Sunday, September 23, 2007
Railways
Rail transport is the transport of passengers and supplies by means of wheeled vehicles particularly designed to run down railways.
A railway/railroad track consists of two parallel iron rails, usually anchored vertical to beams, termed sleepers or ties, concrete, or steel to keep a steady space apart, or gauge. The rails and perpendicular beams are generally then placed on a base made of concrete or condensed earth and gravel in a bed of ballast to stop the track from buckling as the ground settles over time below and under the weight of the vehicles passing above. The vehicles traveling on the rails are arranged in a train; a string of individual powered or unpowered vehicles connected together, displaying markers.
A railway/railroad track consists of two parallel iron rails, usually anchored vertical to beams, termed sleepers or ties, concrete, or steel to keep a steady space apart, or gauge. The rails and perpendicular beams are generally then placed on a base made of concrete or condensed earth and gravel in a bed of ballast to stop the track from buckling as the ground settles over time below and under the weight of the vehicles passing above. The vehicles traveling on the rails are arranged in a train; a string of individual powered or unpowered vehicles connected together, displaying markers.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Three Gorges Dam
The Three Gorges Dam spans the Yangtze River on Sandouping, Yichang, Hubei region, China. Construction began in 1994. It will be the major hydroelectric dam in the world, more than five times the size of the Hoover Dam. The reservoir began filling on June 1, 2003, and will occupy the current position of the scenic Three Gorges area, between the cities of Yichang, Hubei; and Fuling, Chongqing. Structural work was finished on May 20, 2006, nine months ahead of schedule. However, some generators still have to be installed and the dam is not expected to become fully equipped until 2009.
Three Gorges Dam, downstream side, 26 July 2004As with many dams, there is controversy over the operating cost and benefits of the Three Gorges Dam. Although there are economic profit from flood control and hydroelectric power, there are also concerns concerning the future of over 1.9 million people who will be displaced by the flood waters, the loss of some valuable archaeological and cultural sites, as well as the effects on the environment. It is believed that the dam was a contributing part in the extinction of the Yangtze River Dolphin.
Three Gorges Dam, downstream side, 26 July 2004As with many dams, there is controversy over the operating cost and benefits of the Three Gorges Dam. Although there are economic profit from flood control and hydroelectric power, there are also concerns concerning the future of over 1.9 million people who will be displaced by the flood waters, the loss of some valuable archaeological and cultural sites, as well as the effects on the environment. It is believed that the dam was a contributing part in the extinction of the Yangtze River Dolphin.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Health
Health is the intensity of functional and metabolic effectiveness of an organism at both the cellular and macro social level. In the medical field, health is generally defined as an organism's aptitude to efficiently respond to challenges and effectively restore and maintain a "state of balance," known as homeostasis.
A rising measure of the health of populations is height, which is powerfully regulated by nutrition and health care, among other set of living and quality of life matters. The lessons of human growth, its regulators and its implications are known as auxology.
Wellness is a word sometimes used to describe the psychological position of being healthy, but is most frequently used in the field of alternative medicine to describe one's state of being.
A rising measure of the health of populations is height, which is powerfully regulated by nutrition and health care, among other set of living and quality of life matters. The lessons of human growth, its regulators and its implications are known as auxology.
Wellness is a word sometimes used to describe the psychological position of being healthy, but is most frequently used in the field of alternative medicine to describe one's state of being.
Monday, September 10, 2007
The Nile
The Nile is a river in Africa, often regarded as the longest river on Earth, although some sources claim the Amazon in South America is longer. The Nile has two major tributaries, the White Nile and Blue Nile, the latter being the source of most of the Nile's water and fertile soil, but the former being the longer of the two. The two rivers meet near Khartoum.The northern section of the river flows almost entirely through desert, from Sudan into Egypt, acountry whose civilization has depended on the river since ancient times. Most of the population of Egypt and all of its cities, with the exception of those near the coast, lie along those parts of theNile valley north of Aswan; and nearly all the cultural and historical sites of Ancient Egypt are found along the banks of the river.The Nile ends in a large delta that flows into the Mediterranean Sea.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Fever
Fever is a frequent medical symptom that describes an increase in internal body temperature to levels that are above normal (37°C, 98.6°F). Fever is most accurately characterized as a temporary elevation in the body’s thermoregulatory set-point, which is usually by about 1-2°C. Fever differs from hyperthermia, which is an increase in body temperature over the body’s thermoregulatory set-point .
The elevation in thermoregulatory set-point means that the previous "normal body temperature" is considered hypothermic, and effector mechanisms kick in. The person who is developing the fever has a cold sensation, and an increase in heart rate, muscle tone and shivering attempt to counteract the perceived hypothermia, thereby reaching the new thermoregulatory set-point.
The elevation in thermoregulatory set-point means that the previous "normal body temperature" is considered hypothermic, and effector mechanisms kick in. The person who is developing the fever has a cold sensation, and an increase in heart rate, muscle tone and shivering attempt to counteract the perceived hypothermia, thereby reaching the new thermoregulatory set-point.