SEXUAL RESEARCH : Impotence causes

Most men experience a failed erection at some time in their lives, but if you find that you can’t achieve and maintain an erection in at least 3 out of 4 attempts, you should ask your doctor about impotence.

Impotence, also known as erectile dysfunction or ED, is a condition in which a man is unable to achieve or maintain an erection long enough to have a satisfactory sex life.

In the past, doctors considered impotence to be a mainly psychological problem, caused by performance anxiety or stress. Now, however, doctors know that most cases of impotence have a physical cause, which can be treated. In fact, according to Impotence Australia, physical causes contribute to about 75 per cent of cases of impotence.

Physical causes of impotence include damage to the arteries and veins that allow blood to flow into and out of the penis, damage to the nerves that send signals from the body’s central nervous system to the penis, and, more rarely, a deficiency in testosterone or other hormones. Some medications can contribute to impotence, as can some operations and radiotherapy treatments.

PHYSICAL CAUSES OF IMPOTENCE

Impaired blood flow to the penis

A very common cause of impotence is when blood flow to the penis is impaired due to atherosclerosis, also known as hardening of the arteries. In atherosclerosis, the arteries are clogged and narrowed, resulting in reduced blood flow. This narrowing of the arteries can be caused by conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes, as well as by smoking.

Impotence can also be caused by a blood clot that prevents enough blood from flowing into the penis to cause an erection.

Impaired blood flow out of the penis

In some men, blood can flow in to the penis easily, but the problem is that it leaks out again, so an erection cannot be sustained. This is called venous leakage. Doctors aren’t certain of the cause of venous leakage, but they can perform surgery to help repair it.

Medications

Some medications can cause erection problems as a side effect, including: diuretics; high blood pressure medications; cholesterol-lowering drugs; some types of antipsychotics; antidepressants; cancer treatments; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); and epilepsy medications.

If you experience impotence after starting a new medication, tell your doctor, who may be able to prescribe a different medicine for you. You should also tell your doctor about any over-the-counter medicines or complementary remedies you may be taking.

Diabetes

Both forms of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2, are common causes of impotence: men who have diabetes are 3 times more likely to have impotence than other men. Diabetes contributes to impotence because it can damage blood vessels and cause a type of nerve damage known as peripheral neuropathy.

Prostate cancer

The advanced stages of prostate cancer can affect the nerves and arteries that are vital for an erection. Radiation treatment for prostate cancer can harm the erectile tissues of the penis, and surgery can cause nerve or artery damage to the penis. Treatment for advanced prostate cancer often includes drugs that counteract testosterone, and commonly cause erectile dysfunction.

Peyronie’s disease

Peyronie’s disease is an uncommon condition that affects a man’s sex life because his penis curves abnormally and causes pain when he has an erection. He might also be unable to have a hard erection. The curvature of the penis is caused by a scar, called a plaque, that forms in the penis.

Diseases of the nervous system

Multiple sclerosis (MS) and other degenerative diseases of the nervous system can impair the nerves involved in erections.

Depression

Many men find that when they’re suffering from depression, they can’t get or keep an erection. Asking your doctor for treatments for depression may help alleviate your erection problems as well.

Hormones

Low levels of the male hormone, testosterone, are more commonly linked to a lowered sex drive, rather than impotence itself. Only a small percentage of cases of impotence are caused by hormone deficiency.

Low testosterone levels may be the result of a condition called hypogonadism, in which the testicles don’t produce enough testosterone. More rarely, low testosterone can be caused by the pituitary (a small gland at the base of the brain) not secreting sufficient hormones to stimulate the testes to produce testosterone. The pituitary is also sometimes affected by small benign (non-cancerous) tumours that secrete prolactin, another hormone that can cause impotence.

Mildly decreased levels of testosterone are often not due to specific testicular or pituitary problems, but rather stress or depression. In this situation, testosterone replacement is rarely of any benefit.

Injury and accidents

Impotence can be caused by spinal cord injury; injury to your sex organs; or a pelvic fracture, which can cause damage to the nerves to the penis, or damage the blood vessels, resulting in impairment of blood flow to the penis.

Surgery

Surgery to organs near the nerve pathways of the penis, such as the bladder, rectum and prostate, can cause nerve or artery damage to the penis, resulting in the inability to have an erection.

Smoking

Smoking contributes to vascular disease, so it can contribute to erectile dysfunction by affecting blood flow to the penis. Smoking cessation often has a beneficial effect on erectile function.

Excessive alcohol use

Alcoholism can cause permanent nerve damage, resulting in impotence. This nerve damage is called peripheral neuropathy. Long-term alcohol use can impair the liver’s ability to function, resulting in a hormone imbalance in which a man has too much of the female sex hormone, oestrogen. On a day-to-day level, alcohol dulls the central nervous system, impairing sexual response.

Illicit drug use

Illicit drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, barbiturates, and amphetamines act on the central nervous system, impairing the body’s ability to respond sexually.

Prolonged exercise

Nerve and artery damage can be caused by cycling too hard, rodeo riding, or prolonged use of a rowing machine, resulting in the inability to get an erection. Often, minimising the use of hard bicycle seats and exercise machine seats will help restore sexual function.

PSYCHOLOGICAL CAUSES OF IMPOTENCE

Most cases of impotence have physical causes, but, in some men, psychological factors are the main contributors to impotence. Impotence that’s triggered by psychological factors is more likely to appear suddenly, and perhaps when you’re with just one particular person, than impotence that has a physical cause. You’re also more likely to have morning erections, and be able to have an erection when you masturbate, than men whose impotence has a physical cause. Here are some psychological factors that can have an impact on your erections.

Stress and anxiety

When you’re stressed and focusing on other issues apart from sex, you might find that you don’t want to have sex as often and there might be a drop in your ability to perform when you do try. You might find that tackling the source of your stress can have benefits in the bedroom as well.

Fear of failure

Anxiety about your sexual prowess (commonly called performance anxiety) can, in itself, contribute to failure. By putting pressure on yourself, you become too anxious to get an adequate erection. Most men experience isolated episodes of erectile failure. Even when the transient physical cause has passed, anxiety that it may recur is sufficient to prevent erection. Anxiety, whether about something specifically sexual or part of a wider anxiety syndrome, is never helpful to good sexual function.

Problems with your relationship

Impotence may be a manifestation of a poor relationship, or a problematic time in a relationship. Sexual boredom, tension or anger among partners, and lack of intimacy and communication are all possible triggers of erectile dysfunction. In these cases, seeing a counsellor may help.

It’s worth remembering that impotence is a complex medical condition, which may have more than one cause. For example, if impotence is the result of a side effect of medication or an underlying disease, the anxiety caused by lack of performance may perpetuate the erectile dysfunction even after the physical cause has been tackled. Almost any chronic physical or mental health disorder, including those with no direct effect on penile nerves or blood supply, can have a powerful effect on sexuality, sexual self-image and erectile function.

If you’re worried about your sexual response or the quality of your erections, don’t be afraid to talk to your doctor, who has access to treatments that can help.

HEALTHY SEX : Sensual touching techniques

By discovering how responsive your bodies are to certain sensations you and your partner can heighten your potential for sexual arousal. Psychosexual therapist Paula Hall describes an exercise to help you do just this.

Preparation

* This exercise should take an hour, so leave yourself enough time.
* Before you start you could prepare your space.
* You'll be naked, so put on the heating an hour before so you'll be warm enough.
* Collect some different textured objects (soft, silky, smooth, warm, cool etc).


The partner being touched

Lie naked on a bed or wherever's comfortable. If you're brave enough, you can be blindfolded to heighten the experience.

The secret of success is to make sure you're lost in the moment. Allow yourself to feel every sensation to the full by thinking of nothing else. Remember to give feedback to the toucher.
The partner doing the touching

Before you start, you could use an old-fashioned hairpin to find your partner's non-genital erogenous zones. Slowly run the hairpin over their body. Most of the time they'll only feel one point of contact, but on the highly sensitive erogenous zones they'll feel both.

It's your job to provide a wide range of different stimuli for your partner to experience. Work from head to toe experimenting with a range of different objects and textures.

Try using a silk scarf or a soft blusher brush. Can your partner tell the difference between suede, leather and velvet? How about rubber or a feather? Now try touching with a massage roller or ball.

Experiment with different pressures and different strokes too. Heighten the sensory expectation by making random rather than predictable movements.

Remember to ask what feels good and what feels best.

When you've had enough, swap roles. But be warned - it could be a long night!

WARING : Most Contagious Diseases !

Hepatitis A

Breeding grounds: Most of us who are fortunate enough to live in industrialized countries have been vaccinated against Hepatitis A. That renders us immune from infection for about 15 years. If you haven’t been vaccinated, however, it’s easy to catch Hepatitis A in unsanitary conditions. If you’re traveling through rural villages, make sure you drink bottled water only and avoid eating fresh fruits and vegetables that have been washed in suspect water.

Malaria

Breeding grounds: Malaria is widespread in tropical regions, including sub-Saharan Africa, South America and parts of Southeast Asia. Anywhere you find Anopheles mosquitoes, you’ll likely find malaria. Anti-malaria drugs are available for travelers who visit those regions, but the malaria parasite is quickly becoming resistant to the drugs. Check with the CDC before you travel to determine if you’ll need to worry about taking anti-malaria drugs on your next trip to the tropics.

Measles

Breeding grounds: If you’re looking for measles, visit your local preschool. Most small children catch the virus there and spread it like wildfire. It is relevant to note that contracting measles when you are a child is much better for you than contracting them when you are older as they can manifest into much worse conditions as you age.

Tuberculosis

Breeding grounds: Tuberculosis is common in developing nations, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. It’s also found in South America and Asia in less-developed regions. In these areas the disease can be especially difficult to treat. The required antibiotics are expensive, often beyond the means of the infected. There is a tuberculosis vaccine, called BCG. It was developed between 1905 and 1921, but many countries do not have access to sufficient amounts of the vaccine to make a big impact on rates of infection and control.

Influenza

Breeding grounds: Influenza is found everywhere. It peaks during the winter season in both hemispheres, breeding like crazy and flitting through the population. Flu vaccines, or “shots,” are available. They’re made on an almost yearly basis, using the most common influenza bugs at the time. They are fairly effective, but flu viruses are known for fast mutation rates and thus circumventing immunities. If you want to stay well this flu season, get your shot and remember to wash your hands frequently. Also keep your distance from the infected.

THE ALTERNATIVE OF VIAGRA

Viagra is very effective and fast acting -- it typically boosts blood flow within 30 minutes to several hours -- but some people prefer non-drug alternatives. Is there an alternative to Viagra, something more "natural" like an herb or supplement? And are any of these safe? Not every man requires the magic touch of Viagra; sometimes all one needs is a healthy diet, exercise and a little of Mother Nature's touch. Several interesting supplements have recently come to light and may provide benefits within days to weeks.

# Ginkgo Biloba: An herb that is commonly taken as a memory booster may provide benefits. It presumably acts by enhancing blood flow and seems relatively free of side effects. In a study conducted at the University of California, ginkgo reversed sexual problems in 84% of men who were taking antidepressant drugs such as Prozac. The ones who might benefit from it are men on Prozac or other antidepressants. The suggested dose is 80 mg three times a day, standardized to contain 24% flavone glycosides and 6% terpene lactones.

# Arginine: An amino acid that also enhances blood flow. In a study of 50 men at Tel Aviv University, 31% of those with impotence improved after six weeks of taking arginine. The ones who might benefit from it are men who have circulatory disorders that may be contributing to sexual problems. The suggested dose is 1 gram three times a day; sold as L-arginine.

As with Viagra, you should avoid arginine if you are taking the heart medication nitroglycerin because the combination may cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure. For the same reason, you should probably not take arginine with Viagra.

# DHEA: This supplement may also provide benefits for men who have low levels of this hormone. DHEA helps our bodies make estrogen and testosterone, and a recent trial at the University of Vienna found it helped men with impotence. The suggested dose is 5 mg each morning for men.

# Yohimbe: Some studies have shown that this herb may correct impotence. However, this herb can cause a dangerous rise in blood pressure, as well as anxiety and other side effects. Many doctors prefer the purified form of the herb, the FDA-approved drug yohimbine, instead, because it has a guaranteed purity and potency. I suggest that you opt for the prescription drug yohimbine instead. See your doctor.

As for passion potions such as Super Sex and Biagra sold at health-food stores or pharmacies, there is no real evidence showing that they restore sex drive. These potions are made with blends of herbs such as those mentioned above and other questionable ingredients. Check the label to make sure the product contains an adequate dose of the herbs mentioned above. If it does not have the recommended dosages, then the product is not likely to be effective. Instead of a blend, you may be better off purchasing an individual ingredient tailored to your particular condition.

Ancient civilization : Aztec's human sacrifice

BEHIND THIS AWESOME BUILDING ... THERE'S A HORROR STORY

In Mesoamerica, the most obvious practice of human sacrifice was found in the Aztec Culture. Under the leadership of Montezuma and others before him, sacrifice became a key element in their ritual and worship to many gods. The Aztecs were constantly at "war" with neighboring tribes and groups. The goal of this constant warfare was to collect live prisoners for sacrifice. The Flowery Wars began with a mutual agreement between the Aztecs and the Tlaxcalans to capture live men for future sacrifice (Meyers & Sherman:65).

The Aztecs worshipped a war god called Huitzilopochtli, who took on the likeness of the sun over time. It was thought that in order to insure the sun's arrival each day, a steady supply of human hearts had to be offered in holy sacrifice (Hogg:43). They believed that the sun and earth had already been destroyed four times, and in their time of the 5th sun, final destruction would soon be upon them. In order to delay this dreadful fate, the practice of human sacrifice became a major element in Aztec society and livelihood (Meyer & Sherman:67).

The most common form of sacrifice was performed outside, on the top of a great pyramid. The victim was spread-eagled on a round stone, with his back arched. His limbs were held, while a priest used an obsidian knife to cut under the rib cage and remove his heart. This method was used when honoring the sun god, Huitzilopochtli. Each god apparently preferred a different form of sacrifice. For the fertility aztec_dagger.jpg (4731 bytes)god Xipe Totec, the person was tied to a post and shot full of arrows. His blood flowing out represented the cool spring rains (Meyer & Sherman:69). The fire god required a newly wed couple. They were thrown into the god's altars and allowed to burn and at the last minute they were taken out and had their hearts removed as a second offering (Hogg :48). The earth mother goddess, Teteoinnan, was extremely important. At harvest time, a female victim was flayed and her skin was carried ceremoniously to one of the temples. Her skin was worn by an officiating priest who then symbolized the goddess herself (Meyer & Sherman:44 Human sacrifices were seen in many different cultures in Latin American, such as Olmecs, Mayans and the Moche.

taken from : Meyer, Michael C. and William L. Sherman. The Course of Mexican History. Oxford University Press, 5th ed. 1995

Fertilizer: Organic (Natural) versus Chemical (Inorganic)

The argument continues. The organic proponents say only organic should be used. The chemical proponents have their argument of high analysis and quicker availability.

Why don't we consult Nature and see how she has been feeding plants life since the very beginning?

Most of the fertilizers called "chemical" occur naturally in Nature. In fact, that is where man discovered them. Ammonia, ammonium, ammonium sulphate, nitrites, nitrates, potassium sulphate, calcium phosphate, urea are some of them. But seldom are these chemicals found in the pure state. In Nature, they are almost always bound up in rock or in an organic form with other elements. Or they may be found in a state of transition.

Man-made chemical fertilizers always have a high total NPK, from 20 to 60 percent or more. The total NPK for organic fertilizer blends will always be low. Fourteen percent is about as high as it gets.

The balance of the ingredients in the chemical fertilizer bag, aside from the NPK, is usually made up of inert filler or possibly a chemical that isn't needed. The balance of the ingredients in the organic fertilizer bag beyond the NPK are all necessary soil nutrients. The fact that the material is organic means it came from a once-living entity-plant, animal or a blend of both-which tells us that every ingredient there is important to life. In the best organic fertilizers, everything in the bag is needed and is in correct proportions to feed and sustain the next generation of life.

Many chemical fertilizer formulas that contain major, minor and trace elements are labeled "Complete." That is really a false statement. It takes much more than a few chemicals to maintain the healthy soil and grow healthy plants. For example, there is very little, if any, carbon in a bag of chemical fertilizer. When a plant or animal body is analyzed, one of the most abundant elements in it is carbon, in the form of energy, mainly carbohydrates.

In order for a plant to be properly fed, whether with chemical or natural fertilizer, the microbial life in the soil must first process the fertilizer into a substance and release it in the correct amounts that are perfect for a plant to absorb. In order for the microbes to perform this service, they must have energy. They are not in the presence of sunlight, nor do they have chlorophyll like higher plants, so the microbes must get their energy from decaying plant or animal matter in the soil.

A bag of organic fertilizer has all the carbon/energy to meet the needs of the soil microbes. A bag of chemical fertilizer has no energy. If organic matter is not already present in the soil, the chemicals can quickly become stressful, even toxic, to the plants. This causes plants to be susceptible to disease and insect problems.

Organic fertilizers are believed to be slower acting than the chemical fertilizers. This is true to a degree. Being a lower NPK analysis and slower acting, organic fertilizers can be used in higher volume around plants without danger of burning. However, there are some organic fertilizers that are fast acting, such as bat guano or fish meal, that can show results as quickly as the chemical fertilizers do. They are still slower to burn the plants than the chemicals and last much longer in the soil.

Unless chemical fertilizers are impregnated or coated with a microbe inhibitor and some substance to keep them from quickly dissolving, they must be used very cautiously. Especially in sandy soils, they can burn the roots of the plants and quickly leach beyond the reach of the roots. They generally end up polluting a water supply because they are too quickly dissolved and moved out of the soil. In heavy clay soils or any soil with a high organic and humus content, this is less of a problem.

Chemical fertilizers that are blended to perfectly fit a given soil and then used in the correct season and correct amounts can do nothing more than grow a plant. They do not build or sustain a healthy soil. Organic fertilizers contain the energy and the many other things that continually build soil fertility, crumb structure, increased water holding capacity, food for all the beneficial soil life, condition the soil and contribute to the hundreds of other yet-unknown things that cause a plant to grow healthy and perfect.

Only healthy and perfectly grown plants can feed and support healthy and perfect animal and human life.

Tip:

Never dig root crops such as sweet potatoes when the soil is too moist. If dug when the soil is on the dry side, the root crops store much better and longer.

MAXIMIZE THE SOLAR ENERGY UTILITIES.

President-elect Obama wants to create 5 million new “Green Energy” jobs. The sooner the better, but how? What incentive or government program will create these jobs? Which sector of green energy will be targeted for job growth? Further, and importantly as unemployment rises, how soon will these new jobs appear in the help wanted section?

The economy needs jobs as soon as possible. If Obama wants to use green energy as an engine of growth, how can he jump start it to get it running?

The most direct and focused effort with the shortest route to new job creation could be in solar energy. One possibility (and the only one I’ll focus on in this article) could be a government-led effort to expand existing solar energy utilities as well as open the doors for the creation of new ones. Solar energy utilities could be described as companies that generate and sell energy derived from solar resources. (The word “energy” is used to include both solar generated electricity or solar thermal energy.) These companies, like conventional utilities, sell energy, they don’t sell solar systems.

There are a number of companies that could already fit the description of “solar energy utility.” In one model the companies build solar facilities that sell energy to the power grid or to specific customers. In another model the solar utility offers to design, build and maintain – without any upfront costs – solar systems for customers who are willing to host those systems on their property. The customer pays these solar utilities for the power used, just as if the power came off the grid. The customer does not pay for the solar system nor does it own it.

The solar utility sells the solar energy for more than the cost of building and maintaining the system, thus makes a profit. The customer can get environmentally friendly power at a fixed rate for an extended period. In some markets the solar energy may be competitive with energy from other sources. Eventually, to a greater degree now possible, government mandated carbon emissions trading will factor into the revenue and cost equation for solar energy utilities.

Obviously, for these solar utilities to operate they need capital to design and build solar systems. One source of capital for solar utilities could be low interest, government guaranteed loans. That’s where the Obama administration could come in.

There are, of course, some points that should be considered:

--- Solar energy is a good bet for this first effort to create green energy jobs for a number of reasons. The technology is mature (though still improving) and products employed to generate power or heat are readily available. The time required to receive appropriate permitting to build a large solar array, whether ground mounted or roof top, can be very short, possibly little more than obtaining a building permit. Installation time is also very short. Altogether, the time between the injection of capital and the construction of facilities can be relatively brief. (The shorter the period between capital infusion and building facilities, the better, when a goal of the program is creating new jobs ASAP)

--- If government backed loans are a source of capital (and not necessarily the only source) the funds should be available only for existing solar utilities or for solar utility startups. The idea here is to keep the moneys focused on job-creating solar. If the capital were available for existing conventional utilities or power-generating companies, then the temptation might be there to funnel the cash into other projects or operations. That is not to say conventional utilities can’t be involved; they can always start new companies specializing in solar.

--- There is a high likelihood that some solar products used by these new utilities might be imported. As much as it would be nice to use only domestically made products, thus create more jobs, those from overseas are OK too. If the U.S. is going to be borrowing money from abroad (for decades) to pay its bills, then it should help in the creation of jobs overseas as well;

--- In recent years there have been some supply constraints to solar energy, particularly the availability of solar photovoltaic cells and modules. Those constraints have apparently been resolved. However, if this new program created a boom in solar, would new constraints arise? It could happen. However, provided raw materials are available adding new solar production capacity is often as easy as ordering new production equipment. There are a number of companies that specialize in turnkey production lines for solar photovoltaic products. For solar manufacturers new production capacity is available as soon as production equipment is installed.

Further, solar energy is growing rapidly beyond silicon-based products. Concentrated solar thermal energy power generation is growing as is concentrated photovoltaics. Concentrated solar thermal power uses basic materials and time-tested processes to build equipment, thus it’s easy to ramp up production. Concentrated solar photovoltaics use significantly fewer solar cells than traditional flat plate solar products and basic materials used to focus sunlight on those cells. Other types of solar photovoltaics, too, such as thin-film CIGS (copper indium gallium selenide) cells and modules are moving towards greater availability in the solar marketplace.

You have to spend money to make money and more money needs to be made right now. An injection of cash into one sector of the green energy industry will help. As with the series of bailouts for financial institutions, cash injection into the economy will help it recover. Government-backed loans will have to be repaid by the borrower, so the government would have to be choosy whom it lends to.

Recycle way : Receipt Lamp Puts Old Grocery Purchases To Good Use

French artist and designer Elise Fouin believes strongly in recycling paper, so much so that she’s reused old paper to make a lamp. She’s made a chair out of paper and stuffed its ottoman with used newspaper, but the lamp above is made from a roll of used cash register receipts.

Awesome electric car : Dodge Zeo Goes 250 Miles On One Charge

Dodge ZEO from Chrysler is an electric concept car with a 64kWh Li-ion rechargeable battery and runs 250 miles (approximately 402km) per battery charge.

The name “ZEO”, stands for zero emission operation. The four-door concept vehicle has a total weight of 1,202 kg and surprisingly Chrysler says it can go from 0 to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds and reach a top speed of 130mph. Thats pretty impressive.

Mud volcano floods - Sidoarjo, Java

Disaster-plagued Indonesian island faces new threat.

What has happened?

For 3 months a sea of hot mud has been gushing from the ground in Sidoarjo, East Java, 35 kilometres south of Indonesia's second largest city, Surabaya. The steaming mud pool is growing at an estimated 50,000 cubic metres a day, accompanied by hydrogen sulphide gas, and now reportedly covers more than 25 square kilometres. The flow has not yet been stopped; thousands of people have lost their homes.
How bizarre... has this sort of disaster happened before?

The Sidoarjo disaster is an example of a 'mud volcano'. Mud and gas accumulates when sea sediments are trapped in subduction zones, where one tectonic plate slides under another, and can erupt out of volcanic cones or simply from a crack in the ground. Mud volcanoes have burst on every continent, but are abundant in the South Caspian region (offshore and onshore Azerbaijan) and offshore Indonesia in the East Java Basin.

But the Sidoarjo mud volcano is rather unusual. It's huge. And, says Sam Rice, a geologist at the University of Cambridge, UK, reports of the mud eruption suggest that it is a hybrid between typical mud volcanoes and hydrothermal vents. The mud is of an unusually high temperature (60 °C) and contains enormously high concentrations of hydrogen sulphide gas. This suggests that some kind of volcanic, hydrothermal activity is going on at the same time.
What creates the conditions for a mud volcano?

Achim Kopf, a geologist from the University of Bremen, Germany, who has studied mud volcanoes extensively, explains that marine sediment can be scraped off an oceanic tectonic plate as it slides underneath a continental plate. If the sediment accumulates rapidly and water is trapped in its pores, this can stop the sediment being cemented by pressure. The resulting reservoir of mud can be trapped underground. In the case of the East Java mud flow, the mud is thought to have come from a reservoir some 2.7 kilometres below the Earth's surface.
And what triggers an eruption?

A number of things can create a crack that allows trapped mud to bubble to the surface; particularly earthquakes and drilling.
And in Java specifically?

In Java both of these things have happened recently. The oil and gas exploration company PT Lapindo Brantas is drilling in the area, and the gas and hot mud first spewed from the company's drilling rig on 28 May.

Geologist Georg Delisle of the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), Hannover, Germany, explains that the drilling apparently penetrated into the liquid sediment and created a connection back to the surface. The pressure then squeezed up the mud, like toothpaste from a tube. But it is likely that other connections were made to the surface, he adds not just through the drilling pipe because attempts to pump concrete into the pipe to block the flow of mud have failed.

On 27 May an earthquake struck and devastated Yogyakarta on Java, and this too could have cracked the ground, potentially helping to release the mud. But the quake's epicentre was some 300 kilometres away from the mud volcano (making it only 2 on the Richter scale in that area).

The issue of what, exactly, caused this disaster is highly politically charged. It is still under investigation by police, the government and international experts.
Just how big is the eruption?

According to many geological experts, the scale of this mud volcano is unprecedented at least on land.

In 1945, the Makran earthquake in Pakistan triggered the sudden emergence of three offshore mud volcanoes, and in March 1999 a mud volcano rose out of the water overnight to form Malan Island, 3 kilometres from Pakistan's coast. It is hard to estimate the volume of mud created by such underwater eruptions. And, notes Rice: "Because the extrusion of mud and toxic gas occurs on the seabed it does not threaten human life and does not make the headlines."

'Well-kick' the sudden surface eruption of gas and mud during offshore oil drilling is common, but usually stops after a few days. Delisle recalls a smaller-scale incident in the 1960s where a geothermal well in the Wairakei geothermal field, New Zealand, ran wild: it took 3 months to stop the geothermal steam that found its way to the surface alongside the original borehole.
Can the disaster be stopped?

Nobody knows. So far, nothing has worked. PT Lapindo Brantas's senior vice-president Imam Agustino has been quoted saying: "The best-case scenario [for stopping the mudflow] is now mid-November, but I have to admit it might never be stopped."

IMPACT OF DEFORESTATION (PART-1)

Stretching out from the equator on all Earth’s land surfaces is a wide belt of forests of amazing diversity and productivity. Tropical forests include dense rainforests, where rainfall is abundant year-round; seasonally moist forests, where rainfall is abundant, but seasonal; and drier, more open woodlands. Tropical forests of all varieties are disappearing rapidly as humans clear the natural landscape to make room for farms and pastures, to harvest timber for construction and fuel, and to build roads and urban areas. Although deforestation meets some human needs, it also has profound, sometimes devastating, consequences, including social conflict, extinction of plants and animals, and climate change—challenges that aren’t just local, but global. NASA supports and conducts research on tropical forests from space-based and ground-based perspectives, helping provide the information that national and international leaders need to develop strategies for sustaining human populations and preserving tropical forest biodiversity.

Impacts of Deforestation: Biodiversity Impacts

Although tropical forests cover only about 7 percent of the Earth’s dry land, they probably harbor about half of all species on Earth. Many species are so specialized to microhabitats within the forest that they can only be found in small areas. Their specialization makes them vulnerable to extinction. In addition to the species lost when an area is totally deforested, the plants and animals in the fragments of forest that remain also become increasingly vulnerable, sometimes even committed, to extinction. The edges of the fragments dry out and are buffeted by hot winds; mature rainforest trees often die standing at the margins. Cascading changes in the types of trees, plants, and insects that can survive in the fragments rapidly reduces biodiversity in the forest that remains. People may disagree about whether the extinction of other species through human action is an ethical issue, but there is little doubt about the practical problems that extinction poses.
First, global markets consume rainforest products that depend on sustainable harvesting: latex, cork, fruit, nuts, timber, fibers, spices, natural oils and resins, and medicines. In addition, the genetic diversity of tropical forests is basically the deepest end of the planetary gene pool. Hidden in the genes of plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria that have not even been discovered yet may be cures for cancer and other diseases or the key to improving the yield and nutritional quality of foods—which the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization says will be crucial for feeding the nearly ten billion people the Earth will likely need to support in coming decades. Finally, genetic diversity in the planetary gene pool is crucial for the resilience of all life on Earth to rare but catastrophic environmental events, such as meteor impacts or massive, sustained volcanism.

THEY'RE EXTINCT : The Javan Tiger - Panthera tigris sondaica

The oldest tiger fossils from Java date from 1.2 million years ago. This prehistoric tiger, Panthera tigris trinilensis, was found at the locality of Trinil, which also yielded the oldest human remains of the island, the famous Java-man. These tiger fossils are now stored in the Dubois Collection of the National Museum of Natural History in Leiden, the Netherlands. Although these fossils have been found on Java, they probably do not belong to a direct ancestor of the Javan tiger. During the Ice Ages the larger Indonesian islands were regularly connected to the mainland, which allowed faunal exchanges. The last time such immigration occurred was during the late Pleistocene, some 50.000 years ago. Tigers, which probably migrated from China, reached Java again. As the sea level rose, the tiger population became isolated and finally developed into the Javan subspecies. (Van den Hoek Ostende. 1999)

In the early 19th century Javan tigers were so common all over Java, that in some areas they were considered nothing more than pests. As the human population rapid increased, large parts of the island were cultivated, leading inevitably to a severe reduction of their natural habitat. Wherever man moved in, the Javan tigers were ruthlessly hunted down or poisoned. The Javan tiger experienced growing competition for prey species with wild dogs and leopards. Natives carried much of the hunting out, a surprising thing since they considered the tiger a reincarnation of their dead relatives. By 1940, tigers had become restricted to remote mountain ranges and forests. In the mid-1950s only 20-25 Javan tigers remained on Java. During the 1960s the Javan tiger even disappeared from the famous Ujung Kulon reserve on the western tip of Java, where nowadays the last Javan rhinoceroses live. The last stronghold of the Javan tiger was a rugged area in southeastern Java, known as Meru-Betiri, which had become a game reserve in 1972. It was considered this tiger's last chance for survival. However, even it was declared a reserve, the area was under attack by agricultural development. A track count revealed that in 1979 at most three Javan tigers where still living there. The Javan tiger has not been seen or tracked since. The exact time of extinction remains unknown, but this subspecies must have become extinct in the early 1980s. (Van den Hoek Ostende. 1999)

Occasional reports still surface of few tigers to be found in East Java. Meri-Betiri National Park, the least accessible area of the island, is located here and considered the most likely area for any remaining Javan tigers. Despite the continuing claims of sightings it is far more likely that the Javan tiger has become extinct. The 'tigers' are quite likely to be leopards seen from a distance.
Some agencies are carrying out experiments using infrared activated remote cameras in an effort to photograph any tigers. Authorities are even prepared to initiate the move of several thousand natives should tiger protection require this. But until concrete evidence can be produced, the Javan tiger must be considered yet another subspecies of the tiger to be extinct and lost forever.

The Most Sensitive Cabbage

Ozone rarefaction does not only cause global warming. William Manning's research result from University of Massachusetts, USA, shows that ozone rarefaction also disrupts the growth of plants. It is proven from a variety of vegetables that were cultivated in rooms with different ozone level. The thinner the ozone layer, the size, weight, or the amount of biomass that the plants yielded diminish 10—20% on the average. The member of the Family Brassicaceae and Fabaceae are the most sensitive against the diminishing of ozone level on the atmosphere.***

Algae Eliminates Vertigo

The world is not the only thing that goes round. For Rossie, her house ceiling also goes round. The reason is she has suffered from vertigo for 34 years. When her disease relapsed, she would feel dizzy, queasy, and would vomit. The condition got worse with the migraine she had had for the past 50 years. She had taken many medicine to cure her illness, still she had not regained recovery. After consuming 10 tablets of cryptomonadales twice a day, she felt a difference in just 5 days. She felt a lot better and did not relapse too often. Since September 2007 up to now, she has never had vertigo and migraine. Thanks to chlorophyll contained in cryptomonadales that speeds up blood circulation in her head and help to produce red blood cells.***

Black Soybeans Chases Away Free Radicals

All this long, black soybean Glycine soja is marginalized unlike its yellow 'sibling'. Whereas, black soybeans possess more nutrients and antioxidants than yellow soybeans. It also contains anthocyanin that can reach up to 16/ mg per g hull. For that reason, it is potent as antioxidant for bodies. Furthermore, it tastes more deliciously oily. A research proved the ability of black soybean as antioxidant that triggers degenerative diseases such as heart disease, cholesterol, diabetes, and cancer on human bodies.***

Another evidences of Bosnian Pyramids

Bosnian pyramid of Sun – View of the hill Visocica from air taken in 1954

Bosnian pyramid of Sun – View of the hill Visocica from air taken in 2005

NEW PROBE-HOLES, NEW EVIDENCES

The geoarchaelogical drillings in Gornja Vratnica have been completed said yesterday in an interview released to the Newspaper San the founder of the Archaeological Park: Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun Foundation, Mr. Semir Osmanagic. According to Osmanagic, two-years of geoarchaeological research confirmed the existence of two huge structures on that location (Toprakalia and Dolovi) and he recalled the fact that in Gornja Vratnica were discovered the biggest megalithic blocks ever used to built a structure in the whole Balkan Region.

Megatlithic blocks in Gornja Vratnica

A particular appreciation came from a French TV crew who visited the archaeological locations in Visoko these days for the filming of a new documentary movie named ‘All Wonders of the World’. A chapter about the Bosnian pyramids will be included in a list of wonders from all over the world, from China to Egypt, from Mexico to Peru, said Osmanagic. He also said that the geoarchaeological drillings achieved so far confirmed the existence of artificial structures in Gornja Vratnica. At a depth of 54-56 meters (177-183 ft) has been detected a hard layer of concrete supposed to be the foundation of the structure, while on Dolovi elevation were detected several levels of terraces reminding artificial pavements, such data do strongly confirm our presumptions said Osmanagic.

On the Bosnian pyramid of the Moon intensive geoarchaeological work makes emerge new evidence about the artificial nature of the structure. New probe-holes opened during the past days revealed a combination of ancient concrete and sandstone plates and the new excavated sections of the access plateau (measuring now totally 150 x 80 meters (492 x 262 ft)) confirms that we are in front of a massive construction, declared Osmanagic.

Tiles on the plateau of the Bosnian pyramid of the Moon

The coming days, a new series of geoarcheological drillings with a duration of 30 days is also foreseen on the Bosnian pyramid of the Sun, Love and Dragon. The geoarchaeological drillings are necessary to determine the nature and the size of the structures and the Foundation APBPS will try obtain more clues and informations about the original builders of the pyramids by studying the signs on the megalithic blocks discovered inside Ravne tunnel system, while all new results and evidence will be presented during the coming ICBP 2008 to be held in August in Sarajevo, said Osmanagic.

Entrance in the underground complex of tunnels build by men, which connects the Pyramid of Sun with other ceremonial objects in the Visoko valley

Stone tiles seen on the plateau leading to the Pyramid of the Sun

RARE ANIMAL : A Snake-Like Lizard

A legless lizard Lialis burtoni originated from Papua has a body like a snake. Just like the name, despite of its long body that can reach 1 m, this nutbrown-patterned lizard with dark brown lines all over its body does not have leg. Normally, a snake head is blunt at the end and bigger than the lower part of the head, a legless lizard has a pointed head. Another distinctive feature is that the lizard has eye lids and ear holes unlike snake.***

Anti-cholesterol Chocolate

Chocolate is often accused to heap cholesterol up inside body. However, the accusation is contradict against a research result of Prof John Erdman from the University of Illinois, USA. He proves that chocolate is in fact rich in flavonoids that is effective to decrease body weight and also the amount of bad cholesterol or low density lipoprotein (LDL). His research involved 49 patients who had high cholesterol and normal blood pressure. After a week consuming 100 gram of chocolate bars every day, total cholesterol content of all the patients decreased 2% and LDL was decreased to 3,5%.***

Ultimate survey : 33% of Consumers Want to Buy Greener Electronics

According to Environmental Leader, via the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), thirty-three percent of consumers plan to buy greener gadgets over the next two years. The report is based on an online survey of over 900 adults. I wonder if any of them are mayors?

The report shows that women are out-greening men, and that being eco-friendly is as important as cost. The report also finds that 89 percent of people want their next TV to be more energy efficient.

One interesting find is that consumers desire an easier way to determine if products are certifiably green. Well, if you’re not finding the green gadget you want, create your own: Green Gadget Design Contest Offers $3K Grand Prize.

From Environmental Leader:

Awareness
+ Familiarity with established terms is high: recyclable is 86%, but carbon footprint 33%.
+ Awareness of green logos follows a similar pattern. 82% percent of online adults recognize the Energy Star logo.
+ Consumers are most familiar with the household products category, the food category, and the vehicle category.
+ Awareness of appliances with green attributes tops awareness of computers with similar attributes (50% vs. 17%).

Green Behaviors
+ Does heightened green awareness translate to a higher level of engagement in green behaviors? In some cases yes.
+ For example, 87% of consumers say they turn room lights off when not in use, while 62% say they recycle household trash.
+ Women tend to be more green than men.
+ For a basket of CE products (TVs, computers, phones, VCRs), consumers report a 26% increase in recycling.
+ The teenage segment of the population exhibits very few green behaviors.
+ Fifty-five percent of consumers consider themselves to be environmentally conscious.
+ 74% believe companies should do more, but only 53% think their personal actions have a impact.
+ Over half of consumers plan to engage in more environmentally friendly behaviors over the next 12 months.
+ When asked why go green: ‘it’s the right thing to do,’(69%) followed by ‘saving money.’(63%)
+ Those that haven’t or won’t engage in green behaviors cite cost.

Green Confusion and Suspicions
+ Suspicions and confusion of green claims do exist. .
+ Sixty-five percent of consumers think some companies are greenwashing.
+ The data suggests males are more suspicious.

Green as a Product Attribute
+ Cars top the list of products for greening. Seventy-three percent feel it is important for cars to have environmentally friendly attributes.
+ 57% of consumers indicated that the environmentally friendly attributes of a product will be important to their next purchase decision.

Green CE Defined
+ Top five green attributes: recyclable packaging (68%), recyclable product (64%), energy efficient product (62%), packaging made with recycled materials (57%) and biodegradable packaging (53%).

Green Positioning
+ Consumers want an easy way to determine if and why a product is green.
+ Logos and descriptions are cited as desired vehicles for establishing green credentials.

Future Outlook
+ About one-third of consumers expect to make some type of green CE purchase over the next 12 months.

Green Fuel : Ethanol from Cellulosic Biomass

Cellulosic EthanolOne of the barriers to the production of ethanol from cellulosic biomass is the toughness of the cellulosic structure, and its resistance to chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis and insolubility in most solvents. Accordingly, pre-treatment such as steam explosion to break down the structure is a necessary first step.

Now, researchers at the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology have discovered that cellulose undergoes a transformation from a crystalline form to an amorphous gel-like one very similar to a starch gel in water at high temperature (320° C) and pressure 25 (MPa).

Starch forms a gel when heated in water to around 70° C. Gelatinization is a key step in the conversion of starch to glucose, which is then fermented to create ethanol.

Up to now, it had been thought that cellulose could not gelatinize, because its crystalline structure is more stable than that of starch.

Next steps in developing the process would be to attempt it with production-grade biomass waste, and to devise a mechanism for the transformation under milder conditions.

Pest predator : Flawless Soybean

Among 3 pests of legumes, bean bug Riptortus linearis is the most dangerous because it can bring about up to 79% of yield loss. The strategy to overcome the attack is by unleashing Oxyopes javanus, a natural enemy of pests. According to Yusmani Prayogo, a researcher at the Indonesia Research Institute of Legume and Tuber Crops, the imago or adult insect of lynx spider Oxyopes javanus that is native to Mojokerto (East Java) preys on 3 bean bugs every day. ***

Consumes Higher Vitamin C everyday !

The size of organic orange may be smaller than orange cultivated in conventional way. Nevertheless, Theo Clarak's researched has succeeded to prove that the vitamin C content of organic orange is 30% more than conventional orange. The vitamin C content of one organic orange on the average is 78 mg. The vitamin C needs of adult is up to 60—70 mg per day. For smokers, the vitamin C needs reaches 100 mg. By consuming an organic orange, the needs can be fulfilled.***

Paddy research : Protect Against Arsenic Contamination

Arsenic contamination on paddy becomes a bugaboo for several producer countries. Arsenic is highly poisonous and carcinogenic by nature or in other words the cause of cancer. Contamination comes from irrigation water that is polluted by hazardous heavy metal. A research result of Gerd Bienert and his associates in the University of Copenhangen, Denmark and University of Gothenburg, Sweden, found that contamination can be prevented by using seeds that have been inserted with nodulin26-like intrinsic protein (NIPs) into paddy gen. The protein functions to capture and transport arsenic, then excrete it through plant excretion.***

Caution : Washing is not Enough

A research result of Brendan A Niemira from American Chemical Society, shows that washing vegetables prior to be cooked is not enough. Washing the vegetables will only clean up poison from the bacteria on the surface of fruit or leaves. He suggests to radiate vegetables with electro fire. Radiation is able to disarrange living cell genetic, deactivate parasite, and wither patogen and other microbe. The research is being studied further by U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).***

Healthy way : Apple for Anticancer

If you want to stay away from cancer, eat apple every day. The verification had been conducted by Rui Hai Liu from Institute of Toxicology, Cornell University, USA. A mice that suffered from breast tumor, the amount and size of the tumor cell was drastically decrease thanks to consuming an apple every day. For application on human, Riu suggested to consume a minimum 5 apples every day to impede the malignant disease. The efficacy is on account that an apple contains 230 kinds of active compounds including flavonoid and phenolic acid, cancer inhibitor compound.***

Healthy way : Keeping Fetus Away from Asthma

While in a pregnancy, a mother need to consume apple and fish so that the new born baby will not be susceptible against asthma and other respiratory allergic. It is proven by Saskia Willers, from Utrecht University, Netherlands. His research involved 1.212 children age 5 year old from mothers that consumed apple and fish while they were pregnant. The result shows that not one of those children were infected by asthma or respiratory allergic. The reason is because apple flavonoid compound and fish omega 3 compound is able to forestall the cause of respiratory disease against fetus.***