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Friday, July 30, 2010

Long Life Roots in Relations, Society NOT in Medicines or Medical Care. But Free Market has Destroyed Family and Marriage. Rakhi Sawant and Rahul Mahajan Are Never Good for Health!

Long Life Roots in Relations, Society NOT in Medicines or Medical Care. But Free Market has Destroyed Family and Marriage. Rakhi Sawant and Rahul Mahajan Are Never Good for Health!

Indian Holocaust My Father`s Life and Time- Four Hundred Thirty Nine

Palash Biswas

http://indianholocaustmyfatherslifeandtime.blogspot.com/

Rvery TV Channel is chasing Rahul Mahajan and Dimpy Ganguli. The other day, Reality Show Sex Bomb Rakhi Sawnt did a Rahul Job to make Farce othe institution caled Marriage.TV in India make most of the TRP from the stroies most disastrous as the Mariage and Divorce episodes involving Sania Mirza and Shoeb Malik. They do try their best to get into the Bed rooms of Celbrities and thus, makes the Marriage, Family and Relations reduced in Comic Fun! The Developed world has long disassociated from the Nature in the Capitalist Life style and lost the Family, Relations and Society.WE do depend on Foreign Capital Inflow for our survival as a Nation and thus, we replicate the West just Destroying our Home, Relations.

Long Life Roots in Relations, Society NOT in Medicines or Medical Care. But Free Market has Destroyed Family and Marriage. Rakhi Sawant and Rahul Mahajan Are Never Good for Health!

Indian Holocaust My Father`s Life and Time- Four Hundred Thirty Nine

Palash Biswas

http://indianholocaustmyfatherslifeandtime.blogspot.com/

Rvery TV Channel is chasing Rahul Mahajan and Dimpy Ganguli. The other day, Reality Show Sex Bomb Rakhi Sawnt did a Rahul Job to make Farce othe institution caled Marriage.TV in India make most of the TRP from the stroies most disastrous as the Mariage and Divorce episodes involving Sania Mirza and Shoeb Malik. They do try their best to get into the Bed rooms of Celbrities and thus, makes the Marriage, Family and Relations reduced in Comic Fun! The Developed world has long disassociated from the Nature in the Capitalist Life style and lost the Family, Relations and Society.WE do depend on Foreign Capital Inflow for our survival as a Nation and thus, we replicate the West just Destroying our Home, Relations.

Long Life Roots in Relations, Society NOT in Medicines or Medical Care. But Free Market has Destroyed Family and Marriage. Rakhi Sawant and Rahul Mahajan Are Never Good for Health!It is greater Untruth as we believe that As technology and medicine evolve over time, the life expectancies in most countries are increasing! The Brahamins believed that the Brahama created the Universe unaware of the Galaxy phenomenon as the Aryans were Illiterate, Brbaric, Superstitious, Violent,dominating and destructive. They became Brahamins and evolved the Brahaminical System which were later strengthened with Manusmriti Rule and Post Modern Globalisation. It is just an Extention Anti Nature Anti people Genocide Culture beyond Time!

Just see the Animal Planet or Discovery or National Geographic Channels, the Bio Cycle in the Nature depends so much in Organised Social life. Any focus anywhere in the Deep Sea or Dense Forest may teach us so many things to feel Good about life. Since our Folk life had been associated with nature for Time Unknown, the indigenous Aboriginal Black Communities replicated the Natural Course of life as well as Community Activities celebrating life. But the Celebration of life means only FUN without any attachment to Nature or Community these days, hence we are possibly the most ill and unwell Generation in this Galaxy performing mystic rituals only and stand alien to life itself!Friends, we are the Most Inflicted people now.

My Father Pulin Babu treated his Village Basantipur as his family. My Mother followed suit. the villagers are NO Exception. My father called in my Jethamoshai from Orissa where he was rehabilated in Sambal Pur.He helped to settle my Uncle CHHOTOKAKA in the village and the family which was later joined by our Didima, Prabha Devi after riots inEast bengal in 1964.

I know many people in Dineshpur, Shaktifarm in Uttarkhand and elsewhere countrywide who Organised the Community systematically withoutany personal gain.

Having good social relationships — friends, marriage or children — may be every bit as important to a healthy lifespan as quitting smoking, losing weight or taking certain medications, US researchers reported on Tuesday.

People with strong social relationships were 50% less likely to die early than people without such support, the team at Brigham Young University in Utah found.

They suggest that policymakers look at ways to help people maintain social relationships as a way of keeping the population healthy.

"A lack of social relationships was equivalent to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day," psychologist Julianne Holt-Lunstad, who led the study, said in a telephone interview.

Her team conducted a meta-analysis of studies that examine social relationships and their effects on health. They looked at 148 studies that covered more than 308,000 people for their analysis, published in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Medicine at plosmedicine.org.

Having low levels of social interaction was equivalent to being an alcoholic, was more harmful than not exercising and was twice as harmful as obesity.

Social relationships had a bigger impact on premature death than getting an adult vaccine to prevent pneumonia, than taking drugs for high blood pressure and far more important than exposure to air pollution, they found.

"I certainly don't want to downplay these other risk factors because of course they are very important," Holt-Lunstad said. "We need to start taking social relationships just as seriously."

Government policies to encourage social relationships will not necessarily be easy, Holt-Lundstad said. "Air pollution and the clean air act — that is simple policy," she said.

But she has some ideas — such as making it easier for friends or relatives to take part in medical care, and city planning that encourages interaction.

The different studies measured social interaction in different ways, so the researchers said it was impossible to precisely define positive social interaction.

It equally difficult to study systematically, as it is impossible to randomly assign people to have friends or not have friends. But Holt-Lundstad said there is some evidence that assigning caretakers does not help improve people's health.

"Naturally occurring relationships may be different than support received from someone who is hired for that purpose," she said.

Her team found some troubling evidence that Americans are becoming more isolated, and thus losing the support and care that love and friendship provide.

"For instance, trends reveal reduced intergenerational living, greater social mobility, delayed marriage, dual-career families, increased single-residence households, and increased age-related disabilities," they wrote.

"More specifically, over the past two decades there has been a three-fold increase in the number of Americans who report having no confidant," they added.

"Such findings suggest that despite increases in technology and globalisation that would presumably foster social connections, people are becoming increasingly more socially isolated."

Mohenjo-Daro!
by Jonathan Mark Kenoyer
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Priest King Icon

Mohenjo Daro, or "Mound of the Dead" is an ancient Indus Valley Civilization city that flourished between 2600 and 1900 BCE. It was one of the first world and ancient Indian cities. The site was discovered in the 1920s and lies in Pakistan's Sindh province. Only a handful of archaeologists have excavated here, described in the introduction and illustrated essay Mohenjodaro: An Ancient Indus Valley Metropolis.

These 103 indexed images were taken over 30 years. Most have not been published before. These images can also be seen on on ImageofAsia.com where they can be commented on, emailed, downloaded and much more. You can even run them as a slideshow on your iGoogle homepage. We also have a Facebook Page.
 
Indus Plains 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
DKG Area 9 10 11 12
Citadel 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
Great Bath 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
L Area 31 32 33 34 35 36
HR Area 37 38 39
The Granary 40 41
HR Area 42 43 44 45 46
Latrine 47 48 49 50
Courtyard 51 52 53 54
Sanitation 55 56
House 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64
Street 65 66 67
DK Area 68 69 70 71
L Area 72 73 74
Wells 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 85 86
Drains 83 84 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94
Boats 95 96
Ringstones 97 98
Ancient Villages 99 100 101 102 103
 

Harappa.com does not support or condone the sale of antiquities.

Credits: The "Priest King" statue was found at Mohenjo-daro in the 1920s and the gold and steatite eyebead apparently worn on the forehead of the "Priest King" was found in Harappa in 1995. All images appear Courtesy HARP and the Dept. of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Pakistan.   Tablas: Ajmal Khan. Flash Movie: DesignCatalyst.com
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Relationships Key To Long And Healthy Life

                    Posted 7/29/2010 8:30 am by Ron Hogan
It's often said that humans are social animals, but as a recent study in PLoS Medicine states,"The idea that a lack of social relationships is a risk factor for death is still not widely recognized by health organizations and the public."  That is, until two professors at BYU, Julianne Holt-Lunstad and Timothy Smith, analyzed data from 148 other studies on long-life and discovered that one of the keys to having a long and healthy life is maintaining a rich, full social life.
Not only is socializing important, it's actually crucial.  The effect of social contact is so great that it supersedes other life-shortening risk factors like obesity and not exercising, while low socializing is akin to behaviors such as alcoholism and smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.  I guess I need to get out more, then.
"When someone is connected to a group and feels responsibility for other people, that sense of purpose and meaning translates to taking better care of themselves and taking fewer risks," said Holt-Lunstad in a news release.  Added Smith, "We take relationships for granted as humans — we're like fish that don't notice the water.  That constant interaction is not only beneficial psychologically but directly to our physical health."
Image: Old couple
Tags: relationships key to having a long and healthy life, health related to quality of relationships, relationships, socializing, human health, unusual health news, unusual medical news, PLoS Medicine, Brigham Young University, Timothy Smith, Julianne Holt-Lunstad
                   
http://www.popfi.com/2010/07/29/relationships-key-to-long-and-healthy-life/

Rahul Mahajan punched, kicked and dragged me by hair, says wife Dimpy

Press Trust of India, Updated: July 30, 2010 14:29 IST

Mumbai:  Kolkata-based model Dimpy Ganguly has walked out of her four-month-old marriage to Rahul Mahajan, son of BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, alleging domestic violence.


Dimpy had married Rahul with much fanfare on the Imagine TV reality show "Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega" in March this year.


"Rahul beat me up early on Thursday morning after waking me up to know the contents of a message that had beeped on my phone. When I asked him to go back to sleep, he flew into a rage and began hitting me. He punched, kicked and dragged me by hair," the 22-year-old model told a TV channel.


Rahul could not be reached over phone for his comments.Share on SocialGmail BuzzPrint


This is the second time that Rahul, who was also involved in a drug abuse case, has been accused of domestic violence.


His first wife Shweta Singh, who was his childhood friend, had accused him of physically abusing her. The couple got divorced in 2008 after which Rahul participated in Colors' reality show "Big Boss". He continued to be in the limelight for his closeness with co-contestants Monica Bedi and Payal Rohatgi.


Incidentally, Rohatgi too has alleged harassment by Rahul, saying he has been calling her asking for a second chance.


"I just don't want to be harassed anymore. That's about it. I don't want to speak to him. He is a married guy," Rohatgi said.


Senior BJP leader Pratap Ashar, a close associate of Pramod Mahajan who was present at the live wedding function of Rahul and Dimpy, refused to be drawn into the controversy saying that he did not know anything.


Story first published:

July 30, 2010 13:53 IST


Tags: domestic violence, Rahul Mahajan, wife

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Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/rahul-mahajan-punched-kicked-and-dragged-me-by-hair-says-wife-dimpy-40901?cp


Too real for reality

Published: Friday, Jul 30, 2010, 10:40 IST

Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA




*

Rakhi Sawant

DNA gets hooked on to 5 of the best reality show moments…

The curious case of Rakhi Sawant:

Rakhi Sawant's life seems to be an unending reality show in itself. First, Rakhi came on a dance reality show and declared that she is dating some guy. Nobody bothered till Rakhi came on the show with the same guy and announced that he is her dancing partner. After a few lovey-dovey moments,Rakhi ended upslapping the guy in public. Well, the obvious followed —Rakhi announced that she is single (again!). Before you know that it's over and done with, she announced that she is getting married and on a reality TV show! Another round of publicity exercise followed and she got herself a groom…only to declare that she is not getting married to him. Time for another reality show?

A die-hard romantic called Rahul Mahajan:

He is the bad boy of the Mahajan family who had earned his share of bad press when he got entangled in the doping case.A fling with an item girl on a reality show and then getting married on another show — Rahul Mahajan is the star of all reality shows. Only that he will have to play second fiddle to Rakhi Sawant. Phew!

Salman's dances

When Salman Khan gets on a show, it is obvious people watch him. The popular star that he is, he also picked up the mobile and called his 'friends' in the industry to come on the show and voila! Everybody (except for Shah Rukh Khan of course) turned up in the show. Maybe you always need not be a Karan Johar to draw some people, what say?

The Negar Khan bikini show:

The story goes somewhat like this — Negar Khan felt the need of getting the dirt off her back when she was living in the middle of a jungle for a reality show. She positioned herself in such a way that the camera caught her taking her top and denims off. Then she stripped down to her bikini and had a shower standing under a waterfall. The show was aired late into the night. Need we say more?

Mandira Bedi's break point:

She sailed through the reality show that required her to do daredevil stunts. But she just fell down while rehearsing and broke her shin bone. A tug-of-war followed between her and the channel. While the channel scurried for an answer, she posed for the shutterbugs in her castings. Must be such a pain, eh!

Ekta Kapoor's pick

"I am not a reality show junkie myself and I have not produced any reality show till date. But I think some of them have really got the audience hooked on. I don't want to name specific shows but some of them are good."


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Related links

           


                       

Gallery

On-screen behenjis, off-screen hotties

Video

John Abraham wants to be like Aa


http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report_too-real-for-reality_1416473

The world's first robot with conscience

MADRID: Spain has designed the world's first robot with its own "conscience" and "life", which will "entertain, teach and be a companion" to humans who purchase it.

The AISoy 1, which will go on sale in August, is the first social android developed by Spanish firm AISoy Robotics, which is now bringing its creation out of the laboratory.

"It almost seems like science fiction, but it's a reality," said Diego Garcia, one of the "fathers" of the robot and head of AISoy's product engineering and development division.

AISoy 1 was conceived to entertain and provide company to the user, but its main objective is "to live," just like any other being that "senses, has emotions and makes decisions".

At 25 cm in height and weighing 1.5 kg, the robot "is almost a living being. It has the same activity as a living being, it has its own autonomy and conscience", he said.

It also has a series of "basic needs, like nourishment and security, and other more advanced ones, like love, recognition, freedom and, above all, enjoying itself and getting along well".

In contrast to the available robots developed till date, its makeup does not consist of "a collection of limited actions or programmed responses. It's dynamic, it has its own life and, at times, it's unpredictable," said AISoy 1's designer.

The robot is capable of learning from experience and modifying "its behaviour, values and actions it can undertake at specific times," he said.

"If you take two AISoy 1's and leave them in two different families, within two months they will be totally different because they will have had different experiences," said Garcia.

Starting August, any family will be able to buy the robot, which is in the final phases of production, and it will be sold via the AISoy 1 website.

Although the price of the domestic robot has not yet been made public, the firm says that it will be "less costly" than alternative prototypes developed by other firms.

Stemcells coaxed to rebuild bone, cartilage

PARIS: Scientists have shown for the first time that it may be possible to replace a human hip or knee with a joint grown naturally inside the body using the patient's stem cells.

In experiments on rabbits, the researchers coaxed the animals' stem cells to rebuild the bone and cartilage of a missing leg joint, according to a study published on Thursday. "This is the first time an entire joint surface was regenerated with return of functions including weight bearing and locomotion," lead researcher Jeremy Mao, a professor at Columbia University Medical Center, said in a statement.

Naturally-grown joints would likely last longer than the current generation of artificial mechanisms, he said. With ageing populations and many people under 65 requiring replacement surgery, there is a real danger patients will outlive metallic joints and require a second gruelling operation late in life.

In the experiments, Mao and colleagues removed the forelimb thigh joint of 10 rabbits, and then implanted a kind of scaffolding made of biologically compatible materials. A naturally-occurring substance that stimulates cell growth then cued the rabbits' stemcells to go to the site of the missing joint and regenerate both cartilage and bone in two distinct layers.

Within four weeks, the animals resumed normal movements — a medical first, the researchers reported in the British medical journal The Lancet.

The fact that the regenerated limb joint was created from the stem cells in the host animal — rather than being harvested and then cultivated outside the body — is also unprecedented, they said.

This new procedure "may ultimately lead to clinical applications," said Mao. "In patients who need the knee, shoulder, hip or finger joints regenerated, the rabbit model provides a proof of principle."

But a number of scientific and regulatory issues remain before the procedure can be tested on humans, he said.
For hip replacements, for example, recovery in people will be more difficult because humans carry all their weight on two legs.

Many patients are also likely to have existing conditions and drug regimens that could adversely affect the growth of new joints. Some patients — especially elderly people with diabetes — will not have the same capacity for natural regeneration, cautioned Patrick Warnke of Australia's Bond University in a commentary, also in The Lancet. The period of immobility while a joint regenerates also presents its own risks. "The optimum way to grow a biological joint remains a controversy," Warnke said.

But, he added, the new research "offers a promising insight into what might be on the horizon." As populations age in rich nations, the demand for total joint replacements has sky-rocketed. In the United States, more than 200,000 patients received total hip replacements in 2006, and nearly half a million got new knee joints, according to the US Nationwide Inpatient Sample database of hospital inpatient stays.

If these trends continue, an estimated 600,000 hip replacements and 1.4 million knee replacements will be carried out in 2015. The United States accounts for 50% total procedures worldwide, with Europe accounting for 30%, according to Datamonitor.

An ageing population and increased incidence of obesity are primary causes for the increase in joint replacements.

China's shift, Korean peninsula and Middle East pose new risks: Anshu Jain, Deutsche Bank

29 Jul 2010, 0727 hrs IST,Mayur Shetty,ET Bureau
Topics:

Woodland
woodland, dominated by oak and hickory trees. The woodland is of two types. That part of SNR north of the Trail House has rolling hills, broad valleys, and meandering streams and is similar to Missouri north of the Missouri River. The part between the Trail House and the Meramec River has steeper hills and ridges and narrow valleys with intermittent streams and is similar to the Ozarks. This area of steeper topography may also be called an Ozark Upland Forest. The greater relief in this area is due to the downcutting action of the Meramec River during the past 2.5 million years. Many species of plants and animals endemic to the Ozarks are found in this area. The ridges and upper slopes of this area have thinner soil and support different species of trees and herbaceous plants than the lower slopes and valleys with their deeper soil.

White-tailed deer, red and gray squirrels, and wild turkey are common animals of the upland forest since they feed on acorns and hickory nuts. Bedrock and bluffs exposed in the upland forest are of the Ordovician Period, about 450 million years old. Woodchucks and cottontail rabbits are found in the border area of woods and meadows. Raccoons, opossums, and striped skunk are also members of this community, but are seldom seen because of their nocturnal habits. The varied topography and great diversity of trees, spring wildflowers, and animal life make this area popular with both the serious nature student and those who enjoy an outing in a beautiful and quiet natural area. The upland forest is especially beautiful from March to June, with a succession of over 250 species of wildflowers blooming in varied habitats.

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Bottomland Forest
Bottomland forest at SNR is best represented by 160 acres in the flood plain of the Meramec River. Characteristic trees in this area are sycamore, cottonwood, silver maple, elm, and box elder. These species need bare soil for their seeds to germinate. The frequent flooding of the Meramec provides this bare soil by washing leaves away and depositing a layer of silt as the flood water recedes. The deep alluvial soil provides adequate moisture for tree growth even in the driest years, resulting in a fast-growing forest of immense trees.

Masses of bluebells, trout lily, blue phlox, and false rue anemone make a spectacular display here in spring. In geological terms, the flood plain is a youthful area in a state of constant change. The river bed is slowly moving southward, creating on the north bank a series of ridges and troughs which are a visible record of the gradual change in the river's course.

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Glades
glade is a community of plants and animals that is quite characteristic of the Ozarks, and well represented at SNR. These are grassy, flowery openings occurring within upland woods, on outcrops of dolomitic rocks on south- and west-facing slopes. The combination of shallow soil and direction of slope produces a hot, often extremely dry environment with thin, rocky soil which will not support the rapid growth of trees. Birdsfoot violet, Indian paintbrush, Missouri evening primrose, the rare Fremont's leather flower, lance-leaf tickseed and pale purple coneflower bloom in waves of color from April to early July. The plains scorpion and tarantula spider are both found in the warm, dry conditions of the glades.

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Meadow
meadows situated on gently rolling to nearly flat land and dotted with large cedar and hardwood trees of the upland forest. These meadows were once badly eroded cropland or pastures which have been restored by sound management practices. They are mowed often enough to prevent them from returning to forest.

The herbaceous flora range from native Missouri plants to Eurasian meadow species. The trees in the meadows have a fuller growth pattern because of the abundance of sunlight, giving the meadows a park-like appearance. Bird life is abundant in the meadows, especially along the forest edge, making the meadows good birding areas. Red-tailed hawks are commonly seen soaring over the meadows in search of white-footed mice and other prey. White-tailed deer are often seen grazing in the meadows, singly and in herds as large as 15.

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Tallgrass Prairie
Prairie is an ecosystem dominated by grasses and wildflowers with few trees or shrubs. Prairie once covered the central 1/3 of our continent from Indiana to the Rockies. Prairie plants, with roots penetrating to 10 or 15 feet, are adapted to the midsummer droughts of this region. SNR's 250-acre prairie is being established to represent this once-vast ecosystem where 30 million majestic bison roamed.

Prairie plants are introduced by direct seeding and greenhouse-grown transplants. The tall grasses, reaching as high as 10 feet into the sky, remind us of the ocean as they wave in a gentle breeze. Over 70 species of wildflowers bloom in the prairie beginning in May and ending in October. The leaves, stalks, and blossoms of these wildflowers present a fascinating variety of colors, shapes, and textures. Some species, such as goldenrod, spread across the prairie in brightly colored masses.

SNR's prairie has moderate to gentle slopes with a grove of trees and a pond in the northern part. The low area near Brush Creek contains many species of plants found in wet prairies. An observation deck on the highest elevation provides an exhilarating view of the multicolored prairie and the surrounding rolling hills. From here one can picture the pioneer wagons winding through the tall grasses on their way to settle the new land.

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River Community


The Meramec is host to a great variety of fish, turtles, and freshwater mussels. Green herons, great blue herons, and bank swallows are often seen by hikers and canoeists along the river. Muskrats and beavers live here and their tracks and those of raccoon and deer are common in the mud along the river.

The River Community is composed of the Meramec River, Gravel Bars, and Streams.

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Stream


Children have a universal fascination with creeks. Here they may explore their own world and adventure in all seasons among the fallen trees, exposed roots, and gurgling water.

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Gravel Bar


People of all ages enjoy exploring the gravel bars. Here is an endless variety of chert, sandstone, and limestone rocks, piles of driftwood, animal tracks, frogs by the hundreds, the sight and sound of swift, free-flowing, clear water.

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Ponds
ponds are scattered throughout the grounds, in addition to Pinetum Lake.

Wolf Run Lake, the largest of the four, is a tranquil resting place at the midpoint of Wolf Run Trail. Native upland forest, portions once cut-over for farming, frame the lake and are mirrored in the water. Broad-leaved Cattail grows in areas around the pond, a factor in natural pond succession. Animals and birds are attracted to the lakeside. The water abounds with frogs, turtles, fish, snakes, and insects.

Pot-Hole Lake, located near the north and lower boundary of the Tallgrass Prairie, enhances the view from the Prairie hilltop and is an interesting community of itself. Fish and pond life can be observed; animals and birds are also attracted to the water.

Mirror Lake is the place to find large catfish and many species of pond life. It is a small, round pond, set in the rolling meadows, north and east of the Trail House. Surrounding trees are mirrored in its calm surface. Nearby plantings of Narcissus and gnarled old crabapples make this a scenic area in spring.

Few visitors see Wood Duck Lake, the area being overgrown with native trees and brush, but it is a small, secluded pond of great charm, tucked away near the East Bridge. Bald cypress trees grow on a small island and many species of birds find the area attractive.

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Pinetum
Pinetum, an extensive collection of native and exotic conifers set in a 19th-century English landscape design around a sparking three-acre lake. The conifers, now 40 to 50 years old, include magnificent Norway spruce, bald cypress, and graceful white pine grouped to form pleasant vistas throughout the rolling landscape. Accent plantings of dogwood, redbud, and magnolia are interspersed among the evergreens. In spring, thousands of daffodils bloom throughout the Pinetum meadows, to be followed by ox-eye daisies, butterfly weed, and other native and exotic wildflowers.

Many species of birds are attracted by the conifers, as well as gray and red fox squirrels. A profusion of insects inhabit the meadows. Pinetum Lake teems with several species of frogs, fish, turtles, water snakes, crayfish, and minute and microscopic water life.

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Farmland
farmland are an additional 250 acres of woodland, including a grove of sugar maple trees.  Coyotes, which live along the adjacent river, are seen seeking prey in the fields. This area is not open to the public.

This stretch of farmland, with its grazing cattle, presents a pastoral scene to visitors at the overlook across the Meramec. The north and west edge of the farmland adjoins the Meramec River, giving the Reserve control of both sides of 1.5 miles of the river.

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http://www.shawnature.org/stewardship/communities.aspx

Animals and the Moral Community: Mental Life, Moral Status, and Kinship

Gary Steiner
            
           
        
       
              October, 2008
    Cloth, 232 pages,
    ISBN: 978-0-231-14234-2
                                 $45.00                / £31.00    
   
                  
                                                           
           
   
Gary Steiner argues that ethologists and philosophers in the analytic and continental traditions have largely failed to advance an adequate explanation of animal behavior. Critically engaging the positions of Marc Hauser, Daniel Dennett, Donald Davidson, John Searle, Martin Heidegger, and Hans-Georg Gadamer, among others, Steiner shows how the Western philosophical tradition has forced animals into human experiential categories in order to make sense of their cognitive abilities and moral status and how desperately we need a new approach to animal rights.

Steiner rejects the traditional assumption that a lack of formal rationality confers an inferior moral status on animals vis-à-vis human beings. Instead, he offers an associationist view of animal cognition in which animals grasp and adapt to their environments without employing concepts or intentionality. Steiner challenges the standard assumption of liberal individualism according to which humans have no obligations of justice toward animals. Instead, he advocates a "cosmic holism" that attributes a moral status to animals equivalent to that of people. Arguing for a relationship of justice between humans and nature, Steiner emphasizes our kinship with animals and the fundamental moral obligations entailed by this kinship.

Related Subjects


http://cup.columbia.edu/book/978-0-231-14234-2/animals-and-the-moral-community

Marine biology

                                                                       
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
                                                                                                                                                    
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*This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2009)


World Marine Environment.
Marine biology is the scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather than on taxonomy. Marine biology differs from marine ecology as marine ecology is focused on how organisms interact with each other and environment and biology is the study of the animal itself.
Marine life is a vast resource, providing food, medicine, and raw materials, in addition to helping to support recreation and tourism all over the world. At a fundamental level, marine life helps determine the very nature of our planet. Marine organisms contribute significantly to the oxygen cycle, and are involved in the regulation of the Earth's climate.[1] Shorelines are in part shaped and protected by marine life, and some marine organisms even help create new land.[2]
Marine biology covers a great deal, from the microscopic, including most zooplankton and phytoplankton to the huge cetaceans (whales) which reach up to a reported 48 meters (125 feet) in length.
The habitats studied by marine biology include everything from the tiny layers of surface water in which organisms and abiotic items may be trapped in surface tension between the ocean and atmosphere, to the depths of the oceanic trenches, sometimes 10,000 meters or more beneath the surface of the ocean. It studies habitats such as coral reefs, kelp forests, tidepools, muddy, sandy and rocky bottoms, and the open ocean (pelagic) zone, where solid objects are rare and the surface of the water is the only visible boundary.
A large amount of all life on Earth exists in the oceans. Exactly how large the proportion is unknown, since many ocean species are still to be discovered. While the oceans comprise about 71% of the Earth's surface, due to their depth they encompass about 300 times the habitable volume of the terrestrial habitats on Earth.
Many species are economically important to humans, including food fish. It is also becoming understood that the well-being of marine organisms and other organisms are linked in very fundamental ways. The human body of knowledge regarding the relationship between life in the sea and important cycles is rapidly growing, with new discoveries being made nearly every day. These cycles include those of matter (such as the carbon cycle) and of air (such as Earth's respiration, and movement of energy through ecosystems including the ocean). Large areas beneath the ocean surface still remain effectively unexplored.

Contents

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[edit] Subfields

The marine ecosystem is large, and thus there are many subfields of marine biology. Most involve studying specializations of particular animal groups. (i.e. phycology, invertebrate zoology and ichthyology).
Other subfields study the physical effects of continual immersion in sea water and the ocean in general, adaptation to a salty environment, and the effects of changing various oceanic properties on marine life. A subfield of marine biology studies the relationships between oceans and ocean life, and global warming and environmental issues (such as carbon dioxide displacement).
Recent marine biotechnology has focused largely on marine biomolecules, especially proteins, that may have uses in medicine or engineering. Marine environments are the home to many exotic biological materials that may inspire biomimetic materials.

[edit] Related fields

Marine biology is a branch of oceanography and is closely linked to biology. It also encompasses many ideas from ecology. Fisheries science and marine conservation can be considered partial offshoots of marine biology as well as environmental studies.

[edit] Lifeforms

[edit] Microscopic life

A copepod.
Microscopic life undersea is incredibly diverse and still poorly understood. For example, the role of viruses in marine ecosystems is barely being explored even in the beginning of the 21st century.
The role of phytoplankton is better understood due to their critical position as the most numerous primary producers on Earth. Phytoplankton are categorized into cyanobacteria (also called blue-green algae/bacteria), various types of algae (red, green, brown, and yellow-green), diatoms, dinoflagellates, euglenoids, coccolithophorids, cryptomonads, chrysophytes, chlorophytes, prasinophytes, and silicoflagellates.
Zooplankton tend to be somewhat larger, and not all are microscopic. Many Protozoa are zooplankton, including dinoflagellates, zooflagellates, foraminiferans, and radiolarians. Some of these (such as dinoflagellates) are also phytoplankton; the distinction between plants and animals often breaks down in very small organisms. Other zooplankton include cnidarians, ctenophores, chaetognaths, molluscs, arthropods, urochordates, and annelids such as polychaetes. Many larger animals begin their life as zooplankton before they become large enough to take their familiar forms. Two examples are fish larvae and sea stars (also called starfish).

[edit] Plants and algae

Plant life is widespread and very diverse under the sea. Microscopic photosynthetic algae contribute a larger proportion of the worlds photosynthetic output than all the terrestrial forests combined. Most of the niche occupied by sub plants on land is actually occupied by macroscopic algae in the ocean, such as Sargassum and kelp, which are commonly known as seaweeds that create kelp forests. The non algae plants that survive in the sea are often found in shallow waters, such as the seagrasses (examples of which are eelgrass, Zostera, and turtle grass, Thalassia). These plants have adapted to the high salinity of the ocean environment. The intertidal zone is also a good place to find plant life in the sea, where mangroves or cordgrass or beach grass might grow. Microscopic algae and plants provide important habitats for life, sometimes acting as hiding and foraging places for larval forms of larger fish and invertebrates.
A crown-of-thorns starfish.

[edit] Marine invertebrates

Main article: Marine invertebrates
As on land, invertebrates make up a huge portion of all life in the sea. Invertebrate sea life includes Cnidaria such as jellyfish and sea anemones; Ctenophora; sea worms including the phyla Platyhelminthes, Nemertea, Annelida, Sipuncula, Echiura, Chaetognatha, and Phoronida; Mollusca including shellfish, squid, octopus; Arthropoda including Chelicerata and Crustacea; Porifera; Bryozoa; Echinodermata including starfish; and Urochordata including sea squirts or tunicates.

[edit] Fish

Main article: Fish
Fish have evolved very different biological functions from other large organisms. Fish anatomy includes a two-chambered heart, operculum, secretory cells that produce mucous, swim bladder, scales, fins, lips and eyes. Fish breathe by extracting oxygen from water through their gills. Fins propel and stabilize the fish in the water.
Well known fish include: sardines, anchovy, ling cod, clownfish (also known as anemonefish), and bottom fish which include halibut or ling cod. Predators include sharks and barracuda.
Green turtle.

[edit] Reptiles

Main article: Marine reptile
Reptiles which inhabit or frequent the sea include sea turtles, sea snakes, terrapins, the marine iguana, and the saltwater crocodile. Most extant marine reptiles, except for some sea snakes, are oviparous and need to return to land to lay their eggs. Thus most species, excepting sea turtles, spend most of their lives on or near land rather than in the ocean. Despite their marine adaptations, most sea snakes prefer shallow waters not far from land, around islands, especially waters that are somewhat sheltered, as well as near estuaries.[3][4] Some extinct marine reptiles, such as ichthyosaurs, evolved to be viviparous and had no requirement to return to land.

[edit] Seabirds

Main article: Seabird
Seabirds are species of birds adapted to living in the marine environment, examples including albatross, penguins, gannets, and auks. Although they spend most of their lives in the ocean, species such as gulls can often be found thousands of miles inland.
Sea otters.

[edit] Marine mammals

Main article: Marine mammal
There are five main types of marine mammals.

[edit] Oceanic habitats

Ocean habitats

Littoral zone

Intertidal zone

Neritic zone

Continental shelf

Kelp forests

Coral reefs

Ocean banks

Continental margin

Straits

Pelagic zone

Oceanic zone

Seamounts

Hydrothermal vents

Cold seeps

Demersal zone

Benthic zone
Aquatic layers
Lake stratification
Aquatic ecosystems
Wild fisheries
Land habitats


[edit] Reefs

Main article: Coral reef
Corals and reef fish in Papua New Guinea.
Reefs comprise some of the densest and most diverse habitats in the world. The best-known types of reefs are tropical coral reefs which exist in most tropical waters; however, reefs can also exist in cold water. Reefs are built up by corals and other calcium-depositing animals, usually on top of a rocky outcrop on the ocean floor. Reefs can also grow on other surfaces, which has made it possible to create artificial reefs. Coral reefs also support a huge community of life, including the corals themselves, their symbiotic zooxanthellae, tropical fish and many other organisms.
Much attention in marine biology is focused on coral reefs and the El Niño weather phenomenon. In 1998, coral reefs experienced a "once in a thousand years" bleaching event, in which vast expanses of reefs across the Earth died because sea surface temperatures rose well above normal.[citation needed] Some reefs are recovering, but scientists say that 58% of the world's coral reefs are now endangered and predict that global warming could exacerbate this trend.

[edit] Deep sea and trenches

The deepest recorded oceanic trenches measure to date is the Mariana Trench, near the Philippines, in the Pacific Ocean at 10,924 m (35,838 ft). At such depths, water pressure is extreme and there is no sunlight, but some life still exists. Small flounder (family Soleidae) fish and shrimp were seen by the American crew of the bathyscaphe Trieste when it dove to the bottom in 1960.[citation needed]
Other notable oceanic trenches include Monterey Canyon, in the eastern Pacific, the Tonga Trench in the southwest at 10,882 m (35,702 ft), the Philippine Trench, the Puerto Rico Trench at 8,605 m (28,232 ft), the Romanche Trench at 7,760 m (24,450 ft), Fram Basin in the Arctic Ocean at 4,665 m (15,305 ft), the Java Trench at 7450 m (24,442 ft), and the South Sandwich Trench at 7,235 m (23,737 ft).
In general, the deep sea is considered to start at the aphotic zone, the point where sunlight loses its power of transference through the water.[citation needed] Many life forms that live at these depths have the ability to create their own light.[citation needed]
Marine life also flourishes around seamounts that rise from the depths, where fish and other sea life congregate to spawn and feed. Hydrothermal vents along the mid-ocean ridge spreading centers act as oases, as do their opposites, cold seeps. Such places support unique biomes and many new microbes and other lifeforms have been discovered at these locations.[citation needed]

[edit] Open ocean

Main article: Pelagic zone
The open ocean is relatively unproductive because of a lack of nutrients, yet because it is so vast, in total it produces the most primary productivity. Much of the aphotic zone's energy is supplied by the open ocean in the form of detritus. The open ocean consists mostly of jellyfish and its predators such as the mola mola.

[edit] Intertidal and shore

Tide pools with sea stars and sea anemone in Santa Cruz, California
Intertidal zones, those areas close to shore, are constantly being exposed and covered by the ocean's tides. A huge array of life lives within this zone.
Shore habitats span from the upper intertidal zones to the area where land vegetation takes prominence. It can be underwater anywhere from daily to very infrequently. Many species here are scavengers, living off of sea life that is washed up on the shore. Many land animals also make much use of the shore and intertidal habitats. A subgroup of organisms in this habitat bores and grinds exposed rock through the process of bioerosion.

[edit] Distribution factors

An active research topic in marine biology is to discover and map the life cycles of various species and where they spend their time. Marine biologists study how the ocean currents, tides and many other oceanic factors affect ocean lifeforms, including their growth, distribution and well-being. This has only recently become technically feasible with advances in GPS and newer underwater visual devices.
Most ocean life breeds in specific places, nests or not in others, spends time as juveniles in still others, and in maturity in yet others. Scientists know little about where many species spend different parts of their life cycles. For example, it is still largely unknown where sea turtles and some sharks travel. Tracking devices do not work for some life forms, and the ocean is not friendly to technology. This is important to scientists and fishermen because they are discovering that by restricting commercial fishing in one small area they can have a large impact in maintaining a healthy fish population in a much larger area far away.

[edit] See also

*

Environment portal

*

Ecology portal

*

Earth sciences portal

*

Marine life portal

*

Water portal




[edit] Lists


[edit] References

  1. ^ Foley, Jonathan A.; Karl E. Taylor, Steven J. Ghan (1991). "Planktonic dimethylsulfide and cloud albedo: An estimate of the feedback response". Climatic Change 18 (1): 1. doi:10.1007/BF00142502. http://www.springerlink.com/content/hm3h1q666x206h46.
  2. ^ Sousa, Wayne P (1986) [1985]. "7, Disturbance and Patch Dynamics on Rocky Intertidal Shores". The Ecology of Natural Disturbance and Patch Dynamics. eds. Steward T. A. Pickett & P. S. White. Academic Press. ISBN 0125545215. http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=jIj-qAflWxQC&oi=fnd&pg=PA101&dq=patch+dynamics+shoreline&ots=A3N1dTGrzY&sig=pYTEgphmnY3leFv_KU-_yAYSOy8.
  3. ^ Stidworthy J. 1974. Snakes of the World. Grosset & Dunlap Inc. 160 pp. ISBN 0-448-11856-4.
  4. ^ Sea snakes at Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed 7 August 2007.

[edit] External links

*Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Marine biology

*

At Wikiversity you can learn more and teach others about Marine biology at:

The Department of Marine biology


*

Wikibooks has more on the topic of

Marine biology


*Look up marine biology in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

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