ASK!

The colour of your nails may indicate the state of your health.  Below is a guide and does not necessarily mean it reflects actual health conditions.  It is best to seek professional medical advise if you suspect your health is affected by the colour of your nails. 

- If some or all of the nail is white in colour, it could be a sign of fungal growth or liver problems.

-  White dots may indicate a zinc deficiency, or a slight injury to the nail.

-  Brown nails may indicate fungal growth or kidney disease.

-  Yellow nails could be due to jaundice.

-  Blue nails can indicate poor circulation, or a heart, or lung conditions.

-  Pitted nails may suggest a skin condition, such as psoriasis or ezcema.

-  Nails that break or spilt easily could indicate a thyroid problem. 

-  Nails that have a yellowish tint and pink colouring at the base may be linked to diabetes.

-  Curved nails may indicate a respiratory disorder.

(Taken from “Why is yawning contagious?: everything you ever wanted to know about the human body – and some things you’d rather not” by Francesca Gould, p.27).

Below are suggested titles on the human body and its functions which are available in the libraries.  To check their availability, please visit our online catalogue:  http://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg/

    (All Rights Reserved, Portrait, 2007)

1.  Why is yawning contagious?: everything you ever wanted to know about the human body – and some things you’d rather not

By Francesca Gould

Publisher: London : Portrait, 2007

Call No.: 612 GOU -[HEA]

       (All Rights Reserved, Dorling Kindersly, c2009)

2. The concise human body book
By Steve Parker
Publisher: London : Dorling Kindersley, c2009
Call No.: 612.00222 PAR -[HEA]

      (All Rights Reserved, Intelligent Body Press, c2006)

3. The busy person’s guide to easier movement : 50 ways to achieve a healthy, happy, pain-free and intelligent body
By Frank Wildman
Publisher: Berkeley, Calif. : Intelligent Body Press, c2006
Call No.: 613.71 WIL -[HEA]

  
Posted by Kweh Soon Huat, Librarian,  Adult and Young People’s Services

With the recent influx of 3-D animated movies like Shrek Forever After, Toy Story and the most recent Despicable Me, have you ever wondered how does a 3D movie work?

While watching 3-D movies, you are actually looking at two still images that appear to be nearly identical simultaneously. It is set up in such a way that your left eye sees one of the images and the right eye sees the other. These images are not identical as they were shot using two cameras. Your brain is able to combine the 2 different images and form a 3-D image that looks incredibly realistic.

In the early days, to view 3-D movies, we used the red/blue glasses. Both left and right images appear on the screen at once but one is tinted red and the other is tinted blue. The problem with this is that it disrupts the colour of the images. Thus, to handle this, we now use polarized light.

This technique makes use of a property of light called polarization. The film is still recorded using two camera lenses placed side by side. However, in the cinema, the two film reels are projected through different polarized filters. Thus, images for the viewers’ left eyes are polarized on a horizontal plane while images for the right eyes are polarized on a vertical plane. Our glasses use the same polarizing filters to separate out the two images again and our brain will put these two separate images together and create the 3D effect.

(Reference: How do 3D films work? | Explore | physics.org
www.physics.org/article-questions.asp?id=56
Last accessed: 20 July 2010)

Originally answered by Aslin Harminah
Associate Librarian
Children’s Services

Source: How To Make A Terrarium: http://www.katyelliott.com

Source: Paperus, The Bottle Garden Specialists: http://www.paperus.com.sg

A terrarium is a minature garden of small plants that is grown in a closed or partially open container. It has made a comeback as a fuss free gardening project for urban dwellers since its popularity in the 1970s and 1980s and you can buy a ready made one or purchase a starter kit at the Singapore Garden Festival! It is a convenient solution for busy office workers and people who do not have green thumbs as a terrarium is a self sufficient ecosystem that requires little care. All you need to do is to water it every few weeks depending on the size of the terrarium. Not only will making a terrarium spruce up your living space with little effort, it will also help to recycle your unused transparent jars and containers!

How do you create a terrarium? All you need is to place stones, or gravel, charcoal ( to provide drainage for the plants), small plants in a transparent bottle and voila! You’ve got your own minature garden in a bottle or container!

For more information on the steps needed to create your own terrarium, do check out these useful sites!
1) The Garden Management System Gardening Software: Terrariums

http://www.hmk.on.ca/terrarium.html

2) National Geographic Kids: Grow Your Own Minature Garden

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

3) Paperus: The Bottle Garden Specialist: What is a Paperus Bottle Garden?http://www.paperus.com.sg
4) Katy Elliott: Home, Art And Food: How To Make A Terrarium

http://www.katyelliott.com/

Also, do check out the books that are available in the library for creating your own terrarium!

All Rights Reserved, Hockessin, Del. : Mitchell Lane Publishers
A Kid’s Guide To Making A Terrarium by Stephanie Bearce
Call Number: J English 635 BEA
Publisher: Hockessin, Del. : Mitchell Lane Publishers, c2010
View item availability here

All Rights Reserved, North Adams, Mass. : Storey Publishers
Tabletop gardens : 40 stylish plantscapes for counters and shelves, desktops and windowsills by Rosemary McCreary
Call Number: English 635.965 MAC -[HOM]
Publisher: North Adams, Mass. : Storey Pub., c2006
View item availability here

Posted By:

Ms Chen Wanying
Children’s Librarian
Children’s Services

Quoting from the National Marine Sanctuaries (U.S.), the functions and purposes of marine sanctuaries is as follows:

“The primary objective of a sanctuary is to protect its natural and cultural features while allowing people to use and enjoy the ocean in a sustainable way. Sanctuary waters provide a secure habitat for species close to extinction and protect historically significant shipwrecks and artifacts. Sanctuaries serve as natural classrooms and laboratories for schoolchildren and researchers alike to promote understanding and stewardship of our oceans. They often are cherished recreational spots for sport fishing and diving and support commercial industries such as tourism, fishing and kelp harvesting”.

[Source: "National Marine Sanctuaries: FAQ." 03 Aug 2006. . 19 May 2010.]

In addition, the New South Wales Marine Parks website lists the ways in which marine sanctuaries help the marine environment. They do so by:

- protecting habitats and ecosystems;
  – improving commercial and recreational fisheries by protecting juvenile habitats or adult breeding grounds;
  – providing opportunities to appreciate and enjoy the marine world;
  – protecting threatened species;
  – supporting research and education;
  – providing a buffer for the effects of climate change;
  – improving management of introduced marine pests;
  – reducing the risk of pollution by excluding oil and gas developments;
  – improving opportunities for ecotourism for local communities; and
  – conserving cultural heritage.

[Source: NSW Marine Parks. "About Marine Sanctuaries." "Marine Sanctuaries: National Parks of the Sea." 2005. , 19 May 2010.]

You can find out more about marine sanctuaries from the two source websites listed above. You can also read aggregated news reports about local efforts to start a marine sanctuary at Pulau Hantu at the following page on Wild Singapore’s website (http://www.wildsingapore.com/): , 19 May 2010.

Book Recommendations:
1) Title: Endangered oceans / Louise I. Gerdes, book editor.
Publisher: Detroit : Greenhaven Press, c2009.
Call No.: Y English 333.95616 END

2)Title: The marine heritage of Thailand : kingdom of infinite biodiversity.
Publisher: PTT Exploration and Production Public Co. : National Park, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation Dept., 2006.
Call No.: RSEA English 333.916409593 MAR

3) Title: Marine parks of Malaysia / text by Mohd Taupek Mohd Nasir, Nor Ainy Mahyidin.
Author: Mohd. Taupek Mohd. Nasir
Publisher: Kuala Lumpur : Dept. of Fisheries Malaysia, Ministry of Agriculture, 2001.
Call No.: q333.916409595 MOH

4) Title: Wild ocean : America’s parks under the sea / by Sylvia A. Earle and Wolcott Henry.
Author: Earle, Sylvia A., 1935-
Publisher: Washington, D.C. : National Geographic Society, 1999.
Call No.: q333.7830973 EAR

5) Title: Marine reserves in the Philippines : historical development, effects and influence on marine conservation policy / by Angel C. Alcala ; with a foreword by Edgardo D. Gomez.
Author: Alcala, Angel C
Call No.: RSEA 333.916 ALC

To check the availability and locations of the above titles, please use our online catalog

Originally answered by Goh Peck Keong, Librarian, Adult and Young People’s Services

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