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Cari Uang di Internet dengan Affiliate Program

2009-05-12T14:53:00.007+07:00

What is Affiliate Program?

Affiliate program sering juga disebut sebagi associate program atau reseller program. Program ini memberikan bayaran kepada anggotanya karena memberikan klien kepada perusahan pemilik affiliate program tersebut.

Bila anda bergabung dalam affiliate program salah satu website tertentu maka anda akan memperoleh ID dan link / URL khusus untuk anda. Anda tinggal meletakkan link tersebut pada website atau blog anda, maka setiap kali pengunjung meng-klik link tersebut maka pengunjung akan dibawa ke website pemilik affiliate. Anda akan akan mendapatkan bayaran / komisi jika pengunjung itu membeli produk yang ditawarkan di website tersebut. Bahkan beberapa program afiliasi memberikan account awal kepada setiap pendaftar antara $5 s/d 20$. Tentunya jika website atau blog anda mempunyai konten yang menarik, maka kemungkinan anda akan mendapatkan profit akan lebih besar.

Anda tidak perlu membuat website berbayar untuk mengikuti program ini. Cukup dengan membuat blog (gratis) yang banyak disediakan oleh situs-situs internet (contohnya www.blogger.com). Dengan kemajuan teknologi sekarang, anda bisa membuat website tanpa harus menguasai kode-kode HTML yang rumit. Belajarnya pun bisa secara online, karena banyak sekali blog-blog yang berisi cara langkah-langkah membuat blog yang bagus. So...anda bisa belajar kapanpun anda suka dan dimanapun anda berada.

Tren bisnis yang satu ini sangat sesuai buat anda yang masih berstatus karyawan, karena tidak mengganggu rutinitas kerja kantor. Atau buat pemula yang ingin coba-coba berbisnis karena modal dan resiko bisnis yang sangat kecil.

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www.123CashFormula.com

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www.EasyCashBlogging.com

www.GenuineIncomeStreams.com

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www.MembersMakeMoney.com

www.UndergroundAffiliateSecrets.com

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New sweetener not so sweet for your diet

2009-05-04T18:06:00.002+07:00

Is stevia, an extract 300 times more potent than sugar, the no-fat, no-calorie "natural" sweetener that soda and juice lovers have been thirsting for?

Since the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of rebaudioside A (Reb A) as a general purpose sweetener in December, major beverage marketers have been rushing new stevia-infused drinks into stores. Coca-Cola is using the stevia-derived sweetener Truvia in two of its Odwalla juice drinks and in the new Sprite Green. PepsiCo added its version of stevia to Sobe Lifewater drinks and has launched a new Tropicana orange juice, Trop50, containing 50 percent less sugar and calories.

The sweetener, which manufacturers claim is natural because it’s derived from the leaf of a South American shrub, has been used for years as a commercial sweetener in Japan and other Asian countries. It’s too soon to know whether American consumers will lap up its slightly licorice-y flavor, but nutritionists are already weighing in with their own verdict: Stevia is no risk-free holy grail for dieters.

calories we guzzle each day. A recent study by researchers at Louisiana State University's School of Public Health found that liquid calories are a bigger problem than food when it comes to weight gain, and that sugar-sweetened beverages are the main culprit. What's worse, Americans consume an average of 20 teaspoons of added sugars a day, about twice as much as recommended, according to government reports.

But so far, there’s nothing to distinguish stevia from other sugar substitutes on the market, despite its boast about being natural, nutrition experts say. Stevia may have no calories, but you shouldn't make it a regular dietary staple, says New York City-based nutritionist Keri Gans, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

“Given our nation’s problem with obesity, stevia and other artificial sweeteners have a place for people who consume more calories than they should from sweets,” says Gans. “But artificial sweeteners should not take over your diet because that means you’re eating way too many processed foods.”

Back to nature?
Marketers counter that that stevia is as natural as sugar, despite a “purification” process that modifies the plant extract.

“Truvia is still all natural,” says Coca-Cola spokesman Ray Crockett. “It’s the same process cane sugar goes through.”

The new stevia extract is the only widely marketed sugar substitute derived from a shrub. Other commonly used sweeteners aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal) and saccharin were developed artificially in labs. Sucralose (Splenda) is derived from sugar but is processed with chlorinated chemicals.

Just as cancer concerns have dogged the artificial sweeteners aspartame and saccharin, some researchers worry about stevia. In fact, the FDA rejected stevia petitions in the 1990s after research linked the plant with infertility in rats and cancer in the lab. The agency says the currently marketed reformulation, Reb A, is “generally recognized as safe.”

Chemistry researcher John Pezzuto isn’t convinced. He cites a study he conducted that suggests a certain strain of stevia can mutate DNA, a possible cancer risk.

“Given that there’s the potential for a mutagenic response, why take the risk with stevia?” asks Pezzuto, dean of the University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Pharmacy. “I will not be consuming any myself.”

However, another researcher, genetic toxicologist David Brusick dismisses Pezzuto’s findings.

“That was an in vitro test, done out of the mainstream of tests,” says Brusick, an independent consultant formerly with biopharmaceutical drug development company Covance Laboratories in Vienna, Va. “Studies in animals and people have found no such mutagenic effects.”

Brusick reached his conclusions after reviewing studies for the FDA’s stevia approval. Stevia-associated companies had hired him to conduct the evaluation.

Sticky problem with sweeteners
While nothing's been proved as far as cancer risks, there's a more immediate catch when it comes to stevia. Critics wonder whether it may also stoke hunger, just like other artificial sweeteners.

Studies indicate that consuming something with a sweet taste primes the body for a calorie delivery that doesn’t happen. As a result eaters seek more sweets to satisfy the body's cravings. Recent research also found that sucralose may alter people’s gut bugs in ways that promote weight gain.

None of these metabolic questions have yet been explored with stevia, according to experts.

While rats only develop such problems after ingesting large quantities of these sweeteners, it's not unexpected that at least some people would overindulge with with stevia-sweetened products, notes Orlando-based nutritionist Tara Gidus, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

Fat-fighting snacks to control your blood sugar

2009-05-04T17:07:00.005+07:00

At its core, diabetes is about blood sugar — or, more precisely, badly behaved blood sugar. The kind that likes to soar high and then plunge low, like an amusement-park roller coaster, except the ride is no fun, because it leaves you tired and mentally fuzzy and maybe just a little cranky.

Diabetes also plays games with your weight. You see, high blood sugar is a hallmark of insulin resistance, in which insulin can’t do its job of escorting blood sugar into cells. Insulin resistance is a common precursor to diabetes. It also can make weight loss that much harder.

Insulin is the hormone that escorts glucose — blood sugar — out of your bloodstream and into cells, where it’s turned into energy. When insulin does its job, it keeps a tight rein on blood sugar, which means fewer peaks and valleys. Instead, your blood sugar stays on an even keel — and pounds melt away faster and easier.

There are steps you can take to reverse the sugar cycle. Simply replace foods that drive up blood sugar with more healthful meals and snacks that help keep it in check. It's all about eating the right foods (delicious and nutritious) in the right portions (smaller and more filling) at the right times (3 meals and 2 snacks a day).

Strawberry frozen yogurt

You'll never miss ice cream again. Easy-to-store frozen strawberries burst with taste and bring a dose of fiber to this cold and creamy homemade dessert. It's ready to eat in 5 minutes and tastes as delicious as it looks!

Serves: 1; Serving = 1 bowl
Prep: 5 min
Total: 5 min

Ingredients:
3/4 c loose-pack frozen strawberries
1/3 c low-fat plain yogurt
2 tsp honey

Directions:
1. On a work surface, carefully cut the strawberries into chunks with a serrated knife. Place them in a blender or the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse 10 times to finely chop.

2. Add the yogurt and honey. Process, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until smooth. (Tiny chunks of berry can remain for texture).

3. Serve immediately.

Nutritional summary:
Calories: 151
Carbohydrates (grams): 32
Calcium (milliggrams): 161
Fiber(g): 4
Omega-3 (g): 0.04
Vitamin D (IU): 0

Spiced nut clusters

Find a new favorite combo when you mix walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and cranberries with an array of spices. Honey holds the ingredients together and naturally sweetens this snack without spiking your blood sugar. Chewy and delicious!

Serves: 8; Serving = 2 clusters
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 20 min
Cook: 30 min

Total: 1 hr

Ingredients:
1 large omega-3-enriched egg white
1 Tbsp honey
1 c walnuts
1/2 c raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1/3 c dried cranberries
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cardamom

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg white and honey. Add the walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and cranberries. Sprinkle with the cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom and toss to coat well.

3. Drop by 1/8-cup measures on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until browned.

4. Let stand on a rack for about 30 minutes, or until completely cooled.

Nutritional summary:
Calories: 91
Carbohydrates (g): 5
Calcium (mg): 11
Fiber(g): 1
Omega-3(g): 0.6
Vitamin D (IU): 0

Orange frappé

Swap in a new afternoon pick-me-up that won't skyrocket your blood sugar — or widen your waistline. Reduced-fat ricotta cheese is the secret ingredient in this creamy, calcium-rich dessert.

Serves: 1; Serving = 1 bowl
Prep: 5 min
Total: 5 min

Ingredients:
1/4 c reduced-fat ricotta cheese
1 tsp nonfat dry milk
1 1/2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp orange zest
1/4 c sliced strawberries, fresh, or frozen loose-pack, partially thawed

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine the cheese, dry milk, honey, and zest. Stir briskly until very smooth.

2. Top with the strawberries.

Nutritional summary:
Calories: 137
Carbohydrates (g): 16
Calcium (mg): 196
Fiber(g): 1
Omega-3 (g): 0.07
Vitamin D (IU): 0

Peanut butter chocolate-chip bar

A diet with chocolate chip cookies? You bet. Omega-3-enriched peanut butter and whole wheat flour are the secret ingredients that keep this treat healthy -- but your taste buds will never know the difference!

Serves: 16; Serving = 1 bar
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 40 min

Ingredients:
3/4 c white whole wheat flour (such as King Arthur) or whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 c omega-3-enriched peanut butter
1/3 c Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
1 omega-3-enriched egg, beaten
1/2 c fat-free milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c bittersweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8" x 8" baking dish with cooking spray.

2. On a large sheet of waxed paper, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a fork.

3. In a mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, sugar, and egg. Stir vigorously until creamy. Add the milk and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Add the flour mixture, stirring until well combined. Stir in the chips.

4. Dollop the dough into the baking dish and pat the top to smooth. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until slightly puffy and very lightly browned at the edges. Remove and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting. Store at room temperature, tightly covered with foil.

Nutritional summary:
Calories: 137
Carbohydrates (g): 12
Calcium(mg): 10
Fiber(g): 1
Omega-3(g): 0.4
Vitamin D (IU): 4

Wasabi salmon bites

Add some spice to your snack! Here, wasabi paste perks up canned salmon, which packs a healthy serving of omega-3s, one of DTOUR's Fat-Fighting 4 supernutrients. Mini filo shells cradle the tasty mixture and bring a satisfying crunch to each bite.

Serves: 5; Serving = 3 bites
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 7 min
Total: 17 min

Ingredients:
1 can or pouch (6–7 1/2 oz) pink or red salmon, drained and chunked
4 oz neufchâtel light cream cheese, softened
4 scallions, finely chopped
2 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp wasabi paste
1 box (1.9 oz) mini filo shells

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a medium bowl, mash the salmon, cream cheese, scallions, soy sauce, vinegar, and wasabi paste to taste.

3. Fill each shell with one heaping Tbsp of the mixture and place shells on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the filling is hot. Serve immediately.

Recipe tip:
The salmon mixture can be prepared ahead of time for a last-minute snack. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, then simply spoon it into the shells and bake as directed.

Nutritional summary:
Calories: 197
Carbohydrates (g): 11
Calcium (mg): 27
Fiber (g): 0
Omega-3 (g): 0.35
Vitamin D (IU): 0

Butterscotch pudding

A spoonful of this cool and creamy treat brightens any day -- without spiking your blood sugar. Fat-free milk slims down and adds calcium to this classic dessert, while omega-3-enriched egg adds supernutrients you need to stay healthy.

Serves: 4; Serving = 1/4 recipe
Prep: 5 min
Cook: 5 min
Total: 10 min

Ingredients
2 Tbsp nonfat dry milk
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 c Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
1 c (12 oz) fat-free evaporated milk
1 omega-3-enriched egg, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
fat-free whipped topping

Directions
1. In a saucepan, whisk the dry milk, cornstarch, and sugar. While whisking constantly, gradually add the evaporated milk and egg. Set pan over medium-high heat. Cook, whisking constantly, for 5 minutes, or until thickened. Remove
from the heat.

2. Whisk in the vanilla. Cool to room temperature. Top each serving with a dollop of whipped topping.

Recipe tip:
This pudding can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Nutritional summary:
Calories: 173
Carbohydrates (g): 28
Calcium (mg): 248
Fiber (g): 0
Omega-3 (g): 0.03
Vitamin D (IU): 68

Spinach artichoke dip

Keep your favorite dip on the menu. Our DTOUR version maintains the rich flavor you crave, but keeps it low fat with surprising ingredients like tofu and light cream cheese.

Serves: 8; Serving = 1/8 recipe
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 20 min

Total: 40 min

Ingredients:
1 package (1 lb) light silken tofu, drained
1 package (8 oz) neufchâtel light cream cheese
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, halved
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 package (9 oz) frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and finely chopped
1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 1 1/2- or 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Place the tofu, cream cheese, 1/4 c of the Parmesan cheese, garlic, and mustard in a blender or food processor. Puree, pushing mixture toward blade to start, until smooth.

3. Place the artichoke hearts and spinach in a medium bowl. Add the tofu mixture and toss to coat. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Top with the remaining 1/4 c Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbling hot.

4. Serve with pita wedges and assorted veggies, such as celery sticks, carrot sticks, jicama sticks, and sliced bell peppers.

Nutritional summary:
Calories: 127
Carbohydrates (g): 7
Calcium (mg): 382
Fiber(g): 2
Omega-3 (g): 0.01
Vitamin D (IU): 0

Maple raisin yogurt with toasted walnuts

Turn your standard yogurt snack into rich, flavorful dessert. Naturally sweet maple syrup transforms this dish from ho-hum to must-have without sending your blood sugar soaring.

Serves: 1; Serving = 1 bowl
Prep: 10 min
Total: 10 min

Ingredients:
2 tsp finely chopped walnuts
1/3 c fat-free plain yogurt
1 1/2 Tbsp nonfat dry milk
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp finely chopped raisins

Directions:
1. Place the walnuts in a small skillet. Toast over medium-high heat, tossing often, until crisp and fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a dish and set aside.

2. In a bowl, combine the yogurt and dry milk. Stir to mix well. Drizzle with the syrup. Sprinkle on the walnuts and raisins.

3. Serve immediately.

Nutritional summary:
Calories: 114
Carbohydrates (g): 17
Calcium (mg): 196
Fiber (g): 0
Omega-3 (g): 0.04
Vitamin D (IU): 27

Fudgy chocolate brownies

Can you believe brownies can be blood sugar-friendly? Amazing but true! Moist, blissful bites are made healthier with unsweetened, antioxidant-rich cocoa powder and omega-3-enriched eggs. It's a well-earned reward for your goal to conquer diabetes.

Serves: 32; Serving = 1 brownie
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 30 min
Stand: 15 min

Total: 1 hour

Ingredients:
1 c butter, softened
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
4 large omega-3-enriched eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 c flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c walnuts, chopped

Frosting:
1 c confectioners’ sugar
1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 Tbsp butter, softened
2 Tbsp low-fat milk

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 13" x 9" foil-lined baking pan with cooking spray.

2. Cream the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

3. Sift the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add to the butter mixture and beat until smooth. Fold in the walnuts.

4. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and place it on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool from hot to slightly warm.

5. Beat the frosting ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth. Spread over the slightly warm brownies. Cut into 32 squares once the frosting is set.

Nutritional summary:
Calories: 164
Carbohydrates (g): 19
Calcium(mg): 22
Fiber(g): 1
Omega-3 (g): 0.36
Vitamin D (IU): 0

Source: Prevention magazine

Dieters’ best intentions hijacked by their brains

2009-05-04T17:04:00.000+07:00

Not apples or carrots. The scientist who once led the government's attack on addictive cigarettes can't wander through part of San Francisco without craving a local shop's chocolate-covered pretzels. Stop at one cookie? Rarely.

It's not an addiction but it's similar, and he's far from alone. Kessler's research suggests millions share what he calls "conditioned hypereating" — a willpower-sapping drive to eat high-fat, high-sugar foods even when they're not hungry.

In a book being published next week, the former Food and Drug Administration chief brings to consumers the disturbing conclusion of numerous brain studies: Some people really do have a harder time resisting bad foods. It's a new way of looking at the obesity epidemic that could help spur fledgling movements to reveal calories on restaurant menus or rein in portion sizes.

"The food industry has figured out what works. They know what drives people to keep on eating," Kessler tells The Associated Press. "It's the next great public health campaign, of changing how we view food, and the food industry has to be part of it."

He calls the culprits foods "layered and loaded" with combinations of fat, sugar and salt — and often so processed that you don't even have to chew much.

Overeaters must take responsibility, too, and basically retrain their brains to resist the lure, he cautions.

"I have suits in every size," Kessler writes in "The End of Overeating." But, "once you know what's driving your behavior, you can put steps into place" to change it.

Jonesing for junk food

At issue is how the brain becomes primed by different stimuli. Neuroscientists increasingly report that fat-and-sugar combinations in particular light up the brain's dopamine pathway — its pleasure-sensing spot — the same pathway that conditions people to alcohol or drugs.

Where did you experience the yum factor? That's the cue, sparking the brain to say, "I want that again!" as you drive by a restaurant or plop before the TV.

"You're not even aware you've learned this," says Dr. Nora Volkow, chief of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and a dopamine authority who has long studied similarities between drug addiction and obesity.

Volkow is a confessed chocoholic who salivates just walking past her laboratory's vending machine. "You have to fight it and fight it," she said.

Conditioning isn't always to blame. Numerous factors, including physical activity, metabolism and hormones, play a role in obesity.

And the food industry points out that increasingly stores and restaurants are giving consumers healthier choices, from allowing substitutions of fruit for french fries to selling packaged foods with less fat and salt.

Why is it so hard to say no?

But Kessler, now at the University of California, San Francisco, gathered colleagues to help build on that science and learn why some people have such a hard time choosing healthier:
First, the team found that even well-fed rats will work increasingly hard for sips of a vanilla milkshake with the right fat-sugar combo but that adding sugar steadily increases consumption. Many low-fat foods substitute sugar for the removed fat, doing nothing to help dieters eat less, Kessler and University of Washington researchers concluded.
Then Kessler culled data from a major study on food habits and health. Conditioned hypereaters reported feeling loss of control over food, a lack of satiety, and were preoccupied by food. Some 42 percent of them were obese compared to 18 percent without those behaviors, says Kessler, who estimates that up to 70 million people have some degree of conditioned hypereating.
Finally, Yale University neuroscientist Dana Small had hypereaters smell chocolate and taste a chocolate milkshake inside a brain-scanning MRI machine. Rather than getting used to the aroma, as is normal, hypereaters found the smell more tantalizing with time. And drinking the milkshake didn't satisfy. The reward-anticipating region of their brains stayed switched on, so that another brain area couldn't say, "Enough!"

7 Ways to Beat Stress and Fight Fat

2009-05-04T16:48:00.003+07:00

Introduction

For most of us, stress is a fact of life. Unfortunately, recent research reveals that it's also a fact of fat. "Even if you usually eat healthfully and exercise, chronic high stress can prevent you from losing weight — or even add pounds," says Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, a Prevention adviser and the author of "Body for Life for Women."

Here's what happens: Your body responds to all stress — physical or psychological — in exactly the same way. So every time you have a stressful day, your brain acts as though you're in physical danger and instructs your cells to release potent hormones. You get a burst of adrenaline, which taps stored energy so you can fight or flee. At the same time, you get a surge of cortisol, which tells your body to replenish that energy even though you haven't used very many calories in your stressed-out state. This can make you hungry ... very hungry. And your body keeps on pumping out that cortisol as long as the stress continues.

Sadly, few of us reach for carrot sticks in these situations. "Instead, we crave sweet, salty, and high-fat foods because they stimulate the brain to release pleasure chemicals that actually do reduce tension," explains Elissa Epel, PhD, a researcher on stress eating at the University of California, San Francisco. This soothing effect becomes addicting, so every time you're anxious, you reach for fattening foods.

In addition, with your adrenal glands pumping out cortisol, production of the muscle-building hormone testosterone slows down. "Over time, this drop causes a decrease in your muscle mass, so you burn fewer calories," explains Shawn Talbott, PhD, author of "The Cortisol Connection." "This occurs naturally as you age, but high cortisol levels accelerate the process."

Cortisol also encourages your body to store fat — especially visceral fat, which is particularly dangerous because it surrounds vital organs and releases fatty acids into your blood, raising cholesterol and insulin levels and paving the way for heart disease and diabetes.

Obviously, getting rid of all anxiety isn't an option. But by taking these seven steps to beat stress, you can get your cortisol levels and your weight under control, and improve your overall health at the same time.

Drop and do 10

That's right, power out some push-ups. "Moving your muscles is an effective, instant stress reliever. It actually fools your body into thinking you're escaping the source of your stress," says Talbott. "Exercise makes your blood circulate more quickly, transporting the cortisol to your kidneys and flushing it out of your system." But if push-ups aren't practical, just flexing your hands or calf muscles will help move cortisol along, he says. Even taking a stroll on your lunch break is beneficial. In one study, Talbott found that 18 minutes of walking 3 times per week can quickly lower the hormone's levels by 15 percent.

Go slowly at meals

Under stress, we tend to scarf down even healthy food, and research has linked this behavior to bigger portions and more belly fat. But Epel hypothesizes that slowing down, savoring each bite, and paying attention to feelings of fullness may lower cortisol levels along with decreasing the amount of food you eat, thereby shifting the distribution of fat away from the belly.

Stop strict dieting

It's ironic, but research shows that constant dieting can make cortisol levels rise as much as 18 percent.

In addition, when your cortisol levels spike, your blood sugar goes haywire, first rising, then plummeting. This makes you cranky and (you guessed it) ravenous. When your brain is deprived of sugar — its main fuel — self-control takes a nosedive, and your willpower doesn't stand a chance. "The only way around this is to stop rigid dieting," advises Peeke. She suggests eating three healthful meals and two snacks spaced evenly throughout the day so that your blood sugar stays level: "You won't be hungry, you won't be stressed about being hungry, and you'll still drop the extra pounds."

Give in to cravings

When stress drives you toward something sweet or salty, it's okay to yield a little. "It's much better to indulge in a small way and cut off your cortisol response before it gets out of control," says Epel. "Have a piece of chocolate. You will feel better. Just stop at one." If you have trouble restraining yourself, take precautions so you won't binge. Buy a single cookie when you're out instead of keeping a box at home; or keep them in the freezer so you have to wait for one to defrost.

Curtail caffeine

Next time you're under duress, choose decaf.

When you combine stress with caffeine, it raises cortisol levels more than stress alone. In one study by the University of Oklahoma, consuming the equivalent of 2 1/2 to 3 cups of coffee while under mild stress boosted cortisol by about 25 percent — and kept it up for 3 hours. When subjects took 600 mg of caffeine (the equivalent of 6 cups of java) throughout the day, the hormone went up by 30% and stayed high all day long. You'll experience these effects even if your body is accustomed to a lot of lattes. And because high cortisol levels can contribute to stress eating, you might want to consider quitting caffeine altogether

De-stress breakfast

Deficiencies in B vitamins, vitamin C, calcium, and magnesium are stressful to your body, leading to increased cortisol levels and food cravings, says Talbott. But you can fight back by eating a breakfast that's high in these nutrients. He suggests some OJ, a grapefruit, or a large handful of strawberries to supply vitamin C; 6 to 8 ounces of low-fat yogurt, which contains calcium and magnesium; and a whole grain bagel or toast with peanut butter. Whole grains are bursting with B vitamins, while peanut butter contains fatty acids that can decrease the production of stress hormones.

Sleep it off

The most effective stress-reduction strategy of all: Get enough shut-eye. "Your body perceives sleep deprivation as a major stressor," says Talbott. A University of Chicago study found that getting an average of six 1/2 hours each night can increase cortisol, appetite, and weight gain. The National Sleep Foundation recommends seven to nine hours. As if that weren't enough, other research shows that lack of sleep also raises levels of ghrelin, a hunger-boosting hormone. In one study, appetite — particularly for sweet and salty foods — increased by 23 percent in people who lacked sleep. The good news: A few nights of solid sleep can bring all this back into balance, and getting enough regularly helps keep it there. Says Talbott, "You'll eat less, and you'll feel better, too."

What is "DIET"

2009-05-04T16:42:00.006+07:00

Diet, in relation to food, might mean:
- Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group.
- Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake.
- Diet food, foods that aid in dieting
- Cuisine, the diet of a particular culture

Diet may also mean:

- Diet (assembly), formal deliberative assembly
- The Imperial Diet: (German: Reichstag) the imperial assembly of the princes of the Holy Roman Empire until 1806
- The Diet of the Empire: (German: Reichstag) legislative assembly of the German Empire 1871–1917
- The Federal Diet: (literally for German: Deutscher Bundestag) federal parliament of Germany
- State Diet: (literally for German: Landtag) state parliament of most of the German federated states
- Diet of Finland: the legislative assembly of the Grand Duchy of Finland from 1809 to 1906
- Diet of Japan: Japan's legislature
- Diet (Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode): an episode of the animated series Aqua Teen Hunger Force.
- Dietsch: distinguishes the southern dialects in the Middle Dutch language

Padi Supertoy

2008-09-10T10:35:00.003+07:00

Supertoy HL2

Supertoy terdiri dari 2 kata, yaitu “super” dan “toy”. Ini bisa diartikan menjadi beberapa makna. Super artinya hebat, karena katanya bisa dipanen tiga kali dalam sekali tanam, dan Toy adalah kependekan dari “Toyong”, nama penemunya, Supriyadi alias Toyong.
Namu sepertinya sekarang ini artinya beralih menjadi seperti berikut :
Super artinya tetap hebat, toy artinya mainan. Jadi bisa diartikan mainan/tiruan yang hebat sehingga banyak orang tertipu, bahkan SBY sekalipun.

Supertoy HL2 yang heboh dikembangkan PT Sarana Harapan Indopangan - dengan komisaris Heru Lelono - disebut padi varietas unggul. Keunggulannya, sekali tanam, bisa langsung panen 3 kali. Setelah ditebas pada panen pertama, sisa tebasannya akan tumbuh lagi menjadi bulir-bulir padi yang nantinya siap panen lagi. Berdasarkan pengalaman uji coba sebelumnya, panen pertama setelah tanaman berusia 105 hari sebanyak 14,6 ton per hektare. Panen kedua 96 hari sebanyak 19 ton per hektare dan panen ketiga selama 90 hari sebanyak 11,2 ton per hektare. Produktifitas supertoy yang tinggi itu diharapkan mampu meningkatkan penghasilan para petani.

Balai Pengkajian Teknologi Pertanian (BPTP) Yogyakarta telah melakukan uji tanam padi Super Toy di Desa Muruh Kecamatan Gantiwarno, Klaten. Hasilnya hanya 7,3 ton/hektar. Padahal sebelumnya digembar-gemborkan padi jenis ini bisa menghasilkan 12 ton/hektar. Hasil percobaan di Muruh, Gantiwarno di bawah tim peneliti Rob Mujisihono di lahan milik Sumarno, pada panen 30 Agustus 2008 produksi mencapai 7,3 ton per hektar gabah kering panen. Belum ada produksi yang melebihi dari jumlah itu. Masa tanam Supertoy 150 hari dengan tinggi tanaman rata-rata 150 cm. Bibit yang ditanam itu juga sama dengan yang ada di Grabag, Purworejo.

Penelitian BPTP Yogyakarta ini berawal dari kedatangan 2 orang staf Tuyung tanpa Tuyung Supriyadi ke kantor BPTP Yogyakarta pada pertengahan bulan Maret 2008. Mereka menyatakan telah menemukan padi kualitas tinggi Super Toy. Karena di Yogya sedang dicanangkan Jogya Seed Center (JSC) untuk menjadi pusat perbenihan, hal itu disambut positif. Kemudian melakukan riset di beberapa tempat untuk uji multi lokasi di DIY dan sekitarnya. Ini sangat penting karena karakteristik tiap-tiap daerah tanahnya berbeda-beda. Kemudian direncanakan dilakukan riset di Desa Grabag Purworejo dan Dusun Nglobang Desa Mlilir, juga dilakukan percobaan penanaman Super Toy di Klaten dan Bantul. Tujuannya untuk mengetahui kebenaran hal tersebut dan sebagai bahan laporan ke Balai Besar Pertanian dan Menteri Pertanian di Jakarta. Lahan pertanian seluas 103 hektar di Desa Grabag digunakan untuk ujicoba penanaman Supertoy. Ujicoba di Desa Grabag merupakan kerjasama PT Sarana Harapan Indopangan (SHI), Gerakan Indonesia Bersatu (GIB), dan 400-500 petani Grabag dengan kelompok taninya dan tidak menggunakan dana APBN atau APBD, melainkan dana dari petani. PT SHI menyediakan seluruh kebutuhan benih, sarana produksi dan pinjaman untuk ongkos pengolahan lahan. Nantinya hasil panen dijual kepada PT SHI dengan harga patokan HPP pemerintah. PT SHI juga akan menanggung jika gagal panen.

Hasil penelitian oleh BPTP Yogyakarta mengungkapkan bahwa padi Supertoy HL2 bukan padi varietas unggul baru, tapi jenis unggul lokal. Padi ini ternyata mirip dengan jenis Rajalele yang banyak di tanam warga Delanggu, Klaten Jawa Tengah atau yang ditanam di beberapa daerah di Yogyakarta. Hasil penelitian di Grabag Purworejo dan Delopo Madiun, keduanya nampak sama secara fisik. Bentuk padi Supertoy HL2 dengan Rajalele yang diteliti dan dimiliki Balai Pengkajian Teknologi Pertanian Yogyakarta, keduanya sama atau identik. Peneliti Balai Pengkajian Teknologi Pertanian (BPTP) Yogyakarta, Rob Muji Sihono yang meneliti menegaskan bahwa Supertoy HL2 dan Rajalele adalah sama bukan varietas baru. Hasil riset BPPT Yogyakarta di Purworejo mengenai Super Toy tersebut sudah diterima Menteri Pertanian sebelum Presiden SBY datang ke Purworejo baik riset di Grabag maupun Delopo.

Hasil panen petani di Desa Grabag Purworejo dan Desa Delopo Madiun menunjukkan bahwa padi Supertoy hanya dapat dipanen 1 kali saja, dan pada panen yang kedua hasilnya adalah puso. Pada setiap bulir hanya terdapat 1 – 5 butir padi. Bahkan di Desa Pelopo Madiun, petani akhirnya membabati tanaman padi Supertoy untuk dijadikan pakan ternak.

Toyong Si Penemu Supertoy HL2

Supriyadi alias Toyong /Tuyung dikenal sebagai penemu padi Super Toy yang menjadi heboh itu. Dia adalah seorang karyawan PT SHI. Pria yang memiliki laboratorium pertanian itu lulusan sebuah SMK di Yogyakarta.
Menurut ayahnya, Basiran,yang tinggal bersamanya di Desa Srigading, Kecamatan Sanden, Bantul, Toyong adalah lulusan SMK jurusan Bangunan tahun 1995. Toyong mulai menekuni dunia pertanian sejak 2006 lalu. Sebagai laboratoriumnya Toyong menggunakan sebagian lahan sawah milik keluarga untuk percobaan padi dan
di lahan 300 m2 itu, dia tanam berbagai macam padi seperti Super Toy, Memberamo, Jali dan Menceru
Toyong tidak hanya menanam padi tapi juga membuat pembibitan. Pekerjaan penanaman dilakukan dengan bantuan teman dan keluarganya, sedangkan untuk pembibitnnya dia lakukan sendiri.

Setelah kejadian pembakaran padi Supertoy di Desa Grabag, Purworejo, dan berita yang begitu heboh di media massa, hingga saat ini Toyong tidak pernah kelihatan batang hidungnya, meskipun ayahnya yakin dia akan pulang ke rumah sebelum Lebaran tahun 2008.

Meskipun mendapat berbagai kritikan dari berbagai kalangan terhadap kebenaran manfaat temuan varietas padi Supertoy, penemu benih padi yang dikabarkan bisa membuat petani panen 4 kali setahun itu akan terus melanjutkan penelitiannya.
Menurut Dani Sulistiyanto alias Antok, asisten Supriyadi alias Toyong dilahan seluas 1,9 hektar memang terdapat penelitian padi varietas Supertoy, namun demikian di lokasi tersbeut juga dilakukan penelitian beberapa jenis tanaman lainnya seperti padi, tembakau, bawang merah, klengkeng, dan jagung.

The Advantage of Digital SLR Cameras

2008-09-08T12:34:00.005+07:00

"They are fast"

Does this sound familiar?
You're attending a big event and want to grab a shot of a fleeting moment
For some reason your compact digital camera just won't focus
FINALLY it locks the focus and you're ready - you press the button
But there's a DELAY - the camera pauses for a second, then it takes the shot

"The moment is gone - you've missed it"

If this sounds at all familiar to you (and frustrates you immensely), you'll completely understand why speed is a significant advantage of digital SLR cameras.

Built For Speed

So why are some compact cameras so slow and digital SLRs so fast? It's electronics vs. mechanics.
There's a device called a shutter that sits in front of the digital SLR sensor, blocking it from light.
When you take a photo, the shutter (made up of two curtains) opens and closes.
This is different from a compact camera, where there is no shutter mechanism. In compact cameras, the sensor is electronically activated every time you take a photo.
The advantage of the mechanical solution is that it is instantaneous: you press the shutter button and the shutter snaps open.
There's never a delay when you want to capture that photo of a lifetime.
If this was the only advantage of digital SLR cameras, it might be enough for anyone who's frustrated with a sluggish compact camera.
For anyone who's still skeptical, here are a few others.

A Lens For Every Occasion

I am an indecisive person.
I had an undeclared major in college for months, and spent almost a year after I graduated trying to figure out what to do with my life.
This is why it's no surprise that a digital SLR is the perfect camera for me!
If I want to take landscape photos, I attach a wide-angle lens. If I want to photograph bugs and flowers, I use a macro lens. When I take photos of my labrador, I use a telephoto lens and can snap shots even when I'm halfway across a field.

"One camera, tons of lenses"

Sure, you say, but what about all those fancy compact cameras they have now with built-in mega-zooms? I can get one lens that does it all.
Again, it comes down to speed.
Zoom lenses in compact cameras take time to zoom in and out since the zoom is driven by a motor. You manually control the zoom of a digital SLR, and can zoom as fast or slow as you like.

High Quality in Low-Light

One clear advantage of digital SLR cameras is that they're able to capture photos even when there's not a lot of ambient light.
So what? Every camera can take a photo when there's not a lot of light - just turn on the flash.

Here's the trick: digital SLR cameras can do it without the flash.

Digital SLRs are able to take photos when there's little available light because of a feature called ISO: it makes the digital sensor more sensitive to light.
While several compact digital cameras will also let you change the ISO of the camera, there is one key difference.
As you increase the ISO (and increase the camera's sensitivity to light) you also add grain or "noise" to the image.
The advantage of digital SLR cameras when it comes to ISO is that even at high ISO settings they produce very little noise. I can't say the same about compact cameras.
If you really enjoy taking photos when there's not a lot of light, the image quality of a digital SLR will exceed a compact any day of the week.

You Have Control

This is my favorite advantage of digital SLR cameras.
I don't like a machine to be making decisions for me. While it's right most of the time, it isn't right ALL of the time. The human brain will always be better at judging a scene then a camera set to automatic.
With a digital SLR, you have complete control over every photo you take, and don't have to rely on the camera to make choices for you.
Even if you're not ready to make the jump to a fully manual camera, don't be frightened off.
Every digital SLR camera lets you use an automatic setting, and provides you with intermediate steps that offer increasing levels of control over your images.

Digital SLR vs Digital Compact Camera

2008-09-08T12:14:00.005+07:00

What Digital SLRs Can't Do?

Here's a major difference between SLR and digital compact cameras: price.
Even though the price has been dropping on digital SLRs, they are still significantly more expensive than their compact cousins.
Let me put it this way: an inexpensive digital SLR camera starts around $500 - and that's often without a lens.
Tack on an additional $100 for a kit lens or $500 for a higher-quality zoom.
If you can't fathom spending $800 to $1,000 on a digital camera, then an SLR is definitely not right for you. If price isn't a problem, there are still several other differences between SLR and compact digital cameras that you need to be aware of.

No Movie Mode
Digital SLR cameras don't capture movies. They are dedicated to taking still photos and they excel at that.
If you're a budding videographer, then a camcorder or a compact digital camera with a movie mode is a better bet.

Limited Live Preview
If you've seen any compact digital cameras, then you know that you can compose a photo just by looking at the LCD monitor on the camera's back.
You'll notice that virtually everyone who uses a compact camera takes photos this way - they never look through the viewfinder.
A surprising difference between SLR and compact digital cameras is that some SLRs don't have a live preview mode (especially models released prior to 2007).
The LCD is only good for reviewing shots that you've already taken - it won't show you the photo you're about to take.
This means that you must compose all your photos by looking through the viewfinder.
While this used to be true for all digital SLRs, now there are many live view digital SLR cameras that you can choose from.

Manual Zoom
Compact digital cameras have electronic zooms. Just push a button (or lever) and the camera's lens zooms in and out.
With a digital SLR, you're going to need two hands - zooming is a manual process. You have to twist a ring on the lens to get it to zoom in and out.

Zoom Range
Since we're on the topic of zooms, let's talk about another difference between SLR and compact digital cameras.
Recently several compact cameras have been introduced with "mega-zooms".
In the compact world, zoom range is described by a multiplier (i.e. 4x, 6x or 10x) while with digital SLR lenses it's described in millimeters (i.e. 50mm, 100mm or 300mm).
Compact cameras with a 10x or 12x zoom cover an extremely wide range from wide angle to telephoto.
A similar lens for a digital SLR camera costs $400 or more and it usually doesn't have the same optical quality as zooms that don't cover such a wide zoom range.
If you want a 12x zoom with a digital SLR, it's a better bet to get two lenses instead of just one.

Size and Weight
If your idea of the ultimate camera is something that fits in your pocket, then forget all about digital SLRs.
The most obvious difference between SLR and compact digital cameras (besides price) is sheer size. Even a small-sized digital SLR camera is twice the size and bulk of a compact camera.
While there are many new digital SLR models that are more portable (and are easier to travel with) the addition of a lens to your camera ensures that you'll never be able to stow it away in your pants.

So What Should You Buy?

Even though I've talked about the difference between SLR and digital compact cameras you still might be on the fence.
Here are a few questions that might help you make up your mind:

Do you want to take more professional-looking photos?
Do you want to be able to change the lens attached to your camera?
Do you want more control over the photos that you take?
Are you sick and tired of the slow speed of your compact camera?
Do you want to take lots of photos in dim light?

If you answered YES to every question, get a digital SLR. You'll be happier in the long run.

If you answered NO or MAYBE to one or more, then take a good look at the digital compact cameras.

be honest to spend ur money...

SOURCE

insomnia

2008-08-18T19:07:00.024+07:00

Insomnia is a symptom of a sleeping disorder characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep despite the opportunity. It is typically followed by functional impairment while awake. Insomniacs have been known to complain about being unable to close their eyes or "rest their mind" for more than a few minutes at a time. Both organic and non-organic insomnia constitute a sleep disorder.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in year 2007, approximately 64 million Americans suffer from insomnia each year. Insomnia occurs 1.4 times more commonly in women than in men.

Types of insomnia
Although there are several different degrees of insomnia, about three types of insomnia have been clearly identified: transient, acute, and chronic.
Transient insomnia lasts from days to weeks. It can be caused by another disorder, by changes in the sleep environment, by the timing of sleep, or by stress. Its consequences - sleepiness and impaired psychomotor performance - are similar to those of sleep deprivation.
Acute insomnia is the inability to consistently sleep well for a period of between three weeks to six months.
Chronic insomnia lasts for years at a time. It can be caused by another disorder, or it can be a primary disorder. Its effects can vary according to its causes. They might include sleepiness, muscular fatigue, hallucinations, and/or mental fatigue; but people with chronic insomnia often show increased alertness. Some people that live with this disorder see things as though they were happening in slow motion, whereas moving objects seem to blend together.

Patterns of insomnia
The pattern of insomnia often is related to the etiology.
Onset insomnia - difficulty falling asleep at the beginning of the night, often associated with anxiety disorders.
Middle-of-the-Night Insomnia - Insomnia characterized by difficulty returning to sleep after awakening in the middle of the night or waking too early in the morning. Also referred to as nocturnal awakenings. Encompasses middle and terminal insomnia.
Middle insomnia - waking during the middle of the night, difficulty maintaining sleep. Often associated with pain syndromes or medical illness.
Terminal (or late) insomnia - early morning waking. Characteristic of clinical depression.

Causes
Insomnia can be caused by:

Psychoactive drugs or stimulants, including certain medications, herbs, caffeine, cocaine, ephedrine, amphetamines, methylphenidate, MDMA, methamphetamine and modafinil
Hormone shifts such as those that precede menstruation and those during menopause
Life problems like fear, stress, anxiety, emotional or mental tension, work problems, financial stress, unsatisfactory sex life
Mental disorders such as bipolar disorder, clinical depression, general anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia.
Disturbances of the circadian rhythm, such as shift work and jet lag, can cause an inability to sleep at some times of the day and excessive sleepiness at other times of the day. Jet lag is seen in people who travel through multiple time zones, as the time relative to the rising and setting of the sun no longer coincides with the body's internal concept of it. The insomnia experienced by shift workers is also a circadian rhythm sleep disorder.
Insomnia-Estrogen Estrogen is considered to play a significant role in women’s mental health (including insomnia). A conceptual model of how estrogen affects mood was suggested by Douma et al 2005 based on their extensive literature review relating activity of endogenous, bio-identical and synthetic estrogen with mood and well-being. They concluded the sudden estrogen withdrawal, fluctuating estrogen, and periods of sustained estrogen low levels correlated with significant mood lowering. Clinical recovery from depression postpartum, perimenopause, and postmenopause was shown to be effective after levels of estrogen were stabilized and/or restored.
Certain neurological disorders, brain lesions, or a history of traumatic brain injury
Medical conditions such as hyperthyroidism and Wilson's syndrome
Abuse of over-the counter or prescription sleep aids can produce rebound insomnia
Poor sleep hygiene
Parasomnia, which includes a number of disruptive sleep events including nightmares, sleepwalking, violent behavior while sleeping, and REM behavior disorder, in which a person moves his/her physical body in response to events within his/her dreams
A rare genetic condition can cause a prion-based, permanent and eventually fatal form of insomnia called fatal familial insomnia

A common misperception is that the amount of sleep a person requires decreases as he or she ages. The ability to sleep for long periods, rather than the need for sleep, appears to be lost as people get older. Some elderly insomniacs toss and turn in bed and occasionally fall off the bed at night, diminishing the amount of sleep they receive.

An overactive mind or physical pain may also be causes. Finding the underlying cause of insomnia is usually necessary to cure it. Insomnia can be common after the loss of a loved one, even years or decades after the death, if they have not gone through the grieving process. Overall, symptoms and the degree of their severity affect each individual differently depending on their mental health, physical condition, and attitude or personality.

Who Has Insomnia?
The National Sleep Foundation's 2002 Sleep in America poll showed that 58% of adults in the U.S. experienced symptoms of insomnia a few nights a week or more. Although insomnia was the most common sleep problem among about one half of older adults (48%), they were less likely to experience frequent symptoms of insomnia than their younger counterparts (45% vs. 62%), and their symptoms were more likely to be associated with medical conditions, according to the 2003 poll of adults between the ages of 55 and 84.

Diagnosis
Specialists in sleep medicine are qualified to diagnose the many different sleep disorders. Patients with various disorders including delayed sleep phase syndrome are often mis-diagnosed with insomnia. If a patient has trouble getting to sleep, but has normal sleep architecture once asleep, a circadian rhythm disorder is a likely cause.

Insomnia vs Poor Sleep Quality
Poor sleep quality can occur as a result of sleep apnea or clinical depression. Poor sleep quality is caused by the individual not reaching stage 4 or delta sleep which has restorative properties. There are, however, people who are unable to achieve stage 4 sleep due to brain damage who lead perfectly normal lives.
Sleep apnea is a condition that occurs when a sleeping person's breathing is interrupted, thus interrupting the normal sleep cycle. With the obstructive form of the condition, some part of the sleeper's respiratory tract loses muscle tone and partially collapses. People with obstructive sleep apnea often do not remember awakening or having difficulty breathing, but they complain of excessive sleepiness during the day. Central sleep apnea interrupts the normal breathing stimulus of the central nervous system, and the individual must actually wake up to resume breathing. This form of apnea is often related to a cerebral vascular condition, congestive heart failure, and premature aging.

Major depression leads to alterations in the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, causing excessive release of cortisol which can lead to poor sleep quality.

Nocturnal polyuria, excessive nighttime urination, can be very disturbing to sleep.

Treatment and Medication for insomnia
In many cases, insomnia is caused by another disease or psychological problem. In this case, medical or psychological help may be useful.

Many insomniacs rely on sleeping tablets and other sedatives to get rest. All sedative drugs have the potential of causing psychological dependence where the individual cannot psychologically accept that they can sleep without drugs. Certain classes of sedatives such as benzodiazepines and newer nonbenzodiazepine drugs can also cause physical dependence which manifests in withdrawal symptoms if the drug is not carefully titrated down.

In comparing the options, a systematic review found that benzodiazepines and nonbenzodiazepines have similar efficacy which was not significantly more than for antidepressants. Benzodiazepines did not have a significant tendency for more adverse drug reactions.

Benzodiazepines

The most commonly used class of hypnotics prescribed for insomnia are the benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines bind unselectively to the GABAA receptor. These include drugs such as temazepam, flunitrazepam, triazolam, flurazepam, nitrazepam and midazolam. These medications can develop tolerance and dependence, especially after consistent usage over long periods of time.

Non-benzodiazepines
Nonbenzodiazepine prescription drugs, such as Ambien (zolpidem), Sonata (zopiclone) and Lunesta (eszopiclone), are more selective for the GABAA receptor and may have a cleaner side effect profile than the older benzodiazepines; however, there are controversies over whether these non-benzodiazepine drugs are superior to benzodiazepines. These drugs appear to cause both psychological dependence and physical dependence though less than traditional benzodiazepines, and can also cause the same memory and cognitive disturbances along with morning sedation. They belong to the new category of medications called sedative-hypnotics.

Antidepressants

Some older antidepressants such as amitriptyline, doxepin, mirtazapine, and trazodone may have a sedative effect, and are prescribed off label to treat insomnia. The major drawback of these drugs is that they have antihistaminergic, anticholinergic and antiadrenergic properties which can lead to many side effects. Some also alter sleep architecture. As with many benzodiazepines, the use of antidepressants in the treatment of insomnia can lead to physical dependence; withdrawal may induce rebound insomnia and actually further complicate matters in the long-term.

Melatonin

Melatonin has proved effective for some insomniacs in regulating the sleep/waking cycle, but lacks definitive data regarding efficacy in the treatment of insomnia. Melatonin agonists, including Ramelteon (Rozerem), seem to lack the potential for abuse and dependence. This class of drugs has a relatively mild side effect profile and lower likelihood of causing morning sedation. Natural substances such as 5-HTP and L-Tryptophan have been said to fortify the serotonin -> melatonin pathway and aid people with various sleep disorders including insomnia.

Antihistamines

The antihistamine Benadryl (diphenhydramine) is widely used in nonprescription sleep aids such as Tylenol PM, with a 50 mg recommended dose mandated by the FDA. In the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and other countries, a 50 to 100 mg recommended dose is permitted. While it is available over the counter, the effectiveness of these agents may decrease over time and the incidence of next-day sedation is higher than for most of the newer prescription drugs. Dependence does not seem to be an issue with this class of drugs.

Cyproheptadine

Periactic (Cyproheptadine) is a useful alternative to benzodiazepine hypnotics in the treatment of insomnia. Cyproheptadine may be superior to benzodiazepines in the treatment of insomnia because cyproheptadine enhances sleep quality and quantity whereas benzodiazepines tend to decrease sleep quality.

Atypical Antipsychotics

Low doses of certain atypical antipsychotics such as quetiapine (Seroquel) are also prescribed for their sedative effect but the danger of neurological and cognitive side effects make these drugs a poor choice to treat insomnia. Over time, Seroquel may lose its ability to produce sedation.

Other Substances
Some insomniacs use herbs such as valerian, chamomile, lavender, hops, and passion-flower. Valerian has undergone multiple studies and appears to be modestly effective. Cannabis has also been suggested as a very effective treatment for insomnia.

Middle-of-the-night awakenings due to polyuria or other effects from alcohol consumption are common, and hangovers can also lead to morning grogginess.

Insomnia may be a symptom of magnesium deficiency, or low magnesium levels, but this has not yet been proven. A healthy diet containing magnesium, can help to improve sleep in individuals without an adequate intake of magnesium.

Other reports cite the use of an elixir of cider vinegar and honey but the evidence for this is only anecdotal.

Cognitive behavior therapy
A recent study found that cognitive behavior therapy can be more effective than medication in controlling insomnia. In this therapy, patients are taught improved sleep habits and relieved of counter-productive assumptions about sleep.

Complementary and alternative medicine
Some traditional and anecdotal remedies for insomnia include: drinking warm milk before bedtime, taking a warm bath, exercising vigorously for half an hour in the afternoon, eating a large lunch and then having only a light evening meal at least three hours before bed, avoiding mentally stimulating activities in the evening hours, going to bed at a reasonable hour and getting up early, and avoiding exposing the eyes to too much light, especially blue light, a few hours before bedtime. Initial treatment of insomnia may include the rules of sleep hygiene.

Using aromatherapy, including jasmine oil, lavender oil, Mahabhringaraj and other relaxing essential oils, may also help induce a state of restfulness. Many believe that listening to slow paced music will help insomniacs fall asleep.

The more relaxed a person is, the greater the likelihood of getting a good night's sleep. Relaxation techniques such as meditation have been shown to help people sleep.

Traditional Chinese medicine has included treatment for insomnia. A typical approach may utilize acupuncture, dietary and lifestyle analysis, herbology and other techniques, with the goal of resolving the problem at a subtle level.

In the Buddhist tradition, people suffering from insomnia or nightmares may be advised to meditate on "loving-kindness", or metta. This practice of generating a feeling of love and goodwill is claimed to have a soothing and calming effect on the mind and body. This is claimed to stem partly from the creation of relaxing positive thoughts and feelings, and partly from the pacification of negative ones. In the Mettā (Mettanisamsa) Sutta, Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, tells the gathered monks that easeful sleep is one benefit of this form of meditation.

Hypnotherapy, self hypnosis and guided imagery can be effective in not only falling asleep and staying asleep; they can also help to develop good sleeping habits over time. Visualizing can be effective in taking the mind away from present day anxieties and towards a more relaxing place. Binaural beats can help people fall asleep faster using special sounds.

Programs, e-books, MP3s and other solution of insomnia :

Sleeptracks Sleep Optimization Program

Sleep Hypnosis MP3 Downloads From Richard MacKenzie

Healing Insomnia with Meditation Power

Natural Sleep Secrets - How To Cure Insomnia Without Medication?

How To Beat Insomnia

End Insomnia & Sleep Problems Tonight. No Medication! Fall Asleep As Soon As You Go To Bed!

Surefire Natural Remedy To End Insomnia

Want An Insomnia Cure? Grab My 3 Free Sleep Binaural Beats Mp3s Relaxation,Less Stress, More Sleep

Home Remedies For Insomnia. Discover The Most Amazing Home Remedies To Cure Your Insomnia Tonight And Make 6 Hours Of Sleep Feel Like 10. Double Your Energy.

Stop Insomnia. Stop Insomnia From Interfering With Your Life - Once And For All, In A Natural Manner. You Wont Have To Depend On Drugs.

Underground Sleep Secrets And Natural Solutions. E-book Providing Underground, Never Revealed Before, Solutions For People Suffering From Insomnia And Sleep Problems.

Complete Insomnia Guide

I Hate Insomnia!

The Sleep Well Guide - How To Beat Insomnia Fast.

Insomnia Audios With Brainwave Entrainment. Five Audios Plus Ebook.

The Insomnia Code - Top Insomnia Product.

Lie Detector (Polygraph)

2008-08-07T23:31:00.006+07:00

A polygraph (commonly referred to as a lie detector) is an instrument that measures and records several physiological responses such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration and skin conductivity while the subject is asked and answers a series of questions, on the basis that false answers will produce distinctive measurements. The polygraph measures physiological changes caused by the sympathetic nervous system during questioning. Within the U.S. federal government[clarify], a polygraph examination is also referred to as a psychophysiological detection of deception (PDD) examination. Several other technologies are also used in the field of lie detection, but the polygraph is the most famous.

History
The idea that lying produces physical side-effects has long been claimed. In West Africa persons suspected of a crime were made to pass a bird's egg to one another.[citation needed] If a person broke the egg, then he or she was considered guilty, based on the idea that their nervousness was to blame. In ancient China the suspect held a handful of rice in his or her mouth during a prosecutor's speech. Since salivation was believed to cease at times of emotional anxiety, the person was considered guilty if by the end of that speech the rice was dry.

Early devices for lie detection include an 1885 invention of Cesar Lombroso used to measure changes in blood pressure for police cases, a 1914 device by Vittorio Benussi used to measure breathing, and an abandoned project by American William Marston which used blood pressure and galvanic skin response to examine German prisoners of war.

A device recording both blood-pressure and galvanic skin response was invented in 1920 by Dr. John A. Larson of the University of California and first applied in law enforcement work by the Berkeley Police Department under its nationally renowned police chief August Vollmer. Further work on this device was done by Leonarde Keeler. The first time the term "polygraph" was used was in 1906 by James MacKenzie in his invention the "ink polygraph," which was used for medical reasons.

Makenzie wrote a second paper on the concept in 1915, when finishing his undergraduate studies. He entered Harvard Law School and graduated in 1918, re-publishing his earlier work in 1917. According to their son, Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, was also involved in the development of the systolic blood-pressure test: "According to Marston’s son, it was his mother Elizabeth, Marston’s wife, who suggested to him that 'When she got mad or excited, her blood pressure seemed to climb' (Lamb, 2001). Although Elizabeth is not listed as Marston’s collaborator in his early work, Lamb, Matte (1996), and others refer directly and indirectly to Elizabeth’s work on her husband’s deception research. She also appears in a picture taken in his polygraph laboratory in the 1920s (reproduced in Marston, 1938)." The comic book character, Wonder Woman by William Marston (and influenced by Elizabeth Marston ) carries a magic lasso which was modelled upon the systolic blood-pressure test.

Marston was the self proclaimed “father of the polygraph” despite his predecessor's contributions. Marston remained the device's primary advocate, lobbying for its use in the courts. In 1938 he published a book, The Lie Detector Test, wherein he documented the theory and use of the device.[9] In 1938 he appeared in advertising by the Gillette company claiming that the polygraph showed Gillette razors were better than the competition.

Testing procedure
Today, polygraph examiners use two types of instrumentation: analog and computerized. In the United States, most examiners now use computerized instrumentation.

A typical polygraph test starts with a pre-test interview to gain some preliminary information which will later be used for "Control Questions", or CQ. Then the tester will explain how the polygraph is supposed to work, emphasizing that it can detect lies and that it is important to answer truthfully. Then a "stim test" is often conducted: the subject is asked to deliberately lie and then the tester reports that he was able to detect this lie. Then the actual test starts. Some of the questions asked are "Irrelevant " or IR ("Is your name Michael Legaspi?"), others are "probable-lie" Control Questions that most people will lie about ("Have you ever stolen money?") and the remainder are the "Relevant Questions ", or RQ, that the tester is really interested in. The different types of questions alternate. The test is passed if the physiological responses during the probable-lie control questions (CQ) are larger than those during the relevant questions (RQ). If this is not the case, the tester attempts to elicit admissions during a post-test interview, for example, "Your situation will only get worse if we don't clear this up".

Criticisms have been given regarding the validity of the administration of the Control Questions test (CQT). The CQT may be vulnerable to be conducted in an interrogation-like fashion. This kind of interrogation style would elicit a nervous response from innocent and guilty suspects alike. There are several other ways of administrating the questions.

An alternative is the Guilty Knowledge test (GKT), or the Concealed Information Test (CIT). The administration of this test is given to prevent potential errors that may arise from the questioning style. The test is usually conducted by a tester with no knowledge of the crime or circumstances in question. The administrator tests the participant on their knowledge of the crime that would not be known to an innocent person. For example: “Was the crime committed with a .45 or a 9 mm?” The questions are in multiple choice and the participant is rated on how they react to the correct answer. If they react strongly to the guilty information, then proponents of the test believe that it is likely that they know facts relevant to the case. This administration is considered more valid by supporters of the test because it contains many safeguards to avoid the risk of the administrator influencing the results.

Reliability
There is little scientific evidence to support the reliability of polygraphs. Despite claims of 90% - 95% reliability, critics charge that rather than a "test", the method amounts to an inherently unstandardizable interrogation technique whose accuracy cannot be established. A 1997 survey of 421 psychologists estimated the test's average accuracy at about 61%, a little better than chance. Critics also argue that even given high estimates of the polygraph's accuracy a significant number of subjects (e.g. 10% given a 90% accuracy) will appear to be lying, and would unfairly suffer the consequences of "failing" the polygraph. In the 1998 Supreme Court case, United States v. Scheffer, the majority stated that “There is simply no consensus that polygraph evidence is reliable” and “Unlike other expert witnesses who testify about factual matters outside the jurors' knowledge, such as the analysis of fingerprints, ballistics, or DNA found at a crime scene, a polygraph expert can supply the jury only with another opinion...”. Also, in 2005 the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals stated that “polygraphy did not enjoy general acceptance from the scientific community”. In 2001 William G. Iacono, Distinguished McKnight University Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and Director, Clinical Science and Psychopathology Research Training Program at the University of Minnesota, published a paper titled “Forensic “Lie Detection": Procedures Without Scientific Basis” in the peer reviewed Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice. He concluded that

"Although the CQT [Control Question Test] may be useful as an investigative aid and tool to induce confessions, it does not pass muster as a scientifically credible test. CQT theory is based on naive, implausible assumptions indicating (a) that it is biased against innocent individuals and (b) that it can be beaten simply by artificially augmenting responses to control questions. Although it is not possible to adequately assess the error rate of the CQT, both of these conclusions are supported by published research findings in the best social science journals (Honts et al., 1994; Horvath, 1977; Kleinmuntz & Szucko, 1984; Patrick & Iacono, 1991). Although defense attorneys often attempt to have the results of friendly CQTs admitted as evidence in court, there is no evidence supporting their validity and ample reason to doubt it. Members of scientific organizations who have the requisite background to evaluate the CQT are overwhelmingly skeptical of the claims made by polygraph proponents.

Polygraph tests have also been criticized for failing to trap known spies such as double-agent Aldrich Ames, who passed two polygraph tests while spying for the Soviet Union. Other spies who passed the polygraph include Karl Koecher, Ana Belen Montes, and Leandro Aragoncillo. Pseudoscience debunker Bob Park said, "The polygraph, in fact, has ruined careers, but never uncovered a single spy." Polygraph examination and background checks also failed to detect Nada Nadim Prouty, who was not a spy but was convicted for improperly obtaining US citizenship and using it to obtain a restricted position at the FBI.

Some studies have shown the presence of a phenomenon called "confusional states". In these phenomena the interviewee, unconsciously, doesn’t tell the truth about a certain situation. This happens when the interviewee is subjected to a particular stress due to the question. In fact, when the questions insinuate the interviewee’s non morality, the candidate, sometimes (very rarely), will respond false, even if unconsciously and although in strong contrast with his beliefs.

Prolonged polygraph examinations are sometimes used as a tool by which confessions are extracted from a defendant, as in the case of Richard Miller, who was persuaded to confess largely by polygraph results combined with appeals from a religious leader.

Countermeasures
Several countermeasures designed to pass polygraph tests have been described, the most important of which is never to make any damaging admissions. Additionally, several techniques can be used to increase the physiological response during control questions. Asked how he passed the polygraph test, Ames explained that he sought advice from his Soviet handler and received the simple instruction to: "Get a good night's sleep, and rest, and go into the test rested and relaxed. Be nice to the polygraph examiner, develop a rapport, and be cooperative and try to maintain your calm."

2003 National Academy of Sciences report
The accuracy of the polygraph has been contested almost since the introduction of the device. In 2003, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) issued a report entitled “The Polygraph and Lie Detection”. The NAS found that the majority of polygraph research was of low quality. After culling through the numerous studies of the accuracy of polygraph detection the NAS identified 57 that had “sufficient scientific rigor”. These studies concluded that a polygraph test regarding a specific incident can discern the truth at “a level greater than chance, yet short of perfection”. The report also concluded that this level of accuracy was probably overstated and the levels of accuracy shown in these studies "are almost certainly higher than actual polygraph accuracy of specific-incident testing in the field.”

When polygraphs are used as a screening tool (in national security matters and for law enforcement agencies for example) the level of accuracy drops to such a level that “Its accuracy in distinguishing actual or potential security violators from innocent test takers is insufficient to justify reliance on its use in employee security screening in federal agencies.” In fact, the NAS extrapolated that if the test were sensitive enough to detect 80% of spies (a level of accuracy which it did not assume), in a hypothetical polygraph screening of 10,000 employees including 10 spies, 8 spies and 1,598 non-spies would fail the test. Thus, roughly 99.6 percent of positives (those failing the test) would be false positives. The NAS concluded that the polygraph “...may have some utility” but that there is "little basis for the expectation that a polygraph test could have extremely high accuracy."

The NAS conclusions paralleled those of the earlier United States Congress Office of Technology Assessment report "Scientific Validity of Polygraph Testing: A Research Review and Evaluation”.

Admissibility of polygraphs in court

United States
In 2007, polygraph testimony was admitted by stipulation in 19 states, and was subject to the discretion of the trial judge in federal court. The use of polygraph in court testimony remains controversial, although it is used extensively in post-conviction supervision, particularly of sex offenders. In Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals (1993), the old Frye standard was lifted and all forensic evidence, including polygraph, had to meet the new Daubert standard in which "underlying reasoning or methodology is scientifically valid and properly can be applied to the facts at issue." While polygraph tests are commonly used in police investigations in the US, no defendant or witness can be forced to undergo the test. In United States v. Scheffer (1998), the U.S. Supreme Court left it up to individual jurisdictions whether polygraph results could be admitted as evidence in court cases. Nevertheless, it is used extensively by prosecutors, defense attorneys, and law enforcement agencies. In the States of Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware and Iowa it is illegal for any employer to order a polygraph either as conditions to gain employment, or if an employee has been suspected of wrongdoing. The Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 (EPPA) generally prevents employers from using lie detector tests, either for pre-employment screening or during the course of employment, with certain exemptions.

In the United States, the State of New Mexico admits polygraph testing in front of juries under certain circumstances. In many other states, polygraph examiners are permitted to testify in front of judges in various types of hearings (Motion to Revoke Probation, Motion to Adjudicate Guilt).

In 2007, in Ohio v. Sharma, an Ohio trial court overruled the objections of a prosecutor and allowed a polygraph examiner to testify regarding a specific issue criminal examination. The court took the position that the prosecutors regularly used polygraph examiner to conduct criminal tests against defendants, but only objected to the examiner's testimony when the results contradicted what they hoped to achieve. Dr. Louis Rovner,, a polygraph expert from California, tested the defendant and testified as an expert witness both at a pretrial admissibility hearing and at trial. The defendant, who had been charged with sexual battery, was acquitted.

Europe
In most European jurisdictions, polygraphs are not considered reliable evidence and are not generally used by police forces. However, in any lawsuit, an involved party can order a psychologist to write an opinion based on polygraph results to substantiate the credibility of its claims. The party must bear the expense themselves, and the court weighs the opinion like any other opinion the party has ordered. Courts themselves do not order or pay for polygraph tests. An example of this practice would be a rape trial in which the defendant tries to fortify one's testimony by submitting themselves to a polygraph session.

Canada
In Canada, the polygraph is regularly used as a forensic tool in the investigation of criminal acts and sometimes employed in the screening of employees for government organizations. In the 1987 decision of R. v. Béland, the Supreme Court of Canada rejected the use of polygraph results as evidence in court. This decision did not however affect the use of the polygraph in criminal investigations. The polygraph continues to be used as an investigative tool.

Australia
The High Court of Australia has not yet considered the admissibility of polygraph evidence. However, the New South Wales District Court rejected the use of the device in a criminal trial. In Raymond George Murray 1982 7A Crim R48 Sinclair DCJ refused to admit polygraph evidence tending to support the defence. His Honour rejected the evidence because :
1. The veracity of the accused and the weight to be given to his evidence, and other witnesses called in the trial, was a matter for the jury.
2. The polygraph "expert" sought to express an opinion as to ultimate facts in issue, which is peculiarly the province of the jury.
3. The test purported to be expert evidence by the witness who was not qualified as an expert, he was merely an operator and assessor of a polygraph. The scientific premise upon which his assessment was based had not been proved in any Court in Australia.
4. Devoid of any proved or accepted scientific basis, the evidence of the operator is hearsay which is inadmissible.
The Court cited, with approval, the Canadian case of Phillion v R 1978 1SCR 18.

Israel
The High Court of Israel, in Civil Appeal 551/89 (Menora Insurance Vs. Jacob Sdovnik), ruled that as the polygraph has not been recognized as a reliable device, polygraph results are inadmissible as evidence in a civil trial. In other decisions, polygraph results were ruled inadmissible in criminal trials. However, some insurance companies attempt to include a clause in insurance contracts, in which the beneficiary agrees that polygraph results be admissible as evidence. In such cases, where the beneficiary has willingly agreed to such a clause, signed the contract, and took the test, the courts will honor the contract, and take the polygraph results into consideration. Interestingly, it is common practice for lawyers to advise people who signed such contracts to refuse to take the test. Depending on whether or not the beneficiary signed an agreements clause, and whether the test was already taken or not, such a refusal usually has no ill effects; At worst, the court will simply order the person to take the test as agreed. At best, the court will cancel the clause and release the person from taking the test, or rule the evidence inadmissible.

Use with espionage and security clearances

In the American military and intelligence communities, polygraphs have been administered both as terms of qualifying for a security clearance and as part of a periodic reinvestigation to retain a clearance. There is no uniform standard for whether the polygraph is needed, as some methods of adjudication do not demand a successful polygraph test to earn a clearance. Other agencies, particularly certain military units, actually prohibit polygraph testing on their members.

It is difficult to precisely determine the effectiveness of polygraph results for the detection or deterrence of spying. Failure of a polygraph test could cause revocation of a security clearance, but it is inadmissible evidence in most federal courts and military courts martial. The polygraph is more often used as a deterrent to espionage rather than detection. One exception to this was the case of Harold James Nicholson, a CIA employee later convicted of spying for Russia. In 1995, Nicholson had undergone his periodic five year reinvestigation where he showed a strong probability of deception on questions regarding relationships with a foreign intelligence unit. This polygraph test later launched an investigation which resulted in his eventual arrest and conviction. In most cases, however, polygraphs are more of a tool to "scare straight" those who would consider espionage. Jonathan Pollard was advised by his Israeli handlers that he was to resign his job from American intelligence if he was ever told he was subject to a polygraph test. Likewise, John Anthony Walker was advised to by his handlers not to engage in espionage until he had been promoted to the highest position, for which a polygraph test was not required, to refuse promotion to higher positions for which polygraph tests were required, and to retire when promotion was mandated. As part of his plea bargain agreement for his case of espionage against the Soviet Union, Robert Hanssen would be made to undergo a polygraph at any time as part of damage assessment. In Hanssen's 25-year career with the FBI, not once was he made to undergo a polygraph. He later said if he had been ordered; he may have thought twice about espionage.

Alternatively, the use of polygraph testing, where it causes desperation over dismissal for past dishonesty, may encourage spying. For example, Edward Lee Howard was dismissed from the CIA after during a polygraph screen, he truthfully answered a series of questions admitting to minor crimes such as petty theft and drug abuse. The CIA failed to see that the firing was an action that would logically anger Howard, and in retaliation for his perceived unjust punishment for minor offenses, he later sold his knowledge of CIA operations to the Soviet Union.

It is also worth noting that polygraph tests may not deter espionage. From 1945 to the present, at least six Americans had been committing espionage while they successfully passed polygraph tests. Two of the most notable cases of two men who created a false negative result with the polygraphs were Larry Wu-Tai Chin and Aldrich Ames.

Hand-held lie detector for U.S. military

A hand-held lie detector is being deployed by the U.S. Defense Department, according to a report in 2008 by investigative reporter Bill Dedman of msnbc.com. The Preliminary Credibility Assessment Screening System, of PCASS, captures less physiological information than a polygraph, and uses an algorithm, not the judgement of a polygraph examiner, to render a decision whether it believes the person is being deceptive or not. The device will be used first in Afghanistan by U.S. Army troops. It can be used only on non-U.S. persons.

Use with sex offenders

Sexual offenders are now routinely polygraphed in many states of the United States and it is often a mandatory condition of probation or parole. In Texas, a state appellate court has upheld the testing of sex offenders under community supervision and has also upheld written statements given by sex offenders if they have committed a further offense with new victims. These statements are then used when a motion is filed to revoke probation and the probationer may then be sentenced to prison for having violated his or her probation.
A significant number of Federal appeals courts have upheld polygraph testing for Federal probationers as well. The most recent decision was by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals regarding a New York sex offender.
The UK will soon allow compulsory polygraph tests for convicted sex offenders released on license.

Polygraph in popular culture

Lie detection has a long history in mythology and fairy tales; the polygraph has allowed modern fiction to use a device more easily seen as scientific and plausible. Notable instances of polygraph usage include uses in crime and espionage themed television shows and some daytime television talk shows, cartoons and films. The most notable polygraph TV show is Lie Detector, which first aired in the 1950s created and hosted by Ralph Andrews. Then in the 1960s Ralph produced a series of specials hosted by Melvin Belli, then in the 1970s hosted by Jack Anderson. In 1998 TV producer Mark Phillips with his Mark Phillips Philms & Telephision put Lie Detector back on the air on the FOX Network -- on that program Dr. Ed Gelb with host Marcia Clark cleared Mark Fuhrman from the allegation that he "planted the bloody glove." Later Phillips produced Lie Detector as a series for PAX/ION -- some of the guests included Paula Jones, Reverend Paul Crouch accuser Lonny Ford, Ben Rowling, Jeff Gannon and Swift Boat Vet Steve Garner.

FOX has taken this one step further with their game show The Moment of Truth which pits people's honesty against their own sense of modesty, propriety, etc. Contestants are given a polygraph test administered by a polygraph expert in a pre-screening session answering over 50 questions. Later they must sit in front of a studio audience including their friends & family for the televised portion of the show. There they need only answer 21 answers truthfully "as determined by the polygraph" to win $500,000. The questions get more personal and/or more revealing as they advance.

Daytime talk shows, such as Maury Povich, frequently uses lie detectors in order to tell if someone is cheating on their significant other.

In the movie Ocean's 13, one of the characters beats a polygraph test by stepping on a tack when answering truthfully, which supposedly raises the polygraph's readings for the truthful answers so they equal to the deceptive ones.

In episode 109 see video clip of the popular science show Mythbusters, they attempted to fool the polygraph by using pain to try and increase the readings when answering truthfully (so the machine will supposedly interpret the truthful and non-truthful answers as the same.) They also attempted to fool the polygraph by thinking happy thoughts when lying and thinking stressful thoughts when telling the truth to try and confuse the machine. However, neither technique was successful and the examiner Michael Martin correctly identified each guilty and innocent subject. The show also noted the widely held opinion that, when done properly, polygraphs are correct 80-99% of the time.

TARIF GSM

2008-08-07T22:32:00.005+07:00

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bebas
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3
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Car Engine Technology : Rotary, VANOS, VTEC, VVTi

2008-08-03T00:22:00.017+07:00

ROTARY - MAZDA

Many different designs for rotary mechanisms have been attempted over the last 400 years, but what makes the NSU-Wankel engine, which Mazda adopted, stand out is its "rice ball-shaped" (triangular) rotor housing. Because of this design, three separate chambers are created between the rotor and the inner wall of the rotor housing. These chambers smoothly expand and contract in a constant cycle as the rotor spins. See the rotary engine in motion on the right.
The Rotary Engine of Mazda continues to evolve farther into the future. The new generation Rotary Engine "RENESIS" makes it superbly environmentally friendly with zero CO2 and almost zero NOx emissions. Mazda began commercial leasing in 2006, and currently many organizations and government bodies are enjoying the RX-8 Hydrogen RE.

New generation rotary engine "RENESIS" stands for "the RE(rotary engine)'s GENESIS". The RENESIS was given to the engine as exhibited in Tokyo Motor Show, 1999 of the RX-01, after which RENESIS was meticulously prepared for series production.
By capitalizing on the instrinsic benefits of the RENESIS rotary engine—namely, low weight, compact size and high performance, Mazda was able to develop the RX-8, a sholly new concept, 4-door 4-seater Genuine sports car.
RENESIS is a 654cc ×2 rotor engine that generates an outstanding 250 PS(184kW) maximum power at 8500rpm and 216 N.m (22.0 kg-m) maximum torque at 5500rpm.* RENESIS also shows a vast improvement in terms of fuel-efficiency and exhaust gas emissions.
*Figures are for the 6-port engine. Maximum power output is the specification for Japan and North America.

Side-Exhaust and Side-Intake Ports
A key innovation for the RENESIS is its side-exhaust and side-intake port configuration. Previous RE designs located the exhaust ports in the rotor housing (peripheral port, #1), whereas the latest version has its exhaust ports in the rotor housing #2, where the intake ports are also located.

The chief advantage of this side-exhaust / side-intake port layout is that it permits elimination of intake/exhaust port timing overlap, elimination the retention and carry-over of exhaust gas and encouraging more stable combustion. In addition, where the previous engine had one peripheral exhaust port per rotor chamber, RENESIS has two side ports, approximately doubling the port area. The new exhaust arrangement reduces exhaust gas flow-resistance, and while assuring ample exhaust port area, allows delay of the exhaust port opening for a longer expansion cycle, to raise thermal efficiency, power output and fuel economy.
Another major advantage of the side exhaust port is that it allows engineers more freedom to optimize port profiles. With RENESIS, both the 6-port engine and the 4-port engine have intake port cross-sectional area almost 30% greater than the previous engine.

MAZDA RX-8

VANOS - BMW

VANOS (Variable Nockenwellen Steuerung) is an automobile variable valve timing technology developed by BMW in close collaboration with Continental Teves. VANOS varies the timing of the valves by moving the position of the camshafts in relation to the drive gear. This movement varies from 6 degrees of advanced to 6 degrees of retarded camshaft timing.

Single VANOS
VANOS is a combined hydraulic and mechanical camshaft control device managed by the car's DME engine management system. The VANOS system is based on a discrete adjustment mechanism that can modify the position of the intake camshaft versus the crankshaft. Double-VANOS adds continuous adjustability to the intake and exhaust camshafts.VANOS operates on the intake camshaft in accordance with engine speed and accelerator pedal position. At the lower end of the engine-speed scale, the intake valves are opened later, which improves idling quality and smoothness. At moderate engine speeds, the intake valves open much earlier, which boosts torque and permits exhaust gas re-circulation inside the combustion chambers, reducing fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. Finally, at high engine speeds, intake valve opening is once again delayed, so that full power can be developed. VANOS significantly enhances emission management, increases output and torque, and offers better idling quality and fuel economy.VANOS was first introduced in 1992 on the BMW M50tu engine used in the 5 Series.

Double VANOS
Later, BMW added "double" VANOS to its M52tu series of inline 6-cylinder engines, which changed the mechanism from fixed position operation to continuously variable, and added the same functionality to the exhaust camshaft, on a number of its cars. Double-VANOS (double-variable camshaft control) significantly improves torque and emissions since valve timing on both the intake and exhaust camshafts is adjusted to the power required from the engine as a function of gas pedal position and engine speed. On most BMW engines that use single VANOS, the timing of the intake cam is only changed at two distinct rpm points, while on the double-VANOS system, the timing of the intake and exhaust cams is continuously variable through a range of ~40 crankshaft degrees for the intake, and 25 degrees for the exhaust. The advantage of double-VANOS is that the system controls the flow of hot exhaust gases into the intake manifold individually for all operating conditions. This is referred to as "internal" exhaust gas re-circulation, allowing very fine dosage of the amount of exhaust gas recycled.

BMM M5 2008

VTEC - HONDA

VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) is a valvetrain system developed by Honda to improve the volumetric efficiency of a four-stroke internal combustion engine. This system uses two camshaft profiles and electronically selects between the profiles. This was the first system of its kind. Different types of variable valve timing and lift control systems have also been produced by other manufacturers (MIVEC from Mitsubishi, VVTL-i from Toyota, VarioCam Plus from Porsche, VVL from Nissan, etc). It was invented by Honda R&D engineer Ikuo Kajitani. It can be said that VTEC, the original Honda variable valve control system, originated from REV (Revolution-modulated valve control) introduced on the CBR400 in 1983 known as HYPER VTEC. In the regular four-stroke automobile engine, the intake and exhaust valves are actuated by lobes on a camshaft. The shape of the lobes determines the timing, lift and duration of each valve. Timing refers to an angle measurement of when a valve is opened or closed with respect to the piston position (TDC or BDC). Lift refers to how much the valve is opened. Duration refers to how long the valve is kept open. Due to the behavior of the working fluid (air and fuel mixture) before and after combustion, which have physical limitations on their flow, as well as their interaction with the ignition spark, the optimal valve timing, lift and duration settings under low RPM engine operations are very different from those under high RPM. Optimal low RPM valve timing, lift and duration settings would result in insufficient filling of the cylinder with fuel and air at high RPM, thus greatly limiting engine power output. Conversely, optimal high RPM valve timing, lift and duration settings would result in very rough low RPM operation and difficult idling. The ideal engine would have fully variable valve timing, lift and duration, in which the valves would always open at exactly the right point, lift high enough and stay open just the right amount of time for the engine speed in use.

VTEC was initially designed to increase the power output of an engine to 100 ps/liter or more while maintaining practicality for use in mass production vehicles. Some later variations of the system were designed solely to provide improvements in fuel efficiency, or increased power output as well as improved fuel efficiency.In practice, a fully variable valve timing engine is difficult to design and implement.

The opposite approach to variable timing is to produce a camshaft which is better suited to high RPM operation. This approach means that the vehicle will run very poorly at low RPM (where most automobiles spend much of their time) and much better at high RPM. VTEC is the result of an effort to marry high RPM performance with low RPM stability.

Additionally, Japan has a tax on engine displacement, requiring Japanese auto manufacturers to make higher-performing engines with lower displacement. In cars such as the Toyota Supra and Nissan 300ZX, this was accomplished with a turbocharger. In the case of the Mazda RX-7 and RX-8, a rotary engine was used. VTEC serves as yet another method to derive very high specific output from lower displacement motors.

DOHC VTEC
Honda's VTEC system is a simple method of endowing the engine with multiple camshaft profiles optimized for low and high RPM operations. Instead of one cam lobe actuating each valve, there are two: one optimized for low-RPM stability & fuel efficiency; the other designed to maximize high-RPM power output. Switching between the two cam lobes is controlled by the ECU which takes account of engine oil pressure, engine temperature, vehicle speed, engine speed and throttle position. Using these inputs, the ECU is programmed to switch from the low lift to the high lift cam lobes when the conditions mean that engine output will be improved. At the switch point a solenoid is actuated which allows oil pressure from a spool valve to operate a locking pin which binds the high RPM cam follower to the low rpm ones. From this point on, the poppet valve opens and closes according to the high-lift profile, which opens the valve further and for a longer time. The switch-over point is variable, between a minimum and maximum point, and is determined by engine load; the switch back from high to low rpm cams is set to occur at a lower engine speed than the up-switch, to avoid surging if the engine is asked to operate continuously at or around the switch-over point. The DOHC (Dual Over Head Cam) VTEC system has high and low lift cam lobe profiles on both the intake and exhaust valve camshafts.

The VTEC system was originally introduced as a DOHC system in the 1989 Honda Integra and Civic CRX SiR models sold in Japan and Europe, which used a 160 bhp (119 kW) variant of the B16A engine. The US market saw the first VTEC system with the introduction of the 1990 Acura NSX, which used a DOHC VTEC V6 with 270 hp. DOHC VTEC engines soon appeared in other vehicles, such as the 1992 Acura Integra GS-R (B17 1.7 liter engine). And later in the 1993 Honda Prelude VTEC (H22 2.2 liter engine) and Honda Del Sol VTEC (B16 1.6 liter engine).

Honda has also continued to develop other varieties and today offers several varieties of VTEC: iVTEC, iVTEC Hybrid and VTEC in the NSX and some Japanese domestic market cars.

SOHC VTEC
As popularity and marketing value of the VTEC system grew, Honda applied the system to SOHC (Single Over Head Cam) engines, which shares a common camshaft for both intake and exhaust valves. The trade-off is that SOHC engines only benefit from the VTEC mechanism on the intake valves. This is because VTEC requires a third center rocker arm and cam lobe (for each intake and exhaust side), and in the SOHC engine, the spark plugs are situated between the two exhaust rocker arms, leaving no room for the VTEC rocker arm. Additionally, the center lobe on the camshaft can only be utilized by either the intake or the exhaust, limiting the VTEC feature to one side.

SOHC VTEC-E
Honda's next version of VTEC, VTEC-E, was used in a slightly different way; instead of optimising performance at high RPM, it was used to increase efficiency at low RPM. At low RPM, one of the two intake valves is only allowed to open a very small amount, increasing the fuel/air atomization in the cylinder and thus allowing a leaner mixture to be used. As the engine's speed increases, both valves are needed to supply sufficient mixture. A sliding pin, which is pressured by oil, as in the regular VTEC, is used to connect both valves together and allows the full opening of the second valve.

DOHC VTEC-DI

Honda also had a demonstration engine back in end 1999 where a 1.4 liter DOHC Honda engine was equipped with a VTEC-DI system. This was Honda’s first demonstration of direct injection to the public. The engine was installed in a Honda Logo (the predecessor to the Honda Fit/Jazz) and made power and torque outputs of 107 hp at 6200 rpm and 133 Nm at 5000 rpm.

3-Stage VTEC
Honda also introduced a 3-stage VTEC system in select markets, which combines the features of both SOHC VTEC and SOHC VTEC-E.
At low engine speeds, one intake valve is opened off an economy lift cam lobe, and the second valve is just cracked open a little to help promote better swirl in the combustion chamber. Used in conjunction with a 5-wire, wideband O2 sensor, great fuel ecomomy can be realized.
At medium engine speeds, both intake valves open off the economy cam lobe with equal lift allowing the engine to produce more power, but at the expense of economy.
At high engine speeds, both intake valves are actuated by a high lift cam lobe and produce much higher performance than at the medium speed range, but at an even greater expense of economy.
The 3-stage VTEC system was only offered in the Asian and European markets and not in the US market at all.

i-VTEC
i-VTEC (intelligent-VTEC [4]) introduced continuously variable camshaft phasing on the intake cam of DOHC VTEC engines. The technology first appeared on Honda's K-series four cylinder engine family in 2001 (2002 in the U.S.). Valve lift and duration are still limited to distinct low- and high-RPM profiles, but the intake camshaft is now capable of advancing between 25 and 50 degrees (depending upon engine configuration) during operation. Phase changes are implemented by a computer controlled, oil driven adjustable cam gear. Phasing is determined by a combination of engine load and rpm, ranging from fully retarded at idle to maximum advance at full throttle and low rpm. The effect is further optimization of torque output, especially at low and midrange RPM.

The K-Series motors have two different types of i-VTEC systems implemented. The first is for the performance motors like in the RSX Type S or the TSX and the other is for economy motors found in the CR-V or Accord. The performance i-VTEC system is basically the same as the DOHC VTEC system of the B16A's, both intake and exhaust have 3 cam lobes per cylinder. However the valvetrain has the added benefit of roller rockers and continuously variable intake cam timing. The economy i-VTEC is more like the SOHC VTEC-E in that the intake cam has only two lobes, one very small and one larger, as well as no VTEC on the exhaust cam. The two types of motor are easily distinguishable by the factory rated power output: the performance motors make around 200 hp or more in stock form and the economy motors do not make much more than 160 hp from the factory.

In 2004, Honda introduced an i-VTEC V6 (an update of the J-series), but in this case, i-VTEC had nothing to do with cam phasing. Instead, i-VTEC referred to Honda's cylinder deactivation technology which closes the valves on one bank of (3) cylinders during light load and low speed (below 80 kph) operation. The technology was originally introduced to the US on the Honda Odyssey minivan, and can now be found on the Honda Accord Hybrid, the 2006 Honda Pilot, and the 2008 Honda Accord.

An additional version of i-VTEC was introduced on the 2006 Honda Civic's R-series four cylinder SOHC engines. This implementation uses the so-called "economy cams" on one of the two intake valves of each cylinder. The "economy cams" are designed to delay the closure of the intake valve they act upon, and are activated at low rpms and under light loads. When the "economy cams" are activated, one of the two intake valves in each cylinder closes well after the piston has started moving upwards in the compression stroke. That way, a part of the mixture that has entered the combustion chamber is forced out again, into the intake manifold. That way, the engine "emulates" a lower displacement than its actual one (its operation is also similar to an Atkinson cycle engine, with uneven compression and combustion strokes), which reduces fuel consumption and increases its efficiency. During the operation with the "economy cams", the (by-wire) throttle butterfly is kept fully open, in order to reduce pumping losses. According to Honda, this measure alone can reduce pumping losses by 16%. In higher rpms and under heavier loads, the engine switches back into its "normal cams", and it operates like a regular 4 stroke Otto cycle engine. This implementation of i-VTEC was initially introduced in the R18A1 engine found under the bonnet of the 8th generation Civic, with a displacement of 1.8 L and an output of 140PS. Recently, another variant was released, the 2.0 L R20A2 with an output of 150PS, which powers the EUDM version of the all-new CRV

With the continued introduction of vastly different i-VTEC systems, one may assume that the term is now a catch-all for creative valve control technologies from Honda.

i-VTEC I
Honda’s i-VTEC I Engine is a variant of the K-series DOHC engine family featuring gasoline direct injection. It made its debut in the previous generation 2004 Honda Stream 7-seater MPV in Japan, but the current Stream does not use this engine anymore, instead using a 2.0 liter version of the R-series i-VTEC SOHC engine. The engine featured the ability to use ultra-lean air-fuel mixtures of about 65:1, much leaner compared to the usual direct injection engine 40:1 ratio, and extremely lean compared to the stoichiometric air-fuel mixture of 14.7:1. As a result of this ultra-lean mixture fuel consumption dropped to 15km per liter. Power ratings remain the same at about 155 horsepower.

Advanced VTEC
A September 25, 2006 press release announced the launch of the Advanced VTEC engine by Honda. The new engine combines continuously variable valve lift and timing control with the continuously variable phase control of VTC (Variable Timing Control). This new system permits optimum control over intake valve lift and phase in response to driving conditions, achieving improved charging efficiency for a significant increase in torque at all engine speeds. Under low to medium load levels, the valves are set for low lift and early closure to reduce pumping losses and improve fuel economy. In comparison to the 2.4L i-VTEC these advancements claim to increase fuel efficiency by 13%. Honda also claims that new engine also meets exhaust emission standards compliant with U.S. EPA - LEV2-ULEV regulations and Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport requirements for Low-Emission Vehicles, with emission levels 75% lower than those required by the 2005 standards. Advanced VTEC engines should go into production for 2009 models.

Honda Accord Coupe 2008

VTEC in motorcycles
Apart from the Japanese market-only Honda CBR400F Super Four HYPER VTEC, introduced in 1983, the first worldwide implementation of VTEC technology in a motorcycle occurred with the introduction of Honda's VFR800 sportbike in 2002. Similar to the SOHC VTEC-E style, one intake valve remains closed until a threshold of 7000 rpm is reached, then the second valve is opened by an oil-pressure actuated pin. The dwell of the valves remains unchanged, as in the automobile VTEC-E, and little extra power is produced but with a smoothing-out of the torque curve. Critics maintain that VTEC adds little to the VFR experience while increasing the engine's complexity. Drivability is a concern for some who are wary of the fact that the VTEC may activate in the middle of an aggressive corner, potentially upsetting the stability and throttle response of the motorcycle.

Honda CBR 400F

VVTi - TOYOTA

VVT-i, or Variable Valve Timing with intelligence, is an automobile variable valve timing technology developed by Toyota, similar to the i-VTEC technology by Honda. The Toyota VVT-i system replaces the Toyota VVT offered starting in 1991 on the 4A-GE 20-Valve engine. The VVT system is a 2-stage hydraulically controlled cam phasing system.

VVT-i, introduced in 1996, varies the timing of the intake valves by adjusting the relationship between the camshaft drive (belt, scissor-gear or chain) and intake camshaft. Engine oil pressure is applied to an actuator to adjust the camshaft position. In 1998, "Dual" VVT-i (adjusts both intake and exhaust camshafts) was first introduced in the RS200 Altezza's 3S-GE engine. Dual VVT-i is also found in Toyota's new generation V6 engine, the 3.5L 2GR-FE V6. This engine can be found in the Avalon, RAV4, and Camry in the US, the Aurion in Australia, and various models in Japan, including the Estima. Dual VVT-i is also used in the Toyota Corolla (1,6 dual VVT-i 124bhp). Other Dual VVT-i engines include the 1.8L 2ZR-FE I4, used in Toyota's next generation of compact vehicles such as the Scion XD. By adjusting the valve timing engine start and stop occurs virtually unnoticeably at minimum compression. In addition fast heating of the catalytic converter to its light-off temperature is possible thereby reducing hydrocarbon emissions considerably.

In 1998, Toyota started offering a new technology, VVTL-i, which can alter valve lift (and duration) as well as valve timing. In the case of the 16 valve 2ZZ-GE, the engine has 2 camshafts, one operating intake valves and one operating exhaust valves. Each camshaft has two lobes per cylinder, one low rpm lobe and one high rpm, high lift, long duration lobe. Each cylinder has two intake valves and two exhaust valves. Each set of two valves are controlled by one rocker arm, which is operated by the camshaft. Each rocker arm has a slipper follower mounted to the rocker arm with a spring, allowing the slipper follower to move up and down with the high lobe with out affecting the rocker arm. When the engine is operating below 6000 rpm, the low lobe is operating the rocker arm and thus the valves. When the engine is operating above 6000 rpm, the ECU activates an oil pressure switch which pushes a sliding pin under the slipper follower on each rocker arm. This in effect, switches to the high lobe causing high lift and longer duration.

Toyota has now ceased production of its VVTL-i engines for most markets, because the engine does not meet Euro IV specifications for emissions. As a result, some Toyota models have been discontinued, including the Corolla T-Sport (Europe), Corolla Sportivo (Australia), Celica, Corolla XRS, Toyota Matrix XRS, and the Pontiac Vibe GT, all of which had the 2ZZ-GE engine fitted.

Toyota Corolla S3 2009

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SPLINTER : Wooden Super Car Concept

2008-08-02T23:44:00.013+07:00

It is the brainchild of designer Joe Harmon, a North Carolina State University student who worked with fellow undergraduate designers to create the world's first wooden supercar. Wood is used wherever possible, and that includes the chassis, the body and in the majority of the suspension components and wheels. Harmon said: "We aren't trying to sell anything, we aren't trying to save the world, and we aren't advocating that everyone should drive a wooden car. This project is a scholastic endeavour in which we are simply trying to explore materials, learn, teach, share ideas and stimulate creativity."

So while it's unlikely to ever meet full production in its current guise, we can at least take a moment to drool over the stats. Power comes from a 4.6-litre V8 petrol engine, centrally mounted for perfect balance, and producing 600bhp. This is linked to a six-speed manual gearbox, largely made of wood, of course. The 15ft-long Splinter can therefore hit 0-60mph in just over three seconds. The advantage of the wooden construction is weight; at 1,135kg the two-seater Splinter weighs 260kg less than the stripped-out Porsche 911 GT3, and will average 20mpg thanks to its slippery aerodynamic shape. Splinter claims top speed of 240 mph.

If the Splinter does make production, its creators could have an illustrious career. One hundred years ago British car company Morgan started making cars made from wood, and the company is currently one of the most successful British specialist car makers today.

DIMENSIONS

Projected Curb Weight : 2500lb
Wheelbase : 105.0in
Length : 174.5in
Width : 82.0in
Front Track : 70.0in
Rear Track : 69.0in
Height : 42.0in
Ground Clearance : 3.5in

Specification

LAYOUT
Mid-engine, rear-drive

CHASSIS
Laminated wood veneer Monocoque

BRAKES
F 14.0in drilled, slotted, vented rotors with 6 piston calipers R 12.0in drilled, slotted, vented rotors

WHEELS
3 piece- forged rims, laminated wood center section
F 19in X 10in
R 20in X 13in

TIRES
Michelin Pilot Sport 2
F 265/35ZR19
R 335/30ZR20

STEERING
Sweet Mfg Integrated Servo 12:1 Rack and Pinion

FRONT SUSPENSION
Unequal length upper and lower laminated wood A-arms
Transversely mounted laminated wood leaf spring
Adjustable remote reservoir tube shocks
Laminated wood anti-roll bar

REAR SUSPENSION
Laminatesd wood trailing arms
Transversely mounted laminated wood leaf spring

ENGINE
Aluminum block and heads
32V DOHC reverse-flow cylinder heads
4.6L displacement
Twin Roots-type superchargers
4 air-to-water intercoolers
Projected 600 bhp

DRIVETRAIN
6 speed manual transaxle
Getrag limited-slip differential

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Death Penalty

2008-07-31T11:25:00.005+07:00

Mana yang lebih pantas dihukum mati? Sumiarsih ataukah Sang Jaksa 6M? (dalam kasus dugaan suap Jaksa 6M)

Ketika kita mendengar berita mengenai Sumiarsih dan anaknya, terpidana mati atas kasus pembunuhan berencana terhadap Letnan Kolonel (Mar) Purwanto sekeluarga akan segera dieksekusi, saya pribadi secara emosional seketika berpendapat itu adalah hukuman yang setimpal atas perbuatan mereka. Biar mereka merasakan gimana rasanya dibunuh. Itu pendapat saya pribadi secara spontan dilihat dari kacamata ‘emosi’. Tetapi, apakah mekanisme sebuah hukuman adalah untuk sekedar “balas dendam”?
Sebenarnya pada era sekarang ini sudah terjadi perubahan konsep, dari mekanisme hukuman sebagai sebuah pembalasan menjadi hukuman untuk pendidikan dan pemasyarakatan. Itulah mengapa sekarang tidak lagi digunakan istilah rumah tahanan, melainkan digunakan istilah Lembaga Pemasyarakatan, dimana si terpidana akan dididik, dan juga diberi pendampingan rohani supaya suatu saat dapat kembali ke masyarakat secara normal.

Hingga saat ini, masih terjadi polemik mengenai keabsahan eksistensi mekanisme hukuman mati. Karena sebagai anugerah Tuhan, hak hidup adalah hak yang melekat pada setiap individu yang tidak dapat dirampas dan dikurang-kurang (non-derogable rights) oleh siapapun, atas nama apapun dan dalam situasi apapun termasuk oleh negara, atas nama hukum atau dalam situasi darurat. Amandemen kedua UUD 1945 pun dengan tegas menyebutkan, “Setiap orang berhak untuk hidup serta berhak mempertahankan hidup dan kehidupannya”.
Namun sebagian negara-negara di dunia ini beranggapan masih perlu memberlakukan hukuman mati untuk memberikan efek jera dan diharapkan masyarakat lainnya tidak melakukan tindak pidana. Pro kontra mengenai hukuman mati memang tidak pernah ada matinya. Sebanyak 88 negara telah menghapus hukuman mati dari sistem hukumnya. Bahkan di Belanda, yang aturan hukumnya dicangkok menjadi acuan penyusunan hukum di Indonesia, sanksi hukuman ini sudah dihapus sejak tahun 1870. Sementara 68 negara masih menerapkan praktik hukuman mati, termasuk Indonesia. Eksistensi hukuman mati di Indonesia dapat kita jumpai dalam KUHP, UU Narkotika, UU Antikorupsi, UU Antiterorisme, dan UU Pengadilan HAM.

Apabila hukum positif Indonesia memang masih mengakui hukuman mati, pastilah ada pertimbangan dan dasar hukumnya yang layak. Namun karena hukuman yang paling maksimal ini berhubungan dengan hidup mati seseorang maka penerapannya tentunya dengan batasan-batasan yang amat sangat ketat yaitu untuk kejahatan-kejahatan yang luar biasa (extra ordinary crime). Batasan ‘luar bias’ ini dinilai dari tingkat dampak atau efeknya terhadap masyarakat dan kepentingan umum secara luas

Misalnya dalam kasus terorisme. Kejahatan ini adalah kejahatan luar biasa, tidak hanya merenggut banyak nyawa, tetapi juga berdampak menimbulkan keresahan serta ketakutan yang luar biasa terhadap masyarakat. Bahkan dari segi ekonomi tingkat kepercayaan dunia akan stabilitas keamanan Indonesia menurun, sehingga investor-investor asingpun enggan berinvestasi. Kemudian diberlakukannya travel warning dari negara-negara asing menghancurkan industri pariwisata Indonesia serta masih banyak dampak lain yang dirasakan masyarakat secara meluas. Kasus kejahatan terorisme ini pantas untuk dijatuhi hukuman mati. Contoh kejahatan luar biasa lain yang pantas dijatuhi hukuman mati adalah pengedar obat-obat terlarang. Kejahatan ini jelas sangat tampak nyata dampaknya bagi masyarakat luas, bahaya laten yang menggerogoti generasi penerus bangsa.

Yang paling penting yang harus dijatuhi hukuman mati sebenarnya adalah kejahatan korupsi. Negara ini mempunyai prestasi peringkat kelima dunia dalam hal korupsi. Indonesia menjadi surga bagi para koruptor.
Dalam Penjelasan UU 20 Tahun 2001 tentang Tindak Pidana Korupsi, korupsi memenuhi kriteria kejahatan luar biasa, yaitu dilakukan secara sistematis dan meluas sehingga tidak hanya menimbulkan kerugian bagi Negara saja tapi juga bagi masyarakat luas. Lantas hukuman apa yang pantas dijatuhkan bagi pelaku korupsi? Undang-undang tersebut menyebutkan ancaman hukuman maksimal adalah seumur hidup, kecuali apabila dilakukan dalam keadaan tertentu, pidana mati dapat dijatuhkan (vide pasal 2 ayat 2). “Keadaan Tertentu” dalam penjelasan disebutkan adalah dalam hal tindak pidana dilakukan terhadap dana-dana yang diperuntukkan bagi penanggulangan keadaan bahaya, bencana alam nasional, penanggulangan akibat kerusuhan sosial yang meluas, penanggulangan krisi ekonomi dan moneter dan penanggulangan tindak pidana korupsi. Namun dalam praktek, penerapan hukuman mati terhadap koruptor hampir mustahil. “Keadaan tertentu” oleh hakim masih ditafsirkan sangat limitatif dan kelewat hati-hati.
Dengan rendahnya tuntutan pidana atas kasus-kasus korupsi, para koruptor menganggap enteng sebuah mekanisme hukum. Mereka hanya akan menjalani penjara sekian tahun (termasuk kemungkinan banyak remisi-remisi), setelah itu mereka akan bebas melanjutkan hidupnya dengan aman sejahtera dan terjamin dengan aset hasil korupsi yang berhasil mereka sembunyikan.

Terlepas dari pro kontra mengenai eksistensi hukuman mati, selagi dalam hukum positif Indonesia masih mengakui dan menerapkan hukuman mati, dan dengan mengingat tingkat kejahatan korupsi di Indonesia yang kelewat akut, serta vonis yang dijatuhkan selama ini terhadap terpidana korupsi yang ternyata belum memberikan efek jera bagi masyarakat, maka rasanya sangat perlu adanya hukuman maksimal berupa hukuman mati terhadap terpidana korupsi. Sehingga calon-calon koruptor akan berfikir seribu kali untuk melakukan korupsi karena ternyata tidak hanya kejahatan-kejahatan yang berlumuran darah saja yang bisa dijatuhi hukuman mati.

Mari sedikit kita bandingkan kejahatan berlumuran darah ‘’Sumiarsih” dengan kejahatan kerah putih kasus suap “jaksa 6 M” yang sangat menghebohkan itu.
Apabila dilihat dari kekejamannya secara fisik, memang kejahatan Sumiarsih terbilang keji dan kejam. Tapi bagaimana bila dilihat dari dampak kejahatan Sumiarsih terhadap kerugian atas kepentingan umum masyarakat luas? Dengan tanpa mengurangi rasa simpati atas penderitaan korban serta rasa kehilangan dan kesedihan keluarga korban, kejahatan Sumiarsih cs. sebenarnya hanya berdampak pada lingkup yang sangat kecil yaitu kaluarga dan masyarakat sekitar. Keluarga pastilah kehilangan dan sedih dan masyarakat sekitar mungkin trauma dan takut pada pelaku kejahatan tersebut. Tapi, dampak secara luas untuk seluruh masyarakat Indonesia tidaklah cukup signifikan. Sehingga kejahatan Sumiarsih cs. sebenarnya belum termasuk Extra Ordinary Crime. Bukankah hukuman penjara seumur hidup sudah cukup pantas bagi Sumiarsih?

Sementara bila kita lihat kasus suap Jaksa 6M, apabila benar terbukti Sang Jaksa 6M tersebut menerima suap, (melihat si penyuapnya telah terbukti bersalah dan divonis 5th penjara, serta bukti-bukti rekaman KPK lainnya, maka hampir dapat dipastikan Sang Jaksa 6M tersebut positif menerima suap) yang disinyalir dalam rangka upaya meng-SP3-kan (Surat Penghentian Penyidikan) kasus BLBI, betapa sebenarnya jelas terlihat dampak yang sangat nyata dan luas bagi masyarakat Indonesia.
Bayangkan saja, bos BDNI yang telah menerima aliran dana trilliunan uang rakyat (BLBI) itu telah menyerahkan aset yang nilainya tidak setara dengan hutangnya (negara dirugikan lebih dari 20 trilliun) namun bisa mendapatkan SKL (Surat Keterangan Lunas) dan kasusnya di-SP3-kan oleh Sang Jaksa dengan imbalan 6M. Bukankah kejahatan ini luar biasa? Terlebih-lebih bagi seorang JAKSA, dimana kepadanya diserahkan harapan dan kepercayaan rakyat untuk menjadi pilar penegak hukum bagi negara ini, garda terdepan penegak kebenaran dan keadilan serta penumpas kejahatan yang menyengsarakan rakyat??? Lihat apa yang telah ia perbuat? Very very Extra Ordinary Crime bukan? Lantas hukuman seperti apa yang pantas baginya? Bagi mafia-mafia peradilan? Bagaimana bila dibandingkan dengan kejahatan Sumiarsih cs.?

Siapa sebenarnya yang lebih layak dijatuhi hukuman mati? Sumiarsih, atau Sang Jaksa 6M?

Jempol Tercepat Se-Dunia

2008-07-19T21:29:00.008+07:00

Dalam sebuah kompetisi bertajuk SingTel SMS Shootout pada September 2003, seorang wanita Singapura, Kimberly Yeo (23) dinobatkan sebagai pemilik jempol tercepat se-dunia dalam menulis SMS menggunakan ponsel dan tercatat dalam Guinness World Record. Dia mengungguli 125 peserta lainnya, lewat catatan waktunya 43,26 detik. Rekor dunia sebelumnya adalah 67 detik, atas nama James Tusler (Inggris), dengan mengetikkan kalimat yang sama.

Dalam kompetisi tersebut, Yeo diharuskan untuk menuliskan kalimat yang sudah disiapkan oleh pihak Guiness World Record yang berbunyi "The razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human" tanpa menggunakan fitur bantuan apapun seperti fitur Predictive Text.

Sebagai pemenang, Yeo berhak memboyong hadiah senilai 25.000 SGD (sekitar Rp 128 juta), yang terdiri dari uang tunai, paket langganan premium dari Singtel dan ponsel Nokia terbaru saat itu.

Mau memecahkan rekor Yeo? Silakan coba...

Hybrid Cars

2008-07-19T19:34:00.013+07:00

Vehicle Type

Single-wheeled vehicles
There were large Chinese wheelbarrows depicted with sails and masts. Likewise, there are the same Chinese wheelbarrows with sailing masts depicted in the Atlas of Gerardus Mercator (1512–1594 AD), as well as the 1626 AD book Kingdome of Chinay J. Speed. The English poet John Milton (1608–1674 AD) popularized the Chinese sailing carriage in Europe with a poem written in 1665.

Two-wheeled and cycle-type vehicles
Mopeds and electric bicycles are a simple form of a hybrid, as power is delivered both via an internal combustion engine or electric motor and the rider's muscles. Early prototypes of motorcycles in the late 1800s used the same principles.
In a parallel hybrid bicycle human and motor power are mechanically coupled at the pedal drive train or at the rear or the front wheel, e.g. using a hub motor, a roller pressing onto a tire, or a connection to a wheel using a transmission element. Human and motor torques are added together. Almost all manufactured models are of this type. See Motorized bicycles, Mopeds and for more information.
In a series hybrid bicycle (SH) the user powers a generator using the pedals. This is converted into electricity and can be fed directly to the motor giving a chainless bicycle but also to charge a battery. The motor draws power from the battery and must be able to deliver the full mechanical torque required because none is available from the pedals. SH bicycles are commercially available, because they are very simple in theory and manufacturing.
The first known prototype and publication of an SH bicycle is by Augustus Kinzel (US Patent 3'884'317) in 1975. In 1994 Bernie Macdonalds conceived the Electrilite SH lightweight vehicle which used power electronics allowing regenerative braking and pedaling while stationary. In 1995 Thomas Müller designed a "Fahrrad mit elektromagnetischem Antrieb" in his 1995 diploma thesis and built a functional vehicle. In 1996 Jürg Blatter and Andreas Fuchs of Berne University of Applied Sciences built an SH bicycle and in 1998 mounted the system onto a Leitra tricycle (European patent EP 1165188). In 1999 Harald Kutzke described his concept of the "active bicycle": the aim is to approach the ideal bicycle weighing nothing and having no drag by electronic compensation. Until 2005 Fuchs and colleagues built several prototype SH tricycles and quadricycles.

Heavy vehicles
Hybrid power trains are used for diesel-electric or turbo-electric railway locomotives, buses, heavy goods vehicles, mobile hydraulic machinery, and ships. Ships with both sails and engines are an early form of hybrid which may return to more common use as costs of fuels rises. Typically some form of heat engine (usually diesel) drives an electric generator or hydraulic pump which power one or more electric or hydraulic motors. There are advantages in distributing power through wires or pipes rather than mechanical elements especially when multiple drives—e.g. driven wheels or propellers—are required. There is power lost in the double conversion from typically diesel fuel to electricity to power an electric or hydraulic motor. With large vehicles the advantages often outweigh the disadvantages especially as the conversion losses typically decrease with size. Presently there is no or relatively little energy storage capacity on most heavy vehicles, e.g. auxiliary batteries and hydraulic accumulators—this is changing.

Rail transport
An example of a typical "hybrid" is the new Canadian, Bombardier-built railroad engine called the AGC (Autorail à grande capacité, high-capacity railcar) which has dual mode (diesel and electric motors) and dual voltage capabilities (1500 and 25000 V) allowing it to be used on many different rail systems. The first operational prototype of a hybrid train engine with significant energy storage and energy regeneration capability has been introduced in Japan as the Kiha E200. It utilizes battery packs of lithium ion batteries mounted on the roof to store recovered energy. In the U.S., General Electric introduced a prototype railroad engine with their "Ecomagination" technology in 2007. They store energy in a large set of sodium nickel chloride (Na-NiCl2) batteries to capture and store energy normally dissipated during dynamic braking or coasting downhill. They expect at least a 10% reduction in fuel use with this system and are now spending about $2 billion/yr on hybrid research. Variants of typical diesel-electrical locomotives are like the Green Goat (GG) and Green Kid (GK) switching/yard engines built by Canada's Railpower Technologies. They utilize a large set of heavy duty long life (~10 yr) rechargeable lead acid (Pba) batteries and 1000 to 2000 HP electric motors as the primary motive sources and a new clean burning diesel generator (~160 Hp) for recharging the batteries that is used only as needed. No power or fuel are wasted for idling—typically 60–85% of the time for these type locomotives. Its unclear if dynamic braking (regenerative) power is recaptured for reuse; but in principle should be easily utilized. Since these engines typical need extra weight for traction purposes anyway the battery pack's weight is a negligible penalty. In addition the diesel generator and battery package are normally built on an existing "retired" "yard" locomotive's frame for significant additional cost savings. The existing motors and running gear are all rebuilt and reused. Diesel fuel savings of 40–60% and up to 80% pollution reductions are claimed over that of a "typical" older switching/yard engine. The same advantages that existing hybrid cars have for use with frequent starts and stops and idle periods apply to typical switching yard use. "Green Goats" locomotives have been purchased by Canadian Pacific Railway, BNSF Railway, Kansas City Southern Railway and Union Pacific Railroad among others.

Railpower Technologies Corp. engineers working with TSI Terminal Systems Inc. in Vancouver, British Columbia are testing a hybrid diesel electric power unit with battery storage for use in Rubber Tyred Gantry (RTG) cranes. RTG cranes are typically used for loading and unloading shipping containers onto trains or trucks in ports and container storage yards. The energy used to lift the containers can be partially regained when they are lowered. Diesel fuel and emission reductions of 50–70% are predicted by Railpower engineers. First systems are expected to be operational in 2007.

Road Transport, Commercial Vehicles
GM has launched hybrid versions of its full-size GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Tahoe SUVs' for 2008

Chevrolet Tahoe SUV

GMC Yukon

Vehicle type
Early hybrid systems are being investigated for trucks and other heavy highway vehicles with some operational trucks and buses starting to come into use. The main obstacles seem to be smaller fleet sizes and the extra costs of a hybrid system are yet compensated for by fuel savings, but with the price of oil set to continue on its upward trend, the tipping point may be reached by the end of 2008. Advances in technology and lowered battery cost and higher capacity etc. developed in the hybrid car industry are already filtering into truck use as Toyota, Ford, GM and others introduce hybrid pickups and SUVs. Kenworth Truck Company recently introduced a hybrid-electric truck, called the Kenworth T270 Class 6 that for city usage seems to be competitive. FedEx and others are starting to invest in hybrid delivery type vehicles—particularly for city use where hybrid technology may pay off first. The U.S. military is investigating hybrid Humvees and other vehicles.

Hybrid Humvees Concept

Engine type

Hybrid-electric petroleum vehicles

Hybrid New Flyer Metrobus

Hybrid Optare Solo

When the term hybrid vehicle is used, it most often refers to a Hybrid electric vehicle. These encompass such vehicles as the AHS2 (Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Silverado, Cadillac Escalade, and the Saturn Vue), Toyota Prius, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Ford Escape Hybrid, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Honda Insight, Honda Civic Hybrid and others. A petroleum-electric hybrid most commonly uses internal combustion engines (generally gasoline or Diesel engines, powered by a variety of fuels) and electric batteries to power electric motors. There are many types of petroleum-electric hybrid drivetrains, from Full hybrid to Mild hybrid, which offer varying advantages and disadvantages.

While liquid fuel/electric hybrids date back to the late 1800s, the braking regenerative hybrid was invented by David Arthurs, an electrical engineer from Springdale, Arkansas in 1978-79. His home-converted Opel GT was reported to get as much as 75MPG and plans are still sold to this original design, and the "Mother Earth News" modified version on their website.

Continuously recharged battery electric vehicle (BEV)
Given suitable infrastructure, permissions and vehicles, BEVs can be recharged while the user drives. The BEV establishes contact with an electrified rail, plate or overhead wires on the highway via an attached conducting wheel or other similar mechanism (see Conduit current collection). The BEV's batteries are recharged by this process—on the highway—and can then be used normally on other roads until the battery is discharged.

This provides the advantage, in principle, of virtually unrestricted highway range as long as you stay where you have BEV infrastructure access. Since many destinations are within 100 km of a major highway, this may reduce the need for expensive battery systems. Unfortunately private use of the existing electrical system is nearly universally prohibited.

The technology for such electrical infrastructure is old and, unfortunately outside of some cities, is not widely distributed (see Conduit current collection, trams, electric rail, trolleys, third rail). Updating the required electrical and infrastructure costs can be funded, in principle, by toll revenue, gasoline or other taxes.

Hybrid fuel (dual mode)
In addition to vehicles that use two or more different devices for propulsion, some also consider vehicles that use distinct energy sources or input types ("fuels") using the same engine to be hybrids, although to avoid confusion with hybrids as described above and to use correctly the terms, these are perhaps more correctly described as dual mode vehicles:

Some electric trolleybuses can switch between an on board diesel engine and overhead electrical power depending on conditions (see dual mode bus). In principle, this could be combined with a battery subsystem to create a true plug-in hybrid trolleybus, although as of 2006, no such design seems to have been announced.
Flexible-fuel vehicles can use a mixture of input fuels (petroleum and biofuels) in one tank — typically gasoline and bioethanol or biobutanol, though diesel-biodiesel vehicles would also qualify.

Dual mode:Liquified petroleum gas and natural gas are very different from petroleum or diesel and cannot be used in the same tanks, so it would be impossible to build an (LPG or NG) flexible fuel system. Instead vehicles are built with two, parallel, fuel systems feeding one engine. While the duplicated tanks cost space in some applications, the increased range and flexibilty where (LPG or NG) infrastructure is incomplete may be a significant incentive to purchase.

Some vehicles have been modified to use another fuel source if it is available, such as cars modified to run on autogas /LPG and diesels modified to run on waste vegetable oil that has not been processed into biodiesel.

Power-assist mechanisms for bicycles and other human-powered vehicles are also included.

Fluid power hybrid
Hydraulic and pneumatic hybrid vehicles use an engine to charge a pressure accumulator to drive the wheels via hydraulic or pneumatic (i.e. compressed air) drive units. The energy recovery rate is higher and therefore the system is more efficient than battery charged hybrids, demonstrating a 60% to 70% increase in energy economy in EPA testing. Under tests done by the EPA, a hydraulic hybrid Ford Expedition returned 32 mpg–U.S. (7.35 L/100 km / 38.4 mpg–imp) City, and 22 mpg–U.S. (10.69 L/100 km / 26.4 mpg–imp) highway.

UPS currently has two trucks in service with this technology.

While the system has faster and more efficient charge/discharge cycling and is cheaper than gaselectric hybrids, the accumulator size dictates total energy storage capacity and requires more space than a battery.

Plug-in Hybrid Electrical Vehicles (PHEV)
The latest hybrid technology is the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV). The PHEV consists of a gasoline-electric hybrid whose battery pack (usually Li-ion) is upgraded to a larger capacity, which can be recharged by either a battery charger hooked into the electrical grid or the gasoline engine (only if required). The car runs on battery power for the first 10 to 60 miles (16–100 km), with the gasoline engine available for faster acceleration, etc. After the battery is nearly discharged, the car reverts to the gasoline engine to recharge the battery and/or return the car to the charging station. This may get around the fundamental obstacle of battery range that has made nearly all pure electric cars impractical. Fuel costs (ignoring conversion costs), in principle, may be as low as 5 cents/mile. It's not clear yet whether converting an existing hybrid car will ever pay for itself in fuel savings. The biggest problem is finding a good, cheap, high-energy battery pack—the same problem that has plagued the pure electric car. If everyone plugged into the utility grid to charge up their car this would seem to be merely displacing the gasoline/diesel combustion problem to the typical coal powered electrical generating plant. But, if cars were recharged late at night this would allow the base load of the electrical system to be more efficient with a much more even base load and electrical power can also be generated by clean wind, hydro, tide power, etc. Since most travel is about 30 miles/day this may be the cleanest personal transportation system presently available. There is a "cottage" conversion industry for owners of existing hybrids, and several large auto industry groups (GM, Toyota, Mercedes etc.) as well as the US Department of Energy[19] are investigating this system. No major car company (as of late 2007) offers PHEVs yet. The typical "cottage" industry conversion car is the Toyota Prius (cost of conversion $5k-$40k), since it is a full hybrid with enough power in its electrical system to maintain typical city speeds.

Hybrid vehicle engines and how they work

Gasoline assist
The first type can propel itself using only the electric motor at very low speeds. The electric motor also has the ability to kick in and help out the gasoline engine when more power is needed, such as when passing or climbing a steep grade. The Toyota Prius and the Ford Escape Hybrid fall into this category.

Toyota Prius

Ford Escape Hybrid

When a car like the Toyota Prius accelerates from a standstill, the electric motor gets the vehicle rolling and continues to drive it up to around 25 mph before the gasoline engine automatically starts up. Under hard acceleration from a stop, the gas engine starts immediately to provide maximum power. The electric motor and the gas engine also work in tandem when driving conditions demand more power, such as while climbing a hill or passing other vehicles. Because the electric motor is used so much at low speeds, the Prius and Escape get better mileage in the city than they do on the highway.

Electric assist
The second type uses the electric motor only to assist the gasoline engine when it needs extra boost, again during brisk acceleration or when going up a hill. The Civic Hybrid and Honda Insight fall into the second category.

When a car like the Honda Insight and Civic Hybrid, the electric motor assists the gas engine only when driving conditions demand more power, such as during hard acceleration from a stop, while climbing a hill or passing other vehicles. As with normal, gas-powered cars, these hybrids get better fuel economy while cruising on the highway, as that is when the gas engine is least taxed.

Environmental issues

Fuel consumption and emissions reductions
The hybrid vehicle typically achieves greater fuel economy and lower emissions than conventional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs), resulting in fewer emissions being generated. These savings are primarily achieved by four elements of a typical hybrid design:
recapturing energy normally wasted during braking etc. (regenerative braking) This is a mechanism that reduces vehicle speed by converting some of its kinetic energy into another useful form of energy, especially in stop-and-go traffic.
having significant battery storage capacity to store and reuse recaptured energy;
shutting down the gasoline or diesel engine during traffic stops or while coasting or other idle periods; improving aerodynamics ; (part of the reason that SUVs get such bad gas mileage is the drag on the car. A box shaped car or truck has to exert more force to move through the air causing more stress on the engine making it work harder. Improving the shape and aerodynamics of a car is a good way to help better the gas mileage and also improve handling at the same time.
using low rolling resistance tires ; (tires these days are made to give a quiet , smooth ride but rarely is efficiency considered. These tires cause a great deal of drag, once again making the engine work harder , consuming more gas mileage. Hybrid cars use special tires that are more inflated than regular tires and stiffer, which reduces the drag by about half, improving fuel economy by relieving stress of the engine.
relying on both the gasoline (or diesel engine) and the electric motors for peak power needs resulting in a smaller gasoline or diesel engine sized more for average usage rather than peak power usage.

These features make a hybrid vehicle particularly efficient for city traffic where there are frequent stops, coasting and idling periods. In addition noise emissions are reduced, particularly at idling and low operating speeds,[22] in comparison to conventional gasoline or diesel powered engine vehicles. For continuous high speed highway use these features are much less useful in reducing emissions.

Hybrid Vehicle Emissions
Hybrid Vehicle emissions today are getting close to or even lower than the recommended level set by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). The recommended levels they suggest for a typical passenger vehicle should be equated to 5.5 metric tons of carbon dioxide. The three most popular hybrid vehicles, Honda Civic, Honda Insight and Toyota Prius, set the standards even higher by producing 4.1, 3.5, and 3.5 tons showing a major improvement in carbon monoxide emissions.

Environmental impact of hybrid car battery
Though hybrid cars take in substantially less petroleum than conventional cars, there is still an issue regarding the environmental damage of the Hybrid car battery. Today most Hybrid car batteries are one of two types: nickel metal hydride, or lithium ion. Both are regarded as more environmentally friendly than lead-based batteries (which constitute the bulk of car batteries today). “Jim Kliesch, author of the ‘Green Book: The Environmental Guide to Cars and Trucks’ told HybridCars.com, ‘There are many types of batteries. Some are far more toxic than others. While batteries like lead acid or nickel cadmium are incredibly bad for the environment, the toxicity levels and environmental impact of nickel metal hydride batteries—the type currently used in hybrids—are much lower.

Though substantially less toxic than conventional car batteries, nickel-based batteries are known carcinogens, as well as can lead to a wide array of other health problems (little testing has been done to show the effects of nickel on people but other possible side effects may include: “xencephaly, everted viscera, short and twisted neck, short and twisted limbs, microphthalmia, hemorrhage, and reduced body size”.

Although companies are funding research to use these safer less toxic batteries, the fact of the matter is lead is so cheap, and money always plays a factor when dealing with mass production of an item.[clarify] According to a 2003 report entitled, "Getting the Lead Out," by Environmental Defense and the Ecology Center of Ann Arbor, Mich., an estimated 2.6 million metric tons of lead can be found in the batteries of vehicles on the road today. There's little argument that lead is extremely toxic. Scientific studies show that long-term exposure to even tiny amounts of lead can cause brain and kidney damage, hearing impairment, and learning problems in children. The auto industry uses over one million metric tons of lead every year, with 90% going to conventional lead-acid vehicle batteries. While lead recycling is a mature industry, it's impossible to rescue every car battery from the dump. More than 40,000 metric tons of lead are lost to landfills every year. According to the federal Toxic Release Inventory, another 70,000 metric tons are released in the lead mining and manufacturing process. [Jim Kliesch, author of the Green Book: The Environmental Guide to Cars and Trucks]

Raw materials shortage
There is an impeding shortage of many rare materials used in the manufacture of hybrid cars.

For example, the rare earth element dysprosium is required to fabricate many of the advanced electric motors and battery systems in hybrid propulsion systems.

However, nearly all the rare earth elements in the world come from China, and many analysts believe that an overall increase in Chinese electronics manufacturing will consume this entire supply by 2012. In addition, export quotas on Chinese Rare Earth exports have resulted in a generally shaky supply of those metals.

A few non-Chinese sources such as the advanced Hoidas Lake project in northern Canada as well as Mt Weld in Australia are currently under development; however it is not known if these sources will be developed before the shortage hits.

Alternative green vehicles

Other types of green vehicles include other vehicles that go fully or partly on alternative energy sources than fossil fuel. Another alternative is to use alternative fuel composition in conventional fossil fuel-based vehicles, making them go partly on renewable energy sources.

Other approaches include personal rapid transit, a public transportation concept that offers automated on-demand non-stop transportation, on a network of specially-built guideways.

source : en.wikipedia.org

Indonesian Furniture: Tropical Furniture Becoming Trendy

2008-07-14T21:40:00.006+07:00

Following the popularity of the minimalist style that has long dominated the architecture styles, buildings of modern and tropical architecture are now becoming increasingly trendy. Many buildings now under construction — like private houses, villas, townhouses, residential housing complexes, hotels and apartments — are embracing modern and tropical architecture.

We live in a tropical country and surely long to live in a modern and environmentally friendly house that can shield us from the heat and humidity. These buildings should be designed to anticipate the rainy season by, for instance, making sure that the roofs do not leak, that no rain water comes into the house and that soil in the garden absorbs as much water as possible.

While in the dry season, homes should provide coolness, ample air circulation, enough light and fresh air.
An open plan is a typical characteristic of modern tropical architecture. Homes have terraces, with earth tones (shades of brown, green and blue) dominating. These homes have natural materials for window and door frames, wooden furniture, walls and/or floors made of brick, terrazzo or granite. Sunlight and fresh air can enter the building through various features (windows, doors, vents, skylights). They are clean, use space efficiently, are low cost in their construction and maintenance, environmentally friendly in design and materials, and conserve energy.
Furniture in modern tropical design lends an air of contentment and gives “soul” to a building. This sort of furniture provides “life” to all of the rooms such as the front terrace, living room, bedrooms, dining room, kitchen, back terrace
and garden, as well as first and second floors and the attic.

Furniture is selected based on the needs of the occupants who, living in the tropics, spend most of their time outdoors. More activities occur outdoors, like on a terrace or in a garden.

Tables and chairs are needed in rooms on the ground floor of the house and in room on the second floor for socializing. In the future, these spaces can be extended to make large terraces such as off the living room (front terrace), family room (side terrace), kitchen and dining room (back terrace). These rooms are popular as places to welcome guests, to chat or to socialize with family members. This is why furniture is a necessity in providing a comfortable atmosphere.

The trend of modern tropical architecture influences the selection of furniture. It is important to select the correct furniture so that it compliments the physical appearance of the building. In order to create comfort and circulation, it is important to understand the function of each room, and the specific needs for each room. Also important is the atmosphere required for each room, and the maintenance of these rooms. Moreover, it is important to have good taste in art.

There are several factors that you need to be aware of when organizing the rooms in order to make them attractive, such as the choice of colors, furniture, accessories, modifications of walls, doors and windows, whether separators are needed, and lighting systems.

When selecting furniture (tables, chairs, sideboards/bookcases and separators) it is crucial to consider the amount of space available, shape of the rooms, functions of the rooms (single/multi function) and atmosphere desired for each room so that they all compliment the style of modern tropical architecture. Placement of the furniture must suit the function of and amount of space available in each room. This will create efficient maintenance and cleaning of the house.

Harmony between each piece of furniture and the building itself will produce a lively atmosphere. Since furniture reflects the style and character of the occupants, it needs to be placed in an attractive and appropriate manner. The natural characteristics of modern tropical architecture will be more apparent by using furniture made of natural materials. This architectural style allows for the exploration of local materials, which are just as good as synthetic materials. It is essential that the local materials are durable, easy to maintain and compliment the exotic nature of the building.

As mentioned earlier, natural furniture materials are most suitable for modern tropical architecture. Such materials may include wood, though supply is limited. There are other common alternatives such as rattan, banana tree trunks, eceng gondok (a parasite water plant), bamboo and coconut wood to make tables, chairs, credenzas, cupboards and porches.

These alternative materials are more prestigious compare to fabricated materials and are becoming more and more common in modern tropical houses, luxurious houses, townhouses, hotels and apartments.

Alternative materials are available from our surroundings. The finishing of furniture made from these materials is done delicately with great detail. The furniture is elegant because it adopts traditional patterns, especially from Java and Bali. However, designs from other areas such as Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Papua are also considered attractive.

Most occupants of luxury houses and foreigners are fond of combining modern tropical design with traditional local patterns. They feel proud to furnish their rooms and offices with such furniture.

One efficient way of using wooden furniture is to make it dual-function. This means that it can work as a table as well as a cupboard. To make a room look even more traditional, a table can be covered with traditional cloth, such as batik or songket. A round table with a round marble top and a cupboard with a glass front may also be placed in the room. Other furniture that will enhance the natural atmosphere of a room are chairs made of rattan, wood, banana tree trunk or eceng gondok and cushions in traditional patterns.

Furniture for modern tropical architecture is often simple in design, clean, elegant, have detailed ornamentation is and geometrical (square or cubical). For example, wooden or coconut furniture is made using simple methods, such as in the polishing techniques (sandpapering, varnishing and polishing). Traditional weaving techniques using rattan and banana leaves or eceng gondok for tables and chairs provide a typical tropical touch.

Lighting in a room also contributes to how much emphasis is put on a particular setting (private collection, paintings and statues). The various types of lights such as embedded ceiling lights, spot lights, hanging lights, table and floor lamps create different atmospheres in different rooms.

Other accessories also have a similar effect on a room’s atmosphere, such as curtains ties. Curtains must also complement the color of the wall. Whether separators are needed or not really depends on the size of the room. Nevertheless, today it is common to combine several rooms in order create a bigger room. When occupants want privacy, they can always place separators, low cupboards or partitions.

Skill in organizing various pieces of furniture gives a home an occupant’s personal touch.

Nirwono Jogo is a specialist in architectural issues.

source : http://www.planetmole.org

History of Furniture

2008-07-14T21:21:00.010+07:00

Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects which may support the human body (seating furniture and beds), provide storage, or hold objects on horizontal surfaces above the ground. Storage furniture (which often makes use of doors, drawers, and shelves) is used to hold or contain smaller objects such as clothes, tools, books, and household goods. (See List of furniture types.)

Furniture can be a product of artistic design and is considered a form of decorative art. In addition to furniture's functional role, it can serve a symbolic or religious purpose. Domestic furniture works to create, in conjunction with furnishings such as clocks and lighting, comfortable and convenient interior spaces. Furniture can be made from many materials, including metal, plastic, and wood.

Furniture has been a part of the human experience since the development of non-nomadic cultures. Evidence of furniture survives from the Neolithic Period and later in antiquity in the form of paintings, such as the wall Murals discovered at Pompeii; sculpture, and examples have been excavated in Egypt and found in tombs in Ghiordes, in modern day Turkey.

Neolithic Period

Skara Brae house Orkney Scotland evidence of home furnishings i.e. a dresser containing shelves

A range of unique stone furniture has been excavated in Skara Brae a Neolithic village, located in Orkney, Scotland. The site dates from 3100-2500BC and due to a shortage of wood in Orkney, the people of Skara Brae were forced to build with stone, a readily available material that could be worked easily and turned into items for use within the household. Each house shows a high degree of sophistication and was equipped with an extensive assortment of stone furniture, ranging from cupboards, dressers and beds to shelves, stone seats and limpet tanks. [[1]] The stone dressers were regarded as the most important as it symbolically faces the entrance in each house and is therefore the first item seen when entering, perhaps displaying symbolic objects, including decorative artwork such as several Neolithic Carved Stone Balls also found at the site.

The Classical World

Early furniture has been excavated from the 8th-century B.C. Phrygian tumulus, the Midas Mound, in Gordion, Turkey. Pieces found here include tables and inlaid serving stands. There are also surviving works from the 9th-8th-century B.C. Assyrian palace of Nimrud. The earliest surviving carpet, the Pazyryk Carpet was discovered in a frozen tomb in Siberia and has been dated between the 6th and 3rd century B.C.. Recovered Ancient Egyptian furniture includes a 3rd millennium B.C. bed discovered in the Tarkhan Tomb, a c.2550 B.C. gilded set from the tomb of Queen Hetepheres, and a c. 1550 B.C. stool from Thebes. Ancient Greek furniture design beginning in the 2nd millennium B.C., including beds and the klismos chair, is preserved not only by extant works, but by images on Greek vases. The 1738 and 1748 excavations of Herculaneum and Pompeii introduced Roman furniture, preserved in the ashes of the 79 A.D. eruption of Vesuvius, to the eighteenth century.

Early Modern Europe

The furniture of the Middle Ages was usually heavy, oak, and ornamented with carved designs. Along with the other arts, the Italian Renaissance of the fourteenth and fifteenth century marked a rebirth in design, often inspired by the Greco-Roman tradition. A similar explosion of design, and renaissance of culture in general, occurred in Northern Europe, starting in the fifteenth century. The seventeenth century, in both Southern and Northern Europe, was characterized by opulent, often gilded Baroque designs that frequently incorporated a profusion of vegetal and scrolling ornament. Starting in the eighteenth century, furniture designs began to develop more rapidly. Although there were some styles that belonged primarily to one nation, such as Palladianism in Great Britain, others, such as the Rococo and Neoclassicism were perpetuated throughout Western Europe.

19th Century

The nineteenth century is usually defined by concurrent revival styles, including Gothic, Neoclassicism, Rococo, and the Eastlake Movement. The design reforms of the late century introduced the Aesthetic movement and the Arts and Crafts movement. Art Nouveau was influenced by both of these movements.

Modernism

The first three-quarters of the twentieth century are often seen as the march towards Modernism. Art Deco, De Stijl, Bauhaus, Wiener Werkstätte, and Vienna Secession designers all worked to some degree within the Modernist idiom. Postmodern design, intersecting the Pop art movement, gained steam in the 1960s and 70s, promoted in the 80s by groups such as the Italy-based Memphis movement. Transitional furniture is intended to fill a place between Traditional and Modern tastes.

Asian history

Asian furniture has a quite distinct history. The traditions out of China, India, and Japan are some of the best known, but places such as Korea, Mongolia, and the countries of South East Asia have unique facets of their own.

Traditional Japanese furniture is well known for its minimalist style, extensive use of wood, high-quality craftsmanship and reliance on wood grain instead of painting or thick lacquer. Japanese chests are known as Tansu, and are some of the most sought-after of Japanese antiques. The antiques available generally date back to the Tokugawa era.

Chinese furniture is traditionally better known for more ornate pieces. The use of uncarved wood and bamboo and the use of heavy lacquers are well known Chinese styles. It is worth noting that China has an incredibly rich and diverse history, and architecture, religion, furniture and culture in general can vary widely from one dynasty to the next.

source : wikipedia

Lawful Interseption by KPK

2008-07-14T21:01:00.004+07:00

Februari lalu Menteri Komunikasi dan Informasi Sofyan Djalil mendatangi Komisi Pemberantas Korupsi. Kedatangan Sofyan Djalil sempat menjadi pertanyaan dan bermacam spekulasi. Apakah kedatangan Menkominfo lantaran tindakan korupsi ?
Ternyata kedatangannya Menkominfo dalam rangka membahas masalah penegakan hukum yang berkaitan dengan bidang yang dipimpinnya, Telekomunikasi.

Apa kaitan antara telekomunikasi dengan KPK (penegak hukum)? Sofyan menjelaskan antara telekomunikasi dan penegak hukum harus saling terkait. Ia memberikan contoh, misalnya, demi membongkar kasus, penegak hukum adakalanya perlu untuk mengetahui dan mendengarkan pembicaraan seseorang. “Nah, hal inilah yang kita atur, biar tidak ada penyimpangan dan hal yang tidak kita inginkan,” katanya menjelaskan.

Apakah ini berarti penyadapan ?

Sofyan Djalil menolak dikatakan dengan istilah penyadapan. Apa yang dilakukan KPK bukan merupakan penyadapan, melainkan untuk mendengarkan pembicaraan yang telah terjadi, istilahnya Lawful Interception.

Apakah Lawful Interception ?

Kejadian tragis 9/11 di Amerika menggarisbawahi bahwa melindungi keamanan dalam negeri (baca: melindungi negara dari serangan teroris) merupakan tugas yang sangat berat.

Dari kejadian mengerikan itu, tugas utama petugas berwenang adalah meningkatkan pengawasan tingkat tinggi. Hal ini dilakukan sepenuhnya untuk kepentingan keamanan negara agar mampu mempertahankan dan meningkatkan kemampuan melawan tindakan teror.
Salah satu langkah strategis adalah dengan memberikan kewenangan penuh menerapkan penyadapan yang sah secara hukum (lawful interception).

Objek yang disadap adalah layanan komunikasi yang menggunakan/melintasi network operator, access operator, dan atau layanan internet melalui service provider.

Dalam lawful interception, layanan internet didefiniskan sebagai :
- akses ke internet itu sendiri
- layanan-layanan yang menggunakan internet, seperti
- browsing ke World Wide Web
- email
- groups
- chat dan icq
- Voice over IP
- File transfer Protocol (FTP)
- Telnet
- dan segala hal yang melintasi internet protocol.

Bagaimana jika lalu lintas data yang dienkrip ? misal:
- Secure e-mail (contoh PGP, MIME)
- Secure surfing menggunakan HTTPS sepetri SSL, TLS
- Virtual Privat Network Secure (VPNs) seperti pgp-phone

JIKA lalu lintas data yang dienkrip tersebut menggunakan jaringan Nerwork Operator/ Access Provider / Service Provider MAKA data yang terenkripsi tersebut harus ‘ditelanjangi/dikuliti’ dahulu sebelum dikirimkan dan atau data kunci atau enkriptor yang dibuat harus sesuai dengan yang disediakan oleh Law Enforcement Agency (LEA), kecuali hal tersebut diatas adalah merupakan tantangan bagi LEA untuk meningkatkan sisi teknis lawful interception.

Tindakan penyadapan yang dilakukan mengacu pada dua standar, yaitu
1. European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), berbasis di prancis
2. Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (Calea), berbasis di USA.

Definisi interception menurut ETSI
Interception merupakan kegiatan penyadapan yang sah menurut hukum yang dilakukan oleh network operator / akses provider / service provider (NWP/AP/SvP) agar informasi yang ada selalu siap sesedia digunakan untuk kepentingan fasilitas kontrol pelaksanaan hukum.

Di Eropa maupun Amerika, persyaratan terperinci dalam pelaksanaan penyadapan berbeda antar satu yuridiksi dengan yuridiksi lainnya, tetapi, dalam pelaksanaan penyadapan itu terdapat satu persyaratan umum yang sama, yaitu sistem penyadapan yang disediakan harus melaksanakan “penahanan / pemotongan ditengah jalan” dan pokok materi harus tidak sadar atau tidak terpengaruh selama aksi pemotongan ini.

Bahkan untuk mendukung lawful interception, kelompok industri dan agen pemerintah masih terus mencoba menstandarisasikan pengolahan secara teknis dibelakang pemotongan tersebiut. Hal ini berlaku tidak hanya di eropa tetapi diseluruh negara.

Teknik implementasi penyadapan ini adalah
- Penyadapan aktif , yaitu penyadapan yang dilakukan secara langsung
- Penyadapan semi aktif, dan
- Penyadapan pasif

Tetapi secara teknis kebanyakan penyadapan yang dilakukan adalah dengan mengimplementasikan penggabungan teknis aktif dan pasif.

Bagaimana dengan penerapan di Indonesia? Niscaya penyadapan ini akan dilakukan mengingat pemerintah telah mengeluarkan aturan hukum melalui Peraturan Menteri Komunikasi dan Informatika Nomor : 11/PERM.KOMINFO/02/2006. Tanggal 22 Februari 2006 Tentang Teknis Penyadapan Terhadap Informasi.

Tetapi Implementasi Lawful Interception di Indonesia tentu tidak mudah dan tidak murah dilakukan, mengingat sarana dan prasarana telekomunikasi yang ada di Indonesia tidak semuanya mendukung (uncomply) untuk diimplementasikan ke Lawful Interception.

Malah, kemungkinan yang lebih visible untuk dilakukan penyadapan terhadap informasi ialah informasi yang lalulintasnya menggunakan layanan internet sebab sarana dan prasarana yang ada telah lebih mungkin untuk dipersiapkan mendukung (comply) lawful interception.

Kesimpulan

Diatas semua, sebagai rakyat yang taat kepada hukum harus menerima produk hukum yang dibuat. Tetapi ada satu hal yang tidak boleh dilupakan oleh penegak hukum (kode etik) yakni :
- Bila harus mengimplementasikan lawful interception, lakukanlah dengan benar.
- Metode, sistematika dan tools yang dipergunakan tidak boleh tersingkap kepada publik
- Penegak hukum harus mentaati etika penyadapan yang dilakukan dan memberikan jaminan data yang disadap tidak tersebar bebas ke publik
- Data yang disadap harus dapat dijadikan sebagai alat/bahan bukti (sah secara hukum) mengingat hingga saat ini UU cyberlaw belum disahkan ? *cwimm
- Implementasi lawful interception harus mampu mempertahankan hubungan antar sector ( baca: jangan malah memecah belah) karena dapat dengan mudah dipergunakan oleh pihak pihak tertentu untuk hal hal yang menimbulkan instabilitas negara.

Referensi :
———————–
Handover Interface for the Lawful Interception of Telecommunications Traffic, ETSI ES-201-671, under Lawful Interception, Telecommunications Security, version 2.1.1, September 2001. Handover Specification for IP delivery, ETSI TS-102-232, under Lawful Interception, Telecommunications Security, version 1.1.1, February 2004.
———————–
Lawfully Authorized Electronic Surveillance, T1P1/T1S1 joint standard, document number J-STD-025B, December 2003.
———————–
3rd Generation Partnership Project, Technical Specification 3GPP TS 33.106 V5.1.0 (2002-09), “Lawful Interception Requirements (Release 5),” September 2003.
———————–
3rd Generation Partnership Project, Technical Specification 3GPP TS 33.107 V6.0.0 (2003-09), “Lawful interception architecture and functions (Release 6),” September 2003.
————————
3rd Generation Partnership Project, Technical Specification 3GPP TS 33.108 V6.3.0 (2003-09), “Handover interface for Lawful Interception (Release 6),” September 2003. PacketCable Electronic Surveillance Specification, PKT-SP-ESP-I03-040113, Cable Television Laboratories Inc., 13 January 2004. T1.678, Lawfully Authorized Electronic Surveillance (LAES) for Voice over Packet Technologies in Wireline Telecommunications Networks.
————————
MI5 Security Service. UK
————————

sumber : http://panca.wordpress.com

Hosting Gratis

2008-07-13T16:59:00.002+07:00

Selamat pagi teman-teman semuanya..!!!
Saya ingin bagi-bagi hostingan yang free, support PHP, dan MySql. pokoknya lumayan deh!!!
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Sumber dari situs Ilmu Website dalam kategori hosting service dengan judul Free Host PHP

Best Free Antivirus 2008

2008-07-13T15:36:00.014+07:00

Di kuarter pertama tahun 2008 ini, AV-test.org yang bekerjasama dengan AV-Test GmbH (Jerman) selesai mengadakan berbagai test membandingkan sekitar 28 Antivirus. Semua produk diambil dari versi terbaik yang diupdate pada tanggal 7 Januari 2008 dan ditest didalam sistem operasi Windows XP SP2 (English). Hal ini tentu saja merupakan Informasi dan test yang sangat bermanfaat sebagai referensi untuk memilih Antivirus.

Pengetesan-pengetesan itu adalah sebagai berikut :
Signature-based test
False-Positives-Test ( kesalahan mendeteksi virus )
Proactive detection
Reaction times
Rootkit detection (12 active samples)

Test ini untuk mengetahui akurasi Antivirus mendeteksi berbagai jenis virus yang ada. Pengetesan digunakan sample berbagai virus, trojan horses, backdoors, bots dan worm yang berjumlah lebih dari 1 juta (1.024.381 sample). Semuanya merupakan mallware yang menyebar selama 6 bulan terakhir. Pengetesan dilakukan dengan memberikan rating “very good” (++) terhadap Antivirus yang mampu mendeteksi lebih dari 98% mallware tersebut.

Pengetesan kedua dilakukan untuk mengetahui prosentase kesalahan mendeteksi file yang bersih. Untuk ini digunakan 65.000 clean files, dan hasilnya memberikan predikat “very good” (++) jika antivirus tidak mendeteksi kesalahan.

Proactive detection untuk mengetahui seberapa aktif Antivirus mampu mendeteksi virus-virus baru atau kemampuan mendeteksi ketika database virus belum diupdate ( misalnya belum diupdate selama satu mingggu ), selain itu juga kemampuan mendeteksi terhadap virus yang senantiasa merubah diri. Reaction times merupakan test untuk mengetahui seberapa cepat perusahaan Antivirus menanggapi menyebarnya virus baru, berdasarkan 55 sample di tahun 2007. Jika reaksi yang diberikan kurang dari 2 jam akan diberikan predikat “very Good” (++). Test terakhir untuk mendeteski keberadaan Rootkit, dengan menggunakan 12 sample.

Bagaimana Hasilnya ?
Berikut hasil dari masing-masing test tersebut :

Signature-based Detection :
Kemampuan mendeteksi dari 1.024.381 sample virus.

False-Positives (FP) Test

Proactive Detection

Reaction Times

Rootkit Detection

Kesimpulan

Berdasarkan test-test diatas memang tidak ada antivirus yang paling unggul disemua tahap pengetesan. Tetapi paling tidak bisa diambil beberapa antivirus yang cukup bagus dari kesemua test. Beberapa test mungkin tidak terlalu penting untuk diperhitungkan, seperti reaction times. Waktu reaksi 6-8 jam pun bisa dikatakan cukup bagus bagi kita. Selain itu Rootkit detection juga bukan hal yang begtu penting, mengingat saat ini masih sangat jarang jenis rootkit ini. Jadi kesimpulan disini hanya menilai dari tiga test sebelumnya. Dan ini pun mungkin sangat subyektif. Berikut Urutan Virus terbaik versi ebsoft berdasar test-test (3 test pertama) diatas :

AntiVir
Hampir disemua test mempunyai hasil yang sangat bagus. Ditambah lagi Antivir menyediakan versi Gratis, walaupun tidak semua fasilitas disediakan. Memang kadang masih salah mendeteksi beberapa file yang bersih sebagai virus.
Download Lates Free Antivir :
download link 1
download link 2

AVK 2008
Antivirus ini mungkin jarang kita dengar di negeri kita, tetapi berdasarkan test diatas, menduduki peringkat tertinggi dalam mendeteksi virus. Tetapi hal ini harus dibayar dengan kesalahan mendeteksi yang dihasilkan. Selain itu AVK merupakan antivirus berbayar, belum ada versi gratisnya. Selengkapnya bisa dilihat disini GData Secutiry Labs

Avast
Hasil mendeteksi virus cukup bagus. Selain itu Avast juga juga menyediakan versi gratis, yang bisa di download langsung dari disini :
download link 1

Trend Micro
Selengkapnya disini Trend Micro

Symantec
Selengkapnya buka Symantec web site

AVG
Versi gratis bisa download di bawah ini :
download link 1
download link 2

BitDefender
Selengkapnya tentang BitDefender disini

Kaspersky
Selengkapnya klik di sini

Referensi
http://blog.chip.de/0-security-blog/security-suiten-2008-im-test-q12008-20080122/
http://www.av-test.org/
http://news.softpedia.com/news/The-Best-Antivirus-in-2008-77419.shtml

Free Java Applications for Nokia 2630

2008-07-13T09:57:00.015+07:00

Browser

Opera Mini v. 4.1
Opera Mini 4 - Fast, safe and secure — now synchronized with your computer

Opera Mini™ is a fast and tiny Web browser that allows you to access the full Internet on your phone. Take all your favorite Web sites and download images, MP3`s on the go with Opera Mini!

Opera Mini 4 delivers several new features for quicker scrolling, navigation and page rendering. This newest release also includes optimized features for BlackBerry devices, Landscape Mode (so — if you prefer to — you can now view your content sideways) and the ability to sync your Bookmarks and Speed Dial with those on your Computer. Opera Mini 4 now enables you to take your full Web experience and digital lifestyle with you — everywhere you go. Opera Mini 4 is free, so download it now!

Opera Mini uses a remote server to pre-process Web pages before sending them to your phone. Web content is optimized for your device, ensuring fast browsing and a great user experience.

Opera Mini™ offers the same speed and usability as the renowned Opera mobile browser, and uses Opera’s Small Screen Rendering™ technology to provide access to the Web. It has all the features expected of a browser, and more, such as content download, skinning, bookmarks, browsing history. In addition, Opera Mini recognizes your phone and optimizes Web pages accordingly to provide faster browsing.

This download file contains both MIDP1 basic and MIDP2 advanced versions. If you are unsure which one to install please visit the following link with your phone`s WAP browser, and you will receive the right version. - http://operamini.com/

download to PC :
download 1 or download 2

download to phone :
open http://mini.opera.com/ and click on Download Opera Mini or
open wap.GetJar.com with your mobile -> Quick Download -> enter Quick Download Code 4985

Squace - the new mobile Internet browser v. 0.4.1

Is a new mobile Internet browser that drastically reduces loading time and clicking.
Has a unique user interface that divides the phone’s screen into many squares; each square represents a link to a site or service.
Enables surfing, searching, and sharing on ordinary phones, without typing.
Allows you to personalize landline Internet and bring it into the mobile world.
Uses common, open Internet standards; you can create sites in minutes, an Internet service in a few hours, and an intranet in a few days.
Drastically lowers barriers for content providers to go mobile—no new investments.
Is freeware for everyone.
Is completely network independent; it runs on any wireless network.

download to PC :
download 2
download 1

download to phone :
Open wap.GetJar.com with your mobile -> Quick Download -> enter Quick Download Code 29015

Messanger

eBuddy v. 0.94
The eBuddy Mobile Messenger is the best multi-network Instant Messaging application that is especially designed to intuitively chat with your buddies.

Download this New and Improved version to your phone to get the best chat experience on MSN, Yahoo!, AIM and Google Talk, all in one single buddylist.

download to PC :
download 1

download to phone :
Open get.ebuddy.com -> Select your phone type -> Install -> Launch
Open wap.GetJar.com with your mobile -> Quick Download -> enter Quick Download Code 17579

Nimbuzz v. J2ME

Nimbuzz is a FREE all-in-one solution for Internet-enabled mobile phones that allows you to take your IM buddies with you -- wherever you go.

Nimbuzz works with all the major messengers, including: Skype, MSN, Google Talk, Yahoo, AIM, Jabber and more (ICQ coming soon).

Nimbuzz on your mobile promises you:
Free Chat, Group Chat and Chatrooms
Free Mobile VoIP calling (coming soon!)
Free File, Photo and Ringtone sharing
Free Voice Messaging
Free Text Messaging (within Nimbuzz)
Free Phonebook Backup and Restore
Free "Buzz" notifications (to get your buddies online!)
Local-cost Mobile Calling worldwide
No phone credits to purchase
No credit cards required

download to PC :
download 1

download to phone :
Open wap.GetJar.com with your mobile -> Quick Download -> enter Quick Download Code 10759

Mig33 Revolutions v. 3.05

download to PC :
download 1

download to phone :
Open wap.GetJar.com with your mobile -> Quick Download -> enter Quick Download Code 29363

cellity Communicator v. 1.7.5

Free mobile email: Activate email on your mobile
Check all your emails at once (GMail, Hotmail, Yahoo, AOL and other accounts)
Write emails on your mobile
Get your own free Cellity email address (YourName@cellity.com)
SPAM + VIRUS protected
PING Call: If the Communicator is turned of we inform you about new emails for free.
freeSMS: free text messaging
send and receive text messages to your friends for free:
incredible 2.048 characters
group messages: send one message to many of your friends
conversation view: keep track of every conversation
PING: If the Communicator is turned of we inform you about new messages for free.
Calls: Dramatic savings on foreign calls and conference calls
low cost international calls: save up to 90%!
easy conference calls: save you tons of time, money and energy!
see more visit www.cellity.com

download to PC :
download 1
download 2

download to phone :
Open wap.cellity.com with your mobile -> Select your phone -> Download
Open wap.GetJar.com with your mobile -> Quick Download -> enter Quick Download Code 27010

Morange v. 3.4.0 R5

With Morange 3.4.0 R4, you can browse Internet whenever and wherever you are through your mobile phone. No matter you want to search an image on Google, read Yahoo news, or scan your friends?? blogs, Morange web browser offers you a faster, safer and more intuitive mobile internet surfing experience.

download to PC :
download 1

download to phone :
Open wap.GetJar.com with your mobile -> Quick Download -> enter Quick Download Code 7801

Email

Flurry Mail Plus

Flurry is a really great mobile email and news feed reader. That is why GetJar decided to recognize them with "GetJar.com Choice Mobile Email & RSS" award. Flurry is FREE, incredibly easy to use, and sign-up is quick and straight-forward. Flurry successfully figured out how to turn an average, every-day mobile phone into a smartphone! You can keep track of multiple email accounts and easily import all your contacts so they're easy to access and secure in case you lose your handset. The user interface is designed to deliver a rich experience on low-end phones as well as the most sophisticated smart phones. Users can read and share their favorite news, blogs, and RSS feeds. Photo sharing from your phone to an email address is quick and easy. Flurry's technology keeps your data charges low, allows you to easily search for mail and news, and offers users the option to set message notification filters that alert you via SMS. They have even developed features for MySpace users that allow them to constantly stay connected to their MySpace community from their phone. Flurry has deep experience in mobile services and supports an incredible number of different phones. The company is constantly introducing useful features while keeping the user experience simple. Congratulations to Flurry on the "GetJar.com Choice Mobile Email & RSS" award! GetJar users look forward to all the great new things you are developing for us.
Read more visit at http://www.flurrymail.com/

download to PC :
download 1

download to phone :
Open wap.GetJar.com with your mobile -> Quick Download -> enter Quick Download Code 4839

Fastest Sport Cars

2008-07-11T16:10:00.004+07:00

Number 1 ( 252 mph/407 km/h ) - Bugatti Veyron

1001PS, 16 cylinders, four turbos, 8.0-litres... the Veyron's numbers are staggering. It can hit 60mph in 2.5 seconds thanks to four-wheel-drive traction, shoots to 125mph in 7.3 seconds and reaches 200mph in less than 20. The Veyron 16.4 is the most powerful, most expensive, and fastest street-legal production car in the world , with a proven top speed of over 400 km/h (407 km/h or 253 mph top speed).

The obvious question: Why would anyone build such a car? Surely no one sees doing 250 mph on the highway. There can be no commercial logic behind such a crazy machine, even with the Veyron's price tag of one million euros (at the current exchange rate, that's $1.2 million). Not even as a "halo model" -- a reputation booster -- for the VW group that builds it does the Veyron make sense. No Bugatti owner wants it known he's driving a Volkswagen.

Bugatti Veyron Data
Base Price 1,000,000 euros (1,300,000 USD)
Power 1000 hp
Zero to 60 mph in 2.5 s
Zero to 100 mph in 6 s
Top speed 253 mph (407 km/h)

History

Development of the Veyron began with the 1999 EB 18/4 "Veyron" concept car . Introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show , it was similar in design and appearance to the final Veyron production car. One major difference was the EB 18/4's use of a W18 engine with three banks of six cylinders. The Veyron was designed by Hartmut Warkuss of Volkswagen rather than Giorgetto Giugiaro of ItalDesign who had handled the three prior Bugatti concepts.

Development continued throughout 2001 and the EB 16/4 Veyron was promoted to "advanced concept" status. In late 2001 Bugatti announced that the car, officially called the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 , would go into production in 2003. The car experienced significant problems, however. High-speed stability was difficult, with one prototype destroyed in a crash and another spun out during a press demonstration at the Monterey Historics event in Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca . Production of the Veyron was delayed indefinitely.

After the release of the car, it has become known that while each Veyron is being sold for £840,000, the production costs of the car are approximately £5 million per vehicle. As Bugatti, and therefore Volkswagen, are making such a huge loss, it has been likened by influential journalist Jeremy Clarkson to Concorde ; both are largely impractical experiments in technology and ground-breaking performance created just to prove that it could be done. A car the like of the Bugatti Veyron may not be seen in production again for some time to come, if at all.

Technology

The Veyron features a W16 engine —16 cylinders in 4 banks of 4 cylinders, or the equivalent of two narrow-angle V8 engines mated in a vee configuration. Each cylinder has 4 valves , for a total of 64, but the narrow V8 configuration allows two camshafts to drive two banks of cylinders so only 4 camshafts are needed. The engine is fed by four turbochargers , and it displaces 8.0 L (7,993 cm³/488 in³) with a square 86 by 86 mm bore and stroke.

The Veyron's 16-cylinder engine is based on the innovative "W" design introduced in the 2003 Volkswagen Passat. The Veyron's version features two 90-degree V8s offset by 15 degrees. The offset allows each cylinder to be placed close to its neighbor, which reduces the total size of the massive 8.0-liter engine. A Formula 1?style dry-sump lubrication system keeps the engine moving smoothly. It's easier to spin many small turbochargers than one or two large ones, so Bugatti employs four turbos to reduce boost lag. The strategy works: The engine creates 922 lb.-ft. of torque at only 2,200 rpm.

Putting this power to the ground is a dual-clutch DSG computer-controlled manual transmission with 7 gear ratios via shifter paddles behind the steering wheel. Or it can be driven by full automatic transmission. The Veyron also features full-time all wheel drive , necessary given the output of the engine. It uses special Michelin PAX System run-flat tires, which had to be designed specifically for the Veyron, and which are capable of running at 402 km/h (253 mph).

The car's wheelbase is 2700 mm (106.3 in). Overall length is 4466 mm (175.8 in). It measures 1998 mm (78.7 in) wide and 1206 mm (47.5 in) tall. Curb weight is expected to reach 4300 lb (1950 kg) with a power to weight ratio of 513.3 hp per ton (metric) or 4.36 lb/hp (SAE).The Bugatti Veyron has a total of 10 radiators .

Bugatti official site

Number 2 ( 242 mph/395 km/h ) - Koenigsegg CCR

Koenigsegg's design seeks to give an interpretation of strength and flowing motion. The body of a Koenigsegg is formed for one ultimate purpose; speed. Its beauty is the beauty of speed itself. The surfaces are shaped to perfectly aerodynamic, an appearance that does not deceive. All aspects of this machine serve its one fundamental objective. Both the body and chassis of a Koenigsegg are made of extremely lightweight carbon fibre composite, reinforced with Kevlar and aluminium honeycomb. Its race-bred suspension system brings the driver in control of all movement, even under the toughest racing conditions.

The car was styled by Christian von Koenigsegg himself but its shape is largely dictated by aerodynamics. It is not as striking as Pagani or Enzo. At some angles it even looks bulky, like a big whale. But the whale delivers a sense of power that you can't find in its rivals either. Because of the targeted top speed, the body is designed to be so smooth that it has a very low drag coefficient of 0.30. This is much lower than Enzo (0.36), SLR (0.37) and Carrera GT (0.39). Unsurprisingly, the downside is a rather low downforce, just 50kg at the front and 70kg at the back. For comparison, an Enzo generates 775kg while Pagani achieves 500kg.

The chassis is constructed like other supercars. Central to it is a carbon-fiber tub (Koenigsegg called it "semi-monocoque") attached with steel subframe up front and aluminum subframe at the rear for mounting engine, gearbox and suspensions. Chassis rigidity is 28,100Nm per degree despite of the targa roof. The whole bodyshell is also carbon-fiber. Koenigsegg claims a dry weight of 1175kg, which translates to 1275kg when fluid and fuel are loaded, i.e., what we usually refer to "kerb weight". In other words, CC8S is about as light as Pagani and Saleen S7, while being around 100 kilograms lighter than Enzo and Carrera GT.

Koenigsegg CCR Data
Base Price 595000USD
Power 806 hp
Zero to 60 mph in 3.2 s
Zero to 100 mph in N/A
Top speed 395+ km/h (242+ mph)

History

Koenigsegg, a small Swedish supercar maker, was founded by Christian von Koenigsegg in 1994. He was very young, just 22 years old then, but he succeeded to raise the required money to develop and polish the supercar in the following 8 years until the first CC8S delivered to client in March 2002. That's amazing. His biggest success was to get the Swedish public excited (it's the country's first supercar) and many Swedish component suppliers involved the project.

In 2005 was an unbelievable day: Koenigsegg CCR broke the 7-year-old top speed record held by McLaren F1. The swedish supercar lapped Fiat's Nardo test track at 241.0 mph (387.9 kph), edging out the McLaren's 240.1 mph which was set in 1998.

Technology

The Koenigsegg CC interior seems merged with the exterior; the dynamic flow of lines and surfaces continue into the cabin and naturally bind them together. The layout is strictly symmetrical, with its elements mirrored on the centreline. All details are refined and the surfaces are cleaned of unnecessary obstructions. The focal point is the circular main control panel with its zodiac of multicolour lights and stainless steel buttons. In the very midpoint of the car is the turned gear lever; a flagpole topped by a gemstone carved with the Swedish colours. The main instrument cluster is mounted conveniently around the steering rod so that it always faces the driver. It is designed to be fully visible through the upper spokes of the steering wheel, giving the driver a complete overview.

It includes tachometer, indicators and an LCD unit giving full feed-back to the driver. The metal parts are of machined and anodized aluminium, giving them a frostlike sheen that makes them stand out against the leather background. Suede covers the dashboard and the muscle-like lower sections of the doors, serving to reduce sun glare and provide contrast to the composition. Ergonomics-engineers designed the carbon fibre chairs, which are fitted with Tempur for utmost comfort and flexibility. Their compactness leaves space for tall drivers, and they can be adjusted to offer a perfect driving position. This design fulfills the basic objective; to combine wild racing performance and comfortable everyday driving. Designer Joachim Nordwall came up with the original design concept of this interior

Koenigsegg official website

Number 3 ( 240.14 mph/392 km/h) - McLaren F1

The McLaren F1 is one of the fastest, most powerful and most expensive road cars ever. It was developed by McLaren Cars Ltd, a subsidiary of one of the world's leading Formula One Teams. The philosophy behind the F1 road car was simple - to be the finest drivers car ever built, or ever likely to be built.

That is the opening statement McLaren Auto offers on their officle homepage. To make that statement true, McLaren set out to produce the McLaren F1;a car that would be suitable for everyday use plus weekend trips to the racetrack.
The F1 features an all carbon composite monocoque and body structure. McLaren chose this material because it offers lightweight for maximum speed and strength to protect its drivers.

McLaren F1 Data
Base Price $1,050,000
Power 627 hp
Zero to 60 mph in 3.4 s
Zero to 100 mph in 7.7 s
Top speed 240.14 mph

History

Emphasis on the design was to get the highest power to weight ratio possible in a comfortable, road worthy machine. Lightweight F1 composites and metals were used throughout the car. Every detail, such as weight and response of the Kenwood stereo components, were given close attention.

The McLaren F1 was the first production to use a complete carbon fiber chassis and body. Such lightweight construction, combined with the BMW S70/2, 620 horsepower engine, helped the McLaren achieve 240.14mph in its XP5 pre-production trim. The success didn't stop on the road however, with special GTR versions winning Le Mans outright in 1995 and taking two FIA GT World Championships.

After the initial production run 100 cars, McLaren have continued to maintain and add custom appointments to customer cars. Treatments such as new aerodynamic packages and custom interiors have been ordered by customers and McLaren has been happy to comply for right price. One such car is chassis #073 which has recently been sold by Christies Inc.

Technology

To power the car McLaren uses the BMW S70/2 engine, designed and built specifically for the F1. The engine is a 6.1 litre quad-cam, 48-valve V12 which produces no less than 627 bph and a top speed of 231 mph.
Some interesting features included on the McLaren F1 are a central driving position which offers space for two passengers and one driver, of course. Some other features are the intelligent brake cooling and Ground-Plane Shear'suspension geometry'.

McLaren Cars official website

SMS via GPRS dengan Cellity FreeSMS

2008-07-11T15:14:00.007+07:00

Tarif SMS reguler operator GSM di Indonesia msih tergolong mahal jika dibandingkan dengan negara lain. SMS via GPRS dapat menjadi pilihan lain bagi anda pengguna HP, terutama pelanggan operator GSM dengan tarif GPRS yang murah (IM3 atau AXIS).
Jika anda tertarik, silakan simak artikel di bawah ini...

Persyaratan :
1. HP anda mendukung program Java (J2ME) dan memiliki fitur GPRS
2. GPRS sudah diaktivasi
3. Lawan SMS anda harus juga diinstall aplikasi Cellity FreeSMS di HP-nya
4. Pulsa telpon harus ada tentunya...;)

Langkah-langkah :
1. Aktifkan GPRS di HP anda sesuai dengan setting pada masing-masing operator selluler yang anda pakai

Telkomsel
HALO
Daftar di GRAPARI atau ketik sms dengan isi pesan GPRS dikirim ke 6616

SimPATI
Ketik sms GPRS kirim ke 6616
Nomor kode adalah enam belas digit angka yang terdapat di balik kartu SIM Card dalam format empat angka bertumpuk empat. Misalnya GPRS 6210009922069556

INDOSAT
Matrix
Ketik sms: ACT GPRS kirim ke 888 atau hubungi 222 dari HP Anda(gratis)

Mentari
Ketik sms: ACT GPRS kirim ke 888 atau hubungi 222 dari HP Anda(gratis)

IM3
Khusus untuk operator indosatM3 / IM3 tidak memerlukan pengaktifan pada operator karena sudah aktif sejak awal nomor diaktifkan. Yang anda perlukan hanyalah melakukan konfigurasi dan seting pada handset / handphone anda sehigga bisa terhubung dengan server gprs IM3.

Setting Manual Parameter Untuk Dapat Terhubung Internet GPRS Indosat M3 / IM3 :
- Connection name : M3-GPRS
- APN / Access point name : www.indosat-m3.net
- User name : gprs
- Password : im3
- Authentication : Normal
- Homepage : http://wap.indosat-m3.net
- IP address : 010.019.019.019
- Port : 9201 (standard), 8080 (proxy)

Setting Otomatis Parameter Melalui SMS Untuk Dapat Terhubung Internet GPRS Indosat M3 / IM3 :
- Ketik GPRS[spasi]merk hp[spasi]tipe hp
Contoh : GPRS NOKIA 6600 atau GPRS SE P800
- Kirim ke nomor 3939
- Anda akan mendapat sms konfirmasi balasan dari IM3
biasanya sudah Otomatis aktif perdananya

XL
Hubungi Layanan Pelanggan di nomor 818 dari ponsel anda atau ke (021) 579 59818 atau kunjungi XL Shop Terdekat. Setting OTA (On The Air) melalui SMS
- Ketik GPRS[spasi]merk handphone[spasi]tipe handphone
Contoh : GPRS NOKIA N-GAGE atau GPRS SIEMENS C62 atau GPRS SE K600i
- Kirim ke nomor 9667 (Tarif Rp 350 sekali kirim)
- Anda akan mendapat sms konfirmasi balasan dari operator XL
- Untuk mengaktifkan MMS anda tinggal merubah kode GPRS menjadi MMS

3 (Three)
Cara mengaktifkan GPRS/MMS
Otomatis aktif perdananya… Tunggu beberapa menit Setting GPRS/MMS OTA akan di kirim langsung ke HP anda (Gratis)… Bila setting GPRS blum terkirim, pindahkan kartu anda ke HP yg support GPRS lainnya tunggu beberapa menit lalu pindahkan lagi ke HP anda

2. Download software java Cellity FreeSMS
Download langsung dari HP yang sudah diaktifkan GPRS-nya :
- Buka wap.cellity.com, lalu klik download pada menu Cellity freeSMS, atau
- Buka wap.GetJar.com -> Quick Download -> masukkan Quick Download Code : 16668
atau download dari internet PC dari situs www.cellity.com atau www.getjar.com, lalu install ke HP anda dengan kabel data.

Klik link di bawah ini untuk mendownload aplikasi Cellity FreeSMS melalui internet PC :
http://www.cellity.com/en/download.html, atau
http://download11.getjar.com/downloads/web/pub/16668/s_midp1_high_getJar.jar

3. Setelah didownload ke HP, jalankan aplikasi tersebut lalu registrasikan nomor HP anda ke server cellity.com dengan memasukkan nomor HP (dengan kode negara), misalnya +62856257399.

4. Beberapa saat kemudian anda akan dikirimi kode aktivasi oleh cellity.com melalui SMS, lalu buka lagi aplikasi Cellity FreeSMS di HP anda dan masukkan kode tersebut.

5. Anda siap ber-SMS murah dengan sesama pengguna Cellity FreeSMS.

Tips :

Pilihlah operator yang menyediakan layanan GPRS dengan tarif termurah, seperti IM3 (tarif Rp.1,- per Kb) atau AXIS. Dalam sekali mengirim SMS via Cellity FreeSMS, besarnya file yang dikirim hanya 2 s/d 5 Kb.
Setiap kali kita mendapat SMS melalui Cellity FreeSMS dari sesama pengguna Cellity FreeSMS, kita kan mendapatkan missed call dari nomor-nomor “asing”. Jangan heran dan bertanya-tanya nomor siapa gerangan yang miskol, karena itu dari operator Cellity. Namun, tidak setiap kali ada SMS masuk melalui Cellity FreeSMS, kita di miskol oleh nomor-nomor “asing” tersebut. Oleh karena itu, setelah kita berkirim SMS via Cellity FreeSMS, ada baiknya kita miskol langsung ke nomor tujuan sekedar untuk pemberitahuan bahwa kita barusan mengirim SMS via Cellity FreeSMS. Agak sedikit ribet memang...tapi irit;)

SELAMAT MENCOBA

BONSAI Tree Of Life

2008-07-11T14:45:00.004+07:00

If you are interested in bonsai, you have a long but enjoyable task ahead of you – to research the best bonsai for you and your home, to acquire it, and to tend it - probably for the rest of your life! Bonsai trees, if properly cared for, can live for hundreds of years. How beautiful it is to hand down a living legacy of beauty from generation to generation.

When you look at bonsai - from the standard “chokkan” or “upright” style to the “fukinagashi” or “windswept” style to the “ishitzuki” or “rock-dweller,” you will see the results of hours upon hours, and indeed years upon years of work.

How can you possibly design such a beautiful tree yourself?

According to the experts, design sense is not “innate.” In other words, you don’t have to be born with the talent. By looking at dozens of bonsai trees - whether in person in Japanese gardens or in the many books on the subject, you will get an idea of what you want to do for yourself.

It is also important to not be too ambitious. Always begin with young trees (unless you’re growing your tree from a seed), and practice, practice, practice.

There are many topics of bonsai that it is necessary to research. Most people in the West merely want a nicely designed tree that is suitable for their climate and has certain leaf colors and flower or fruit specifications. But there is a bit more symbolism in Japanese bonsai. (Just as there is symbolism in western flowers, that most lay people don’t know about.)

Bonsai trees are divided into four types, depending on why they are being grown, aesthetically speaking.

Shohaku - evergreens
Zouki - deciduous - for the changing of the leaves during the seasons.
Hanamono - for the flowers.
Mimono - for the fruit

Before you decide on the kind of bonsai tree you are going to grow, you have to decide what kind of design you are going to use. Many trees are used in bonsai, but each one is suitable for a different kind of style. If you try to train the wrong kind of tree into an unsuitable shape, you’ll end up killing the tree or growing an unattractive specimen.

Straight trunk - Chokkan style
Trees suitable for this style - perhaps the easiest of all styles - are evergreens such as the Japanese white and the Japanese black pine, juniper, and hemlock. On the deciduous side you can try gingko, beech, or r larch.

Curved trunk - Myogi style
This style is suitable for practically all evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs. The most popular include pine, spruce, cherry and azalea.

Slanting - Shakan style
Experts suggest the pines, junipers and larches fity this style well.

Windwswept - Fukinagashi style
Experts suggest pines and junipers for this style.

Cascade and semi-cascade - Kengai and han-kengai

Literati - Bumjin-gi style
Traditionally, juniper, spruce and pine are used in this elegant style.

Broom - Hokidachi style
This style is best suited to deciduous trees such as ginkgos, Japanese gray-bark elms and Japanese maple.

Sinuous or root linked - Netsuranari
Plants suited for this style are five-needle pine, needle juniper, beech and flowering quince.

Raised root - Neagari style
Many plants can grow in the raised root style, including black pine, white pine, and serissa.

There are many different styles of bonsai, I have listed just a few above. But each of these different styles has a different symbolism, as you can tell simply from looking at the bonsai itself.

The straight trunk, for example, is based on the ideal: a healthy tree growing in an open field without crowding. The slanting style, on the other hand, is meant to evoke a natural tree that is leaning or toppling because of strong winds, or a storm. The windswept style is meant to evoke thoughts of a tree on a mountain peak, whipped by strong winds, and so on.

The pot or container in which the bonsai is placed is as important as the design of the tree itself. The containers should always have feet, allowing them to be raised up to make drainage easier. Also, a bonsai tree is never centered in the pot…typically the tree is placed at the rear of the pot. Pots with dull earth colors are usually best, although more colorful pots can serve their purpose. Whatever you do, don’t use a pot that has glazing within, since this can prevent the roots from adhering to the sized of

Avian Influenza virus subtype H5N1

2008-07-11T00:04:00.006+07:00

Overview

HPAI A(H5N1) is an avian disease. There is some evidence of limited human-to-human transmission of the virus. A risk factor for contracting the virus is handling of infected poultry, but transmission of the virus from infected birds to humans is inefficient. Still, around 60% of humans known to have been infected with the current Asian strain of HPAI A(H5N1) have died from it, and H5N1 may mutate or reassort into a strain capable of efficient human-to-human transmission. In 2003, world-renowned virologist Robert Webster published an article titled "The world is teetering on the edge of a pandemic that could kill a large fraction of the human population" in American Scientist. He called for adequate resources to fight what he sees as a major world threat to possibly billions of lives. On September 29, 2005, David Nabarro, the newly-appointed Senior United Nations System Coordinator for Avian and Human Influenza, warned the world that an outbreak of avian influenza could kill anywhere between 5 million and 150 million people. Experts have identified key events (creating new clades, infecting new species, spreading to new areas) marking the progression of an avian flu virus towards becoming pandemic, and many of those key events have occurred more rapidly than expected.

Due to the high lethality and virulence of HPAI A(H5N1), its endemic presence, its increasingly large host reservoir, and its significant ongoing mutations, the H5N1 virus is the world's largest current pandemic threat, and billions of dollars are being spent researching H5N1 and preparing for a potential influenza pandemic. At least 12 companies and 17 governments are developing pre-pandemic influenza vaccines in 28 different clinical trials that, if successful, could turn a deadly pandemic infection into a nondeadly one. Full-scale production of a vaccine that could prevent any illness at all from the strain would require at least three months after the virus's emergence to begin, but it is hoped that vaccine production could increase until one billion doses were produced by one year after the initial identification of the virus.

H5N1 may cause more than one influenza pandemic as it is expected to continue mutating in birds regardless of whether humans develop herd immunity to a future pandemic strain. Influenza pandemics from its genetic offspring may include influenza A virus subtypes other than H5N1. While genetic analysis of the H5N1 virus shows that influenza pandemics from its genetic offspring can easily be far more lethal than the Spanish Flu pandemic, planning for a future influenza pandemic is based on what can be done and there is no higher Pandemic Severity Index level than a Category 5 pandemic which, roughly speaking, is any pandemic as bad as the Spanish flu or worse; and for which all intervention measures are to be used.

Genetics

The first known strain of HPAI A(H5N1) (called A/chicken/Scotland/59) killed two flocks of chickens in Scotland in 1959; but that strain was very different from the current highly pathogenic strain of H5N1. The dominant strain of HPAI A(H5N1) in 2004 evolved from 1999 to 2002 creating the Z genotype. It has also been called "Asian lineage HPAI A(H5N1)".

Asian lineage HPAI A(H5N1) is divided into two antigenic clades. "Clade 1 includes human and bird isolates from Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia and bird isolates from Laos and Malaysia. Clade 2 viruses were first identified in bird isolates from China, Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea before spreading westward to the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. The clade 2 viruses have been primarily responsible for human H5N1 infections that have occurred during late 2005 and 2006, according to WHO. Genetic analysis has identified six subclades of clade 2, three of which have a distinct geographic distribution and have been implicated in human infections: Map
Subclade 1, Indonesia
Subclade 2, Europe, Middle East, and Africa (called EMA)
Subclade 3, China

A 2007 study focused on the EMA subclade has shed further light on the EMA mutations. "The 36 new isolates reported here greatly expand the amount of whole-genome sequence data available from recent avian influenza (H5N1) isolates. Before our project, GenBank contained only 5 other complete genomes from Europe for the 2004–2006 period, and it contained no whole genomes from the Middle East or northern Africa. Our analysis showed several new findings. First, all European, Middle Eastern, and African samples fall into a clade that is distinct from other contemporary Asian clades, all of which share common ancestry with the original 1997 Hong Kong strain. Phylogenetic trees built on each of the 8 segments show a consistent picture of 3 lineages, as illustrated by the HA tree shown in Figure 1. Two of the clades contain exclusively Vietnamese isolates; the smaller of these, with 5 isolates, we label V1; the larger clade, with 9 isolates, is V2. The remaining 22 isolates all fall into a third, clearly distinct clade, labeled EMA, which comprises samples from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Trees for the other 7 segments display a similar topology, with clades V1, V2, and EMA clearly separated in each case. Analyses of all available complete influenza (H5N1) genomes and of 589 HA sequences placed the EMA clade as distinct from the major clades circulating in People's Republic of China, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia.

Terminology
H5N1 isolates are identified like this actual HPAI A(H5N1) example, A/chicken/Nakorn-Patom/Thailand/CU-K2/04(H5N1):
A stands for the species of influenza (A, B or C).
chicken is the species the isolate was found in
Nakorn-Patom/Thailand is the place this specific virus was isolated
CU-K2 identifies it from other influenza viruses isolated at the same place
04 represents the year 2004
H5 stands for the fifth of several known types of the protein hemagglutinin.
N1 stands for the first of several known types of the protein neuraminidase.

(Other examples: A/duck/Hong Kong/308/78(H5N3), A/avian/NY/01(H5N2), A/chicken/Mexico/31381-3/94(H5N2), and A/shoveler/Egypt/03(H5N2)).

As with other avian flu viruses, H5N1 has strains called "highly pathogenic" (HP) and "low-pathogenic" (LP). Avian influenza viruses that cause HPAI are highly virulent, and mortality rates in infected flocks often approach 100%. LPAI viruses have negligible virulence, but these viruses can serve as progenitors to HPAI viruses. The current strain of H5N1 responsible for the deaths of birds across the world is an HPAI strain; all other current strains of H5N1, including a North American strain that causes no disease at all in any species, are LPAI strains. All HPAI strains identified to date have involved H5 and H7 subtypes. The distinction concerns pathogenicity in poultry, not humans. Normally a highly pathogenic avian virus is not highly pathogenic to either humans or non-poultry birds. This current deadly strain of H5N1 is unusual in being deadly to so many species, including some, like domestic cats, never previously susceptible to any influenza virus.

Genetic structure and related subtypes
H5N1 is a subtype of the species Influenza A virus of the Influenzavirus A genus of the Orthomyxoviridae family. Like all other influenza A subtypes, the H5N1 subtype is an RNA virus. It has a segmented genome of eight negative sense, single-strands of RNA, abbreviated as PB2, PB1, PA, HA, NP, NA, MP and NS.

HA codes for hemagglutinin, an antigenic glycoprotein found on the surface of the influenza viruses and is responsible for binding the virus to the cell that is being infected. NA codes for neuraminidase, an antigenic glycosylated enzyme found on the surface of the influenza viruses. It facilitates the release of progeny viruses from infected cells. The hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) RNA strands specify the structure of proteins that are most medically relevant as targets for antiviral drugs and antibodies. HA and NA are also used as the basis for the naming of the different subtypes of influenza A viruses. This is where the H and N come from in H5N1.

Influenza A viruses are significant for their potential for disease and death in humans and other animals. Influenza A virus subtypes that have been confirmed in humans, in order of the number of known human pandemic deaths that they have caused, include:
H1N1, which caused "Spanish flu" and currently causes seasonal human flu
H2N2, which caused "Asian flu"
H3N2, which caused "Hong Kong flu" and currently causes seasonal human flu
H5N1, the world's major current pandemic threat
H7N7, which has unusual zoonotic potential and killed one person
H1N2, which is currently endemic in humans and pigs and causes seasonal human flu
H9N2, which has infected three people
H7N2, which has infected two people
H7N3, which has infected two people
H10N7, which has infected two people

Low pathogenic H5N1
Low pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 (LPAI H5N1) also called "North American" H5N1 commonly occurs in wild birds. In most cases, it causes minor sickness or no noticeable signs of disease in birds. It is not known to affect humans at all. The only concern about it is that it is possible for it to be transmitted to poultry and in poultry mutate into a highly pathogenic strain.
1975 – LPAI H5N1 was detected in a wild mallard duck and a wild blue goose in Wisconsin.
1981 and 1985 – LPAI H5N1 was detected in ducks by the University of Minnesota conducting a sampling procedure in which sentinel ducks were monitored in cages placed in the wild for a short period of time.
1983 – LPAI H5N1 was detected in ring-billed gulls in Pennsylvania.
1986 - LPAI H5N1 was detected in a wild mallard duck in Ohio.
2005 - LPAI H5N1 was detected in ducks in Manitoba, Canada.

"In the past, there was no requirement for reporting or tracking LPAI H5 or H7 detections in wild birds so states and universities tested wild bird samples independently of USDA. Because of this, the above list of previous detections might not be all inclusive of past LPAI H5N1 detections. However, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) recently changed its requirement of reporting detections of avian influenza. Effective in 2006, all confirmed LPAI H5 and H7 AI subtypes must be reported to the OIE because of their potential to mutate into highly pathogenic strains. Therefore, USDA now tracks these detections in wild birds, backyard flocks, commercial flocks and live bird markets.

Properties of H5N1

Infectivity
H5N1 is easily transmissible between birds facilitating a potential global spread of H5N1. While H5N1 undergoes mutation and reassortment, creating variations which can infect species not previously known to carry the virus, not all of these variant forms can infect humans. H5N1 as an avian virus preferentially binds to a type of galactose receptors that populate the avian respiratory tract from the nose to the lungs and are virtually absent in humans, occurring only in and around the alveoli, structures deep in the lungs where oxygen is passed to the blood. Therefore, the virus is not easily expelled by coughing and sneezing, the usual route of transmission.

H5N1 is mainly spread by domestic poultry, both through the movements of infected birds and poultry products and through the use of infected poultry manure as fertilizer or feed. Humans with H5N1 have typically caught it from chickens, which were in turn infected by other poultry or waterfowl. Migrating waterfowl (wild ducks, geese and swans) carry H5N1, often without becoming sick.] Many species of birds and mammals can be infected with HPAI A(H5N1), but the role of animals other than poultry and waterfowl as disease-spreading hosts is unknown.

Virulence
H5N1 has mutated into a variety of strains with differing pathogenic profiles, some pathogenic to one species but not others, some pathogenic to multiple species. Each specific known genetic variation is traceable to a virus isolate of a specific case of infection. Through antigenic drift, H5N1 has mutated into dozens of highly pathogenic varieties divided into genetic clades which are known from specific isolates, but all currently belonging to genotype Z of avian influenza virus H5N1, now the dominant genotype. H5N1 isolates found in Hong Kong in 1997 and 2001 were not consistently transmitted efficiently among birds and did not cause significant disease in these animals. In 2002 new isolates of H5N1 were appearing within the bird population of Hong Kong. These new isolates caused acute disease, including severe neurological dysfunction and death in ducks. This was the first reported case of lethal influenza virus infection in wild aquatic birds since 1961. Genotype Z emerged in 2002 through reassortment from earlier highly pathogenic genotypes of H5N1 that first infected birds in China in 1996, and first infected humans in Hong Kong in 1997. Genotype Z is endemic in birds in Southeast Asia, has created at least two clades that can infect humans, and is spreading across the globe in bird populations. Mutations are occurring within this genotype that are increasing their pathogenicity. Birds are also able to shed the virus for longer periods of time before their death, increasing the transmissibility of the virus.

According to a report by the World Health Organization, H5N1 may be spread indirectly. The report stated that the virus may sometimes stick to surfaces or get kicked up in fertilizer dust to infect people.

Transmission and host range
Infected birds transmit H5N1 through their saliva, nasal secretions, feaces and blood. Other animals may become infected with the virus through direct contact with these bodily fluids or through contact with surfaces contaminated with them. H5N1 remains infectious after over 30 days at 0 °C ( 32.0 °F) (over one month at freezing temperature) or 6 days at 37 °C ( 98.6 °F) (one week at human body temperature) so at ordinary temperatures it lasts in the environment for weeks. In Arctic temperatures, it doesn't degrade at all.

Because migratory birds are among the carriers of the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus, it is spreading to all parts of the world. H5N1 is different from all previously known highly pathogenic avian flu viruses in its ability to be spread by animals other than poultry.

In October 2004, researchers discovered that H5N1 is far more dangerous than was previously believed. Waterfowl were revealed to be directly spreading the highly pathogenic strain of H5N1 to chickens, crows, pigeons, and other birds, and the virus was increasing its ability to infect mammals as well. From this point on, avian flu experts increasingly referred to containment as a strategy that can delay, but not ultimately prevent, a future avian flu pandemic.

"Since 1997, studies of influenza A (H5N1) indicate that these viruses continue to evolve, with changes in antigenicity and internal gene constellations; an expanded host range in avian species and the ability to infect felids; enhanced pathogenicity in experimentally infected mice and ferrets, in which they cause systemic infections; and increased environmental stability.

The New York Times, in an article on transmission of H5N1 through smuggled birds, reports Wade Hagemeijer of Wetlands International stating, "We believe it is spread by both bird migration and trade, but that trade, particularly illegal trade, is more important.

The H5N1 bird flu virus can also pass through a pregnant woman's placenta to infect the fetus, researchers reported on Thursday 27 September 2007. They also found evidence of what doctors had long suspected -- that the virus not only affects the lungs, but also passes throughout the body into the gastrointestinal tract, the brain, liver, and blood cells.

High mutation rate
Influenza viruses have a relatively high mutation rate that is characteristic of RNA viruses. The segmentation of its genome facilitates genetic recombination by segment reassortment in hosts infected with two different influenza viruses at the same time. A previously uncontagious strain may then be able to pass between humans, one of several possible paths to a pandemic.

The ability of various influenza strains to show species-selectivity is largely due to variation in the hemagglutinin genes. Genetic mutations in the hemagglutinin gene that cause single amino acid substitutions can significantly alter the ability of viral hemagglutinin proteins to bind to receptors on the surface of host cells. Such mutations in avian H5N1 viruses can change virus strains from being inefficient at infecting human cells to being as efficient in causing human infections as more common human influenza virus types. This doesn't mean that one amino acid substitution can cause a pandemic, but it does mean that one amino acid substitution can cause an avian flu virus that is not pathogenic in humans to become pathogenic in humans.

H3N2 ("swine flu") is endemic in pigs in China, and has been detected in pigs in Vietnam, increasing fears of the emergence of new variant strains. The dominant strain of annual flu virus in January 2006 was H3N2, which is now resistant to the standard antiviral drugs amantadine and rimantadine. The possibility of H5N1 and H3N2 exchanging genes through reassortment is a major concern. If a reassortment in H5N1 occurs, it might remain an H5N1 subtype, or it could shift subtypes, as H2N2 did when it evolved into the Hong Kong Flu strain of H3N2.

Both the H2N2 and H3N2 pandemic strains contained avian influenza virus RNA segments. "While the pandemic human influenza viruses of 1957 (H2N2) and 1968 (H3N2) clearly arose through reassortment between human and avian viruses, the influenza virus causing the 'Spanish flu' in 1918 appears to be entirely derived from an avian source".

Humans and H5N1

The earliest infections of humans by H5N1 coincided with an epizootic (an epidemic in nonhumans) of H5N1 influenza in Hong Kong's poultry population. This panzootic (a disease affecting animals of many species, especially over a wide area) outbreak was stopped by the killing of the entire domestic poultry population within the territory.

Symptoms in humans
Avian influenza hemagglutinin bind alpha 2-3 sialic acid receptors while human influenza hemagglutinin bind alpha 2-6 sialic acid receptors. Usually other differences also exist. There is as yet no human form of H5N1, so all humans who have caught it so far have caught avian H5N1.

In general, humans who catch a humanized Influenza A virus (a human flu virus of type A) usually have symptoms that include fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, conjunctivitis, and, in severe cases, breathing problems and pneumonia that may be fatal. The severity of the infection depends to a large part on the state of the infected person's immune system and whether the victim has been exposed to the strain before (in which case they would be partially immune). No one knows if these or other symptoms will be the symptoms of a humanized H5N1 flu.

The reported mortality rate of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in a human is high; WHO data indicates that 60% of cases classified as H5N1 resulted in death. However, there is some evidence that the actual mortality rate of avian flu could be much lower, as there may be many people with a milder symptoms who do not seek treatment and are not counted.

In one case, a boy with H5N1 experienced diarrhea followed rapidly by a coma without developing respiratory or flu-like symptoms. There have been studies of the levels of cytokines in humans infected by the H5N1 flu virus. Of particular concern is elevated levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, a protein that is associated with tissue destruction at sites of infection and increased production of other cytokines. Flu virus-induced increases in the level of cytokines is also associated with flu symptoms including fever, chills, vomiting and headache. Tissue damage associated with pathogenic flu virus infection can ultimately result in death.[5] The inflammatory cascade triggered by H5N1 has been called a 'cytokine storm' by some, because of what seems to be a positive feedback process of damage to the body resulting from immune system stimulation. H5N1 induces higher levels of cytokines than the more common flu virus types.

Treatment and prevention for humans
There is no highly effective treatment for H5N1 flu, but oseltamivir (commercially marketed by Roche as Tamiflu), can sometimes inhibit the influenza virus from spreading inside the user's body. This drug has become a focus for some governments and organizations trying to be seen as making preparations for a possible H5N1 pandemic. On April 20, 2006, Roche AG announced that a stockpile of three million treatment courses of Tamiflu is waiting at the disposal of the World Health Organization to be used in case of a flu pandemic; separately Roche donated two million courses to the WHO for use in developing nations that may be affected by such a pandemic but lack the ability to purchase large quantities of the drug.

However, WHO expert Hassan al-Bushra has said:
"Even now, we remain unsure about Tamiflu's real effectiveness. As for a vaccine, work cannot start on it until the emergence of a new virus, and we predict it would take six to nine months to develop it. For the moment, we cannot by any means count on a potential vaccine to prevent the spread of a contagious influenza virus, whose various precedents in the past 90 years have been highly pathogenic".

There are several H5N1 vaccines for several of the avian H5N1 varieties, but the continual mutation of H5N1 renders them of limited use to date: while vaccines can sometimes provide cross-protection against related flu strains, the best protection would be from a vaccine specifically produced for any future pandemic flu virus strain. Dr. Daniel Lucey, co-director of the Biohazardous Threats and Emerging Diseases graduate program at Georgetown University has made this point, "There is no H5N1 pandemic so there can be no pandemic vaccine. However, "pre-pandemic vaccines" have been created; are being refined and tested; and do have some promise both in furthering research and preparedness for the next pandemic. Vaccine manufacturing companies are being encouraged to increase capacity so that if a pandemic vaccine is needed, facilities will be available for rapid production of large amounts of a vaccine specific to a new pandemic strain.

Animal and lab studies suggest that Relenza (zanamivir), which is in the same class of drugs as Tamiflu, may also be effective against H5N1. In a study performed on mice in 2000, "zanamivir was shown to be efficacious in treating avian influenza viruses H9N2, H6N1, and H5N1 transmissible to mammals". While no one knows if zanamivir will be useful or not on a yet to exist pandemic strain of H5N1, it might be useful to stockpile zanamivir as well as oseltamivir in the event of an H5N1 influenza pandemic. Neither oseltamivir nor zanamivir can currently be manufactured in quantities that would be meaningful once efficient human transmission starts.

In September, 2006, a WHO scientist announced that studies had confirmed cases of H5N1 strains resistant to Tamiflu and Amantadine.

Preparations for pandemic
"The United States is collaborating closely with eight international organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and 88 foreign governments to address the situation through planning, greater monitoring, and full transparency in reporting and investigating avian influenza occurrences. The United States and these international partners have led global efforts to encourage countries to heighten surveillance for outbreaks in poultry and significant numbers of deaths in migratory birds and to rapidly introduce containment measures. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Agriculture (USDA) are coordinating future international response measures on behalf of the White House with departments and agencies across the federal government.

Together steps are being taken to "minimize the risk of further spread in animal populations", "reduce the risk of human infections", and "further support pandemic planning and preparedness".

Ongoing detailed mutually coordinated onsite surveillance and analysis of human and animal H5N1 avian flu outbreaks are being conducted and reported by the USGS National Wildlife Health Center, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, the European Commission, and others.

Effect on human society
H5N1 has had a huge effect on human society, especially the financial, political, social, and personal responses to both actual and predicted deaths in birds, humans, and other animals.

Billions of U.S. dollars are being raised and spent to research H5N1 and prepare for a potential avian influenza pandemic. Over ten billion dollars have been lost and over two hundred million birds have been killed to try to contain H5N1.

People have reacted by buying less chicken causing poultry sales and prices to fall. Many individuals have stockpiled supplies for a possible flu pandemic. One of the best known experts on H5N1, Dr. Robert Webster, told ABC News he had a three month supply of food and water in his house as he prepared for what he considered a reasonably likely occurrence of a major pandemic.

International health officials and other experts have pointed out that many unknown questions still hover around the disease

Dr. David Nabarro, Chief Avian Flu Coordinator for the United Nations, and former Chief of Crisis Response for the World Health Organization has described himself as "quite scared" about the potential of H5N1's potential impact on humans. Nabarro has been accused of being alarmist before and on his first day in his role for the United Nations he proclaimed the avian flu could kill 150 million people. In an interview with the International Herald Tribune, Nabarro compares avian flu to AIDS in Africa, warning that underestimations led to inappropriate focus for research and intervention.

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Curing of AIDS

2008-07-10T23:21:00.011+07:00

There is no cure for AIDS. Although antiretroviral treatment can suppress HIV – the virus that causes AIDS – and can delay illness for many years, it cannot clear the virus completely. There is no confirmed case of a person getting rid of HIV infection. Sadly, this doesn’t stop countless quacks and con artists touting unproven, often dangerous “AIDS cures” to desperate people.

It is easy to see why an HIV positive person might want to believe in an AIDS cure. Access to antiretroviral treatment is scarce in much of the world. When someone has a life-threatening illness they may clutch at anything to stay alive. And even when antiretroviral treatment is available, it is far from an easy solution. Drugs must be taken every day for the rest of a person’s life, often causing unpleasant side effects. A one-off cure to eradicate the virus once and for all is much more appealing.

Distrust of Western medicine is not uncommon, especially in developing countries. The Internet abounds with rumours of the pharmaceutical industry or the U.S. government suppressing AIDS cures to protect the market for patented drugs. Many people would prefer a remedy that is “natural” or “traditional”.

Where’s the harm in fake AIDS cures?
Unproven AIDS cures have been around since the syndrome emerged in the early 1980s. In most cases, they have only served to worsen suffering.

First of all, fake cures are a swindle. Someone who invests their savings in a worthless potion or an electrical zapper has less money to spend on real medicines and healthy food.

Many peddlers of bogus cures insist their clients avoid all other treatments, including antiretroviral medicines. By the time a patient realises the “cure” hasn’t worked, their prospects for successful antiretroviral treatment may well have diminished.

Fake cures may also cause direct harm to health. Inventors often refuse to reveal their recipes. Some so-called cures have been found to contain industrial solvents, disinfectants and other poisons. The dangers posed by the virgin cleansing myth – which advocates sex with children as a cure for AIDS – are only too clear.

Finally, the promotion of fake AIDS cures undermines HIV prevention. People who believe in a cure are less likely to fear becoming infected with HIV, and hence less likely to take precautions.

Why is it so difficult to cure AIDS?
Curing AIDS is generally taken to mean clearing the body of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The virus replicates (makes new copies of itself) by inserting its genetic code into human cells, particularly a type known as CD4 cells. Usually the infected cells produce numerous HIV particles and die soon afterwards. Antiretroviral drugs interfere with this replication process, which is why the drugs are so effective at reducing the amount of HIV in a person’s body to extremely low levels. During treatment, the concentration of HIV in the blood often falls so low that it cannot be detected by the standard test, known as a viral load test.

Unfortunately, not all infected cells behave the same way. Probably the most important problem is posed by “resting” CD4 cells. Once infected with HIV, these cells, instead of producing new copies of the virus, lie dormant for many years or even decades. Current therapies cannot remove HIV’s genetic material from these cells. Even if someone takes antiretroviral drugs for many years they will still have some HIV hiding in various parts of their body. Studies have found that if treatment is removed then HIV can re-establish itself by leaking out of these “viral reservoirs”.

A cure for AIDS must somehow remove every single one of the infected cells.

Reputable research on curing AIDS
A wide range of strategies – including such drastic measures as bone marrow transplantation – have failed in trials to eradicate HIV infection. Currently many researchers believe the best approach is to combine antiretroviral treatment with drugs that flush HIV from its hiding places. The idea is to force resting CD4 cells to become active, whereupon they will start producing new HIV particles. The activated cells should soon die or be destroyed by the immune system, and the antiretroviral medication should mop up the released HIV.

Early attempts to employ this technique used interleukin-2 (also known as IL-2 or by the brand name Proleukin). This chemical messenger tells the body to create more CD4 cells and to activate resting cells. Researchers who gave interleukin-2 together with antiretroviral treatment discovered they could no longer find any infected resting CD4 cells. But interleukin-2 failed to clear all of the HIV; as soon as the patients stopped taking antiretroviral drugs the virus came back again.

There is a problem with creating a massive number of active CD4 cells: despite the antiretroviral drugs, HIV may manage to infect a few of these cells and replicate, thus keeping the infection alive. Scientists are now investigating chemicals that don’t activate all resting CD4 cells, but only the tiny minority that are infected with HIV.

One such chemical is valproic acid, a drug already used to treat epilepsy and other conditions. In 2005 a group of researchers led by David Margolis caused a sensation when they reported that valproic acid, combined with antiretroviral treatment, had greatly reduced the number of HIV-infected resting CD4 cells in three of four patients. They concluded that:
“This finding, though not definitive, suggests that new approaches will allow the cure of HIV in the future.”

Sadly, it seems such optimism was premature; more recent studies suggest that valproic acid has no long term benefits. In fact it’s quite possible that all related approaches are flawed because the virus has other hiding places besides resting CD4 cells. There is a lot about HIV that remains unknown.

Some of the world’s top research institutions are today engaged in studies to learn more about the behaviour of HIV, resting CD4 cells and other hiding places. But the truth is that this field does not receive a lot of funding. Some people think the search for a cure is not worth much investment because the task may well be impossible.

Yet there are still those who remain hopeful, including the research charity amfAR, which in 2006 awarded nearly $1.5 million to AIDS cure researchers. Activist Martin Delaney is among those calling for an end to defeatism:
“Far too many people with HIV, as well as their doctors, have accepted the notion that a cure is not likely. No one can be certain that a cure will be found. No one can predict the future. But one thing is certain: if we allow pessimism about a cure to dominate our thinking, we surely won’t get one… We must restore our belief in a cure and make it one of the central demands of our activism.”

How to spot fake AIDS cures and treatments
As already stated, there is no proven cure for AIDS. The best advice is to steer clear of anyone claiming otherwise. For those who find themselves tempted, here are a few pointers for spotting quack therapies.

Who makes the claims?
Try to find some information about the person or people promoting the product. What are their credentials? If someone claims to be a doctor then they should say what type of doctor, and where they got their qualifications.

What claims do they make?
Look at how the product is presented. Reputable scientists and doctors don’t use sensational terms such as “miracle breakthrough”. Also watch for evidence of poor scientific understanding; for example, no expert would refer to HIV as “the HIV virus” or “the AIDS virus”.

It is very rare for a medicine to be 100% effective for all patients. It is highly implausible that a single product could cure a wide range of unrelated diseases such as cancer, asthma, AIDS and diabetes. A real scientist would be extremely wary of making such claims.

What’s in the cure?
Many inventors won’t reveal what goes into their so-called cures. Ask yourself why this might be. Could it be that their methods wouldn’t stand up to scientific scrutiny?

It is important to remember that words like “natural” and “herbal” are no guarantee of safety. After all, hemlock and ricin (derived from castor beans) are both entirely natural and extremely toxic. As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration points out,
“Any product – synthetic or natural – potent enough to work like a drug is going to be potent enough to cause side effects.”

What evidence do they offer?
To gain the approval of medical authorities, any new treatment must undergo very extensive testing. Countless products destroy HIV in the laboratory but are ineffective or dangerous when used by people. A proper trial involves a large group of volunteers divided randomly into two sets. One half uses the test product and the other receives a placebo (a harmless pretend medicine that looks like the real thing). During the trial, neither the scientists nor the volunteers should know who is getting which treatment. Afterwards, the results for the two groups are compared to see if the test product performed better than the placebo.

Virtually all promoters of “AIDS cures” cannot provide any data from large-scale, randomised human trials. Instead they rely on anecdotes, personal testimonies, laboratory experiments or small-scale trials with no placebo comparison. This type of evidence is always unreliable.

Personal testimonies are notoriously untrustworthy. Usually there is no way of knowing whether the people in question ever existed, let alone whether they were helped by the therapy. There have been cases of people being paid to pretend they’ve been cured. And even if a handful of people really did get better after they took the treatment, this doesn’t necessarily mean that it works; the improvements may just have been a coincidence. Many negative reports may have been left out of the promotional material.

Proving that HIV has been eradicated isn’t easy. Changes in symptoms or weight gain are not sufficient, and neither is a viral load test. Even if the test can’t detect HIV in the bloodstream (perhaps because the person has been on antiretroviral therapy), this doesn’t mean the virus has been cleared from all parts of the body. Much more thorough investigation is needed.

Beware of conspiracy theorists
Many sellers of fake medicines fall back on conspiracy theories to explain why their products haven’t undergone proper testing. They say that government agencies and the medical profession seek to suppress alternative treatments to safeguard the profits of the pharmaceutical industry.

This kind of allegation is a sure sign of a charlatan. In reality, leading scientists investigate all kinds of therapies that can’t be patented. For example, the U.S. government has funded research into using generic drugs (such as valproic acid) and human hormones (such as interleukin-2) as aids to ridding the body of HIV infection.

Do some research
Any important medical breakthrough will be reported in peer-reviewed journals such as Nature, Science or The Lancet. The mainstream media will pick up the story and leading experts will express their opinions.

Simply typing the name of a supposed cure into an Internet search engine and reading some of the resulting web pages will quickly establish whether it has widespread support. It is also worth searching an online medical database such as PubMed for scientific studies and reviews.

Consult an expert
Always talk to a doctor or other health professional before trying any medical treatment. If you need more information or a second opinion, try contacting a reputable health organisation or telephone helpline. Several American states have AIDS Fraud Task Forces dedicated to combating quackery, and local Food and Drug Administration offices can provide details of any action taken against a product or its manufacturer. Similar agencies operate in most other parts of the world.

Examples of false or unproven cures
What follows is a list of some products and methods that have attracted attention in recent years. It is safe to say that none of these is a cure for AIDS. Many of these so-called remedies are likely to do more harm than good.

President Jammeh’s AIDS cure
President Jammeh of The Gambia, a small country in West Africa, made a dramatic announcement in January 2007:
“I can treat asthma and HIV/AIDS and the cure is a day’s treatment. Within three days the person should be tested again and I can tell you that he/she will be negative... The mandate I have is that HIV/AIDS cases can be treated on Thursdays. That is the good news and the bad news is that I cannot treat more than ten patients every Thursday.”

Three weeks later the president’s office released the results of viral load tests conducted on the first batch of patients. According to the official statement, “the herbal medicine and therapy administered by President Jammeh have yielded results beyond all reasonable doubts, that they are effective and can cure AIDS.” On closer inspection, however, the findings were far from convincing.

Of the four patients with HIV-1, one had a very high viral load, one high, one moderate, and one undetectable. Of the four patients with HIV-2, one had a low viral load and three had less than the detectable level.

The fact that half of the patients still had detectable virus in their blood shows that the president’s cure cannot be 100% effective. More importantly, as already noted, an undetectable viral load does not prove that HIV has been eradicated. Some of the patients had previously been taking antiretroviral therapy, which often renders the virus undetectable. Apparently no evaluation was done before the president’s treatment began.

The viral load tests were conducted at a university in Dakar, Senegal, using samples of the patients’ blood. It has since emerged that the scientists who ran the tests were not aware of the samples’ origin. The Senegalese experts rebutted the president’s interpretation of their findings:
“There is no baseline ... you can’t prove that someone has been cured of AIDS from just one data point. It’s dishonest of the Gambian government to use our results in this way” - Dr. Coumba Toure Kane11
“The interpretation by the Gambian authorities of the results of HIV antibody and viral load testing on blood samples sent to my laboratory is incorrect... Of those samples that were HIV-positive (66.66%), none could be described as cured.” - Professor Souleymane Mboup

The results of a second set of viral load tests, conducted by the National Institute of Hygiene in Morocco, were released in March 2007. For the first set of patients the numbers were similar to those found in Senegal. Among 31 other patients only six had undetectable viral loads.

Clinical data for the third and fourth batch were released in October 2007. On this occasion the State House chose to withhold the name of the country in which the samples were tested. Twenty-seven of the seventy patients were found to have undetectable viral loads. Another twenty-seven had viral load counts above half a million, which is considered to be very high. The CD4 counts for twenty-seven of the seventy patients were below 200, which means they had progressed from HIV infection to AIDS. Curious repetitions within the viral load count data cast doubt on their accuracy.

At least two of the president’s patients are known to have died.

These unpromising outcomes have not shaken the president’s belief in his treatment, which is endorsed by the Gambian health ministry and is administered at state hospitals. President Jammeh, who has no medical qualifications, refuses to disclose exactly what goes into his cure. All he has revealed is that it involves seven herbs, “three of which are not from Gambia.”16 The treatment involves a green paste and a grey liquid each applied to the patient’s skin, and a yellowish tea-like drink. Even more important, according to President Jammeh, is the power of prayer:
“For everything that we do 90% we have to invoke the name of almighty Allah, and then 10% is what the herbs take care of.”

Leading AIDS experts have expressed serious concern about President Jammeh’s exploits. According to Dr. Pedro Cahn, President of the International AIDS Society:
“It is premature and unethical to label this product a cure if it has not been thoroughly tested and proven. Furthermore, to take patients off potent combination antiretroviral therapy, which has saved millions of lives since its introduction in 1996, is shocking and irresponsible.”

A fifth batch of 150 patients began treatment in February 2008.

Other herbal cures
Herbal mixtures comprise the most popular form of alternative AIDS therapy. Although it is possible that some of these treatments may benefit people with HIV, none is a proven cure.
Comforter’s Healing Gift, a South African company, produces an extract of a plant called sonneblom (not sunflower). According to Freddie Isaacs, the inventor of the treatment and a co-director of the company, this product is a cure for AIDS. Other spokespersons have said such claims go against company policy, and the product should be described as a nutritional supplement until it has undergone proper testing. According to some reports one of South Africa’s leading attorneys, Christine Qunta, is closely connected with Comforter’s Healing Gift. South Africa’s opposition party has laid a charge against Qunta of authorising the sale of an unlicensed medicine.

Dr. Sebi (born Alfredo Bowman) says his “electric foods” can cure AIDS, cancer and many other illnesses. Sebi, who has offices in Honduras and the USA, has no medical qualifications and many of his views are totally at odds with basic principles of mainstream science. In Sebi’s opinion, AIDS (like all other diseases) occurs when “the mucous membrane has been compromised”. He says his plant extracts cure the illness by removing the mucous. Sebi was arrested in 1987 and again in 1997 for publishing false health claims and practising medicine without a licence. He has published no verifiable evidence to support his “AIDS cure”.

IMOD was developed by scientists from Russia and Iran. When the Iranian government unveiled the drug in February 2007, many media sources, including Iran’s Fars News Agency, described IMOD as an “AIDS cure”. The official IMOD website makes no such claim, but does say that human trials of the drug found it increased CD4 counts in HIV positive people. No study reports have been published in medical journals. The research team did not respond to emails from the author of this article.

Khomeini (or Khomein) was invented by Professor Sheik Allagholi Elahi of Iran, who set up a clinic in Uganda to sell this so-called AIDS cure for more than $1,500 per patient. The Ugandan Ministry of Health appointed a team of experts to monitor some of the few hundred people taking the treatment. After their study showed Elahi’s claims to be false, the government banned the use and distribution of Khomeini in April 2006, and Ehahi was arrested.

MAB Formula One and MAB Formula Two were developed by Ghanaian doctors and ethno-botanists led by Dr. Jacob Akumoah-Boateng. According to the researchers MAB Formula One kills HIV while MAB Formula Two boosts the immune system. Dr. Akumoah-Boateng says tests in the U.S. demonstrated the disappearance of HIV and HIV antibodies after the treatment was given, though none of the findings have been published in the medical literature.

Ubhejane, a brown liquid said to be made from 89 herbs, has been taken by many hundreds of HIV positive South Africans. Its creator, Zeblon Gwala, says Ubhejane reduces viral load and increases CD4 counts in HIV positive people. He advises that it should not be taken at the same time as antiretroviral treatment.

Ubhejane has often been referred to as a “cure for AIDS” and Gwala’s employees have reportedly promoted it as such, despite having no evidence from rigorous human trials. Scientists who have tested Ubhejane in the laboratory have stressed that they haven’t demonstrated any benefits to patients. South Africa’s opposition party has attempted to have Gwala prosecuted for fraud. In 2008, the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa demanded the withdrawal of an advertisement stating that Ubhejane boosted immunity and reduced viral load, having found these claims to be unsubstantiated.

Chemicals
Many people mistakenly believe that what destroys HIV in the test tube must also work in the human body. This is one reason why a number of disinfectants and other chemicals have been wrongly promoted as cures for AIDS.

Armenicum (also known as iodine-lithium-alpha-dextrin or ILalphaD) is a type of iodophor, a chemical that slowly releases iodine when mixed with water. According to Armenian scientists Armenicum, injected into the bloodstream, acts as an antiretroviral drug by blocking the replication of HIV. They claim to have evidence that the substance reduces viral load and increases CD4 counts in HIV positive people. The inventor of Armenicum, Alexander Ilyen, once said he was convinced it would lead to an AIDS cure. No studies of HIV positive people treated with Armenicum have been published in peer-reviewed journals. In a report on an animal experiment published in June 2007 the Armenicum research team admits that, “The systemic therapeutic application of iodophores has not yet been accepted”. A BBC investigation of Armenicum in 1999 found that the health of two American men got worse after they took the drug.

Colloidal silver is a suspension of extremely tiny silver particles in water. Many websites say this clear, colourless liquid effectively treats a wide range of bacterial and viral infections, including HIV infection. While it is true that colloidal silver kills germs in laboratory conditions, there is no reliable evidence of any benefit in people. Contrary to the claims of many retailers, colloidal silver is not harmless. Regular use can cause an irreversible bluish-grey discolouration of the skin, known as argyria. Consuming very large amounts of colloidal silver may lead to neurologic problems, kidney damage, stomach distress, headaches, fatigue, and skin irritation. There has been at least one reported case of a man falling into a coma after ingesting colloidal silver. In America it is illegal for retailers to make any health claims for this product.

Tetrasil (or Imusil) is a substance containing tetrasilver tetroxide. A patent held by Dr. Marvin S. Antelman claims that this simple chemical compound cures AIDS by “electrocuting” HIV. Dr. Antelman admits his approach to AIDS is “non-conventional” and he does not trust viral load tests: “Accordingly we have patients who display viral load reduction and those that do not who are nevertheless cured of AIDS”, he has said. Tetrasilver tetroxide is more commonly used for disinfecting swimming pools. After it was promoted as an AIDS cure in Zambia the government banned Tetrasil because it has no proven benefits for people living with HIV. In America it is illegal to promote Tetrasil for the treatment or prevention of any disease.

Virodene is based on the industrial solvent dimethylformamide (DMF). In the late 1990s this chemical was touted as a possible cure for AIDS. For several years senior members of the South African government, including Thabo Mbeki, vehemently supported research into Virodene as an AIDS treatment, against the advice of medical experts. South Africa’s drug regulators have long prohibited use of Virodene as it has no proven benefits. Laboratory studies have found that DMF does not destroy HIV or inhibit its replication. The only trial of its effectiveness in humans, conducted in Tanzania, found that Virodene did not reduce viral load and had only marginal effects on the immune system. DMF is considered a toxic substance; workers are advised to avoid skin contact with the chemical because it may cause serious liver damage. Imunoxx, which a Namibian company markets as an immune booster, is essentially identical to Virodene.

Oxygen therapy
Hydrogen peroxide, diluted in water, is commonly used as a bleach and a disinfectant. Some alternative health practitioners advocate drinking, injecting or bathing in weak solutions of this chemical as a cure for AIDS, flu, cancer and other illnesses. There is no evidence to support these claims. Several people have died as a result of swallowing or injecting hydrogen peroxide.

Ozone is an unstable form of oxygen gas. Ozone therapy has been proposed as a treatment or cure for many illnesses, including HIV infection. One delivery method is autohemotherapy, which involves removing some of a patient’s blood, exposing it to ozone, and then putting it back into the patient. Alternatives include pumping the gas into the rectum, drinking water containing ozone bubbles (ozonized water, which contains hydrogen peroxide), or injecting the gas into the bloodstream. Studies of ozone autohemotherapy in HIV positive people have found it has no significant effect on CD4 counts and other outcomes. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “Ozone is a toxic gas with no known useful medical application in specific, adjunctive, or preventive therapy. In order for ozone to be effective as a germicide, it must be present in a concentration far greater than that which can be safely tolerated by man and animals.” It is illegal for retailers in America to make any health claims for ozone generators.

Electrical zappers
Dr. Hulda Clark (who is not a licensed medical doctor) promotes a range of products said to cure AIDS including an electrical “zapper” which, by generating low voltage electricity, is supposed to kill parasites, bacteria and viruses in the body. No proper studies of the zapper have been conducted. Dr. Clark’s methods of diagnosing HIV are highly unconventional; she believes that HIV comes from intestinal worms in the presence of benzene, and that HIV can be found in snails. It is therefore doubtful whether the people she claims to have cured of HIV infection were ever really infected. Dr. Clark left America after being taken to court for practising medicine without a licence.56 She now runs a clinic in Tijuana, Mexico, where she has also run into trouble with the authorities.

The Bob Beck Protocol involves a set of therapies devised by the late Dr. Bob Beck (who was not a medical doctor) that are supposed to cure AIDS, cancer and all other diseases. The four components are electric currents, magnetic pulses, colloidal silver and ozonized water. There is no good evidence that electricity can cure any infection. Claims about the healing powers of Bob Beck’s devices are based entirely on test tube studies and unverifiable anecdotes.

Immune boosters
Some so-called AIDS cures are meant to stimulate the human immune system. Since HIV makes new copies of itself by infecting active immune cells, there is a real danger that such therapies will hasten the spread of the virus rather than contain it.

Dr. Gary R. Davis got his idea for an AIDS cure from a goat that appeared in his dreams. The late Dr. Davis never prescribed his goat serum treatment (known as BB7075) to HIV positive Americans due to legal restrictions. In 1998 one young girl, Precious Thomas, was given the serum by her mother, who stole it from Davis’ office. Some websites say the girl was cured of HIV infection, based on a viral load test conducted soon afterwards. In a 2006 interview, however, Precious Thomas makes clear that she is still infected with HIV. After being denied approval in America, Dr. Davis and his associates tried to conduct goat serum trials in Ghana. Again he was stopped because “the supporting evidence for asking for registration and use of the serum was totally inadequate”. In late 2006, a few months before Dr. Davis’ death, the BBC exposed an attempt by a British company to test the substance on dozens of people in Swaziland, despite the lack of toxicity tests and other necessary preliminary studies.

The Antidote – a drug derived from a crocodile protein – has been promoted via spam email and websites with the promise that “It kills all known deadly viruses and bacteria in the body”. Absolutely no scientific evidence has been offered to support this claim.

V-1 Immunitor (or V-AIM or Immureboost) is a pink pill containing antigens taken from the pooled blood of HIV positive people. A clinic in Thailand began distributing V-1 in 2001. Demand soared when the pill’s inventor, Vichai Jirathitikal, said it had eliminated HIV in two patients. The Thai Ministry of Public Health responded by conducting a study of those receiving V-1; the findings were not encouraging. According to a government minister, “the pill does not have any effect on the body’s immune system, white blood cell count and amount of the virus in the blood”. Other studies of the so-called vaccine – all carried out by employees of its manufacturer – do not provide convincing evidence of benefit. AIDS patients treated with V-1 typically survive for a matter of weeks, as opposed to the years achieved through antiretroviral treatment. Although the company has said that people treated with V-1 have “serodeconverted” from HIV-positive to HIV-negative, this claim is based on unreliable evidence and is not taken seriously by the scientific community. The manufacturing and sales licences for V-1 in Thailand were revoked in April 2003. Apparently undaunted, Vichai Jirathitikal and a company called Immureboost have continued to promote the product under the new name V-AIM, describing it as a therapeutic vaccine rather than a cure for AIDS.

Faith-based cures
Religious bodies have done much to help the response to AIDS, especially by caring for the sick. Sadly a small minority of religious leaders have abused the trust placed in them by promising to cure AIDS through faith, sometimes in exchange for money or gifts. Most reports come from sub-Saharan Africa, where evangelical Americans are among those implicated.

One of the most startling examples of recent times concerns an Ethiopian church where thousands of HIV positive people have sought a cure in showers of holy water. At one time, pilgrims were told to trust in faith alone and to refuse medication. Church patriarch Abune Paulos has since endorsed the use of antiretroviral treatment:
“What we are saying is taking the drugs is neither a sin nor a crime. Both the Holy Water and the medicine are gifts of God. They neither contradict nor resist each other.”

The virgin cleansing myth
The myth that sex with a virgin can cure sexually transmitted diseases has a long history in Europe and elsewhere. Since the emergence of the AIDS epidemic, there has been much concern that this belief might encourage the rape of children, especially in Africa where HIV is widespread. A number of horrific reports in the popular press have fuelled such anxiety.

Belief in the virgin cleansing myth has been reported from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. There is no doubt that it has led to abuse of not only children but also the disabled (who are often assumed to be virgins). Nevertheless, the scale of the myth’s impact is disputed because it is not the only motivation behind child rape. In many cases the goal is more likely to be prevention than cure: men are seeking partners who are less likely to have HIV.

Thankfully efforts are being made to dispel the virgin cleansing myth around the world. But to effectively clamp down on child rape, such campaigns must be accompanied by changes to the cultural and legal environment that enables abuse to take place.

Spontaneous cures: Andrew Stimpson
Occasionally there are reports of HIV seeming to vanish for no obvious reason. One especially sensational story broke on 13th November 2005, when two British newspapers reported that a 25-year old Scot, Andrew Stimpson, had become the first person to be cured of HIV infection.

In interviews with the two papers, Stimpson said he first suspected he might have HIV in 2002, after several weeks of feeling tired and feverish. Knowing his partner had been HIV positive for a number of years, Stimpson visited the Victoria Sexual Health Clinic in London for an HIV antibody test in May. The result was negative, but he was encouraged to return for further tests, as HIV antibodies often do not appear in the blood until several weeks or even months after initial infection.

In August 2002, Stimpson returned for three more HIV antibody tests. His first, taken on the 15th, was “indeterminate” (i.e. neither definitely positive nor negative), but the following two (taken on 20th and 23rd August) both found him to be HIV antibody positive. However, a viral load test showed the amount of virus in his blood was low, so he was not prescribed antiretroviral therapy. He made a personal choice to start taking multivitamin and mineral tablets and other dietary supplements.

For fourteen months Stimpson remained surprisingly healthy, so much so that, in October 2003, his doctor offered him a repeat test for HIV antibodies. Remarkably, the test came back negative. Two more, carried out in December 2003 and March 2004, also gave negative results.

Andrew Stimpson tried to launch a legal case against the Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust (CWT) which had tested him, assuming his results had been mixed up with those of another client. The blood samples associated with his original positive diagnosis and his subsequent negative results were retested, and the DNA from the samples compared to his. All the samples were found to belong to Stimpson, and retesting produced the same “positive then negative” antibody results. According to Stimpson:
“After the repeat tests my doctor came into the room saying, ‘You’ve cured yourself! This is unbelievable.’”

Andrew Stimpson’s story became an overnight media sensation. But a statement from the CWT cast doubt on the cure claims:
“It is probable that there was never any evidence of Mr Stimpson having the HIV virus but rather that there was transient evidence of an antibody response to the virus present in his bloodstream when he had the initial tests... The antibody testing is exquisitely sensitive and the smallest measure can be recorded which is probably what happened in this case.”

A spokesperson for the CWT later said they had not categorically stated that Andrew Stimpson’s case was an example of a false positive test result, but that it was one of a number of scenarios that needed to be considered.81 The media quickly accepted the “false positive” explanation, and by the end of the month the story had ceased to be of interest to them.

The only news since then dates from June 2006, when the Guardian newspaper reported that Stimpson was still working with doctors, but that because of medical confidentiality, very little more was known about the case. However, Anna Maria Geretti, a clinical virologist at the Royal Free Hospital, was willing to speculate:
“These follow-up tests are very complicated. They could take over six months. But personally, I’m sceptical that they will find a cure from this case.”

The most likely explanation remains the occurrence of a highly unusual false positive antibody test result. This may happen if the test detects a non-HIV antibody (i.e. a similar antibody produced against a different virus) or, theoretically, because there are somehow HIV antibodies present without an actual HIV infection. Occasionally a false positive may be the result of a faulty test, though a second backup test would normally eliminate this possibility.

Although receiving three false positive results would be exceedingly unusual, some scientists believe it is more plausible than a spontaneous cure. In any case it’s extremely unlikely that, as some newspapers suggested, the multivitamins and dietary supplements that Andrew Stimpson took would have had any effect on his “seroreversion” (the process of going from HIV antibody positive to HIV antibody negative). Millions of people living with HIV take multivitamins and minerals; while such supplements may help to maintain good general health, there is no evidence that they can eliminate HIV infection.

read more...
The global AIDS epidemic
The origin of AIDS
Antiretroviral treatment for AIDS
AIDS vaccines and microbicides

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PEMILU - Indonesian General Election Participant Parties

2008-07-10T22:57:00.004+07:00

Today (9/7/2008) The Indonesian General Election Comission (KPU) announced and published list numbers of participant parties on Indonesian General Election (Pemilu) 2009.
Here they are :

1. Partai Hati Nurani Rakyat (Hanura).
2. Partai Karya Peduli Bangsa (PKPB).
3. Partai Partai Pengusaha dan Pekerja Indonesia.
4. Partai Peduli Rakyat Nasional.
5. Partai Gerakan Indonesia Raya (Gerindra).
6. Partai Barisan Nasional.
7. Partai Keadian dan Persatuan Indonesia (PKPI).
8. Partai Keadilan Sejahtera (PKS).
9. Partai Amanat Nasional (PAN).
10. Partai Indonesia Baru.

11. Partai Kedaulatan.
12. Partai Persatuan.
13. Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa (PKB).
14. Partai Pemuda Indonesia.
15. Partai Nasional Indonesia Marhaenis (PNI Marhaenis).
16. Partai Demokrasi Pembaruan (PDP).
17. Partai Karya Perjuangan.
18. Partai Matahari Bangsa.
19. Partai Penegak Demokrasi Indonesia (PPDI).
20. Partai Persatuan Demokrasi Kebangsaan (PPDK).

21. Partai Republik Nusantara.
22. Partai Pelopor.
23. Partai Golongan Karya (Golkar).
24. Partai Persatuan Pembangunan (PPP).
25. Partai Damai Sejahtera (PDS).
26. Partai Nasional Banteng Kerakyatan Indonesia.
27. Partai Bulan Bintang (PBB).
28. Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan (PDIP).
29. Partai Bintang Reformasi (PBR).
30. Partai Patriot.

31. Partai Demokrat.
32. Partai Kasih Demokrasi Indonesia.
33. Partai Indonesia Sejahtera.
34. Partai Kebangkitan Nasional Ulama (PKNU).

WOOD FINISHING

2008-07-10T03:15:00.003+07:00

Wood finishing refers to the process of embellishing and/or protecting the surface. The process starts with surface preparation, either by sanding by hand (typically using a sanding block or power sander), scraping, or planing. Imperfections or nail holes on the surface may be filled using wood putty or pores may be filled using wood filler. Often, the wood's colour is changed by staining, bleaching, ammonia fuming and a number of other techniques. Some woods such as pine or cherry do not take stain evenly, resulting in "blotching". To avoid blotching, a barrier coat such as shellac or "wood conditioner" is applied before the stain. Gel stains are also used to avoid blotching.

Once the wood surface is prepared and stained, a number of coats of finish may be applied, often sanding between coats. Commonly used wood finishes include wax, shellac, drying oils (such as linseed oil or tung oil), lacquer, varnish, or paint. Other finishes called "oil finish" or "Danish Oil" are actually thin varnishes with a relatively large amount of oil and solvent. Water-based finishes can cause what is called "raising the grain" where surface fuzz emerges and requires sanding down.

Finally the surface may be polished or buffed using steel wool, pumice, rottenstone and other polishing or rubbing compounds depending on the shine desired. Often, a final coat of wax can be applied over the finish to add a slight amount of protection.

French polishing is not polishing as such, but a method of applying many thin coats of shellac using a rubbing pad, yielding a very fine glossy finish.

Different tools used to apply wood finishes include rags, rubbing pads, brushes, and spray guns. The processes involved and the terminology for the materials used are quite different in Britain than the processes and terms used in the USA. For instance, the process of replicating the look and feel of traditional French polished wood is more commonly done in the UK by "pulling over" precatalysed lacquer, within 24 hours of spraying, whereas in the US a "rubbed" finish is more common.

Woodworking Guide: Getting Started In Furniture Making

2008-07-10T02:16:00.005+07:00

If you've always wanted to build fine furniture, why not start now? It's not that difficult to test the waters and it doesn't have to be that expensive. You just have to be willing--if you want to increase your chances of success–to begin at the beginning. Like any other new pursuit, the learning curve tends to be pretty steep at the start. But this curve can level off pretty quickly, especially if you have a firm foundation in the basics.

At first, the whole process may seem a bit mysterious. How does the idea of a table, for example, get from your head to your living room in just a few weeks' time? Well, it gets there following a pretty logical sequence. First you need a plan. You can come across such drawings in magazines like this one (see "Console Table") or from books or plan services--or simply by taking careful measurements from an existing piece.

Then you have to buy enough tools to ensure success. You can't prevail with just a screwdriver and a chisel. But you certainly don't need $20,000 worth of shop equipment either. "Beginner's Toolbox", shows you everything you need to get started. As you'll see, this selection includes only a few common portable power tools. The rest are hand tools. Not only does this keep your initial investment low, it also makes you focus on proper hand tool use, which many professionals think is the basis of true craftsmanship.

With plan and tools on hand, your next step is to buy the wood and supplies necessary to complete the job. To this end we've included stories on proper stock selection and preparation as well as information on choosing and using woodworking glues and abrasives. We also touch on basic sharpening techniques, because dull tools can frustrate you more easily than anything else in the whole process.

Of course the core discipline is, and will always be, joinery. In our story on basic joinery we cover the basics, knowing full well that we're only scratching the surface. But if you can master what we show, more exotic joinery will be much easier to pursue in the future. The same can be said for our finishing story. The number of ways you can protect your finished piece are legion. But you don't have to learn them all at once.

Finally, we offer you a detailed story on building a solid cherry console table. The complete plan mentioned earlier is included, as well as a series of step-by-step photos that clearly explain the whole process. Everything you need is in this story and the ones that precede it. This piece may be simple but that doesn't mean it's not well-designed. Its straightforward, elegant lines and its timeless joinery yield a piece that's well worth the effort required to make it.

So, why not give it a whirl? Furniture making is fun, and doesn't cost much compared to many other pursuits. And the fruits of your labor will be there for you, and everyone else, to see.

HOW TO PIC CAR INSURANCE?

2008-07-10T01:52:00.002+07:00

Step 1
When comparing insurance, make sure to have your insurance paperwork in hand. Insurance companies will quote you a favorable price, but are they cutting your benefits to do it.

Step 2
Call several local insurance companies as well as go on line and search for rate quotes. A local insurer may be willing to cut the cost if you have a relationship with them. In Florida, large Oak trees hanging over your house increases your rates, If you have a relationship with the people, they may ignore the tree.

Step 3
Key items to know. Comprehensive insurance pays for the car you hit, not yours. Collision insurance pays for your car damage. If your car is worth more than $2,500, you probably want collision. Liability insurance pays for the other guys medical bills, if he sues you, and if there are other charges. Medical insurance pays for everyone who may have been hurt in your car.

Step 4
Most insurance starts out at $25,000 worth of coverage. It saves you money, but if you total the other guys car, how many people own a car worth less than $25,000 these days? I suggest getting $50,000 worth of coverage. It cost more, but you won't have to pull $25,000 out of your pocket if the worst happens on your way to work tomorrow.

Step 5
Remember not to let them scare you into things you probably don't need. The best one I hear is on medical insurance. They will tell you that you won't be treated or it will cost you tons of money..... What about your medical coverage that you pay for every week at work? That covers medical bills too. Make sure to ask them about that and how it integrates into your overall coverage if you get hurt.

Step 6
Once you have asked the questions and received the quotes, spread them out and weigh out your options. I have found that my long term loyalty with my current carrier always gives me rates within a dollar or two of those "cut rate" insurance companies. Loyalty does count. If you are thinking about sticking with your company, but did find lower rates, stop by and talk to them, I have found that they can somehow lower my rate just a little more if I ask.

Ten Things To Ask Before Buying Pet Insurance by VPI

2008-07-10T01:46:00.004+07:00

Make an educated decision about pet insurance. Get answers to the most important questions all pet owners should consider when looking for dog insurance or cat insurance.
1. Does the company have stability and proven success?
Veterinary Pet Insurance is the nation's oldest and largest provider, and has served more than one million pet owners since 1982. Be sure to find out how long have the other companies you're researching have been in business. Have they been around long enough to have insured the lifetime health of even one customer's pet?

2.Does the company employ certified and trained professionals?
VPI employs ten licensed veterinarians and more than 60 veterinary technicians, and has the largest and most professional sales and service staff in the industry. As a customer, you should expect that your pet health insurance provider has enough trained and qualified people to back their promises.

3.Does the company receive veterinary recognition?
In a study conducted by ACI Custom Research, 9 out of ten veterinarians who recommend pet insurance recommend VPI. We have an established relationship with the veterinary community and do not pay veterinarians for recommending our policies. Does your veterinarian trust other pet health insurance providers?

4.Are you offered annual policies with honest renewal terms?
VPI policies have a one year term so your rate, coverage and benefits are guaranteed for one year. Our premium increases are based on your pet's age, not the amount of veterinary claims filed. Are other companies going to increase your premium due to submitted claims or on a quarterly basis?

5.Will you receive renewable benefits?
Unlike other pet insurance companies, VPI does not consider conditions treated to be "pre-existing" upon renewal. In addition, VPI policies have a benefit allowance which renews with each new incident. Make sure the company you choose protects your pet with the same coverage year to year.

6.Do you understand how reimbursements are determined?
Other pet insurance providers enforce "reasonable and customary fees" which aren't disclosed to policyholders and can change based on the insurer's personal discretion. VPI's benefit schedule clearly lists how much is available for reimbursement per incident.

7.Does the company specify coverage exclusions?
VPI covers pre-existing conditions, as long as the condition is temporary and has been proven to be cured for at least six months. Certain breed-specific hereditary conditions are not covered by a VPI medical policy. As a customer you should know how your policy works.

8.Does the company provide broad coverage and unlimited benefits?
VPI offers unlimited benefits for the lifetime of your pet, rather than imposing a lifetime cap on policyholder benefits. Be aware of "extra" coverage other pet health insurance providers may require you to buy. Do other companies offer coverage this broad?

9.Does the company believe in routine care for your pet?
VPI offers Pet WellCare Protection coverage that provides reimbursements for common procedures including wellness exams, vaccinations, heartworm protection, spay/neuter and much more. Make sure your pet insurance provider helps you extend the lifetime of your pet by supporting routine preventive care.

10.Are you limited to a veterinary network or required to pre-certify?
VPI does not require pre-certification prior to your pet's veterinary treatment, no matter what the cost, and you have the freedom to use the veterinarian of your choice. Rest assured that with VPI your pet health insurance has no boundaries. Do other companies try to limit your choices and options?

How do I pick an insurance company?

2008-07-10T01:22:00.001+07:00

There are many insurance companies, so choosing between them can be a challenge. Here are the main points to keep in mind when selecting an insurance company:

Licensing
Not every company is licensed to operate in each state. As a general rule, you should buy from a company licensed in your state, because then can you rely on your state insurance department to help if there’s a problem. To find out which companies are licensed in your state, contact the state insurance department.

Price
Many companies sell insurance policies and prices vary greatly from one to another, so it really pays to shop around. Get at least three price quotes from companies, agents and from the Internet. Your state insurance department may publish a guide that shows what insurers charge for different policies in various parts of your state.

Financial Solidity
You buy insurance to protect you financially and provide peace of mind. Select a company that is likely to be financially sound for many years, by using ratings from independent rating agencies.

Service
Your insurance company and its representatives should answer your questions and handle your claims fairly, efficiently and quickly. You can get a feel for whether this is the case by talking to other customers who have used a particular company or agent. You may also want to check a national claims database to see what complaint information it has on a company. Also, your state insurance department will be able to tell you if the insurance company you are considering doing business with had many consumer complaints about its service relative to the number of policies it sold.

Comfort
You should feel comfortable with your insurance purchase, whether you buy it from a local agent, directly from the company over the phone, or over the Internet. Make sure that the agent or company will be easy to reach if you have a question or need to file a claim.

3G and 3.5G Phones (HSDPA) - New Technology, New Way of Life

2008-07-10T01:17:00.001+07:00

With the advancement of technology mobile phones have become more sophisticated than ever. Do you still remember those mobile phones with a limited set of features? If not, it's a quick reminder-the earlier mobile phones were used only for talking-there was no camera feature, no music feature. It's just a matter of few years back, mobile phones had witnessed the tremendous growth in technology. Built-in VGA camera is passé. Mobile users are now using high resolution cameras to store their memorable moments forever. Technology is vrooming ahead at a lighting speed. Isn't that?

Most of the latest mobile phones are 3G enabled. Now, what is 3G? 3G (third-generation) is a wireless communication technology that has emerged from the first generation analog and second generation digital communication systems. 3G is capable of offering increased voice capacity and higher-speed data rates. It allows users to receive TV signal, stream video and send large files. What's more, with the help of 3G technology you can make face-to-face video calls. The entire Nokia N-Series range including Nokia N76, Nokia N80 is 3G enabled smartphones. Other manufacturers like Sony Ericsson, Samsung, Motorola have also brought some high end 3G phones like Sony Ericsson W880i, W850i, W950i, Samsung F500, F510, F520, Motorola KRZR K3, RAZR Maxx, RAZR V3x, RAZR V3xx and so on. But the most sought-after 3G phone available in the market at the present time is the Nokia N93i.

Another technological wonder that is creating great stir in the 'mobile fraternity' is 3.5G. 3.5G is nothing but a technology standard used in HSDPA. Now, what does HSDPA mean? HSDPA is an acronym for High Speed Downlink Packet Access. It's an improvement upon the 3G protocol for mobile telephone data transmission.

HSDPA provides download speeds equivalent to an ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) line on your mobile phone. Theoretically speaking, with HSDPA it is possible to reach data transmission speeds of 8-10 Mbps. That is the reason, HSDPA enabled mobile phones are more faster than the WCDMA 3G phones.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_Wills

Download PCMAV 1.4 free antivirus

2008-07-02T20:18:00.006+07:00

PCMAV 1.4 has released

Download PCMAV 1.4 (PC Media Antivirus 1.4) RTP+CLN
here :

download PCMAV 1.4 by rapidshare
download PCMAV 1.4 by bizhat

than download PCMAV 1.4 Update Build 2 here:

download PCMAV.vdb by ziddu

(Extract PCMAV.vdb file into the same directory PCMAV 1.4 placed)

Download AVAST! 4.8 Home Edition...gratis

2008-07-02T20:12:00.003+07:00

Avast! 4.8 Home Edition adalah antivirus gratis yang cukup handal dalam melindungi PC anda dari virus

klik di sini untuk mendownload-nya :

http://files.avast.com/iavs4pro/setupeng.exe

Download AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.0

2008-07-02T20:02:00.006+07:00

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.0 free download, click link below

Download AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.0 by CNET Download.com or

Download AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.0 by AVG server

Just try it!

Real Kong : Mountain Gorilla

2008-07-02T18:35:00.013+07:00

There are only about 650 mountain gorillas left in the world, half of which live in the protected areas made up of Parc National des Volcans in Rwanda, the Parc National des Virunga in Congo, and the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. Crop raiding by wildlife is one of the primary causes for the antagonism between the local communities living around the gorilla habitat, and the Parks.

The International Gorilla Conservation Program is working with the communities to ensure that their livelihood activities do not conflict with conservation objectives and that conservation can contribute to community welfare. A stone wall is being constructed along the length of the boundary of the Parc National des Volcans in Rwanda. This wall will prevent a range of animals from coming out of the park in areas where people cultivate crops,
which these animals find palatable. NZACT currently helps fund this project.

Virunga Gorilla in Danger

Last July, Brent Stirton took a photograph that shocked the world when it was published in Newsweek — a picture of a dead 500-pound male gorilla named Senkwekwe, one of six endangered mountain gorillas who had been murdered, execution-style, in the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In the photo, Senkwekwe is strapped on his back, on a litter made of saplings. More than a dozen African men are carrying him — gently, respectfully — out of the jungle that was supposed to be his sanctuary.

When Stirton took that photo, one pressing question was still unanswered: Who would do such a thing, and why?

Stirton recently got a chance to investigate the answer. He was the first photojournalist allowed back into the part of Virunga where the mountain gorillas live — a section now controlled by a militia.

The story is told in the cover story of the latest National Geographic magazine; a companion documentary will be broadcast July 1 on the National Geographic cable channel.

What Stirton and writer Mark Jenkins learned was that the answer is complicated: The story is a kind of microcosm of the war in the Congo and the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide. It involves brutal militias, corruption, smuggling and an unfolding environmental nightmare.

But it is also a story of simple horror, and of a moving human response. Stirton tells Terry Gross that the evacuation of the gorillas' bodies from Virunga was unlike anything he'd seen in more than a decade of covering some of the planet's worst atrocities.

"I've never seen that degree of stoicism, or sobriety, or somberness," Stirton says. "It was a very sober affair. There was no talking. ... For many moments at a time the only thing you could hear was the sound of people walking. ... I've never seen that before, even when people were collecting the bodies of humans, when I've seen massacre sites."

A Refuge, Sitting Squarely in the Crossfire

Mountain gorillas are among the world's most endangered species; only an estimated 720 of the primates remain alive today.

The DRC's Virunga National Park is in the same region where researcher Dian Fossey studied the gorillas — and battled poachers — four decades ago.

But the 2007 killings bore none of the hallmarks of poachers, who usually take the adult animals' heads and hands as trophies, and carry off the gorillas' young for sale on the black market. The victims were simply slaughtered — as a message, most preservationists think.

One theory that Stirton has come to believe: It was part of an ongoing struggle over illegal charcoal production in the park's ancient hardwood forests — a struggle that involves corrupt Congolese army factions and more than one Hutu militia.

Stirton, a native of South Africa, is a senior staff photographer for Getty Images. More of his photographs, including many not published in either Newsweek or National Geographic, can be seen in a slideshow on his site; the National Geographic article is available online.

Lone Silverback Killed by Rebel Soldiers

Staff from DFGFI's Congolese program have confirmed that a lone silverback was killed by rebel soldiers on the Congolese side of the Virungas (Parc des National Virungas) on Jan. 5, 2007.

The killing occurred in the Bikenge sector of the park, which is close to the Rwandan border and the Kabara Research Center, where DFGFI and ICCN (Congolese national park authority) staff are monitoring research groups of mountain gorillas. This death follows the slaughtering of hundreds of hippos in the park last year, raising considerable concerns about the security of wildlife in the Congolese portion of the Virungas. Claims about the killing of a second gorilla are unconfirmed at this time.

From a conservation biology perspective, the fact that the population is so small—only 380 individuals in the Virunga region—makes the loss of an individual a grave concern. And, since gorillas recognize no national boundaries, the situation in Congo also has considerable implications for the Karisoke gorilla groups, who often travel into the Congolese sectors of the park to forage. A few months ago, one of the mountain gorilla groups we monitor from Karisoke foraged into Congo and fled back in panic, with a young female gorilla dying as a result.

Our staff in both Rwanda and Congo, in conjunction with the national park authorities, are continuing their daily anti-poaching patrols to protect the gorilla population, but while the situation is stable in Rwanda, much remains to be done in the Congolese sector. In the last 10 years, nearly 100 park rangers have been killed while protecting the gorillas and other wildlife in the park.

The loss of any individual is a tragedy, although the loss of a single lone silverback is likely to have less of an impact on the overall growth of the population than, for example, the loss of an adult female. Research conducted at Karisoke suggests that only 20 percent of lone silverbacks are successful at attracting females and reproducing (Robbins, 1995). However, the sample size for this study was quite small, and more research is needed to fully understand the long-term population effects of the loss of lone silverbacks. The Karisoke Research Center team is currently focusing on this question by following a number of males who have recently dispersed from the research groups to become lone silverbacks.

All of us at DFGFI, but particularly our staff in Rwanda and DRC, who have dedicated and risked their lives to protect gorillas, have been deeply affected by this loss.

The red circle roughly indicates the area (Bikenge sector) where the silverback male was killed. It appears to be in an area between the volcanoes, not far from the Rwandan border or from Kabara, where DFGFI and ICCN are monitoring research gorilla groups

KING KONG IS GIANT GORILLA??

Now we talk about the King Kong, a giant ape on the movies. Is Kong has similarity with gorilla? The Giant ape in "KING KONG"-1933 movie didn't looked like a gorilla, b`coz his legs are too long, ang he walks with two feet just like a human. So did with the giant ape in "KING KONG"-1976 and "KING KONG LIVES"- 1986. But,in "KING KONG"-2005, we can see he walks with 4 legs, very similar with gorila.

King Kong 1933

King Kong 2005

Wanna great tour adventures? See below

National Vocational Trainning Development Center

2007-10-03T22:40:00.001+07:00

NVTDC is a part of Indonesian Employment and Transmigration Department (Depnakertrans) that located in Bandung city. It has a program called "Trainning, Sertification and Placement" of jobseeker and employer in Indonesia. Want know more about it? Just click this link below :
www.nvtdc.com

manual woodplaner pic

2007-10-03T22:34:00.000+07:00

ngisi waktu luang dapet duit

2007-10-03T22:21:00.000+07:00

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