Wednesday, 27 March, 2019

As Demand for Ginseng Soars, Poachers Threaten Its Survival.

As Demand for Ginseng Soars, Poachers Threaten Its Survival

Posted on Wednesday, 12 October, 2016Thursday, 24 August, 2017 by Zheluo Cai

As Demand for Ginseng Soars, Poachers Threaten Its Survival.

Ginseng is any one of the 11 species of slow-growing perennial plants with fleshy roots, belonging to the genus Panax of the family Araliaceae. It is found in North America and in eastern Asia (mostly northeast China, Korea, Bhutan, eastern Siberia), typically in cooler climates. Over centuries, ginseng has been considered in China as an important component of Chinese traditional medicine. Besides Panax ginseng, many other plants are also known as or mistaken for the ginseng root. The most commonly known examples are xiyangshen, also known as American ginseng (P. quinquefolius), Japanese ginseng (P. japonicus), crown prince ginseng (Pseudostellaria heterophylla), and Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus). Although all have the name “ginseng”, each plant has distinctively different functions. However, true ginseng plants belong only to the Panax genus.

Read Article Here:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/people-and-culture/food/the-plate/2016/october/with-demand-for-ginseng-high–poachers-threaten-its-survival/

Warning - Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe Friday, 22 March, 2019
Parts of Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe have been severely affected by Tropical Cyclone Idai. US residents should avoid nonessential travel to Beira City and the surrounding area in Mozambique. Travelers to other affected parts of Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe should take steps to prevent illness and injury.
Alert - Drug-Resistant Infections in Patients Who Had Weight-Loss Surgery in Mexico Friday, 15 March, 2019
Some US residents returning from Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, have been diagnosed with infections caused by an antibiotic-resistant form of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. (weight loss surgery, bariatric, Tijuana, Mexico, Grand View Hospital, VIM, carbapenemase)

ASTRONOMY PHOTO OF THE DAY: The Red Rectangle Nebula. Credit: ESA, Hubble, NASA. The Red Rectangle nebula lies 2,300 light years towards the constellation of the Unicorn (Monoceros). At its centre is an aging binary star system that powers the nebula. The unusual shape is likely due to a thick dust torus which pinches the otherwise spherical outflow into tip-touching cone shapes, with the outflow occurring in fits and starts. In a few million years, as one of the central stars becomes further depleted of nuclear fuel, it will likely bloom into a planetary nebula.

NASA Updates Spacewalk Assignments, Announces Final Preview Briefing Monday, 25 March, 2019
With the first in a series of three spacewalks successfully completed at the International Space Station, NASA has updated astronaut assignments for the remaining two spacewalks and will preview the third in an upcoming news conference on NASA Television and the agency’s website.
NASA Television to Broadcast Fifth Meeting of the National Space Council Monday, 25 March, 2019
NASA Television and the agency’s website will provide live coverage of the fifth meeting of the National Space Council starting at 1 p.m. EDT Tuesday, March 26.

Central African Republic - Level 4: Do Not Travel Monday, 25 March, 2019
Do not travel to Central African Republic (CAR) due to crime and civil unrest. Violent crime, such as armed robbery, aggravated battery, and homicide, is common. Large areas of the country are controlled by armed groups who regularly kidnap, injure, and/or kill civilians. In the event of unrest, airport, land border, and road closures may […]
French Polynesia - Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions Monday, 25 March, 2019
Exercise normal precautions in French Polynesia. Read the Safety and Security section on the country information page. If you decide to travel to French Polynesia: Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency. Follow the Department of State on Facebook and […]

THE FLAG OF PORTUGAL: The flag is a rectangular bicolour with a field unevenly divided into green on the hoist, and red on the fly. The lesser version of the national coat of arms (i.e. armillary sphere and Portuguese shield) is centred over the colour boundary at equal distance from the upper and lower edges. On 30 June 1911, less than a year after the downfall of the constitutional monarchy, this design was officially adopted. The green and red represent the hope of the nation (green) and the blood of those who died defending it.

Moldova Tuesday, 26 March, 2019
Latest update: Summary and Safety and security (Transnistria) - Presidential elections will take place on Sunday 31 March in Ukraine, with a possible second round on Sunday 21 April; there's an increased likelihood of large public rallies and demonstrations including in the Odessa Oblast, which border Transnistria; you're advised to check the Ukraine travel advice; […]
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Kazakhstan Tuesday, 26 March, 2019
Latest update: Summary - removal of information on UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifier match on 21 March
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WORK OF ART: American Gothic is a 1930 painting by Grant Wood in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. The painting depicted the American Gothic House in Eldon, Iowa, along with “the kind of people I fancied should live in that house;” a farmer standing beside a woman who has been interpreted to be his sister. The figures were modelled by Wood’s sister, Nan Wood Graham, and their dentist, Dr Byron McKeeby. American Gothic is one of the most familiar images in 20th-century American pop art scene.

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