarantee
Like all my natural health reports, the ADD/ADHD Report is backed by a no hassle, no questions asked SIX MONTH money-back guarantee.
If you don’t think that you’ve gotten tremendous value from his report, all you
need to do is send me an email in the next 180 days and I’ll promptly refund 100% of your purchase price, no questions asked.
That six whole months to put this simple, natural remedy to the test. Why am I willing to make such a bold guarantee and take all on all the risk? Because I truly believe in the information available in this report and because I know that once you start putting these simple, natural remedies to work you’ll see amazing results fast . . . just like my thousands of other customers have.
After over 15 years as a practicing Physician I can tell you that . . . .
Education Is The Best Medicine
And the folks at Barton Publishing and I have worked hard to make sure that “The ADHD/ADD Natural Remedy Report - A Safe, Natural And Proven Home Remedy To Cure Your ADHD & ADD.” is full of simple, proven facts and natural cures that will finally let you escape the ADD/ADHD nightmare for good.
Please . . . I know that you care about your child, that you want the best for him or her and that you’re as fed up with the greedy and dangerous pharmaceutical industry as I am. Make the smart choice, click the link below and order today.
OR
Call 1-866-598-3509
To Place Your Order By Phone
Yours,
Dr. Scott Saunders, M.D.
15 year Medical Veteran, Natural Health Advocate And Medication Reduction Specialist
P.S. Remember, you risk absolutely nothing when you order today. Your full purchase price is covered by Barton Publishing’s generous 60-day guarantee. If at any time in the next 60 days you don’t believe that this was the smartest choice you ever made when it comes to escaping the ADD/ADHD nightmare and saying goodbye to dangerous ADD/ADHD drugs for good, your low price of $33.97 will be refunded in full.
P.S.S. I do have one more request. Click the order link and download your copy of “The ADHD/ADD Natural Remedy Report - A Safe, Natural And Proven Home Remedy To Cure Your ADHD & ADD” today. Read through the entire report and start putting these simple, natural steps into action. And when you see the stunning results that I know you will, shoot us an email at support@bartonpublishing.com and tell us about them. Even after 15 years in the medical profession, nothing brings me more joy than hearing about another happy family that I’ve been able to help.
P.S.S.S. Also, one last note regarding natural herbal supplements... I have done significant research to find the best natural supplements available and I have discovered a rare few that contain the specific blend of herbs that is necessary to help treat ADD/ADHD naturally. These supplements, if taken correctly AND if combined with the natural remedies outlined in the ADHD/ADD Natural Remedy Report can work very well. A few supplements to use in addition to my natural remedies are Brightspark, Focus Formula, and Brain Tonic. However, please read the "Natural Medicines" section of my report first, which details the important information you need to know...
Stroke
Wealth Lowers Stroke Risk in Middle Age
Having More Money May Reduce Risk of Stroke in Middle-Aged but Not Elderly Americans
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD
— Having more money and assets just prior to retirement may lower your risk of stroke, but those perks may not last very long, according to a new study.
Researchers found greater wealth was linked to a lower risk of stroke among Americans between the ages of 50 and 64.
For example, middle-aged adults with the lowest 10% of wealth had about two times the risk of stroke compared with those in the 75th-89th percentile, which researchers say translates to the wealthy but not super-rich.
But the protective effect of wealth on stroke risk completely disappeared after age 65.
"We expected wealth to be a strong predictor of stroke in the elderly," researcher Mauricio Avendano, PhD, of the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, Netherlands, says in a news release. "We were surprised to see that it was not associated with stroke beyond age 65."
Wealth: A New Stroke Risk Factor?
Although previous studies have identified lower socioeconomic status as a risk factor for stroke, researchers say this is the first study to look at how factors that affect socioeconomic status, such as education, income, and overall wealth, evolve throughout middle and old age.
In their study, published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers analyzed data from the Health and Retirement study, which followed a group of nearly 20,000 Americans aged 50 or older for an average of 8.5 years.
During the follow-up period, 1,542 participants had a stroke. The results showed that higher education reduced stroke risk at ages 50 to 64 but not after adjusting for wealth and income.
Both wealth and income were independent risk factors for stroke at ages 50 to 64. But wealth, including the total of all financial and housing assets minus the liabilities, was a much stronger risk factor, with increasing wealth linked to decreasing stroke risk.
"Wealth more comprehensively reflects both lifelong earnings and intergenerational transfers, and increases access to medical care and other material and psychosocial resources," Avendano says.
Beyond age 65, however, neither wealth, income, nor education was significant predictors of stroke risk.
"We confirmed that lower wealth, education, and income are associated with increased stroke up to age 65, and wealth is the strongest predictor of stroke among the factors we looked at," Avendano says. "After age 65, the association of education, income, and wealth with stroke are very weak, and wealth did not clearly predict stroke."
Researchers say selective survival may explain some of these effects: individuals with lower wealth die earlier than their richer counterparts, and those that survive into old age are the healthiest.
"Further research is needed to understand why the effect of wealth, income, and education on stroke is less clear beyond age 65 and the role of selective survival," Avendano says.
SOURCES: Avendano, M. Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, April 25, 2008; vol 39. News release, American Heart Association.
Having More Money May Reduce Risk of Stroke in Middle-Aged but Not Elderly Americans
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD
— Having more money and assets just prior to retirement may lower your risk of stroke, but those perks may not last very long, according to a new study.
Researchers found greater wealth was linked to a lower risk of stroke among Americans between the ages of 50 and 64.
For example, middle-aged adults with the lowest 10% of wealth had about two times the risk of stroke compared with those in the 75th-89th percentile, which researchers say translates to the wealthy but not super-rich.
But the protective effect of wealth on stroke risk completely disappeared after age 65.
"We expected wealth to be a strong predictor of stroke in the elderly," researcher Mauricio Avendano, PhD, of the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, Netherlands, says in a news release. "We were surprised to see that it was not associated with stroke beyond age 65."
Wealth: A New Stroke Risk Factor?
Although previous studies have identified lower socioeconomic status as a risk factor for stroke, researchers say this is the first study to look at how factors that affect socioeconomic status, such as education, income, and overall wealth, evolve throughout middle and old age.
In their study, published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers analyzed data from the Health and Retirement study, which followed a group of nearly 20,000 Americans aged 50 or older for an average of 8.5 years.
During the follow-up period, 1,542 participants had a stroke. The results showed that higher education reduced stroke risk at ages 50 to 64 but not after adjusting for wealth and income.
Both wealth and income were independent risk factors for stroke at ages 50 to 64. But wealth, including the total of all financial and housing assets minus the liabilities, was a much stronger risk factor, with increasing wealth linked to decreasing stroke risk.
"Wealth more comprehensively reflects both lifelong earnings and intergenerational transfers, and increases access to medical care and other material and psychosocial resources," Avendano says.
Beyond age 65, however, neither wealth, income, nor education was significant predictors of stroke risk.
"We confirmed that lower wealth, education, and income are associated with increased stroke up to age 65, and wealth is the strongest predictor of stroke among the factors we looked at," Avendano says. "After age 65, the association of education, income, and wealth with stroke are very weak, and wealth did not clearly predict stroke."
Researchers say selective survival may explain some of these effects: individuals with lower wealth die earlier than their richer counterparts, and those that survive into old age are the healthiest.
"Further research is needed to understand why the effect of wealth, income, and education on stroke is less clear beyond age 65 and the role of selective survival," Avendano says.
SOURCES: Avendano, M. Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, April 25, 2008; vol 39. News release, American Heart Association.
Jumat, 18 April 2008
Autism-Related Disorders in DSM-IV
Autism-Related Disorders in DSM-IV
The new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) came out in the summer of 1994. There have been numerous changes which affect the diagnoses of Autism and related disorders. This summary will review those changes and the possible impact of these changes on persons with Autism and related disorders.
First, the category of disorders under which Autism falls, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, are now coded in a different location in DSM-IV than in its predecessor, DSM-IIIR. It used to be the case that the Pervasive Developmental Disorders were coded on Axis II, the axis that was reserved for long-term, stable disorders with relatively poor prognosis for improvement. Pervasive Developmental Disorders are now coded on Axis I, the axis that is used to diagnose episodic and more transient clinical disorders. The possible implication of this move is the recognition that symptoms of these disorders can vary and possibly improve with intervention whereas the disorders which remain on Axis II, mental retardation and the personality disorders, are typically long-term and often unresponsive to treatment.
In addition to moving the axis on which these disorders are diagnosed, the diagnostic criteria for Autism has changed slightly, and three Autism-related disorders (which had been recognized in the European community's International Classification of Diseases (ICD) system for awhile) have been added to DSM-IV. In order for a diagnosis of Autism to be made, the person still needs to evidence problems in three broad areas: social interaction, communication, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. However, the number of symptoms which fall under these three broad areas have been reduced from 16 to 12 to make this diagnostic category more homogeneous. The individual needs to evidence 6 symptoms spanning the three broad areas with at least two symptoms indicating social interaction deficits, and one symptom in each of the communication and stereotyped patterns of behavior categories. The symptoms which fall under the social interaction category are: marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors; failure to develop age-appropriate peer relationships; lack of spontaneous seeking to share interests and achievements with others; and lack of social or emotional reciprocity. The symptoms which fall under the communication category are: delay in or lack of spoken language development (with no compensation through alternative modes of communication); in verbal persons, marked impairment in conversational skills; stereotyped and repetitive use of language; and lack of spontaneous age-appropriate make-believe or social imitative play. The symptoms which fall under the stereotyped patterns of behavior category are: preoccupation with at least one stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest to an abnormal degree; inflexible adherence to nonfunctional routines or rituals; stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms; and preoccupation with parts of objects. Besides at least 6 of these symptoms, there also needs to be delays in either social interaction, social communication, or symbolic or imaginative play. Another change is that the age of onset of these symptoms has to occur prior to age 3.
A new disorder added to the DSM system is Rett's Disorder. In order for this diagnosis to be made, all of the following need to be present: apparently normal pre- and perinatal development; apparently normal psychomotor development through the first 5 months of life; and normal head circumference at birth. In addition, all of the following symptoms need to occur after a period of normal development: deceleration of head growth between 5-48 months; loss of previously acquired purposeful hand skills between 5-30 months with subsequent stereotyped hand movements (e.g., hand-wringing); loss of social engagement; appearance of poorly coordinated gait; severely impaired expressive and receptive language development; and severe psychomotor retardation. The symptoms of Rett's Disorder are similar to Autism but the prognosis is poorer; and in Autism, the symptoms may or may not have occurred following a period of normal development.
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder is another new diagnosis in DSM-IV. This disorder is also similar to Autism, but there must clearly be evidence of apparently normal development for at least the first 2 years of life (with regard to communication, social relationships, play, and adaptive behavior). This category covers what some professionals refer to as "Regressive Autism" where the individual develops Autistic symptoms much later than a "typical" Autistic child. For a diagnosis of Childhood Disintegrative Disorder to be made, there must be a clinically significant loss of previously acquired skills (before age 10) in at least two areas: expressive or receptive language; social skills or adaptive behavior; bowel or bladder control; play; or motor skills. Additionally, there needs to be abnormalities of functioning in at least two of the following areas: qualitative impairment in social interaction; qualitative impairment in communication; and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. This last criteria is the same as in Autism.
The final new Autism-related disorder added under the Pervasive Developmental Disorders section of DSM-IV is Asperger's Disorder. For this diagnosis to be made, there must be qualitative impairment in social interaction as manifested by at least 2 of the following: marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors (e.g., eye contact, gestures); failure to develop age appropriate peer relationships; lack of spontaneous seeking to share interests, or achievements with others; lack of social or emotional reciprocity; restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behaviors, interests, and activities as manifested by at least 1 of the following: preoccupation with at least one stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest to an abnormal degree; inflexible adherence to nonfunctional routines or rituals; stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms; and preoccupation with parts of objects. There must additionally be clinically significant impairment in social, occupational or other functioning; and no clinically significant delay in language, cognitive development, adaptive behavior, or in curiosity about the environment. Asperger's Disorder is the diagnosis which will likely be made for persons who have traditionally been labeled as having "High Functioning Autism." It is the appropriate diagnosis for individuals who have evidence of many Autistic-like symptoms but for whom there are no language impairments.
The reasons for tightening the criteria for Autism and for adding Rett's Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Asperger's Disorder to DSM-IV is to recognize that Autism is a disorder with many possible symptom variants. Because of this, individuals diagnosed with Autism in the past have been heterogeneous. This has made it difficult to conduct research to determine the etiology, prognosis, and appropriate treatment for individuals with Autism. Hopefully, as the DSM system recognizes the variability of Autistic-like behaviors across individuals, researchers can determine the etiologies and treatments for each of these related disorders. One question that remains unanswered due to this refinement in the DSM system is how the schools will recognize the need for services for individuals in all four of these diagnostic categories, not just for those diagnosed with Autism. Currently under PL 94-142, individuals with Autism must have services provided for them by the schools. However, individuals with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), the category that used to cover Asperger's Disorder-like symptoms and atypical Autism in DSM-IIIR, often had difficulty receiving services through the schools. Hopefully, the push for more homogeneity in individuals with Autism and Autism-related disorders like Rett's Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Asperger's Disorder, will not result in some individuals losing out in much needed interventions.
Meredyth Goldberg Edelson, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology, Willamette University
Salem, Oregon
The new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) came out in the summer of 1994. There have been numerous changes which affect the diagnoses of Autism and related disorders. This summary will review those changes and the possible impact of these changes on persons with Autism and related disorders.
First, the category of disorders under which Autism falls, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, are now coded in a different location in DSM-IV than in its predecessor, DSM-IIIR. It used to be the case that the Pervasive Developmental Disorders were coded on Axis II, the axis that was reserved for long-term, stable disorders with relatively poor prognosis for improvement. Pervasive Developmental Disorders are now coded on Axis I, the axis that is used to diagnose episodic and more transient clinical disorders. The possible implication of this move is the recognition that symptoms of these disorders can vary and possibly improve with intervention whereas the disorders which remain on Axis II, mental retardation and the personality disorders, are typically long-term and often unresponsive to treatment.
In addition to moving the axis on which these disorders are diagnosed, the diagnostic criteria for Autism has changed slightly, and three Autism-related disorders (which had been recognized in the European community's International Classification of Diseases (ICD) system for awhile) have been added to DSM-IV. In order for a diagnosis of Autism to be made, the person still needs to evidence problems in three broad areas: social interaction, communication, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. However, the number of symptoms which fall under these three broad areas have been reduced from 16 to 12 to make this diagnostic category more homogeneous. The individual needs to evidence 6 symptoms spanning the three broad areas with at least two symptoms indicating social interaction deficits, and one symptom in each of the communication and stereotyped patterns of behavior categories. The symptoms which fall under the social interaction category are: marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors; failure to develop age-appropriate peer relationships; lack of spontaneous seeking to share interests and achievements with others; and lack of social or emotional reciprocity. The symptoms which fall under the communication category are: delay in or lack of spoken language development (with no compensation through alternative modes of communication); in verbal persons, marked impairment in conversational skills; stereotyped and repetitive use of language; and lack of spontaneous age-appropriate make-believe or social imitative play. The symptoms which fall under the stereotyped patterns of behavior category are: preoccupation with at least one stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest to an abnormal degree; inflexible adherence to nonfunctional routines or rituals; stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms; and preoccupation with parts of objects. Besides at least 6 of these symptoms, there also needs to be delays in either social interaction, social communication, or symbolic or imaginative play. Another change is that the age of onset of these symptoms has to occur prior to age 3.
A new disorder added to the DSM system is Rett's Disorder. In order for this diagnosis to be made, all of the following need to be present: apparently normal pre- and perinatal development; apparently normal psychomotor development through the first 5 months of life; and normal head circumference at birth. In addition, all of the following symptoms need to occur after a period of normal development: deceleration of head growth between 5-48 months; loss of previously acquired purposeful hand skills between 5-30 months with subsequent stereotyped hand movements (e.g., hand-wringing); loss of social engagement; appearance of poorly coordinated gait; severely impaired expressive and receptive language development; and severe psychomotor retardation. The symptoms of Rett's Disorder are similar to Autism but the prognosis is poorer; and in Autism, the symptoms may or may not have occurred following a period of normal development.
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder is another new diagnosis in DSM-IV. This disorder is also similar to Autism, but there must clearly be evidence of apparently normal development for at least the first 2 years of life (with regard to communication, social relationships, play, and adaptive behavior). This category covers what some professionals refer to as "Regressive Autism" where the individual develops Autistic symptoms much later than a "typical" Autistic child. For a diagnosis of Childhood Disintegrative Disorder to be made, there must be a clinically significant loss of previously acquired skills (before age 10) in at least two areas: expressive or receptive language; social skills or adaptive behavior; bowel or bladder control; play; or motor skills. Additionally, there needs to be abnormalities of functioning in at least two of the following areas: qualitative impairment in social interaction; qualitative impairment in communication; and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. This last criteria is the same as in Autism.
The final new Autism-related disorder added under the Pervasive Developmental Disorders section of DSM-IV is Asperger's Disorder. For this diagnosis to be made, there must be qualitative impairment in social interaction as manifested by at least 2 of the following: marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors (e.g., eye contact, gestures); failure to develop age appropriate peer relationships; lack of spontaneous seeking to share interests, or achievements with others; lack of social or emotional reciprocity; restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behaviors, interests, and activities as manifested by at least 1 of the following: preoccupation with at least one stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest to an abnormal degree; inflexible adherence to nonfunctional routines or rituals; stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms; and preoccupation with parts of objects. There must additionally be clinically significant impairment in social, occupational or other functioning; and no clinically significant delay in language, cognitive development, adaptive behavior, or in curiosity about the environment. Asperger's Disorder is the diagnosis which will likely be made for persons who have traditionally been labeled as having "High Functioning Autism." It is the appropriate diagnosis for individuals who have evidence of many Autistic-like symptoms but for whom there are no language impairments.
The reasons for tightening the criteria for Autism and for adding Rett's Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Asperger's Disorder to DSM-IV is to recognize that Autism is a disorder with many possible symptom variants. Because of this, individuals diagnosed with Autism in the past have been heterogeneous. This has made it difficult to conduct research to determine the etiology, prognosis, and appropriate treatment for individuals with Autism. Hopefully, as the DSM system recognizes the variability of Autistic-like behaviors across individuals, researchers can determine the etiologies and treatments for each of these related disorders. One question that remains unanswered due to this refinement in the DSM system is how the schools will recognize the need for services for individuals in all four of these diagnostic categories, not just for those diagnosed with Autism. Currently under PL 94-142, individuals with Autism must have services provided for them by the schools. However, individuals with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), the category that used to cover Asperger's Disorder-like symptoms and atypical Autism in DSM-IIIR, often had difficulty receiving services through the schools. Hopefully, the push for more homogeneity in individuals with Autism and Autism-related disorders like Rett's Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Asperger's Disorder, will not result in some individuals losing out in much needed interventions.
Meredyth Goldberg Edelson, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology, Willamette University
Salem, Oregon
Autism-Related Disorders in DSM-IV
Autism-Related Disorders in DSM-IV
The new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) came out in the summer of 1994. There have been numerous changes which affect the diagnoses of Autism and related disorders. This summary will review those changes and the possible impact of these changes on persons with Autism and related disorders.
First, the category of disorders under which Autism falls, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, are now coded in a different location in DSM-IV than in its predecessor, DSM-IIIR. It used to be the case that the Pervasive Developmental Disorders were coded on Axis II, the axis that was reserved for long-term, stable disorders with relatively poor prognosis for improvement. Pervasive Developmental Disorders are now coded on Axis I, the axis that is used to diagnose episodic and more transient clinical disorders. The possible implication of this move is the recognition that symptoms of these disorders can vary and possibly improve with intervention whereas the disorders which remain on Axis II, mental retardation and the personality disorders, are typically long-term and often unresponsive to treatment.
In addition to moving the axis on which these disorders are diagnosed, the diagnostic criteria for Autism has changed slightly, and three Autism-related disorders (which had been recognized in the European community's International Classification of Diseases (ICD) system for awhile) have been added to DSM-IV. In order for a diagnosis of Autism to be made, the person still needs to evidence problems in three broad areas: social interaction, communication, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. However, the number of symptoms which fall under these three broad areas have been reduced from 16 to 12 to make this diagnostic category more homogeneous. The individual needs to evidence 6 symptoms spanning the three broad areas with at least two symptoms indicating social interaction deficits, and one symptom in each of the communication and stereotyped patterns of behavior categories. The symptoms which fall under the social interaction category are: marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors; failure to develop age-appropriate peer relationships; lack of spontaneous seeking to share interests and achievements with others; and lack of social or emotional reciprocity. The symptoms which fall under the communication category are: delay in or lack of spoken language development (with no compensation through alternative modes of communication); in verbal persons, marked impairment in conversational skills; stereotyped and repetitive use of language; and lack of spontaneous age-appropriate make-believe or social imitative play. The symptoms which fall under the stereotyped patterns of behavior category are: preoccupation with at least one stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest to an abnormal degree; inflexible adherence to nonfunctional routines or rituals; stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms; and preoccupation with parts of objects. Besides at least 6 of these symptoms, there also needs to be delays in either social interaction, social communication, or symbolic or imaginative play. Another change is that the age of onset of these symptoms has to occur prior to age 3.
A new disorder added to the DSM system is Rett's Disorder. In order for this diagnosis to be made, all of the following need to be present: apparently normal pre- and perinatal development; apparently normal psychomotor development through the first 5 months of life; and normal head circumference at birth. In addition, all of the following symptoms need to occur after a period of normal development: deceleration of head growth between 5-48 months; loss of previously acquired purposeful hand skills between 5-30 months with subsequent stereotyped hand movements (e.g., hand-wringing); loss of social engagement; appearance of poorly coordinated gait; severely impaired expressive and receptive language development; and severe psychomotor retardation. The symptoms of Rett's Disorder are similar to Autism but the prognosis is poorer; and in Autism, the symptoms may or may not have occurred following a period of normal development.
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder is another new diagnosis in DSM-IV. This disorder is also similar to Autism, but there must clearly be evidence of apparently normal development for at least the first 2 years of life (with regard to communication, social relationships, play, and adaptive behavior). This category covers what some professionals refer to as "Regressive Autism" where the individual develops Autistic symptoms much later than a "typical" Autistic child. For a diagnosis of Childhood Disintegrative Disorder to be made, there must be a clinically significant loss of previously acquired skills (before age 10) in at least two areas: expressive or receptive language; social skills or adaptive behavior; bowel or bladder control; play; or motor skills. Additionally, there needs to be abnormalities of functioning in at least two of the following areas: qualitative impairment in social interaction; qualitative impairment in communication; and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. This last criteria is the same as in Autism.
The final new Autism-related disorder added under the Pervasive Developmental Disorders section of DSM-IV is Asperger's Disorder. For this diagnosis to be made, there must be qualitative impairment in social interaction as manifested by at least 2 of the following: marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors (e.g., eye contact, gestures); failure to develop age appropriate peer relationships; lack of spontaneous seeking to share interests, or achievements with others; lack of social or emotional reciprocity; restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behaviors, interests, and activities as manifested by at least 1 of the following: preoccupation with at least one stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest to an abnormal degree; inflexible adherence to nonfunctional routines or rituals; stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms; and preoccupation with parts of objects. There must additionally be clinically significant impairment in social, occupational or other functioning; and no clinically significant delay in language, cognitive development, adaptive behavior, or in curiosity about the environment. Asperger's Disorder is the diagnosis which will likely be made for persons who have traditionally been labeled as having "High Functioning Autism." It is the appropriate diagnosis for individuals who have evidence of many Autistic-like symptoms but for whom there are no language impairments.
The reasons for tightening the criteria for Autism and for adding Rett's Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Asperger's Disorder to DSM-IV is to recognize that Autism is a disorder with many possible symptom variants. Because of this, individuals diagnosed with Autism in the past have been heterogeneous. This has made it difficult to conduct research to determine the etiology, prognosis, and appropriate treatment for individuals with Autism. Hopefully, as the DSM system recognizes the variability of Autistic-like behaviors across individuals, researchers can determine the etiologies and treatments for each of these related disorders. One question that remains unanswered due to this refinement in the DSM system is how the schools will recognize the need for services for individuals in all four of these diagnostic categories, not just for those diagnosed with Autism. Currently under PL 94-142, individuals with Autism must have services provided for them by the schools. However, individuals with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), the category that used to cover Asperger's Disorder-like symptoms and atypical Autism in DSM-IIIR, often had difficulty receiving services through the schools. Hopefully, the push for more homogeneity in individuals with Autism and Autism-related disorders like Rett's Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Asperger's Disorder, will not result in some individuals losing out in much needed interventions.
Meredyth Goldberg Edelson, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology, Willamette University
Salem, Oregon
The new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) came out in the summer of 1994. There have been numerous changes which affect the diagnoses of Autism and related disorders. This summary will review those changes and the possible impact of these changes on persons with Autism and related disorders.
First, the category of disorders under which Autism falls, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, are now coded in a different location in DSM-IV than in its predecessor, DSM-IIIR. It used to be the case that the Pervasive Developmental Disorders were coded on Axis II, the axis that was reserved for long-term, stable disorders with relatively poor prognosis for improvement. Pervasive Developmental Disorders are now coded on Axis I, the axis that is used to diagnose episodic and more transient clinical disorders. The possible implication of this move is the recognition that symptoms of these disorders can vary and possibly improve with intervention whereas the disorders which remain on Axis II, mental retardation and the personality disorders, are typically long-term and often unresponsive to treatment.
In addition to moving the axis on which these disorders are diagnosed, the diagnostic criteria for Autism has changed slightly, and three Autism-related disorders (which had been recognized in the European community's International Classification of Diseases (ICD) system for awhile) have been added to DSM-IV. In order for a diagnosis of Autism to be made, the person still needs to evidence problems in three broad areas: social interaction, communication, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. However, the number of symptoms which fall under these three broad areas have been reduced from 16 to 12 to make this diagnostic category more homogeneous. The individual needs to evidence 6 symptoms spanning the three broad areas with at least two symptoms indicating social interaction deficits, and one symptom in each of the communication and stereotyped patterns of behavior categories. The symptoms which fall under the social interaction category are: marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors; failure to develop age-appropriate peer relationships; lack of spontaneous seeking to share interests and achievements with others; and lack of social or emotional reciprocity. The symptoms which fall under the communication category are: delay in or lack of spoken language development (with no compensation through alternative modes of communication); in verbal persons, marked impairment in conversational skills; stereotyped and repetitive use of language; and lack of spontaneous age-appropriate make-believe or social imitative play. The symptoms which fall under the stereotyped patterns of behavior category are: preoccupation with at least one stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest to an abnormal degree; inflexible adherence to nonfunctional routines or rituals; stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms; and preoccupation with parts of objects. Besides at least 6 of these symptoms, there also needs to be delays in either social interaction, social communication, or symbolic or imaginative play. Another change is that the age of onset of these symptoms has to occur prior to age 3.
A new disorder added to the DSM system is Rett's Disorder. In order for this diagnosis to be made, all of the following need to be present: apparently normal pre- and perinatal development; apparently normal psychomotor development through the first 5 months of life; and normal head circumference at birth. In addition, all of the following symptoms need to occur after a period of normal development: deceleration of head growth between 5-48 months; loss of previously acquired purposeful hand skills between 5-30 months with subsequent stereotyped hand movements (e.g., hand-wringing); loss of social engagement; appearance of poorly coordinated gait; severely impaired expressive and receptive language development; and severe psychomotor retardation. The symptoms of Rett's Disorder are similar to Autism but the prognosis is poorer; and in Autism, the symptoms may or may not have occurred following a period of normal development.
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder is another new diagnosis in DSM-IV. This disorder is also similar to Autism, but there must clearly be evidence of apparently normal development for at least the first 2 years of life (with regard to communication, social relationships, play, and adaptive behavior). This category covers what some professionals refer to as "Regressive Autism" where the individual develops Autistic symptoms much later than a "typical" Autistic child. For a diagnosis of Childhood Disintegrative Disorder to be made, there must be a clinically significant loss of previously acquired skills (before age 10) in at least two areas: expressive or receptive language; social skills or adaptive behavior; bowel or bladder control; play; or motor skills. Additionally, there needs to be abnormalities of functioning in at least two of the following areas: qualitative impairment in social interaction; qualitative impairment in communication; and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. This last criteria is the same as in Autism.
The final new Autism-related disorder added under the Pervasive Developmental Disorders section of DSM-IV is Asperger's Disorder. For this diagnosis to be made, there must be qualitative impairment in social interaction as manifested by at least 2 of the following: marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors (e.g., eye contact, gestures); failure to develop age appropriate peer relationships; lack of spontaneous seeking to share interests, or achievements with others; lack of social or emotional reciprocity; restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behaviors, interests, and activities as manifested by at least 1 of the following: preoccupation with at least one stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest to an abnormal degree; inflexible adherence to nonfunctional routines or rituals; stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms; and preoccupation with parts of objects. There must additionally be clinically significant impairment in social, occupational or other functioning; and no clinically significant delay in language, cognitive development, adaptive behavior, or in curiosity about the environment. Asperger's Disorder is the diagnosis which will likely be made for persons who have traditionally been labeled as having "High Functioning Autism." It is the appropriate diagnosis for individuals who have evidence of many Autistic-like symptoms but for whom there are no language impairments.
The reasons for tightening the criteria for Autism and for adding Rett's Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Asperger's Disorder to DSM-IV is to recognize that Autism is a disorder with many possible symptom variants. Because of this, individuals diagnosed with Autism in the past have been heterogeneous. This has made it difficult to conduct research to determine the etiology, prognosis, and appropriate treatment for individuals with Autism. Hopefully, as the DSM system recognizes the variability of Autistic-like behaviors across individuals, researchers can determine the etiologies and treatments for each of these related disorders. One question that remains unanswered due to this refinement in the DSM system is how the schools will recognize the need for services for individuals in all four of these diagnostic categories, not just for those diagnosed with Autism. Currently under PL 94-142, individuals with Autism must have services provided for them by the schools. However, individuals with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), the category that used to cover Asperger's Disorder-like symptoms and atypical Autism in DSM-IIIR, often had difficulty receiving services through the schools. Hopefully, the push for more homogeneity in individuals with Autism and Autism-related disorders like Rett's Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Asperger's Disorder, will not result in some individuals losing out in much needed interventions.
Meredyth Goldberg Edelson, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology, Willamette University
Salem, Oregon
Minggu, 30 Maret 2008
Thai gold needs to go global
Gold traders are now considering the export market after experiencing sharp drops in domestic sales. Some of them see many barriers to taking the export route while others see it as an opportunity.
Domestic sales of gold accessories in Thailand has dropped by about 50% over the past 10 months due to high gold prices. Since the breakout of the US-led war against Iraq in February, international gold prices have increased by more than 60%.
According to Jitti Tangsithpakdi, the chairman of the Gold Traders' Association, Thai traders are not yet ready for the export business.
``They are not used to it,'' he said.
Since local traders had long enjoyed satisfactory sales from the domestic market, they never really thought of exporting, explained Mr Jitti, also president of Chin Hua Heng Goldsmith Co which has been exporting gold accessories for about two decades.
Gold accessories from Thailand are recognised internationally, but the lack of development over the past several years has put the country's gold industry at a disadvantage in the international gold market, Mr Jitti said.
Neighbouring countries that export gold, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, India and China, have already entered major gold markets, while Thai traders have just a tiny share, he added.
Thailand's gold industry is about five years behind its international competitors and of its total export volume, estimated to be two billion baht a year, a large portion is gold bars, not gold accessories, said the association's deputy secretary-general, Dr Kritcharat Hirunyasiri, also the managing director of Mae Thongsuk Gold Smith Co.
Other countries began using machines in their production process years ago. In Thailand, 99% of gold accessories are still handmade, putting the industry at a disadvantaged position in terms of productivity.
``When one of our goldsmiths finishes his third necklace of the day, one of their machines has already produced 100 necklaces,'' Dr Kritcharat said.
Another problem with handmade products is that the quality of all the pieces produced are not the same, while products made by machines are exactly alike, he said.
International customers expect gold accessories of the same design to have the same quality, both in terms of gold weight and pattern. The majority of Thai gold traders can not yet fulfill this need, Dr Kritcharat said.
To compete internationally, gold traders would have to improve the consistency of their product quality. Patterns of the accessories must be adjusted, so that they are more appealing to international customers, he said.
Traders, additionally, should use more machines in the production process, blending it with local goldsmiths' outstanding handicraft skills, he said.
Nevertheless, Prida Tiasuwan, chairman of Pranda Jewelry Plc, argued that handmade production is an asset _ not an obstacle.
Pranda Jewelry is exporting 99.9% gold accessories, under the brand Prima Gold, and jewellery to many countries, particularly in the Middle East. Its flagship Prima Gold accessories are mostly handmade.
``Many consumers are bored with machine-made jewellery. They are searching for something different. Our goldsmiths' outstanding skills have been passed on from generation to generation, and we should capitalise on it,'' Mr Prida said.
Besides the improvement in quality and design, Mr Jitti said the Thai gold industry is also in need of more hallmarking schemes, something to ensure international purchasers that gold products from Thailand meet international standards and their expectations.
He hailed the Consumer Protection Board for issuing a recent regulation stating that in all so-called ``pure gold'' accessories, at least 96.5% of the content must be pure gold.
Still more hallmarking schemes are needed to ensure the quality of gold products from Thailand, Mr Jitti said.
Domestic sales of gold accessories in Thailand has dropped by about 50% over the past 10 months due to high gold prices. Since the breakout of the US-led war against Iraq in February, international gold prices have increased by more than 60%.
According to Jitti Tangsithpakdi, the chairman of the Gold Traders' Association, Thai traders are not yet ready for the export business.
``They are not used to it,'' he said.
Since local traders had long enjoyed satisfactory sales from the domestic market, they never really thought of exporting, explained Mr Jitti, also president of Chin Hua Heng Goldsmith Co which has been exporting gold accessories for about two decades.
Gold accessories from Thailand are recognised internationally, but the lack of development over the past several years has put the country's gold industry at a disadvantage in the international gold market, Mr Jitti said.
Neighbouring countries that export gold, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, India and China, have already entered major gold markets, while Thai traders have just a tiny share, he added.
Thailand's gold industry is about five years behind its international competitors and of its total export volume, estimated to be two billion baht a year, a large portion is gold bars, not gold accessories, said the association's deputy secretary-general, Dr Kritcharat Hirunyasiri, also the managing director of Mae Thongsuk Gold Smith Co.
Other countries began using machines in their production process years ago. In Thailand, 99% of gold accessories are still handmade, putting the industry at a disadvantaged position in terms of productivity.
``When one of our goldsmiths finishes his third necklace of the day, one of their machines has already produced 100 necklaces,'' Dr Kritcharat said.
Another problem with handmade products is that the quality of all the pieces produced are not the same, while products made by machines are exactly alike, he said.
International customers expect gold accessories of the same design to have the same quality, both in terms of gold weight and pattern. The majority of Thai gold traders can not yet fulfill this need, Dr Kritcharat said.
To compete internationally, gold traders would have to improve the consistency of their product quality. Patterns of the accessories must be adjusted, so that they are more appealing to international customers, he said.
Traders, additionally, should use more machines in the production process, blending it with local goldsmiths' outstanding handicraft skills, he said.
Nevertheless, Prida Tiasuwan, chairman of Pranda Jewelry Plc, argued that handmade production is an asset _ not an obstacle.
Pranda Jewelry is exporting 99.9% gold accessories, under the brand Prima Gold, and jewellery to many countries, particularly in the Middle East. Its flagship Prima Gold accessories are mostly handmade.
``Many consumers are bored with machine-made jewellery. They are searching for something different. Our goldsmiths' outstanding skills have been passed on from generation to generation, and we should capitalise on it,'' Mr Prida said.
Besides the improvement in quality and design, Mr Jitti said the Thai gold industry is also in need of more hallmarking schemes, something to ensure international purchasers that gold products from Thailand meet international standards and their expectations.
He hailed the Consumer Protection Board for issuing a recent regulation stating that in all so-called ``pure gold'' accessories, at least 96.5% of the content must be pure gold.
Still more hallmarking schemes are needed to ensure the quality of gold products from Thailand, Mr Jitti said.
Internet Marketing
Here's a Web People Won't Mind Getting Stuck In... Versus Spiders Whose Only Business is Sucking Blood... True Story:
I hate INDOOR spiders.
Always have...
They feed off of us at night when we sleep. I'm not paranoid - this is totally true whether you like thinking about it or not.
Indoor Spiders Don't Have to Spin 'Attractive Webs' to Eat...
Have you seen an indoor spider's web? There's not much to see.
Ever wonder why?
Because indoor spiders don't have to create anything to eat...
That's why they do their business in the shadows... unsocial and unseen.
Indoor spiders don't contribute anything to attract food to them... they just hang out like uninvited guests and when the lights go out... you got it... they suck blood like leaches.
Those lazy suckers haven't had to spin real webs for generations! They don't use innovation... they just take what they can from who they can.
They pay the price for conducting business the way they do. People will go out of their way to kill an indoor spider, while you usually leave an outdoor spider alone.
Deep down you respect the outdoor spider who is often seen out in the open conducting business proudly displaying his work.
I love OUTDOOR spiders. Always have.
I can't say they're all beautiful, but some of them ARE magnificent. Have you ever seen a giant healthy spider in the woods, perched peacefully on it's work of art--appearing to be earning it's living effortlessly when you KNOW he must have worked his butt off to create such a masterpiece?
Some of those webs catch your eye even if you're at quite a distance. Some are real miracles... especially with the morning dew catching the light. Have you seen it? It's amazing.
So what do these indoor and outdoor spiders have to do with acing the Internet Marketing scene and being liked by both your customers, prospects as well as those who pass by along the way?
It's the difference between giving before you get, like the spider who spins a beautiful web, or hanging out uninvited, giving nothing and sucking all you can from whomever you can, like the indoor spider.
Most Internet marketers use the Internet like an indoor spider uses someone's home. They hang out uninvited... not contributing anything, and doing everything they can to avoid working for their reward.
Indoor spiders don't know any better. Most Internet marketers do. They know they're suppose contribute to but they either don't know how, or they feel they don't need to.
I've been there so I can relate. A person can be so focused on what they want to get out of their business that they forget that life, nature, the Universe and Biblical teachings... all the great teachers from the beginning to present have all taught in one way or another...
That you must give before you can get. And giving without want is the key to mastering everything. In relationships, in business, and fulfillment.
Back to Applying this to Your Internet Marketing to Spin an 'Attractive Web' of Your Own...
People don't always love outdoor spiders, but most have an appreciation for a beautiful web when they see one.
So even if someone is not interested in what you're offering in business, they will appreciate what you're doing if you do it with consideration for others.
And those who are your 'target market' will follow you and buy from you over and over if you're willing to work to contribute something that is attractive for them. This is the secret to gobbling up more business than you ever need while being liked... or even loved for it.
So what can you offer? What can you contribute?
The list of what you can offer is as infinite as the stars in the galaxy... and that is no exaggeration.
I like to teach that people simply start from where they're at in their profession. What do you like or enjoy about your business?
What fascinates you the most? Focus on those topics. Research them. Join groups that discuss them. Network with people on the web who share news or posts about those same topics. Genuinely contribute and learn from others.
As you network and begin to learn new things, share your opinion on what you've learned, on people who are well known in your area of expertise. Build up content on the Internet that reflects your reviews on books, other sites, people and their ideas.
Create content at Social Marketing locations (see some places to start below), but ALWAYS do it in a way so that those folk passing by receive value and enjoy what you shared even if they are not interested in what you offer in your business.
This is the web of content you build that will expand further and further with your reach. And it will be good stuff. Attractive stuff. People will like it. They will like you because of it. This is why many of them who are interested in the kinds of things you sell or offer will buy from you. Because you gave something they enjoyed receiving and because it was then their decision to buy from you. People like to buy. They just don't like to be sold to... so make your web far reaching and attractive.
Start Spinning Your Web of 'Attractive Content'...
Where to start spinning your web?
Here are some tips...
* Internet Marketing on Squidoo.com
* Internet Marketing on Hubpages.com
* Marketing with YouTube and other video sharing locations
* Face Book Marketing Pages (not just the profile)
* My Space
* Set up a Blog for Your Internet Attraction Marketing
* Link your good content with Social Bookmarking
Network in a few social networking sites daily and contribute, comment, help with questions, give good feedback
This all comes back to you on the Internet just as it would if you were networking in the real world... only this is far more effective because you leverage time to build significantly more relationships and you can build a web that reaches much farther than was ever possible before recently on the net.
Are You in a Network Marketing business?
Then this is even more important for you. Stop chasing people. Stop spamming people. Cold calling is spam on the phone. Stop looking at every person you meet as an opportunity to help them---because it's only coming off as you wanting to help yourself. Because normal people don't behave that way and inside you know it.
Are you in a small business of any kind?
On a shoe-string budget you can build this web of content to attract people to any kind of business. It's powerful. Just begin.
Then Bookmark your stuff, but only your best stuff (and not only your stuff) at places like Digg and StumbleUpon
These actions will build your marketing foundations and your reach will grow as you follow what I shared in this article... your networks will grow and more people will continually be attracted to your content. And they will start to buy from you. Some will even seek out what you are selling just so they can.
Of course, there is a learning curve involved. We've carved out a nice niche of service by helping small business owners and network marketers on a shoe-string budget learn this stuff.
But there are a lot of great teachers out there. As you move forward in your business, remember the difference between the Indoor and the Outdoor spider.
"Will you conduct your business in the shadows?"
Or, will you first contribute by spinning an Internet marketing web that is truly attractive... while being loved by prospects, customers and even those who just pass by?
About the Author...
Mike Klingler is a Marketing Coach for small business owners and network marketers seeking visual click-by-click help setting up their own marketing presence. Register here for Mike's unique Internet Marketing Training.
I hate INDOOR spiders.
Always have...
They feed off of us at night when we sleep. I'm not paranoid - this is totally true whether you like thinking about it or not.
Indoor Spiders Don't Have to Spin 'Attractive Webs' to Eat...
Have you seen an indoor spider's web? There's not much to see.
Ever wonder why?
Because indoor spiders don't have to create anything to eat...
That's why they do their business in the shadows... unsocial and unseen.
Indoor spiders don't contribute anything to attract food to them... they just hang out like uninvited guests and when the lights go out... you got it... they suck blood like leaches.
Those lazy suckers haven't had to spin real webs for generations! They don't use innovation... they just take what they can from who they can.
They pay the price for conducting business the way they do. People will go out of their way to kill an indoor spider, while you usually leave an outdoor spider alone.
Deep down you respect the outdoor spider who is often seen out in the open conducting business proudly displaying his work.
I love OUTDOOR spiders. Always have.
I can't say they're all beautiful, but some of them ARE magnificent. Have you ever seen a giant healthy spider in the woods, perched peacefully on it's work of art--appearing to be earning it's living effortlessly when you KNOW he must have worked his butt off to create such a masterpiece?
Some of those webs catch your eye even if you're at quite a distance. Some are real miracles... especially with the morning dew catching the light. Have you seen it? It's amazing.
So what do these indoor and outdoor spiders have to do with acing the Internet Marketing scene and being liked by both your customers, prospects as well as those who pass by along the way?
It's the difference between giving before you get, like the spider who spins a beautiful web, or hanging out uninvited, giving nothing and sucking all you can from whomever you can, like the indoor spider.
Most Internet marketers use the Internet like an indoor spider uses someone's home. They hang out uninvited... not contributing anything, and doing everything they can to avoid working for their reward.
Indoor spiders don't know any better. Most Internet marketers do. They know they're suppose contribute to but they either don't know how, or they feel they don't need to.
I've been there so I can relate. A person can be so focused on what they want to get out of their business that they forget that life, nature, the Universe and Biblical teachings... all the great teachers from the beginning to present have all taught in one way or another...
That you must give before you can get. And giving without want is the key to mastering everything. In relationships, in business, and fulfillment.
Back to Applying this to Your Internet Marketing to Spin an 'Attractive Web' of Your Own...
People don't always love outdoor spiders, but most have an appreciation for a beautiful web when they see one.
So even if someone is not interested in what you're offering in business, they will appreciate what you're doing if you do it with consideration for others.
And those who are your 'target market' will follow you and buy from you over and over if you're willing to work to contribute something that is attractive for them. This is the secret to gobbling up more business than you ever need while being liked... or even loved for it.
So what can you offer? What can you contribute?
The list of what you can offer is as infinite as the stars in the galaxy... and that is no exaggeration.
I like to teach that people simply start from where they're at in their profession. What do you like or enjoy about your business?
What fascinates you the most? Focus on those topics. Research them. Join groups that discuss them. Network with people on the web who share news or posts about those same topics. Genuinely contribute and learn from others.
As you network and begin to learn new things, share your opinion on what you've learned, on people who are well known in your area of expertise. Build up content on the Internet that reflects your reviews on books, other sites, people and their ideas.
Create content at Social Marketing locations (see some places to start below), but ALWAYS do it in a way so that those folk passing by receive value and enjoy what you shared even if they are not interested in what you offer in your business.
This is the web of content you build that will expand further and further with your reach. And it will be good stuff. Attractive stuff. People will like it. They will like you because of it. This is why many of them who are interested in the kinds of things you sell or offer will buy from you. Because you gave something they enjoyed receiving and because it was then their decision to buy from you. People like to buy. They just don't like to be sold to... so make your web far reaching and attractive.
Start Spinning Your Web of 'Attractive Content'...
Where to start spinning your web?
Here are some tips...
* Internet Marketing on Squidoo.com
* Internet Marketing on Hubpages.com
* Marketing with YouTube and other video sharing locations
* Face Book Marketing Pages (not just the profile)
* My Space
* Set up a Blog for Your Internet Attraction Marketing
* Link your good content with Social Bookmarking
Network in a few social networking sites daily and contribute, comment, help with questions, give good feedback
This all comes back to you on the Internet just as it would if you were networking in the real world... only this is far more effective because you leverage time to build significantly more relationships and you can build a web that reaches much farther than was ever possible before recently on the net.
Are You in a Network Marketing business?
Then this is even more important for you. Stop chasing people. Stop spamming people. Cold calling is spam on the phone. Stop looking at every person you meet as an opportunity to help them---because it's only coming off as you wanting to help yourself. Because normal people don't behave that way and inside you know it.
Are you in a small business of any kind?
On a shoe-string budget you can build this web of content to attract people to any kind of business. It's powerful. Just begin.
Then Bookmark your stuff, but only your best stuff (and not only your stuff) at places like Digg and StumbleUpon
These actions will build your marketing foundations and your reach will grow as you follow what I shared in this article... your networks will grow and more people will continually be attracted to your content. And they will start to buy from you. Some will even seek out what you are selling just so they can.
Of course, there is a learning curve involved. We've carved out a nice niche of service by helping small business owners and network marketers on a shoe-string budget learn this stuff.
But there are a lot of great teachers out there. As you move forward in your business, remember the difference between the Indoor and the Outdoor spider.
"Will you conduct your business in the shadows?"
Or, will you first contribute by spinning an Internet marketing web that is truly attractive... while being loved by prospects, customers and even those who just pass by?
About the Author...
Mike Klingler is a Marketing Coach for small business owners and network marketers seeking visual click-by-click help setting up their own marketing presence. Register here for Mike's unique Internet Marketing Training.
energi
HYDROPOWER GENERATES ELECTRICITY
Of the renewable energy sources that generate electricity, hydropower is the most often used. It accounted for 7 percent of total U.S. electricity generation and 73 percent of generation from renewables in 2005.
It is one of the oldest sources of energy and was used thousands of years ago to turn a paddle wheel for purposes such as grinding grain. Our nation’s first industrial use of hydropower to generate electricity occurred in 1880, when 16 brush-arc lamps were powered using a water turbine at the Wolverine Chair Factory in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The first U.S. hydroelectric power plant opened on the Fox River near Appleton, Wisconsin, on September 30, 1882. Until that time, coal was the only fuel used to produce electricity. Because the source of hydropower is water, hydroelectric power plants must be located on a water source. Therefore, it wasn’t until the technology to transmit electricity over long distances was developed that hydropower became widely used.
HOW HYDROPOWER WORKS
Image of the water cycle. Solar energy heats water on the surface, causing it to evaporate. This water vapor condenses into clouds and falls back onto the surface as precipitation. The water flows through rivers back into the oceans, where it can evaporate and begin the cycle over again.
Understanding the water cycle is important to understanding hydropower. In the water cycle -
# Solar energy heats water on the surface, causing it to evaporate.
# This water vapor condenses into clouds and falls back onto the surface as precipitation.
# The water flows through rivers back into the oceans, where it can evaporate and begin the cycle over again.
Mechanical energy is derived by directing, harnessing, or channeling moving water. The amount of available energy in moving water is determined by its flow or fall.Swiftly flowing water in a big river, like the Columbia River Image of how a hydropower plant works.
Of the renewable energy sources that generate electricity, hydropower is the most often used. It accounted for 7 percent of total U.S. electricity generation and 73 percent of generation from renewables in 2005.
It is one of the oldest sources of energy and was used thousands of years ago to turn a paddle wheel for purposes such as grinding grain. Our nation’s first industrial use of hydropower to generate electricity occurred in 1880, when 16 brush-arc lamps were powered using a water turbine at the Wolverine Chair Factory in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The first U.S. hydroelectric power plant opened on the Fox River near Appleton, Wisconsin, on September 30, 1882. Until that time, coal was the only fuel used to produce electricity. Because the source of hydropower is water, hydroelectric power plants must be located on a water source. Therefore, it wasn’t until the technology to transmit electricity over long distances was developed that hydropower became widely used.
HOW HYDROPOWER WORKS
Image of the water cycle. Solar energy heats water on the surface, causing it to evaporate. This water vapor condenses into clouds and falls back onto the surface as precipitation. The water flows through rivers back into the oceans, where it can evaporate and begin the cycle over again.
Understanding the water cycle is important to understanding hydropower. In the water cycle -
# Solar energy heats water on the surface, causing it to evaporate.
# This water vapor condenses into clouds and falls back onto the surface as precipitation.
# The water flows through rivers back into the oceans, where it can evaporate and begin the cycle over again.
Mechanical energy is derived by directing, harnessing, or channeling moving water. The amount of available energy in moving water is determined by its flow or fall.Swiftly flowing water in a big river, like the Columbia River Image of how a hydropower plant works.
The water flows from behind the dam through penstocks, turns the turbines, and causes the generators to generate electricity. The electricity is carried to users by a transmission line. Other water flows from behind the dam over spillways and into the river below.along the border between Oregon and Washington, carries a great deal of energy in its flow. So, too,with water descending rapidly from a very high point, like Niagara Falls in New York. In either instance, the water flows through a pipe, or penstock,then pushes against and turns blades in a turbine to spin a generator to produce electricity. In a run-of-the-river system, the force of the current applies the needed pressure, while in a storage system, water is accumulated in reservoirs created by dams, then released when the demand for electricity is high. Meanwhile, the reservoirs or lakes are used for boating and fishing, and often the rivers beyond the dams provide opportunities for whitewater rafting and kayaking. Hoover Dam, a hydroelectric facility completed in 1936 on the Colorado River between Arizona and Nevada, created Lake Mead, a 110-mile-long national recreational area that offers water sports and fishing in a desert setting.
WHERE HYDROPOWER IS GENERATED
Over one-half of the total U.S. hydroelectric capacity for electricity generation is concentrated in three States (Washington, California and Oregon) with approximately 27 percent in Washington, the location of the Nation’s largest hydroelectric facility – the Grand Coulee Dam.
Image of a map of the contiguous 48 states, showing the top hydropower producing states in 1998. number 1 was Washington, number 2 was California, number 3 Tennessee, number 4 Oregon and number 5 New York
It is important to note that only a small percentage of all dams in the United States produce electricity. Most dams were constructed solely to provide irrigation and flood control.
HYDROPOWER AND THE ENVIROMENT
Some people regard hydropower as the ideal fuel for electricity generation because, unlike the nonrenewable fuels used to generate electricity, it is almost free, there are no waste products, and hydropower does not pollute the water or the air. However, it is criticized because it does change the environment by affecting natural habitats. For instance, in the Columbia River, salmon must swim upstream to their spawning grounds to reproduce, but the series of dams gets in their way. Different approaches to fixing this problem have been used, including the construction of "fish la
Energi kid's Page
HYDROPOWER GENERATES ELECTRICITY
Of the renewable energy sources that generate electricity, hydropower is the most often used. It accounted for 7 percent of total U.S. electricity generation and 73 percent of generation from renewables in 2005.
It is one of the oldest sources of energy and was used thousands of years ago to turn a paddle wheel for purposes such as grinding grain. Our nation’s first industrial use of hydropower to generate electricity occurred in 1880, when 16 brush-arc lamps were powered using a water turbine at the Wolverine Chair Factory in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The first U.S. hydroelectric power plant opened on the Fox River near Appleton, Wisconsin, on September 30, 1882. Until that time, coal was the only fuel used to produce electricity. Because the source of hydropower is water, hydroelectric power plants must be located on a water source. Therefore, it wasn’t until the technology to transmit electricity over long distances was developed that hydropower became widely used.
HOW HYDROPOWER WORKS
Image of the water cycle. Solar energy heats water on the surface, causing it to evaporate. This water vapor condenses into clouds and falls back onto the surface as precipitation. The water flows through rivers back into the oceans, where it can evaporate and begin the cycle over again.
Understanding the water cycle is important to understanding hydropower. In the water cycle -
# Solar energy heats water on the surface, causing it to evaporate.
# This water vapor condenses into clouds and falls back onto the surface as precipitation.
# The water flows through rivers back into the oceans, where it can evaporate and begin the cycle over again.
Mechanical energy is derived by directing, harnessing, or channeling moving water. The amount of available energy in moving water is determined by its flow or fall.Swiftly flowing water in a big river, like the Columbia River Image of how a hydropower plant works.
Of the renewable energy sources that generate electricity, hydropower is the most often used. It accounted for 7 percent of total U.S. electricity generation and 73 percent of generation from renewables in 2005.
It is one of the oldest sources of energy and was used thousands of years ago to turn a paddle wheel for purposes such as grinding grain. Our nation’s first industrial use of hydropower to generate electricity occurred in 1880, when 16 brush-arc lamps were powered using a water turbine at the Wolverine Chair Factory in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The first U.S. hydroelectric power plant opened on the Fox River near Appleton, Wisconsin, on September 30, 1882. Until that time, coal was the only fuel used to produce electricity. Because the source of hydropower is water, hydroelectric power plants must be located on a water source. Therefore, it wasn’t until the technology to transmit electricity over long distances was developed that hydropower became widely used.
HOW HYDROPOWER WORKS
Image of the water cycle. Solar energy heats water on the surface, causing it to evaporate. This water vapor condenses into clouds and falls back onto the surface as precipitation. The water flows through rivers back into the oceans, where it can evaporate and begin the cycle over again.
Understanding the water cycle is important to understanding hydropower. In the water cycle -
# Solar energy heats water on the surface, causing it to evaporate.
# This water vapor condenses into clouds and falls back onto the surface as precipitation.
# The water flows through rivers back into the oceans, where it can evaporate and begin the cycle over again.
Mechanical energy is derived by directing, harnessing, or channeling moving water. The amount of available energy in moving water is determined by its flow or fall.Swiftly flowing water in a big river, like the Columbia River Image of how a hydropower plant works.
The water flows from behind the dam through penstocks, turns the turbines, and causes the generators to generate electricity. The electricity is carried to users by a transmission line. Other water flows from behind the dam over spillways and into the river below.along the border between Oregon and Washington, carries a great deal of energy in its flow. So, too,with water descending rapidly from a very high point, like Niagara Falls in New York. In either instance, the water flows through a pipe, or penstock,then pushes against and turns blades in a turbine to spin a generator to produce electricity. In a run-of-the-river system, the force of the current applies the needed pressure, while in a storage system, water is accumulated in reservoirs created by dams, then released when the demand for electricity is high. Meanwhile, the reservoirs or lakes are used for boating and fishing, and often the rivers beyond the dams provide opportunities for whitewater rafting and kayaking. Hoover Dam, a hydroelectric facility completed in 1936 on the Colorado River between Arizona and Nevada, created Lake Mead, a 110-mile-long national recreational area that offers water sports and fishing in a desert setting.
WHERE HYDROPOWER IS GENERATED
Over one-half of the total U.S. hydroelectric capacity for electricity generation is concentrated in three States (Washington, California and Oregon) with approximately 27 percent in Washington, the location of the Nation’s largest hydroelectric facility – the Grand Coulee Dam.
Image of a map of the contiguous 48 states, showing the top hydropower producing states in 1998. number 1 was Washington, number 2 was California, number 3 Tennessee, number 4 Oregon and number 5 New York
It is important to note that only a small percentage of all dams in the United States produce electricity. Most dams were constructed solely to provide irrigation and flood control.
HYDROPOWER AND THE ENVIROMENT
Some people regard hydropower as the ideal fuel for electricity generation because, unlike the nonrenewable fuels used to generate electricity, it is almost free, there are no waste products, and hydropower does not pollute the water or the air. However, it is criticized because it does change the environment by affecting natural habitats. For instance, in the Columbia River, salmon must swim upstream to their spawning grounds to reproduce, but the series of dams gets in their way. Different approaches to fixing this problem have been used, including the construction of "fish la
Power from Moving water
OWER FROM MOVING WATER
Hopes abound that a new generation of technologies can make clean, affordable electricity from power of tides, waves, or any water in motion
TIDAL POWER A 300-kW turbine prototype, developed by Marine Current Turbines Ltd., was installed over a year ago in Britain's Bristol Channel to take advantage of the 5-knot tidal flow.
Capturing and using the ocean's power to generate electricity is exploiting nature at its most basic. Covering 70% of Earth, the oceans hold immense energy through moon-driven tides and wind-powered waves, and they contain thermal energy from the heat of the sun.
For decades, scientists and engineers have tried to channel this potential into electricity with small success. They've found that containing and converting this potent power to electricity is far from simple or cost-effective.
But over the past few years, ocean energy advocates around the world have been claiming that technology is improving and that they are onto something big. Like renewable energy entrepreneurs in wind and solar power, those in ocean energy hope that global warming, high fossil fuel prices, growing worldwide electricity demand, and public opposition to environmentally invasive, big-scale energy projects will give them the push they need to get ocean energy to the marketplace.
These ocean technologists face a difficult task, however. First and foremost, the ocean is a wild partner. More than a few technologies have been torn apart when actually placed in the sea. And there is the money problem.
"They can't get government or private R&D funding without showing their device is feasible, and they can't prove it is feasible without R&D money to develop the technology," says Roger Bedard, manager for wave and tidal flow energy business development for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), a utility-funded nonprofit center.
This dilemma is most obvious in the U.S., where there is no federal ocean energy program. Andrew R. Trenka, a project officer for Department of Energy biomass programs, was DOE's technical lead on ocean energy when it had a program 15 years ago. He says DOE did an assessment of ocean energy potential in the early 1990s after investing around $250 million, nearly all in ocean thermal energy technologies. DOE decided that the oceans' electricity contribution would be small and geographically localized and the return on investment would be marginal compared with wind, photovoltaic, or biomass. The program was soon shut down.
Trenka's favorite project, ocean thermal energy, which uses differences in temperature between near-surface and deep-ocean waters to generate power, required huge investments and a long payback, he says. Tidal and wave energy are the only technologies in play today, he adds.
Most action has been outside the U.S. However, into the federal void have stepped states and even a few cities and local utility districts that are ponying up small R&D grants or have made agreements to buy electricity generated by ocean energy demonstration programs.
EPRI is also involved and is nearing completion of an assessment of potential U.S. wave energy sites and starting to examine tidal flow areas. EPRI's program is partially funded by states, Bedard says, to serve as an "honest broker," putting technology developers together with funders and locations.
PART OF THE PROBLEM, he says, is that there are only five states with good tidal flows and maybe eight states with good waves. "The question is: Will Congress support something with so few states? We know we must diversify the nation's energy, but as the saying goes, 'Electrons flow according to the laws of physics; electricity flows according to the laws of politics.' "
State organizations are also trying to combine and focus their small resources. The Vermont-based Clean Energy States Alliance is made up of organizations in 12 states that have set up trusts to fund renewable energy projects. The states have put most of the money into wind, solar, and biomass, according to Lewis Milford, the alliance's director, but the states, too, are assessing ocean energy projects, which are starting to be funded.
In fact, small ocean energy projects are beginning in Massachusetts, New York City, off the coasts of Rhode Island, Hawaii, and Washington, and in San Francisco. Only two have produced electricity.
Money in the trust funds has come from bond initiatives or ratepayer assessments to support renewable energy. In San Francisco, for instance, voter-passed initiatives are providing $100 million for renewable energy projects.
"San Francisco has a rather visionary electorate," says Peter O'Donnell, senior energy analyst with the city. "The citizens are committed to eventually having 100% renewable power for the city. Some may say it's crazy, but it is a collective craziness."
The board of supervisors called for 1 MW of tidal power on the grid by January 2006, he says, but later scaled back to 150 kW.
The city is exploring placing a tidal-driven power source under the Golden Gate Bridge in the near term and, later on, placing wave units two or three miles off the coast in an area where it already has right-of-way for a sewage outfall.
O'Donnell says a $4 million tidal demonstration is planned for next year, and a British company, HydroVenturi Inc., has shown an interest in building and paying for the unit. But questions have been raised about the company's ability to secure funding. The company's London office did not respond to C&EN's interview requests.
"What we are trying to do in San Francisco is a natural reaction to the absence of leadership from Washington," O'Donnell continues. "We have talked to DOE, but they are interested in clean coal."
Europe, Australia, and other parts of the world are further along in developing alternative energy sources, mostly because of active support by their governments, which in turn spurs private funders to come to the table. Government encouragement has been in the form of R&D seed funds, engineering support, or mandated production goals or targets requiring utilities to buy renewable energy, which can sometimes include ocean energy.
As a result, several overseas projects are generating electricity from ocean power--although the quantities are small and not at commercial scale. More are planned, but where ocean energy is today is similar to where wind energy was a few decades ago, says George M. Hagerman Jr., senior research associate at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University's Center for Energy & the Global Environment.
"Most of the ocean technologies have undergone 'proof of concept' demonstrations, but they are in their infancy compared to wind energy," Hagerman says. "With wind there used to be many different technologies with all kinds of turbines out there. Now, most wind farms look pretty much the same. This is not true for ocean energy.
"The Energetech wave device looks nothing like the Pelamis wave energy converter or the Archimedes Wave Swing or the Wave Dragon, yet all use wave power as a source of energy," he explains. "They are completely different. It is a sign of immaturity in the industry.
"MOST IMPORTANT, you must remember, it is one thing to have a device in a wave tank or conduct a demonstration and show good efficiency and all that, but it is another thing altogether to build at full scale, put in it the ocean, and let the ocean hammer on it for a couple of decades."
Still, Hagerman is an ocean energy advocate, albeit a realistic one. He points to several technologies that, in his view, have commercial potential and are "in the water" or soon will be.
The technologies come in two broad forms--those that use waves and those that use tidal energy. Both waves and tides vary in intensity, but tides can be predicted decades in advance, Bedard notes, unlike wind or sunlight irradiance. Predictability is important when supplying electricity to the grid or to individual users.
Waves are powered by winds and uneven solar heating, he says, and wave energy works best in ocean depths of at least 50 meters, before waves lose energy to the friction of a shallow sea bottom.
Moon-driven tides are completely predictable and can be powerful forces, especially in areas with high tidal ranges where a turbine could be powered on incoming and outgoing tides. Natural constrictions can also help funnel the tidal flow to turbines, he notes, pointing, for example, to the mile span under the Golden Gate Bridge, which results in powerful currents as the huge bay fills and drains twice a day.
"Water is almost 1,000 times denser than air," Bedard adds, "so you can get the same ocean energy from a machine much smaller than a wind turbine and much cheaper."
The size advantage opens up new applications, Bedard believes, and energy developers are looking at small turbines that can be driven by rivers, streams, or sewage-treatment outfalls--essentially any concentrated moving water.
A sampling of technologies identified by Hagerman, Bedard, and others includes wave generators and free-floating power buoys that use waves for energy and turbines of various sizes to take advantage of the potential energy in tides, rivers, and other water in motion.
The only U.S. company to receive federal aid is a $12 million U.S. Navy appropriation for New Jersey's Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) for a series of pilot buoy projects offshore of Hawaii. CEO George W. Taylor says the company has now contracted to produce up to 1 MW of electricity for a Marine base in Hawaii. Taylor says OPT's systems approach is modular, based on small 125-kW buoys. However, he says, the company is developing a larger 500-kW buoy. It also has other small projects under development for Lockheed Martin Corp. and New Jersey, and OPT is discussing a large-scale project for Spain.
Another U.S. buoy company, AquaEnergy, is seeking permits to install four 250-kW buoys offshore Washington state. If its buoys are permitted and installed, AquaEnergy has a purchase agreement with a Clallam County Public Utility, which will buy the power for 4.5 cents per kW hour.
Ocean waves also power the 500-kW Limpet system, installed in 2000 on Scotland's west coast. Developed by Wavegen of Inverness, Scotland, Limpet is built onshore and generates electricity by using ocean waves to fill and empty a contained structure, pulling and pushing air through a turbine in what's called an "oscillating water column." Wavegen plans a second installation to be tunneled into a cliff face in the Faroes Islands, which are located midway between Iceland and Norway.
Another Scottish company, Ocean Power Delivery Ltd., has developed Pelamis, a snakelike floating device, recently moored offshore of Scotland. Last month, Pelamis was tied into the U.K. electric grid and began generating a peak output of 750 kW. Pelamis comes in several articulated, hinged sections, each 40 meters long and 3.5 meters in diameter. As ocean waves jerk the sections to and fro, hydraulic rams within the joints pump oil through turbines, driving generators and producing electricity, which is fed to the grid onshore.
The Australian company Energetech is installing a pilot wave energy project off the Australian coast. The 485-ton structure is tethered above the sea bottom and uses wave energy to drive air through an enclosed, funneled chamber, increasing air speed and concentration, before reaching a turbine and generator. It has a top system output of 750 kW.
U.S. trials are planned for Pelamis and Energetech technologies. Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts have committed to provide $1 million of the $3.5 million needed for an Energetech pilot project in Port Judith, R.I., for a three-year trial starting in 2006. Maine is exploring a Pelamis pilot project.
Looking at turbines, the world's largest tidal turbine--a turbine powered by incoming and outgoing tides--is La Rance station, which produces some 240 MW and straddles a French estuary. Built in the 1960s, La Rance is likely to be the last of its type due to costs, size, and environmental problems.
Instead, a second generation of individual freestanding turbines are being installed in Europe and the U.S.
Marine Current Turbines Ltd., for example, placed a pilot 300-kW single rotor turbine in the Bristol Channel in southwest England and Wales in May 2003. Technical Director Peter Fraenkel says the company has developed a new generation of twin rotor units with the potential to generate up to 1 MW, depending on tidal flow. A trial is expected late next year, Fraenkel says, and the units will be arrayed in "farms."
These units are similar to wind turbines, he says, but with much smaller and slower rotors--in the range of 30 feet in diameter, as compared to 300 feet for a wind turbine. Tidal turbines turn about 30 revolutions per minute, about half the speed of wind turbines.
In New York City's East River, a Virginia company, Verdant Power, is installing much smaller 15-foot-diameter turbines in a localized energy application for the borough of Queens and the community of Astoria next to the river.
Trey Taylor, Verdant cofounder and president, says his company's "free-flow" turbine systems would generate "village-scale" electrical power. The goal is distributed energy, generated in an environmentally benign way from a renewable source.
Verdant ran one of its small 36-kW turbines in a trial last year and is now installing six turbines on the bottom of the East River, generating 200 kW of peak power. If all goes well, over the next two years, Verdant will expand the system to 200 to 300 turbines, generating 10 MW of electricity, he says.
Taylor sees future applications ranging from remote villages to areas with limited transmission lines, like New York City.
"RIVERS, STREAMS, tides, ocean currents, aqueducts, irrigation canals, wastewater treatment outfalls--they all can be used for electrical power," Taylor says.
Verdant has received about $1 million from the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority, which supports renewable energy. A NYSERDA official emphasizes that the project is one of few potential new sources of electricity for New York City. Nothing will be visible from the river surface other than a power line, the official says, but notes that many tests are to come, particularly impact on aquatic life, ship traffic, and maintenance.
A NYSERDA study estimates there is the potential for 1,000-plus MW of stream-based electricity generation in New York state.
Verdant also recently won a $500,000 grant to install six turbines in the Merrimack River in northern Massachusetts through the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative program.
How far these small grants will go toward commercialization of ocean energy is questioned by Bedard, who stresses that no new energy source has been developed without strong government support.
Jimmy Ferguson, managing director of Wavegen, notes that the U.K. has a goal of generating 10% of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2010 and 15% by 2015, and Scotland has set a target of 40% renewable energy by 2020.
The U.K. government, he says, has invested more than $100 million in marine power, and his company gets about 30% of its funding from the government, which greatly leverages the 70% in private equity.
"Renewables aren't cheap," he says. "To take off, they need something like a golf handicap to allow them to go head-to-head with fossil fuels. Otherwise, you will get these little groups to put in a small installation; an odd prototype will pop up here and there to prove the technology.
"It won't take off in a big way until the proper legislative framework is put in place and the business community can see a way that they can turn a buck and provide a greener planet and make a good business case at the same time."
Chemical & Engineering News
Hopes abound that a new generation of technologies can make clean, affordable electricity from power of tides, waves, or any water in motion
TIDAL POWER A 300-kW turbine prototype, developed by Marine Current Turbines Ltd., was installed over a year ago in Britain's Bristol Channel to take advantage of the 5-knot tidal flow.
Capturing and using the ocean's power to generate electricity is exploiting nature at its most basic. Covering 70% of Earth, the oceans hold immense energy through moon-driven tides and wind-powered waves, and they contain thermal energy from the heat of the sun.
For decades, scientists and engineers have tried to channel this potential into electricity with small success. They've found that containing and converting this potent power to electricity is far from simple or cost-effective.
But over the past few years, ocean energy advocates around the world have been claiming that technology is improving and that they are onto something big. Like renewable energy entrepreneurs in wind and solar power, those in ocean energy hope that global warming, high fossil fuel prices, growing worldwide electricity demand, and public opposition to environmentally invasive, big-scale energy projects will give them the push they need to get ocean energy to the marketplace.
These ocean technologists face a difficult task, however. First and foremost, the ocean is a wild partner. More than a few technologies have been torn apart when actually placed in the sea. And there is the money problem.
"They can't get government or private R&D funding without showing their device is feasible, and they can't prove it is feasible without R&D money to develop the technology," says Roger Bedard, manager for wave and tidal flow energy business development for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), a utility-funded nonprofit center.
This dilemma is most obvious in the U.S., where there is no federal ocean energy program. Andrew R. Trenka, a project officer for Department of Energy biomass programs, was DOE's technical lead on ocean energy when it had a program 15 years ago. He says DOE did an assessment of ocean energy potential in the early 1990s after investing around $250 million, nearly all in ocean thermal energy technologies. DOE decided that the oceans' electricity contribution would be small and geographically localized and the return on investment would be marginal compared with wind, photovoltaic, or biomass. The program was soon shut down.
Trenka's favorite project, ocean thermal energy, which uses differences in temperature between near-surface and deep-ocean waters to generate power, required huge investments and a long payback, he says. Tidal and wave energy are the only technologies in play today, he adds.
Most action has been outside the U.S. However, into the federal void have stepped states and even a few cities and local utility districts that are ponying up small R&D grants or have made agreements to buy electricity generated by ocean energy demonstration programs.
EPRI is also involved and is nearing completion of an assessment of potential U.S. wave energy sites and starting to examine tidal flow areas. EPRI's program is partially funded by states, Bedard says, to serve as an "honest broker," putting technology developers together with funders and locations.
PART OF THE PROBLEM, he says, is that there are only five states with good tidal flows and maybe eight states with good waves. "The question is: Will Congress support something with so few states? We know we must diversify the nation's energy, but as the saying goes, 'Electrons flow according to the laws of physics; electricity flows according to the laws of politics.' "
State organizations are also trying to combine and focus their small resources. The Vermont-based Clean Energy States Alliance is made up of organizations in 12 states that have set up trusts to fund renewable energy projects. The states have put most of the money into wind, solar, and biomass, according to Lewis Milford, the alliance's director, but the states, too, are assessing ocean energy projects, which are starting to be funded.
In fact, small ocean energy projects are beginning in Massachusetts, New York City, off the coasts of Rhode Island, Hawaii, and Washington, and in San Francisco. Only two have produced electricity.
Money in the trust funds has come from bond initiatives or ratepayer assessments to support renewable energy. In San Francisco, for instance, voter-passed initiatives are providing $100 million for renewable energy projects.
"San Francisco has a rather visionary electorate," says Peter O'Donnell, senior energy analyst with the city. "The citizens are committed to eventually having 100% renewable power for the city. Some may say it's crazy, but it is a collective craziness."
The board of supervisors called for 1 MW of tidal power on the grid by January 2006, he says, but later scaled back to 150 kW.
The city is exploring placing a tidal-driven power source under the Golden Gate Bridge in the near term and, later on, placing wave units two or three miles off the coast in an area where it already has right-of-way for a sewage outfall.
O'Donnell says a $4 million tidal demonstration is planned for next year, and a British company, HydroVenturi Inc., has shown an interest in building and paying for the unit. But questions have been raised about the company's ability to secure funding. The company's London office did not respond to C&EN's interview requests.
"What we are trying to do in San Francisco is a natural reaction to the absence of leadership from Washington," O'Donnell continues. "We have talked to DOE, but they are interested in clean coal."
Europe, Australia, and other parts of the world are further along in developing alternative energy sources, mostly because of active support by their governments, which in turn spurs private funders to come to the table. Government encouragement has been in the form of R&D seed funds, engineering support, or mandated production goals or targets requiring utilities to buy renewable energy, which can sometimes include ocean energy.
As a result, several overseas projects are generating electricity from ocean power--although the quantities are small and not at commercial scale. More are planned, but where ocean energy is today is similar to where wind energy was a few decades ago, says George M. Hagerman Jr., senior research associate at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University's Center for Energy & the Global Environment.
"Most of the ocean technologies have undergone 'proof of concept' demonstrations, but they are in their infancy compared to wind energy," Hagerman says. "With wind there used to be many different technologies with all kinds of turbines out there. Now, most wind farms look pretty much the same. This is not true for ocean energy.
"The Energetech wave device looks nothing like the Pelamis wave energy converter or the Archimedes Wave Swing or the Wave Dragon, yet all use wave power as a source of energy," he explains. "They are completely different. It is a sign of immaturity in the industry.
"MOST IMPORTANT, you must remember, it is one thing to have a device in a wave tank or conduct a demonstration and show good efficiency and all that, but it is another thing altogether to build at full scale, put in it the ocean, and let the ocean hammer on it for a couple of decades."
Still, Hagerman is an ocean energy advocate, albeit a realistic one. He points to several technologies that, in his view, have commercial potential and are "in the water" or soon will be.
The technologies come in two broad forms--those that use waves and those that use tidal energy. Both waves and tides vary in intensity, but tides can be predicted decades in advance, Bedard notes, unlike wind or sunlight irradiance. Predictability is important when supplying electricity to the grid or to individual users.
Waves are powered by winds and uneven solar heating, he says, and wave energy works best in ocean depths of at least 50 meters, before waves lose energy to the friction of a shallow sea bottom.
Moon-driven tides are completely predictable and can be powerful forces, especially in areas with high tidal ranges where a turbine could be powered on incoming and outgoing tides. Natural constrictions can also help funnel the tidal flow to turbines, he notes, pointing, for example, to the mile span under the Golden Gate Bridge, which results in powerful currents as the huge bay fills and drains twice a day.
"Water is almost 1,000 times denser than air," Bedard adds, "so you can get the same ocean energy from a machine much smaller than a wind turbine and much cheaper."
The size advantage opens up new applications, Bedard believes, and energy developers are looking at small turbines that can be driven by rivers, streams, or sewage-treatment outfalls--essentially any concentrated moving water.
A sampling of technologies identified by Hagerman, Bedard, and others includes wave generators and free-floating power buoys that use waves for energy and turbines of various sizes to take advantage of the potential energy in tides, rivers, and other water in motion.
The only U.S. company to receive federal aid is a $12 million U.S. Navy appropriation for New Jersey's Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) for a series of pilot buoy projects offshore of Hawaii. CEO George W. Taylor says the company has now contracted to produce up to 1 MW of electricity for a Marine base in Hawaii. Taylor says OPT's systems approach is modular, based on small 125-kW buoys. However, he says, the company is developing a larger 500-kW buoy. It also has other small projects under development for Lockheed Martin Corp. and New Jersey, and OPT is discussing a large-scale project for Spain.
Another U.S. buoy company, AquaEnergy, is seeking permits to install four 250-kW buoys offshore Washington state. If its buoys are permitted and installed, AquaEnergy has a purchase agreement with a Clallam County Public Utility, which will buy the power for 4.5 cents per kW hour.
Ocean waves also power the 500-kW Limpet system, installed in 2000 on Scotland's west coast. Developed by Wavegen of Inverness, Scotland, Limpet is built onshore and generates electricity by using ocean waves to fill and empty a contained structure, pulling and pushing air through a turbine in what's called an "oscillating water column." Wavegen plans a second installation to be tunneled into a cliff face in the Faroes Islands, which are located midway between Iceland and Norway.
Another Scottish company, Ocean Power Delivery Ltd., has developed Pelamis, a snakelike floating device, recently moored offshore of Scotland. Last month, Pelamis was tied into the U.K. electric grid and began generating a peak output of 750 kW. Pelamis comes in several articulated, hinged sections, each 40 meters long and 3.5 meters in diameter. As ocean waves jerk the sections to and fro, hydraulic rams within the joints pump oil through turbines, driving generators and producing electricity, which is fed to the grid onshore.
The Australian company Energetech is installing a pilot wave energy project off the Australian coast. The 485-ton structure is tethered above the sea bottom and uses wave energy to drive air through an enclosed, funneled chamber, increasing air speed and concentration, before reaching a turbine and generator. It has a top system output of 750 kW.
U.S. trials are planned for Pelamis and Energetech technologies. Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts have committed to provide $1 million of the $3.5 million needed for an Energetech pilot project in Port Judith, R.I., for a three-year trial starting in 2006. Maine is exploring a Pelamis pilot project.
Looking at turbines, the world's largest tidal turbine--a turbine powered by incoming and outgoing tides--is La Rance station, which produces some 240 MW and straddles a French estuary. Built in the 1960s, La Rance is likely to be the last of its type due to costs, size, and environmental problems.
Instead, a second generation of individual freestanding turbines are being installed in Europe and the U.S.
Marine Current Turbines Ltd., for example, placed a pilot 300-kW single rotor turbine in the Bristol Channel in southwest England and Wales in May 2003. Technical Director Peter Fraenkel says the company has developed a new generation of twin rotor units with the potential to generate up to 1 MW, depending on tidal flow. A trial is expected late next year, Fraenkel says, and the units will be arrayed in "farms."
These units are similar to wind turbines, he says, but with much smaller and slower rotors--in the range of 30 feet in diameter, as compared to 300 feet for a wind turbine. Tidal turbines turn about 30 revolutions per minute, about half the speed of wind turbines.
In New York City's East River, a Virginia company, Verdant Power, is installing much smaller 15-foot-diameter turbines in a localized energy application for the borough of Queens and the community of Astoria next to the river.
Trey Taylor, Verdant cofounder and president, says his company's "free-flow" turbine systems would generate "village-scale" electrical power. The goal is distributed energy, generated in an environmentally benign way from a renewable source.
Verdant ran one of its small 36-kW turbines in a trial last year and is now installing six turbines on the bottom of the East River, generating 200 kW of peak power. If all goes well, over the next two years, Verdant will expand the system to 200 to 300 turbines, generating 10 MW of electricity, he says.
Taylor sees future applications ranging from remote villages to areas with limited transmission lines, like New York City.
"RIVERS, STREAMS, tides, ocean currents, aqueducts, irrigation canals, wastewater treatment outfalls--they all can be used for electrical power," Taylor says.
Verdant has received about $1 million from the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority, which supports renewable energy. A NYSERDA official emphasizes that the project is one of few potential new sources of electricity for New York City. Nothing will be visible from the river surface other than a power line, the official says, but notes that many tests are to come, particularly impact on aquatic life, ship traffic, and maintenance.
A NYSERDA study estimates there is the potential for 1,000-plus MW of stream-based electricity generation in New York state.
Verdant also recently won a $500,000 grant to install six turbines in the Merrimack River in northern Massachusetts through the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative program.
How far these small grants will go toward commercialization of ocean energy is questioned by Bedard, who stresses that no new energy source has been developed without strong government support.
Jimmy Ferguson, managing director of Wavegen, notes that the U.K. has a goal of generating 10% of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2010 and 15% by 2015, and Scotland has set a target of 40% renewable energy by 2020.
The U.K. government, he says, has invested more than $100 million in marine power, and his company gets about 30% of its funding from the government, which greatly leverages the 70% in private equity.
"Renewables aren't cheap," he says. "To take off, they need something like a golf handicap to allow them to go head-to-head with fossil fuels. Otherwise, you will get these little groups to put in a small installation; an odd prototype will pop up here and there to prove the technology.
"It won't take off in a big way until the proper legislative framework is put in place and the business community can see a way that they can turn a buck and provide a greener planet and make a good business case at the same time."
Chemical & Engineering News
Jumat, 29 Februari 2008
Stress Management
Stress Management and How Stress Effects the Body
Stress is a condition we can all relate to in an everyday sense. There is stress all around us, in the work place, at home and in emotional contexts. Stress, in all of these contexts, does not serve our bodies well. What do you know about the effects of stress on the body? Stressful situations usually have negative effects on our general health and bear a closer look.
Stress can take on many faces, with varying causes and resolutions. Much of the effects of stress on the body depend on your personality and emotions. While Joe may be able to deal with stress efficiently, you may find your threshold considerably lower. Where Joe thrives, you may be reduced to a bundle of nerves, unable to process information or think clearly. While Joe\'s calm personality can take an important deadline in stride, focusing clearly on the goal, others not so gifted may be overwhelmed by perceived demands they feel they are unable to meet.
Unfortunately, the physical effects of stress on the body can be enormously detrimental to our physical and emotional health. The effects of stress on the body can be subtle, but over the long run they are deadly. The long-term effects of stress on the body can be even more alarming. Although it has taken science a long time to acknowledge this fact, stress shortens our lives. The effects of stress on the body are tremendous. Increased risk of heart disease, nervous breakdowns, stomach ulcers, tension headaches, and an increased susceptibility to infection are just a few of the things that stress can do to us.. There\'s not a single effect of stress on the body that is not detrimental. Although in the short run, stress can be a good thing – giving us the ability to react to the situation quickly and resolve it as immediately as possible – in the long run, it is always a bad thing. Yet many of us live with stress day in and day out for years at a time.
The short-term effects of stress on the human body are well known. When we are under stress, we have increased heart rate, thoughts that race, tense muscles, and adrenaline rushes. With extreme stress, we can get agitated and have a hard time sitting still. Stress is basically the human bodies fight or flight mechanism kicking in. The effects of stress on the mind are similarly well-known. We can get paranoid, frightened, aggressive, or hyperactive. It varies considerably from person to person, but it is quite easy to tell when you or someone you know is under an immediate stress. Then again, the long-term effects are much more subtle.
Stress can most certainly affect our behavior, leading to disadvantages in a social context, as well as negative lifestyle behaviors, such as over-eating, smoking and drinking excessively. Others may manifest effects of stress on the body in less obvious ways.
Although emotionally drained, over-stressed people may become obsessed with their work in an attempt to eradicate the source of their stress. Such people often spend undue amounts of time worrying, skipping meals and exercise, all in the hopes of eradicating the source of pressure. In fact, these strategies are counter productive to Stress Management. Generally, people who employ such strategies are only worsening the situation. If you focus your energies on meeting that deadline or else, to the exclusion of eating or sleeping, the end result is seen in the eventual physical effects of stress on the body.
Stress most commonly manifests in disease of the heart. This link is well known to your physician. High blood pressure and a high standing pulse rate are indicative of stress. The sheer tension of stress can damage arteries, while reducing healthy blood and oxygen flow. Your body attempts to heal the damaged arteries, forming scars and thickened artery walls. All of these factors can eventually lead to heart attack.
Another of the negative effects of stress on the body is marked depletion of immune system function, which results in frequent colds and flus. More serious effects of stress on the body include exacerbated arthritis, irritable bowel, ulcers and headaches. Studies conducted as early as the 1950\'s showed a link between cancer and stress.
There are medications that can help us deal with stress, but none of these really provide a solution. The only way to cope with the effects of stress on the body is to get some help. Help can come in the form of therapy, meditation, counseling, or massages. Basically, anything that relaxes you and that you do regularly is an effective antidote to stress. The effects of stress on the body, however, may ultimately require you to change your lifestyle. You may have to work less, spend more time doing things that you enjoy, and generally learn to relax. This is not such a bad thing! In the process of fighting the effects of stress on the mind and body, you will also learn to enjoy your life. What else is life for, after all?
With all of these dire consequences of the effects of stress on the body, we\'d all do well to focus on positive changes in diet and lifestyle to eliminate undue stress. Listening to music, exercise and a more laid back perspective are keys to good health.
Stress is a condition we can all relate to in an everyday sense. There is stress all around us, in the work place, at home and in emotional contexts. Stress, in all of these contexts, does not serve our bodies well. What do you know about the effects of stress on the body? Stressful situations usually have negative effects on our general health and bear a closer look.
Stress can take on many faces, with varying causes and resolutions. Much of the effects of stress on the body depend on your personality and emotions. While Joe may be able to deal with stress efficiently, you may find your threshold considerably lower. Where Joe thrives, you may be reduced to a bundle of nerves, unable to process information or think clearly. While Joe\'s calm personality can take an important deadline in stride, focusing clearly on the goal, others not so gifted may be overwhelmed by perceived demands they feel they are unable to meet.
Unfortunately, the physical effects of stress on the body can be enormously detrimental to our physical and emotional health. The effects of stress on the body can be subtle, but over the long run they are deadly. The long-term effects of stress on the body can be even more alarming. Although it has taken science a long time to acknowledge this fact, stress shortens our lives. The effects of stress on the body are tremendous. Increased risk of heart disease, nervous breakdowns, stomach ulcers, tension headaches, and an increased susceptibility to infection are just a few of the things that stress can do to us.. There\'s not a single effect of stress on the body that is not detrimental. Although in the short run, stress can be a good thing – giving us the ability to react to the situation quickly and resolve it as immediately as possible – in the long run, it is always a bad thing. Yet many of us live with stress day in and day out for years at a time.
The short-term effects of stress on the human body are well known. When we are under stress, we have increased heart rate, thoughts that race, tense muscles, and adrenaline rushes. With extreme stress, we can get agitated and have a hard time sitting still. Stress is basically the human bodies fight or flight mechanism kicking in. The effects of stress on the mind are similarly well-known. We can get paranoid, frightened, aggressive, or hyperactive. It varies considerably from person to person, but it is quite easy to tell when you or someone you know is under an immediate stress. Then again, the long-term effects are much more subtle.
Stress can most certainly affect our behavior, leading to disadvantages in a social context, as well as negative lifestyle behaviors, such as over-eating, smoking and drinking excessively. Others may manifest effects of stress on the body in less obvious ways.
Although emotionally drained, over-stressed people may become obsessed with their work in an attempt to eradicate the source of their stress. Such people often spend undue amounts of time worrying, skipping meals and exercise, all in the hopes of eradicating the source of pressure. In fact, these strategies are counter productive to Stress Management. Generally, people who employ such strategies are only worsening the situation. If you focus your energies on meeting that deadline or else, to the exclusion of eating or sleeping, the end result is seen in the eventual physical effects of stress on the body.
Stress most commonly manifests in disease of the heart. This link is well known to your physician. High blood pressure and a high standing pulse rate are indicative of stress. The sheer tension of stress can damage arteries, while reducing healthy blood and oxygen flow. Your body attempts to heal the damaged arteries, forming scars and thickened artery walls. All of these factors can eventually lead to heart attack.
Another of the negative effects of stress on the body is marked depletion of immune system function, which results in frequent colds and flus. More serious effects of stress on the body include exacerbated arthritis, irritable bowel, ulcers and headaches. Studies conducted as early as the 1950\'s showed a link between cancer and stress.
There are medications that can help us deal with stress, but none of these really provide a solution. The only way to cope with the effects of stress on the body is to get some help. Help can come in the form of therapy, meditation, counseling, or massages. Basically, anything that relaxes you and that you do regularly is an effective antidote to stress. The effects of stress on the body, however, may ultimately require you to change your lifestyle. You may have to work less, spend more time doing things that you enjoy, and generally learn to relax. This is not such a bad thing! In the process of fighting the effects of stress on the mind and body, you will also learn to enjoy your life. What else is life for, after all?
With all of these dire consequences of the effects of stress on the body, we\'d all do well to focus on positive changes in diet and lifestyle to eliminate undue stress. Listening to music, exercise and a more laid back perspective are keys to good health.
Reiki Healing
Reiki Healing: Using the power of human touch.
Reiki is a healing technique or therapy designed to reduce stress and promote relaxation and peace of mind. The word Reiki is made up of two Japanese words – “Rei” which means “Higher Power or Wisdom” and the word “Ki” which means “life force energy”. Everything around us is composed of this energy.
When our daily lives become stressful, this is a sign our energies are not balanced. Reiki healing therapy aims to bring our energies into balance and bring health and well-being to our emotional, physical and spiritual systems. It works on the assumption that we have natural healing abilities within our selves and it is the Reiki healing technique that stimulates this process. The role of the practitioner is to channel this “universal life energy” through to the recipient.
The founder of this technique was a Principle of a Christian seminary in the middle of the nineteenth century by the name of Mikao Usui. He offered a set of guidelines for a healthy and peaceful life as well as advocating this technique to redress any imbalances in our energy systems that result in physical illness or emotional upset or trauma.
Below are some of the benefits of Reiki healing:-
* stimulates natural self healing balances energies in the body
* gives strength to our immune system
* gives pain relief
* releases suppressed feelings
* treats the symptoms of illness
If you want to receive a Reiki healing treatment, here is what you can expect in a typical healing session. The healer or practitioner will hold her hands on you or above you while you are fully clothed and lying down on a couch. The healer moves their hands over your body channeling the energy to the required place to bring about healing. The healer is able to know where to go by allowing themselves to be spiritually guided to the relevant area of the body. The effect of this technique is a warm feeling or tingling sensation. It is generally a relaxing and soothing experience. A treatment can last up to an hour or more according to the type of healing required and will often involve the movement of the hands across the body using a number of standard hand positions and covering most of the body’s major organs.
Should you want to be able to use this simple technique yourself, you can attend a class where it is “transferred” rather than taught through an “attunement” given by a Reiki Master. Here the student is given the ability to tap into the “universal life energy” and to use it to improve one’s own health and wellbeing.
Reiki is a simple, safe and non-invasive therapy that everyone can learn to use and benefit from. It has been used to bring relief from a number of physical, emotional and spiritual problems. There is no particular religious philosophy behind its technique and therefore anybody can learn to give and receive Reiki healing. Indeed its holistic approach to healing means it can complement other medical and therapeutic techniques. Whilst Reiki healing is a safe therapeutic technique, it is advisable that a trusted, reputable practitioner is sought to ensure the most comfortable experience and of course maximum benefits from healing.
Reiki is a healing technique or therapy designed to reduce stress and promote relaxation and peace of mind. The word Reiki is made up of two Japanese words – “Rei” which means “Higher Power or Wisdom” and the word “Ki” which means “life force energy”. Everything around us is composed of this energy.
When our daily lives become stressful, this is a sign our energies are not balanced. Reiki healing therapy aims to bring our energies into balance and bring health and well-being to our emotional, physical and spiritual systems. It works on the assumption that we have natural healing abilities within our selves and it is the Reiki healing technique that stimulates this process. The role of the practitioner is to channel this “universal life energy” through to the recipient.
The founder of this technique was a Principle of a Christian seminary in the middle of the nineteenth century by the name of Mikao Usui. He offered a set of guidelines for a healthy and peaceful life as well as advocating this technique to redress any imbalances in our energy systems that result in physical illness or emotional upset or trauma.
Below are some of the benefits of Reiki healing:-
* stimulates natural self healing balances energies in the body
* gives strength to our immune system
* gives pain relief
* releases suppressed feelings
* treats the symptoms of illness
If you want to receive a Reiki healing treatment, here is what you can expect in a typical healing session. The healer or practitioner will hold her hands on you or above you while you are fully clothed and lying down on a couch. The healer moves their hands over your body channeling the energy to the required place to bring about healing. The healer is able to know where to go by allowing themselves to be spiritually guided to the relevant area of the body. The effect of this technique is a warm feeling or tingling sensation. It is generally a relaxing and soothing experience. A treatment can last up to an hour or more according to the type of healing required and will often involve the movement of the hands across the body using a number of standard hand positions and covering most of the body’s major organs.
Should you want to be able to use this simple technique yourself, you can attend a class where it is “transferred” rather than taught through an “attunement” given by a Reiki Master. Here the student is given the ability to tap into the “universal life energy” and to use it to improve one’s own health and wellbeing.
Reiki is a simple, safe and non-invasive therapy that everyone can learn to use and benefit from. It has been used to bring relief from a number of physical, emotional and spiritual problems. There is no particular religious philosophy behind its technique and therefore anybody can learn to give and receive Reiki healing. Indeed its holistic approach to healing means it can complement other medical and therapeutic techniques. Whilst Reiki healing is a safe therapeutic technique, it is advisable that a trusted, reputable practitioner is sought to ensure the most comfortable experience and of course maximum benefits from healing.
Basketball
College Basketball Picks: Stop Jumping Through Hoops for a Pittance
Once the NCAA basketball season goes off, every one positions himself to track favorite basketball teams. Rare is the bird that isn\'t bitten by the NCAA fever. At this time, speculations are rife and hopes are high fueled by handicapping gurus\' predictions. If you\'re into the betting more than the rooting, these tips will help you find sizzling hoops picks. Surviving the Hoopla Have you visited all online betting sites? They always promise the highest winning streak and present statistics of $798,000 annual wins for their bettors. But before you give up lock, stock, and barrel to sign up with a betting site, pause for awhile and rethink the way you look at your college basketball picks for betting. The casual college basketball bettor simply bets for his favorite team. This is one way of showing his support. The handicapping guru knows where the money is. If you want to make a stash from the NCAA fever, these simple tips can enhance your college basketball picks to help you survive the season\'s frenzied betting with a profit. 1. Stick to your betting site. This may sound preposterous. Why stick to a betting site that has only be on the downtrend for the past few weeks? Not all betting sites can guarantee an impressive record win. They all have their highs and lows. Sticking to your handicapping guru for a while is better than jumping to a new site; just imagine your frustration when at the moment you switch, your previous betting site picks up a winning trend and your new betting home is going downhill prediction wise. 2. Check out the betting site\'s credentials. If they have a record of good college betting picks, you have a winner. Decades of experience has steeped betting analysts into the culture of NCAA basketball. This gives them an edge when analyzing game sets. They know the temperament of the game and the people pulling the strings from recruitments to swaps. Established sites have the technology and the experience to trash competition. 3. Go for paid college betting picks. Do not waste your time on free picks. Free picks are a dime a dozen, and you\'ll be putting your money with thousands of others, so how much are you going make profits from a pool with thousands and thousands of bettors? Not much. 4. If you\'re shopping for a betting site, choose one that offers college betting picks for other sports. This will be convenient later when you want some betting action for football, golf, and horse racing. You\'ll rid yourself of the apprehension of gauging the new site for future bets. A site that offers handicap betting for several sporting events has the savvy you need to survive the betting scene. You don\'t need multiple memberships anymore. 5. Don\'t fall for the siren call of 99.9% winning streaks. Reliable betting sites don\'t prey on your virginal enthusiasm for betting. They\'re there to predict and these can\'t always be infallible. Go and sign up with your eyes wide open with a site that does not promise that you can buy a brand new SUV. A credible site will always advice you not to dump all your money in one game, but it will caution you to spread your bets. It takes common sense, sound betting practices, and a reliable betting site to help you survive the hoopla of the NCAA basketball season. Wise up now and choose the handicapping experts to double your bank. There\'s no time like now before the madness starts.
Once the NCAA basketball season goes off, every one positions himself to track favorite basketball teams. Rare is the bird that isn\'t bitten by the NCAA fever. At this time, speculations are rife and hopes are high fueled by handicapping gurus\' predictions. If you\'re into the betting more than the rooting, these tips will help you find sizzling hoops picks. Surviving the Hoopla Have you visited all online betting sites? They always promise the highest winning streak and present statistics of $798,000 annual wins for their bettors. But before you give up lock, stock, and barrel to sign up with a betting site, pause for awhile and rethink the way you look at your college basketball picks for betting. The casual college basketball bettor simply bets for his favorite team. This is one way of showing his support. The handicapping guru knows where the money is. If you want to make a stash from the NCAA fever, these simple tips can enhance your college basketball picks to help you survive the season\'s frenzied betting with a profit. 1. Stick to your betting site. This may sound preposterous. Why stick to a betting site that has only be on the downtrend for the past few weeks? Not all betting sites can guarantee an impressive record win. They all have their highs and lows. Sticking to your handicapping guru for a while is better than jumping to a new site; just imagine your frustration when at the moment you switch, your previous betting site picks up a winning trend and your new betting home is going downhill prediction wise. 2. Check out the betting site\'s credentials. If they have a record of good college betting picks, you have a winner. Decades of experience has steeped betting analysts into the culture of NCAA basketball. This gives them an edge when analyzing game sets. They know the temperament of the game and the people pulling the strings from recruitments to swaps. Established sites have the technology and the experience to trash competition. 3. Go for paid college betting picks. Do not waste your time on free picks. Free picks are a dime a dozen, and you\'ll be putting your money with thousands of others, so how much are you going make profits from a pool with thousands and thousands of bettors? Not much. 4. If you\'re shopping for a betting site, choose one that offers college betting picks for other sports. This will be convenient later when you want some betting action for football, golf, and horse racing. You\'ll rid yourself of the apprehension of gauging the new site for future bets. A site that offers handicap betting for several sporting events has the savvy you need to survive the betting scene. You don\'t need multiple memberships anymore. 5. Don\'t fall for the siren call of 99.9% winning streaks. Reliable betting sites don\'t prey on your virginal enthusiasm for betting. They\'re there to predict and these can\'t always be infallible. Go and sign up with your eyes wide open with a site that does not promise that you can buy a brand new SUV. A credible site will always advice you not to dump all your money in one game, but it will caution you to spread your bets. It takes common sense, sound betting practices, and a reliable betting site to help you survive the hoopla of the NCAA basketball season. Wise up now and choose the handicapping experts to double your bank. There\'s no time like now before the madness starts.
Top 7 Tips To Treat
Top 7 Tips To Treat Eye Conditions Using Vision Therapy
Unfortunately, few people have ever heard of vision therapy. It is the best kept secret in eye care. The few people who know anything about it think it is the Bates Method. But Bates is outdated. This method only focus on the eye muscles. Today, we know, in addition, vision therapy works by retraining the way the brain processes visual imagery. It is more like visual biofeedback than vision callisthenics. Using today’s methods, we get better, more permanent results than Bates did. Today’s vision therapy helps treat many vision-impairing eye conditions. Here are some of the tips you can consider to treat your eye conditions.
1. Traumatic Brain Injury
Some people who sustain head injuries in auto or other accidents largely recover, except that they experience blurred or double vision. They are often told they have to live with it, but vision therapy can often help them see better.
2. Athletic Performance
Keep your eye on the ball is standard advice in baseball, basketball, tennis, volleyball and many other sports. The problem is that sometimes even world-class athletes can’t do it well enough to remain competitive. With the help of vision therapy, they can. In a study, vision therapy was conducted on a group of professional tennis players. Lights were flashed at them and time how long it takes them to respond. At first it may take them one-tenth a second. But after a while, they start responding in one one-hundredth of a second, ten times faster. The difference between a tenth and a hundredth of a second may not sound like much, but when you are playing a professional tennis, it is the difference between seeing the ball leave your opponent’s racquet and not seeing it until it is already on your side of the court.
3. Balance
Good vision is critical for good balance because vision, our dominant sense, provides the brain with a great deal of information about the body’s position. A group of 20 male and female students were tested on their balance and then trained them in Eyerobics, a visual-skills training program that uses vision therapy exercises to improve depth perception, peripheral vision, reaction time and spatial judgement. After Eyerobics training, the researchers retested the participant’s balance and found significant improvement.
4. Crossed Eyes, Lazy Eyes And Binocular Disorder
In addition to causing cosmetic problems – the eyes look funny – these disorders interfere with reading and close-focus work and may lead to blindness of the weaker eye. They are also surprisingly common. According to a report in the Journal of the American Optometric Association, about 5 percent of schoolchildren have strabismic eyes, and up to 8 percent have some degree of amblyopia. Each year in United States, the National Society to Prevent Blindness estimates 127,000 new diagnoses of amblyopia. Six months of vision therapy produces substantial, long-lasting improvements of these conditions in about 75 percent of cases.
5. Learning Disabilities
Many children diagnosed with learning disabilities or dyslexia does not really have them. They often have learning-related vision problems, and vision therapy can help them – if they are diagnosed and treated by a behavioural optometrist. Unfortunately, many are not. In a study, with three children, two age eight and one ten, who had severe problems with reading. One had been diagnosed as dyslexic. After two months of vision therapy, the children’s reading abilities improved dramatically
6. Focusing Problems
Normal eyes hold objects in focus and automatically refocus when they shift from one object to another that is closer or farther away. People with focusing problems cannot do this, and their constant struggle to keep their eyes focused leads to chronic eyes stress that often causes headaches, fatigue, double or blurry vision and a burning sensation in the eyes. In a study, 96 people with focusing problems were treated with vision therapy. Fifty-three percent were cured. Symptoms were significantly reduced, though not eliminated, in 43 percent. Only 4 percent showed no benefit.
7. Jerking Eye
This condition interferes with smooth eye movement, causing the eyes to jerk from point to point. It impairs reading ability and anything else that requires fluid eye movements. Vision therapy usually can cure ocular-motor problems.
Raymond Lee is one of the foremost experts in the health and fitness industry and is the Founder of Bodyfixes Group specializing in body health, muscle development and dieting. He is currently the author of the latest edition of \"Neck Exercises and Workouts.\" Visit http://www.bodyfixes.com for more information.
Unfortunately, few people have ever heard of vision therapy. It is the best kept secret in eye care. The few people who know anything about it think it is the Bates Method. But Bates is outdated. This method only focus on the eye muscles. Today, we know, in addition, vision therapy works by retraining the way the brain processes visual imagery. It is more like visual biofeedback than vision callisthenics. Using today’s methods, we get better, more permanent results than Bates did. Today’s vision therapy helps treat many vision-impairing eye conditions. Here are some of the tips you can consider to treat your eye conditions.
1. Traumatic Brain Injury
Some people who sustain head injuries in auto or other accidents largely recover, except that they experience blurred or double vision. They are often told they have to live with it, but vision therapy can often help them see better.
2. Athletic Performance
Keep your eye on the ball is standard advice in baseball, basketball, tennis, volleyball and many other sports. The problem is that sometimes even world-class athletes can’t do it well enough to remain competitive. With the help of vision therapy, they can. In a study, vision therapy was conducted on a group of professional tennis players. Lights were flashed at them and time how long it takes them to respond. At first it may take them one-tenth a second. But after a while, they start responding in one one-hundredth of a second, ten times faster. The difference between a tenth and a hundredth of a second may not sound like much, but when you are playing a professional tennis, it is the difference between seeing the ball leave your opponent’s racquet and not seeing it until it is already on your side of the court.
3. Balance
Good vision is critical for good balance because vision, our dominant sense, provides the brain with a great deal of information about the body’s position. A group of 20 male and female students were tested on their balance and then trained them in Eyerobics, a visual-skills training program that uses vision therapy exercises to improve depth perception, peripheral vision, reaction time and spatial judgement. After Eyerobics training, the researchers retested the participant’s balance and found significant improvement.
4. Crossed Eyes, Lazy Eyes And Binocular Disorder
In addition to causing cosmetic problems – the eyes look funny – these disorders interfere with reading and close-focus work and may lead to blindness of the weaker eye. They are also surprisingly common. According to a report in the Journal of the American Optometric Association, about 5 percent of schoolchildren have strabismic eyes, and up to 8 percent have some degree of amblyopia. Each year in United States, the National Society to Prevent Blindness estimates 127,000 new diagnoses of amblyopia. Six months of vision therapy produces substantial, long-lasting improvements of these conditions in about 75 percent of cases.
5. Learning Disabilities
Many children diagnosed with learning disabilities or dyslexia does not really have them. They often have learning-related vision problems, and vision therapy can help them – if they are diagnosed and treated by a behavioural optometrist. Unfortunately, many are not. In a study, with three children, two age eight and one ten, who had severe problems with reading. One had been diagnosed as dyslexic. After two months of vision therapy, the children’s reading abilities improved dramatically
6. Focusing Problems
Normal eyes hold objects in focus and automatically refocus when they shift from one object to another that is closer or farther away. People with focusing problems cannot do this, and their constant struggle to keep their eyes focused leads to chronic eyes stress that often causes headaches, fatigue, double or blurry vision and a burning sensation in the eyes. In a study, 96 people with focusing problems were treated with vision therapy. Fifty-three percent were cured. Symptoms were significantly reduced, though not eliminated, in 43 percent. Only 4 percent showed no benefit.
7. Jerking Eye
This condition interferes with smooth eye movement, causing the eyes to jerk from point to point. It impairs reading ability and anything else that requires fluid eye movements. Vision therapy usually can cure ocular-motor problems.
Raymond Lee is one of the foremost experts in the health and fitness industry and is the Founder of Bodyfixes Group specializing in body health, muscle development and dieting. He is currently the author of the latest edition of \"Neck Exercises and Workouts.\" Visit http://www.bodyfixes.com for more information.
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