File-Sharing Sites to Help Stop Book Piracy

Publishers Ask File-Sharing Sites to Help Stop Book Piracy A group of publishers is stepping up its fight against pirated textbooks, study guides, and trade books by trying to convince the most popular file-trading sites to install filters or take other measures to stop unauthorized copies of books from appearing on their services. But will asking nicely spur companies that have not previously adopted such publisher-friendly practices to change? A committee of the Association of American Publishers spent the past several months drafting a set of "recommendations for best practices." The group plans to meet with several file-sharing Web sites in the next few weeks to present the recommendations, said Ed McCoyd, the publishing group's executive director for digital, environmental, and accessibility affairs. "The thrust of this is that if they want to run a business, they should do everything they can to make sure the main activity on their site is legal and not infringing," Mr. McCoyd said of the file-sharing sites. He declined to share the draft recommendations because officials are still making final changes in their wording. But the highlights of the document were published in the latest edition of the publishing group's newsletter. The group recommends that file-sharing sites should: * Install filters to block copyrighted material from being posted. * Send warning notices to users who post copyrighted material, telling them that such activity is illegal. * Create and enforce policies that disable the accounts of users who repeatedly post copyrighted material. * Provide links to sites that offer legal methods of buying electronic books. * Give publishers lists of books that have been blocked or removed from their sites. Convincing file-sharing sites to take those actions may be a tall order, though. The sites are advertising- based, and kicking off users who post illegal materials would reduce the sites' numbers of visitors and page views, and possibly their advertising revenue. Mr. McCoyd said the plan is to encourage full adoption of the guidelines. "All of the best practices would need to be adopted to really make a difference," he said. Officials at several of the most popular file-sharing sites did not return calls seeking comment on Wednesday. One company, Scribd, a document-sharing Web site, has already met twice with the publishing group, though it has not yet received the new recommendations. "Scribd has some of the best practices, if not the best practices, in the industry regarding copyright management for written works," Michelle Laird, a spokeswoman for the company, said in an e-mail message. Scribd already posts a policy stating that any "repeat infringer" will be barred from the site. Ms. Laird did not say whether the company plans to follow all of the group's recommendations. Collaborative Approach Maria Danzilo, legal director for John Wiley & Sons Inc., which has participated in drafting the new guidelines, said the group is "trying to come up with something that is collaborative" with the file-sharing Web sites. "The whole point of these best practices is to really try to come up with a way of encouraging cooperation between various interests," she said. Wiley has two full-time staff members assigned to search online for pirated editions of the company's books, Ms. Danzilo said, and they see all kinds of titles on file-sharing sites. One category popular with pirates is study guides for textbooks, which are intended for professors but can be used by students to cheat on their homework. Findings of a study released last week by Attributor Corporation, which helps companies search for pirated works, showed widespread availability of a sample of books it searched for on 25 file-sharing sites. The most popular books of the sampled set among pirates were those dealing with business and investing, with professional and technical books coming next. The study did not analyze textbooks as a category. The vast majority of the pirated copies appeared on two sites, RapidShare and 4shared, the report found. What if those companies and others choose not to adopt the publishers' guidelines? "There is a serious threat of liability for file-sharing sites if they can't get control of illegal activities that are going on," said Mr. McCoyd.

Development: Value Reading

development: Value of reading —Syed Mohammad Ali Teachers hardly encourage reading habits in students and lay no foundation at the primary and secondary level for inculcating the habit of reading books. University libraries are largely subjected to neglect A sound education is a basic human right and a crucial asset for overcoming poverty, improving health, and reducing human rights abuses. It is also a prerequisite for full citizenship and participation in democracy and society. Conversely, an illiterate person is less effective in securing survival in the current world, or to provide for one’s family effectively. It has been estimated that every two-percentage point increase in the literacy rate of a country adds one year to the life expectancy of its people. Literacy, in all its forms, plays a fundamental role in positive development through continued interaction between thoughts and actions. This creates a critical understanding of major contemporary problems and social changes and the ability to play an active part in the progress of societies. Despite these recognised merits, it is unfortunate that countries like our own continue to lag behind in terms of providing education to their citizens. Besides lagging behind in net primary-age enrolment and adult literacy rates in comparison to other South Asian countries, the quality of education in Pakistan also leaves much to be desired. Government-run schools have failed miserably in producing an educated populace. While the last two decades have seen an explosion of private schools, whether the presence of these additional schools is able to provide quality education remains a debatable question. Some years ago, the UN’s Human Development Report cited the estimation of less than one-third of adult women have a functional reading ability. Perhaps this explains why so little stress is placed on the importance of reading in the average households in our country. Varied educational theories stress the need of engaging young minds in reading efforts to enable their development at later stages of learning. The more a child is exposed to discovering the world around through the medium of reading, the more this child will grow up with a love for learning. The developed world has realised the utility of doing so and regularly invests in producing and publishing varied books for children. It is unfortunate that a civilisation that flourished in the subcontinent and left a legacy of scholarship and books is now bereft of these necessary accomplishments. The 17th century library at Agra had nearly 25,000 volumes at a time when books had to be transcribed by hand. But the Mughals shunned the printing press brought in by the Europeans and the value of literary pursuits began to wane with the decline of the Mughal Empire itself. Madrassa education correspondingly became increasingly myopic. After partition, India has managed to launch concerted drives towards not only achieving literacy, it has also managed to establish and preserve its libraries across its many states. But Pakistan’s efforts in this context leave much to be desired. Although newspapers do have a wide circulation in the Urdu language across our nation, especially in provinces like Sindh, and the electronic media has made its presence felt rather quickly as well, just reading books for the sake of pleasure or to undertake serious research does not seem to be considered a priority. Besides a handful of libraries in major cities like the Liaquat National Memorial Library in Karachi or the National Library of Pakistan at Islamabad, which were put up in the past two decades or so, not much effort has been made to establish a library culture in the country. In Lahore, except for the Quaid-i-Azam Library, most of the other public libraries continue to suffer from negligence, including the pre-partition Punjab Public Library, which had been established in 1884. Conversely, even a modest library in a small town or city of a developed society has not only more resources but also more visitors than any of our major libraries. But no library can be termed worth the investment if it is not being frequented regularly. It is not only in libraries that reading takes place in more advanced and literate societies. At any waiting area, of a train or bus station, or the airports, and even outside doctors’ clinics, it is common to see ordinary people pull out a book to help pass the time. In our country however, seeing someone with a book is a rare sight indeed. While the need for emphasising a reading culture in a country like our own is imperative to help increase public awareness and to provide a solid educational grounding to children, there is little evidence of sufficient efforts being made on the ground for this purpose. There are small-scale civil society initiatives by NGOs like Alif Laila Book Bus Society in Lahore for instance, which realised the need for inculcating children’s interest in reading by setting up the first children’s library in the city some 30 years ago. The Alif Laila Book Bus is also taken out in different parts of the city to make the magic of books accessible to children who have had such little exposure. But such individual efforts alone are not sufficient to meet the vast unmet need. While there are libraries in the better endowed secondary and higher secondary government schools, there are no library periods, and these library sources are often not updated. Government schools hardly encourage the use of supplemental reading, instead preferring to focus on prescribed textbooks to ensure reasonable results. Our examination system also relies on testing rote learning instead of comprehension and creativity. Teachers hardly encourage reading habits in students and lay no foundation at the primary and secondary level for inculcating the habit of reading books. University libraries are largely subjected to neglect. Except in a handful of leading private universities, professors do not commonly emphasise the need for literature reviews at the higher educational levels, something that would be unthinkable in academic institutions abroad. While the educational policy makers are yet to seriously emphasise the value of reading, it is encouraging to note that entities like Alif Laila have decided to launch a wider campaign to focus the nation’s attention on reading books. This campaign aims to promote the need for public libraries, turn media attention to the value of reading, and to secure the endorsement of reading by celebrities, political and religious leaders. Moreover, an effort is going to be made to encourage children’s participation in book collection and book donation drives. Such efforts deserve more attention from not only our politicians and decision makers, but also from discerning members of the general public, including school heads, teachers, other civil society actors and the corporate sector, so as to help make this much needed but neglected effort achieve the required momentum and scale. The writer is a researcher. He can be contacted at ali@policy.hu

Book Clubs for Kids

Used by Schools and Homes in Over 100 Countries for 6 Years! The Only Programs Guaranteed To Teach Your Child To Read And Spell ClickN SPELL is a research based spelling program for PreK through 5th grade that teaches the 800 most commonly used words in the English language. The program may also be used as an intervention curriculum for struggling spellers regardless of age or grade level. Mastering this list of words has been proven to be very successful in mastering English. For example, the most commonly spoken 800 words are used 13 times more frequently than the next most common 800 words. ClickN SPELL therefore provides a solid foundation not just for spelling, but also for the English language in general. Authored by nationally recognized research professor, Dr. J. Ron Nelson author of our award winning ClickN READ Phonics program, we again offer the most powerful teaching tool of its kind. The unique instructional design used in ClickN SPELL makes spelling more fun and more effective than ever before. And Moreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Readers are Leaders _ Sri Lanka

Summer theme Song

Summer Reading Theme Song Recorded by: The Renewlz I went to the library Where I met a girl named Mary And she handed me a book So I had to take a look I read cover-to-cover Then another and another I was feeling so fine It was summer reading time, yeah I was takin' chances On some Westerns and Romances And some Sci-Fi and some Mystery Biography and History Maybe just to show 'em I checked out a book of poems I had reason and rhyme During summer reading time I read those books all night Until the morning light The pages turned so fast I wished that it would last -- summer reading time The changing of the season Brought the end of summer reading In the winter, spring, and fall Books are great, but summer calls I remember all the fun Reading those books out in the sun I'm just waiting to spend My summer reading again Oh, summer reading time, yeah! (Lyrics and music: Smith)

The Public Library Song

There's a place for you and a place for me, it's the local public library. They have books and things that they lend for free It's the latest, it's the greatest, it's the library. Educational, informational, entertainment that's sensational. It's a way of life, it's for you and me It's the latest, it's the greatest, it's the library. They have histories, they have mysteries And for mothers, books of recipes See a movie show, hear a symphony It's the latest, it's the greatest, it's the library. Music & lyrics: Lib. trad. Listen to libsong.wav or libsong.mid -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brought to you by Kuusankosken kaupunginkirjasto, Finland. Main page

The Public Library Song

There's a place for you and a place for me, it's the local public library. They have books and things that they lend for free It's the latest, it's the greatest, it's the library. Educational, informational, entertainment that's sensational. It's a way of life, it's for you and me It's the latest, it's the greatest, it's the library. They have histories, they have mysteries And for mothers, books of recipes See a movie show, hear a symphony It's the latest, it's the greatest, it's the library. Music & lyrics: Lib. trad. Listen to libsong.wav or libsong.mid -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brought to you by Kuusankosken kaupunginkirjasto, Finland. Main page

We, ourlife and Homeopathy

We have been using homeopathy for several years. I can swear by it. It has worked so many times to heal our illness and bring relief from pain. If you have yet to learn about homeopathy, or try it, there is no better time like right now. Homeopathic remedies sales are booming. Your local health food store likely carries some of them. These remedies are very inexpensive. It might pay for you to invest in a homeopahic firs aid kit. We use homeopathy at least twice a month - for something. Just this morning I took Mercurius for tooth issue and it stopped hurting within a few minutes. I had already dowsed it with clove. Clove Oil usually works for such things, but not this time. Sheree THE TRUTH ABOUT HOMEOPATHY - Dispelling the MYTHS that Surround it! 26th May, 2008. by Louise Mclean, Editor, Zeus Information Service. www.zeusinfoservice.com In this article, I would like to dispel a plethora of myths surrounding homeopathy which have been used to discredit this highly efficacious healing art and science. Homeopaths are given few opportunities in the media to defend their profession, so a lot of misconceptions abound. The medical profession in general presents a fierce and blinkered opposition, yet as Big Pharma is learning of all sorts of amazing cured cases, they are determined to stamp out competition via EU regulation. Myth No. 1 – Homeopathic medicines cure nothing. Homeopathy works by stimulating the body’s OWN healing mechanisms, through like for like. A substance that would cause symptoms in a healthy person can be used to cure the same symptoms in a sick person by giving a minute, highly potentised dose of that substance acting as a catalyst to jump start their own healing mechanisms. Everyone of us has our own natural innate healing powers. All that is needed is the correct stimulus to kick start it. In healthy people this may just be rest and good food but many people become 'stuck' in their physical, emotional or mental illness and cannot recover. Of course there are different levels of health and the choice of potency given should reflect that. Low potencies are given for very physically ill people and higher for those whose problems are emotional or of the mind. Homeopathy is very successful in treating emotional problems such as stress, anxiety and fears. Myth No 2 – Homeopathic medicines are just water Homeopathic medicines are NOT made using only dilution. Dilution alone would do nothing whatsoever. Many homeopaths are getting tired of reading this highly inaccurate reporting in the media. All homeopathic medicines are made by a process of dilution and SUCCUSSION (potentisation through vigorous shaking - 100 shakes between each potency - i.e. between a 1c and a 2c, between a 2c and a 3c potency, between a 3c and a 4c, etc. etc.) Most homeopathic medicines can be bought in either 6c or 30c from Boots or from health shops. Higher potencies of 200c and 1m (1000c) can be obtained only from homeopathic pharmacies. Succussion is nowadays done by machines, originally by hand. Succussion brings out the formative intelligence of the substance and imprints it upon the 60% distilled water + 40% alcohol medium used to make homeopathic medicines - alcohol acting as a preservative. Myth No. 3 – homeopathic medicines are unscientific Homeopathic medicines undergo a scientific 'Proving' where a control group of 50+ healthy volunteers ('Provers') are instructed to keep taking a remedy under trial until they develop symptoms which they must record in detail. Substances that have been rigorously tested include nearly everything on the Periodic Table - metals, minerals and gases as well as plants and even things like snake venom. The Provers are given a bottle of a new remedy being tested in the 30c potency and must keep taking it until they develop symptoms, which must be carefully recorded and then submitted to a database. The Provers must be healthy and symptom-free to start with so that the symptoms they experience are new ones CAUSED by the remedy. They must keep a careful daily note of what happens and not discuss it with any of the other Provers. Whatever symptoms the Provers all experienced in common become the black type symptoms of the remedy which are then added to the Materia Medica of homeopathic medicines and Homeopathic Repertory (encyclopedia of symptoms). Thus the curative indications of a remedy are obtained for clinical use. Symptoms have also been obtained through historical records of accidental poisonings, such as Arsenic and Belladonna. For example, poisoning by Arsenic causes vomitting, diarrhoea, restlessness, anxiety and extreme chill. Therefore you might get a patient in this state (possibly after food poisoning) and Arsenicum in a homepathic tablet will quickly alleviate them. There are more than 4,000+ homeopathic medicines including nearly everything on the periodic table. But of course all of the remedies tested have been diluted and succussed (potentised), so they are not toxic like modern drugs. The Homeopathic Materia Medica and Repertory are extremely large books or divided into volumes. The Repertory is divided into sections in this order: Mind, Vertigo, Head, Eye, Vision, Ear, Hearing, Nose, Face, Mouth, Teeth, Throat, External Throat, Stomach, Abdomen, Rectum, Stool, Bladder, Kidney, Prostate Gland, Urethra, Urine, Male, Female, Larynx, Respiration, Cough, Expectoration, Chest, Back, Extremities, Sleep, Dreams, Chill, Fever, Perspiration, Skin, Generals. Obviously some sections are bigger than others! In the various Repertories, remedies are listed alongside the full range of symptoms (rubrics) in abbreviated form - all information being systematically taken from Provings and clinical practice. Every human state of mind, emotions and body is listed. Symptoms that would mean nothing to a medical doctor can be looked up and the curative remedy found in these huge book. Homeopathy is a study of human nature, endlessly fascinating and how negative states of mind and emotions affect the physical body culminating in illness. Nowadays many homeopaths use computer software programmes which contain all this information. Myth No. 4 – homeopathic practitioners receive inadequate training In fact all qualified homeopathic practitioners undergo a four year training course at accredited Colleges, which includes Anatomy and Physiology, as well as Pathology and Disease, Materia Medica, Homeopathic Philosophy and study of the Homeopathic Repertory. Yet medical doctors and nurses treat after much shorter homeopathy courses. To be really good, you need to study intensively for about 10 years. Homeopathy is a lifetime's work and you never stop learning. Myth No. 5 - there are no studies that prove homeopathy works In the past 24 years there have been more than 180 controlled, and 118 randomized, trials into homeopathy, which were analysed by four separate meta-analyses. In each case, the researchers concluded that the benefits of homeopathy went far beyond that which could be explained purely by the placebo effect. Another meta-analysis found that 65 of the 89 trials analysed had produced an effect way beyond placebo (source WDDTY www.wddty.co.uk ) A study of 6500 patients at the Bristol Homeopathic hospital was conducted showing that over 70% of patients reported complete cure or significant improvement of their symptoms. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/4454856.stm A study on the properties of water was performed by Dr. Rustrum Roy. This paper provides an interdisciplinary base of information on the structure of liquid water. The Structure Of Liquid Water; Novel Insights From Materials Research; Potential Relevance To Homeopathy Rustum Roy1, W.A. Tiller2, Iris Bell3, M. R. Hoover4 Received: 2 August 2004 Revised: 6 September 2004 Accepted: 14 http://www.rustumroy.com/Roy_Structure%20of%20Water.pdf http://www.infiniteconferencing.com/Events/nch/051607nch/recording-playback.html Homeopathy can never be tested properly through conventional trials because each prescription is individualised as every person is unique. Therefore 10 people with arthritis, for example, may all need a different homeopathic medicine. So it is far from ideal to follow the allopathic trial paradigm to test homeopathy. In orthodox medicine trials, all are given the same medicine to be tested. In homeopathy all may be given different medicines! Anybody who has an understanding of the principles of homeopathy can be left in no doubt that we are dealing with a scientific therapeutic method in the best possible sense: it is based on observation, facts and phenomena and follows the rules of inductive logic that can be tested in daily practice. It is a comprehensive and comprehensible mode of therapy, which in some countries is first line treatment for the whole range of acute and chronic conditions. It has been proven abundantly that it is superior in the treatment of epidemic diseases to allopathy. It is amazing how people, who like to see themselves on the side of unprejudiced evaluation, can be so blinkered. People pass judgment on homeopathy who have never bothered to study it. Like any science it takes time to learn (especially to learn it correctly) and years of practice to master but the rewards for patients, practitioners and the NHS purse are great. Before those who preach pure science come down on therapies like homeopathy too heavily, they should ask themselves how many of the accepted treatments within the NHS have a scientific evidence base? With every homeopathic medicine we know exactly the substance it was made from, unlike most modern drugs where we have no clue of the ingredients. This is ironic too as ALL natural health products, whether vitamin, mineral or food supplement must clearly state on the label every single ingredient. When we go to the supermarket or health food shop, we hold up the packet or bottle and read what is in the product, yet people happily swallow prescription drugs with no idea whatsoever what they have taken! They could contain cyanide or any poison and the patient would be none the wiser. With the new class of genetically modified drugs, such as the one used in the Northwick Park drug trial in London, the dangers of a massive allergic reaction, such as the drug testers experienced, are even greater. Those, who claim to be scientists, should have the ability to at least try to understand different paradigms. If not, they look more like people who have settled on a comfortable view of the world which might soon look very outmoded indeed. As the great musician and conductor Sir Yehudi Menhuin once said: 'Homeopathy is one of the few specialised areas in medicine, which carries no disadvantages but only advantages.'. Regarding the Horizon programme on homeopathy, Prof. Madeleine Ennis was not involved in the Horizon test. The test was carried out by Wayne Turnbull at Guys hospital, London. It has been conceded that the Horizon test was not an exact replica of Ennis' successful trials. Many of his protocols were different. You can read at this link where he added in an ammonium chloride lysis step which would have ended up killing the very basophils that were such an integral part of the test. http://www.homeopathic.com/articles/view,55 Ennis' original test was replicated in 4 different labs in 4 different countries. Dr. Peter Fisher's article in PubMed discusses the 'End of Homeopathy' editorial and meta-analysis published in the Lancet of 26th August 2005 and how nearly 100 successful studies that showed homeopathy worked were thrown out and only a few that were inconclusive were used. Dr. Fisher is the Queen's homeopathic physician and heads the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital. (The vitriolic editorial was caused by the World Health Organisation bringing out a draft report in 2005 which was favourable towards homeopathy!) "The final analysis which concluded that ‘the clinical effects of homoeopathy are placebo effects’ was based on just eight clinical trials of homeopathy. The Lancet's press release did not mention this, instead giving the impression that the conclusions were based on all 110 trials." "One of the most serious criticisms is the complete lack of transparency: we have no idea which eight trials were included in the final, damning, analysis." "The literature references are not given, nor any information on the diagnoses, numbers of patients, etc., nor can these be deduced from the article. Prof. Egger has refused several requests to disclose the identity of the eight trials. This is not even a matter of scientific method, but of natural justice: the accused has the right to know the evidence against him." “The Lancet meta-analysis in 2005 of homeopathic trials was said to be based upon 110 placebo-controlled clinical trials of homeopathy and 110 clinical trials of allopathy, which were said to be matched but were in fact reduced to 21 trials of homeopathy and 9 of conventional medicine and further reduced to 8 and 6 trials.” http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1375230 Other Responses from the Homeopathic Community on the Lancet Article http://www.ontariohomeopath.com/Response2.htm from WDDTY http://www.zeusinfoservice.com/Articles/ShockingTruth.html George Vithoulkas' 'Science of Homeopathy' is still considered an excellent exposition of the science. http://www.wholehealthnow.com/books/science-of-homeopathy.html More scientific studies: http://www.vhan.nl/documents/ScientificReportECHNov04.pdf http://ecam.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/4/1/7 http://www.positivehealth.com/research-list.php?subjectid=134 Myth No. 6 - homeopathic hospitals are a waste of money There are 5 homeopathic hospitals in the UK - in London, Liverpool, Tunbridge Wells, Bristol and Glasgow. They cost the NHS about £6 million a year. Compare that to the £100 billion for the total 2008 annual NHS budget!! These homeopathic hospitals SAVE money for the NHS as the Smallwood report commissioned by Prince Charles has demonstrated. http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/christopher_smallwood_s_report_on_integrated_health_180.html At one of the earliest debates on the NHS Act 1948 the Government pledged that homoeopathy would continue to be available on the health service as long as there were "patients wishing to receive it and doctors willing to provide it". Many people who depend upon it are alarmed at the possibility that Homeopathy may no longer be available on the NHS. Since the passing of the NHS Act in 1948, a provision has always been made for people to be treated at homeopathic hospitals in the UK and until PCTs began to stop referring patients, there had indeed been long waiting lists, some 6 months or more. See this letter sent out to all Primary Care Trusts in 2006 signed by a group of professors hostile to homeopathy and putting pressure on PCTs not to refer patients to the 5 homeopathic hospitals in the UK. They wrote the letter on NHS headed paper! http://www.senseaboutscience.org.uk/pdf/Baum%20letter.pdf Myth No. 7 – Cure with homeopathy is simply the Placebo Effect. When Prince Charles treats his farm animals at Highgrove with homeopathic medicines do they know that a remedy has been put in the water they drink? Farmers successfully use homeopathic medicines for their cows suffering from mastitis. Does a tiny baby know when their fever drops dramatically using Belladonna or Aconite, that they have been given a homeopathic medicine?! As anyone who has treated animals and babies with homoepathic medicines will tell you, homeopathy works even better on animals and babies than it does on adults! If proof were needed, this is it. Not placebo. Perhaps the most striking research on homeopathy that goes some way to debunking the placebo argument is when homeopathic remedies are tested on live tissue in a petri dish or studies involving animals (mice in this case) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3208528.stm Myth No. 8 - homeopathic medicines contain no molecules Any remedy under a 12c or a 24x potency still contains the original molecules of the substance and this is known as Avogadro's number. These low potencies are most suitable for physical illness of long duration as well as to heal specific organs that are not functioning properly. Myth No. 9 – ‘Anecdotal Evidence’ does not constitute scientific evidence! Most medical, surgical procedures and drug usage are not backed by studies - only by anecdotal evidence. According to the US Government's Office of Technology Assessment (Congress of the United States, Office of Technology Assessment: Assessing the efficacy and safety of medical technologies. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1978), only 10-20% of all medical procedures and off-label drug usage are backed by clinical studies. Strong anecdotal evidence among informed professionals is actually quite reliable - at least as reliable as clinical testing. Many clinical tests come to diametrically opposed conclusions. You could say that the problem was discovered through anecdotal evidence - and merely confirmed through a peer reviewed study. http://www.i-sis.org.uk/peerReviewUnderTheSpotlight.php The problem isn't with the use of anecdotal evidence. It's with the double standard applied by the establishment (medical and regulatory) that holds complementary medicine to an absurdly higher standard, allowing medical doctors to do pretty much whatever they want. If informed anecdotal evidence is allowable for 85% of all medical procedure and drug usage, why is alternative health held to an impossible 0% standard? Millions of people worldwide testify that homeopathy cures their illnesses yet apparently that cannot be construed as 'evidence'. If a person were to walk out of their house to the town centre and witness someone having their bag snatched or witness a car accident, then when they relay this information to the Police or to their friends and family, it is anecdotal evidence. If someone go on holiday, stays at a nice hotel, eats delicious food, comes back home and relates the holiday to their friends, that is anecdotal evidence. Does that mean that the above never happened? According to the detractors of complementary or alternative medicine, yes it does! Millions of people have been cured of their diseases or afflictions using homeopathy, herbs, healing, vitamin supplements, special diets and on and on. Yet according to orthodox medicine all of these cures are anecdotal evidence and as such do not merit any further investigation, study, or validity. As far as orthodox medicine is concerned, these cures never happened. Yet what if someone witnessed a car accident and the Police wanted them to make a statement? Would the statement in court be dismissed as anecdotal evidence? Would the police, even if they arrived at the scene of the accident to find the person still there comforting the passengers or trying to help, say they had not been there and their evidence is non existent? I don’t think so. So how for so long have we put up with the top dogs in the medical establishment dismissing our cures as total nonsense, figments of our imagination, placebo cures, or outright lies? How when millions are cured around the world using homeopathic medicines, can these cures be dismissed as unworthy of attention, simply ‘anecdotal evidence’. Orthodox medicine implies through this that all cures with alternative medicine are untrue or simply imagined. Even when all the evidence is put before them, they become angry and even aggressive, simply refusing to see or to listen. All the case notes in the surgery show that Mr. A had arthritis for 5 years, had been on anti-flammatory medicines, yet after homeopathic treatment for 6 months, the arthritis is cured. The reaction of the doctor is either disbelief or an attitude where they will not talk about it and do not want to know. Of course there are some orthodox doctors who practise acupuncture, homeopathy or herbs themselves and who do believe that these therapies cured the patient but they are in the small minority. It is always the top cancer specialists and professors whose lives and vested interests are the most challenged by the idea that anything other than pharmaceutical drugs or surgical interventions can cure the patient. Yet pharmaceutical drugs cure nothing. They merely SUPPRESS the symptoms driving them deeper into the body of the patient. Hence the eczema patient whose skin symptoms have been suppressed, goes on to develop asthma. The arthritic patient whose joint pains are suppressed, eventually will go on to develop heart disease. The doctor makes no connection whatsoever that their drugs have created these deeper illnesses but just goes on to give the patient more and more powerful drugs, making the patient sicker still. Then when they die, they say, ‘We did everything we could’. Yes and you killed the patient! After homeopathic treatment, careful analysis is taken of the Direction of Cure of the patient’s symptoms. Constance Hering was a converted skeptic of homeopathy. As a young man in Germany in the early nineteenth century, Hering had been assigned the task of reviewing Homeopathy because his medical mentor (a fervent anti-homeopath) had been asked by a publisher to write a book exposing homeopathy as unworthy. Having been given this task, Hering conducted a detailed study but concluded the opposite from the requested results! He was the first to talk about the Law of Cure which says that symptoms are cured from above down, from the inside out and in the reverse order of their appearance. This has stood the test of time in clinical experience. A simple example would be after a curative remedy is given for eczema all over the body, we would see the eczema start to move down and when it is only on the ankles, we know it is nearly cured. The body is always intelligent. That is why the human race has survived. When a baby is conceived, Nature chooses the best genes from both parents in order to create a stronger, healthier human. If the parents are both taking drugs of any kind, whether legal or illegal, the health of the baby will be compromised. If only doctors and scientists would study Nature, they would find all the answers and instead of going against it, learn from it. There is only one true science and that is the science of Nature. The human race has survived because we all have an innate healing power in our bodies. In homeopathy for example, this is called the Vital Force. Homeopathy stimulates the vital force to heal the body, through like for like (using a potentised substance that would cause the symptoms but in a tiny dose acts as a catalyst for healing). So in conclusion, there is no question that dismissing cures as Anecdotal Evidence through the use of natural medicine, is nothing more than a whitewash and a desperate means of suppressing the knowledge of those cures to the public as a whole. Samuel Hahnemann Hahnemann was a doctor but gave up his practice because he was appalled at the poisonous side effects of most available medicine. He started experimenting and did something rather novel - he took some quinine, while perfectly healthy. He observed that the effect on him was identical to a malarial attack: alternating fever with heat and chills. This is where homeopathy started: a substance, given to a healthy individual, causes symptoms. If given to someone who suffers those symptoms, it will thus neutralise the sickness. After his observations on quinine, Hahnemann went on to test hundreds of substances on himself and willing, healthy volunteers, used the tested substances for matching symptoms in his patients and all the while kept accounts of detailed observations. Of course, Hahnemann had an antecedent, still well-known today because all doctors still swear an oath to him to promise best medical practice: Hippocrates. Hippocrates stated that there were two laws of healing – the law of opposites (allopathy) and the law of similars (homeopathy). A Greek physician called Galen had laid these rules down in about 150 AD. Homeopathic theories are based on fixed principles of the Laws of Nature which do not change - unlike medical theories which are constantly changing! Homeopathy is both a science and an art. Far from being ideas-based, this is completely evidence-based, empirical medicine an almost unique concept at the time. After some years of practicing like this, Hahnemann was still not satisfied. The substances he was using, while more effective than normal medical practice, were still having side effects. Or, if he reduced dosage too far, there was no effect. This is when he developed the concept of potentisation, the serial dilution that opponents of homeopathy deride. Treating the Whole Person or Holistic Healing We are not just a collection of parts to be fixed as doctors treat us but ALWAYS operating as a whole person ALL of the time. In other words medicines are chosen that treat the whole person and not just the part. This may seem strange to grasp and yet doesn't it in fact make total sense? Do we leave our sore throat on the desk of the physician as we leave the doctor's surgery? Or our arthritic knee behind. No, every single tiny function of our body operates as a WHOLE, all of the time. You cannot treat one thing and not affect the rest. That is why pharma drugs are so dangerous as for example, in treating a cancerous tumour, the medicine will affect and disturb the other systems of the body. We are all energy beings. http://www.workingwithenergy.co.uk/energy_centres.htm The electricity in our bodies transmits messages to all parts/systems of the body. Illness is caused when these messages are not getting through. All systems of the body are communicating with each other at all times. Water is a great conductor of electricity and it transmits the electrical current. This is how homeopathic mediums work – by communicating a current/pattern/frequency of energy via the whole human body to jump start the body’s own inherent healing mechanisms. Homeopathy treats different sorts of people with distinct characters and personalities as well as different physical looks and natures. It individualises each person and looks at their symptoms AS A WHOLE. Is it not true that no two people are alike? That every person is unique? This is why you could line up 20 people with asthma and they might all need a different homeopathic medicine. There are in fact about 250 homeopathic medicines for asthma but the correct one for each person must be selected taking into consideration such things as what makes the condition better or worse, what time of day it comes on, whether the person is hot or cold, worse for damp, need fresh air or prefer the windows closed and so on. You would be amazed how each person's symptoms are so different and yet they have all been diagnosed with asthma. If people want to improve their looks, homeopathy does just that. When you are healthy and well, you obviously look better! Homeopathic practitioners believe in PREVENTION, having treatment can prevent illness rather than leaving it to the surgeon’s knife. There are thousands of homeopathic medicines which treat every ailment known to man, truly the most wonderful science on this planet. Many people buy self help books or think they can treat themselves with over the counter remedies. This is a short term solution. The reason is as stated above. You cannot treat individual symptoms without taking into consideration the rest of you! Only a qualified and experienced homeopath who will spend 1-2 hours taking your full medical history and all of your symptoms can prescribe the remedy that fits best. In other words if you have hayfever, the homeopath will take into consideration all other physical symptoms a as well as your personality, to come to the correct prescription. Itchy, watery, red eyes, worse morning and evening would be Sulphur but only if all the other things about you fit the Sulphur picture. You cannot prescribe for yourself as you cannot take all of it into consideration at once. So if for example you buy Natrum Mur. for your hayfever (which is also an excellent remedy for this), it may work for a bit if you are healthy but the hayfever will come back, will not be cured for good, because it was not the remedy that fitted best. The only exception to this rule is in the treatment of first aid and even then it often has to be individualised. An example of when it does not is having a molar removed at the dentist. Firstly you would take Arnica for bruising of the gums, secondly Hypericum for the pain as the anaesthetic wears off (will remove pain completely), thirdly Ledum for injection and fourthly Calendula (the remedy not the cream!) for fast healing of the gums (or any other injury). Symphytum is the great healer of broken bones. Homeopaths believe that illnesses manifest for three reasons: firstly they are genetically inherited from our parents, grandparents, forefathers. Secondly, they can be caused by an traumatic event such as death of a loved one, divorce, job loss - any event that has a serious impact upon the person. Thirdly they can be caused from drugs taken by our parents (passed onto the foetus) or by ourselves. There is also of course accidents and injury. Inherited disease can be traced back to one or more of what homeopaths call MIASMS - these are syphilis, gonorrhoea, psora (scabies), tuberculosis and cancer. We are all a mix of all of these as especially TB, dates back thousands of years. However one or more of the miasms is uppermost in a person and is an important aspect of the case-taking to determine the appropriate medicines. So many people are in total ignorance of the VAST amount of study needed to become an expert in this field. Also there are hundreds of homeopathic books only available at specialist bookshops, many printed in India where homeopathy is more popular than orthodox medicine. Attacks on Homeopathy After the ever increasing attacks on alternative medicine in the media and in particular homeopathy, once again Professor Edzard Ernst, the 'first professor of complementary medicine' (whose qualifications for the job are still in question) discredits homeopathy. Yet in an interview with Geoff Watts in 2003 http://www.studentbmj.com/issues/04/01/careers/25.php entitled 'A Scientist in the Alternative Camp', Professor Ernst stated: "Our family doctor in the little village outside Munich where I grew up was a homoeopath. My mother swore by it. As a kid I was treated homoeopathically. So this kind of medicine just came naturally. Even during my studies I pursued other things like massage therapy and acupuncture." "As a young doctor I had an appointment in a homoeopathic hospital, and I was very impressed with its success rate. My boss told me that much of this success came from discontinuing mainstream medication. This made a big impression on me." The truth is that homeopathy is getting ever more popular and the drugs companies are putting out their spin in overdrive through their science and media PR operation outlets to counteract this in any way they can. The reason there is this incessant assault in the press against homeopathy is because Pharma wields enormous power over the media and because the popularity of homeopathy has been increasing due to side effects of modern medicine. Also, unlike other natural therapies, it is pills and in direct competition. At leat six million people use complementary treatments each year in the UK, which offers clinically-effective and cost-effective solutions to common health problems faced by NHS patients. Historical Facts In view of the highly inaccurate reporting and vitriolic attacks in the recent press coverage on homeopathy, I would like to point out some little known historical facts concerning homeopathy. The practice of homeopathic medicine flourished in both Europe and the US during the 1800s and early 1900s and was spectacularly popular with European royalty and the British aristocracy, American entrepreneurs, literary giants, and religious leaders. John D. Rockefeller referred to it as 'a progressive and aggressive step in medicine' and was under homeopathic care throughout the latter part of his life living to 99 years of age. A strong advocate of homeopathy, major grants of between $300-$400 million he intended for homeopathic institutions were instead used for orthodox medical institutions in the early 1900s, under pressure from his son and his financial advisor, Frederick Gates. (Source Dana Ullman) In the United States in the early 1900s there were 22 homeopathic medical schools and over 100 homeopathic hospitals, 60 orphanages and old people's homes and 1,000+ homeopathic pharmacies. Members of the American Medical Association had great animosity towards homeopathy after its formation in 1847 and it was decided to purge all local medical societies of physicians who were homeopaths. This purge was successful in every state except Massachusetts because homoepathy was so strong among the elite of Boston. The AMA wanted to keep homoepaths out of their societies and discourage any type of association with homeopaths. In 1855 the AMA established a code of ethics which stated that orthodox physicians would lose their membership if they even consulted with a homeopath. If a physician lost his membership, it meant that in some States he no longer had a licence to practice medicine. Drug companies were antagonistic towards homeopathy, collectively trying to suppress it. The medical journals they published were used as mouthpieces against homeopathy and in support of orthodox medicine. At an AMA meeting, a respected orthodox physician said: 'We must admit that we never fought the homeopath on matters of principles; we fought him because he came into the community and got the business.' Economic issues played a major role in what was allowed to be practised. Homeopathy attracted support from many of the most respected members of society in the US, such as William James, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Louisa M. Alcott, Mark Twain, former American Presidents James Garfield and William McKinley. In Britain among its supporters were George Bernard Shaw, Charles Dickens, W.B. Yeats, William Thackarey, Benjamin Disraeli, Yehudi Menuhin. Other famous supporters were Dostoevsky, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Mahatma Ghandi. Nowadays, celebrities using and supporting homeopathy are many and include among others : Catherine Zeta-Jones, Tina Turner, Whoopi Goldberg, Pamela Anderson, Jane Fonda, Cher, Rosie O'Donnell, Martin Sheen, the Chilli Peppers, Jane Seymour, Lesley Anne Warren, Mariel Hemingway, Lindsay Wagner, Paul McCartney, Axl Rose, Linda Gray, Susan Blakely, Michael Franks, Cybil Sheppard, Dizzy Gillespie, Vidal Sassoon, Angelica Houston, Boris Becker, Martina Navratilova, David Beckham, Priscilla and Lisa Marie Presley, Cliff Robertson, Jerry Hall, Diane von Furstenberg, Ashley Judd, Naomi Judd, Olivia Newton-John, Julianna Margulies, JD Salinger, Blythe Danner, Pat Riley (coach of the Miami Heat). The list of famous people who supported homeopathy is endless..... See 'The Homeopathic Revolution' by Dana Ullman MPH www.homeopathicrevolution.com The aristocratic patronage of homeopathy in the UK extending well into the 1940s and beyond can be easily demonstrated. In the Homeopathic Medical Directories there are lists of patrons of the dispensaries and hospitals. They read like an extract from Burke’s or Debrett’s. (See A History of Homeopathy in Britain by Peter Morrell, Honorary Research Associate in the History of Medicine, Staffordshire University, UK.) www.homeopathyhome.com/reference/articles/ukhomhistory.shtml Homeopathy is practised nowadays in countries all over the world and is especially popular in France, South America and India where there are around 250,000 homeopathic doctors! In a recent Global TGI survey where people were asked whether they trust homeopathy the following percentages of people living in urban areas said Yes: 62% in India, 58% Brazil, 53% Saudi Arabia, Chile 49%, United Arab Emirates 49%, France 40%, South Africa 35%, Russia 28%, Germany 27%, Argentina 25%, Hungary 25%, USA 18%, UK 15%. PLEASE PUT THIS ARTICLE UP ON AS MANY WEBSITES AS POSSIBLE!.....Louise Mclean Zeus Information Service Alternative Views on Health www.zeusinfoservice.com Copyright © Louise Mclean 2008

FIP for Librarians?

Dear Professionals, It is high time to do strong and coordinated movements by the individual professionals and associations against the step motherly treatment imposed by some universities regarding the restriction of Part-time PhD only to "teachers". The definition of a teacher in international parlance includes librarians also. But, many universities in India and “teachers” or administrators governing them are either unaware or afraid of international standard or quality in teaching, learning and research. As per the UGC Regulations, PhD is a Statutory Qualifications for Career Advancement Promotion for library professionals also as in the case of “teachers”. Though, FIP is available for librarians also, many librarians find it practically difficult to get the application for FIP is smoothly forwarded or sanctioned. Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) is offering full-time deputation for PhD for teachers in other universities. Recently it has decided to sanction deputation with research allowance for part-time PhD in KAU itself for its teachers. But, as there is no course in Library and Information Science or Documentation in KAU, library professionals in KAU also struggling to get slot for PhD research. All other universities in Kerala having Library Science Dept. have recently blocked librarians to pursue for part-time research. So, in order to mould able librarians and introduce quality and international standards in higher education and research, all librarians, library science teachers and associations should try their level best to rectify this gross injustice and step motherly treatment faced by the librarians. DR. A.T. FRANCIS, MCom, MLISc, NET, PhD HEAD, LIBRARY College of Horticulture Kerala Agricultural University Thrissur - 680 656, India, 91-9496839409 (m) francisaloor@ yahoo.com francisaloor@ gmail.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Indian Citation Index

Online Course Grant for Library Professionals from Developing Countries

Purpose One free seat per ALCTS online continuing educational course session is available to librarians and information professionals from developing countries. The goal of this program is helping library professionals from developing countries stay current with the latest trends and developments in technical services areas and enhance their professional knowledge and skills in librarianship and information science. Eligibility Criteria Applicants must: Have a degree in library or information science (e.g. a 4-year undergraduate degree or a master’s) or, be enrolled in a library or information science program in a developing country or, be working as a librarian or information professional in a developing country Be a legal national from a qualifying developing country (see lists of Qualifying Countries: World Bank | United Nations) living in this country. Have working knowledge of English Have technical abilities to participate in an online course:* computer skills: be comfortable with Internet browsers such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, etc.; a word processing program, such as Microsoft Word, Word Perfect, etc., be able to send emails with attachments; copy and paste text; download and save a file, install a program or plug-in; quickly learn a new program using online tutorial or Help section; regular unlimited access to a computer (at least a Pentium II-based PC or a G3 PowerMac machine; a reliable high-speed Internet connection (Broadband or DSL, or at least 56k modem); antivirus software installed and kept up-to-date on a computer. *See Are you ready for online learning? for general information on online learning. Also look for technical requirements at course description as they may vary from course to course. Send e-mail to jreese@ala.org if you have any questions. Financial need in assistance due to insufficient or lack of funding for professional development from your employer. Legal nationals from developing countries studying abroad are not eligible for this grant. Project Promotion The information about ALCTS online courses for librarians or information professionals from developing countries will be posted at the web sites of ALCTS Continuing Education Committee and International Relations Committee. The courses will be also advertised at the alaworld discussion list. A link to the Online Course Schedules, the Application Form and a list of Qualifying Countries will be provided to the ALA divisional international relations committees’ web sites and appropriate discussion lists. Application Procedures Registration Registration for ALCTS grants will open after the annual schedule of courses becomes available (typically November-December). The IRC Committee creates the registration schedule and decides on the number of sessions open for simultaneous registration. Registration will stay open for at least 30 but no more than 45 days. Submission Applicants must submit the interactive web form at: https://alctsprogram.wufoo.com/forms/alcts-online-course-grant-application-form/ The form must be completed in English. Selection ALCTS International Relations Committee will review all applications according to eligibility and required criteria. E-mail acceptance will be sent to a successful applicant at least two weeks prior to the beginning of an online course. A rejection message will be sent via e-mail prior to the beginning of the course offering. The applicants are encouraged to resubmit applications for late offerings if their early applications were rejected due to limited seats.The number of courses that one individual can receive is no more than two free courses per year.

UGC New Rules for PhD

University of Pune to conduct Entrance Exam for Phd Admission in January 2010 University of Pune to conduct Entrance Exam for Phd Admission in January 2010 – The first ever entrance exam for doctorate programme in the University of Pune will be held in the first week of January, 2010. The entrance exam is now a must for the PhD aspirants as per the new guidelines of University Grants Commission (UGC). The entrance exam became compulsory after the UGC formulated new guidelines for PhD to curb malpractices in awarding the degree. Around 150 candidates register for PhD in the University every year. The new entrance test hopes to keep a check on the number and also on the quality of thesis. >>> more http://www.indianex press.com/ news/uop- entrance- exam-must- for-phd-aspirant s/557615/ ------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ----- THE first ever entrance exam for doctorate programme in the University of Pune will be held in the first week of January, 2010. The entrance exam is now a must for the PhD aspirants as per the new guidelines of University Grants Commission (UGC). Acting Vice-Chancellor Arun Adsool said the varsity had finalised the criteria for entrance exam and was all set to conduct the PhD entrance exam. The issue of conducting entrance exam was discussed at large in the academic council meeting held in October. Director of board of college and university development Pandit Vidyasagar said candidates who have completed masters’ degree would be eligible for the entrance exam. “For certain subjects, degree and work experience in the related area will be required to be eligible for appearing in the exam. The list these subjects will be declared soon,” he said. There will be two question papers for the test. One will be an aptitude test based on general knowledge and the other paper will be related to the subject in which the PhD is to be done,” said Vidyasagar. He also said the candidates who possessed MPhil degree or had passed National (NET) or State Eligibility Test (SET) would be exempted from the test. The entrance exam became compulsory after the UGC formulated new guidelines for PhD to curb malpractices in awarding the degree. Around 150 candidates register for PhD in the University every year. The new entrance test hopes to keep a check on the number and also on the quality of thesis. Source : Indian Express