Monday, December 31, 2012

Weekly Faith ? December 30, 2012 | Face Forward Columbus

Our True Home ? Feast of the Holy Family

feast-of-holy-familyReadings:

Sirach 3:2-6,12-14
Psalm 128:1-5
Colossians 3:12-21
Luke 2:41-52

Why did Jesus choose to become a baby born of a mother and father and to spend all but His last years living in an ordinary human family? In part, to reveal God?s plan to make all people live as one ?holy family? in His Church (see 2 Corinthians 6:16-18).?In the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, God reveals our true home. We?re to live as His children, ?chosen ones, holy
and beloved,? as the First Reading puts it.

The family advice we hear in today?s readings ? for mothers, fathers and children ? is all solid and practical. Happy homes are the fruit of our faithfulness to the Lord, we sing in today?s Psalm. But the Liturgy is inviting us to see more, to see how, through our family obligations and relationships, our families become heralds of the family of God that He wants to create on earth.

Jesus shows us this in today?s Gospel. His obedience to His earthly parents flows directly from His obedience to the will of His heavenly Father. Joseph and Mary aren?t identified by name, but three times are called ?his parents? and are referred to separately as his ?mother? and ?father.? The emphasis is all on their ?familial? ties to Jesus. But these ties are emphasized only so that Jesus, in the first words He speaks in Luke?s Gospel, can point us beyond that earthly relationship to the Fatherhood of God.

In what Jesus calls ?My Father?s house,? every family finds its true meaning and purpose (see Ephesians 3:15). The Temple we read about in the Gospel today is God?s house, His dwelling (see Luke 19:46). But it?s also an image of the family of God, the Church (see Ephesians 2:19-22; Hebrews 3:3-6; 10:21).

In our families we?re to build up this household, this family, this living temple of God. Until He reveals His new dwelling among us, and says of every person: ?I shall be his God and he will be My son? (see Revelation 21:3,7).

Dr. Scott Hahn, St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology

Pray for Priests

Fr. David Gwinner, Fr. Anthony C. Baar DEC., Pope Benedict XVI, Bishop Frederick Campbell, Bishop James Griffin, Fr. Richard Gross, Fr. Thomas Shonebarger

Saints of the Week

St. Anysia, St. Sylvester, Mary the Blessed Virgin, St. Basil the Great, St. Genevieve,? St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. John Neumann

Source: http://faceforwardcolumbusblog.com/2012/12/weekly-faith-december-30-2012/

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Source: http://forum-wellness.eu/2012/12/in-a-similar-fashion-mcilroy-appeared-to/

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Source: http://mankesune.blogspot.com/2012/12/wellness-forum-und-blog-in-similar.html

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The Top Reasons Why You Need to Consider a Drug Detox Program

There are a lot of reasons why drug detox program is something that an addict needs to consider. When you are addicted to a substance, chemical brain changes will make getting sober very challenging for you and the hardest part to achieving sobriety is the detox. Detoxing off of any substance is very difficult. This includes alcohol, drugs, and all other types of substances. Your brain actually has a chemical reliance on the substances that you take. Dopamine inside your brain, which is a neurotransmitter, is continuing your cravings for your substance, which makes the detox very difficult. A detox program gets you through the detox process safely and efficiently. Below, you will find the top reasons why you should enroll in a drug detox program right away.

#1 - Drug detox programs provide a safe environment to detox in
When you are addicted to a substance, a drug detox program provides a very safe environment for you to detox in. You won't have to worry about having to be rushed to the hospital, or being alone throughout your detox. The medical staff that is at the facility will be there to provide treatment for you in case something were to go wrong. If you develop a fever, or any other type of condition, they will be there to provide treatment. They will not judge you, they are only there to provide you with medical help and get you through the detox process safely and efficiently. Better yet, they provide very affordable rates for their drug detox services, it's not the typical rate that you would expect when they provide medical care on-site.

#2 - Drug detox programs are very affordable
A drug detox can be purchased for as low as $385. This is a very affordable rate and they can get you through the hardest part of recovering from your addiction. Drug detoxes are severe and they're not something to be taken lightly. When you go through a drug detox program like My Drug Detox, they provide you with Suboxone detox treatment options, which is a treatment therapy that helps you recover from harsh addictions such as addictions to opiates. Heroin and other types of opiates are some of the hardest drugs to detox from. By using outpatient Suboxone treatment options, you can recover from heroine without struggling to do so. Suboxone is a drug that you will be weaned onto, so that you can safely recover without having to do a very harsh detox.

#3 - Drug detox programs will get you sober quickly
Drug detox programs are designed for one thing and one thing only. They help you get sober, so that you can detox from the substance that you are addicted to. They're not difficult to enroll in, drug detox programs are very straightforward and simple. By going to a drug detox program, you can ensure that you will recover from your addiction in a safe way, so that you can get on a path to sobriety. Achieving sobriety is just around the corner when you decide to do a drug detox program.

Source: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/the-top-reasons-why-you-need-to-consider-a-drug-detox-program

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Thursday, December 27, 2012

Telescope-toting balloon lifts off from Antarctica

A giant helium balloon is slowly drifting above Antarctica, about 22 miles (36 kilometers) up. Launched on Tuesday from the National Science Foundation's Long Duration Balloon facility on Earth's southernmost continent, it carries a sensitive telescope that measures submillimeter light waves from stellar nurseries in our Milky Way.

"Christmas launch!" officials with NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, which oversees the agency's balloon research program, wrote in a Twitter update on Tuesday. "BLAST launched today from McMurdo Station, Antarctica."

This is the fifth and final mission for BLAST, short for the Balloon-borne Large-Aperture Submillimeter Telescope, and mission designers hope it will reveal why so few stars are born in our galaxy.

On Dec. 12, BLAST was still in one of the two giant Payload Assembly Buildings at the Long Duration Balloon facility, a short distance from the U.S. research center McMurdo Station. Principal investigator Mark Devlin of the University of Pennsylvania and a group of graduate students were mounting a giant sunshade on the telescope, to ensure that the ultra-cold detectors won't heat up during the flight.

"The detectors are cooled to 0.3 degrees above absolute zero, using liquid helium," said Devlin. "If they were any warmer, they wouldn't be able to register the faint submillimeter radiation of cold interstellar dust clouds at just 30 degrees above absolute zero."

Star mystery
After test flights in 2003 in New Mexico and in 2005 in Sweden, BLAST's third flight, in 2006 from Antarctica, was a "mind-boggling" success, Devlin said. The instrument revealed beyond doubt that in the most distant galaxies, new stars were being born at a prolific rate. By measuring the star formation rate in galaxies more than 7 billion light-years away, the researchers determined that over half of the stars in the universe were born within the first 5 billion years after the Big Bang.

"But there's an unsolved problem," added co-principal investigator Barth Netterfield of the University of Toronto, who was assisting the BLAST team with the launch preparations. "BLAST found lots of so-called dark cores in our own Milky Way ? dense clouds of cold dust that are supposed to be stars-in-the-making. Based on the number of dark cores, you would expect our galaxy to spawn dozens of new stars each year on average. Yet, the galactic star formation rate is only some four solar masses per year."

So why is the stellar birth rate in our Milky Way so low? Astronomers can think of two ways in which a dense cloud of dust is prevented from further contracting into a star: turbulence in the dust, or the collapse-impeding effects of magnetic fields. On its new mission, BLAST should find out which process is to blame. [Images: Life at Antarctica's Concordia Station]

The idea is straightforward: Magnetic fields tend to bring electrically charged, elongated dust particles into alignment. If dust particles have a preferred orientation, they will slightly polarize the submillimeter radiation from the cloud. Using polarimeters, BLAST can detect if the radiation is indeed polarized, and if it is, determine the direction of the magnetic field. "If there's no polarization present," said Netterfield, "turbulence must be the reason" why so few dark cores collapse into new stars.

Final mission?
In 2010, on its fourth mission, BLAST was already equipped with polarimeters. However, according to Devlin, "that flight did not do so well because of a melted filter. We have some data, but we know we can do better."

Luckily, repeating a balloon-borne experiment is much easier and much cheaper than re-launching a scientific satellite. After each flight, most of the payload is recovered and can be used again. The BLAST camera has been recovered every single time.

  1. Space news from NBCNews.com

    1. Grasshopper rocket takes 12-story-high hop for SpaceX

      Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: SpaceX's prototype Grasshopper rocket takes one giant leap, rising to a 12-story height and settling back down safely with a dummy cowboy riding along.

    2. Updated 109 minutes ago 12/26/2012 7:25:07 PM +00:00 Last full moon of 2012 rises Friday
    3. Telescope-toting balloon lifts off from Antarctica
    4. 'Star of Wonder' leaves lots to wonder about

BLAST's fifth flight will probably last between 12 and 14 days. While Devlin, Netterfield and their colleagues are celebrating Christmas and New Year's Eve, the 4,000-pound (1,800-kilogram) stratospheric telescope will observe selected star-forming regions in the constellations Vela and Lupus.

And if senior graduate student Tristan Matthews of Northwestern University Illinois has his way, this may not be BLAST's final mission after all. Depending on the results and the recovery success of the current flight, Matthews hopes to fly BLAST in its present configuration for a sixth time, in the Arctic. "That would give us access to a well-studied and nearby star-forming region in Taurus," he said.

Meanwhile, Devlin has received a $5 million grant from NASA over a period of five years to develop a larger version of BLAST, with a 2.5-meter mirror, compared with the current 1.8-meter aperture. That would vastly increase the number of stellar nurseries that could be studied. "We could fly SuperBLAST in 2016 or so," he said.

Dutch astronomy writer Govert Schilling visited McMurdo Station and the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station as a selected member of the U.S. National Science Foundation's 2012/2013 media visit program. Follow Space.com on Twitter @Spacedotcom. We're also onFacebook and Google+.

? 2012 Space.com. All rights reserved. More from Space.com.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50297788/ns/technology_and_science-space/

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Frustration regarding Cataract Surgery and other Health Issues ...

My name is Lorelei and I am 51 years old..

I have a cataract in my right eye which has completely blinded me..
I have no vision and can only see grey shadows from right eye.
I have been scheduled for cataract surgery 4 times now and I
have been postponed by anestisiologist on every occasion!
I have been told that because of my health history.. I had a heart attack
6 years ago and my potassium levels were at 6.0 most recently but have
since come down to 5.!!

I am under a Doctor's care, I have a general practice Doctor that I have been
seeing once a week.. I have been given various medications and I feel I
am doing everything I need to be doing.
Due to lack of vision/ vision impairment I have fallen twice over the last 2 months..
the last fall fracturing my right wrist!
I also have a small cataract in my left eye and I am so afraid it is getting worse..
I have passed pre-op clearance 2 weeks ago and still anestisiologist wont
do the surgery..
Dont understand.. My eyesight is not a want.. it's a need!!
The last time my surgery was scheduled I was hooked up to I.V
and at the last moment the anestisiologist once again said he did not
feel comfortable doing surgery and would not do it for me once again!

For the record.. I am dealing with a hospital here in Chicago ranked 15th
in the nation.. not that that matters because it does'nt..
The opthamalogist keeps telling me he wants to help me..
Really?? Because absolutely nothing is being done to help me!

So.. I am saddended and disgusted by all of this, scared I will hurt
myself again..
Someone in my family tells me I need to jump all the hoops the
Doctors want me to go through..
Ridiculous Statement.. I am blind in 1 eye!
And.. now I am told I need Cardiac Clearance before any surgery..
Everything I have researched on-line tells me this is a low risk surgery..
Doctor said it would take 30 minutes!
I need this so desperately..
Any advice would be most appreciated..
Thank You,
Lorelei

Source: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Eye-Care/Frustration-regarding-Cataract-Surgery-and-other-Health-Issues/show/1867436

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Jen Bokoff: Philanthropic Bartenders Making Waves in Communities

"No matter what your career is, there's a way that everyone can incorporate giving into the fabric of their daily life." -- Hilary Krishnan, 27

When Brian Floyd decided to donate his tips from a shift of bartending at The Vanderbilt in Brooklyn, N.Y. to tsunami relief in early 2011, he had no idea what this selfless act would inspire. Less than two years later, 25-40 bartenders across 3 cities donate tips monthly through The Barman's Fund and then use the collective earnings to give back to their communities. Together, they have raised and distributed more than $119,000 through this unconventionally impactful charitable fund.

The Barman's Fund is currently applying for 501c3 status, but their self-made rules for giving will not change. They -- the bartenders who have donated a shift -- together seek out local organizations that have an immediate, apparent need, and then they fill that need as soon as money is raised. Politics are out, as are charities that deal with non-people causes like pets or the environment. Having some infrastructure, generally evidenced by 501c3 status, is a must, and if at all possible, they try to not to give money; instead, the bartenders used raised funds to purchase what an organization needs.

Sammi Francis, 25, who heads the Charlotte, NC chapter of the Fund shared that her favorite gift was a carload of living items (toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, socks, underwear, etc.) worth more than $1,000 that she delivered to a local men's shelter. "The feeling I get from dropping off the donations is better than any amount of money you could give me," she shared, "and it's because you can actually see how appreciative the people getting the gift are, how much it means to them."

The premise of The Barman's Fund is that everyone can make a positive difference in their communities, from the participating bartenders to the customers in their bars. Most of the bartenders are millennials, as are most of the bar patrons. It's therefore not surprising that bartenders join because they hear about it through their friends, and that many of the ideas for donations come from conversations about what people do or needs they hear of. In Sammi's case, she was inspired to start the Charlotte chapter after visiting New Orleans and accompanying her brother's girlfriend Holly, the NOLA chapter leader, in shopping for and then delivering goods to a women's shelter. She was hooked, even after learning that the 'grantmaking and giving' component is like holding a part time job.

Gifts including a new stove for Grow Dat Youth Farm's teaching kitchen, new cribs for the CHIPS Maternity Shelter in Brooklyn, and back-to-school supplies for kids in shelters through the Coalition for the Homeless were all sourced from opportunities that the involved bartenders noticed in their communities. Sometimes, too, the gifts are sourced from formal or informal letters of inquiry, like the Bed, Bath & Beyond gift cards to teens aging out of foster care that were purchased two days after Floyd received a compelling letter of need from another bartender's wife, who works with this population. The Barman's Fund mobilizes the personal networks and skills of the people involved not just in their giving but also in developing their brand; the website, graphic design, publicity, and even sometimes the beer are donated by people who believe in the mission of giving back.

A common reason that people in general don't donate is that they don't know where the money goes or if it will make a difference. But, "with trust in the bartenders' judgment and energy as a guiding factor," Hilary Krishnan explains, "people get excited that they can do something without spending an evening volunteering in a soup kitchen, so they donate a lot more." When they ask where the money is going or how the donation the last month was received (and ask they do!), bartenders like Hilary, Sammi, and Floyd are able to share anecdotes that make the donors feel more connected. People feel involved and come back to give in future shifts. The bartenders, too, become consistently involved and stalwart supporters. Michael Sternfeld, 28, was onboard from the second ever Barman's Fund shift, and shared his amazement at how nearly every shift in Brooklyn has other involved bartenders from neighboring bars in attendance; even though they're already giving back, they want to give back more. Michael has honed his awareness of groups in need through The Barman's Fund: "Teens in foster care, for instance, is a demographic that I've spent very little time talking about. But, what a gift to help create a network of support; I see now how valuable that was."

As Sammi put it, the concept of The Barman's Fund is "mind-blowingly simple." It is absolutely simpler than the process of reading proposals, having meetings and site visits, approvals in formal board meetings, and requesting reports, as many philanthropic entities do. But this divergence from traditional giving is working and has greater potential to spread its philanthropy both directly and indirectly. Bartenders who move, including Floyd, who is headed to Austin in 2013, plan to grow the Fund in their new cities. As capacity grows with the addition of more cities and bartenders, they can take on larger projects, like the recent gift of a $15,000 colposcope for the free clinic at the Mt Sinai Adolescent Health Center. They will also hopefully be able to secure some sponsorship to plan events. They are also spreading a culture of giving just by advertising Barman's Fund shifts and letting people know that they can be involved in giving just by grabbing a beer.

We don't typically think of bartenders as the face of philanthropy, but The Barman's Fund is a cause I'll drink to for sure. You should too.

?

Follow Jen Bokoff on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jenbo1

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jen-bokoff/philanthropic-bartenders_b_2355601.html

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Wednesday, December 26, 2012

What Matters in a Hearing Test? - janescconor's posterous

For those who are experiencing some type of loss, a hearing test is one of the most important first steps to take. It will provide doctors with an understanding of what is happening with your ability to hear and why it is occurring. It is a good idea to factor in the concerns related to your ability to hear such as things like your exposure to loud sounds. You also want to discuss symptoms with your doctor that could be a clue about what is causing your problem. But, why does it matter? Why should you care about this type of loss?

It Is Not Always Preventable?

One of the misconceptions about loss is that it is something that can be prevented. That is rarely the case. In most situations, a hearing test will pinpoint damage to the inner ear that stems from exposure to loud sounds such as those occurring at work or during recreational activities. Yet many people have no idea why they are struggling with this. They may not have such exposure. Just getting older can cause loss. In other people, hereditary factors can play a role especially if you are losing your ability to hear at a young age. There?s not always a way to prevent it.

There Is Treatment Available

There is no cure for this type of loss. Most people who have damage to the inner ear will not overcome that loss, though it may improve significantly in some situations. In many situations, though, the use of a device that is placed inside the ear canal or on the outside of the ear can give you back some of your loss of the ability to hear. You will be able to do the things you used to do without having to worry about being unable to hear well.

Preventing Further Damage

In some situations, having a hearing test is important so that you know what is happening and why it is occurring. It may be possible to slow the progression of loss by using measures to prevent further damage to the inner ear. The use of protective devices over your ears, for example, can help to minimize your risks and give you some reassurance that your condition is not worsening.

A hearing test is not something to put off even if you just do not want to do it. It can provide answers to your questions, guide your decisions moving forward and help you to get treatment for your situation. This type of screening can also help you to know that your ears are completely healthy and not at risk. Don?t assume you know what is happening with your ears until your talk to your doctor about it.

Getting a regular new mexico hearing test can greatly improve your quality of life. Visit the wonderful staff at http://www.miracle-ear-newmexico.com and schedule yours today.

Source: http://www.articlesrx.com/what-matters-in-a-hearing-test/10007

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Source: http://janescconor.posterous.com/what-matters-in-a-hearing-test

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MacBreak Weekly 331:

Join Leo, Andy, Alex, and your truly for a look back on some of the biggest stories in the Mac universe for 2012.

Subscribe or download: TWiT.tv



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/ssOPKXdcW18/story01.htm

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Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Vortex:Game Over

Vortex:Game Over

(kinda cliche I guess but idc) There is a cool new game system coming out and everyone wants it, but what happens when everyone gets sucked into it and has to battle there way out? Not knowing they are trapped inside will they ever escape?

Owner:

Game Masters:

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Vortex:Game Over?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

Topic Tags:

Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.
This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "Vortex:Game Over"

You may edit this first post as you see fit.

-Tessla

User avatar
Tessla
Member for 0 years



Ah, this seems like something I'd be interested in. I'd like to be Girl 1 please! :D

Image

RAINBOW SUPLEX

User avatar
LavenderMistress
Member for 1 years


Yay! Okay! Submitt a character and I will accept it :)

User avatar
Tessla
Member for 0 years



I prefer real but if you cant find any you like you can do anime

User avatar
Tessla
Member for 0 years




I recommend that you read the Introduction Roku, the plot is all there.

User avatar
LavenderMistress
Member for 1 years


This reminds me of SAO a lot, which is a good thing. Could I please reserve boy 1 please as it is Christmas and I will not be able to do a character sheet. I should have it done by the end of the day though.

?Louder Than God's Revolver And Twice As Shiny?


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DarkCookie97
Member for 0 years



Post a reply

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Smaller Colorado River projected for coming decades, study says

Dec. 23, 2012 ? Some 40 million people depend on the Colorado River Basin for water but warmer weather from rising greenhouse gas levels and a growing population may signal water shortages ahead. In a new study in Nature Climate Change, climate modelers at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory predict a 10 percent drop in the Colorado River's flow in the next few decades, enough to disrupt longtime water-sharing agreements between farms and cities across the American Southwest, from Denver to Los Angeles to Tucson, and through California's Imperial Valley.

"It may not sound like a phenomenally large amount except the water and the river is already over-allocated," said Richard Seager, a climate scientist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and lead author of the new study.

The study expands on findings published in 2007 in the journal Science that the American Southwest is becoming more arid as temperatures rise and rainfall patterns shift from human-caused climate change. It also comes on the heels of a major study of the Colorado River Basin by the U.S. Department of Interior that projected longer and more severe droughts by 2060, and a 9 percent decline in the Colorado's flows.

"The projections are spot on," said Bradley Udall, an expert on hydrology and policy of the American West, at the University of Colorado, Boulder. "Everyone wondered what the next generation of models would say. Now we have a study that suggests we better take seriously the drying projections ahead."

The present study narrows in on three key regions for water managers -- the Colorado River headwaters, the greater California-Nevada region and Texas, which gets nearly all of its water from within state borders. The study makes use of the latest models (those used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its Fifth Assessment Report due out next fall), to estimate seasonal changes in precipitation, evaporation, water runoff and soil moisture in the near future, 2021-2040. "It's a much finer grain picture than the one we had in 2007," said Seager.

Drying is expected in all three regions, as warmer temperatures trigger more evaporation, even in places that may see greater seasonal rain or snowfall, the study found. The models project that temperatures in 2021-2040 will be 1 to 2 degrees Celsius warmer than now. The Colorado headwaters are expected to see more precipitation on average, but annual stream flow is expected to decline by 10 percent, and as much as 25 percent during springtime, as warmer temperatures boost evaporation, the study found. California and Nevada will also see big changes in spring, with a projected 20 percent drop in spring runoff; Texas will overall become drier with a 10 percent decline in annual runoff. For Texas the models predict that precipitation will decrease and evaporation rates will also go down in spring and summer, but only because "there is no moisture to evaporate," said study co-author Mingfang Ting, a climate scientist at Lamont-Doherty.

Population growth in the Southwest is putting added pressure on regional water resources. To put the Colorado flow projections in context, a 10 percent decline is about five times the amount of water that Las Vegas uses in a year, said Udall. With alternate water sources tapped out, the West will likely have to meet the decline by cutting back on water use. "You can't go build another water project," he said. "That's what makes this problem so difficult."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by The Earth Institute at Columbia University, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Richard Seager, Mingfang Ting, Cuihua Li, Naomi Naik, Ben Cook, Jennifer Nakamura, Haibo Liu. Projections of declining surface-water availability for the southwestern United States. Nature Climate Change, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1787

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/HgfwTL8S5As/121223152734.htm

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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

DEVELOPING: Moline Train Depot Saved? | WQAD.com ? Quad ...

Posted on: 5:44 pm, December 18, 2012, by Angie Sharp, updated on: 09:17pm, December 18, 2012

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is ?on board? with saving the Moline Train Depot, sending a letter on Tuesday, December 18th to the Moline Preservation Society saying the state will help pay to move the historic landmark.

Diann Moore, President of the Moline Preservation Society says the news is ?a wish granted.? More than 400 people have pledged more $73,000 of the $155,000 needed to move the Depot near Western Illinois University?s Quad Cities Riverfront Campus on River Drive in Moline.

?I?m as giddy as a little child,? says Diann. ?It?s just like Santa Claus has come and brought the biggest present. It is so exciting.?

News 8 obtained a letter from the Governor?s Office at 4:30pm on Tuesday, December 18th, which states ? ?I have directed the Illinois Department of Transportation to help you accomplish your mission, and cover the remaining Moline portion of the costs associated with moving the depot to its new home on the WIU Quad Cities campus.? Later on, it reads ? ?IDOT will cover the local remaining portion up to $82,000.?

The Depot has to get out of the way for a new I-74 Bridge, and was going to be torn down.

Some, though, may not be on board. Illinois? budget deficit is reportedly one of the worst in the nation. So, where this money is coming from, is still unknown.

?I?m not sure exactly where they?re going to come up with the money, but you?re only talking roughly $80,000 on a $1.2 million budget item to relocate the Depot that?s in the transportation budget so if you look at it the whole pie, $75-80,000 is pretty small,? says Moline Mayor Don Welvaert.

?All I know is we?ve got the money and that we?re going to be able to save that building,? says Diann. ?Preservation so many times is on the losing end and you don?t have very many victories. This is one of them.?

Source: http://wqad.com/2012/12/18/developing-moline-train-depot-saved/

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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Looking at the Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot (Part Two): The First Half of the Newbies

Yesterday, in Part One of our look at this 2013 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, I gave my thoughts on the PED question. Steroids and PEDs are a part of the conversation for many of these guys, which is why I felt the need to explain myself on that subject before continuing.

Also, directly copied from last year?s Hall of Fame post, here are my general guidelines for this:

1.)??? I tend to be statistically inclined, and base my arguments on them. I'll try not to give you a players? WAR, but don?t expect the word ?RBI? to show up here.

2.)??? I have no problem with the 15 year rule. I find the calls for the vote to be one and done incredibly shortsighted, especially now. The time frame for balloting allows for new information to come out, and for the electorate to argue amongst themselves and the fans. It allows minds to change, or at least think about the candidates more than a knee jerk response. If it helps a guy I wanted to see get in, like Bert Blyleven, great. If it helps a guy I didn?t want to see get in, like Jim Rice, so be it.

3.)??? I don?t try to think of the Hall all encompassing. I try to keep it to each player individually. As Joe Posnanski documented, the Hall ?standards? have changed so much that there really aren?t any standards. I also don?t label myself as a Big or Small Hall guy, but I?m guessing once you see my picks, you?ll say Big.

Adding to this is the rule that a voter can only vote for 10 players, a rule at which I follow. With all the big names joining the ballot, as well as the 5 I would?ve voted for last year that weren?t elected, that rule is going to come into effect. When I first looked through things, I found 16 names worth close consideration. Today, we?re look at the first half of the 24 new names on the Hall of Fame ballot.

Sandy Alomar: NO

Alomar played in the bigs for 20 seasons, but only played more than 97 games four of those seasons. He was the quintessential backup catcher, but clearly not a Hall of Famer.

Craig Biggio: YES

Craig Biggio has 3060 career hits. This matters because it?s that round number that makes him a good possibility to get elected at some point, if not this time around. However, getting to that number pulled his career slash line down and didn't let him leave the game in a positive light, as he was below replacement level those final years as he chased 3000. It?s unfortunate because in his prime Biggio was excellent, especially at getting on base, the most important offensive skill. This was despite playing most of that prime in the cavernous Astrodome. After breaking in as a catcher, Biggio moved to second base full time in 1992. His year-by-year OBP from that year until 1999, the last year in the Dome: .378, .373, .411, .406, .386, .415, .403, .386. Not many noticed because he got on base in subtle ways, by walks and getting hit by the pitch (he?s 2nd in career HBP by a hitter), but it added up. Biggio is 18th all time in Times on Base. Every other player in the top 25? is in the Hall except Jeter (who will be) and Rafael Palmeiro (who is a special case). As a result of getting on base often, Biggio scored a lot of runs, good enough for 15th all-time. It?s not a case that pops out immediately, but take a closer look and Craig Biggio?s credentials are clear, even without the 3000 hits.

Barry Bonds: YES

We don?t know exactly when Barry Bonds started using enough PEDs to take down an elephant, but if we look at his career and for sake of argument say it started in 2000, when his numbers started to hit video game levels, then here are his home run totals each year from 1986-1999: 16, 25, 24, 19, 33, 25, 34, 46, 37, 33, 42, 40, 37, 34. That run goes from his age 21 season to his age 34 season. The totals ascend at normal levels for his improving player and stay high through his prime. After that of course is when things got ridiculous, but even prior to that he was a three-time MVP.

The general consensus is that Bonds was a Hall of Fame caliber player before he started using drugs. Given that and my beliefs over how to judge this era, Bonds is an obvious yes. We all know that not everyone feels that way at all, and certainly enough of the BBWAA voting electorate to keep Bonds out of the Hall this year, and likely a very long time.

Jeff Cirillo: NO

Looking at Cirillo?s numbers, the thing that stood out for me in his 2000 season in Colorado. He hit .326/.392/.477 that year. Impressive, right? Well, his OPS+ for the year was only 100. That means that after adjusting for the era and especially Coors Field, it was only a league average season. I found that fascinating. It was that kind of era and it's that kind of ballpark.

Royce Clayton: NO

Royce Clayton played Miguel Tejada in Moneyball. That?s infinitely more interesting than his playing career.

Turn to the next page for more, including the other very controversial figure on this ballot.

Source: http://www.faniq.com/blog/Looking-at-the-Baseball-Hall-of-Fame-Ballot-Part-Two-The-First-Half-of-the-Newbies-Blog-59284

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Real estate association cuts Canadian home sales forecast - Need ...

Here at Maclean's, we appreciate the written word. And we appreciate you, the reader. We are always looking for ways to create a better user experience for you and wanted to try out a new functionality that provides you with a reading experience in which the words and fonts take centre stage. We believe you'll appreciate the clean, white layout as you read our feature articles. But we don't want to force it on you and it's completely optional. Click "View in Clean Reading Mode" on any article if you want to try it out. Once there, you can click "Go back to regular view" at the top or bottom of the article to return to the regular layout.

OTTAWA ? The Canadian Real Estate Association cut its sales forecast for this year and next on Monday as it said slower sales in the wake of tighter lending rules this summer have remained.

The industry association said now expects home sales this year to slip 0.5 per cent compared with 2011 to about 456,300.

That compared with a forecast in September that called for sales this year to rise 1.9 per cent to 466,900 units.

CREA also said it now expects sales next year to drop two per cent to 447,400 compared with earlier expectations for a drop of 1.9 per cent to 457,800 in 2013.

?Annual sales in 2012 reflect a stronger profile prior to recent mortgage rule changes followed by weaker activity following their implementation,? said Gregory Klump, CREA?s chief economist.

?By contrast, forecast sales in 2013 reflect an improvement from levels this summer in the immediate wake of mortgage rule changes. Even so, sales in most provinces next year are expected to remain down from levels posted prior to the most recent changes to mortgage regulations.?

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty moved in July to tighten mortgage rules for the fourth time in as many years in order to discourage those most at risk of becoming over-leveraged. Flaherty made mortgage payments more expensive by dropping the maximum amortization period to 25 years.

CREA said the average price for 2012 is expected to be $363,900, up 0.3 per cent compared with a September forecast of $365,000, up 0.6 per cent.

For 2013, CREA said it expects prices to gain 0.3 per cent to average $365,100. That compared with earlier expectations of a drop of one tenth of one per cent to $364,500 in 2013.

The downgrade for the outlook for the year came as home sales edged down 1.7 per cent month over month in November and were back where they stood in August.

The decrease followed a drop of about one-tenth of a per cent in September.

Actual, or non-seasonally adjusted sales, were down 11.9 per cent from November 2011 while the national average home price in November was $356,687, off 0.8 per cent from November 2011.

Sales were down on a year-over-year basis in three of every four of all local markets in November, including most large urban centres. Calgary stood out as an exception, with sales up 10.6 per cent from a year ago.

Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver contributed most to the small decline at the national level.

A total of 432,861 homes have traded hands over the MLS system so far this year, down 0.2 per cent from levels reported over the first 11 months of 2011 and 0.8 per cent below the 10-year average for the period.

The MLS Home Price Index, which is not affected changes in the mix of sales, showed prices up 3.5 per cent nationally on a year-over-year basis in November.

However, it was the seventh consecutive month in which the year-over-year gain shrank and marked the slowest rate of increase since May 2011.

The MLS HPI rose fastest in Regina, up 11.6 per cent year over year in November, though down from 13 per cent in November.

Among other markets, the HPI was up 4.6 per cent year over year in Toronto, 1.9 per cent in Montreal and 7.1 per cent in Calgary. In Greater Vancouver, the HPI was down 1.7 per cent year over year.

Source: http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/12/17/canadian-home-sales-retreat-in-november/

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Sierra Foothill Conservancy Teams Up With Ranchers, Loggers

FRIANT, Calif. ? Two cowboys on horses pushed cattle across an expanse of golden hills overgrown with tall grasses and oak trees, up an unpaved road toward another pasture.

From the Sierra Nevada foothills, the cattle will be sent for processing into beef, prized by consumers looking for locally raised, grass-fed meat in California's Central Valley.

But this isn't a ranch. It's a nature preserve managed by the Sierra Foothill Conservancy, a Fresno-area land trust that protects ecosystems. The Conservancy says it is breaking new ground by raising its own beef herd, using cattle to benefit the environment and to improve its bottom line.

The beef operation is one of several novel approaches ? cost-effective, though paradoxical ? that marry conservation work with industries often held in low esteem by environmentalists.

Across the nation, conservation groups in partnership with ranchers are using cattle to restore native plant species by grazing invasive grasses. Other groups are working with fishermen to fish sustainably, and using logging and mining profits to pave way for forest and salmon restoration.

"There's been a shift to working more with industries," said Lynn Huntsinger, professor of rangeland ecology at the University of California, Berkeley. "This is a human landscape. We need food, we need wood, people are crazy about eating salmon. Working closely with those who produce on the land offers opportunities for ... teaching them about conservation."

In the past, conservationists relied on purchasing land and setting it aside, away from human activity. Logging, ranching or mining were seen as harmful and incompatible with preservation.

But in recent years, the use of conservation easements to retire development rights on private land has exploded. The easements, which cost a fraction of what it would cost to buy the property, allow landowners to continue working the land.

In areas where nearby urban development has pushed up land values, conservation easements can provide an alternative solution to ranchers who might be tempted to sell their holdings, said Daniel Press, a professor of environmental studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Conservationists "have found that allowing, or even encouraging or designing some way of making money off of properties is the only way to keep them from being degraded further or developed outright," Press said.

At the Conservancy ? which owns about 6,500 acres of land in Fresno, Madera, Merced and Mariposa counties and manages another 20,000 acres for ranchers with easements and for public agencies ? allowing ranching on its land was once controversial.

But over the past decade, studies have shown that cattle grazing can help the land, especially vernal pools, temporary collections of water that provide crucial habitat for native plants and invertebrates, said executive director Jeannette Tuitele-Lewis.

"If we don't graze the foothills, then the European grasses end up choking out a lot of the native plants and it really decreases the biodiversity of the habitat," Tuitele-Lewis said.

So-called conservation grazing is increasingly used by land trusts and public agencies on preserves and on private ranches throughout the U.S., she said. Most lease land to ranchers, but the Conservancy took the practice a step further. Two years ago, it started its own beef herd under the label Sierra Lands Beef.

The group now runs about 300 cows on 1,800 acres of land. The beef operation provides an additional revenue stream, Tuitele-Lewis said, and allows greater control over grazing management.

The conservancy's herdsmen transport the cattle, five head at a time, to Fresno State University's slaughterhouse to be butchered, processed and boxed. They then deliver the grass-fed beef to customers.

"We're creating a bridge between conservation and the local economy," Tuitele-Lewis said.

Other conservationists are teaming up with private timber investors such as the Lyme Timber Company based in New Hampshire. The company acquires quality habitat that doubles as timberland, gives up development rights by selling conservation easements to land trusts and public agencies throughout the U.S., then logs the land in a sustainable way to generate an income.

Timber is harvested at or below the annual rate of growth, said Peter Stein, the company's managing director, and harvesting methods are third party certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.

The approach is key, Stein said, as conservationists aim to preserve larger tracts of land ? in the hundreds of acres ? which are too expensive to buy outright.

The Nature Conservancy is also partnering with the timber industry in California and Alaska to restore salmon by felling trees to create stream habitat.

The group has also partnered with the fishing industry. It bought out fishing permits in California and in Maine to protect millions of acres of ocean habitat, then leased the permits back to fishermen who agreed to fish sustainably.

"We've come to the realization that you don't try to do everything yourself. You catalyze the adoption of practices by having ranchers, fishermen and logging companies adopt them, so that you can have widespread impact," said the group's North and Central Coast Director Brian Stranko.

But ecologist George Wuerthner says such approaches do more harm than good.

"Given all the impacts associated with these operations, it's troubling to call it conservation," said Wuerthner, who works for the California non-profit Foundation for Deep Ecology.

Wuerthner said using terms such as "conservation grazing" gives people the false impression that the practices lack negative costs or impacts. These include damage to riparian areas and to soil, ranchers killing predators, and water pollution from animal waste, he said.

Grazing, logging and other human activities also destroy wild, undisturbed habitat that some species need to survive, Wuerthner said.

The Sierra Foothill Conservancy says it manages grazing to minimize impact on species, leaves some areas ungrazed, and keeps cattle out of riparian habitat. The group hopes to bring other ranchers under its beef label ? and in line with its conservation efforts. If these ranchers can get higher premiums for grass-fed meat, it translates into less pressure to sell land to developers.

"Any bit that we can do to help keep the local ranching economy viable is a good thing for us, because it keeps those lands undeveloped," Tuitele-Lewis said. "The end goal is conservation, not becoming a large land baron."

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/17/sierra-foothill-conservancy_n_2317129.html

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Newly discovered loris may be slow, but its bite is toxic

A new slow loris species was discovered in Borneo, named Nycticebus kayan.?The little primate weighs less than a pound.

By Jeanna Bryner,?LiveScience.com / December 14, 2012

The newly discovered slow loris primate (Nycticebus kayan) has a furry "face mask" distinct from other slow loris species.

Ch'ien C Lee

Enlarge

A new small primate with a toxic bite and distinctive facial fur markings has been discovered in the jungles of Borneo.

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The new slow loris species is found in the highlands of the island of Borneo and has been named Nycticebus kayan, after a major river, the Kayan, flowing through the region. The trio of scientists also found that two species previously considered sub-species in the Nycticebus genus are officially unique species.

"Historically, many species went unrecognized as they were falsely lumped together as one species," researcher Rachel Munds, of the University of Missouri Columbia, said in a statement.

Closely related to lemurs, the slow loris is found across Southeast Asia, from Bangladesh and China's Yunnan province to Borneo. To distinguish between species, the researchers focused on the seeming face masks of Borneo's slow lorises; fur patches cover their eyes, while their heads are covered with differently shaped caps. The examined photographs and museum samples for eight face mask features, finding there were four species of Bornean lorises. [See Photos of the Slow Loris Primates]

The new species to science, N. kayan, showed a dark, highly contrasting face mask, with dark patches around its eyes. From the specimen examined, the species is about 10.8 inches (273 millimeters) long and weighs about 14.5 ounces (411 grams). The other species include: N. menagensis, N. bancanus and N. borneanus. (N. menagensis had already been recognized as a species.)

The newly identified species illustrate the breadth of biodiversity yet to be discovered in the jungles of Borneo and nearby islands, the researchers noted. The slow lorises, as with other animals on these islands, face threats from human activity.

"The pet trade is a serious threat for slow lorises in Indonesia, and recognition of these new species raises issues regarding where to release confiscated Bornean slow lorises, as recognition by nonexperts can be difficult," said study researcher Anna Nekaris, of Oxford Brookes University in England, in a statement.

Munds, Nekaris and co-author Susan Ford of Southern Illinois University also note this week in the American Journal of Primatology that their results confirm the use of fur color and pattern as a valid way of distinguishing between species of small primates. Some researchers, they wrote, had claimed that because Bornean slow lorises are not a diverse group because they share similar cranial features and all are lacking an upper second incisor. The new study suggests otherwise, the team added.

Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook?& Google+.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/vb7CefVcHKk/Newly-discovered-loris-may-be-slow-but-its-bite-is-toxic

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Monday, December 17, 2012

Speaking skills crucial for hearing impaired children in the classroom

Speaking skills crucial for hearing impaired children in the classroom [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 17-Dec-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: George Hunka
ghunka@aftau.org
212-742-9070
American Friends of Tel Aviv University

Intelligible speech closes the gap between hearing-impaired children and their normal-hearing peers, Tel Aviv University researcher says

Current special education laws are geared towards integrating special-needs children into the general classroom environment from a young age, starting as early as preschool. Prof. Tova Most of Tel Aviv University's Jaime and Joan Constantiner School of Education and the Department of Communications Disorders at the Stanley Steyer School of Health Professions says that these laws present a unique set of challenges for children with hearing loss, and that a sense of isolation may inhibit a successful education.

While studies show that many children with hearing loss are academically comparable to their peers with normal hearing, active participation in classroom and group activities, as well as social integration, is more complex. Even with advanced sensory devices such as hearing aids and cochear implants, it can be difficult for children to pick up on all the necessary information in a busy atmosphere, leaving them with a sense that they're being "left out" by hearing classmates.

In a study designed to explore the social competence and the perceived sense of loneliness of children with hearing loss in a regular classroom with normal hearing children, Prof. Most and her fellow researchers discovered that successful integration is dependent on a child's level of speech intelligibility. The results have been reported in the Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education.

Closing the gap

Modern technology has allowed children with hearing loss to access more auditory information and develop better spoken language than ever before. And because advanced screening for hearing loss is now performed at birth, children can receive intervention from a young age. "In the regular classroom, the more they are intelligible, the more their social skills and competence rise, and it's easier for them to make hearing friends," Prof. Most reports.

In their study, the researchers measured social competence and perceived sense of loneliness in children with hearing loss in two educational settings: individual inclusion where one child with hearing loss joined a regular classroom, and group inclusion, where a number of children with hearing loss joined a regular classroom. Sixty-four children between the ages of 4-7 participated, 22 in the individual inclusion and 42 in the group inclusion. All results were analyzed in light of the child's speech intelligibility.

Researchers discovered that individually integrated children had a higher social competence with the children with normal hearing than those in the group inclusion scenario. Speaking abilities played an important role in both groups, and had specific importance for children who were individually integrated. The poorer their speech intelligibility, the more likely they were to feel lonely in the classroom, something that the group inclusion children did not experience as part of an hearing loss enclave.

These findings suggest that development of intelligible spoken language has the power to close the gap between children with hearing loss and their hearing peers, resulting in increased social interaction, an improvement in group work, and a change in the teachers' and students' perception of the child with hearing loss, adds Prof. Most.

Meeting the needs of each child

Taking her years of research and in-field experience into account, Prof. Most says that there is an advantage to integrating children with hearing loss with hearing children, provided that their special needs are met. Each child must be assessed on whether to be integrated individually or in a group, she counsels, noting that a "one size fits all" strategy could be harmful for some students.

"I prefer to see kids integrated into the regular school system, allowing them to be closer to home and interact with children in their neighborhood. They would then have access to broader programming and activities," she says. But if a child's spoken language and cognitive abilities indicate that a regular classroom would be difficult for him or her, pushing integration could result in failure.

Children with hearing loss, parents and specialists can aid successful integration by focusing on speech development, advises Prof. Most. And teachers can also do their part to create a more welcoming environment by creating small work groups and setting up meeting points in advance so the child won't be left out. The more children with normal hearing are exposed to those with hearing loss, the more understanding and accepting they will become, she says.

###

American Friends of Tel Aviv University supports Israel's leading, most comprehensive and most sought-after center of higher learning. Independently ranked 94th among the world's top universities for the impact of its research, TAU's innovations and discoveries are cited more often by the global scientific community than all but 10 other universities.

Internationally recognized for the scope and groundbreaking nature of its research and scholarship, Tel Aviv University consistently produces work with profound implications for the future.


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Speaking skills crucial for hearing impaired children in the classroom [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 17-Dec-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: George Hunka
ghunka@aftau.org
212-742-9070
American Friends of Tel Aviv University

Intelligible speech closes the gap between hearing-impaired children and their normal-hearing peers, Tel Aviv University researcher says

Current special education laws are geared towards integrating special-needs children into the general classroom environment from a young age, starting as early as preschool. Prof. Tova Most of Tel Aviv University's Jaime and Joan Constantiner School of Education and the Department of Communications Disorders at the Stanley Steyer School of Health Professions says that these laws present a unique set of challenges for children with hearing loss, and that a sense of isolation may inhibit a successful education.

While studies show that many children with hearing loss are academically comparable to their peers with normal hearing, active participation in classroom and group activities, as well as social integration, is more complex. Even with advanced sensory devices such as hearing aids and cochear implants, it can be difficult for children to pick up on all the necessary information in a busy atmosphere, leaving them with a sense that they're being "left out" by hearing classmates.

In a study designed to explore the social competence and the perceived sense of loneliness of children with hearing loss in a regular classroom with normal hearing children, Prof. Most and her fellow researchers discovered that successful integration is dependent on a child's level of speech intelligibility. The results have been reported in the Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education.

Closing the gap

Modern technology has allowed children with hearing loss to access more auditory information and develop better spoken language than ever before. And because advanced screening for hearing loss is now performed at birth, children can receive intervention from a young age. "In the regular classroom, the more they are intelligible, the more their social skills and competence rise, and it's easier for them to make hearing friends," Prof. Most reports.

In their study, the researchers measured social competence and perceived sense of loneliness in children with hearing loss in two educational settings: individual inclusion where one child with hearing loss joined a regular classroom, and group inclusion, where a number of children with hearing loss joined a regular classroom. Sixty-four children between the ages of 4-7 participated, 22 in the individual inclusion and 42 in the group inclusion. All results were analyzed in light of the child's speech intelligibility.

Researchers discovered that individually integrated children had a higher social competence with the children with normal hearing than those in the group inclusion scenario. Speaking abilities played an important role in both groups, and had specific importance for children who were individually integrated. The poorer their speech intelligibility, the more likely they were to feel lonely in the classroom, something that the group inclusion children did not experience as part of an hearing loss enclave.

These findings suggest that development of intelligible spoken language has the power to close the gap between children with hearing loss and their hearing peers, resulting in increased social interaction, an improvement in group work, and a change in the teachers' and students' perception of the child with hearing loss, adds Prof. Most.

Meeting the needs of each child

Taking her years of research and in-field experience into account, Prof. Most says that there is an advantage to integrating children with hearing loss with hearing children, provided that their special needs are met. Each child must be assessed on whether to be integrated individually or in a group, she counsels, noting that a "one size fits all" strategy could be harmful for some students.

"I prefer to see kids integrated into the regular school system, allowing them to be closer to home and interact with children in their neighborhood. They would then have access to broader programming and activities," she says. But if a child's spoken language and cognitive abilities indicate that a regular classroom would be difficult for him or her, pushing integration could result in failure.

Children with hearing loss, parents and specialists can aid successful integration by focusing on speech development, advises Prof. Most. And teachers can also do their part to create a more welcoming environment by creating small work groups and setting up meeting points in advance so the child won't be left out. The more children with normal hearing are exposed to those with hearing loss, the more understanding and accepting they will become, she says.

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Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-12/afot-ssc121712.php

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