Abdomen Pain

I have constant abdomen pain which is located in the region of upper left of belly button. Here is an article talking about how to diagnose the illness based on the location of pain.

肚子痛 先弄清楚哪裡痛 (自由時報 Nov 26, 2010)

就診時，告知腹部疼痛的位置，可讓醫師做初步的診斷。
圖．文／魏建華

「肚子痛了，怎麼辦？」相信很多人都有這樣的經驗。如果到醫院檢查，醫師會問哪些問題呢？

◎首先，疼痛的描述：

痛了多久？痛的程度是輕或嚴重？什麼情形會緩和疼痛？哪些動作會加劇不適？有沒有其他合併症狀？疼痛的位置在哪裡？是固定的一個位置痛？還是會痛到別的地方？甚至痛的位置是否會改變？

此外，最近有沒有受到外力撞擊？現在服用什麼藥物？以前有沒有開過刀？…都是很重要的訊息。

◎其次，疼痛的位置（如圖）會讓醫師對問題有初步的診斷。

●以肚臍為中心，在右上方的疼痛，肝臟、膽囊是重點。

●正上方的疼痛，食道、胃部、胰臟首先列入考慮。

●左上方，這裡有脾臟、胰臟的尾端。

●肚臍周圍主要是小腸的部份，肚臍兩側接近腰部的地方，除了結腸，會想到和腎臟、輸尿管有關的問題。

●右下方，有大家耳熟能詳的闌尾（盲腸）。

●正下方，則是骨盆腔裡的膀胱、在女性還要注意子宮、卵巢。

◎疾病的考慮：

各種外來的刺激、致病菌感染造成發炎，就會產生疼痛，像是腸胃炎、闌尾炎、膽囊炎、胰臟炎、膀胱炎等，不同疾病常有特定的一些合併症狀。像是腸胃炎會出現上吐下瀉；膽囊炎會有「痛到右上背部的感覺」、發燒、黃疸；膀胱炎會出現頻尿、解尿灼熱、疼痛等症狀。

此外，像是消化道潰瘍、腹腔器官腫脹（肝臟、脾臟腫大、腫瘤）、腸道阻塞（腹部手術後的腸沾黏、腸套疊）、腹部血管的問題（腸道血管阻塞造成缺血、腹主動脈的剝離、腹主動脈瘤）、甚至表淺的軟組織、皮膚的疾病（如帶狀■【病去丙改包】疹），也都會造成腹痛。

這麼多不同的疾病，其實在仔細詢問病史、身體檢查、觀察追蹤後，通常就可以得到初步的診斷，並且加以治療。

不同層級的醫療院所，還可以根據病情的需求，安排進一步的檢查，像是血液、尿液檢查、影像檢查（Ｘ光、超音波、電腦斷層）、內視鏡檢查等。

如果日常生活中，出現腹痛無法緩解的情形，請就近就醫，由醫師針對個別情狀加以診療，經過良好溝通、適切治療，應該就能有效解除疼痛的困擾。

（作者為三重市詹益智耳鼻喉科診所副院長）

Read more!

Poland Greens

Yeah! Poland Greens has seats now. Hope to see the same result for Taiwan Green Party in today's election. By the way, today is also 2010 Victoria State Election in Australia, best wish to Victoria Greens.


==============
Green breakthrough in Poland (Thursday November 25 2010 05:48:00 PM)

Now all votes have been counted in Poland after last Sunday's local and regional elections 5 green seats have been confirmed. The first Polish Greens ever are elected into regional parliaments.

Read more!

Repetative Strain Injury

I don't want to have repetative strain injury (重複使力傷害), but I think I might have it now. I have those symptoms mentioned on wiki, such as short bursts of excruciating pain in the arm, back, shoulders, wrists, hands, thumbs and fingers. The pain is worse with activity and I feel weakness and lack of endurance. My fingers start to feel numb again. Sigh!

Repetitive strain injury (wiki inf)
Repetitive strain injury (RSI) (also known as repetitive stress injury, repetitive motion injuries, repetitive motion disorder (RMD), cumulative trauma disorder (CT), occupational overuse syndrome, overuse syndrome, regional musculoskeletal disorder) is an injury of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems that may be caused by repetitive tasks, forceful exertions, vibrations, mechanical compression (pressing against hard surfaces), or sustained or awkward positions.
(重複使力傷害（repetitive strain injury，縮寫RSI），或稱重複性勞損、勞肌損傷、重複性動作的傷害，是指因長時間重複使用某組肌肉造成的損害。結他、打字、在裝配線工作、某些球類運動（棒球、網球、高爾夫球）都可能引致RSI。它是常見的職業病。
疼痛、腫脹、僵硬和易累等都是RSI的病徵。)

Types of RSIs that affect computer users may include non-specific arm pain or work related upper limb disorder (WRULD). Conditions such as RSI tend to be associated with both physical and psychosocial stressors.

Causes

RSI is caused due to lifestyle without ergonomic care[citation needed], E.g. While working in front of computers, driving, traveling etc. Simple reasons like 'Using a blunt knife for everyday chopping of vegetables', could cause RSI.

Other typical habits that lead to RSI:
* Reading books while looking down.
* Carrying heavy school/laptop bags.
* Cradling one's phone between neck and shoulder.
* Watching TV in incorrect position e.g. Too much to the left/right. Sleeping while watching TV.
* Sleeping with head forward, while traveling.
* Excessive awkward use of of the hands, wrists, back, neck, etc.

Symptoms
The following complaints are typical in patients who might receive a diagnosis of RSI:
* Short bursts of excruciating pain in the arm, back, shoulders, wrists, hands, or thumbs (typically diffuse – i.e. spread over many areas).
* The pain is worse with activity.
* Weakness, lack of endurance.

In contrast to carpal tunnel syndrome, the symptoms tend to be diffuse and non-anatomical, crossing the distribution of nerves, tendons, etc. They tend not to be characteristic of any discrete pathological conditions.
=====================

Repetitive Strain Injury (from Clay Scott in http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~cscott/rsi.html)

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is a potentially debilitating condition resulting from overusing the hands to perform a repetitive task, such as typing, writing, or clicking a mouse. Anyone who uses a computer regularly is at risk and should know about RSI. Unfortunately, most people are uninformed and do not understand what RSI is or how serious it can be. This webpage is intended to educate computer users about RSI, and to provide useful suggestions for prevention and treatment. The page also contains a few specific pieces of advice for students.

This webpage was written and is maintained by Clay Scott. I have formatted the site as a single page in order to minimize clicking, and so that you can easily print the page if you prefer. You may feel free to contact me if you have questions that I might be able to answer. I have been living with RSI since 1997, so you will find a sympathetic ear with me.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor, and have no medical training. While every attempt is made to keep this page up-to-date with the best medical advice I have received, it is not a substitute for obtaining professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Warning: You may be tempted to ignore the advice on this page because you don't feel (or acknowledge) any symptoms at the moment. Resist this tempatation!

Last modified Feb. 5, 2010.

Menu
What is RSI?
Who is at risk?
What are the symptoms of RSI?
Repercusions of RSI
Preventing RSI

Why bother?
Good posture is crucial
Setting up your workstation
Proper technique: typing, mousing, and writing
Stretching and strengthening
Ten tips for preventing RSI
If you develop RSI
STOP TYPING!(?)
When to seek help
Finding a good doctor
Relief
Surgery?
Recovery and maintainence
Voice activated software
Coping with RSI
Additional resources

Resources for students
Two must read books
Online resources

*** What is RSI? ***

(Adapted from Repetitive Strain Injury by Dr. Emil Pascarelli and Deborah Quilter)

In simple medical terms, repetitive strain injury (RSI) is defined as a cumulative trauma disorder (CTD) stemming from prolonged repetitive, forceful, or awkward hand movements. The result is damage to muscles, tendons, and nerves of the neck, shoulder, forearm, and hand, which can cause pain, weakness, numbness, or impairment of motor control.

You may wonder how seemingly innocuous activities such as typing and clicking a mouse button could possibly be harmful. Fine hand movements, repeated hour after hour, day after day, thousands upon thousands of times, eventually strain the muscles and tendons of the forearms, wrists, and fingers, causing microscopic tears. Injured muscles tend to contract, decreasing the range of motion necessary for stress free work. The sheaths that cover delicate tendons run out of lubrication because they aren't given time to rest, so tendon and sheath chafe, resulting in pain. Due to this abrasion, tendons become inflamed, and begin to pinch neighboring nerves. This can result in numbness, tingling, or hypersensitivity to touch. Unless this cycle is interrupted, it repeats itself over and over, and a long-term, chronic problem results.

Repetitive strain injury can affect more than just your hands and wrists. Poor posture can lead to severe neck and back injuries. Staring at a computer screen can lead to eye strain. Repetitive reaching for a mouse can lead to arm and neck strain as well as spinal asymmetry.

RSI is not a specific medical diagnosis, but rather a family of disorders. Many people mistakenly equate RSI with carpal tunnel syndrome, even though CTS is only one particular form of RSI. One recent study even reported that frequent computer users are no more likely to develop CTS than non-computer users. Don't let this mislead you, though. Many other forms of RSI do come on as a result of frequent computer use.

Who is at risk?

The three primary risk factors are poor posture, poor technique, and overuse. These topics are discussed in depth in the section on prevention. In addition to these, there are several other risk factors to be aware of. While they may not cause RSI on their own, they can increase your risk if you already possess one of the three primary risk factors. The following list (adapted from Pascarelli and Quilter) lists several risk factors. You may be at risk for developing an RSI if you:

* Have poor posture
* Have poor technique
* Use a computer more than two to four hours a day
* Have a job that requires constant computer use, especially heavy input
* Don't take frequent breaks
* Are loose-jointed
* Don't exercise regularly
* Work in a high-pressure environment
* Have arthritis, diabetes, or another serious medical condition
* Keep your fingernails long
* Have an unhealthy, stressful, or sedentary lifestyle
* Weigh more than you should
* Don't sleep well
* Are shy, and afraid to ask for better accommodations
* Are macho, and don't believe you are at risk when you really are
* Consult Pascarelli and Quilter for further information.

What are the symptoms of RSI?

The primary warning sign of RSI is pain in the upper extremities (fingers, palms, wrists, forearms, shoulders). The pain may be burning, aching, or shooting. It could be local (e.g., fingertips) or diffuse (e.g., the entire forearm). The pain will typically be increased after a long session of computer use. Keep in mind, however, you can have severe RSI without experiencing pain. The following checklist (adapted from Pascarelli and Quilter), can help you determine whether you have RSI:

Do you experience:

* Fatigue or lack of endurance?
* Weakness in the hands or forearms?
* Tingling, numbness, or loss of sensation?
* Heaviness: Do your hands feel like dead weight?
* Clumsiness: Do you keep dropping things?
* Lack of strength in your hands? Is it harder to open jars? Cut vegetables?
* Lack of control or coordination?
* Chronically cold hands?
* Heightened awareness? Just being slightly more aware of a body part can be a clue that something is wrong.
* Hypersensitivity?
* Frequent self-massage (subconsciously)?
* Sympathy pains? Do your hands hurt when someone else talks about their hand pain?

In addition to these symptoms, RSI can also lead to behavioral changes. You may not even be aware of these changes. For example, do you:

* Avoid using the injured hand?
* Use your nondominant hand more frequently?
* Use your forearm, feet, or shoulder to open doors?
* Avoid wearing or buying certain kinds of clothing because it is too difficult to put them on?
* Change shopping habits because you can't carry as much as he wants could?
* Keep dropping things?
* Find you can't chop food?
* Not play sports you once enjoyed?
* Have trouble hooking bras or putting on jewelry?
* Not wear bracelets because your wrists are tender?
* Have trouble with keys or brushing teeth?
* Feel overly protective of your hands?

Repercusions of RSI

If you develop RSI, and do not take steps to correct the problem, there may be serious repercussions. When my RSI was at its worst, I was unable to open doors, prepare my own food, do laundry, drive, write, type, and shake hands. This lasted for half a year. I was unable to type regularly for about three years. Many RSI sufferers complain of similar problems. In addition to limiting your day-to-day functionality, this decreased independence can cause a significant emotional burden.

RSI can limit your ability to perform at work. Recent Supreme Court rulings do not view RSI as a disability, and hence, RSI is not covered under the Americans With Disabilities Act. (Apparently typing is not a "major life activity," according to a recent opinion authored by Sandra Day O'Connor, for those whose job requires significant amounts of typing.) Therefore your employer may fire you if you are unable to perform your job because of your RSI. The prospect of changing (radically, in many cases) your profession is obviously a daunting thought. For students, most Universities are willing to make accommodations, but lost productivity due to RSI could still delay your graduation one or two years. And once you graduate, your next employer may not be as accomidating.


*** Preventing RSI ***

As with all health-related issues, it is wise to eat well, exercise, listen to your body, and avoid destructive behavior. However, there are some specific precautions you can take to help prevent the onset of RSI.

Why bother?

When you first notice symptoms of RSI, you have already done substantial damage to yourself. RSI can take months, even years to develop, and you can expect it to take at least twice as long to heal. It has been several years since my RSI was at its worst, and even now I must limit my typing. Even if you feel no pain or other symptoms of RSI, you would do well to heed the following advice for RSI prevention, especially if you meet one of the risk factors outlined above.

Good posture is crucial

What is good posture? For our purposes here, good posture is when you are seated in such a way that the effort required to work at your computer is minimized. The following checklist identifies the proper way to sit in order to achieve good posture:

* Feet: flat on the floor
* Knees: directly over feet, bent at right anlges (or slightly greater), with a couple inches of space from the chair
* Pelvis: rocked forward, sitting on the "sitz bones," with hips (the sockets where your femurs attach) positioned no lower than, and perhaps slightly higher than the knees.
* Lower back: arched in, and possibly supported by your chair or a towel roll.
* Upper back: naturally rounded
* Shoulders, arms: relaxed, at side.
* Neck: arched in, relaxed, supported by spine. Be careful not to hold tension in back or under chin.
* Head: balancing gently on top of spine.

There can be exceptions. For example, it's OK to shift your legs and feet around if they get figgety, but be sure to always keep the spine neutral and the head balanced above the pelvis.

I believe that your posture at your workstation is the most important factor in determining your risk for RSI. Moreover, in my experience, your chair is the most important ingredient in determining your posture. I cannot overstate this. Sitting at a workstation entails holding your body in a static position (described above) for long periods of time. Holding yourself in this position puts strain on your muscles. The less support you receive from your chair, the more strain is placed on your body. Therefore, it is essential to have a chair that supports you as well as possible.

The key to a good chair is adjustability. A good chair will be adjustable in the following ways:

* Height of seat
* Angle of seat
* Height of backrest
* Angle of backrest
* Seat slides forward or backward
* Arm rests move up/down and in/out

It is also important to have a firm seat, so that your pelvis can be firmly grounded, but not too firm, so that your rear isn't killing you after a short time. Be careful to avoid chairs with a bucket seat, i.e., a seat that makes your pelvis rock back. Tall people will prefer a chair with a high backrest. A head/neck rest should not be necessary, since your head should be balanced over your spine. Wheels are also nice, if you have a carpeted floor, although wheels on a wooden floor may slide around too much.

Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to find a chair that fits you perfectly, even if you find a chair that is fully adjustable in every conceivable way. I have found it beneficial to use a towel roll wedged behind my back at the base of my spine. This helps keep my pelvis in the proper position, which is the key to good posture. Currently I use a support called TruComfort, which I have found to be very helpful. It was recommended by my Alexander teacher.

Highly adjustable chairs can be expensive, costing several hundred, if not one to two thousand dollars. I got my chair at a discount (and it was still expensive!) through the ergonomic supplier for a company I interned at. Check with your employer's Ergonomics Office, to see if you can receive a similar discount. If you can afford it, a good chair is definitely worth the investment, and the higher the quality, the longer it will last you. A well made chair should last 20 years or more. But be careful when purchasing a new chair: many models say they are ergonically designed, but are not. I recommend that before you buy a chair, you do two things: (1) Use the chair for a week to make sure it fits you, and (2) read Sitting at Your Computer.

If you can't afford a new chair, and if your employer will not provide one, you will have to do the best you can with what you have. The towel roll can be very helpful in this situation.

The next section is related to proper posture.

Setting up your workstation

There are three pieces of equipment that require special attention:

1. Keyboard: positioned above your thighs, you shoulder be able to reach the keys with your elbows at your side and bent at (perhaps slightly greater than) 90 degrees, and your forearms roughly parallel to the ground;
2. Mouse: just to one side of your keyboard, so that you don't have to lean, stretch, or hunch to work it. Many people have one shoulder noticeably lower than the other - this can be caused by repetitive stretching for a mouse;
3. Monitor: directly in front of you (not off to the side), such that your eye level is somewhere between the top of the screen and 20% from the top. The screen should be about 15-25 inches from your eyes.

This last point is very important, but can be problematic if you only have one desk, and like space to write. In this case, I suggest one of three possibilities: (i) Find another place to write, such as the library; (ii) Get a cheap computer desk if you have room in your office; (iii) Find a rolling or sliding tray to put your monitor on, so you can move it aside when you need to write. If you don't position your monitor correctly, it can lead to severe neck strain over time. For example, if your monitor is too far back on your desk (or if your font is too small), you will have the tendency to hunch forward and jut your head out, in a subconcious effort to see the screen better. This leads to another key point: Don't use really small fonts! It leads to poor posture and eye strain.

If you use a laptop, you will find it is vitually impossible to use good posture. This is why I strongly recommend against the use of a laptop as an everyday computer. I used a laptop all through college, and I know it contributed to my RSI. If you do most of your work on a laptop, you really need to find a separate keyboard so that you can put your laptop on a box or some books, and have your monitor at eye level. You could alternatively find a separate monitor, but laptop keyboards tend to be too small.

Proper technique: typing, mousing, and writing

There are three keys to proper typing technique.

1. Keep your wrists straight: the straighter your wrists, the less strain you put on the tendons and nerves that run through your wrist. A split keyboard may aid you in keeping your wrists straight.
2. Let your hands float: This means don't rest your wrists on the desk, keyboard, or a wrist rest when you are typing. Let them hover over the keys. This has three advantages: (i) You allow the big muscles in your back to share some of the work; (ii) It allows you to keep your wrists straight, which is impossible if they're planted on a wrist rest; (iii) It's easier to reach the hard-to-reach keys (next item).
3. Don't strain your fingers: When you need to press a hard-to-reach key, like CTRL, SHIFT, BACKSPACE, etc., don't stretch out your pinky. Instead, move your whole hand and use your index or middle finger to press the key. Don't use one hand when you need to hit two keys simultaneously, e.g. CTRL-X, SHIFT-Y. Think before you type: unnecessary retyping/editting can add up. Use a light touch when typing: don't pound the keys.

An ergonomic posture reminder that you can post near your computer was created by Clemens Conrad.

There is another keyboard layout, in addition to the standard QWERTY layout. Called the Dvorak layout, it was designed to minimize the movement of your fingers as you type. In contrast, QWERTY was designed to maximize the amount of finger movement, so as to avoid jammed levers in old mechanical typewriters. Most operating systems allow you to switch your keyboard to this format (in Windows, try Control panel -> Regional and Language Settings -> Languages -> Details). Some ergonomic keyboards also allow you to to switch between QWERTY and Dvorak at the touch of a button. When I switched to the Dvorak layout, there was about a month of transition time where I wasn't able to type as fast as I used to. Now, I have less pain in my hands than before I made the switch. You can find Dvorak typing tutors online.

Using a mouse can be even more harmful than typing. Here are three reasons why this is so:

* All the work is done by one finger. Double clicking and dragging can be especially straining.
* Modern windows-based machines rely heavily on the use of a mouse.
* Users often do not position the mouse properly. Instead, they stretch for the mouse, which can lead to increased strain, a drooping shoulder, and pain extending up into the shoulder and neck.

My solution for these problems has been to switch to a trackball. This has the advantage that the mouse is stationary: you don't have to move your whole arm to move the pointer across the screen, which reduces strain on the arm, shoulder, back, and neck. It also has extra buttons, which can be programmed to double-click or drag with a single click. Moreover, the work is more evenly distributed among the fingers. Actually, I have two mouses. One is a trackball on the left, and the other is a standard mouse on the right that I use for scrolling and moving but never clicking.

Standard mouse --------- Trackball


Another solution is to use key commands to operate in a windows environment, rather than the mouse. Once you learn the commands, this method is often faster than mousing. A solution that will not work is switching which hand you use to click the mouse. This may provide temporary relief, but soon your other hand will be as bad as the first.

In addition to typing and mousing, writing can add significant strain to your hands. It is important to hold your writing utensil lightly. Someone should be able to pull it out of your hand when you are writing. It also helps to use a writing utensil that doesn't require you to push down too hard. Ball point pens should be avoided. I recommend soft lead pencils, or the Dr. Grip Gel Ink pen.

Stretching and strengthening

In this section I offer some specific recommendations for stretching and strengthening exercises that have helped me. These fall under the category of prevention as well as recovery. Most of them you can easily do in your office during breaks, which you should take every hour or so.

Wall stretch: This is my favorite stretch. It is great for stretching out the shoulder, arm, wrist, and hand all at once. Extend the arm along a wall, with arm parallel to the ground and palm facing wall. Attempt to open chest so that shoulders are perpendicular to arm. Extend fingers and palm away from wall as much as possible. Your hand may tingle - this is OK. Hold for 30-60 seconds. Try with the arm at different angles. Repeat on other side.


Doorway: This stretches the pecs and shoulder. Hold elbow at a right angle, and place forearm along door frame, as shown. Lunge forward, keeping chest and pelvis facing squarely forward. Hold 30-60 seconds. Try holding arms at different angles. Repeat on other side.


Back and neck strengthening: The other thing I do that really helps is an exercise that involves one of those big exercise balls, a long dowel rod, and a couple of 3 (or 2) pound dumbbells. You get on your knees, lay your chest on the ball, put the rod on your back so that it makes contact with your rear, back, and head (to keep the spine neutral). The ball should be big enough so that the rod is sloping slightly up. Then just slowly raise the dumbbells off the ground and lower back down. You can have the arms at different angles, but start with them extending behind you, as that is easier. Also try turning your head from side to side occasionally as you go, to activate the neck muscles. You do not need heavy weights for this exercise to be effective, and heavy weights may in fact strain your already fatigued muscles.

Correct breathing: It's amazing how stress and computer use can corrupt our natural way of breathing. I highly recommend Barbara Conable's short little book on breathing called The Structures and Movement of Breathing: A Primer for Choirs and Choruses . Don't worry that it is written for choirs, there's a lot of useful info for everyone.

Eye palming: A relaxation technique for the eyes is to place your fingers crossed over your forehead and cover the eyes with your palms. Do not apply pressure to the eyeball. Just concentrate on the blackness for a while. Another simple but great technique is to just look out the window at a distant scene.

The above exercises are primarly geared toward relieving/preventing the symptoms of RSI. If you want to eliminate the root causes of RSI, you must focus more on stretching, strengthening, and re-educating the core muscles of your body responsible for maintaining proper alignment and posture. It is not possible for me to explain how to do this here. However, there are several practices/techniques that aim at this goal, including yoga, Pilates, the Alexander techique, the Feldenkrais method, and T'ai Chi. You can probably find a group class in the $10-20 range in your area if you live in a large city or near a University. Yoga and Pilates can also be learned from books and videos, but it is usually better to learn from a teacher and to practice with a group. Personally, I have derived benefit from yoga, Pilates, and especially the Alexander techique.

More articles on posture, balance, etc. may be found at Yoga Journal and Core Awareness.

Ten easy ways to reduce your risk of developing RSI

1. TAKE BREAKS! when using your computer. Every hour or so, get up and walk around, get a drink of water, stretch whatever muscles are tight, and look out the window at a far off object (to rest your eyes). As explained in above,
2. Use good posture. If you can't hold good posture, it probably means it's time for you to take a break from typing. If you are perpetually struggling to maintain good posture, you probably need to adjust your workstation or chair, or develop some of the support muscles necessary for good posture.
3. Use an ergonomically optimized workstation to reduce strain on your body.
4. Exercise regularly. Include strengthening, stretching, and aerobic exercises. I find yoga and Pilates especially helpful.
5. Only use the computer as much as you have to. Don't email people when you could walk down the hall or pick up the phone and talk to them. It's not only better for your hands - it's friendlier. Think before you type to avoid unnecessary editting.
6. Don't stretch for the hard-to-reach keys, e.g. BACKSPACE, ENTER, SHIFT, CONTROL... basically everything but the letters. Instead, move your entire hand so that you may press the desired key with ease. This is crucial when you are programming or typing something in LaTeX, where non-letter keys are used extensively.
7. Let your hands float above the keyboard when you type, and move your entire arm when moving your mouse or typing hard-to-reach keys, keeping the wrist joint straight at all times. This lets the big muscles in your arm, shoulder, and back do most of the work, instead of the smaller, weaker, and more vulnerable muscles in your hand and wrist. If you find it difficult to do this, then your shoulder and back muscles are probably too weak. It is OK, and in fact a good idea, to rest your elbows/wrists when you are not typing.
8. Use two hands to type combination key strokes, such as those involving the SHIFT and CONTROL keys.
9. When writing, avoid gripping the writing utensil tightly. Someone should be able to easily pull the writing utensil out of your hand when you are writing. If your pen or pencil requires you to press too hard, get a new one (my favorite is Dr. Grip Gel Ink)
10. Realize that you are not invincible. RSI can happen to you. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
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*** If you develop RSI ***

Be prepared to make some changes in your lifestyle and your computer habits. In particular, make an extra effort to follow the guidelines laid out in the previous section on prevention. Following these guidelines can decrease your recovery time, and help you avoid relapses in the future.

STOP TYPING!(?)

OK, it's not always quite that easy. Very few people have the luxury of being able to avoid typing altogether. However, if you think carefully, you'll find there are many ways to eliminate unnecessary typing from your life. For example, instead of sending e-mail, use the phone, or better yet, get out of your chair, walk down the hall, and speak face-to-face to the person. Drop out of your fantasy baseball league. Rely on newspapers and books for information, and stop surfing the Web so much. Instead of playing solitaire on the computer, buy yourself a real deck of cards, and play it the old-fashioned way. Just check your email twice a day. Et cetera. In general, eliminate unnecessary computer use from your life. And a whole lot of it is unnecessary. It may seem like a sacrifice, but your health is worth it.

For typing that you just can't avoid, consider using voice activated software, or arrange to have someone type for you. Grad students, you might ask your deparment coordinator if there are any clerical assistants that you could borrow.

When to seek help

If you believe that you may have developed RSI, the first thing you should do is to implement all of the prevention strategies outlined above. If you find that your situation continues to worsen, you should consider seeking professional medical advice. A general rule of thumb is that if your hands still hurt a couple of days after you last typed, you need to see a doctor.

Finding a good doctor or therapist

If you have RSI, finding a good doctor or physical therapist is definitely worth the time and money.

Unfortunately, finding a doctor who is competent to diagnose and treat RSI can be a challenge. Some doctors doubt the existence of RSI, and many others dismiss it as an insignificant problem. Some doctors don't know the first thing about treatment, while others encourage their patients to undergo unnecessary (and possibly dangerous) surgery in hope of a quick fix. With that in mind, know that you must be careful and selective when choosing a physician.

Most general practicioners will be unable to give you specific advice. However, your primary care physician can still be a valuable ally. If he or she can recommend a good physical therapist, and is willing to write you a prescription for PT, that is often the best way to go. The PT can diagnose you and formulate a treatment plan.

If you or your insurance or PCP insist on seeing a specialist, in my experience, the best doctors are physiatrists, sometimes listed under Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Check with your health-care provider to find physicians in your area. Members of the Rice/Houston community may contact me directly for specific recommendations.

In general, your doctor/therapist should prescribe treatment that focuses on the cause of your symptoms, rather than the symptoms themselves. In other words, the treatment should not be focused on pain management, although that may be one aspect. Rather, it should be focused on correcting your posture, and improving your anatomical function, so that, with time, your body will heal itself. Treatment should typically consist of visits to a physical therapist, coupled with a home exercise program. The focus of this program is to stretch overly tight muscles, and strengthen weak ones. Remember however, that no amount of physical therapy and strengthening/stretching can overcome excessive typing, poor posture, a bad workstation, or poor typing technique.

Relief

In terms of short term relief, there are some simple things I've found that help me. One is to massage my forearms with a tennis ball. Put the tennis ball on the ground or some non-slick surface, and press down on it with your forearm and roll it around. Try a variety of positions and movements, and also be sure to massage the top of your forearm, applying the ball with your other hand.

I also recommend the tennis ball self massage to the muscles in between the spine and shoulder blades. Stand up against the wall and find a tender sprot, and hold/breathe into it for 3 cycles. Then move to a new spot and repeat. As you get used to it you can stay longer in those trouble spots. (Thanks to Henriette Bruun for this suggestion).

The other thing is a hot/cold water bath. Fill two sinks or buckets, one with water as hot as you can stand, the other with water as cold as you can stand (use ice). Soak your arms and wrists in each bath for 2-3 minutes at a time, and alternate baths about 3 times each. This is very good for numbness/tingling kinds of discomfort.

Surgery?

Is surgery ever the right choice? Well, I'm not a medical doctor, so I can only speak from my experience. I did not have surgery, nor did I ever consider it. Yet many people choose to undergo surgey for RSI. Does it work? If successful, it will probably alleviate pain in the short term. But if you do not change your habits, I see no reason why your problems won't return.

Consider this: At it's worst, the severity of the pain in my hands/wrists was about a 9 out of 10, and I could barely grip even the lightest objects. Now, I play tennis and the banjo regularly. I still have occaisonal pain when my workload increases, but it goes away with a couple days rest. It's not a complete recovery, but for my lifestyle, it's as much recovery as I could have hoped for. For me, not having surgery was definitely the right choice.

Recovery and maintainence

Here are five general tips that I have found to be helpful. If you don't think you are able to spare the time or money to implement these ideas, think again. You are probably underestimating the value of a healthy body.

Rest as much as possible (from the activity causing your injury). Many aspects of your injury can only heal with rest and time.
Excercise regularly, including stretching and strengthing of core muscles (abs, gluts, hamstrings, etc.). For some specific stretches, see the section on stretching and strengthening. I have found yoga and Pilates to be beneficial. Aerobic excerise is good as long as it doesn't aggravate the injury.
Find a good doctor and stick to his or her program for you.
Work hard to develop discipline regarding your posture and typing habits.
Be patient and persistent.

Voice activated software

There are several voice activated applications intended for document composition. I have used Dragon NaturallySpeaking (NatSpeak), which can understand non-technical English, spoken at a natural pace, at a very high recognition rate. If I'm writing something non-technical, I can usually compose it as fast using NaturallySpeaking as I could typing with perfectly healthy hands.

Dragon's other product, DragonDictate, wasn't as helpful to me. It requires you to speak one word at a time, which makes it hard to keep your concentration, and can also cause injury to the vocal cords. It's only advantage is that it gives you complete control over every aspect of the computer with your voice. With NaturallySpeaking, you cannot use your voice to start new programs, or to control most applications other than the speech software itself (although newer version of NatSpeak are including some of this functionality).

For Web browsing, I used to use a program called Conversa Web, which is specifically designed for voice operated Web navigation. You can simply read off any link that you want to click. Note that NatSpeak is incorporating web browsing into recent releases.

You may find more information on these products at the following Web sites:

* Dragon Systems (NaturallySpeaking and DragonDictate)
* IBM (ViaVoice)
* Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products formerly Kurzweil Applied Intelligence (Voice Xpress)
* Conversational Computing Corporation (Conversa Web)
Retailers such as CompUSA or Best Buy may have better deals than these websites. If you have to buy the software yourself, look for a copy of the next-to-most-recent release; it should serve your purposes at a lower cost.

Some final words of advice: voice activated software is not for everyone, so try to use someone else's program before you purchase your own. Also, try to get someone (e.g., your department, your advisor) to buy it for you. Those who do not have an American accent may want to take extra care, since these programs may be designed around an American accent (I'm not sure). As for composing technical documents, i.e., documents that use specialized jargon or equations, I haven't found any application well-suited to this problem yet. Make sure your computer's processor speed is 20-30% faster than the recommended speed for good perfomance.

Coping with RSI

An advanced case of RSI can cause a significant emotional burden. Because of your limited use of your hands, you'll constantly be asking other people for help just to get by in life. It can be quite challenging, for example, to ask someone you don't know to give up their seat on the bus for you because your hands are too weak to hold the hand rail. On the other hand, you will find that most people are willing to help you out in your time of need. Take advantage of close friends and mentors who would be willing to listen to your struggles, and help you sort out your feelings. Universities often have Counseling Centers that are free to students.

*** Additional resources ***

Resources for students

Most Universities now have a Disabled Student Services (DSS) office that can make your life easier if you have an RSI. DSS can possibly arrange for you to have extensions on assignments that are to be written or typed, and they can also arrange for a scribe to assist with writing or typing. Other accommodations may also be available.

Please note that typically DSS can not offer you any assistance unless you have written documentation from a licensed physician that details the nature and severity of your problem, the medical treatments currently prescribed, the expected time of recovery, the accommodations you would benefit from during your recovery, and the credentials of the diagnosing physician.

Two must read books

Repetitive Strain Injury: a Computer User's Guide, by Pascarelli and Quilter (John Wiley and Sons, 1994), is a comprehensive source of information on how to prevent, live with, and recover from RSI. Much of the information from this webpage comes from this book, and the book contains far more detail than I was able to include here. Deborah Quilter maintains an RSI website (see below).

Another excellent book is It's Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome! RSI Theory & Therapy for Computer Professionals by Suparna Damany and Jack Bellis (Simax, 2001). This gives a very down to earth, plain-spoken account of what RSI is, how it should and should not be treated, and plenty of good practical advice on coping, home-remedies, and getting professional help. The authors also maintain a website devoted to the RSI cause (see below).

I have copies of these books that you may borrow. If you have any problems, you should definitely read one of these books, and if your problems are serious, you should definitely buy one or both.

Online resources

* Harvard RSI Action, where I got the idea (and some of the content) for this web page. A variety of perspectives on RSI, and lots of advice for those dealing with serious RSI problems.
* RSI Program: Collection of RSI resources maintained by the authors of It's Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome! (see above)
* RSIHelp: Deborah Quilter's site.
* If you want more information on prevention, a really good place to look is Paul Marxhausen's RSI page, with even more pictures and even some mpeg videos. There are also references to good books on prevention, including easy links to on line book stores so you can order them right now.
* The Typing Injury FAQ is a gold mine of information. If you are looking for information about ergonomic devices, these archives are a good place to start.
* IBM's Healthy Computing website is an excellent and comprehensive guide to computer ergonomics.
* Amara's RSI Page contains prevention and background information on RSI.
* The OSHA web page is the best place to start for scientific or statistical documentation on RSI.
* Sandra Day O'Connor's opinion from Toyota v. Williams.
* www.repetitivestraininjury.org.uk

Read more!

Should I quit?

I seldom cited article from www.cw.com.tw, but this one really touched my heart. I put this article in here is for myself and this article is written with Chinese character. I also use google translation to translate it. It is a long article and I don't have time to modify the translation. Hope you can understand it.

我該離職嗎？ (Should I quit?)

作者：林曉茗 　出處：Cheers 2010/11
你是否經常處於這種猶豫不決的情境：好想辭職，卻又害怕改變、怕找不到新工作？但有時候，如果你是為了正確的理由，選擇放棄一段感情或辭掉工作；你會發現你得到的，遠比你失去的多。

原文刊登於CHEERS雜誌2006年4月，67期。

其實，你並不孤獨。許多人在面臨瓶頸時，多少都會有改變的念頭。但多數人常在各種主、客觀壓力下，選擇抑制自己尋求改變的欲望。

從小到大，身旁的長輩可能一再灌輸你「堅持到底才是贏家」的觀念。而你也深怕，離開既有的軌道，就得面對茫然無知的未來。但仔細回憶一下，過去你是否也曾經徘徊在抉擇的十字路口，最後決定轉換新跑道？因為你的果斷，你可能從此脫離苦海，找到更適合的工作。

過去的經驗告訴我們，改變難免有痛，但這是成長必經的過程。當一份工作已經成為你生理上、心理上的痛苦來源時，放棄它，也許才能讓你獲得重生。

區分習慣性逃避和理性抉擇

有些人習慣逃避。面對困難、面對責任，他們通常會選擇一走了之。這種習慣性逃避的模式，也常常成為社會不認同改變的理由之一。

但經過深思熟慮的改變不是衝動、不是逃避，而是依照客觀的條件找到最適合自己的決定。如果經過一番思考後，你是為了追尋自我成長、為了拯救你的自尊和健康而辭職，而且勇於承擔一切後果，你的決定應該和一時衝動下做出的決定很不一樣。

試著和你的身體、你的心靈對話。問問自己，如果繼續留在這份工作，你會有什麼感覺？如果辭掉這份工作，你的感覺又是什麼？

美國暢銷作家珍妮佛．勞登（Jennifer Louden）在從事諮詢服務的過程中曾接觸過一位讀者。克里絲認為這位讀者的工作枯燥、沒有建設性。當她想到辭職，「背馬上挺了起來，而且臉上充滿笑意。」但一想到留下來，她就「整個人攤在椅子上，眉頭深鎖。」　勞登認為，身體是不會說謊的。你身體的反應會洩漏你的心事。試著問問你的身體：怎麼做，對你才是最好的？

與自己的心對話

在你問過自己的身體後，你應該問問你的心。美國《身體與心靈》（body+mind）雜誌提出8個自我探索的重要問題，讓徘徊在十字街頭的人們自我診斷，看看自己到底有沒有辭職的充分理由：

1.回憶一下，當你一開始從事這份工作時，你曾經感到很快樂嗎？如果你從來不曾有過這樣的感覺，將來也很難會有。但如果你曾經感到快樂，也許你可以試著找回當初的動力。

2.你曾經對自己的工作有不安全感嗎？如果答案是肯定的，那你是否因為承擔某種風險而獲得補償？這些補償足以彌補一切嗎？

3.當你在思考要不要改變的問題時，你心裡是否已經有了決定？勞登的一位心理諮詢客戶柔伊，原本一直在猶豫要不要放棄律師工作。直到有一天，她發現自己無意間竟然推掉3件重要的案件，而且已經兩次開庭遲到，她才了解，自己在心裡面可能早就已經做出選擇了。

4.你是否總是在等待什麼事情發生呢？你以前是不是曾經在沙地裡畫出一條線，然後對自己說，這是你可以忍受的最後極限，但最後卻發現自己一再往後退，一再重畫你的界線？

5.你是不是時常感覺自尊受到傷害、覺得自己不受重視？想想看是哪些人或哪些情況讓你有這種感覺？情況有可能改變嗎？還是非得離開這個工作才行？

6.你現在是否還持續在成長、仍可學到對你將來有幫助的東西？如果你覺得你依然繼續朝著自己想要的未來邁進，那是一個非常正面的現象。如果不是，也許，現在就是你辭掉工作的時候了。

7.你是否懷有不切實際的夢想，而對現實不滿？你可能覺得當個SOHO族，就可以彈性工作，擁有更多自由的時間。然而事實上，情況並非你所想的那樣。因此，想想你要離開這份工作的原因是什麼？真的是因為這份工作不好，還是來自於不切實際的夢想？

8.如果你知道，一旦辭職，就只許成功、不許失敗，你會怎麼做？你第一個想到的是什麼？很快地寫下你想到的所有事。害怕失敗和不確定感常常會阻礙許多可能性出現。

你受夠了嗎？

如果你很確定自己應該辭職，但是主、客觀條件又讓你無法斷然採取行動，該怎麼辦？ 　請記住，柏林圍牆倒塌以前，也沒人相信會發生這樣的事。改變總是需要時間的，而且你也可能必須適度做一些妥協，或者尋求其他人（尤其是專家）的意見。但無論如何，改變永遠都是可能的。

真正決定你是否要繼續留下、還是大步往前邁進的關鍵點還是在於，你是不是願意誠實地問自己：「我是不是已經受夠了？」、「我改變的意願是不是強烈到可以為此承擔一切風險？」最重要的是，如果現在不行動，還要等到什麼時候？
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Translation by google

I leave it?

Of: Lin Xiao Ming Source: Cheers 2010/11
Do you often hesitate in such situations: really want to quit, but fear of change, fear can not find a new job? But sometimes, if you are for the right reasons, choose to give up a relationship or quit your job; you will find that you get, more than you lose.

Original published in the CHEERS magazine in April 2006, 67.

In fact, you are not alone. Many people in the face of bottlenecks, the idea of how much will have changed. But most often in a variety of subjective and objective under pressure, choose suppress his desire to seek change.

From small to large, side again elders may instill "Hold in the end is the winner" concept. And you afraid to leave the existing tracks, you have to face the dark about the future. But a closer recall, the last you ever hovering at the crossroads of choice, and finally decided to change to a new runway? Because of your determination, you may from misery, to find a more suitable job.

Past experience tells us that change is inevitable that pain, but it is a necessary process of growth. When a job has become your physical, mental, pain source, give it up, perhaps to make you be reborn.

Distinction between habitual and rational choice to avoid

Some people used to escape. The face of difficulties, the face of responsibility, they usually choose just walk away. The customary mode of escape, they often become one of the reasons do not agree to change.

However, after careful consideration of the change is not impulsive, not to escape, but according to objective conditions to find the most suitable for their own decisions. If, after some thought, you are to pursue self-growth, in order to save your self-esteem and health to resign, and the courage to bear all the consequences of your decision should spur of the moment decisions are quite different.

Try and your body, your heart dialogue. Ask yourself, if you continue to stay in the job, how would you feel? If you quit this job, you feel what is it?

American best-selling author Jennifer. Loudon (Jennifer Louden) engaged in the process of consulting services has been exposed to a reader. Keli Si that the work of boring the reader, not constructive. When she thought of resignation, "back up very soon, and his face full of smile." But the thought to stay, she would "spread the whole person in the chair, his brows." Loudon believes that the body will not lie The. Your body's response will reveal your thoughts. Try to ask your body: how do you best?

dialogue with his heart

You ask your body, you should ask your heart. United States, "Body and Soul" (body mind) 8 Journal of proposed self-exploration of important issues, so that lingering self-diagnosis in the crossroads of people and see what in the end there is no sufficient reason for his resignation:

1. Recall that when you start doing it, have you ever feel happy? If you have never had this feeling, and will hardly be. But if you ever feel happy, maybe you can try to recover the original power.

2. You ever work on their own do not feel safe? If the answer is yes, if you assume a certain risk because of compensation? These compensation sufficient to cover everything?

3. When you think the question should not change, your mind is already decided? Loudon, a psychological consulting clients soft Iraq, had been hesitant to give lawyers. Until one day, she found herself unexpectedly turned down unintentionally three important cases, and two sessions have been late, she did not know, there may already have their mind made a choice.

4. Are you always waiting for something to happen? You have not had to draw a line in the sand, and then said to myself, this is the last limit you can tolerate, but in the end they find themselves one and then further back, again and again to redraw the boundaries of you?

5. You are not self-esteem often feel hurt, feel that they are not taken seriously? Think about what people or what situations make you feel this way? Situation may change? Caixing still have to leave the job?

6. You are still continuing to grow, the future can help you learn something? If you feel that you still continue to move toward the future they want, which is a very positive phenomenon. If not, perhaps, now is the time you quit your job.

7. Do you have unrealistic dreams, and is satisfied? You may think being a SOHO, flexible working can have more free time. In reality, however, is not what you think. So think about what you want to leave this job why? Because this job is really bad, or from the unrealistic dream?

8. If you know, once resigned to only succeed, not fail, how would you do? You first thought of? Quickly write down what you think of everything. Fear of failure and uncertainty often prevent many possibilities appear.

you had enough yet?

If you are sure you should resign, but the subjective and objective conditions can not be categorically makes you take action, how to do? Remember, before the collapse of the Berlin Wall, but also one believed would happen. Change always takes time, and you may have to do some modest compromises, or find other people (especially expert) opinion. But in any case, change is always possible.

Decide whether you really want to continue to stay, or move forward key step lies, you are not willing to honestly ask yourself: "I am not have had enough?", "I will not change strongly to to bear all the risk for this? "The most important thing is that if do not act now, have to wait until when?

Read more!

Dots and Plus Signs in Gmail

I think this is a very useful information for me, so I just want to keep the article from PC Magazine in here.

An Unofficial User's Guide to Gmail

Think you know everything there is to know about the popular Web-based e-mail application from Google? Think again.

Dots and Plus Signs in the Address
When Gmail receives messages, it ignores extra periods inserted in the first part of the address. That means youraddress@gmail.com is the same as your.address@gmail.com and even y.o.u.r.address@gmail.com and your......address@gmail.com.
What's more, you can append words to the Gmail address, like so: youraddress+comics@gmail.com or youraddress+news@gmail.com. Combine dots and pluses all you want: Messages sent to your.addr.ess+superstar@gmail.com will get there nonetheless.

Why are these infinitely customizable aliases useful? They make it easier to filter messages as they arrive. Give one kind of address to friends, another to coworkers. Append +spam when you sign up for a service you fear might pass your name along, then filter out any messages sent to that address.

Better yet, sign up and append the name of the service you're using (like youraddress+pcmag@gmail.com)—you can tell when it gets passed along. That makes it easy to remember when you have to sign in using your address as a username.
Of course, not all services will let you put a plus sign in your e-mail address, so this technique may not work for you.

One more alias you can use: the domain names of gmail.com and googlemail.com are interchangeable. youraddress@googlemail.com is the same to Gmail as all the above examples. The same alias rules above apply, therefore.

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Eco Enzyme / Garbage Enzyme

The steps is simple and easy. I will try it in the future. The only problems are that we might not have air-tight plastic bottle and don't have much vegetable garbage, otherwise I can start to do a small one today. Basically we eat whole vegetable, then it is hard to get vegetable garbage. I think I can just use fruit garbage to do it.

Material:
- An airtight plastic bottle
- One part black, brown or yellow sugar (by weight)
- Ten parts water (by weight)
- Three parts fruit peelings or vegetable scraps (by weight)

Methods:
- Fill the bottle with the ingredients to a maximum of three-quarters of the bottle.
-> Close the lid tightly and leave to ferment for three months.
-> Open the lid once a day during the first month in order to release the gases formed and then as necessary during the second and third month.
-> After three months, the enzyme is ready to be harvested. Pour the liquid through a filter to remove all the residue.

Garbage enzyme: Fertilizer, pesticide, cleaning agent and more

Most people hear fermentation and run a mile, picturing a dirty, smelly process with a few worms and other creepy crawlies thrown in for good measure. However, that is miles from the truth when it comes to garbage enzymes. Garbage enzymes, or more palatably, eco-enzyme is made from fermented vegetable and fruit waste. The process is contained in a bottle, and you won't even have to get your hands dirty beyond chopping up the ingredients. When the right ingredients are used, the enzyme can even smell great.

Why make garbage enzymes?

Garbage- or eco-enzyme is an organic fertilizer, a natural pesticide and herbicide, a cleaning agent, an anti-bacterial agent, and even an air freshener. It's been known to turn sandy, infertile land into thriving farms, stop the growth of fungus on oil palms and increase the yield of fruit trees. Spritzing your dog with garbage enzyme will keep the ticks away and a dash of enzymes in your mopping water will help to disinfect your house and keep it smelling fresh. This all-natural product is an excellent alternative to harsh, environment-destroying chemicals. Best of all, it's a useful way to get rid of your kitchen waste and reduce your contribution to landfills, particularly if you don't have the space or the time to start a compost pile.

How to make garbage enzyme

To get started, you will need:

- An airtight bottle
- One part black sugar
- Ten parts water
- Three parts fruit peelings or vegetable scraps

Making garbage enzyme:

1. To make the enzyme, fill the bottle with the ingredients using the prescribed ratio. Make sure to only fill the bottle to a maximum of three-quarters of the way up as the gases formed during the fermentation process will cause the liquid to rise.

2. Close the lid tightly and leave to ferment for three months.

3. Open the lid once a day during the first month in order to release the gases formed. (Important! The gases formed may cause your bottle to shoot its cap if you forget)

4. Release gases as necessary (if the level of the liquid rises too high) during the second and third month. Don't worry if you see worms in the mixture simply add sugar, stir, and recap.

5. After three months, the enzyme is ready to be harvested. Pour the liquid through a filter to remove all the residue. The liquid is the enzyme while the residue may be used to start a new batch of garbage enzymes, and is also an excellent fertilizer when blended and dried.

Using Garbage Enzyme

Garbage enzymes need to be diluted with water before use. The degree of dilution depends on the intended use:

- For use as a fertilizer, dilute it using a ratio of between 1:100 (i.e. 1ml of enzyme to 100ml of water) and 1:1000
- For use as an insecticide, dilute it using a ratio of 1:100
- For use as a pesticide, use a ratio of 1:100
- For use as an air freshener, use a ratio of 1:200
- For use as plant hormones to boost productivity, use a ratio of 1:500

Tips and tricks

1. Use citrus fruit peel to make the enzyme smell nice
2. Use plant materials only!
3. Substitute black sugar with brown sugar or other types of unprocessed sugar. Even molasses will do. Anything but processed white sugar.
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環保酵素(ECO Enzyme /Garbage Enzyme)
環保酵素技術是泰國樂素昆．普潘翁博士 (Dr Rosukon Poompanvong) 經過30多年努力所研發的一種果皮蔬菜廚餘酵素，通稱為“垃圾酵素”。
環保酵素的功用 (外用)：多年的真實體驗記碌

1.人體皮膚：可治療各種多年不愈的皮膚病、刀傷、燒傷、發炎等症狀。(注：外用)
2.對果菜農夫的幫忙：垃圾酵素可減少蟲害,提高果菜的鮮美,加快收成，用了一次便立即看到效果。
實驗證明環保酵素可降底EMF指數: 冷氣機,電腦或電視機所釋放的電磁波, 測試器的指數是55至60多,但是如果在家裏室內靠近冷氣機,電腦或電視機的地方,放一大桶的環保酵素, 測試器的指數馬上下降到13左右. 無法在家裏種盆栽的人,可以試製環保酵素。環保酵素可活化快枯乾的樹木、花、草等，使土地肥沃起來。
3.環保酵素還能帶動室內空氣的流通。
4.淨化下水道：用過的環保酵素最後流到水道，能淨化河流和海洋。可避免導致氾濫，淹水問題。
5.防水管堵塞：可疏通馬桶或水槽。
6.除臭、淨化廢氣：有除臭功能，可消除香煙氣味、汽車廢氣、家居噴劑的毒氣等，同時增加空氣含氧量。家裏的蚊子、蒼蠅、老鼠、蟑螂的數量會減少.
7.減少垃圾：丟棄的廚餘釋放甲烷廢氣，比二氧化炭導致地球暖化的程度高21倍。
8.節省金錢：化廚餘為DIY環保清潔劑，節省家庭開銷。
9.減少害菌：能分解和消滅有害微生物及黴菌。
10.家居生活好幫手：可用作天然清潔劑，空氣消化劑、洗衣劑、汽車保養劑、衣物柔軟劑和有機肥料等。垃圾酵素可以清除果菜內的農藥, 只要把兩瓶蓋的酵素倒入洗菜的盆內, 再讓果菜泡浸越30分鐘就可.
11.淹水過後：如果能把大桶的環保酵素倒入污水中或者在淹水後清理環境時加入酵素,可以避免有害菌的滋長,鼠患及清除掉異味.


環保酵素基本做法

★材料

黑糖（黑糖或黃糖，不用白糖，因為黑糖有多壙物質，功能很強）：1公斤
菜渣/果皮（蔬菜葉、菜頭菜尾、菜根、水果皮、馬鈴薯皮等）：3公斤
水：10公升

黑糖：菜渣果皮：水 比例是 1：3：10 (不一定是要以公斤來計算)


★簡單容器：有密封開蓋口的塑膠器材料

★做法：

1.準備一個有密封蓋口的塑膠容器。

2. 把水和黑糖倒進瓷器、陶缸或者塑膠缸裏，順時方向攪均。

　攪均後，加入廚房鮮垃圾。鮮垃圾包括:鮮樹葉、水果皮，準備丟掉的蔬菜或植物。

3.容器內留一些空間，以防止酵素發酵時溢出容器外。

4.將容器蓋緊。

5.製作過程中會產生氣體，如果使用過窄口的容器（如礦泉水瓶），切記每天將瓶口稍微打開，以泄放氣體，避免瓶子被撐破。如使用寬口的容器，氣體會自然擠出，較無上述問題。

6.不時把浮在液面上的垃圾按下去，使它浸泡在液體中。

7.環保酵素應該放在空氣流通和陰涼處，避免陽光直照，發酵3個月後即可使用。

注：第一個月須每日打開容器上的蓋口，釋放氣體，其氣體非常的強，故不健議用玻璃的容器，有些環保酵素經過一個禮拜後，便沒強氣，那就不用再開蓋了。

詳細環保酵素做法、圖片，可參考：http://www.enzymesos.com/?page_id=48
影像示範VIDEO：http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VWjTIgrfeU&feature=related

製作環保酵素須注意事項

1.避免選用玻璃或金屬等無法膨脹的容器。

2.用鮮垃圾包括剩飯、鮮菜葉、水果皮等準備丟掉的蔬菜或植物，不包括廢紙、塑膠、金屬罐頭和瓶子。

3.避免使用魚、肉、或油膩的廚餘，因為會造成腐臭味；如果要製作出來的酵素有清香氣味，可以加橘皮、檸檬皮和班蘭葉等氣味較好的蔬菜果皮。如果你放比較多菜類的話，它的味道就會有一點像鹹菜味道，如果你放多果皮，它的味道就會很香。做完後記得寫上製作日期。

4.成功的環保酵素呈棕黃色，而且有橘子般的刺激氣味，將製好的環保酵素過濾到瓶子中待用；如果酵素呈現黑色，即腐敗、失敗了，但只需加入同樣分量的黑糖，重新發酵3個月即可。

5. 環保酵素在第一個月發酵的時候，你會聞到會有酒精的味道；第二個月你就會開始聞到酸酸的味道，那個是醋酸，裏面很多的物質，礦物質維他命等等，再經分解後就產生了酵素。普潘翁博士說三個月過後，環保酵素就可以拿來使用了。它會非常的穩定，當然三個月過後，你可以直接保留放著，不一定要馬上把酵素倒出來，它可以存放一年、兩年、三年、十年、二十年都沒問題，發酵6個月或以上的酵素最好，發酵期越久，裏面的分子會越小，因為它會繼續的發酵、分解，當分子越小的時候滲透力就越強，效果越佳。環保酵素不會過期，越久越醇。切勿放置冰箱，低溫會降低酵素的活性。

6. 如果發現液體表面產生白色、黑色或棕色的漂浮物，不必理會，讓它繼續發酵。不同的環境，果菜會發酵出不同顏色的益菌，根據製作過程中如果發現蒼蠅卵，不必擔心，發酵過程會將它們分解掉，這也說明環保酵素不會對生物帶來危害。 有一些酵素，它上面會生一層白白的，像黴菌類，放心,那些都是細菌的屍體。

有一些人做好酵素之後放著隔了很長的一段時間後，它忽然間就會開始生一層好像果凍的東西，它是酵母酵素的“媽媽”，你可以把這一片拿出來，放在一個空罐上，然後加水放著，它本身就是酵素了。

7. 活用發酵後留下的垃圾渣：
　-可以拿來晒乾，攪碎後埋在土裡充作肥料。
　-攪碎後加入黑或黃糖，倒入馬桶凈化糞池，它可以分解掉那些铵，轉化成為對環境很好且對植物很有效的硝酸鹽(nitrate)。
　-或可繼續留在容器內，加入新的鮮垃圾再次釀制酵素。

8.如果一時無法收集足夠份量的鮮垃圾，可陸續加入鮮垃圾，3個月的期限，從最後一次加入當天算起。

9.保住大氣層：如果每戶人家都將家中的垃圾，轉化為環保酵素並善於利用，不但能大大減少毒害環境和令地球增溫的廢氣，還能製造出能降低室溫效應及修補大氣層的臭氧，而能綠化地球，暖化人心。

有問題的環保酵素補救方法：

製作酵素從第一天開始到最後一天，酵素永遠不會變壞，會壞的是因為我們的環境，還有我們的製作過程有可能出了一些狀況。

問：如果做出來的酵素變成很臭，就好像一些臭雞蛋味道時那怎麼樣補救呢？
答：很簡單，趕快把一份的黑糖，糖的份量要按照原來的比例來加,然後給它攪勻，封口蓋緊，不要去打開它，一個月過後再開，它完全就會好了。

問：為什麼在我們做酵素的時候會生蟲呢? (很少有這樣的情況)
答：主要的一個原因是蓋子蓋不好，蓋不緊。只要你的蓋子蓋得緊的話，通常都不會生蟲。所以瓶子的蓋很重要，封密很重要，把酵素蓋好，照顧得很好的話，它不會生蟲。有蟲未必代表酵素不好。好的酵素，它的味道一定是有一點酸酸的，然後很香。

問：釋放氣體的時候，是否需要攪拌一下呢？
答：大桶的環保酵素可以用手下去攪拌一下，小的(像1公升瓶) 就不用去搖晃攪拌它。


環保酵素的使用方法 (可稀釋後使用)

1.園藝或農作：加水稀釋1000倍，可用作天然除蟲、除草劑和有機肥料，並可刺激植物賀爾蒙，改善蔬果品質和增加產量。連續將環保酵素澆在土地上3個月，可改善土質，讓土地重現生機。
2.家用清潔劑：可使用環保酵素摻入洗髮精、沐浴露、洗碗劑和洗衣水等，可減少化學成份。
（比率：1份環保酵素：1份洗條劑：10份清水。）
3.清洗蔬菜水果：加入30毫升或兩湯匙環保酵素在1公升清水裏，浸泡45分鐘。
4.清潔地板：加入30毫升或兩湯匙環保酵素在抹地水中，可清洗和消毒地板。
5.汽車保養：加入30毫升或兩湯匙環保酵素在汽車水箱裏，可降低引擎溫度。
6.當洗碗液：一份酵素、一份清潔劑加十份水，倒入溶器中，可多次使用
7.當抹地液：一至兩瓶蓋酵素，倒入半桶水
8.當洗衣液：四至五瓶蓋的酵素，使用的洗衣粉量減少
9.澆花、澆菜：一瓶蓋的酵素，加入1.5公升的水。

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Norman Foster's Green Agenda

Norman Foster discusses his own work to show how computers can help architects design buildings that are green, beautiful and "basically pollution-free." From the 2007 DLD Conference, Munich.

"Green agenda, it wasn't about fashion, it is about survival."

Sir Norman Foster, winner of the 1999 Pritzker Prize, is perhaps the leading urban stylist of our age. His elegant, efficient buildings grace cities around the globe.




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Taiwan's Taekwondo Athlete

Shame on the WTF (World Taekwondo Federation).
Shame on the ATF (Asian Taekwondo Federation)
Shame on Asian Games.
If play dirty was the only way to ensure that Chinese athlete won the gold medal, then shame on China.

Based on current information (Nov 20, 2010), the truth are
1. WTF (World Taekwondo Federation) has announced that both new and old models are NOT banned.
2. Yang put the sensors on the correct position as the manufacture suggests for that model.
3. Yang removed the sensors as request after the test kicks which was prior to the match.

之所以會換成舊款，是因為裁判要求的，這裁判是故意的嗎？如果舊款真的禁用，為什麼裁判要這麼要求？為什麼台灣的教練團不知道？而根據「20101118三立揭發電子襪事件疑點多」及 Nov 20, 2010 自由時報報導，我們可以很清楚知道，新舊款電子襪都可用，沒有所謂的禁用，更何況換上舊款還是應裁判要求的耶，也都檢查過了，也把腳後跟的感應片拆下來才上場踢的，真是欲加之罪，何患無詞。

中韓檢錄、技術人員 誣君事件主角 (自由時報 Nov 24, 2010)
〔記者梁偉銘／台北報導〕楊淑君和教練劉聰達一行人，昨天赴體委會說明「冤枉失格事件」，重建現場並描述當時的細節。由他們的陳述內容歸納，中、韓裁判和技術人員，確實是這起污衊事件的主角。

張靖欣是中國籍非韓籍

楊淑君和劉聰達出席體委會召開的會議，說明當時狀況，供體委會和法界人士分析後續處理參考，也釐清一些以訛傳訛的媒體報導，包括檢錄工程技術人員張靖欣是中國籍，並非韓籍，檢錄的女裁判才是韓籍，她們加上中國籍技術委員趙磊和韓裔菲籍洪性天沒收了楊淑君的比賽。

劉聰達指出，當初張靖欣是拿兩根檢測器，發現楊淑君第一雙新式的電子襪有問題，即腳後跟電子貼片感應不良，要求他們換一雙，劉聰達才會趕回去休息區，拿備用的舊式電子襪更換，隨後楊淑君檢查過關，沒想到後來卻因此引發軒然大波。

檢錄女裁判才是南韓籍

「張靖欣是中國人，不是先前媒體誤傳的南韓人啦！」劉聰達透露，廣州亞運賽前進行檢查工作的張靖欣，其實是中國的工程人員，檢錄女裁判才是南韓籍，後來亞跆盟顛倒是非，稱楊淑君通過檢錄後才貼上電子感應貼片，有兩個證人，應該就是指這兩人。

總教練劉慶文回顧當時的狀況，主辦單位原本似乎要硬幹，取消台灣其他跆拳道選手參賽權，黃顯詠在女子四十六公斤級的金牌戰踢完首回合後，一度被迫中斷五分鐘，險些無法再度上場，令台灣跆拳道代表隊相當緊張。劉慶文說，當時情況很亂，眾說紛紜，感覺很無助，幸好其他選手出賽沒再受影響。

楊淑君事件 我申訴獲受理／亞奧會：亞跆盟說法與影片不符 (自由時報，2010-11-20)
代表團昨展示多項證據，並找來護具供應商經理蔡智凱，展示電子襪使用圖解，他強調護具都經世跆盟認證，無法自行變造。蔡智凱現場拆封全新的電子護具，展示所有零件，除兩雙襪套、腳背、腳底感應貼片四片，以及這次事件中的爭議後跟貼片兩片，他強調，在使用說明圖解上，腳跟貼片本來就有貼上。

蔡智凱說：「其實感應貼片不是晶片，只是薄薄的金屬感應網片，既無法發射訊號，更不可能改寫頻率。」代表團還拿出最新版原文跆拳道國際規則手冊，上面明文寫著第一代電子襪，使用期限將到二○一二年五月十七日，並無明訂如何使用以及相關罰則，全面推翻梁振錫的鬼話。

Nov. 17, 2010 on youtube: Taiwanese taekwondo athlete disqualified at Asian Games over...... socks!?!?!?

[Taiwanese taekwondo athlete disqualified at Asian Games over...... socks!?!?!?] The word "Skepticism" in 7:55 should be "conspiracy", my fault. If you want to catch the important points, please turn to 2:52, 4:42, 5:51, 7:32

說楊淑君作弊，8種說法，4種原因，都是謊言! (Nov 19, 2010 by Billy Pan)

Nov 18, 2010 on youtube: 三立揭發電子襪事件疑點多


Taiwan fury after athlete's Asian Games disqualification in China (CNN, November 17, 2010)
"This was an extremely unfair decision. I don't know what was wrong. All of my electronic protective equipment followed official specifications," she said on Wednesday.
"I brought two pairs of WTF-certified socks with me. The Chinese examiner asked me to scrap the first pair, but the second pair passed the examination.
"Before the start of [yesterday's] bout, the chief judge carefully examined all the equipment on my body and did not raise any questions."

Follow Up to CNN report "Taiwan fury after athlete's Asian Games disqualification in China"

黑襪事件／不知者不罪？　中華跆拳道教練團恐難卸責(2010/11/18 14:01)

兩片感應片 網友密搜：根本拔下 沒上場 (中廣新聞網╱程平 2010-11-18)
讓楊淑君被判失格的兩片感應片，其實在比賽開始之前，就已經在主審的要求下，由教練劉聰達取下，之後一直到洪性天提出質疑時，主審才又跑去劉聰達身邊，將這兩片感應片取走，過程中也沒有再次檢查楊淑君的電子襪，顯見大會是憑著兩片從來沒有在正式比賽過程中出現的感應片，就判定楊淑君失格，對此，楊淑君的師兄，國民黨立委黃志雄認為，「這何來失格之有」？

曾替台灣奪下雅典奧運跆拳道金牌的陳詩欣則認為，中華隊的教練太大意，因為去大陸或韓國比賽，一定要注意被動手腳，賽前被取下的兩片感應片，應該早點收好。

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Color IQ Test

It is fun to do this. I got 19, how about you? Well, the quality of your monitor is important for this test.

Color IQ Test
Take this fun and simple on-line color IQ test and learn how you see color. You’ll get more accurate results if you have a calibrated and profiled monitor. Learn more. Share the color IQ test with your friends and colleagues!


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Remembrance Day

Today is the Remembrance Day. I don't understand what my colleague is talking about when he told me this at 11:11am this morning.


Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day or Veterans Day) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries to remember the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and civilians in times of war, specifically since the First World War. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognised as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries.

Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the official end of World War I on that date in 1918, as the major hostilities of World War I were formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month" of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice. (Note that "at the 11th hour", refers to the passing of the 11th hour, or 11:00 am.)

The day was specifically dedicated by King George V, on 7 November 1919, to the observance of members of the armed forces who were killed during World War I. This was possibly done upon the suggestion of Edward George Honey to Wellesley Tudor Pole, who established two ceremonial periods of remembrance based on events in 1917.
The red poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day due to the poem In Flanders Fields. These poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, their brilliant red colour an appropriate symbol for the blood spilt in the war.

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The Story of Electronics

The Story of Electronics. It is very easy for everybody to understand. One small tiny part of my micro-centrifuge is broken. It is usable but not safe. I remember when I asked the sale person if they have that part I can replace the broken one. They told me that they are not sure if their company sales the individual part and it will cost about same price to buy a new one.

The video is produced by The Story of Stuff Project


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Pascalization

Today's Today Tonight is talking about Fresh juice fresher which pointed out that most fresh juice in our supermarkets is not as fresh as we think - they are pasteurised with heat and stored for up to twelve months.

The show interviewed Damian Crock, a Chairman of the company Preshafruit, who claims their juice is as fresh as the day the fruit was picked. He said that they developed a technique "cold pasteurisation" which put product into a high pressure vessel and pressurised for a short period of time to kill bugs inside the juice.

I think his technique is a modified pascalization. I agree that it is better than heat treated 12-month old aseptic juice.

Pascalization, or high pressure processing (HPP), is a method of preserving and sterilizing food, in which a product is processed under very high pressure, leading to the inactivation of certain microorganisms and enzymes in the food. The technique was named after Blaise Pascal, a French scientist of the 17th century whose work included detailing the effects of pressure on fluids. During pascalization, more than 50,000 pounds per square inch (340,000,000 Pa) may be applied for around fifteen minutes, leading to the inactivation of yeast, mold, and bacteria.

In pascalization, food products are sealed and placed into a steel compartment containing a liquid, often water, and pumps are used to create pressure. The pumps may apply pressure constantly or intermittently. The application of high hydrostatic pressures (HHP) on a food product will kill many microorganisms, but the spores of some bacteria may need to be separately treated with acid to prevent their reproduction. Pascalization works especially well on acidic foods, such as yogurts and fruits, because pressure-tolerant spores are not able to live in environments with low pH levels. The treatment works equally well for both solid and liquid products.

Pascal is a pressure unit. 1 pascal (Pa) = 1 N/(m^2) = 1 kg/(m·s^2.)
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Alopecia

Is alopecia (禿頭症) curable? Today's Today Tonight has a program "Girl grows her hair back" which talks about how a little girl was cured from her severe alopecia.

The secret herbal medicine she took for 2 years are Fusion Health's WOMEN'S BALANCE and Multi Vitamin and Mineral Advanced. I am not sure if these 2 cures her illness. It will be amazing if it also works for others.

The little girl


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French Researcher Halts the Development of GMO Crops

I just saw these two news from AgriGenomics Research eNewsletter today. I have no comment and just want to post in here. The links of both articles are not from AgriGenomics because you will need to register to read the full article. If you google the title, you will be able to find the full article as I did.

French Researcher Halts the Development of GMO Crops
Europe's top farm researcher has abandoned work on developing new genetically modified crops due to widespread distrust and even hostility by European consumers.

If GMO Genes Escape, how will the Hybrids do?
Scientists are investigating how gene flow from a cultivated crop to a weedy relative would influence the ecological fitness of a cropwild hybrid offspring.

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202 Arsenal in Nankang, Taipei

My facebook account is very strange. It doesn't like me to post my thought or share news with others. It is about 30% chance that people have to go to my Wall to see my post and it won't show up in your Home. I don't know why. I think I will post them in my blog.

Here are 3 paragraphs cited from today's Taiwan news. It talks about Taiwan's Academia Sinica planning to build its new National Biotech Park in 202 Arsenal which is next to Academia Sinicain in Nankang, Taipei. There is a precious wetland in 202 Arsenal and has been preserved quite well due to military restriction in the past. Environmental NGOs are against this development and suggest to preserve this wetland and suggest Academia Sinica to build its Biotech Park in other places. Academia Sinica insists to build it in there and claim to cancel this project if they can not build it in there. I think their reasons are very strange and have some thought want to share with you. I hope my opinions won't make me unable to find a job in Taiwan's biotech field.

翁啟惠：生技園區不在南港 就不蓋 (Wong Chi-huey: If Academia Sinica's Biotech Park is not located in Nankang, then we don't build it.)
『翁啟惠說，南部可以設立中研院的分院，強化文化與農業方面的研究，「但那會是分院，不是生技園區，如果南港生技園區做不成，就不能做了」。』(Wong Chi-huey said "You can set up the southern branch of Academia Sinica and strengthen on the research of culture and agriculture. But that is a branch, not a biotech park. If it is impossible to build the Nankang Biotechnology Park, then there is no way to do it") (ps. Wong Chi-Huey is the current president of the Academia Sinica)

『翁啟惠指出，國家生技研究園區要在中研院旁邊，才能發揮群聚效益，方便互動並充分利用中研院的設備、硬體、學術研究成果等。』 (Wong Chi-huey pointed out that the Biotechnology Research Park have to be next to the Academia Sinica in order to elaborate cluster efficiency. It will make it easy to interact with other people and use those equipments, hardwares, and research findings in the Academia Sinica.)

『主張可以遷往別處的人，可能不了解研究人員需要時常進出實驗室以及研究上的「群聚效益」。』 (Those people who suggest to move this Biotech Park to elsewhere may not understand that researchers need access to laboratories and the cluster efficiency in research.)

Here is my opinions:
首先為什麼農業研究就不算生技研究，我也是天天在碰 DNA, RNA, protein, bacteria, yeast, phage, cell culture, tissue culture 等等東西啊，只是我們沒有使用動物，要去溫室而非動物房，然後我用的生物有細胞壁有葉綠素，這樣就不算生技了嗎？ (First, I don't understand why agriculture study is not biotech. My daily work includes all kinds of experiments related to DNA, RNA, protein, bacteria, yeast, phage, cell culture, tissue culture, etc. Well, we don't do animal experiment, we need to go to greenhouse but not animal room, my target organisms contain cell wall and chlorophyll. Doesn't this biotech?)

好吧，就算生技研究只限縮在醫學上，那也不需要都放在中研院旁邊才能做，那不然台大 陽明 清大 成大等等學校的醫學相關研究都因為沒有互相在隔壁就不能合作？ (OK, even biotech research only includes medical researches, researchers still can do their experiments when their institute/center is not next to Academia Sinica, otherwise how other research institutes and universities can do their studies.)

以美國為例，美國最大的國家醫學研究中心 NIH 位在 Bethesda, Maryland 20892。Cold Spring Harbor Lab 位在 Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724。Jackson Laboratory 位在 Bar Harbor, Maine 04609 USA。更別提那一大堆位在美國東西南北中不同地理位置的研究所及研究中心，他們都不需要位在彼此的隔壁，研究人員照樣可以時常進出實驗室做實驗，也不妨礙彼此間的合作及交流，照樣產生一堆一流的研究成果。 (NIH is located in Bethesda, MD, 20892. Cold Spring Harbor Lab is located in Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724. Jackson Lab is located in Bar Harbor, Maine 04609. Not to mention all the other famous and excellent research institutes and center, they are everywhere in US. They don't need to be next to each other to make researches going. Researchers keep working in the lab, share information with each other and generate first-class research results.)

如果真的要待在隔壁的「群聚效益」才能做研究，那中研院更應該要整院遷到還有開闊腹地的中南部了，南港就那麼大，還能變多大呢？還能容納多少中研院未來要成立的新科技園區呢？塞不下啊，那不如早早就遷走，免得越晚遷，以後遷院的費用會更高。 (If it is necessary to stay next to each other to get cluster efficiency, then the Academia Sinica should move to southern Taiwan which has bigger low-developed area for them put all research centers/parks/institutes together. Nankang, Taipei is already crowd and doesn't have much backland for them. It is better to move earlier, otherwise the moving cost will be much higher in the future.)
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Some links:

Activists express doubts about impact of smaller biotech park on wetlands (By Shelley Shan, Taipei Times, Sep 29, 2010)

Environmental activists yesterday expressed doubts about a government plan to halve the size of a development project for the National Biotech Park at the 202 Arsenal in the Nangang District (南港) in Taipei City, saying it would still threaten an ecosystem that was carefully preserved for decades.

National biotech park plan revised (Publication Date：08/13/2010, Source： Liberty Times)

Why Taiwan needs its biotech park (By Keng Liang 梁耕三, Taipei Times, Jun 19, 2010)

Government Okays Nankang Biotechnology Park Project

Taipei, July 23, 2007 (CENS)--The Executive Yuan (the Cabinet) recently decided to let the Ministry of National Defense (MND) to free up a 25-hectare land for constructing the Nankang Biotechnology Park in Taipei.

To stay inline with the biotech-industry developmental program, the National Science Council (NSC) of Executive Yuan is scheduled to launch the NT$27 billion (US$818.18 million at US$1: NT$33) biotech investment project by integrating available resources under the Academia Sinica, which is near the Nankang park.

Backed by efforts from related government authorities, the long-pending Nankang biotech project has been finally settled.

The Nankang Biotechnology Park has been listed as one of the four city-renewal projects of Taipei with major trendsetting implications for several years, but the relocation of the R.O.C. Army 202 Arsenal has long been a hurdle. With the Executive Yuan's latest decision, the arsenal will be moved by 2012 or 2013.

In addition to MND's matching policy, the NSC plans to pour about NT$12.1 billion (US$366.67 million) to plan and construct the public infrastructure facilities and a biotechnology incubator center in the Nankang Park. Academia Sinica is scheduled to invest about NT$15 billion (US$454.55 million) to plan and construct a clinical-test building and laboratory for new drugs, genomes and other special-topic biotechnology research.

Some high-ranking government officials pointed out that the government plans to set up three major biotech industry clusters in Taiwan, including the first in Chupei, northern Taiwan, to solicit mainly big-scale biotech companies, vaccine plants, bio-pharmaceutical manufacturers, electronic/telecom medical device makers, animal laboratories, etc.

The second targeted biotech industry cluster is the Nankang Biotechnology Park, which is scheduled to focus mainly on basic biotech researches and clinical tests. The third would be located in the Kaohsiung Science Park (formerly Southern Taiwan Science Park (STSP) Luchu Base) in southern Taiwan, the officials said, which would focus on mainly precision metal and electrical-machinery makers of medical devices for such as orthopedics, dentistry, and operation, etc.

With the three scheduled biotech industry clusters, the government official said, Taiwan's biotech sector is expected to enjoy rapid development in coming years.

Companies in the three biotech zones are expected to be availed of the high-efficiency services through a single service window as well as five-year tax breaks and reductions for new-drug development.


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