If you think you’re the only one who’s finding it difficult to get out of bed in the morning or go down the stairs to cook some breakfast because of arthritis, think again.

Like thousands of people, especially elders, arthritis is a common companion as they grow older. This painful disorder that is caused by the inflammation of one or more joints has been reported by medical experts to come in over 100 different types.

However, people aren’t the only victims of arthritis. Even your most beloved pets can suffer from this painful experience.

According to Dr. Tom Burns, hospital director at Cape Cod Veterinary Associates, “arthritis is more often noticeable in dogs, but cats also suffer from arthritis much more often than many owners realize.” Burns states that the effects of illness and pain are less prominent in cats and, at oftentimes, the owner will only notice the signs when the illness has progressed to moderate or severe degrees.

Steve Dale, a well-known pet columnist, also states that there are several apparent signs that a cat may be suffering from the condition. This includes being hesitant to jump on tabletops and kitchen counters and inability to walk up and down the stairs to eat or use the litter box. Dale also tells us that it’s much simpler and easier to detect the condition in dogs when they flimsy out or have a hard time traveling even in near places.

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Veterinary professionals have all acknowledged the importance for pet owners to take the early effects and signs of the condition seriously, particularly when arthritis is still in a mild state and treatment choices are more effective and less costly.

Burns also states that while some owners perceive the condition as one of the effects of aging, in reality, age is not a medical condition. Moreover, “while we all have a few aches and pains, many more dogs and cats live in chronic pain that need to, and can easily and effectively be treated.”, as stated by Burns. In addition, the doctor states “sometimes the most telling early signs include a pet’s ‘stiff’ gait upon rising after a long rest. If your pet commonly limps after sleeping, arthritis or other orthopedic conditions should be suspected.”

The doctor also points out that though there is no definite cure for the condition, the most efficient treatment programs are multimodal, meaning the use of a mixture of treatments as opposed to using a single one. The doctor states that this enables for reduced overdosing of drugs as well as a decrease in the risk for unwanted side effects of any of the treatments used.

Burns points out, “the main objective of treatment is to increase the quality of life and decrease the progression of the condition.”

He also stated that a huge part of the pain that is linked with the condition can be managed effectively. This means that there is no good reason to let your pets suffer and live in chronic pain with no curative options available.

source: http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120115/LIFE/201150308/-1/NEWSMAP

Here are some important things you should know about printer toner cartridges…

1. When your printed documents are getting lighter, you can remove the cartridge or cartridges and shake them to loosen up the remaining toner. This will often give you many more pages before replacement is necessary.
2. Just because the replace toner light or message is on, this does not necessarily mean it is time to replace the toner. Wait until the print gets lighter than normal, then try #1 above.
3. Clean your rollers and the area around the cartridge to keep printer performance strong. Use an alcohol wipe or similar agent to clean up in and around the cartridge.
4. Open the cartridge roller cover (slide) and wipe off the inside roller. These often become coated with toner and may smear your documents. A dry paper towel will work well for this. Rotate the roller slowly by hand and wipe it all around.
5. The cheapest cartridge is not going to work as well as the manufacturer replacement. There are some aftermarket replacements that work as well as the OEM. However it is trial and error here. Do not use refilled cartridges if you can economically avoid them, they do not last as long as new ones and often stop working while­ still containing a lot of toner. This is not “green”, however see #6.
6. Recycle your cartridges where you can get credit for doing so. You can find retailers that will buy your used toner cartridges. Many manufacturers will take them back and pay the shipping to their location while also giving you credit towards new items. At the very least you should use a recycler and not trash the empties.
7. Set your printer to the lightest level of print you can live with. This is an economy mode setting. It may print perfectly for your needs, and will save a lot of toner.
8. If you use a laser printer with reset options, reset the memory occasionally to improve performance.
9. Toner powder from cartridges is not harmful if you happen to breathe it in. Try to avoid doing this, but if you accidently inhale some toner powder you will not get cancer, but may get some minor irritation in your throat.
10. If you use networked printers, you can input the IP addresses of the printers into your internet browser, and pull up a settings and information page for the printers. This will often let you troubleshoot problems, as well as check the supplies status for toner, without having to touch each machine.

How Women’s History Month in US came to life

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In various parts of the world, women were deemed to play the role of taking care of the family and residing in the home only. This fact has always been accounted for in history. However, in the state of America, women gained equal importance as men did. History itself claims how women have been oppressed and abused, not just physically but emotionally and spiritually as well. Besides that, women were historically put into extreme working conditions and were punished when poor quality is being produced, apart from rendering services to their respective families. In, 1857, light was shone upon women. It was at this time when a protest regarding overworking conditions of women gave rise to National Women

‘s History Month.

Women’s History Month

Women’s history month is an annual celebration that commemorates the diversity and dynamism of women, celebrated of every 18th of March. Besides that, this significant day, promotes the rights of women to exercise one’s motherly capacity, achieve a degree in education, acquire a job and earn and to vote during political elections.

Until this modern time, Women’s History Month continues to be celebrated as women become more open-minded and conscious of what is happening around the world.

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As the celebration grew, it expanded from a weeklong event to a month and was eventually renamed Black History Month, a more socially acceptable term. Schools began to teach special modules on Black scientists, teachers, thinkers and inventors who helped shape modern America during this month. Communities ran festivals and events that celebrated their African heritage and encouraged African Americans to follow in the footsteps of their most accomplished members. As the celebrations grew, they also evoked heavy criticism from within the black community.

Many community leaders criticize the celebration as further separating Black Americans from the wholeness of the country’s history. The separation is further underscored in that the material is not as heavily emphasized in non-black classrooms and that its separateness from the rest of the core historical curricula downplays its importance in the history of the country. Others complain that the celebration has begun to be overly commercialized. Rather than celebrate important figures in history celebrities that are more modern are being emphasized, reinforcing stereotypes that Black Americans can only be successful in sports or music.

Supporters of the month see that it has begun to change from a strict focus on Black American achievements to a celebration of diversity in communities. The focus on Black American History has introduced some of the unknown heroes of American History to the public such as Booker T. Washington, Elijah McCoy and others. Supporters also point that Black History month has been adopted by other countries as a means of bringing the history of their minorities into the spotlight as well.

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Some other celebrations involve an increased public awareness of National Poetry Month in American schools. The Academy of American Poets have tried to involve America\’s students in writing more poetry, studying their favorite poets and sending in their best original poems for a contest. There is also a poem flow for podcast that give the subscriber a different poem each day of the month of April. On Twitter, there is a tweet link that will allow followers to get a tweet with a different poem each day.

America has some of the greatest poets in the world and April of each year is their month to shine. Whether it is a poet who is still alive or deceased, America gets a chance to rediscover their favorite poems or fall in love with brand new ones. Part of success of National Poetry Month is to encourage poets all over the United States to write, write, write. There are many poets in the U.S. that have not been discovered yet or are afraid that their poetry is no good. Having a month dedicated to all types of poetry allows many fledgling authors to realize that they have a gift of writing and that they need to share that gift with humanity. Somewhere in the United States a student has the chance to become the next Robert Frost and National Poetry Month gives them a chance to come out of the shadows and shine.

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In New Jersey the core curriculum standards cover the areas of: Visual and Performing Arts; Comprehensive Health and P.E.; Science, Social Studies; World Languages; Technology; and 21st Century Life and Careers. Mathematics and Language Arts are still covered by the Common Core State Standards that are covered by the Council of Chief States School Officers. New Jersey joins 43 other states to have adopted their own Core Curriculum Standards.

One very important concept to understand concerning New Jersey\’s Core Curriculum Standard is that these Core Standards are legally binding for public school districts within New Jersey. Schools are held accountable for implementing, teaching and assessing student achievement in each of the Core Curriculum Standard areas. If a school district in New Jersey fails to properly implement or assess the state\’s Core Standards they will receive a lower rating; such as Proficient or At-Risk. This rating is public information and can help parents moving to a new district determine which district has a better track record at education their students.

Also tied to the implementation and assessing of New Jersey\’s state standards is school funding. If a school district fails to take actions to remedy a breakdown in the achievement of their students in a particular core curriculum area they can have funding decreased. Teachers and administrators can also be reassigned or removed from their jobs if the school district continues to be unable to address particular problems as they relate to the Core Curriculum Standards. There is much controversy over NCLB and how it has changed public education in the United States. Whether or not NCLB stands the test of time remains to be seen but in New Jersey it has drastically changed how schools teach and assess their students.

Research can take the unwary into areas that they would never think that they would ever go into. Collections of educational non-print media are definitely one of those areas; completing research on even the most mundane of topics can reach into areas that have not seen light for decades. Film, taped recordings, and even some forms of art can help a researcher complete a quest for knowledge.

The Advantages of Non-Print Media

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Research is not limited to merely writing up findings and producing a paper on the topic. Good research looks at the best way of preserving whatever findings the researcher digs up, sometimes literally. Although photographs can document most findings rather well, they are not always the best medium to record what may be found in the field or designed for the project. In this regard film is usually the second most used medium, as it is able record not only basic details and color, but also gives a better feel for context, as well as the motion of the research subject; having access to those details alone can save a lot of time and effort when it comes to current research projects.

Film and photos are not the only media used. Taped recordings allow subjects to speak for themselves even after the project is over, allowing for clarifications of hard-to-hear dialects as well as validating the original research. Models and other artwork can also greatly assist in better defining the subject; the use of computer-aided design programs has been able to show how something works in better detail than merely presenting a paper on it, either by taking the place of a paper or greatly enhancing it. The ability of different media to assist research, either current or future, is sometimes underestimated.

In Conclusion

By looking into collections of educational non-print media one can greatly enhance their own research. Although it may not be as easy to index or quickly look through as print media or even computer files, non-print media can nonetheless be of immense usefulness to anyone with the time to look for answers in places that are just a little bit off the beaten path.

The entertaining world of Physics

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The lucky students that get to learn physics from the author of the ,Flying Circus of Physics can tell you how exciting learning physics can be, believe it or not, when a professor like Jearl Walker, Physics professor extaodinaire presents a slide show or light show to illustrate the Theory of Relativity or how the heat of fusion and energy transfer protects bare skin when he plunges his wet finger into a pot of molten lead. Who would remember this principle of physics without great special effects?

A Thousand Words
Antics such as this are best presented to make a lasting impression on students so that they assimilate and enjoy the learning process. None of this would make as great an impact with out the help of an Instructional Media Services group that tends to all the ports, the audio, video equipment, IT and internet connections in any lecture hall or class room. Education is best presented with great pictures.

A typical IMS department will provide technological support for the multimedia equipment in a classroom setting of both brick and mortar schools and online virtual classrooms as well. These support personnel are IT certificate holders, most commonly on windows and mac computers. Any campus virtual or brick, must maintain a high level of functionality in their Instructional Media Service area.