Aids: Origin of pandemic 'was 1920s Kinshasa'

Kinshasa in 1955 Kinshasa, pictured in 1955, was at the centre of the pandemic, scientists say Continue reading the main story Related Stories Early HIV drugs are 'not a cure' Aids can be 'under control by 2030' HIV origin 'found in wild chimps' The origin of the Aids pandemic has been traced to the 1920s in the city of Kinshasa, in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo, scientists say. An international team of scientists say a "perfect storm" of population growth, sex and railways allowed HIV to spread. A feat of viral archaeology was used to find the pandemic's origin, the team report in the journal Science. They used archived samples of HIV's genetic code to trace its source, with evidence pointing to 1920s Kinshasa. Their report says a roaring sex trade, rapid population growth and unsterilised needles used in health clinics probably spread the virus. Meanwhile Belgium-backed railways had one million people flowing through the city each year, taking the virus to neighbouring regions. Experts said it was a fascinating insight into the start of the pandemic. HIV came to global attention in the 1980s and has infected nearly 75 million people. It has a much longer history in Africa, but where the pandemic started has remained the source of considerable debate. Family affair A team at the University of Oxford and the University of Leuven, in Belgium, tried to reconstruct-READ MORE-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-29442642

SPIDER IN THE WETROOM

Did this rat carry the PLAGUE? 'Mummified' rodent found during building renovations dates back to the Black Death

The rat (pictured) was discovered in the late 1990s in Cornwall. It was originally found covered in black hair, which has since faded. It is said to be more than 650 years old, and experts believe it may have been interred while still alive, to protect the homeowners. But, no evidence of the disease was found on the rat’s body +3 The rat (pictured) was discovered in the late 1990s in Cornwall. It was originally found covered in black hair, which has since faded. It is said to be more than 650 years old, and experts believe it may have been interred while still alive, to protect the homeowners. But, no evidence of the disease was found on the rat’s body However, no evidence of the disease was found on the rat’s body. The mummified remains were found during renovations to the staircase at 107 The Terrace, Penryn. It was originally covered in black hair, but this has faded since the rat was removed. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2774983/Mummified-rodent-building-renovations-dates-Black-Death.html#ixzz3FBUOvBs3 Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

I AWAIT A BLOOD TEST

I await upstairs to get my blood test,surrounded by beige walls,green carpets such the norm for a doctors,people sitting by you in a  monk like silence  ,staring into space with frowns on their heads,the door opens the nurse pops out in a cuckoo clock way,so be my turn hurrah.To take the blood a band goes around the arm beware sharp scratch ,blood flows into vessels looking similar to ketchup in horror movies,ready to go to the lab,its over again to next time i hope not soon.

INSECTS FOR TEA

The new food to feed the world  as mentioned by many an expert-insects like- meal worms,thai green curry crickets,barbeque - flavored worms,choc-covered scorpion,buffalo worms.Can,t wait to try  but if the current human population keeps expanding may be in a supermarket soon in future.

TRUE OR FALSE-DORLING KINDERSLEY-£12.99

HEAD LICE LIKE DIRTY HAIR-False-clean or dirty  lice will  jump in and make themselves at home.WE SHARE 96% OF DNA WITH CHIMPS-True-chimpanzees are closest to man with almost identical genes .But as we now all know  every living known organism come from the same family tree.YOU CATCH A COLD FROM BEING CHILLY-False-the only way to catch a cold is from a cold virus.CROCODILES CRY WHEN  EAT PREY-True this happens due to the crocs tear glands  keep moist  and located in their throats,so when the croc feeds by ripping and swallow whole it puts pressure on the glands and hence tears.THE PYRAMIDS WERE BUILT BY SLAVES-False-example -THE GREAT TEMPLE  OF GIZA -was built by a willing workforce from all works of life ,all these facts are part of this book ,worth a read my dear reader.

EARTH WILDLIFE FALLING

A study by WWF has found that earths  wildlife population has dropped by half in past 40 years.The  poorer countries are the biggest fall -58% due to hunting and deforestation.

How to give a talk

How to give a talk

So you've been asked to give a talk in front of a seminar--or possibly in front of a much larger audience. Or maybe you've been giving lots of talks, but you wonder about how you can make your talks more effective?The purpose of this page is to present some ideas about presentation style. These are all surface issues and do not address the actual content of your talk (because it is, of course, spectacular). Every single point can be argued, so a justification for the point is given. If you disagree with a point and want to state a reason why you disagree, or have additional tips to share, please send a message to meand your comments will be included if they're reasonable.)I would like to thank James Allen. I used to give lectures and harangues containing this material at Cornell, and James had the idea of writing it down (and making it "somewhat humorous" as some authorities on the Web dryly characterize this page). I can't promise it will be useful for you, but I can say that my students, who followed this advice, have gotten great jobs after graduating as you can see here.What I tell my students about giving talks and writing papers is: Most students, initially, have little idea how to do either. At least I have an idea about this. Try my way for five years. One possibility is it works great for you, and you can use it. The other is it doesn't, and then you can react to it and develop your own style in response. But you can't start with no idea and "react to" that and develop your own style: if you multiply by zero you get zero. By the way, no one in my lab has ever rejected these ideas; instead they have refined them and improved them. You can too.These tips were created in the days of overhead transparencies, but, surprisingly still people find them useful even in the PowerPoint era and beyond. Nevertheless, I have tried to update this with some comments on PowerPoint and other computer projection methods, without repeating the usual advice on "how not to use PowerPoint" (I have my own advice on how not to use it :-) And also how to use it.Translation into Belorussian . They dig it in Vitebsk!  Q. Will the audience be annoyed if you sit instead of stand?A. Yes One of the most important things you can do is watch other speakers. Figure out what you like and what you don't like about what they do and then try to do or not do those things. Ever been annoyed at a speaker who puts of an overhead with such tiny print you can't read it at all? Then be sure you use a larger font. How about those people who constantly block the screen so you can't see it? Maybe you should try not to do the same thing.Great speakers sometimes codify their techniques. You should read Patrick Winston's Lecturing Heuristics.

Hints for a good presentation

Speak clearly. It shouldn't be too much of a shock, but people can't hear you if you mumble or talk really quietly. Most audiences are afraid of sitting too near the front of a class, either because they're worried about being called on, or because their third grade teacher spit during lectures. Remember the ones in the back (who are thinking of sneaking out early) and speak up and speak distinctly (so they'll stay).Use large fonts. Anything smaller than 24 point is probably a mistake. If you photocopy a paper from a book and project that, you deserve severe punishment. The only exception is if you are trying to impress the audience with the density of something, or otherwise make a point that specifically requires dense and unreadable text.  Use figures instead of words! Use lots of figures. A picture is worth a thousand words. If your work is very mathematical, try to develop a talk that is entirely in pictures. Then go back and add one or two words per slide.Point to the projection (screen), not the source. You want to point out part of a picture or a bullet item on a slide to make it clearer what you mean. Walk up to the screen and point at the bullet or picture. Do not point to the transparency on the projector itself. There are several reasons for doing this:You are not blocking the projection. Ever had someone point at the overhead while their shoulder is blocking the light from most or all of the projection? Ever been in an audience where the speaker is continuously standing between you and the text being projected? Doesn't that annoy you? It should.The slide doesn't jiggle. It's annoying to have a slide jiggle every time the speaker touches it. So don't touch the slides.There are occasions when you cannot reach the projection to point at it directly. Put your hand into the light and make shadow pictures: use the shadow of your hand to point at the part you want to deal with. You probably do not want to use a pointer.Do not use a pointer. A pointer seems particularly useful if you cannot reach the projection. Those laser pointer things seem totally cool, too, don't they? Well, they're annoying and should be outlawed. Why?Pointers are guaranteed to annoy at least 35% of your audience. If you're nervous, the pointer dramatically magnifies the shaking of your hand. It looks like you're conducting an orchestra or something. That leaves a bad impression. Even if you're not nervous, it still jiggles unpleasantly. This is why wooden pointers, folding pointers, and laser pointers are all equally bad.People cannot find where a laser points very quickly. You probably zip it around and circle things. You're making your audience dizzy. Or you say "like this here" and they don't see where you point because the laser is already somewhere else. Disgusting habit.Very few speakers are capable of speaking without playing with the thing that's in their hands. It's distracting. Watch the speaker who folds and unfolds the pointer repeatedly. Yuck. You shouldn't have things in your hands. Period.A Fine Point: Using your shadow is infinitely better than using a pointer. But, if you can reach the screen, you should touch it (the screen) to point to things, instead of using your shadow. The audience will like the tactility of this gesture.It's ok if your hand makes a slight noise when you hit the screen, or the screen shakes. This discontinuity may wake a few people up. Seriously.Do not adjust the slide unless it's falling off. Ever watch someone adjust each overhead over and over again? Ever want to slap them and tell them to stop? It's pointless. Who cares if it's 10 degrees off vertical? The little jiggering of the slide doesn't make it easier for the audience to read it. And it makes you look really nervous. Get away from the projector and point at the screen. You won't be blocking the view of your audience and you won't look as nervous. Of course, if the slide's about to fall off the projector....Be sure the projection is on the screen. How many times have you watched a speaker talk and talk and talk without ever noticing that the projection is somewhere to the left of the screen and you can't read it? You want to yell but are afraid you'll annoy people. So you should be sure it's pointing the right place. Of course, if you walk up to the screen and point at the projection, you're addressing this problem at the same time, aren't you? (Amazing how multi-purpose these tips can be.) Using large margins is helpful for this one, too, since there is less text to spill off the sides.Be sure the text is projected at the top of the screen. This is related to the previous point, but refers more to where the text is than to where the projection is. Position the slide so that the first line of text is as far toward the top of the screen as possible. That means that people in the back can see what's on the screen even though some big-headed person is partially blocking their view. Having trouble figuring out where the slide should be lined up? Point to the screen and you'll clear up this problem, too.Watch the time. Try not to go over your given time. Even if you start late, it's a courtesy to the audience to end as close to on time as possible. A good lecture room will have a clock positioned so that you can see it. (A spectacular lecture room will not have one positioned where the audience can see it, so they're less likely to fidget.) Pay attention to it. If you're running behind, skip a slide, or gloss over one, or talk a bit faster, or don't accept questions. Yes, your work is exciting and interesting, but your audience has other appointments, too. If not, they'll talk to you afterward.Walk in front of the projection occasionally. This one seems kind of silly, but it serves two purposes. First, it gets you to the other side of the room so that the people on that side will have you in the way of the projection (only sometimes since you'll usually be up near the screen); it is only fair to share the discomfort. Second, the sudden bright flash of light reflecting back to the audience as you break the projection beam will wake a few people up. Seriously.Talk to the audience, not the screen. This sounds simple, but it's amazing how many people look at the screen and talk at it rather than at their audience. If you have to face the screen, speak a bit louder while you're facing it so that your voice will reflect from it and back to the audience. Better: don't talk to the screen. Contort your body, or point at the screen and then turn around.Do not cover up parts of the slide. The "overhead striptease" act is one of the most common and most annoying features. What in the world do you think you're accomplishing by feeding the words on the slide to the audience one line at a time? It's infuriating. It makes it harder to pay attention to the speaker, too: the audience keeps having to read a line, look back at you and listen, watch you fiddle with the slide, read another line, turn back to you, and so on and so forth. Tiresome. Why not let the audience skim the slide and then talk about it all at once? Are you afraid they'll be so busy reading that they won't hear you talk? Then make your talking more interesting. (The term "overhead striptease" is alleged to have been coined by Tufte.) Consider using an overlay transparency if you need to keep something in suspense. They're sometimes a bit hard to get lined up, but not too bad. However, beginners should use this technique sparingly, until you practice a lot and get the multiple-overlay technique to be fast, slick, and good-looking.Modern machine-driven slide display (e.g., from Powerpoint) make it really easy to do these sort of "multiple overlay" talks. These are a bit easier, and sometimes even quite effective.Summary: Never cover up your slides! avoid the striptease! Overlays are often useful to build up a palimpsest of information gradually -- much better than putting up one dense hairy slide to annoy the audience. Audiences tend to like overlays pretty well.The only thing worse than the "overhead striptease" is leaving part of the slide covered and never revealing what's under it. You will be convincing the audience that something embarrassing is under there (a naked person?). Bad move. Who cares if it's an old slide that's no longer quite appropriate; just don't talk about the extra stuff. Adds a bit of mystery to your talk, but in a nice way.Do not read your slides to the audience. Why would I want to come to your talk to hear you read your slides? Unless you're a famous poet or novelist reading your own work, what is the point? (Not even sure there's a point then.) The slides should be an outline of the talk to help the audience follow what you're saying. Or complex equations or pictures or something that you can't convey easily with words. A simple trick is to leave out all of the articles and connectives--e.g., "simple trick: omit articles, connectives". Then if you have no better imagination, you can read it back to the audience with the articles and connections put back in. At least your presence serves a purpose then.  Props good, fire bad. Use props. Talks are about show and tell and keeping your audience amused, so you can inform them painlessly about what you are doing. Whenever possible, bring and use props: videotapes, robots, pieces of robots, models of molecules, a gear your algorithm machined, circuit boards implementing your algorithm in silicon, etc. However, if you use videotapes, be sure to have them cued up beforehand and practice turning them on and off so it goes smoothly.Use color. It used to be that you could use LaTeX and make black & white slides for a talk. This worked, because LaTeX typeset things nicely, and no one had color printers. Now we do have color printers (and copiers, and 35mm slides) and black LaTeX slides look (a) all the same and (b) boring. Monochrome slides give the impression you are not colorful either. These days, there is no excuse for a monochrome talk. Use colored pens if you are making your talk by hand. If you're using the computer, use color LaTeX or Powerpoint, or Adobe Illustrator, and print out your slides on a color printer. For better or worse, audiences these days expect color; it's easy to use, and you can convey more information with it.In my opinion, it is better to have nice colorful hand-drawn slides with lots of figures, than to have B&W LaTeX slides with no figures.If you are using colored pens, use the permanent kind. The erasable kind may seem more convenient, but during a talk, you sweat, and they shmear all over. It's awkward, disgusting, and avoidable.Use several different colors. If you have a hand-drawn talk, it is criminal to use only one color.If you must use math/equations (it is better to use pictures), then color code them, e.g.,Green for vectors, black for constants, red for matrices.Or, make inputs be black, unknowns be red, and outputs be green.Or, if Gamma and Rho are important in your talk, make Gamma be green and Rho red.And be consistent! Rho should be the same color in the equation as in the accompanying figure. (What, you don't have a figure illustrating every equation?! You should!!)How Not to Use PowerPoint

Case Study: How to Commit "Talk Suicide"

Sometimes you'll be presenting results from a paper of yours, or by someone else. Here is example of how not to do it. In particular, here is an example of a terrible talk, which violates almost all of the rules above. (Actually, it is only the PowerPoint slides for a terrible talk, but the talk using the slides was equally terrible). It looks as if the student simply scanned in paragraphs from the paper and stuck them into PowerPoint. During the presentation he simply read the text and symbols. So the student behaved more like a parser, than a lecturer. Not only that, the scanned-in images are fuzzy and ugly! The entire talk is black-and-and white (no color), there are almost no figures (other than a few black-and-white line drawings scanned in from paper), there is no attempt to teach the audience something or explain the results -- the talk is merely a garbled recitation of (putative) verbatim sections of the paper. Needless to say, this is terrible: don't ever do this!  Two slides from a truly horrible talk. The student simply scanned in paragraphs from the paper and stuck them into PowerPoint. During the presentation he simply read the text and symbols. This talk violates almost every rule on this page. It was a miserable, brain-frying experience. Don't ever do this!  

Spandau Ballet reflect on 80s 'hedonism'

Eighties pop group Spandau Ballet have been reunited for the premiere of a film about their career.

Soul Boys Of The Western World was screened at the Royal Albert Hall in central London as well as at more than 200 cinemas across the UK.
The film traces their career from the streets of north London, through their experiences at Soho's Blitz Club to sell-out concerts around the world.

Read more

Spandau Ballet: Film premiere performance for 80s band

THE MAN WITH THE RAKE -SHORY STORY BY MARK ANTONY RAINES -GHOSTMAN

Mar job since he went through the big Gothic iron gates was to rake the thin glass like sand into circle of lines with his rake  .Mar thought this job was beneath him  and wished for more.One day a slim dark figure approached him ,the figure was in a business pin stripped suit and a garish red tie carrying a very battered old suit,came towards mar and began to start up a conservation-he said -would mar like to work for his company with perk of a pretty pa ,smart office.Mar replied -why me i just a man with a rake,the dark man said he could spot  potential in him,mar looked up to the sky began to form a couple of lines on his forehead as in deep thought,he said sure.The dark man produce a contact for him to sign with one clause in very small unable to read writing,mar red and queried the small print by informed just a small detail about staying loyal to the firm.Contract signed suddenly a massive thunder bolt and heavy smoke and mar felt really hot,he looked around and to see  fellow souls around him looking at him with red eyes and looking gaunt and he saw the sign on the door welcome to hell.You see you should always keep your slice of haven as you never know when the devil will take away.

HEN HARRIERS GO MISSING

HEN HARRIERS -2 young female hens have vanished ,are tagged.SKY and HOPE left nest sites in LANCASHIRE a few weeks ago.

The First Great Escape-http://www.channel5.com/shows/the-first-great-escape/episodes/the-first-great-escape

The Great Escape is one of the most famous events of the Second World War, but few people know that a similar event preceded it in 1918. The First Great Escape took place in 1917, from Holzminden prisoner-of-war camp in Hanover, Germany. Camp Commandant Karl Niemeyer, a man who had an appalling reputation for mistreatment, boasted from the outset that escape from Holzminden was impossible. He greatly underestimated the ingenuity of the British Officers.

Within a month of the camp's establishment, 17 Officers escaped, although they were swiftly recaptured. Many other escape attempts failed, with the Officers being returned to confinement. It was against this backdrop that a small group of British Officers devised a plan to break out by digging a tunnel. This is the story of the incredible escape of 29 British Officers in July 1918, having spent 10 months constructing the tunnel right under the noses of their German guards.WATCH -http://www.channel5.com/shows/the-first-great-escape/episodes/the-first-great-escape

MANX SHEARWATER

This bird is beginning to flourish now that the rat population on ST AGNES and GUGH in ISLES OF SCILLY.For decades the eggs of the MANX SHEARWATER  were being eaten by the rats ,now 10 chicks have been recorded by RSPCA.

BREEZE -THE HEDGEHOG

This hedgehog was rescued when animal lovers  spent 6 hours dismantling a garden wall to free it.This was done by NORTHUMBRIA HEDGEHOG RESCUE TRUST ,also used food  to coax out,now recovering at trusts HQ.

GRANNY GETS POTTY

A BBC garden radio show -THE POTTING SHED -RADIO DEVON got a shock when saw a grans email photo of 5 foot  bush.The brush turned out to be a CANNABIS plant suspected to have come from bird seed.The radio show forwarded to local police how said no arrest was required as long as plant destroyed and their could check attic as part of procedure
.

WAYS TO STOP A SPIDER-GOOD LUCK

If wish to try to spider proof your house you can try the following -no guarantee on results dear reader-1. Keep all windows and doors shut.2.Keep outdoor lights off.3.Be mean on green-remove shrubs and other plants close to house.4.Keep a tidy house .5. Vacuum up food crumbs.Be kind to our spider friends don't kill them just pick up gently and place outside,use old glass and bit of card if squeamish.

KEVA EAT A BURGER TOY AND LIVES

KEVA-a BOSC MONITOR LIZARD-was given emergency surgery after swallowing a mcdonalds happy toy.After a one and half hour operation all is well,the toy could have killed Keva due to being toxic.

POSSIBLE SAD END FOR BIRD

MONATAGU HARRIER Mo-one of Britains rarest birds of prey may have been shot.This is believed due to satellite  tracking tag suddenly gave out.

Badger cull , stop now

 10°C 8°CSeptember 23rd 2014Place an advertBuy a photoLocal ProjectsLike usFollow usLogin RegisterSiteDirectoryNewsSportWhat's OnJobsPropertyCarsDirectoryOffersNoticesBuy&SellDatingGamingALLFarming Business Politics Education Environment Crime Health Opinion Letters

Cull questioned after claims a shot badger died a slow death

By Western Morning News  |  Posted: September 22, 2014 Comments (19)Further doubt was cast on the humaneness of the badger cull after a wildlife charity claimed to have found an animal which did not die immediately.Secret World Wildlife Rescue, in Somerset, has examined so-called badger 41 after it was brought to them from the nearby cull zone last week.The charity said X-rays and a post mortem revealed that the animal, which was found at 2.30am by protesters near Sampford Brett on September 15, was thought to have been shot by contractors in the area.“From initial veterinary examination including x-rays it was evident that the badger had an obvious rifle shot wound to its abdomen that had forced

Raccoon dog goes on the run from zoo in badger cull zone

WMN letters: Anti-badger-cull lobby have a right to protest

WMN letters: Badger culls are a waste of money

Dominic Dyer: Pride and persecution must give way to proof

The rise of bovine TB through the decades

“The shot had clearly not been on target and would, in the opinion of our consultant veterinary surgeon, Dr Elizabeth Mullineaux MRCVS, have been unlikely to result in the badger’s immediate death.”This, they say, is contrary to recommendations from the independent expert panel, that marksmen target the middle of the chest target area.Also, it is claimed there was no evidence of a second follow up shot or of evidence that the cull contractors had observed the badger after shooting it for signs of life, both requirements under the Defra culling licences.It said a detailed post mortem will be carried out and that the findings will be made available.Somerset Badger Patrol said they were “deeply shocked but not surprised”.“We had no confidence in the Government’s assurance that the shooters would be better trained this year,” the group added in a statement.“Right from the beginning, independent experts warned that trying to shoot badgers at night was very risky. However, the NFU and Defra have pushed ahead. Now the evidence is stacking up that badgers continue to be killed inhumanely.”The National Farmers Union (NFU) said "humaneness monitors" were going out with contractors.An NFU spokesman said: “We have seen no evidence that a badger has been found."If one has been found there is no evidence to suggest it is associated with the cull."All badgers shot as part of the cull have been collected and accounted for.”1 576Share208Tweet 834ShareReport this article

Get Involved! Upload your pics and stories here.

Top Online Trick Allows To Shop The New iPad For Under …Swoggi

28 Celebs Who Have Severe IllnessesPressroomVIP

The 3 Worst Things that Age You Faster (AVOID)MAX Workouts

Actor Admits Nervous Breakdown Kept Him From 'Fifty Shades'AOL Onby TaboolaSponsored Links

MORE NEWS

Devon renewable energy company is shortlisted for two national...

Farmers welcome Natural England's decision to permit continued...

Why life in captivity is the last hope of saving tigers

Plymouth University to help set up farm shops in Africa thanks to...

Employer Forum Annual Conference proves complete success with...

1 Share576 Tweet208 Share834Report this articlePreviousNext

READ MORE FROM WESTERN MORNING NEWS

Most RecentMost CommentedMost Read

Council steps in to save crumbling listed building in heart of...

Dairy farmers hanging on to quota 'just in case' of a change of...

Robot milkers make a big difference for Cornish farmers Peter and...

by TaboolaSponsored LinksFROM THE WEB

28 Celebs Who Have Severe IllnessesPressroomVIP

Top Online Trick Allows To Shop The New iPad For Under £30Swoggi

Read Books? Here's The Worst Kept Secret Among BookwormsBookBub

The surprisingly boring secret to a £1million pensionHargreaves Lansdown

20 Of Kate Middleton's Best High Street LooksStylist

Actor Admits Nervous Breakdown Kept Him From 'Fifty Shades'AOL OnDo you have something to say? Leave your comment here...(4000 characters remaining)

19 comments

NewestOldestBest Ratedlovelylizzy  |  September 23 2014, 4:32PMnfu (the spokepeople for glouscon) are denying it's anything to do with them, so who the bloody hell is running around with a gun illegally killing badgers?Rate  0Reportlovelylizzy  |  September 23 2014, 12:53PMmmjames as far as I am aware this badger was found after the dirty deed, so how can you blame the badger protectors if they were not there?Rate    2Reportmmjames  |  September 23 2014, 10:45AMProtesters need to accept responsibility for scaring badgers lined up in gun sights. Sights most likely to be correct when badger moved forward scared by noise and lights which ARA's think acceptable instead of leaving cullers to do their LEGAL job quietly and efficiently.Rate    -2ReportMacRimfire  |  September 23

RARE DOG STOLEN

A rare  racoon  dog  -southeast asia was stolen after a break in at watchet somerset from wildlife park.