Parenting Adolescents – The Most Difficult and Extremely Important Task

Parenting adolescents is identified as probably the most difficult parenting task. Teens are preoccupied with identity crisis, eager to be independent; hasty to be adulst - essentially lost, disturbed, and frightened with consequent loss of self esteem that usually results in deep depression and a “Rebel without a cause” behavior pattern. Accelerated by rapid advances in media technology, adolescence now starts as early as 8 years of age, and has become more difficult today. Hence love, understanding and care by parents are more crucial now than before. Parents need to accept the fact that the peer group, central to adolescence culture, is a place for experimentation; and a supportive setting for achieving the two primary adolescence developmental tasks of identity and autonomy. Many issues ranging from drugs, reckless driving, drinking and depression to sex, pregnancy and abortion are involved. This paper is limited to just three areas: Goal setting, Conflict Management, and Raising Self Esteem

Save the Ozone Shield

The earth is constantly bombarded by ultraviolet (UV) rays, which consist of two forms UVA and UVB, the latter being more potent. High UVB levels can affect human health, ecosystem productivity and global habitability. However a layer of ozone in the atmosphere, called the ozone shield, protects the earth. Over the years the ozone shield has been destroyed, and a hole has appeared that allows UVB to harm living organisms. The size of the ozone hole is increasing. The main ozone depleting substances, ODS, the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are of anthropogenic origin. Global responses, such as the Montreal Protocol and the response by USA (the major ODS producer), to the threat are mentioned. Importance of individual response is also emphasized. Individual environmental ethics is fundamentally essential. Three ways of minimizing the release of CFCs are suggested. Benefits of reducing CFCs and some case studies of successful CFC elimination are cited

Possible Solutions to the Challenges of Irrigation Water Pricing for Saedawgyi Irrigated Area

This paper focuses on the possible solutions to the challenges of irrigation water pricing for Saedawgyi irrigated area in Mandalay Region. The current irrigation water pricing of Mandalay Region is necessary to reform as they could not cover the operation and maintenance cost of the supply system. For reforming irrigation water pricing, the challenges of irrigation water pricing for Saedawgyi irrigated area are identified as six major challenges based on previous study. Questionnaire survey is done to 307 farmers from Saedawgyi irrigated area for canal irrigation system to know the willingness to pay (WTP) of local farmers and price elasticity of irrigation water demand is evaluated by using mid-point formula. To solve the challenges of less maintenance and damaging of Infrastructure, proper training to local farmers and capacity building of the staff is essential for effective maintenance of the irrigation water supply system because the lack of professionals and staff training leads to deteriorate infrastructure. The possible solutions for remaining four challenges are proposed by studying the secondary academic sources such as papers, journals, and books. In this paper, six possible solutions are proposed for the challenges of irrigation water pricing in Saedawgyi irrigated area

Science and Metaphysics Part IV- Scientific Ethics?

The following six controversies, which form a basic set of ethical issues, are used as basis for testing the applicability of science to ethics.Hedonism (Epicurus) v. Nonhedonism (Plato)Absolutism (Thomas Hobbes) v. Relativism (Thomas Aquinas)Deontology (Kant) v. Teleology (Aristotle)Nonconsequentialism v. Consequentia-lismFree Will (St. Augustine) v. Determin-ismEgoism v. Utilitarianism (John Stuart Mill

Science and Metaphysics Part III Scientific Epistemology?

The major factor that limits application of science in epistemology is identified as the blindness of science to the mind side of humans. The argument is developed through three issues: Knowledge v. Belief; Rationalism v. Empiricism and Skepticism v. Certainty, which form the three major arguments of epistemology.Plato’s view and The Justified True Belief theory on knowledge and belief; Rene Descartes’ defense of rationalism and John Locke’s defense of empiricism in rationalism v. empiricism; and G. E. Moore’s defense of certainty, called “Defense of Common Sense” and David Hume’s defense of skepticism in skepticism v. certainty are examined

Science and Metaphysics Part II - Science and Theology – Complementary or Mutual Exclusion?

The major factor that limits application of science in theology is identified as negligence of the mind aspect of humans. The argument is developed through two paths: Arguments Against Existence of God and Arguments for Existence of God.Durkheim’s Social Argument, Freud’s “psychological crutch” argument and The Argument from Evil constitute the arguments against God existence.Arguments for God existence consists of St. Anselm and Descartes’ Ontological Argument (Priori Logical argument); Aquinas’ three versions and Descartes’ two versions of The Cosmological Argument (Posteriori Logical argument); Aquinas and Paley’s Teleological Argument (Logical Argument); and The Argument from Will and Faith: Kant’s Moral Law Argument, Hobbe’s argument against revelations

Phosphorus Response and Amino Acid Composition of Different Green Gram (Vigna radiata L.) Genotypes from Myanmar

Mungbean or green gram (Vigna radiata L.) is an important component of rice-based cropping systems in Myanmar, where grain yields of around 800 kg ha^(-1) are much below its yield potential of 3000 kg ha^(-1). The reasons for this shortfall are as under-investigated as is the genotype-specific response of this crop to phosphorus (P) application, which is critically low in many Myanmar soils, and the genetic variation in grain quality. For green gram quality, the concentration of lysine, an essential amino acid is particularly important given its scarcity in many cereal-based diets of Southeast Asia. The purpose of this study therefore was to investigate the effects of P application on the root and shoot growth, yield and its components for a range of green gram varieties, and to analyse the protein concentration and amino acid composition in green gram seed of different origins. To this end from 2001 to 2003, field experiments were conducted under rain-fed conditions in Yezin and Nyaung Oo. Fifteen landraces and five introduced green gram cultivars were grown at two levels of P (0 and 15 kg ha^(-1)). There were large genotypic differences in P effects and a significant interaction between green gram genotypes and P for shoot and root growth. An unexpected benefit of P application was a reduction of pest and plant virus infestation in the field. Significant genotypic differences in the amino acid profile of seeds were also observed. The results indicate the potential for breeding efforts to increase seed yield and protein quality in green gram

Green Gram Rotation Effects on Maize Growth Parameters and Soil Quality in Myanmar

At present maize–green gram crop rotations are not widely practiced among farmers in Myanmar. However, this cropping system might become more popular in the future given raising prices for green gram and maize grain and scarcity of mineral nitrogen (N) fertilizers in this Asian country. The results of a cropping systems experiment with continuous maize versus a green gram-maize rotation, manure application (0 and 2 t ha−1) and phosphorus (P) fertilization (0 and 15 kg P ha−1) in each of five consecutive seasons revealed a strong decline in total dry matter and grains yields for both crops irrespective of the treatment. Treatment effects on yield components, nutrient concentrations, mycorrhizal infection and nematode infestation were small or negligible. The data show that in addition to manure used at 2 t ha−1, application of mineral N fertilizers is essential to maintain particularly maize yields. A comparison of different green gram cultivars did not indicate genotype specific effects on maize growth. The incorporation of legume residues, unless they are used as animal feed, is recommended to increase the recycling of N and to balance N fluxes when green gram is cultivated for seed