Group items tagged

less willing to buy music on the one hand, and others saying they use downloading to make better-informed purchases on the other hand.

Internet services such as Napster and Kazaa contend that record labels are simply not releasing enough good music, and consumers see DVDs as a better value than CDs.

piracy has made it easy for many people to get music for free, allowing consumers to download songs and spend their money on DVDs instead.

"hot spots" of contaminated sediment.

Pathogens such as bacteria and viruses, which are often presentin urban runoff, can pose public health problems.

Drains Versus 400 or More Yards Away Found On Hard Copy-Storm Drain Runoff," Epidemiology, July 1999, Vol. 10, No. 4.Metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in urban runoffcan present a threat to aquatic life.

proved to betoxic to sea urchin fertilization in the Santa Monica Bay, anddissolved zinc and copper were determined to be contributors tothis toxicity. -Brown bullheads (a bottom-dwelling catfish) inthe Anacostia River developed tumors that were believed to becaused by PAHs associated in part with urban runoff. High PAHand heavy metal concentrations were found in crayfish tissuesamples from several urban streams in Milwaukee. The studyassociated these contaminants with storm water runoff.

The three primaryactivities used in these programs include efforts to characterizestorm water runoff; BMPs aimed at reducing pollutants in stormwater runoff to the maximum extent practicable; and reportingprogram activities, monitoring results, and costs of implementingthe program. Some BMPs are structural-meaning that they aredesigned to trap and detain runoff until constituents settle orare filtered out.

-good housekeeping" practices by the local government, such asoil collection and recycling, spill response, household andhazardous waste collection, pesticide controls, flood controlmanagement, and street sweeping; -public education programs, suchas storm-drain stenciling, to remind the public that trash, motoroil, and other pollutants thrown into storm drains end up innearby receiving waters;' -new ordinances to control pollutionsources, such as prohibiting the disposal of lawn clippings instorm drains and requiring pet owners to clean up after theirpets;" requirements that developers comply with storm waterregulations and incorporate erosion and sediment controls at allnew development sites; -requirements that runoff from propertiesowned or activities sponsored by the municipality be properlycontrolled; and -efforts to identify and eliminate illicitconnections and illegal discharges to the storm sewer systems,such as those from pipes carrying sewage.

Several officials in the cities we visited said that their annualcosts are likely to increase. A number of factors could affectthe costs. For example, a Baltimore City official explained thatthe anticipated, future program costs depend on several factors,including (1) requirements in watershed- management planscurrently being developed, (2) pollution-reduction goals the citywill be required to achieve, (3) requirements of the stateregulatory agency in future permits, and (4) requirements thecity may have to meet if TMDLs or numeric effluent limits areincorporated into NPDES storm water permits. Other city officialsalso expressed concern about the extent to which TMDLs couldaffect their future costs. These city officials are concernedthat when and if TMDLs are established, their future storm waterpermits may require that storm water runoff meet specific waterquality standards. For example, Los Angeles County's trash TMDLcould potentially drive the county's storm water management costsupward, and the county expects additional TMDLs to be imposed. Onthe other hand, Worcester officials estimated that their futurestorm water costs would be about the same as they were at thetime of our review-about $4.5 million per year.

injuries in children ages six to 17

between 1990 and 2005.

(82 percent) were female.

ughly five out of every 1,000 gymnasts were injured enough to require acute care

older children were more likely to be hurt

Another method for improving oxygen concentration is blood doping -- infusing whole blood into an athlete. An athlete who infuses his own blood may cause infection or cardiovascular problems because of the increased blood volume (high blood pressure, blood clots, heart failure and stroke). An athlete who uses someone else's blood runs the risk of acquiring viral infections such as HIV/AIDS. These are huge risks for a result that can also be achieved by training at high altitudes.

In addition to taking drugs that build mass and strength, some athletes take drugs and engage in practices that increase the amount of oxygen in tissues. Endurance athletes, like cyclists or cross-country skiers, may use Erythropoietin (EPO). EPO can increase an athlete's oxygen supply by as much as seven to 10 percent. As mentioned earlier, EPO is extremely dangerous, if not deadly in some cases. The increased red cell density caused by EPO can thicken the blood. The thickened blood -- which is more like honey than water -- cannot flow through the blood vessels well. To pump the thickened blood, the heart must work harder. This increases the chances of heart attack and stroke.

Athletes looking to build mass may also abuse Human Growth Hormone (hGH). Excessive hGH levels increase muscle mass by stimulating protein synthesis, strengthen bones by stimulating bone growth and reduce body fat by stimulating the breakdown of fat cells. Use of hGH has become increasingly popular because it is difficult to detect. Side effects include overgrowth of hands, feet, and face (known as acromegaly), enlarged internal organs, especially heart, kidneys, tongue and liver and heart problems.

Athletes use anabolic steroids to increase muscle strength. Anabolic steroids, which can be injected or taken as pills, allow the athlete to train harder and longer at any given period. The possible and well-known side effects of anabolic steroid use include jaundice and liver damage, mood swings, depression and aggression. Men may also suffer from baldness, infertility and breast development. Females may grow excessive hair on the face and body and suffer from infertility. The substances Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG), Luteinizing Hormone (LH) may also produce the same side effects.

can be as dangerous as any other bear

two and three feet tall on all four legs, and reach four to six feet in length

males are heavier than females, weighing up to 250 pounds. Females rarely reach 220 pounds

reported zoo pandas as old as 35 years.

99 percent bamboo

rare occasions, other grasses and animal carcasses

In zoos, giant pandas eat bamboo, sugar cane, rice gruel, a special high-fiber biscuit, carrots, apples, and sweet potatoes.

Offspring may stay with their mothers from one and a half to three years

usually eats sitting upright

digestive system is more like that of a carnivore than an herbivore

from 20 to 40 pounds of bamboo each day

10 to 16 hours a day foraging and eating

wild panda spends much of its day resting, feeding, and seeking food

At birth, a panda cub is helpless

newborn weighs three to five ounces

Pink, hairless, and blind, the cub is 1/900th the size of its mother

microbats eat insects, blood (small quantities of the blood of animals), small mammals, and fish

Mother bats usually have only one offspring per year

they are viviparous

Young microbats become independent at the age of 6 to 8 weeks

At the age of two years, bats are sexually mature

megabats not until they are four months old

A single bat can live over 20 years

Most microbats are active at night or at twilight

Bats rarely fly in rain

the rain interferes with their echo location

Only three species sustain themselves with blood.

Only 0.5% of bats carry rabies

Bats have very small teeth and can bite a sleeping person without being felt

Bats are closely associated with vampires

Bats are also a symbol of ghosts, death, and disease

Chinese lore claims the bat is a symbol of longevity and happiness

the bat is a trickster spirit

In Western Culture, the bat is often a symbol of the night and its foreboding nature

A measure of the success of bats is their estimated total of about 1,100 species worldwide, accounting for about 20 percent of all mammal species.

"We either reduce our CO2 emission now or many corals will be lost forever," warned Julia Marton-Lefevre, IUCN Director General.

According to the study, the Caribbean region has the highest number of highly threatened corals.

As they are home to over 25 percent of marine species -- including fish stocks -- loss of reefs could also impact coastal fishing communities.

depend on coral reefs for their livelihoods,

reef-building corals in particular were "most vulnerable to the effects of climate change".

Sea temperature rises bleach and weaken the algae that give the underwater sea life its vibrant color, and make it more susceptible to diseases.

U.S. music sales, which peaked in 1999 at nearly $15 billion, dropped to $11.5 billion in 2006.

nearly 20 percent of U.S. internet users downloaded music illegally last year

There are more than 2 million children under the age of 15 living with the HIV infection

0 percent of those infected with HIV may not know they are carrying the virus.

he endorses the ABCs encouraged by Youth AIDS: Abstinence or Be faithful or Consistent use of safe-sex methods.