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In this post, I want to explore the idea of internet privacy, from a very broad perspective. This is a very rough sketch of the initial idea of internet privacy, sparked by the continuing debate on issues like the legal/ethical responsibilities of corporations, and the responsibilities of the service-users. I will begin with a brief outline of a core notion of ethics, and then move on to the idea of internet privacy as such.
ETHICS
Ethics is a field of study concerned with systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior. Every society has some kinds of ethical standards – core rules that serve as a (mostly) immutable base for thinking about ethics. However, the core rules are usually few in number (think: the 10 commandments), which do not cover the full scope of nearly infinite human circumstances. This is where the implications and interpretations of the core rules enters the picture: by drawing on the core, immutable principles, society creates flexible strategies for their particular issues and the kinds of contexts in which those issues arrive.
If a society could remain static, if their context would become entirely stable, then the legal and ethical ideas of that society could remain static as well. In essence, it is only because of the change in context that the old solutions cease to be viable. Changes in technology have historically been a major catalyst in the change of social context. As such, they result in a need to reevaluate and reformulate both our legal and ethical standards.
Case in point, theft used to mean something like the acquisition of the property of another, without their consent, which then deprived the original/rightful owner of that property. This kind of a definition had functioned rather well for the entirety of human existence. However, with the rise of the digital age, the issue of intellectual property required a full reevaluation of the notion of theft. If Bob were to illegally download a song, the original/rightful owner is not deprived of that property. In fact, the property is still just as much in their possession as it was before the download. This means that the very definition of theft has to be reformulated, in order to protect intellectual property; in order to allow the legal and moral judgments to reflect the new kinds of context in which something like “theft” could occur.
The coming of the digital age has been celebrated with terms like “progress.” However, we generally fail to understand the dark side of such terms. While it does have the meaning of moving forward – as in headed towards some “better” destination, it also implies change. Specifically, change in context. With every such change, it become necessary to reevaluate and reformulate the kinds of legal and ethical rules governing the new context, in order socially adapt to the new realities. This process is often quite painful, requiring a series of trial-and-error processes before the right kind of balance is found. Traditionally, the rate of such progress – and thus the rate of adaptation – has been relatively slow. This has allowed societies ample room to adjust to one set of circumstances, before turning to face another. With the increase in technological progress, the time-frame for adaptation is shrinking rapidly. That means that our time for trial-and-error, and the ability to get it right, has also shrunk. And that means that the odds of getting it wrong have increased dramatically.
INTERNET PRIVACY
When we think of privacy, in a traditional sense, we mean something like the etymological root of “private:” “pertaining or belonging to oneself, not shared, individual; not open to the public;” from Latin privatus “set apart, belonging to oneself (not to the state), peculiar, personal,” used in contrast to publicus, communis.
Privacy was what happened outside of the public view; behind closed doors; when one retired from the social sphere and its shared context into the private sphere and its closed context. Traditionally, this distinction was a crucial one for both law and ethics. Private matters, by definition, did not concern the public sphere – as a rule – and were confined to only the select choice of individuals. That means that the laws and the ethics that applied in the private sphere were different from those in the public sphere. Case in point, you are perfectly welcome to walk about your home in your birthday suit, or to engage in sexual relations. However, it is decidedly not socially acceptable to do so in public – both morally and legally.
Whatever happened in the public sphere was considered to be the kind of thing that could be known by everyone – and whose sharing was legitimate. Whatever happened in the private sphere was considered taboo to share – without the explicit consent of all parties involved. Thus, the act of spying or otherwise intruding on the private sphere was considered a grave breach of ethical (and often legal) norms.
A major part of how and why this distinction functioned was the kinds of physical separation between the two spheres. When you walked into your home, you physically entered the private sphere, where you remained until you decided to physically reemerge into the public sphere. The private and public spheres were clearly demarcated by the physical space one occupied. The advent of the internet threw a rather sizable wrench into this distinction.
The internet created a new, and absolutely unique, medium of human interaction, in several ways.
- One could be entirely public while in the private sphere.
- Activities that once had a clear public form, now appeared private.
- Activities that once had a clear private form, now necessarily take on a public form.
The rise of social media (starting with its earliest predecessors, like IRC) introduced the ability to engage in public spaces while simultaneously remaining in a physically private space. Thus, one could speak to vast groups of people from around the world, while sitting at home. Additionally, that engagement was such that it preserved a sense of private space – one did not have to engage in conversation, or could have a private conversation away from the rest of the group. Further, the relative anonymity also meant that the public and private personas, as well as social rules governing public spaces, could be discarded. After all, if you did not have to wear pants to engage in this public sphere, why should any other rules hold?
If you were to walk into a store, and ask for some particular item, you would not feel the least bit perturbed if the owner were to take note of what you were asking for, and use that information to modify his future stock. You would not feel perturbed if they were to do so by collecting the information from all such requests of all their customers. Part of the reason for this reaction (or lack thereof) on your part is because you understand that you are in a public place – and as such, the expectation is that your public requests are public knowledge. However, we do not feel the same way when Amazon or Google track our purchases, our interests, etc. What’s the difference?
When you walk into a physical store, you understand that you are acting in the public sphere. But when you are shopping on Amazon, you are in the private sphere. Even if you are shopping on your phone in public, you are using your personal item (phone) to make a purchase in a way that certainly feels private. You are not interacting with others – at least not in the sense that’s normally associated with the public sphere. It’s that feeling of dissociating from the public sphere that makes the notion of someone on the other end of the transaction following your interests disturbing in a way that suggests a breach of private space. And that’s despite the fact that you are engaged in what is normally a public action.
Finally, and most importantly, activities that once had a clear private form, now necessarily take on a public form. While we may feel that we are having a private conversation over some form of social media, that is inherently incorrect. The use of internet means that we are acting in an artificial medium; a medium that is necessarily constructed, maintained, and supervised by a 3rd party. A chatroom, or any other social media platform (or the very use of internet, for that matter) is an artificial environment. The mere use of that environment means that someone has to maintain its existence, and your ability to use it. As a result, the use of internet (and particularly of specific platforms) means that you cannot be in a private space – because you are, necessarily, always supervised. On the internet, you are never without another person in the room; you are never without a chaperone.
All websites and apps are, by definition, public spaces. Even if you are alone, the platform is with you. Websites and apps are, in essence, something like particular city squares. This one may hold a market, that one may be dedicated to mingling. However, they are all public squares. When you decide to visit, you are, inherently, in public. The fact that you can visit these public spaces, while otherwise remaining in private and engaging in activities strictly prohibited in the private sphere (e.g. tweeting from your toilet), does not change the fact that you are, in fact, acting publicly.
And here lies the rub. In the traditional distinction, we know which acts belong to which sphere. Thus, we do not complain when our public acts are recorded. We certainly do not demand laws to prevent the actions of the public sphere from being public – as such a demand is senseless. But the confusion of the internet age is precisely in the fact that the two spheres, which had been obviously demarcated until just a few years ago, have merged in the internet medium. We have not had the time to reevaluate or reformulate our ethical or legal comprehension of these developments. In fact, it seems like we have not even grasped the issues properly – given the kinds of incoherent ideas about internet that abound.
Demanding internet privacy, as if it were a matter of traditional form of privacy, fails to grasp the realities of what the internet is; namely a public forum where all our behaviors necessarily go through a public 3rd party. The fact that we feel as if our actions on the internet take place in the private sphere is no more helpful than feeling that we’re not exposed in public – reality takes no note of our feelings, and if the two are out of sync, then it is reality that wins.
The proliferation of new varieties of social media and other platforms is only adding to the confusion. The old ethical and legal norms are breaking under the weight of the changes in context. However, we are still mostly attempting to work from our old models of ethics and law. Partially, this is because the new technology is complicated enough to avoid easy comprehension. The problem is compounded by the fact that many of the people responsible for making judgments and laws regarding this field have an entirely inadequate grasp on the technology.
That is not to say that internet privacy is not something to work towards. However, whatever form such privacy takes will necessarily require a reevaluation, reformulation, and redefinition of what privacy is, what it entails, and what a breach of such privacy means. The traditional division of public and private spheres in the age of internet is no longer a meaningfully functional distinction.
Step one seems to be to admit that we have a problem: a problem created by the fact that the introduction of new technology has wildly altered the context in which our ethical and legal ideas are supposed to function. Step two would then be to reevaluate, reformulate, and redefine what those once-familiar terms can and should mean in this new context. Only then will the pursuit of a “solution” be coherent, because only then can the problem be defined – and therefore, only then can we have a coherent notion of what we’re talking about. Unfortunately, while we have begun to move in the correct direction on step one, if slowly, step two seems to have entirely skipped. Until we direct our attention to the fact that the ideas we once held are no longer tenable, that our concepts and reality have come out of joint, there is no meaningful chance for real progress in the ethical dimension of technology.
With the notable exception of private actions that had a direct impact on the public sphere – such as plotting criminal activity or treason – but the nature of such action exposes them to legal sanction and justifies the intrusion into such “private” spaces by law enforcement.
Communal activities in a private space, such as parties held in a home, take on a version of public form, by the nature of their “open” character.
Senseless because they attempt to break the law of identity; to demand that public sphere should be private – i.e. a demand that a = ~a. | http://actionablecs.com/internet-privacy/ |
Ageing and health
By 2030, one in every six people on the planet will be 60 or older, and by 2050, the global population of people 60 and older will have doubled (2.1 billion), with the number of people aged 80 or older expected to triple.
Ageing explained
These changes are neither linear nor consistent, and they are only tangentially related to age in years. In addition to physical changes, aging is frequently linked to other life transitions such as retirement and relocation.
Common health conditions associated with ageing
Hearing loss and cataracts are common conditions in older people, as are frailty, urinary incontinence, falls, delirium, and pressure ulcers. Geriatric syndromes include frailty, urinary incontinence, falls, delirium, and pressure ulcers.
Factors influencing healthy ageing
Maintaining healthy behaviors throughout life can reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases, and supportive physical and social environments enable people to do what matters to them.
Challenges in responding to population ageing
Globalization, technological advancements, urbanization, migration, and changing gender norms are all influencing the lives of older people. Public health professionals and society as a whole must address ageist attitudes.
WHO response
The WHO Global Strategy and Action Plan, as well as the United Nations Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, serve as foundations for the Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021u20132030), which aims to reduce health inequities and improve the lives of older people, their families, and communities.
How do seniors affect society?
Seniors do housework, home maintenance, and yard work not only for themselves, but also for others; they provide transportation or run errands for others; and they provide emotional support and friendship, such as the senior who checks in on a housebound friend to see how she is doing and stays for a chat.
Why are the elderly important to our society?
Older people are valuable members of any society, and they have the right to live in dignity in later life, which includes psychological and health issues, as well as the ability to participate in society and a secure source of income.
What are the challenges facing the elderly?
This article discusses the most pressing issues that elderly people face today, as well as how we can help them age with dignity.
- Financial insecurity.
- Difficulty with daily tasks and mobility.
- Finding the right care provider.
- Access to healthcare services.
What is the role and importance of elders in our lives?
Understanding their needs and concerns will ensure their good health, and providing emotional support to the elders will keep them jovial, which is invariably the ideal way to live a healthy life.
What are the four major old age problems?
Dementia, psychotic depression, personality changes, mood swings, aggression, and other mental health issues affect the elderly.
What is the most common disease in the elderly?
The most common chronic disease of older adults (23), hypertension, is a major contributor to atherosclerosis and is associated with mortality even at advanced ages. Isolated systolic hypertension is particularly common among older adults and is associated with mortality even at advanced ages.
What is the best way to care for the elderly?
12 Tips for Caring for Elderly Family Members
- Check Their Medications.
- Hire Help.
- Make Home Modifications.
- Talk Openly About Their Finances.
- Take Care of the Important Paperwork.
- Watch for Driving Issues.
- Keep Them Active.
What is the role of the elderly in the family?
Grandfathers and grandmothers are often the most religious and charitable members of the family; in India, religion and charity are often closely linked, and the elderly often lead the way in charitable giving. Grandfathers and grandmothers play an important role in raising children.
What are the advantages of having an elderly person at home?
The Advantages of Seniors Living at Home
- The ability to retain much of their independence.
- The comforts of remaining in their most familiar place.
- Personal possessions that they may not be able to keep in a nursing facility.
What are the roles of elders in the community?
Elders are role models, resources, and advisors at UCN, providing guidance and support to students, staff, and administration. They are recognized for their gifts, their love and knowledge of the land and language, and their knowledge of traditions. | https://allabouttheelderly.com/care-for-the-elderly/readers-ask-how-do-elderly-people-impact-our-society.html |
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In addition, use of the internet carries the inherent risk of unauthorized access to your files, communications and data. More information about this is provided below under “What Security Methods Are Used To Secure Online Data About Me?”
Correcting/Updating/Deactivating Personal Information
What Security Methods Are Used to Secure Online Data About Me?
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Nonetheless, we do not guarantee the security of our database or records, nor that unauthorized parties won't intercept information you send or receive over the internet. The internet, like all networks, is a shared resource, which means that it is inherently subjects you and other users to the risk of unauthorized access to your files and data. This may be the case even when passwords, SSL or other encryption and other security measures are implemented. These risks not unique to the Mediacom Websites, but are usually present whenever and however you access or use the internet. Accordingly, if you use the Mediacom Websites or the internet to send, receive or post personal, confidential or sensitive information, you do so solely at your own risk.
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The California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA) (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1798.100 to 1798.199) grants California Consumers, as defined in § 1798.045, the right to know what personal information a business collects, sells, or discloses about them, including the categories of third parties who purchased or received their data. As a California Consumer, you have the right to request that Mediacom disclose certain information to you about our collection and use of your personal information over the past 12 months. You also have the right to request that Mediacom delete any of your personal information that we collected from you and retained, subject to certain exceptions. In order to exercise your access and deletion rights, please submit a verified consumer request to us by either: (1) calling us at 833-998-1824; or (2) visiting https://support.mediacomcable.com/ccpa. In addition, please visit https://mediacomcable.com/legal/ccpa-privacy-notice/ to read our full Privacy Notice for California Consumers. | https://www.mediacomcable.com/legal/website-privacy-policy/ |
Artículo preparado con Anthony Tillett para el libro de próxima publicación, editado por James Forest & Philip Altbach, International Handbook of Higher Education(2 Volumes); Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Springer.
Chile has not escaped the multiple pressures facing higher education across the world (Brunner, 2003). All countries face the urgent task of refocusing higher education through more flexible and adaptive institutions as a way of maintaining their social and educational relevance.
Moreover, for developing countries, present choices require that higher education address an historic deficit—ensuring greater equity of access and opportunity—as increasing numbers of students achieve satisfactory primary and secondary education levels, thus leading to increasing demand among qualified applicants to higher education.
Any analysis of the response of Chile’s higher education to the historic deficit and future needs must be broadened to include the history, policy and approaches of the institutions themselves. When compared to many European countries, for example, Chile’s higher educational institutions are strongly autonomous and the role of the government consequently weaker. Indeed, there is no overall planning for the sector and government policy is limited to specific financial support (and, increasingly, persuasion). There is, however, a growing opinion that higher educational institutions have a key role in supporting greater economic competitiveness, crucial for Chile’s open economy, and this recognition is creating a consensus about the value and importance of higher education among government, economic groups and the public at large.
Chile’s response is shaped by the move, over the last thirty years, from a predominantly state-controlled to a market system in providing higher education (Brunner, 1997). Costs and funding have become the predominant issues, together with two characteristic market issues— economies of scale and regulation. Higher education in Chile today is shaped less by relations with the government than by interactions between the component institutions. Even so, there is a healthy recognition among policy makers and university leaders that educational excellence, based on international norms, must be a principal goal for higher education. For a market higher education system, where the units are autonomous, quality presents a formidable challenge. As government funding is limited, both as a matter of economics and policy, public policy relies on competition to provide these changes. Hence, the challenge of building a solid consensus about the value of higher education and its future role goes hand in hand in providing greater opportunities to overcome the historic deficit and adjusting to competition for students and funds by higher educational institutions. | http://www.brunner.cl/?p=363 |
Maps and reports for landslide mapping along King County river corridors
The following presents the products completed for this project along the river corridors of King County.
Landslide hazard mapping along the river corridors of King County
The final products for this project include the following:
Mapping
The final landslide GIS datasets are as follows:
- Study Limits (polygon)
- Deep-seated landslides GIS datasets provided by Shannon & Wilson contained extensive information in attached attribute tables. Content and type of specific shapefiles are:
- Entire landslide (polygon)
- Top of headscarp (polyline)
- Headscarp and flank scarps (polygon)
- Landslide deposit/body (polygon)
- Internal scarps, if present (polyline)
- Toe along riverbank, if present (polyline)
- Closed depressions, if present (polygon)
- Ponded water, if present (polygon)
- Watercourses courses, if present (polyline)
- Debris slides (shallow landslides) GIS dataset are vector shapefiles containing moderate and severe shallow landsliding potential hazards (polygon).
- Depositional fans GIS datasets are polygon shapefiles having the following content:
- Puget Lowland fans (polygon; lsr_f_lowlandfans)
- Alpine fans less likely subject to debris flows (polygon; lsr_f_alpinefanlesslikelydf)
- Alpine fans more likely subject to debris flows (polygon; lsr_f_alpinefanmorelikelydf)
- Rock fall potential GIS dataset is a polygon shapefile of the CONEFALL output (polygon; lsr_rf_rockfallpotential)
- Rock avalanche deposits GIS dataset is a polygon shapefile (polygon; lsr_rf_rockavalanchedeposit)
These GIS datasets are available through the King County GIS Center. A hard copy of the GIS datasets is not provided as part of this document.
Landslides inventory
It is common knowledge to landslide practitioners that where a landslide has occurred, it may happen again. An inventory of historic landslides was completed for the study limits. Historic landslides are landslides that are known to have occurred either from observation, studies, or monitoring.
Geotechnical reports, landslides studies and maps, permit applications, and field reports are commonly stored at city, county, and federal agencies. Five divisions or sections within King County were contacted to inquire about landslide-related data . Additionally, 11 cities, two Washington state agencies, three local public utilities, the United States Forest Service, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, and the University of Washington were also queried.
These data are included as a dataset in the web viewer as "Historical landslides" and as a point shapefile in the KC GIS Center in the GIS Data Portal (lsr_historicallandslides).
Report
Report ( 9.4 MB PDF) — The report accompanies the mapping and summarizes all work completed by the Flood Control District for mapping along the river corridors in King County. This mapping does not cover all of King County.
Web tool
The web tool includes all map layers, inventory, and summarized information about landslides types.
Phase 1 - Results of preliminary landslide investigation in King County, phase 1
Technical Memorandum (2.7MB PDF) — The Phase 1 technical memorandum presents a preliminary map of the status of work to date at the end of 2014, and includes areas where landslides have occurred in the past and could be subject to landslides in the future. This mapping was preliminary and not appropriate for determining the safety or stability of any parcel in the study area.
King County used LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology to add to the existing information to show landslide hazard areas along major rivers and significant tributaries, in both cities and unincorporated areas, and Vashon-Maury Island. The preliminary investigation does not cover all of King County.
The Phase 1 preliminary map does not replace existing Landslide Hazard Mapping used for permitting and regulations. | https://kingcounty.gov/services/environment/water-and-land/flooding/maps/river-landslide-hazards/maps-reports.aspx |
WASHINGTON: Aiming to foster greater "cultural diplomacy" between the US and foreign countries, the US State Department is turning to art to help improve its image and facilitate a better bond between cultures.
On September 25, the department announced a new partnership, called the Global Cultural Initiative, with the Kennedy Center, the American Film Institute, and others to educate Americans and participating nations about other cultures.
The Global Attitudes Project study released in June by the Pew Research Center found favorable opinions of the US have declined since last year in many countries.
Instead of a traditional PR push, the department hopes that artistic stimuli will help cultures understand each other.
"Public diplomacy isn't just the work of government," said Karen Hughes, undersecretary for public diplomacy and public affairs, in a speech. "Every American who travels abroad or welcomes a foreign visitor can be an ambassador for America."
The Kennedy Center is organizing overseas projects, including one in Pakistan, to showcase US performing artists. The American Film Institute will showcase 20 US and foreign filmmakers at international film festivals and other venues. The National Endowment for the Arts will develop literary exchanges between the US and Pakistan, Russia, and other nations. The National Endowment for the Humanities will organize trips by teachers from various countries to summer seminars in the US.
The State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is overseeing the new effort. A spokesperson said that federal funding for cultural exchange programs may have tripled since 2001, to about $4.5 million for 2006, but partnering with private organizations greatly stretches the US' presence overseas.
"Public diplomacy can't just be the job of the government; you [must] have partners," said the spokesperson, who wished to remain anonymous. | https://www.prweek.com/article/1260415/state-dept-turns-arts-diplomacy-effort |
This group helps members gradually incorporate enjoyable, fulfilling activities back into their everyday lives and to regain a sense of control over depression. The group’s goals are to help you:
- Identify negative or distorted thinking patterns that can contribute to feelings of hopelessness and helplessness.
- Explore learned thoughts/behaviors that can create problems and contribute to depressed mood.
- Gain awareness of symptoms as they relate to feelings and behavior.
- Learn skills to feel more in control of your life and to diminish feeling depressed.
- Learn skills to improve self-care and self-esteem and avoid isolation.
- Explore experiences with depression and empower proactive steps toward restoring health.
Time: 6:00pm-7:30pm
Date: 1st session begins Monday August 1, 2016
Fee: $75/session
*Group enrollment will be ongoing. | http://www.bowmanmedicalgroup.com/services/group-therapy |
Domestic violence reports up by 50% in Eureka amid pandemic
Not enough shelter space for survivors, service group says
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A graphic shows the increase in domestic violence reports and arrests, along with commercial burglaries, in Eureka since the shelter-in-place order went into effect March 20. (Courtesy of Eureka Police Department)
Domestic violence is continuing to escalate as people stay at home and the county’s shelter doesn’t have enough space for survivors.
Calls to the Humboldt County Domestic Violence Services have been slowly increasing and they continue to be more crisis-focused since the statewide shelter-in-place order went into effect March 20, said Brenda Bishop, executive director of the organization. While the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and Arcata Police Department didn’t see increases in reports of domestic violence since the order went into effect, Eureka saw a 50% increase in domestic violence reports and a 30% increase in arrests related to domestic violence.
“Domestic violence should never happen to anyone but it does all too frequently, often going unreported,” Eureka Police Chief Steve Watson said in a statement. “Abuse is never okay but you are not alone. The COVID-19 emergency has not changed in the least how we will respond to and handle domestic violence cases. We will arrest offenders and they will be booked into the Humboldt County Jail.”
On the other hand, Arcata has seen disturbance calls between a man and woman declined by 76%, said Arcata Police Chief Brian Ahearn, and domestic violence numbers have remained relatively stable or gone down in the unincorporated parts of the county, though domestic battery reports went from five apiece in February and March to 11 in April, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
However, survivors are usually disinclined from calling the police except as a last resort, Bishop said, which is why there needs to be more shelter space for people experiencing domestic violence.
“The one we have now is continually full because we have just outgrown it,” Bishop said. “We cover the entire county, so if you think of how one in every four women is violated through domestic violence — and it’s two out of four for Native (American) women — you can see that we really need another shelter.”
Survivors of domestic violence become homeless as a result of the violence and can’t just be placed in any shelter or motel room, particularly if they’ve been trafficked, because they have “a whole different trauma they’re working on,” Bishop said.
That’s become even more complicated with the COVID-19 pandemic because domestic violence survivors may avoid going to the emergency room to avoid overtaxing the system or for fears of catching the coronavirus, she said.
Some survivors already had a safety plan in place to help them cope with living with an abuser, “but now they’re cooped up with their abuser” and there’s no way for them to have some time alone at home or to go to work, Bishop said. That’s leading to a lot more intense calls than the nonprofit usually gets, she said.
“Some of them are pretty violent and survivors are speaking about being trapped and being beaten, tortured,” she said.
The dynamics of the violence are speeding up as well, she said.
According to experts on violence, the cycle of violence includes three phases: (1) the tension-building phase, (2) the abusive incident and (3) the honeymoon phase. In the first phase, tension between the individuals is building, followed by an incident where one of the individuals is abused. That’s followed up by a period of where the person responsible for enacting the abuse tries to make up for it through apologies, gifts and other means.
Now the honeymoon period is being skipped over, Bishop said.
“Survivors may be used to the routine of how violence occurs and know how to manage that,” Bishop said. “But this is a whole different game.”
The nonprofit works with women to find a safe place to go even if the shelter is at capacity, Bishop said. Advocates can also work with survivors to create a safety plan, find out what services they need and inform them of their options, such as filing for a restraining order, she said.
For more information, go to hdvs.org. Callers can reach the organization’s 24-hour support line at 707-443-6042. | |
The Medieval period covered a wide period of time from about 1066 to 1485, and it was a thrilling time in fashion, especially for the royalty. If they didn’t keep the fire burning all night, they would have to make one with a tinder box or use an ember from the neighbors. Most meals were also served with... Our experts can answer your tough homework and study questions. Children, women, the elderly and the sick were also allowed breakfast. Fish was plentiful and could be obtained from the rivers and streams. Hey, wait. Below is an image that indicates life in a village. Beef was not as common as today, while cows and oxen were in first place valued as working animals and for milk production. Today, I just want to answer the question “did people eat breakfast in the Middle Ages?”. This was not an occasional ban. It was a village with a castle, a church and some land around it. A Knight's daily life: ... A Peasant in the middle ages did not have a very nice life. Interesting Facts about Kings and Court in the Middle Ages. Serfs didn't have many choices and usually just ate a plain meal of bread and stew. Many myths about Vikings in the Middle Ages also exist. Venice at Sea: How Medieval Venetian Seapower Grew to Shape Early Modern Warfare in the Mediterranean, Medieval Bloodletting and the Four Humors – Realistic "medieval" FANTASY for HEMA & Military History Nerds. Playing football, for example, became a crime punishable by prison. Fires were kept going day and night. Breakfast (jantaculum) was largely confined to the elite; to travellers and to some manual workers. Water was often unclean and undrinkable. What did people in the medieval/dark ages/middle ages eat for breakfast lunch and dinner? 3 fish or meat dishes. Most people in the middle ages (medieval ages) did not eat breakfast because they were continuing their "fast" from dinner. The kings had a special seal they would use to stamp official documents. A knight would often be expected to attend at a feast given by those of even higher standing than himself, perhaps a high ranking bishop or even the King. Knights were a group of wealthy soldiers who wore thick armor and rode on horses. Many indentured workers were given nuncheons (snacks) as part of their wages. This same world had even fewer sinks, towels and soaps. Each pie contained a whole roe-deer, a gosling, three capons, six chickens, ten pigeons, one young rabbit, and, no doubt to serve as seasoning or stuffing, a minced loin of veal, two pounds of fat, and twenty-six hard-boiled eggs, covered with saffron and flavoured with cloves. © copyright 2003-2020 Study.com. The king gave land to his most important noblemen and bishops. Also eaten were peacocks, hedgehogs and squirrels. Terence Scully, The Art of Cookery in the Middle Ages, pp 119-120 "The very poor doubtless ate when they could, but the slightly better-off peasants seem generally to have eaten three times a day. Armies on campaign carried a lot of preserved foods like biscuits and salted meats. Households with grooms might use that fire for other purposes, like keeping spiced wine warm or warming water for baths, and any form of liquid might be all a person needs to begin the day. If a king were to back out from a battle, there was plenty of men willing to take his spot as king. The main meal eaten by Medieval peasants was a kind of stew called pottage made from the peas, beans and onions that they grew in their gardens. There were two types of Peasants, Serfs and Freemen. In some cases, these were outlawed. knights ate: meats (chicken) seasonings, they drank wine and ale. Services, Knighthood & the Middle Ages Code of Chivalry, Working Scholars® Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. Prior to this, I kinda took breakfast for granted, too. Back in the Middle Ages in Europe, what you ate depended a lot on how rich you were. These nuncheons would be eaten during fast breaks before dinner, a large midday meal, and before supper, a second meal for after the day’s work was through. Create your account. In the Middle Ages most people lived on a manor . Medieval kings are those who ruled during the medieval period, roughly 475 AD to 1500 AD in Europe. A hole in the thatch above, perhaps with an outside thatch … Men were ashamed of breakfast. It took organization and order to issue meals to the entire army, and there might be more serious things to spend time organizing against when on campaign than breakfast. Today, we can make breakfast in two minutes. In a typical household somewhere in Europe during the Middle Ages, if you had some instant food you could eat in the morning before work like bread or vegetables that didn’t need to be cooked, or indeed leftovers from yesterday’s supper which had been kept warm next to the fire overnight, it might be wiser to save these foods for today’s supper anyways, especially if you had other people to feed. In “Soldier of the Mist”, the people are described as eating only two meals – the first and the second – and sometimes they eat the first quite late in the day. Today the word “breakfast” gets shuttlecocked across American streets like coffee. Surprisingly enough, kings had to fight in wars, leading his armies and putting his own life at risk as well. Middle Ages Food for a King We have all heard about the extravagant feasts and banquets of the Medieval era of the Middle Ages. In feudal society, there were only so many roles dedicated to preparing and cooking food. What did lords/ nobles eat for breakfast? In Scandinavian history, the period from the late eighth century until the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 is known as the Viking Age. To wrap things up, let’s just that the way breakfast is treated in today’s Western culture didn’t exist in medieval times. This practice is a direct consequence of having a lack of ways to preserve food. Many kings during the first part of the Middle Ages couldn't read or write. Medieval cuisine includes foods, eating habits, and cooking methods of various European cultures during the Middle Ages, which lasted from the fifth to the fifteenth century.During this period, diets and cooking changed less than they did in the early modern period that followed, when those changes helped lay the foundations for modern European cuisine. Several sorts of beer were available. Middle Ages food for poor people revolved around barley. We usually eat the three meals after awakening in the morning, midway and at night, respectively. The Middle Ages, or Medieval era, was a time with many distinct social systems. The difference in medieval food consumed between peasants and lords can even be … The feudal system was in full swing in Europe and sumptuary laws kept finer clothing from the peasants and lower classes. Or would you maximize the efficiency of your time by getting your arse to the fields? Find answers now! They had meats, vegetables, fruits, oats and bread. The people of the middle ages drank ale, beer, mead or cider as well as different types of wine. Most early Celts lived in large, community roundhouses, each of which had a central fire—no fireplaces yet. Coffee’s good with breakfast, too. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Vikings in the Middle Ages used the Baltic and … Every now and then I get asked "What did they eat for breakfast in the middle ages?" answer! Meat was considered prestigious by all classes of feudal society in the Middle Ages. Pork was the most commonly eaten meat by both serfs and nobility. Im doing a project and i have a bunch of recipes i found but i have no idea what is for what meal. Wouldn't mind like a little menu on exactly what was in the dish e.g. Generally, dinner and supper–two large meals instead of three–was the norm. Certain religious observances banned the eating of meat on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. When speaking about the monastic and much of the familia in general, it wouldn’t be sensible for us to dispute the broad statement that there was a custom of “fasting piously” during the night. Today, most individuals have three meals per day, consisting of a breakfast, a lunch and a dinner. Breakfast was eaten by men who performed manual labor for practical reasons. But, in real actuality at the time kings were revered figures in their homelands for the most part. Venison was reserved for kings and the rich. Home / History / Middle Ages / What Did Medieval Knights Eat for Breakfast? But it shouldn’t surprise anyone if people had a quick bite of some bread or leftovers before heading out the door in the morning, especially if their stomachs were grumbling. 1 Questions & Answers Place. All rights reserved. Menus for the wealthy were extensive, but only small portions were taken. Monks ate “collations” and then read Collationes by Cassian, and they would pray for forgiveness if eating was the first thing they did in the morning. The bread was made from grain such as barley and wheat- which was mixed with meat, especially pork- which had to be grounded into flour. Veni Sancti Spiritus! This is kind of a vague question, but in general, kings were revered figures throughout history on average. A Noble's life was similar to a Kings, except they were of a lower rank. In medieval times kings ate bread, fruits and oats. In terms of timing, it was not to be eaten until the first mass of the day had been completed. Ah, there’s nothing like a mug of coffee at 4 a.m. with some jazz music. As the Middle Ages progressed, other sports started to grow in popularity. (This only applies to some people.) Earn Transferable Credit & Get your Degree, Get access to this video and our entire Q&A library. Meat was also banned during the religious seasons of Lent and Advent. I know they didn't call the meals "breakfast, lunch and dinner" but i hope you guys know what i mean. ... To the left is a picture showing what peasant houses looked like in the Middle Ages. What you say here makes perfect sense though! There is more to this volume than the title suggests. Knights in the Middle Ages: The Middle Ages, or Medieval era, was a time with many distinct social systems. They could hunt rabbits or hares but might be punished for this by their lord. Click this link to one of my previous posts: Medieval Table Manners. Their day meal, called dagmal, was basically breakfast and served about an hour after rising.The evening meal, called Nattmal, was served in Knights often ate roasted meat (chicken, pig, rabbit, etc) and local vegetables like carrots, cabbage and onion. Eating Habits of the Time T he people of the middle ages not only consumed food that are very different from what we are accustomed to today, their habits of eating were also very different. What natural human needs does Don Quixote... Don Quixote believed that the two friars were... Who is considered the first modern novelist? Peasants ate: plain foods. No. Is that why breakfast wasn’t relatively prevalent in the Middle Ages?–because they didn’t have coffee? Now ask yourself, if you didn’t have a steward and dozens of grooms to manage your fires, your laundry, your water-supply, your waste-management and so on, would you have breakfast? In the European Middle Ages, breakfast was not usually considered a necessary and important meal, and was practically nonexistent during the earlier medieval period.Monarchs and their entourages would spend much time around a table for meals. Author Timothy RJ Eveland | LitHEMA Publishing – getting people excited about the real Middle Ages. Whatever the armies’ priorities were, breaking fast early in the day wasn’t a necessary given for any soldier. There’re much more important things to do like witnessing God’s word! please help me! Moralists and members of the church did not believe in breaking the overnight fast right at the time of waking. On certain campaigns, food might come as an extreme luxury during all eight hours of the day (Matins, Lauds, Prime, Tierce, Sext, None, Vespers, Compline). Timeline of the Middle Ages; Religion and Cathedrals in the Middle Ages; Medieval Castles; Life in the Middle Ages; Knights, Tournaments and Weapons . Today, I just want to answer the question “did people eat breakfast in the Middle Ages?” It goes without saying that medieval people in general ate a lot less than Americans do today. For a drink they had wine or ale. Only two formal meals were eaten per day—one at mid-day and one in the evening. What was the role of a knight in medieval... How did the concept of chivalry influence medieval... How to become knighted by the Queen of England. Breakfast was sometimes given to the infant, the sick and the elderly by caretakers to help regain and maintain strength. What did kings eat for breakfast? Middle ages food for rich people included wheat and meat Medieval kings were all-powerful. Food in the Early Middle Ages — The Central Fire. Sciences, Culinary Arts and Personal Game birds such as the heron, crane and crow were considered delicacies. Employers with the means to have a meal ready in the early moments of the day had breakfast earlier than people who didn’t have the wherewithal. Almost every small thing we take for granted when it comes to making a quick breakfast today didn’t exist or was very rare in medieval times:Â electricity, running-water, transportation. The people in the Middle Ages ate their breakfast between the hours of 6am and 7am. The current collective wisdom on this gives the answer of, "They didn't eat breakfast," along with side comments like "Only the elderly and infirm ate breakfast, so eating breakfast … Breakfast was not a normal meal in the Middle Ages. There were three principal meals eaten in the Middle Ages: breakfast, lunch and supper. Grain provided 65-70% of calories in the early 14th century. Social etiquette dictated that an extensive choice of foods should be made available. Barley bread, porridge, gruel and pasta, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The author, a professor of history at Lancaster University, has spent many arduous days exploring the deserts and wadis of the Holy Land in search of early monastic sites and one of the pleasures of the book is its clear account of the early history of the monastic movement and the way in which practices varied enormously between east and west. Want to know what nobles feasted on in the Middle Ages? If you were a healthy adult, you might be seen as weak for needing a breakfast depending on the context. What food did knights eat in the medieval times? By Staff Writer Last Updated Mar 28, 2020 5:40:47 AM ET Medieval knights ate … With a lack of fridges and advanced food-preservation, most people in medieval times, especially indentured people, didn’t have an easy means of making a meal before going to work. Taxes were often levied only when the king ran out of money or needed to raise an army for war. And i try to look stuff up but it doesn't help. Become a Study.com member to unlock this It goes without saying that medieval people in general ate a lot less than Americans do today. The Viking Age. Relatively common were also chicken and lamb, while fish was viewed as an alternative to meat and was usually eaten on fast days. Kings were keen to ensure that the men under their command remained, quite literally, fighting fit, and to keep their archery skills up-to-speed. What food did knights eat in the medieval times? Many kept a pig or two but could not often afford to kill one. They had vegetables. The peasants often kept chickens that provided them with fresh eggs. Discuss the central dilemma of the chivalric... All managers are leaders. Right, let’s answer the question: “what did knights eat in the Middle Ages?” The concept of knighthood only truly appeared after about 1000, when certain ranks were introduced and the feudal system was founded. Both 'Beowulf' and 'Sir Gawain and the Green... King Arthur & The Knights of the Round Table: Lesson for Kids, The Struggle of the Orders: Plebeians and Patricians, Knights of Arthur's Round Table: Legend & Overview, Courtly Love in the Middle Ages: Definition, Characteristics & Rules, The Dark Ages: Definition, History & Timeline, High School US History: Homework Help Resource, NY Regents Exam - US History and Government: Help and Review, Prentice Hall History of Our World: Online Textbook Help, Educational Psychology: Homework Help Resource, Introduction to Political Science: Help and Review, Introduction to World Religions: Help and Review, Biological and Biomedical The Medieverse: Tim's Realistic "medieval" FANTASY Blog. That’s a deep, sociological question. Fasting during the Middle Ages People of the Middle Ages were highly religious and at certain times the eating of meat was banned. Of course, it is popular now to criticize kings, accentuate their faults and scandals, and deprecate them as tyrants and monsters. Peasants did not eat much meat. The reason I speak so generally is because obviously customs in 10th century Paris were a lot different than 15th century Florence and Venice where people on average ate very well. You definitely weren’t sinning if you skipped breakfast because you didn’t break your fast. For a drink the kings had wine or ale. In the average household of medieval cities, it was the wife’s job to go to the market almost every morning to get ingredients for the meals her family would have that day. They would eat a small breakfast and then head out to the fields. What did kings eat in the middle ages? In the Viking diet it was customary to eat two meals a day. In medieval records we have gobs and gobs of accounts of people having supper but very little of people having breakfast, and I think that’s for a good a reason. | https://www.leaderrecipes.com/goodbye-my-mpon/archive.php?tag=d3bc0f-what-did-kings-eat-for-breakfast-in-the-middle-ages |
Different studies in semi-arid regions showed that application of phosphorus fertilizers under drought stress conditions increased the crop yield. Most agricultural soils contain larger amount of fixed form of Phosphorus (P) than available P, a considerable part of which has accumulated as a consequence of regular applications of P fertilizers. Certain microorganisms such as phosphate solubilizing bacteria fungi, actinomycetes mostly those associated with the plant rhizosphere are known to convert insoluble inorganic phosphorus into soluble form that could be utilized by the plants. Among them, some phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) are being used as phosphatic biofertilizers for crop production. Phosphate solubilizing bacteria can solubilize fixed form of P to available form by the secretion of various kinds of organic acids, phosphatase enzyme, growth hormones etc. and increase availability of P to the plants. In this point of view, phosphatic biofertilizer may be used as an alternate option of chemical P fertilizer for lentil cultivation. Therefore, the present study was under taken to evaluate the effects of biofertilizer, chemical phosphorus and integrated application of fertilizers on yield and physiologic characteristics of lentil under drought and normal condition in karaj climate.
Materials and Methods
To evaluate the effect of drought stress on seed yield and physiological traits of lentil cultivar (Ziba) with chemical and bio phosphorus fertilizer, an experiment was conducted in split plot based on randomized complete blocks design CRBD design with four replications in research farm of University of Tehran (Karaj-Iran) during 2014-15. The main factor included three irrigation levels (irrigation after 70, 90 and 130 mm evaporation from open pan class A) and sub treatment were the kind of phosphorus fertilizers (100% super phosphate triple (P); bio-fertilizer; 50% P + bio-fertilizer; no p fertilizer and bio-fertilizer as a check) The bio-fertilizer contained co-inoculation of phosphobacterin (pseudomonas strains 93 & 187) and azotobactor. The characteristics recorded were no. of pods per plant, seed yield, seed protein content (%), relative water content (RWC), proline content and total leaf chlorophyll.
For statistical analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan’s multiple range test (DMRT) were performed using SAS ver. 9.2 software.
Results and Discussion
Interaction effect of irrigation and type of fertilizer had significant effect on pod number per plant, protein percentage, relative water content, free proline and chlorophyll content. The results indicated that normal irrigation (irrigation after 70 mm evaporation from open pan class A) × integrated phosphorus fertilizer (50% P + inoculation with bio-fertilizer) gave the highest seed yield. Similarly, P and bio-fertilizers application under severe drought stress condition produced higher seed yield compared to other treatments. This can be explained that PB inoculation enhanced the solubilization of phosphates in rhizosphere soil of lentil which stimulated the native Rhizobium and attributed to increase the nodule number and weight ultimately that showed positive effects on other growth and yield attributes of lentil.
However, for the RWC under normal irrigation × bio-fertilizer; for the total leaf chlorophyll under normal irrigation × 100% super phosphate triple; and for the proline content under severe drought stress × 100% super phosphate triple gave the highest values. With drought stress conditions, the leaf RWC and Proline contents reduced, which represented a relationship between these physiological traits and lentil seed yield.
Conclusion
In general, from the view of reducing chemical fertilizer uses to manner the environment-friendly and cost-saving cultivation, application of 50% P + seed inoculation with bio-fertilizer based on the result of this study is recommended. | https://agry.um.ac.ir/article_36725.html |
Things to Do in Kansai Prefecture - page 4
The Prefecture Government Sakishima Building (aka the Cosmo Tower, rises 840 feet (256 meters above the streets of Osaka and is home to trade offices linking cities around the globe. Glass elevators take visitors to an observatory on the 55th floor, where the 360-degree views extend as far as Awaji Island and the Rokko Mountains.
Osaka’s flashing lights, rich food culture and youthful, vibrant atmosphere make it a favorite destination with travelers, but it can all become overwhelming. The city’s Utsubo Park offers an escape. Housed on grounds that once served as U.S. airfield followed by a fish market, the oblong, rectangular park now serves as an urban green space where Osakans come to unwind and breathe the fresh air.
The Utsubo Tennis Center occupies the western end of the park, with eight courts available to the public by reservation. Of greater interest to the visitor are the extensive rose gardens at the east end of the park, and in May, flower lovers and shutterbugs flock here to take in the multi-hued summer display. While not as impressive as rose season, the park is also beautiful in mid-spring when the cherry blossoms are in bloom.
A 700-year-old pine tree welcomes visitors to Hosen-in Temple, a lodging site for Buddhist pilgrims since the 11th century. Part of this temple’s ceiling is made from blood-stained wooden floorboards from Fushimi Castle, which was invaded in 1600, resulting in a mass Samurai honor suicide.
Teramachi Street, a covered pedestrian shopping arcade in Kyoto, brims with shops and boutiques – a favorite shopping destination for Kyoto’s university students in particular. The name of the street translates to Temple Town, reflecting the many temples and shrines that occupied the area during the sixteenth century.
Today, it’s dominated by casual clothing shops and stores selling green tea, accessories, books and souvenirs. Hungry shoppers will find a few traditional Japanese confectioneries, as well as a variety of restaurants and cafes specializing in Japanese and international flavors.
Learn about how one of Japan’s most ubiquitous beers is made with a visit to Asahi Beer Suita Factory, the company's first brewery, built in 1891. Asahi offers daily tours, during which guests see, smell, and touch the hops and barley, along with other ingredients that go into brewing one of Japan’s best-known beers.
One of Japan's designated “three most scenic views,” Amanohashidate is a pine-covered sandbar that connects the two sides of Miyazu Bay. Amanohashidate, which translates to "bridge in heaven," got its name for its beauty: it is said to look like a pathway between heaven and earth.
Established in the late 19th century, the Nara National Museum is a well-respected exhibitor of Japanese Buddhist art. In addition to the original French Renaissance–style building, a newer wing also displays temporary exhibits. In both wings, visitors can admire predominantly Japanese Buddhist statues, paintings, scrolls, and ceremonial objects.
The Danjo Garan is the central temple complex of Japan's sacred Mt. Koya temple town. The UNESCO World Heritage site is comprised of about 20 buildings, including several temples, the ceremonial Kondo Hall, and the Great Stupa (Konpo Daito—a 160-foot (49-meter vermillion pagoda housing a mandala and five statues of the seated Buddha.
At Taiyo Park in Himeji, visitors can tour of some of the world’s most famous monuments without leaving Japan. The park contains smaller replicas of such iconic attractions as the Giza pyramids, the Statue of Liberty, and China’s Terracotta Warriors. Don’t miss the 3D trick-art gallery inside the replica of Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle.
One of the largest public aquariums in the world, the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is home to various species from the Pacific Ring of Fire and aquatic environments around the globe. Learn about local species such as Asian otters and giant spider crabs, and see other creatures, including sea turtles, sharks, penguins, and a host of tropical fish.
More Things to Do in Kansai Prefecture
Isshin-ji Temple
Marked by its modern steel and concrete gate and imposing guardian statues, the temple of Isshin-ji dates back to 1185 when it was founded by Honen, the founder of the Pure Land Sect of Buddhism. The temple is best known for its “Bone Buddha” statue made from the cremated remains of some 200,000 Osaka residents.
Museum of Oriental Ceramics
The finest ceramics from Japan, China, and Korea are gathered under one roof at Osaka’s Museum of Oriental Ceramics, housing a collection that is considered among the best in the world. Of the 6,000-pieces, some 300 sit on display at any given time; highlights include two registered National Treasures.
Mimuroto-ji Temple
Known as the "flower temple," Mimuroto Temple in Uji City near Kyoto showcases a vast array of seasonal flowers. Early spring sees cherry blossoms, while azaleas and hydrangeas start to flower later in the spring. Lotus plants complement the bright summer months, and autumn foliage colors arrive in late October or November.
Saiho-ji Temple
Known to locals as ‘Kokedera’—the ‘Moss Temple’—Saiho-ji Temple is home to lush moss gardens, considered among the most beautiful in Japan. Laid out in the 14th century, the zen meditation gardens are a verdant wonderland, where mossy banks lead to fish-filled ponds and gurgling brooks run through idyllic bamboo groves.
Spa World
Japan is famed for its onsen (hot springs, but there are few naturally occuring in the Osaka area. Luckily, visitors looking for a little relaxation of the soaking variety can find it at Spa World, one of the world’s largest hot springs complexes, where you’ll find kitschily decorated onsen and saunas from around the world.
Kyoto Handicraft Center
The Kyoto Handicraft Center is an easy one-stop-shop for browsing and purchasing local handicrafts, ranging from kimonos and decorative fans to pottery and dolls, and much more. Spanning three floors, a huge variety of traditional arts and handicrafts are available here, and the center also runs classes and rents kimono.
Myoshin-ji Temple
In the early 14th century, Japanese Emperor Hanazono abdicated to become a monk, turning his palace into what is now the Myoshin-ji Temple. This large complex houses a main temple and 50 sub-temples. Nearly all of the buildings were destroyed in a war in the 15th century and rebuilt over the next 150 years. The reconstructions stand today.
Osaka City Central Hall
The neo-Renaissance, red-brick, bronze-domed Osaka City Central Hall, built between 1913 and 1918, rivals Osaka Castle in its architectural beauty. The Iwamoto Memorial Room in the basement of the building commemorates Einosuke Iwamoto, an Osaka stockbroker who funded the construction.
Amami Onsen Nanten-En
Relax in hot springs surrounded by postcard-worthy Japanese scenery at Amami Onsen Nanten-En, a remote ryokan (guesthouse nestled among the mountains of Kyoto prefecture. The waters of the onsen at Amami Onsen Nanten-En have a high mineral content and are therefore said to have healing properties.
Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Trail
The only pilgrimage route besides the Camino de Santiago to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kumano Kodo is a network of trails through Kansai. In use for more than 1,000 years, the pilgrimage routes developed as a way to travel between sacred areas, a practice that tourists and pilgrims alike continue today.
Kinshi Masamune Horino Memorial Museum
The Kinshi Masamune Horino Memorial Museum is about more than tasting sake. This traditional sake-brewing house in Kyoto honors the legacy of Machiya culture, a style of wooden townhouse best exemplified in Kyoto. The house formerly belonged to the Horino family, founders of the craft beer company Kinshi Masamune, but has since been converted into a museum that is open to visitors interested in learning about the history of Japanese architecture and sake brewing.
Visiting the Horino Memorial Museum provides a unique look into the art of brewing sake. The museum has an exhibit on sake brewing tools, and travelers are invited to taste three different kinds of Japanese sake, all made with water from a well on the premises. The well-water is still used today to make beer. and visitors get the chance to make their own label for a bottle of sake to take as a souvenir.
Kiyotaki River
The crystal-clear waters of the Kiyotaki River make its banks one of the most scenic walking trails in the Kyoto area. Alighting from the bus at the Takao stop that heads west out of Kyoto and then on to Ninnaji Temple, it’s just a short walk down to the banks of the Kiyotaki River.
The river’s waters are impossibly clear, and within them lives the giant Japanese salamander. Measuring up to 1.5 meters long, the world's largest amphibian is sometimes referred to as the “living fossil” on account of the spices not altering much in 30 million years. The gentle walking trail along the river continues on to the village of Kiyotaki. From there, you can catch a bus to Arashiyama or else turn back and retrace your steps along the river.
Chionji Temple (Hyakumanben Chionji Temple)
In the sleepy and still-functioning Chionji Temple (Hyakumanben Chionji Temple), in north-central Kyoto, it’s possible to see monks praying with incense at an interior alter and long strings of giant juzu beads hanging in the rafters. Also called Hyakumanben Chionji and not to be confused with the Chion-in Temple north of the city and on the sea, the wing-roofed temple has a small garden, wooden statues and bells that clang during important ceremonies.
Chionji is accessed by a long cement walkway surrounded by dusty grounds that come alive, jam-packed with vendors, for an all-day flea market on the 15th of each month. It’s one of the largest gatherings of local artisans in Kyoto and has colorful stalls selling locally-crafted hand-painted items, children’s toys, leatherwork, furniture, ceramics and clothing; there are also several fortune-telling booths, food stalls and coffee tents.
Kyoto National Museum
The sprawling Kyoto National Museum campus, an homage to Japanese art and history, includes outdoor gardens featuring The Thinker sculpture by Auguste Rodin, a wing (new in 2014) housing permanent collection pieces, an older building showing a rotating slate of special exhibits and its own traditional Japanese tea house.
Similar in its permanent collections to the Tokyo National Museum, the Kyoto National Museum houses ceramics, calligraphy, paintings, archeological relics, intricate kimonos and more, but the special exhibitions and rotating showcases are where the museum really shines. Past displays have featured the art of Zen; photos, swords and artwork illustrating life and times of Sakamoto Ryoma (who helped usher in the modern Meiji government in the 1800s); vivid scrolls of humans and animals from the Kosan-ji temple; Buddhist art; and a feature exhibition on the work of Edo-period painter and poet Yosa Buson. Most items feature full signage in both Japanese and English. | https://10844.partner.viator.com/Kansai-Prefecture/d25611/4 |
Growth Is All That Matters, and Cruz's Tax Plan Would Generate the Most
The four candidates still in the running for the 2016 presidential election have all offered tax reform proposals. These plans have been widely analyzed. The analyses have identified who would pay more, who would pay less, and the projected impact upon the federal tax take (the percent of GDP that the federal tax system brings in). Unfortunately, the analysts have glossed over the only thing that truly matters about any tax plan: its impact upon economic growth.
Growth matters because the future matters, and because both human psychology and the financial markets base their assessments of the present (e.g., are things good or bad; asset market values) largely upon expectations regarding the future.
Quantitatively, the future is taken into account by performing present value calculations. The financial markets, which finance federal deficits and determine the value of the assets in pension plans, run on present value. And, present value calculations show that the growth rate of real GDP (RGDP) is the only thing that matters at all.
Here is an illustration. Over the entire economic history of the U.S. (1790 - 2015), RGDP growth has averaged 3.66%. If Bernie Sanders, rather than George Washington, had been our first president, and if his socialist economic policies had cost us just 0.1 percentage point of growth (which is the smallest increment that the Bureau of Economic Analysis can measure), 2015 GDP would have been $3.44 trillion (19.2%) lower.
"The one percent" currently earns 21.2% of national income, with the remaining 78.8% going to "the ninety-nine percent." Even if Bernie Sanders (the 2016 edition) could somehow equalize all incomes without destroying the economy (which he cannot), the "ninety-nine percent" would be better off today receiving 78.8% of a 3.66% RGDP growth economy, than they would be if they were getting 99.0% of an economy that had grown at 3.56% for the past 225 years.
But wait-the comparison gets even starker when you do formal present value calculations.
The most recent "Long-Term Budget Outlook" (LTBO) published by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) predicts that the U.S. economy will grow at 2.25% real, and that the federal government will be able to fund its deficits at a 2.00% real interest rate.
For each RGDP growth rate, there is a federal tax take that will yield the same present value of future federal revenues (PVFRs) as the CBO's LTBO case. The combinations of RGDP growth rates and tax takes that have the LTBO PVFR create "The Woodhill Curve."
Below is the Woodhill Curve generated by the latest CBO LTBO assumptions*.
Here is what the Woodhill Curve means regarding the presidential candidates tax plans:
1. Democrat Bernie Sanders is promising to raise the federal tax take by 6.40 percentage points, from the CBO's projected 18.1% of GDP to 24.50% of GDP. However, a loss of only 0.045 percentage points of economic growth (i.e., a reduction in the RGDP growth rate from 2.250% to 2.205%) would completely negate Sander's enormous tax increase. In other words, losing less than half of the smallest growth increment that the BEA reports would leave the federal government with no more long-term spending power than it has now.
2. Democrat Hillary Clinton is proposing to collect an additional 0.50% of GDP by raising taxes on "the rich." If this were to reduce RGDP growth by only 0.004 percentage points, the federal government would be no better off financially (and the nation would be worse off).
3. Republican Donald Trump is offering a tax plan that would cut the tax take by 4.00 percentage points. On a present value basis, it would take only an additional 0.037 percentage points of RGDP growth (i.e., an increase from 2.250% to 2.287%) to "pay for" Trump's tax cut.
4. Republican Ted Cruz is proposing a tax reform plan that would reduce the tax take by 3.60 percentage points. The RGDP growth increment that his plan requires is 0.033 percentage points (i.e., an increase from 2.250% to 2.283% growth).
The above numbers are derived from straightforward calculations based upon the CBO LTBO assumptions. The reason that the relationships are so extreme is that the CBO is projecting an average RGDP growth rate (2.25%) that is above the real interest rate (2.00%). However, this is not an unreasonable assumption. Over all of U.S. economic history, our average RGDP growth rate (3.66%) has certainly been higher than the real interest rate on federal debt.
Given that economic growth is the only thing that really matters, both to our standard of living and to the solvency of the federal government, we should be looking at cutting taxes to increase growth, as the Republican candidates are proposing. In the face of the numbers, you would have to be either crazy or a Keynesian** to be advocating tax increases, as the Democratic candidates are doing.
So, what kind of boost to RGDP growth could we reasonably expect from cutting taxes?*** Let's look at Ted Cruz's plan, which is more "pro-growth" than Donald Trump's.
By eliminating the corporate income tax, the capital gains tax, and the death/gift tax, it appears that Senator Cruz's plan would cut taxes on savings and investment by 2.6 percentage points of GDP. If all that this did was to cause nonresidential capital investment to go up by 2.6 percentage points of GDP (and it is likely that the increase would be much larger, due to incentive effects), this would increase RGDP growth by 1.14 percentage points (i.e., from 2.25% to 3.39%)****.
With 3.39% RGDP growth, America could be America again. Social Security and Medicare would be solvent, without tax increases or benefit cuts. Yes, the budget deficit would increase during the first few years, but then it would come down faster than the average CBO analyst can imagine.
The numbers are clear and compelling. America must cut taxes to increase capital investment and economic growth. Right now, Ted Cruz has the best plan to do this of any of the presidential candidates.
*The present value calculations are done using the Social Security Trustees' "to the infinite horizon" methodology, which is also how the financial markets judge federal government finances.
**Keynesians have a "Balanced Budget Hypothesis" (BBH), which purports to prove that raising taxes and spending in tandem would actually boost RGDP growth. Their BBH can't explain why the optimum tax take wouldn't be 100%, though.
***Assuming that the new president reins in the Federal Reserve, and requires that they stabilize the dollar. Without a stable dollar, no tax plan will work well.
****The U.S. economy delivers a consistent 44% GDP return on nonresidential assets. | https://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2016/03/24/growth_is_all_that_matters_and_cruzs_tax_plan_would_generate_the_most_102077.html |
4- Saving for your Dreams Should Start Now!
Tuesday, June 15, 2021
Knowing what you earn and having a solid budget are two necessary steps in managing your money. If you have both of these in place, you’ll want to set up plans to save for expenses you need to cover in the short term, long term, and in the event of an emergency. Having an actionable savings plan allows you to maximize your money and reach your investment goals.
3- Swap Living Paycheck to Paycheck for Living Budget to Budget!
Tuesday, June 1, 2021
Setting up a budget is relatively simple; sticking to your budget can be much harder! Ask yourself why you want or need a budget in the first place – that way, you have a goal in mind! Think about aligning your budget to a shorter-term goal like buying a home or affording a vacation. That way, the finish line isn’t so far off! Achievement is just around the corner, click here for some steps to get you going!
2- Know What you Earn!
Tuesday, May 11, 2021
Understanding your total compensation is a pillar of your financial literacy, but there’s so much that can go into it! For many employers, a comprehensive employee benefits package is one way to attract and retain their employees. However, not all packages are created equal – some employers will cover more of the costs than others. It’s vital to understand the structure of these benefits and their impact on your take-home pay so you can make educated financial decisions. Here are common elements of a compensation package.
1- Can you Pass the Test?
Tuesday, April 27, 2021
April is Financial Literacy Awareness Month! "Can You Pass the Test?" introduces our Financial Literacy Series. It's an excellent opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of financial literacy.
Financial literacy is the understanding of financial topics relating to personal finance, protection, borrowing, and investing. Here are the five key principles of financial literacy determined by the Federal Financial Literacy and Education Commission. Having a thorough knowledge of these concepts provides to base to make sound financial decisions that lead to a secure financial future. | https://www.sandiegowealth.com/financial-literacy-series |
By Howard Hurtig, MD, Chair, Department of Neurology, Co-Director, Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center, Pennsylvania Hospital, Frank and Gwladys Elliott Professor, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Patch or Pill? This is a frequently asked question by Lewy body dementia patients and caregivers who are considering a trial of medication to treat impaired memory and cognitive function. Lewy body dementias include dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and its close relative, dementia associated with Parkinson’s disease (PDD).
The first drugs for this purpose targeted a chemical neurotransmitter in the brain called acetylcholine. In the 1980’s this neurotransmitter was found in reduced levels in the autopsied brains of Alzheimer patients (and later in Parkinson brains). Clinical trials of medications that boosted the activity of acetylcholine (by blocking the degrading enzyme knows as acetylcholinesterase) showed benefit, and the FDA approved three of these cholinesterase inhibitors for therapeutic use in Alzheimer’s disease. These medications are donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine. A fourth drug, memantine, which works in the brain on a different chemical system, has also been approved for use in treating Alzheimer’s disease.
Later clinical trials in patients with DLB and PDD who were treated with the cholinesterase inhibitors showed modest improvement. One of these trials, headed by Dr. Murat Emre from Istanbul and published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine in 2005, showed that rivastigmine was effective in patients with PDD. The evidence was robust enough that the FDA approved rivastigmine in 2006 as an effective treatment for PDD.
Since patients with a clinical diagnosis of DLB were not included in the Emre trial, rivastigmine was not approved for DLB. However, many doctors who treat DLB consider its symptoms similar enough to PDD that rivastigmine is now widely used for both disorders.
Rivastigmine was given to patients in the Emre clinical trial in pill form, administered several times a day. A patch or transdermal (through the skin) delivery system had not been developed when the study was launched over a decade ago. The rivastigmine patch was developed and approved in 2007 as a once a day alternative to pills for people who had trouble remembering to take pills multiple times a day and for those for whom swallowing was difficult. None of the other cognitive enhancers is available in patch form.
Studies of the effectiveness of the two formulations of rivastigmine—pill vs. patch—have not shown a difference in benefit. Both were more effective than placebo. The patch was declared in one of these trials to be more effective than the pill. The occurrence of side effects, mainly nausea and vomiting, was lower in patients using the patch because the drug was delivered through the skin and not taken by mouth.
All of the clinical trials of cholinesterase inhibitors have shown a low but definite risk of mild worsening of Parkinson symptoms, particularly tremor. Other side effects include diarrhea and irritation of the skin at the site of patch application.
Each of the four available drugs currently on the market for treating cognitive symptoms in AD, DLB and PDD, donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), galantamine (Razadyne) and memantine (Namenda), has been shown to provide some benefit to patients who participated in clinical trials. Only 25 percent of patients in the Emre trial of rivastigmine were rated moderate or markedly improved.
We can assume that there are no practical differences among the three cholinesterase inhibitors, so if one is not helpful then the other two may not be effective either. On the other hand, if a patient can’t tolerate one cholinesterase inhibitor because of side effects, a trial of one of the other two is worthwhile. There have been no clinical trials comparing each of these drugs with the others to see if one stands out as more effective.
It is well known that the results of clinical trials must be interpreted cautiously because people who enter clinical trials are carefully selected and may not represent the population of patients at large who were not selected for a trial. It is also important to know that the results of these trials reflect average responses of the entire group of participants and could easily hide a positive effect of the drug on an individual patient, especially if the study shows no difference between the drug and a placebo.
Thus, in practice, it is vital for doctors treating patients with DLB and PDD to try one of the cholinesterase inhibitors to see if that particular patient might have a positive response. The same is true for memantine either alone or in combination with a cholinesterase inhibitor, since memantine has a different pharmacologic mechanism and the combination can sometimes give a positive response when either drug given alone has no effect. | https://www.lbda.org/ask-the-expert-which-cognitive-medication-delivery-is-more-effective-a-patch-or-pill/ |
The number of systems in commercially available vehicles that assist or automate driving tasks is rapidly increasing. At least for the next decade, using such systems remains up to the discretion of the user. In this paper, different reasons why drivers may disengage the autopilot are investigated. This was done through a simulator study in which the system could drive fully automated, but where participants could also disengage the system. Qualitative data were collected about why participants disengaged the autopilot. The analysis of the data revealed six themes covering the reasons why participants disabled the autopilot: The speed maintained by the autopilot, the behavior of the autopilot in relation to overtaking other vehicles, onset of boredom, onset of sleepiness, lack of trust in the autopilot, and enjoyment of manual driving. On the basis of the results, design opportunities are proposed to counteract the tendency to not use automated driving systems. | https://research.tue.nl/en/publications/why-disable-the-autopilot |
Expenses are a monetary estimate of the cost of material, labor, financial, natural, informational, and other types of resources spent (planned/budgeted) on making and selling products for a certain period of time.
Accounting of expenses by type and purpose plays an important role since financial results depend on the share of expenses in the total income of the company, and one of the main tasks of management is to optimize all costs. Expenses can be classified for various purposes, such as determining the cost of manufacturing, making management decisions and planning, controlling, and regulating specific types of expenses.
Operating costs
Operating expenses are associated with the manufacturing and sale of products (including administrative costs), the purchase and resale of goods, as well as costs associated with the performance of work, the provision of services. Buying a coffee machine is a capital expense while operating types of expenses include the cost of purchasing the coffee itself, sugar, water, electricity, and the cost of maintaining equipment.
Operating expenses include costs aimed at:
- office supplies
- legal expenses
- payroll
- telephone and internet expenses
- creation of cash reserves
- depreciation expense
- taxes
- sale and write-off of goods, fixed assets, finished products
- research and development.
These are costs that a company incurs to keep the company running or in the normal course of business. Comparing these types of expenses between companies gives a fair idea of which is more efficient.
Non-Operating expenses
These are the costs of covering fines, penalties, losses of previous years identified in the reporting period, exchange rate differences, expenses associated with maintenance of the leased property, etc. These are also known as non-recurring items because they include one-time expenses incurred or unusual costs. They are the expenses that occur outside of the day-to-day activities of the company but are still necessary.
These expenses not related to production and sales include reasonable costs for activities that are not directly related to manufacturing or sales. So, the interest expense is the result of financing activities and would be considered as a non-operating expense (unless this company provides financial services). Non-operating expenses would also include fines and penalties for breaches of contractual and debt obligations, recognized by the company voluntarily or based on a court decision.
Fixed costs
Major types of expenses also include fixed expenses. These costs do not depend on the volume of production. These include the costs of heating and lighting manufacturing units and offices, salaries of management personnel, depreciation of fixed assets, rent, etc.
If we use a hotel as our example, we can list at least a few fixed assets that a bookkeeper would include in the General ledger.
- Front desk employee wages
- Equipment purchase
- Furniture purchase
- Television, phone, and internet plans
- Newspaper subscriptions
- Linen and uniform purchases
- Advertising expenses
- Insurance expenses
- Mortgage payments
- Amortization of fixed assets (except amortization calculated based on units of production).
To be able to figure out if an expense is fixed or not, think if 10 or 15 more guests would mean an increase in these expenses. If the bill amount will not change, then it is a fixed expense
Some accountants prefer to single out the third type of expense – the so-called semi-fixed costs, which do not directly depend on the output but have a certain connection to it. For example, advertising costs are not directly related to how many units of a particular product a company is making, but as the product range expands, the company has to advertise more items, which affects the final price tag.
Another example of this type of cost is the cost of repairing equipment: despite the fact that fixed assets are usually repaired (maintained) according to a schedule, an increase in production creates an increased load on equipment and increases the likelihood of breakdowns.
Variable expenses
Variable costs per unit are normalized, their amount is directly proportional to the volume of production. These include the costs of basic materials and raw materials, wages of line workers, insurance contributions, the cost of transporting goods (large volumes of products require appropriate transportation capacity), etc.
For example, in a hotel, these costs may depend on the type of services provided, as well as the number of individuals who stay at the hotel. Expenses are classified as a variable if their value depends on the volume of services provided. In our example, you might see the following items under variable expenses:
- Linen cleaning
- Toiletries
- Fresh flower arrangements
- Free breakfast
- Cleaning supplies
- Room attendant wages and benefits
- Energy (partially).
Variable expenses, depending on the volume of services provided, can both increase (with an increase in the number of rooms being occupied) and decrease (the expenses reduce as the hotel has fewer guests). One of the interesting aspects of the behavior of variable costs is that these types of expenses are constant per unit of product, service. They are called variable because they change with the turnover of the company itself. In other words, variable costs per guest stay the same for each and every guest. | https://simple-accounting.org/major-types-of-expenses-in-accounting/ |
26 Feb 2002 – UK power regulator Ofgem today published reforms proposals for long-awaited changes to the transmission system in the England and Wales. The initiative comes shortly after similar proposals affecting gas transmission company Transco and attempts to update the operation of the system following privatization and changes to the pattern of supply and demand.
Behind the proposals is Ofgem’s commitment protect consumers interests by ensuring security of supply and a desire to reduce the “bottlenecks” which arise within the National Grid Company’s transmission system.
The need for reforms to transmission access and losses arrangements has been recognised by regulator and industry alike for more than ten years – but there has been considerable debate about how they can be achieved.
Ofgem believes that its latest proposals are necessary because changes in the patterns of supply and demand for electricity, due for example to European liberalisation and greater interconnector flows which may result in increased “bottlenecks” and therefore could threaten security of supply and lead to rising costs for customers.
Managing Director, Competition and Trading Arrangements, Eileen Marshall said, “Ofgem believes that, in order to enhance security of energy supplies for customers, it is essential that there should be a different approach to transmission access and losses to give NGC and market participant better signals on which to make future investment in decisions and the efficient use of existing assets. Today’s proposals will go a long way to achieving this, and are aimed at generating debate among the industry and others.”
Ofgem is proposing that the cost of transmission losses be allocated more towards customers located the furthest distance from the source of power generation rather than be spread across all generators and suppliers as is now the case. The affect could mean a rise of à‚£7m($10m) a year across customers in the Greater London area whereas customers in the north may see the overall cost of electricity reduce by à‚£19m.
Ofgem hopes that the changes will create better market-signals about where investment is needed in the transmission system. It also believes reform will encourage “green” and distributed power generation such as wind, solar and CHP, which will be more viable if located close to areas of high demand and no longer subject to the costs of transmission losses.
Ofgem said the details of these reforms would be for industry and others to take forward and develop. This will be by a variety of means including the new governance arrangements for access and use of the grid – Connection and Use of System Code.
The document released today follows a period of consultation arising from Ofgem’s initial proposals released in May 2001. The proposals do not apply to the Scottish generation market where reforms are underway through the introduction of a British-wide Electricity Trading and Transmission Arrangements (BETTA). | https://www.powerengineeringint.com/smart-grid-td/ofgem-publishes-transmission-system-reform-proposals/ |
Presented in conjunction with The Delightful Land, this Project Space installation by Brooklyn-based artist Naomi Reis explores nature and its representation. To create her mixed-media collages, which are based on photographs taken in tropical greenhouses, Reis layers painted and cut forms to create an image as dense and colorful as the plant life depicted. Her process, which reduces the foliage to solid forms and colors, emphasizes the fabricated and illusionistic aspect of her subject matter. As lush and realistic as these environments are, they are simulated representations of a naturally occurring tropical landscape: carefully maintained parallel spaces where the effects of weather, chaos, and survival of the fittest are suspended. | http://www.chrismurtha.com/projectspace-reis |
Last November, the Vermont Department of Mental Health faced budget cuts in excess of $20 million for the 2011 fiscal year. When the legislature adjourned its session in the wee hours May 13, the cut had been trimmed to about $3 million. Credit a slightly improved economy, a few more federal dollars and a state budget approach called Challenges for Change.
Challenges for Change is legislation designed to fund desirable outcomes by focusing on efficiencies rather than eliminating services and hiking taxes. On paper, it saved nearly $38 million of a $150 million budget deficit in a total state budget of $4.7 billion.
“This process just opened up huge opportunities for a lot of the changes people felt would have been useful for the system over the years that have never gotten on the table,” says Mental Health Commissioner Michael Hartman, M.S.W.
For example, merging adult services into a continuum of care, similar to the way children’s services are handled, rather than the silos they reside in now, would allow clients to retain their eligibility even as they improve into a lower level of care. Savings in acute care or hospitalizations could be reinvested where needed along the continuum, for example, shorter wait times for outpatient services.
Another example is to consolidate the crisis service telephone lines maintained by each of Vermont’s “designated agencies,” non-profit community mental health centers that have long-term contracts with the state.
Hartman is also looking at ways to streamline administration and the duplicative paperwork required by various federal and state-funded programs.
A related initiative in the Department of Corrections is to not incarcerate non-violent offenders in favor of community-based services, including treatment for mental health and substance abuse, supportive employment and transitional housing, Hartman says.
He doesn’t rule out layoffs at the designated agencies but says it will be hard to know until about a quarter into the fiscal year.
Ken Libertoff, Ph.D., executive director of the Vermont Association for Mental Health, is skeptical. Despite news reports that say the budget was balanced, he thinks it will be revisited over the summer with the risk of significant rescissions. The governor’s administration is allowed to make funding reductions up to five percent without legislative oversight.
State Rep. Michael Fisher, M.S.W. (D-Lincoln), co-chairman of the Mental Health Oversight Committee, is convinced there are efficiencies waiting to be harvested in the designated agency system in insurance, data collection, quality assurance and information technology. But he’s concerned about how the proposed efficiencies will play out and worried about fiscal 2012 in which another batch of savings are expected.
A challenge to the Challenges is that the designated agencies are independent entities. Eric Grims, B.A., CEO of Northeast Kingdom Human Services and president of the Vermont Council of Mental Health and Developmental Disability Services says the agencies are committed to doing whatever they can to find savings and improve services.
For example, the agencies would like nothing more than to standardize their back-office systems and facilitate electronic health records, Grims says. But it would be neither simple nor cheap.
He does like the ideas of seamless entry into all levels of the behavioral health care system, empowering psychiatric nurse practitioners to minimize dependence on psychiatrists and implementing a robust, centralized crisis line with skilled telephone interventions to reduce house calls. | https://www.nepsy.com/articles/leading-stories/vermont%E2%80%99s-challenges-for-change-seeks-reductions-via-efficiencies/ |
No divas allowed: It's an improbable guideline for a group of female artists, but it's essential when coordinating a six-week, multi-disciplinary art program that teaches drama, movement, visual art and writing to 20 prison inmates.
The Inside/Outside Prison Project (ISOS) recently completed its fifth year of working with "residents" of the River City Correctional Center and is in the midst of preparing for the next session. ISOS says its program is structured so that artists and inmates "embark on a journey of self-discovery, finding their own voice and mapping their own course ... so that from this time on the arts can be a refuge and a beacon for a healthy future."
"It's a self-esteem building experience," says Bet Stewart, artistic director of Intuition Theater. "For a woman to challenge herself in three art forms — to write something that gets published, perform something that gets applauded, make something. When she's finished, she feels listened to and respected. That's important."
Art gives meaning
River City houses people convicted of nonviolent felonies, many receiving treatment for addiction.
Jefferson James, a dancer and choreographer who founded Contemporary Dance Theater, is a founding member of ISOS. The commitment of the artists benefits the residents in an unconventional way, she says.
"One of the things that the numerous women or men have said is that the team did everything they said they were going to do," James says. "For many of these residents (that) was a first. They have been lied to and misled and disappointed. It was a very positive experience for them.
"My art form is dance, and sometimes it's considered frivolous, just entertainment, but this brought home to me the power of what art can do for artists but also for the people participating."
The program, originally designed for women, has been conducted several times in the men's "pod" at their request. But the artists agree that their hearts are truly with the women. The changes they're facing are more complicated than "Just say no," and for these artists it means serving as a role model.
"(The) artist presentation is where we present ourselves not just as teacher/facilitators but as artists," says C. Pic Michel, a visual artist. "That's our opportunity to present our art form but also speak to how, in our lives, our art form has provided meaning, the opportunity for reflection, personal growth, spiritual growth. What we are offering is ourselves as examples, as artists, as women who have been able to accomplish our life goals through the use of our art form."
Being able to make a living as an artist is a goal many of these women struggle to achieve. That's one reason the bulk of the $20,000 budget per program goes toward artists' fees.
"The whole project was initially funded by the Fine Arts Fund, which is definitely interested in seeing artists are acknowledged, treated fairly, respected," James says. "At some point the artists need to be paid to be able to stay in the field, to be paid for their experience and their training for the value that they bring."
There are many artists who would like to participate but can't afford to clear their schedules for the six to 10 hours a week. In addition to preparing for and conducting the two two-hour sessions with the residents on-site, the artists meet after each session to plan their next visit, problem-solve and discuss their experiences.
This commitment to mutual support is essential to ensuring that each artist has the time she needs to complete her project.
"ISOS is not an organization, it's a collaboration," Michel says. "ISOS is an agreement about what we're doing and how we're doing it."
Stewart elaborates.
"We wanted it to be set up so that there would be somebody in charge all the time but that we also shared the leadership," she says. "Early on we invented what we call the Grapefruit Model. That was because we were having breakfast one morning, and we realized that there's all these different sections representing different art forms and then in the middle is the people who actually do the administrative."
The organizational model illustrates some of the programming, according to James.
"It allows artists from different art forms to work with their peers in a different discipline and to learn their strengths and their challenges of their team members," she says. "They are supporting each other in the way they are hoping the residents will support each other."
'Giving inspiration'
What begins with a room full of strangers and mistrust culminates in a dramatic performance that incorporates the writing, individually crafted masks and movement activities from the course.
"They're very excited about the performance," says Paulette Hansel, poet and leader of the writing activities. "For many of these women, it's the first things that they've done straight and sober that they feel good about. Many of them tell us it's the first time they finished something that they began and they recognize that as being a key learning, a key achievement."
Michel agrees.
"In six weeks they demonstrate all these great skills in order to bring this to the performance," she says. "It's about life skill development, personal development."
That accomplishment is personified in the completed work of the course, and that is what James wants to public to see.
"There is a performance component, and it gives a goal to the participants," James says. "But it's also to invite the outside world into the prison to see what these women or men have created and how they have worked with the artist to work through their problems, to see how valuable the artists are in this situation for giving inspiration, giving hope, providing skills."
James says she wanted to bring this program to Cincinnati because "we tend to demonize people that make mistakes." After witnessing positive results again and again, these artists would like to see the program expanded and established as a permanent part of the rehabilitation process.
"Anyone (who) has $200,000 or $300,000 they don't know what to do with, please call Jefferson James," Stewart says. "Donate it to the cause and create what would effectively be an ongoing program to be proud of in Cincinnati."
For more information about the Inside/Outside Prison Project, visit insideoutside.homestead.com or or write Jefferson James at [email protected]. | https://www.citybeat.com/news/news-artists-behind-bars-12177956 |
Howard Boville has worked in BT’s financial services business for more than 10 years. He is a member of the BT Global Banking & Financial Markets leadership team and sits on a number of industry panels. Before joining BT, he held senior sales and marketing roles at a number of ICT companies. He earned his M.B.A. at the University of Leeds.
Company Brief
BT Global Banking & Financial Markets is a unit of BT Global Services (www.globalservices.bt.com) designed specifically to serve institutions across all financial services markets. Responding to the industry pressures of cost reduction, compliance, and global competition, its vision is to help customers improve client management and grow business cost-efficiently and effectively through the application of networked IT services. With some 2,000 business, technology, service, and support professionals around the world dedicated purely to financial services clients, BT Global Banking & Financial Markets processes more than 20 million credit and debit card transactions over its network per day, connects a global community of 14,000 sites of financial services firms, serves more than 60,000 traders in more than 50 countries across 800 customer sites, and supports $38 billion of transactions settled every day.
Given your focus on the financial services market, how severely were you impacted by the economic crisis, and is the market coming back today?
During the past 24-month period, there has been a significant transformation within the ecosystem of financial services, which includes the investment banking community, retail banks, insurance, and payments. Like many of BT’s multinational clients across other sectors, we’ve seen banking and financial services firms shifting from a CapEx to an OpEx model for their communications needs. Rather than tying up capital in communications infrastructure, they are looking to outsource more of their non-core functions, like their networked information technology needs, to partners like BT. And cloud computing, which supports an OpEx versus CapEx model, is also gaining traction. Of course, this trend plays to BT’s core strengths of providing networked IT services, backed by our 25 years’ experience to the financial services sector.
In terms of the overall market, we are seeing it bounce back. Areas that took the biggest hit at the start of the downturn are showing uplift.
In terms of the global landscape, are there stronger opportunities in the U.S. or in emerging markets?
Both. The emerging markets offer very good growth potential, but present an additional level of complexity. If you’re looking at 16 emerging markets, for example, you’re dealing with 16 different currencies, 16 different sets of regulations, and 16 different languages. The U.S. is, of course, a key market for us, with so many multinational corporations headquartered here or having major operations here.
Bottom line, our growth potential is based on our ability to help customers achieve their growth objectives as well as to secure new customers that can benefit from our robust portfolio of products and services specifically designed for the financial services marketplace. If we can help our customers grow regardless of which market they are in, we will succeed.
As a global organization, what are the key differences between doing business in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world?
While regulatory and operating environments vary from country to country, and business cultures also differ, for the most part, businesses want and need the same things from us: fast, reliable, resilient, and secure connectivity and solutions with an eye towards cost efficiency and optimized performance. They want advanced technologies and applications that help them keep a competitive edge. And they want us to help them provide superior service to their customers.
How broad is the range of financial institutions you serve?
Our customers range from small hedge funds to the world’s largest banks, brokers, exchanges, investment managers, and data vendors. We interlink the world’s largest secure financial services community. Tens of thousands of financial traders around the world depend on BT’s voice and data communications solutions every second of the 24/7 trading day. Billions of financial transactions are completed securely and successfully every day due to the services that BT provides to this sector internationally.
You’re now a stand-alone unit within BT Global Services. How close is the coordination among BT’s Global Service segments?
From a service perspective in Global Banking & Financial Markets, our leadership team is focused on global collaboration, so we have Tokyo working with Frankfurt working with London working with New York, and we put a lot of effort into making sure folks are talking to each other. Delivering seamless service on a global basis is a strong differentiator that BT has relative to the competition.
The benefit of an industry-specific vertical focus is that you can create and share in-depth knowledge both within your own sector and across to others. For example, BT has some really great, talented people working in the pharmaceutical space, and like the banking and financial services sector, that is a heavily regulated environment. There are some knowledge-based tools that those folks use that we can benefit from and we can also share externally with our financial services clients so they can benefit as well. And in terms of innovation, working with colleagues in a different industry area will spark different points of inspiration that you would never consider, so we all benefit from that – especially our customers.
Is it tough to keep up with all the technology when what is new today is often obsolete tomorrow? | https://leadersmag.com/issues/2010.4_Oct/New%20York%20City/LEADERS-Howard-Boville-BT-Global-Banking-Financial-Markets.html |
LANDSCAPING | THE GARDEN | WEATHERIZING
The landscape at the OHIO Ecohouse is managed by the residents and a part-time student employee ("Landscape Manager") in the Office of Sustainability. Past and present residents of the Ecohouse have worked diligently to invest in sustainable agricultural practices on the grounds.
In April 2012, a Permaculture Workshop was hosted at the OHIO Ecohouse where participants planned a permaculture design for the Ecohouse residence one weekend and implemented a portion of that plan the following weekend.
In 2015, the Ecohouse was designated as a Monarch Waystation and a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat. This means the Ecohouse landscape provides a variety of host plants, food sources, and appropriate environmental conditions to support native pollinators and wildlife alike. This is the first designated site on campus.
The garden at the OHIO Ecohouse began as a residence project several years ago. In Fall 2011, residents worked with staff in the Office of Sustainability to transform the space into a campus community garden. A number of volunteers from across campus assisted with work days to clean up the space and build raised beds for students, faculty and staff who wished to "adopt" a plot. Plots are offered at no cost to any member of the campus community who is willing to agree to the Garden Rules.
In Fall 2012, the Ecohouse served as a living laboratory for the Food Cycle Service Learning Series. Faculty participating in the Common Experience Project on Sustainability were able to bring students to workshops where students learned how to harvest, prepare and preserve home grown produce. The canned food was then used in a free community meal in Nelsonville, Ohio made and served by Ohio University students.
The OHIO Ecohouse Community Garden is an organic garden; plot adopters are not able to use chemical fertilizers on any of the plots or surrounding area. This rule is put into place to uphold the mission of the OHIO Ecohouse as a living learning model on sustainable living. Chemical fertilizers are petroleum-based products that can have devastating impacts on local waterways. Chemical pesticides are also prohibited.
The Garden Manager Graduate Assistant from the Office of Sustainability works with garden plot adopters and volunteers to provide proper education on effective sustainable gardening practices. Any individuals or organizations affiliated with the university who are interested in adopting a plot may do so by completing the Garden Plot Application Form found here. No experience necessary.
Many college students experience frustration with inefficient rental units during the winter months. Since most students rent their off-campus homes for a temporary amount of time, they are reluctant to make significant financial investments in upgrading their home's efficiencies. This causes energy bills to peak during the winter months and, in some cases, for students to be uncomfortable in their own home.
Ecohouse residents are encouraged to tackle the issue of weatherization each winter by engaging in the following activities:
Ohio University's Office of Sustainability has partnered with Sugarbush Foundation and COAD to offer OHIO students with workshops on energy efficiency practices in the home. These workshops are free to all OHIO students and will tackle many issues that renters confront in their homes, including those practices listed above. For a full listing of these workshops, check out the calendar of events available at www.ohio.edu/sustainability. | https://www.ohio.edu/ecohouse/house-features/landscaping.cfm |
Part of the series Gemoetric Solids.
View all products in this series
Set of 14 solids with lids including cube, cylinder, triangular prism, rectangular prism, pentagonal prism, hexagonal prism, square pyramid, cone, triangular pyramid, rectangular pyramid, pentagonal pyramid, hexagonal pyramid, sphere and hemisphere.
Made of durable plastic with rounded corners and edges, each shape measures 8cm base.
|SKU||21335|
|ISBN||4710953444764|
|Publisher||Edx Education|
|Product Type||Maths & Science Equipment,|
|Year Level||Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6,|
Be The First To Review This Product!
Help other Teacher Superstore users shop smarter by writing reviews for products you have purchased. | https://www.teachersuperstore.com.au/geometric-volume-set-8cm |
Growth and productivity of higher plants are adversely affected by various environmental stresses, which are of two main types, biotic and abiotic.
Broad range of abiotic stresses includes osmotic stress caused by drought, salinity, high or low temperatures, freezing, or flooding, as well as ionic, nutrient, or metal stresses, and others caused by mechanical factors, light, or radiation.
All kinds of abiotic stress factors are probably the most limiting for crop quality and productivity, comprising economic output and human food supply.
Plants have developed some physiological, biochemical, or molecular mechanisms to overcome effects of stress. Plant hormones, such as Abscisic acid, Jasmonic Acid, Ethylene, and Salicylic Acid, mediate various abiotic and biotic stress responses.
Just Global sells Raw Materials for agricultural use,
1. Growth regulators: Auxins, Brassinosteroids, Cytokinins, Ethylene releasers. Besides their regulatory functions during development, they play key roles and coordinate various signal transduction pathways during responses to environmental stresses.
2. Amino acids derivatives from cysteine and methionine. The many effects include osmoregulation, enzyme activity by co-factors, interaction with symbionts, plant hormone synthesis and signalling.
Sulfur serves important structural, regulatory, and catalytic functions in the context of proteins and as a cellular redox buffer in the form of tripeptide glutathione and certain proteins such as thioredoxin, glutaredoxin, and protein disulfide.
Cysteine is the essential precursor of all organic molecules containing reduced sulfur; these range from the amino acid methionine to peptides such as glutathione, or phytochelatins, protein, vitamins, cofactors such as S-adenosyl methionine (SAM), and hormones.
Cysteine and derived metabolites have the ability to regulate and repair abiotic stress-induced reactive oxygen species. | https://justglobal.eu/products/ |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit under 35 USC § 119(a) of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0080219 filed on Jun. 30, 2020 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
BACKGROUND
1. Field
2. Description of Related Art
The following description relates to a method, an accelerator, and an electronic device with tensor processing.
Independent hardware may be dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI). For example, AI may perform inference and learning through predetermined operations. As such, various devices may be exclusive hardware for implementing and executing AI.
The exclusive hardware for AI may be implemented by, for example, a graphics processing unit (GPU), or implemented by a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) of changeable use.
SUMMARY
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
In one general aspect, a processor-implemented tensor processing includes: receiving a request to process a neural network including a normalization layer by an accelerator; and generating an instruction executable by the accelerator in response to the request, wherein, by executing the instruction, the accelerator is configured to determine an intermediate tensor corresponding to a result of a portion of operations of the normalization layer, by performing, in a channel axis direction, a convolution based on an input tensor and a kernel, wherein the input tensor is of the normalization layer and includes a plurality of channels, a number of input channels of the kernel is determined based on the input tensor, and scaling values of elements of the kernel are determined based on the number of input channels.
The intermediate tensor may be determined by subtracting an average value of one or more elements of the input tensor from a value of each of the one or more elements through the convolution, and an output tensor corresponding to an output of the normalization layer may be determined based on the intermediate tensor.
The number of input channels and a number of output channels of the kernel may be equal to a number of channels of the input tensor, and diagonal elements of the kernel may have different scaling values from scaling values of remaining elements of the kernel.
The number of input channels and a number of output channels of the kernel may be equal to a number of elements included in a same channel of the input tensor, and diagonal elements of the kernel may have different scaling values from scaling values of remaining elements of the kernel.
The convolution may be performed between the kernel and a transformed input tensor transformed such that elements included in a same channel of the input tensor are arranged in the channel axis direction, and the intermediate tensor may be determined by transforming elements determined as a result of the convolution to a same form as the input tensor.
The transforming of the determined elements may include transforming the determined elements such that a number of channels of the intermediate tensor is equal to a number of channels of the input tensor.
The number of input channels of the kernel may be equal to a number of channels of the input tensor, and the scaling values of the elements of the kernel may correspond to an inverse of the number of channels of the input tensor.
The intermediate tensor may be determined based on an average value of elements included in the input tensor.
Elements of the intermediate tensor may be respectively determined by averaging elements included in either one of: a same column in each channel of the input tensor; and a same channel of the input tensor.
The number of input channels of the kernel may be equal to a number of elements included in a same channel of the input tensor, and scaling values of the elements of the kernel may correspond to an inverse of the number of elements included in the same channel.
The convolution may be performed in the accelerator such that the input tensor is not transmitted externally from the accelerator for performing an operation according to the normalization layer.
The accelerator may be included in either one or both of a user terminal configured to receive data to be inferred using the neural network, and a server configured to receive the data to be inferred from the user terminal.
The receiving of the request may include receiving the request by a host processor, and the generating of the instruction may include generating the instruction by the host processor.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may store instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to perform the method.
In another general aspect, an accelerator includes: one or more processors configured to:
obtain an input tensor of a normalization layer included in a neural network, obtain a kernel having a number of input channels determined based on the input tensor and including elements of scaling values determined based on the number of input channels, and determine an intermediate tensor corresponding to a result of a portion of operations of the normalization layer, by performing, in a channel axis direction, a convolution which is based on the input tensor and the kernel.
The one or more processors may be configured to determine the intermediate tensor by subtracting an average value of one or more elements of the input tensor from a value of each of the one or more elements through the convolution, and an output tensor corresponding to an output of the normalization layer may be determined based on the intermediate tensor.
The number of input channels and a number of output channels of the kernel may be equal to a number of channels of the input tensor, and diagonal elements of the kernel may have different scaling values from scaling values of remaining elements of the kernel.
The number of input channels and a number of output channels of the kernel may be equal to a number of elements included in a same channel of the input tensor, and diagonal elements of the kernel may have different scaling values from scaling values of remaining elements of the kernel.
The one or more processors may be configured to: perform the convolution between the kernel and a transformed input tensor transformed such that elements included in a same channel of the input tensor are arranged in the channel axis direction; and determine the intermediate tensor by transforming elements determined as a result of the convolution to a same form as the input tensor.
The number of input channels of the kernel may be equal to a number of channels of the input tensor, and the scaling values of the elements of the kernel may correspond to an inverse of the number of channels of the input tensor.
The number of input channels of the kernel may be equal to a number of elements included in a same channel of the input tensor, and scaling values of the elements of the kernel may correspond to an inverse of the number of elements included in the same channel.
The convolution may be performed inside the accelerator such that the input tensor is not transmitted externally from the accelerator for performing an operation according to the normalization layer.
An electronic device may include: a host processor configured to generate an instruction; and the accelerator, wherein the accelerator is configured to, by executing the instruction, determine the intermediate tensor.
In another general aspect, an electronic device includes: a host processor configured to generate an instruction executable by an accelerator in response to a request to process a neural network including a normalization layer by the accelerator; and the accelerator configured to, by executing the instruction, determine an intermediate tensor corresponding to a result of a portion of operations of the normalization layer, by performing, in a channel axis direction, a convolution which is based on an input tensor and a kernel, wherein the input tensor is of the normalization layer and includes a plurality of channels, a number of input channels of the kernel is determined based on the input tensor, and scaling values of elements of the kernel are determined based on the number of input channels.
The accelerator may be configured to determine the intermediate tensor by subtracting an average value of one or more elements of the input tensor from a value of each of the one or more elements through the convolution, and an output tensor corresponding to an output of the normalization layer may be determined based on the intermediate tensor.
In another general aspect, an accelerator includes: an on-chip memory; and one or more processors configured to: determine a kernel based on information, received from the on-chip memory, indicating a number of channels to be convoluted and indicating whether an operation of a normalization layer of a neural network is an average operation or an average subtraction operation, determine, based on an input tensor of the normalization layer received from the on-chip memory, an intermediate tensor corresponding to a result of the operation of the normalization layer, by performing a convolution which based on the received input tensor and the determined kernel.
In another general aspect, an electronic device includes: a host processor configured to generate an instruction in response to a request for a data inference result; and an accelerator configured to, by executing the instruction: determine, using a hidden layer of a neural network, an input tensor of a normalization layer included in the neural network; determine an intermediate tensor, corresponding to a result of operations of the normalization layer, by performing a convolution based on an input tensor and a kernel, a number of input channels of the kernel is determined based on the input tensor, and scaling values of elements of the kernel are determined based on the number of input channels; and determine the data inference result based the performing of the operations.
The data inference result may be any one of a speech recognition, a machine translation, a machine interpretation, an object recognition, a pattern recognition, and computer vision.
The device may be a user terminal including any one of a smart phone, a tablet, a laptop, a personal computer, a smart watch, smart glasses, a smart speaker, a smart TV, a smart refrigerator, a smart car, a smart kiosk, and an Internet of things (IoT) device.
Other features and aspects will be apparent from the following detailed description, the drawings, and the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
illustrates an example of an electronic device.
FIGS. 2 and 3
illustrate examples of processing a tensor for a first normalization layer by an accelerator.
FIGS. 4 and 5
illustrate examples of processing a tensor for a second normalization layer by an accelerator.
FIG. 6
illustrates an example of a kernel generator.
FIG. 7
illustrates an example of a neural network including a normalization layer.
FIG. 8
illustrates an example of a normalization layer.
FIGS. 9 and 10
illustrate examples of tensor processing methods.
FIGS. 11 and 12
illustrate examples of electronic devices.
Throughout the drawings and the detailed description, unless otherwise described or provided, the same drawing reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures. The drawings may not be to scale, and the relative size, proportions, and depiction of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity, illustration, and convenience.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following detailed description is provided to assist the reader in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatuses, and/or systems described herein. However, various changes, modifications, and equivalents of the methods, apparatuses, and/or systems described herein will be apparent after an understanding of the disclosure of this application. For example, the sequences of operations described herein are merely examples, and are not limited to those set forth herein, but may be changed as will be apparent after an understanding of the disclosure of this application, with the exception of operations necessarily occurring in a certain order. Also, descriptions of features that are known in the art, after an understanding of the disclosure of this application, may be omitted for increased clarity and conciseness.
Although terms of “first” or “second” are used herein to describe various members, components, regions, layers, or sections, these members, components, regions, layers, or sections are not to be limited by these terms. Rather, these terms are only used to distinguish one member, component, region, layer, or section from another member, component, region, layer, or section. Thus, a first member, component, region, layer, or section referred to in examples described herein may also be referred to as a second member, component, region, layer, or section without departing from the teachings of the examples.
Throughout the present disclosure, when an element, such as a layer, region, or substrate, is described as being “on,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element, it may be directly “on,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” the other element, or there may be one or more other elements intervening therebetween. In contrast, when an element is described as being “directly on,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element, there can be no other elements intervening therebetween. Likewise, expressions, for example, “between” and “immediately between” and “adjacent to” and “immediately adjacent to” may also be construed as described in the foregoing.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular examples only and is not to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any one and any combination of any two or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the terms “include,” “comprise,” and “have” specify the presence of stated features, numbers, operations, elements, components, and/or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, operations, elements, components, and/or combinations thereof. The use of the term “may” herein with respect to an example or embodiment (for example, as to what an example or embodiment may include or implement) means that at least one example or embodiment exists where such a feature is included or implemented, while all examples are not limited thereto.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms, including technical and scientific terms, used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains consistent with and after an understanding of the present disclosure. Terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, are to be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure, and are not to be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
Hereinafter, examples will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following specific structural or functional descriptions are exemplary to merely describe the examples, and the scope of the examples is not limited to the descriptions provided in the present disclosure. Various changes and modifications can be made thereto by those of ordinary skill in the art based on an understanding of the disclosure of the present application. Like reference numerals in the drawings denote like elements, and a known function or configuration will be omitted herein.
FIG. 1
illustrates an example of an electronic device.
FIG. 1
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Referring to , an electronic device may include a host processor (e.g., one or more processors), an off-chip memory , a memory controller , and an accelerator . The host processor , the off-chip memory , the memory controller , and the accelerator may communicate with each other through a bus.
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The host processor may be a device that controls operations of components included in the electronic device , and may include, for example, a central processing unit (CPU). The host processor may receive a request to process a neural network in the accelerator , and generate an instruction executable by the accelerator in response to the request. The request may be for data inference based on the neural network, and, in response to the generated instruction, the accelerator may execute the neural network to obtain (e.g., determine) a data inference result for speech recognition, machine translation, machine interpretation, object recognition, pattern recognition, computer vision, and/or the like. The host processor may transmit inference target data and parameters of the neural network to the accelerator .
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The off-chip memory may be a memory disposed outside the accelerator , and may be, for example, a dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) utilized as a main memory of the electronic device . The off-chip memory may be accessed through the memory controller . The off-chip memory may store the parameters of the neural network to be executed by the accelerator , and be utilized when an on-chip memory in the accelerator is insufficient (e.g., in memory capacity) to execute the neural network by the accelerator .
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The off-chip memory may have a larger memory capacity than the on-chip memory in the accelerator . However, when the neural network is being executed, a memory access cost for the accelerator accessing the off-chip memory may be greater than a memory access cost for the accelerator accessing the internal on-chip memory. The memory access cost may be a power and/or time required to access the corresponding memory and read or write data.
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The accelerator may be an AI accelerator that infers input data by executing the neural network according to the instruction of the host processor , and may be a separate processor different from the host processor . For example, the accelerator may be a neural processing unit (NPU) (or neural processor), a GPU, or a tensor processing unit (TPU).
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The accelerator may be a separate exclusive processor that processes tasks more efficiently than the general-purpose host processor , due to the characteristics of the operations of the neural network. In this example, the on-chip memory and one or more processing elements (PEs) included in the accelerator may be utilized by the accelerator in executing the neural network. The on-chip memory may be a global buffer included in the accelerator and may be distinguished from the off-chip memory disposed outside the accelerator . For example, the on-chip memory may be a scratchpad memory, a static random-access memory (SRAM), or the like that is accessible through an address space.
The neural network may include a plurality of layers. The neural network may include an input layer, a plurality of hidden layers, and an output layer. Each of the layers may include a plurality of nodes, also called artificial neurons. While the nodes may be referred to as “artificial neurons,” such reference is not intended to impart any relatedness with respect to how the neural network architecture computationally maps or thereby intuitively recognizes information and how a human's neurons operate. I.e., the term “artificial neurons” is merely a term of art referring to the hardware implemented nodes of the neural network. Each node may be a calculation unit having one or more inputs and an output, and the nodes may be connected to each other. A weight may be set for a connection between nodes, and the weight may be adjusted or changed. The weight may amplify, reduce, or maintain a relevant data value, thereby determining a degree of influence of the data value on a final result. Weighted inputs of nodes included in a previous layer may be input into each node included in the output layer. A process of inputting weighted data from a predetermined layer to the next layer may be referred to as propagation.
To improve the performance of the neural network, normalization may be applied to data transferred between layers of the neural network. In other words, data distribution may be normalized through a series of operations such as obtaining an average value of data (e.g., output data of one layer) and subtracting a value of each element of the corresponding data from the average value (e.g., to obtain data to be transferred to a next layer as input data). The normalization applied to the neural network may include, for example, layer normalization and instance normalization. Layer normalization may be a technique for performing normalization in a channel direction regardless of the batch size, and may be applied to models in language field, such as speech recognition, machine translation, and machine interpretation. Instance normalization may be a technique for normalizing the entire image in the unit of channels, and may be applied to, for example, a generative adversarial network (GAN).
In addition, when an attention technique is applied to a neural network for image processing, global average pooling in which a pooling window is in the size equal to the size of the entire image may be performed, and neural networks to which global average pooling is applied may include, for example, a spatial pyramid pooling network (SPPNet) and/or a squeeze and excitation network (SENet).
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As described above, operations of the neural network may include, for each time data is transferred between layers, an operation for calculating the average value of output data of one layer and/or subtracting the average value from a value of each element in the data to obtain data to be transferred to a next layer. For such average operation and/or average subtraction operation, a typical electronic device may transfer the data to be normalized from an accelerator to a special operator such as a host processor outside the accelerator, and an average value calculated by the special operator may be received again by the accelerator, and such data movement may increase latency and power consumption of the typical electronic device. Accordingly, to improve the performance of the electronic device over such typical electronic device, the electronic device of one or more embodiments may minimize data movements outside the accelerator by performing, inside the accelerator , the average operation and/or the average subtraction operation using the neural network.
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To implement the average operation and/or the average subtraction operation. which may not be directly supported by the accelerator , the average operation and/or the average subtraction operation may be replaced with a convolution operation performed by the accelerator . A kernel used for the convolution operation may be generated based on the data to be normalized. Through this, the accelerator may obtain output data identical to outputs that would be generated by directly performing operations specified by a normalization layer based on the convolution operation, even when the convolution operation does not identically match the operations specified by the normalization layer. In summary, the accelerator may obtain output data equivalent to the outputs of the normalization layer, even without transmitting input data to the special operator such as the host processor and without correction of the hardware architecture of the accelerator .
Hereinafter, a detailed description will be provided with reference to the following drawings.
FIGS. 2 and 3
140
illustrate examples of processing a tensor for a first normalization layer by an accelerator (e.g., the accelerator ).
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
Referring to , an example of a convolution operation for obtaining an average operation result according to a first normalization layer is illustrated. The first normalization layer may be based on layer normalization, wherein convolution may be performed to decrease a size of a tensor in a channel axis direction. Examples of the tensor shapes, the kernel shape, and the element values shown in are provided for ease of description, and various shapes and element values are applicable without limitation.
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
An input tensor of may be data input into a first normalization layer. In the example of , the input tensor has a (1, 3, 1, 4) shape, and the value of each element may be represented by any one of a to l. In the example of , the tensor structure of is expressed as (batch, channel, height, width). In an example, the input tensor may correspond to output data of one layer (e.g., a hidden layer) of a neural network.
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
A kernel shown in may have a number (e.g., a total number) of input channels determined based on the input tensor. For example, the number of input channels of the kernel may be equal to a number of channels of the input tensor. A number of output channels of the kernel that is applied to a convolution operation for obtaining an average operation result may be “1”. In the example of , the kernel has a (1, 1, 3, 1) shape, where the kernel shape is expressed as (height, width, input channel, output channel). Further, scaling values of the elements included in the kernel may correspond to an inverse of the number of channels of the input tensor. In the example of , the scaling values are ⅓. In the present disclosure, a scaling value may also be referred to as a weight value for ease of description.
FIG. 2
FIG. 3
FIG. 2
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Convolution between the input tensor and the kernel may be performed in the channel axis direction. In , the channel axis direction may be indicated by C. For example, values a, e, and i of first elements in each channel of the input tensor may be multiplied by the corresponding scaling values ⅓ of the kernel and results of the multiplying may be summed, such that a value of a first element in the average tensor shown in may be determined to be (a+e+i)/3. Likewise, convolution may be similarly performed on the remaining elements as well, such that values of second, third, and fourth elements in the average tensor may be respectively determined to be (b+f+j)/3, (c+g+k)/3, and (d+h+l)/3. Accordingly, each element in the average tensor may include an average value of the corresponding elements in the input tensor. The average tensor may have a (1, 1, 1, 4) shape, which is reduced in size from the (1, 3, 1, 4) shape of the input tensor in the channel axis direction, while maintaining a batch, height, and width size. In other words, a number of channels may be reduced through the convolution operation without reducing a number of batches, a height, and a width. By determining the average tensor as described above with reference to , the average value of the input tensor may be determined in the accelerator through a single convolution operation, without transmitting the input tensor to a special operator such as the host processor .
FIG. 3
FIG. 3
Referring to , an example of a convolution operation for obtaining an average subtraction operation result according to a first normalization layer is illustrated. The first normalization layer may be based on layer normalization, wherein a convolution operation may be performed to decrease a size of a tensor in a channel axis direction, which will be further described in detail below. The tensor shapes, the kernel shape, and the element values shown in are examples for ease of description, and various shapes and element values are applicable without limitation.
FIG. 3
FIG. 3
FIG. 3
FIG. 3
An input tensor shown in may be data input into the first normalization layer. In the example of , the input tensor has a (1, 3, 1, 4) shape, where the tensor structure of is expressed as (batch, channel, height, width), and the value of each element may be represented by any one of a to l. In an example, the input tensor of may correspond to output data of one layer (e.g., a hidden layer) of a neural network.
FIG. 3
FIG. 3
FIG. 3
A kernel shown in may have a number of input channels and a number of output channels determined based on the input tensor. For example, the number of input channels and the number of output channels of the kernel may be equal to a number of channels of the input tensor. In the example of , the kernel may have a (1, 1, 3, 3) shape, where the kernel shape is expressed as (height, width, input channel, output channel). Further, the diagonal elements and the remaining elements in the kernel may have different scaling values. For example, the diagonal elements may have scaling values of 1−1/n (here, n denotes the number of channels of the input tensor), and the remaining elements may have scaling values of −1/n. When the number of channels n of the input tensor is “3” in the example of , the scaling values of the diagonal elements may be ⅔, and the scaling values of the remaining elements may be −⅓.
Convolution between the input tensor and the kernel may be performed in the channel axis direction to determine the average subtraction tensor. First, scaling values ⅔, −⅓, and −⅓ in a first column included in the kernel may be convolved to the input tensor, whereby values of elements in a first channel of the average subtraction tensor may be determined. For example, values a, e, and i of first elements in each channel of the input tensor may be multiplied respectively by the corresponding scaling values ⅔, −⅓, and −⅓ of the kernel and results of the multiplying may be summed, such that a value of a first element of the first channel of the average subtraction tensor may be determined to be ⅔a−⅓b−⅓c, that is, a−(a+e+i)/3. Here, (a+e+i)/3 corresponds to an average value of the values a, e, and i of the first elements in each channel of the input tensor. Similarly, values b, f, and j of second elements in each channel of the input tensor may be multiplied respectively by the corresponding scaling values ⅔, −⅓, and −⅓ of the kernel and results of the multiplying may be summed, such that a value of a second element of the first channel of the average subtraction tensor may be determined to be b−(b+f+j)/3. Here, (b+f+j)/3 corresponds to an average value of the values b, f, and j of the second elements in each channel of the input tensor. Likewise, the remaining element values may be similarly determined, such that values of third and fourth elements of the average subtraction tensor may be respectively determined to be c−(c+g+k)/3 and d−(d+h+l)/3, for example.
Further, scaling values −⅓, ⅔, and −⅓ in a second column included in the kernel may be convolved to the input tensor, whereby values of elements in a second channel of the average subtraction tensor may be determined. For example, values a, e, and i of first elements in each channel of the input tensor may be multiplied respectively by the corresponding scaling values −⅓, ⅔, and −⅓ of the kernel and results of the multiplying may be summed, such that a value of a first element of a second channel in the average subtraction tensor may be determined to be e−(a+e+i)/3. Likewise, the remaining element values may be determined. Further, scaling values −⅓, −⅓, and ⅔ in a third column included in the kernel may be convolved to the input tensor, whereby values of elements in a third channel of the average subtraction tensor may be determined.
FIG. 3
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Each element in the average subtraction tensor may thus include a value obtained by subtracting an average value of values of elements in a channel of the input tensor from a value of a corresponding one of the elements in the channel of the input tensor. The average subtraction tensor may have a (1, 3, 1, 4) shape, which is the same as the shape of the input tensor. By determining the average subtraction tensor as described above with reference to , the average subtraction operation of the input tensor may be performed in the accelerator through a single convolution operation, without transmitting the input tensor to a special operator such as the host processor .
FIGS. 2 and 3
FIGS. 2 and 3
Since remaining operations according to the normalization layer may be additionally applied to the average tensor and the average subtraction tensor obtained through convolution as respectively described above with reference to , the average tensor and the average subtraction tensor of may also be referred to as intermediate tensors.
FIGS. 4 and 5
140
illustrate examples of processing a tensor for a second normalization layer by an accelerator (e.g., the accelerator ).
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
Referring to , an example of a convolution operation for obtaining an average operation result according to a second normalization layer is illustrated. The second normalization layer may be based on instance normalization that normalizes the entire input tensor (e.g., an input image or convolved feature map determined based on the input image) in the unit of channels, wherein instance normalization may be achieved by changing the shape of the input tensor and then performing a convolution operation that decreases a size of the input tensor in a channel axis direction, which will be further described below. The tensor shapes, the kernel shape, and the element values shown in are examples for ease of description, and various shapes and element values are applicable without limitation.
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
An input tensor of may be data input into the second normalization layer. In the example of , the input tensor has a (1, 2, 2, 3) shape, where the tensor structure of is expressed as (batch, channel, height, width), and the value of each element may be represented by any one of a to l.
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
To perform instance normalization based on a convolution operation, the input tensor may be transformed to a predetermined shape. First, two-dimensional elements in each channel of the input tensor may be reshaped into one-dimensional elements to generate a reshaped input tensor of . For example, elements a to f in a first channel of the input tensor may be arranged in a line, and elements g to l in a second channel may also be arranged in a line. The reshaped input tensor may have a (1, 2, 1, 6) shape. The reshaped input tensor may be transposed to generate a transposed input tensor of . The transposed input tensor may have a (1, 6, 1, 2) shape and may be convoluted with a kernel as described below.
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
A kernel shown in may have a number of input channels determined based on the input tensor. For example, the number of input channels of the kernel may be equal to a number of channels of the transposed input tensor. A number of output channels of the kernel that is applied to a convolution operation for obtaining an average subtraction operation result may be “1”. In the example of , the kernel may have a (1, 1, 6, 1) shape, where the kernel shape is expressed as (height, width, input channel, output channel). Further, scaling values of the elements included in the kernel may correspond to an inverse of the number of channels of the transposed input tensor. In the example of , the scaling values are ⅙.
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
Convolution between the input tensor and the kernel may be performed in the channel axis direction. In , the channel axis direction may be indicated by C. For example, values a to f of first elements in each channel of the input tensor may be multiplied by the corresponding scaling values ⅙ of the kernel and results of the multiplying may be summed, such that a value of a first element in an initial tensor of may be determined to be (a+b+c+d+e+f)/6. Likewise, convolution may be similarly performed on the remaining elements as well, such that a value of a second element in the initial tensor may be determined to be (g+h+i+j+k+l)/6. The initial tensor may have a (1, 1, 1, 2) shape, which is reduced in size from the (1, 6, 1, 2) shape of the transposed input tensor in the channel axis direction, while maintaining a batch, height, and width size. In other words, a number of channels may be reduced through the convolution operation without reducing a number of batches, a height, and a width.
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
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By transforming the initial tensor to the same form (e.g., to the same number of channels) as the input tensor, an average tensor shown in may be determined. For example, by transposing the initial tensor, the average tensor having the (1, 2, 1, 1) shape may be determined. Each element in the average tensor may include an average value of the elements included in each channel of the input tensor. By determining the average tensor as described above with reference to , the average value of the input tensor may be determined in the accelerator through a single convolution operation, without transmitting the input tensor to a special operator such as the host processor .
FIG. 5
FIG. 5
Referring to , an example of a convolution operation for obtaining an average subtraction operation result according to a second normalization layer is illustrated. The second normalization layer may be based on instance normalization, wherein instance normalization may be achieved by changing the shape of an input tensor and then performing a convolution operation that decreases a size of the input tensor in a channel axis direction. The tensor shapes, the kernel shape, and the element values shown in are examples for ease of description, and various shapes and element values are applicable without limitation.
FIG. 5
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
FIG. 5
A transposed input tensor shown in may correspond to the transposed input tensor of , and thus the description provided above with of the generating of the transposed input tensor of , to which a convolution operation is applied to obtain a result of the average subtraction operation according to the second normalization layer, may apply to the transposed input tensor of .
FIG. 5
FIG. 5
FIG. 5
A kernel shown in may have a number of input channels and a number of output channels determined based on the transposed input tensor. For example, the number of input channels and the number of output channels may be equal to a number of channels of the transposed input tensor. In the example of , the kernel may have a (1, 1, 6, 6) shape. Further, the diagonal elements and the remaining elements in the kernel may have different scaling values. For example, the diagonal elements may have scaling values of 1−1/n (here, n denotes the number of channels of the transposed input tensor), and the remaining elements may have scaling values of −1/n. When the number of channels n of the transposed input tensor is “6” in the example of , the scaling values of the diagonal elements may be ⅚, and the scaling values of the remaining elements may be −⅙.
FIG. 3
FIG. 5
Convolution between the transposed input tensor and the kernel may be performed in the channel axis direction to determine the initial tensor. For example, values of first elements in each channel of the transposed input tensor may be multiplied respectively by corresponding scaling values in a first column of the kernel and results of the multiplying may be summed, such that a value of a first element A of the first channel of the initial tensor may be a−(a+b+c+d+e+f)/6. Similarly, values of second elements in each channel of the transposed input tensor may be multiplied respectively by the corresponding scaling values in the first column of the kernel and results of the multiplying may be summed, such that a value of a second element G of the first channel of the initial tensor may be g−(g+h+i+j+k+l)/6. Likewise, the remaining element values of the initial tensor may be similarly determined. The descriptions of the convolution between the input tensor and the kernel provided above with respect to may apply to the convolution operation between the transposed input tensor and the kernel of . An initial tensor generated as a result of convolution may have a (1, 6, 1, 2) shape, which is the same as that of the transposed input tensor.
FIG. 4
FIG. 5
FIG. 5
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By transforming the initial tensor to the same form (e.g., to the same number of channels) as an input tensor (e.g., the input tensor of ), an average subtraction tensor shown in may be determined. For example, a transposed initial tensor of having a (1, 2, 1, 6) shape may be determined by transposing the initial tensor, and the average subtraction tensor having a (1, 2, 2, 3) shape, which is the same shape as that of the input tensor, may be determined by reshaping the transposed initial tensor. As described above, the average subtraction operation of the input tensor may be performed in the accelerator through a single convolution operation, without transmitting the input tensor to a special operator such as the host processor .
FIGS. 4 and 5
FIGS. 4 and 5
Since remaining operations according to the normalization layer may be additionally applied to the average tensor and the average subtraction tensor obtained through convolution in , the average tensor and the average subtraction tensor of may also be referred to as intermediate tensors.
FIG. 6
illustrates an example of a kernel generator.
FIG. 6
FIG. 1
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Referring to , an on-chip memory , a kernel generator , and PEs are illustrated. In an example, any one or any combination of the on-chip memory , the kernel generator , and the PEs may be included in the accelerator of .
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FIGS. 1-5
FIGS. 1-5
FIGS. 1-5
FIGS. 1-5
The kernel generator may be a hardware device that generates a kernel (e.g., any one or more of the kernels described above with reference ) for convolution (e.g., any one or more of the convolutions described above with reference to ). The kernel generator may receive a number of channels to be convoluted n, and a flag. The number of channels n may be determined by an input tensor (e.g., any one or more of the input tensors described above with reference to ), and may correspond to, for example, a number of channels of the input tensor in the case of layer normalization, and may correspond to, for example, a number of channels of a transposed input tensor (e.g., any one or more of the transposed input tensors described above with reference to ) in the case of instance normalization. The flag may be an indicator indicating whether a normalization operation to be replaced with convolution is an average operation or an average subtraction operation. For example, the flag having a value of “0” may indicate that an average operation is to be implemented as convolution, and the flag having a value of “1” may indicate that an average subtraction operation is to be implemented as convolution. The kernel generator may generate a kernel of a (1, 1, n, 1) shape if the flag has a value of “0”, and may generate a kernel of a (1, 1, n, n) shape if the flag has a value of “1”.
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FIGS. 1-5
The kernel generated by the kernel generator may be transferred to the PEs , and the PEs may perform convolution between the kernel and the input tensor received from the on-chip memory , thereby determining an intermediate tensor (e.g., any one or more of the average tensors and the average subtraction tensors described above with reference to ). The determined intermediate tensor may be transmitted to the on-chip memory for remaining operations according to the normalization layer. Alternatively, the remaining operations according to the normalization layer may be subsequently performed in the PEs , and an output tensor determined as a result may be transmitted to the on-chip memory .
FIG. 7
illustrates an example of a neural network including a normalization layer.
FIG. 7
FIGS. 1-6
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Referring to , a bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT) model is illustrated. Normalization layers exist among a plurality of layers included in the BERT model, wherein when the corresponding model is repeated 12 times, the normalization layers are executed a total of 12 times. When the normalization layers are disposed apart from each other, a typical electronic device implementing the BERT model may not be configured to process both of the normalization layers outside an accelerator (e.g., in a special operator such as a host processor) at one time, and/or the cost (e.g., memory access cost) for data movement may be great when the normalization layers are processed outside the accelerator each time. However, when the normalization layers are replaced with the convolution described above with reference to , operations of the normalization layers may be performed in the accelerator of one or more embodiments, and such cost may be effectively prevented.
FIG. 8
illustrates an example of a normalization layer.
FIG. 8
FIG. 8
FIG. 7
FIGS. 1-7
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Referring to , an internal structure of a normalization layer is illustrated. The normalization layer shown in may be a layer for performing layer normalization included in the BERT model of . An average subtraction operation may be performed in a first part of the normalization layer. By replacing the average subtraction operation with a single convolution (e.g., any one or more of the convolutions described above with reference to ), the electronic device of one or more embodiments may effectively suppress the movement of the input tensor outside the accelerator , thereby reducing a memory access cost for the accelerator accessing the off-chip memory .
FIGS. 9 and 10
illustrate examples of tensor processing methods.
FIG. 9
FIG. 1
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Referring to , a tensor processing method performed by a host processor (e.g., the host processor of ) is illustrated. In operation , the host processor may receive a request to process a neural network including a normalization layer by an accelerator. In operation , the host processor may generate an instruction executable by the accelerator in response to the request. When the instruction is executed by the accelerator, the accelerator may determine an intermediate tensor corresponding to a result of a portion of operations performed by a normalization layer, by performing, in a channel axis direction, a convolution which is based on an input tensor and a kernel.
FIG. 10
FIG. 1
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Referring to , a tensor processing method performed by an accelerator (e.g., the accelerator of ) is illustrated. In operation , the accelerator may obtain an input tensor of a normalization layer included in a neural network. In operation , the accelerator may obtain a kernel that has a number of input channels determined based on the input tensor and that includes elements of scaling values determined based on the number of input channels. In operation , the accelerator may determine an intermediate tensor corresponding to a result of a portion of operations performed by a normalization layer, by performing, in a channel axis direction, a convolution which is based on an input tensor and a kernel.
The tensor processing method may be applied for training or inference at an algorithm end, a compiler end, hardware of a network using multi-head attention such as automatic speech recognition (ASR), or a transformer. In addition, even when a low-precision quantization scheme is applied to the tensor processing method, the performance gain may be secured while the system accuracy may remain the same.
FIGS. 1 to 8
FIGS. 9 and 10
The descriptions provided with reference to may apply to the operations shown in .
FIGS. 11 and 12
illustrate examples of electronic devices.
FIG. 11
FIG. 1
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Referring to , an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device of ) may be implemented as a server .
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FIGS. 1-10
The server may be a separate device different from a user terminal controlled by a user, and may communicate with the user terminal through a wired and/or wireless network. Data to be inferred using a neural network may be collected from the user terminal and transmitted to the server through the network, and the server may process a normalization layer included in the neural network by an accelerator according to the tensor processing methods described above with reference to . In this example, an input tensor of the normalization layer may not be transmitted to a host processor outside the accelerator . Then, the server may obtain an inference result from the neural network and return the inference result to the user terminal. For example, the user terminal may include various computing devices such as a smart phone, a tablet, a laptop and a personal computer, various wearable devices such as a smart watch and smart glasses, various home appliances such as a smart speaker, a smart TV and a smart refrigerator, a smart car, a smart kiosk, and an Internet of things (IoT) device.
1100
The user terminal may simply provide the user with the inference result received from the server , or perform a subsequent operation based on the inference result.
FIG. 12
FIG. 1
FIG. 12
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Referring to , an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device of ) may be implemented as a user terminal . In , the user terminal is illustrated as a smart phone for ease of description. However, any device controlled by the user may be applicable thereto without limitation. The user terminal may obtain data to be inferred using a neural network directly from the user, and process a normalization layer included in the neural network by an accelerator according to the tensor processing method described above. In this example, an input tensor of the normalization layer may not be transmitted to a host processor outside the accelerator . In addition, the user terminal may obtain an inference result from the neural network and simply provide the user with the result or perform a subsequent operation based on the inference result.
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FIGS. 1-12
The electronic devices, host processors, off-chip memories, memory controllers, accelerators, on-chip memories, kernel generators, PEs, servers, user terminals, electronic device , host processor , off-chip memory , memory controller , accelerator , on-chip memory , kernel generator , PEs , server , host processor , accelerator , user terminal , host processor , accelerator , and other apparatuses, devices, units, modules, and components described herein with respect to are implemented by or representative of hardware components. Examples of hardware components that may be used to perform the operations described in this application where appropriate include controllers, sensors, generators, drivers, memories, comparators, arithmetic logic units, adders, subtractors, multipliers, dividers, integrators, and any other electronic components configured to perform the operations described in this application. In other examples, one or more of the hardware components that perform the operations described in this application are implemented by computing hardware, for example, by one or more processors or computers. A processor or computer may be implemented by one or more processing elements, such as an array of logic gates, a controller and an arithmetic logic unit, a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a programmable logic controller, a field-programmable gate array, a programmable logic array, a microprocessor, or any other device or combination of devices that is configured to respond to and execute instructions in a defined manner to achieve a desired result. In one example, a processor or computer includes, or is connected to, one or more memories storing instructions or software that are executed by the processor or computer. Hardware components implemented by a processor or computer may execute instructions or software, such as an operating system (OS) and one or more software applications that run on the OS, to perform the operations described in this application. The hardware components may also access, manipulate, process, create, and store data in response to execution of the instructions or software. For simplicity, the singular term “processor” or “computer” may be used in the description of the examples described in this application, but in other examples multiple processors or computers may be used, or a processor or computer may include multiple processing elements, or multiple types of processing elements, or both. For example, a single hardware component or two or more hardware components may be implemented by a single processor, or two or more processors, or a processor and a controller. One or more hardware components may be implemented by one or more processors, or a processor and a controller, and one or more other hardware components may be implemented by one or more other processors, or another processor and another controller. One or more processors, or a processor and a controller, may implement a single hardware component, or two or more hardware components. A hardware component may have any one or more of different processing configurations, examples of which include a single processor, independent processors, parallel processors, single-instruction single-data (SISD) multiprocessing, single-instruction multiple-data (SIMD) multiprocessing, multiple-instruction single-data (MISD) multiprocessing, and multiple-instruction multiple-data (MIMD) multiprocessing.
FIGS. 1-12
The methods illustrated in that perform the operations described in this application are performed by computing hardware, for example, by one or more processors or computers, implemented as described above executing instructions or software to perform the operations described in this application that are performed by the methods. For example, a single operation or two or more operations may be performed by a single processor, or two or more processors, or a processor and a controller. One or more operations may be performed by one or more processors, or a processor and a controller, and one or more other operations may be performed by one or more other processors, or another processor and another controller. One or more processors, or a processor and a controller, may perform a single operation, or two or more operations.
Instructions or software to control computing hardware, for example, one or more processors or computers, to implement the hardware components and perform the methods as described above may be written as computer programs, code segments, instructions or any combination thereof, for individually or collectively instructing or configuring the one or more processors or computers to operate as a machine or special-purpose computer to perform the operations that are performed by the hardware components and the methods as described above. In one example, the instructions or software include machine code that is directly executed by the one or more processors or computers, such as machine code produced by a compiler. In another example, the instructions or software includes higher-level code that is executed by the one or more processors or computer using an interpreter. The instructions or software may be written using any programming language based on the block diagrams and the flow charts illustrated in the drawings and the corresponding descriptions used herein, which disclose algorithms for performing the operations that are performed by the hardware components and the methods as described above.
The instructions or software to control computing hardware, for example, one or more processors or computers, to implement the hardware components and perform the methods as described above, and any associated data, data files, and data structures, may be recorded, stored, or fixed in or on one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media. Examples of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium include read-only memory (ROM), random-access programmable read only memory (PROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), random-access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), flash memory, non-volatile memory, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, CD+Rs, CD-RWs, CD+RWs, DVD-ROMs, DVD-Rs, DVD+Rs, DVD-RWs, DVD+RWs, DVD-RAMs, BD-ROMs, BD-Rs, BD-R LTHs, BD-REs, blue-ray or optical disk storage, hard disk drive (HDD), solid state drive (SSD), flash memory, a card type memory such as multimedia card micro or a card (for example, secure digital (SD) or extreme digital (XD)), magnetic tapes, floppy disks, magneto-optical data storage devices, optical data storage devices, hard disks, solid-state disks, and any other device that is configured to store the instructions or software and any associated data, data files, and data structures in a non-transitory manner and provide the instructions or software and any associated data, data files, and data structures to one or more processors or computers so that the one or more processors or computers can execute the instructions. In one example, the instructions or software and any associated data, data files, and data structures are distributed over network-coupled computer systems so that the instructions and software and any associated data, data files, and data structures are stored, accessed, and executed in a distributed fashion by the one or more processors or computers.
While this disclosure includes specific examples, it will be apparent after an understanding of the disclosure of this application that various changes in form and details may be made in these examples without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims and their equivalents. The examples described herein are to be considered in a descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation. Descriptions of features or aspects in each example are to be considered as being applicable to similar features or aspects in other examples. Suitable results may be achieved if the described techniques are performed in a different order, and/or if components in a described system, architecture, device, or circuit are combined in a different manner, and/or replaced or supplemented by other components or their equivalents. | |
Two new NSF projects in CREATE!
Learning Progressions for Middle School Science and Automatic Feedback of Constructed Responses
International Conference held at AI Institute, University of Georgia
Dr. Joe Krajcik and Dr. Xiaoming Zhai co-chair conference to examine artificial intelligence in STEM education
Prestigious Estonian university awards Krajcik honorary degree
Joe Kracik receives an honorary doctorate in science education from the University of Tartu
MSU Week of SEISMIC, May 16-19, 2022
5th stop of the 'week of SEISMIC' events, MSU hosts number of gatherings
MSU's FRIB set to open May 2022
Facility for Rate Isotope Beams to hold ribbon cutting ceremony on May 2
ML-PBL in elementary classrooms; a new way of teaching
“Science Education Through Multiple Literacies: Project-based Learning in Elementary School
Opinion/Blog
Detroit teachers embrace Project-Based Learning in the classroom
Moira Thomas and Chiara Kirkland share their perspectives on how Project-Based Learning has changed their teaching
Our Relationship to Educational Technology during COVID-19
Kevin Haudek reconsiders remote instruction options and teaching practices
The Impact of COVID-19 on School Mathematics Curriculum
Reflections on teaching, learning and technology during the COVID crisis, and hopes for the future
Developing Space for Native American Students in STEM
Angela Kolonich and Christie Poitra share resources for STEM faculty to support Native American Students.
Discipline Based Education Research
Melanie Cooper reflects on DBER at Michigan State University and CREATE for STEM
Reflections on time at CREATE
Idit Adler, former CREATE postdoctoral research associate
An Exciting Time in Science Education
Joe Krajcik reflects on the direction of science education. | https://create4stem.msu.edu/news |
Many Australians face financial barriers in accessing dental services (COAG 2015). Overall, individuals directly fund a significant proportion of total expenditure on dental services (58% in 2016–17).
Constant prices: Constant price expenditure adjusts current prices for the effects of inflation—that is, it aims to remove the effects of inflation. For further explanation refer to the Glossary in Health expenditure Australia 2016–17.
Dental services: Services that registered dental practitioners provide. These include oral and maxillofacial surgery items, orthodontic, pedodontic and periodontic services, cleft lip and palate services, dental assessment and other dental items listed in the MBS. The term covers dental services funded by health funds, state and territory governments and also individuals’ out-of-pocket payments.
Dental services expenditure data presented in this section are derived from AIHW analysis of the Health Expenditure Database.
Recurrent expenditure on dental services in Australia was $10.2 billion in 2016–17, up from $6.6 billion in 2006–07, adjusted for inflation.
Total expenditure on dental services increased every year from 2006–07 to 2016–17, at an average annual growth rate of 4.4%.
Australian Government expenditure on dental services steadily increased from $551 million in 2006–07 to $1,717 million in 2011–12, before falling to $1,273 million in 2013–14. Expenditure then increased again to just over $1,500 million annually in the period 2014–15 to 2016–17.
Non-government expenditure on dental services increased steadily overall, from $5,411 million in 2006–07 to $7,799 million in 2016–17.
Explore the data using the Costs interactive 1 below.
Per capita expenditure on dental services steadily increased from $319 in 2006–07 to $416 in 2016–17, adjusted for inflation.
Per capita expenditure on dental services by the non-government sector increased from $262 in 2006–07 to $320 in 2016–17, adjusted for inflation. This represents an average annual growth rate of 2.0%.
Between 2006–07 and 2016–17, Australian Government per capita expenditure on dental services increased from $27 to $62, at an average annual growth rate of 8.8%.
State/territory and local government per capita expenditure fluctuated during the period 2006–07 to 2016–17, ranging from $29 in 2012–13 to $36 in 2008–09 and 2010–11. Across the period, expenditure grew at an average annual rate of 1.5%.
Explore the data using the Costs interactive 2 below.
Data presented in this section was sourced from the 2003–04, 2009–10 and 2015–16 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Household Expenditure Survey (HES) (ABS 2006; ABS 2011; ABS 2017). The ABS HES collects information on household expenditure patterns using variables such as income levels, sources, employment, family kinship, age and geographic location, to help provide a better understanding on living standards and economic wellbeing of Australians.
In 2015–16, Australian households spent an average of $7.62 per week on dental fees, compared to $5.74 in 2003–04 and $7.23 in 2009–10.
Households in the Australian Capital Territory spent an average of $13.73 per week on dental fees in 2015–16, more than any other jurisdiction.
In 2015–16, South Australian households spent an average of $5.88 per week on dental fees, less than any other jurisdiction.
Explore the data using the Costs interactive 3 below.
Data in this section were sourced from the National Dental Telephone Interview Survey, 2013. Respondents were asked a range of questions relating to the financial burden of dental care.
Around one-third (32%) of people aged 5 years and over avoided or delayed visiting a dentist due to cost.
Females had higher rates of avoidance due to cost than males, 34% compared to 29%.
People with insurance had lower rates of avoidance due to cost than those without insurance, 20% and 44% respectively.
People ineligible for public dental care (29%) were more likely than those eligible for public dental care (38%) to avoid or delay visiting a dentist due to cost.
Those in the lowest annual household income group (41%) had higher rates of avoiding or delaying a visit to a dentist due to cost than those in the highest annual household income group (17%).
There was an overall increase in the proportion of adults aged 15 years and over who avoided or delayed visiting a dentist due to cost between 1994 and 2013, from 25% to 35%.
Cost was less likely to prevent recommended dental treatment for children aged 5–14 years (6.0%) than for adults aged 25–44 years (28%).
Adults aged 25–44 years and 45–64 years were the most likely to not receive recommended dental treatment due to cost, 28% and 26% respectively.
People without insurance (25%) were more likely to report that cost prevented recommended dental treatment than those with insurance (16%).
People eligible for public dental care (23%) reported higher rates of cost preventing recommending dental treatment than those ineligible for public dental care (18%).
Those people in the lowest annual household income group (28%) were more likely to report that cost prevented recommended dental treatment than those in the highest annual household income group (11%).
The proportion of adults aged 15 years and over who visited a dentist in the previous 12 months and reported that cost prevented recommended dental treatment fluctuated between 1994 and 2013, from 14% in 2002 to 23% in 2013.
Females (13%) were more likely to report that dental visits were a large financial burden than males (10%).
People aged 45–64 years (16%) were more likely to report that dental visits were a large financial burden than any other age group.
Across remoteness areas, those living in Remote and very remote areas (5.3%) were less likely to report that dental visits were a large financial burden than those living in Outer regional (9.6%), Inner regional (12%) and Major cities (12%).
People with insurance were less likely to report that dental visits were a large financial burden (10%) than those without insurance (14%).
Those people eligible for public dental care (13%) were more likely to report that dental visits were a large financial burden that those ineligible for dental care (11%).
The proportion of people reporting that dental visits were a large financial burden was higher for people in the lowest two annual household income groups (both 15%) than those in the highest annual household income groups (6.6%).
The proportion of adults aged 15 years and over who visited a dentist in the previous 12 months and reported that dental visiting was a large financial burden fluctuated from 9.8% in 1994, to 14% in 1999 and 12% in 2013.
The proportion of females (34%) reporting difficulty in paying for a basic preventive visit was greater than the proportion of males (23%).
More than twice as many people without insurance (40%) stated they would have difficulty paying for a basic preventive visit than those with insurance (17%).
Around twice as many people eligible for public dental care (46%) stated they would have difficulty paying for a basic preventive visit than those ineligible for public dental care (22%).
Around 1 in 2 (54%) of those people in the lowest annual household income group reported they would have difficulty in paying for a basic preventive visit compared to around 1 in 10 (9.9%) of those people in the highest annual household income group.
Explore the data using the Costs interactives 4 and 5 below.
ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) 2006. Household expenditure survey, Australia: Detailed Expenditure Items, 2003–04 (Reissue). Cat. no. 6535.0.55.001. Canberra: ABS. Viewed 7 January 2019.
ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) 2011. Household expenditure survey, Australia: summary of results, 2009–10. Cat. no. 6530.0. Canberra: ABS. Viewed 7 January 2019.
ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) 2017. Household expenditure survey, Australia: summary of results, 2015-16. Cat. no. 6530.0. Canberra: ABS. Viewed 7 January 2019.
AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare): Chrisopoulis S, Harford JE & Ellershaw A 2016. Oral health and dental care in Australia: key facts and figures 2015. Cat. No. DEN 229. Canberra: AIHW. | https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/dental-oral-health/oral-health-and-dental-care-in-australia/contents/costs |
The invention discloses a regenerable cotton yarn textile material for a bletilla striata gum containing skin-care and health-care towel. The regenerable cotton yarn textile material is prepared from, by weight, 60-80 parts of all cotton fabric strips, 15-25 parts of polyester-mixed cotton fabric strips with the cotton content of 40-60%, 5-10 parts of corn fiber, 0.5-1 part of bletilla striata gum, 3-5 parts of silicon sol, 0.1-0.15 part of shea butter, 5-10 parts of soluble starch, 2-4 parts of polyvinyl alcohol, 0.5-1 part of sodium alginate, 0.1-0.15 part of bisabolol and 0.3-0.5 part of isocetyl palmitate. The regenerable cotton yarn textile material has excellent wholesomeness, comfort, strength and durability, further has a bacteriostatic, smoothing, skin-care and health-care effect and serves as a towel processing raw material. | |
Join us to the International Cooking Day, i.e. the International Cooking Workshops organized for all members of the community of the Medical University of Bialystok
We are looking for 6 teams of 5 people, who, while cooking together, will prepare dishes typical of the cuisines of different countries.
A professional cook will supervise the culinary tasks and support the participants with his knowledge. The event will be held in English. PARTICIPATION IN THE EVENT IS FREE.
We invite you to register via the registration form available here: link to the registration form
Registration deadline: 18th October 2022
We encourage both the teams and the audience to register and join us.
During the whole event, you will be able to watch and cheer the participants of the cooking tasks as well as try regional specialties - kartacze and chłodnik.
When: 20th October 2022 (Thursday) at 4 p.m.
Where: 3rd floor of the Faculty of Health Sciences, ul. Szpitalna 37
Details availablein the regulations here: REGULATIONS - 2nd INTERNATIONAL COOKING DAY (PDF) and in the International Cooperation Department with Ms Urszula Roszkowska ([email protected], +48 85 686 51 76). | https://www.umb.edu.pl/en/main_news/25992,2nd_MUBs_International_Cooking_Day! |
IMPHAL, Nov 3: The month of January marks the dawn of one of the most eagerly awaited events of the festive season, the NE Festival at the scenic town of Senapati. The ball was set rolling for the upcoming Barak Festival on Wednesday with a meeting of eminent personalities and the organisers of the event.
The festival is organised every year by ‘The Youth Initiative Foundation’ at Senapati and is scheduled in Jan 2011 this time. The foundation which plays an active role in promoting cultural and youth events in the region, has the unwavering support of the district administration and the security forces.
In four years since its inception, the NE Festival has attracted the youth from North East India and has provided them with a platform to demonstrate their vibrant talent in local music, traditional dance; as also tap the budding beauties of mystic East. Being an apt platform to foster superior inter societal amity and enhanced cultural harmony amongst the various tribes and people of North East India, security forces have been assisting in organising of this event. This time it is tentatively scheduled on 19-20 Jan 2011, the first day of the event will be the cultural programmes and tribal dances followed by a rock concert and beauty pageant on the second day. The contest carries a first prize of Rs One Lac for the winner of the beauty pageant and various other prizes attracting promising talent from all states of the North East.
A get-together was organised to get maximum eminent personalities of Manipur on a common platform with the organisers of the event with a promise to join hands for a successful conduct of the event showcasing strong bonds of diverse ethnicities of the entire region. | http://kanglaonline.com/2010/11/north-east-festival-at-senapati/ |
The US company Appallicious released on 29 July 2014 the Disaster Assessment and Assistance Dashboard (DAAD), a new cloud-based app that can organize real-time emergency response data across numerous department and agencies. "DAAD is a solution for disaster recovery that pairs local disaster response resources with open data, and offers citizens real-time developments and status updates", said Appallicious’ founder Yo Yoshida according to Emergency Management.
Key features are real-time mapping of relief locations, roadway conditions, weather notifications, and details on hospital and emergency first response centers. Disaster information from more than 100 application programming interfaces (APIs) will be filled with hundreds of data sets to help citizens and emergency crews assess current situations. These include local government resources and data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The dashboard also allows residents and city-based companies to post skills and equipment to aid in recovery efforts, helping to organize volunteer services and assistance, such as from companies with heavy machinery and construction equipment. The initiative, endorsed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), aims to empower the citizens to be able to educate themselves to prepare for disasters and respond post-disaster. | https://un-spider.org/news-and-events/news/new-app-connects-local-disaster-response-resources-open-data |
In the 2020 Global Hunger Index, Pakistan ranks 88th out of the 107 countries with a score of 24.6. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has released the key findings of the Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES), 2018-19. It reveals that 16% of the population is experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity. The incidence is twice as high among the rural population, 20%, as among the urban, 9.2%. Shockingly, three out of five households, 61%, among the lowest two income quantiles in the survey, are experiencing food insecurity.
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The situation has further worsened since March 2020 as a result of the pandemic crisis. As the economy has shrunk, the rate of unemployment and poverty has risen. The worst affected are the poorest segment of the population, who are more likely to be wage labourers, peasant farmers, women, and children.
In the last two decades, Pakistan has experienced many natural disasters such as heavy torrential rains, floods and long periods of drought causing hunger in the country. At government level, there are policy gaps in coping with hunger-like situations. There are no mechanisms of government that the increasing population of Pakistan could have ways to feed themselves. Institutional corruption is another factor that increases hunger and poverty. Government is spending less in the agriculture sector; fertile lands need to be taken care of by investing more and producing more to reduce hunger.
Wastage of food is also one of the major reasons of hunger in our country. According to an estimation, almost 40 percent of food is wasted in Pakistan. On one side, people are dying due to hunger, and on the other, there is an abundance of food that goes to waste.
Human poverty is undoubtedly the fundamental impetus for food insecurity. However, the relationship between food security, malnourishment and poverty has remained a subject of conceptual debate in the development arena. It is pertinent to note that the ability to buy food doesn’t ensure equal access to food among all people and at all points in time.
Malnutrition badly affecting each gender of the country, at the highest level, almost half of the country’s population is below the age of 20. As a result, the vulnerability to food insecurity and hunger remains a threat for the people of Pakistan. Statistics reveal that 44 percent of children in Pakistan are suffering from stunting, wasting or acute malnutrition. Every year, 800,000 children die in Pakistan. 61 percent children in Pakistan suffered from iron deficiency anaemia, 54 percent from Vitamin A deficiency, 40 percent from Vitamin D deficiency and 39 percent from zinc deficiency.This is indeed an alarming situation for policymakers and raises serious questions about the performance of governments and management authorities.
Maternal nutrition is also crucial not just for the mother’s own survival, but for her child’s chances of survival and development. Undernourished women are more likely to die in pregnancy, to give birth prematurely, and to have babies who are too small for their gestational age. Iron and calcium deficiency are identified as key contributors to maternal death, putting mothers at increased risk of anaemia and pre-eclampsia; maternal iron deficiency is also found to be associated with low birth weight.
The causes of child malnutrition are interrelated and multi-sectoral, and involve many different aspects of life. Food insecurity, the poor nutritional status of mothers, low education levels among mothers, suboptimal breastfeeding practices by mothers, frequent infections, lower utilisation of health services and care provided to children are considered to be the fundamental causes of malnourishment. These factors need to be addressed at the state level with utmost attention. Moreover, variations in food prices; high energy cost; climate change; and uncertainties within financial markets are some of the major impediments to food security.
In 2015, Pakistan took the pledge to becoming a ‘zero-hunger’ country by 2030, as prescribed in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals but it seems Pakistan has to go a long way in this regards. Hunger can be eliminated in our lifetimes, this requires comprehensive efforts to ensure that every man, woman and child enjoy their Right to Adequate Food; women are empowered; priority is given to family farming; and food systems everywhere are sustainable and resilient. There is an utmost need to take effective measures to ensure nutrition security. We have to raise awareness about balanced diet, food habits and healthy living. Across the globe, many different events are organised to raise awareness of problems in food supply and distribution and to raise money for cultivation of food plants and the distribution of food. Similarly, we need to organise symposia, conferences, workshops and presentations of particular issues like food production, distribution and security. There should also be micro-projects to help small-scale farmers at the grassroots level. The projects aim to help farmers be more productive and improve both local communities’ access to food and farmers’ cash income.
Some charitable organisation are playing excellent role in fulfilling the food needs. Their free food “Dastarkhwan” services available around the cities of the country have become a lifeline for hundreds of people. Such steps are mandatory for rest of the hungry humans too, in the absence of comprehensive steps and policies taken by the government.
Kashif Shamim Siddiqui
The writer is a poet and former student of economics at Karachi University. | https://newsone.tv/lifestyle/world-food-day-and-an-alarming-level-of-hunger-in-pakistan |
For the attention of the Education Select Committee.
Ellesmere Port Catholic High School – Our concerns about the effect of cancelling formal exams, including the fairness of qualifications awarded and pupils’ progression to the next stage of education or employment.
The following quotes from Ofqual’s decisions for the exceptional arrangements for exam grading and assessment in 2020 are contradictory.
“Having considered all the options available to us in the circumstances of awarding grades in summer 2020, we have decided to adopt our proposal that the trajectory of centres’ results should not be included in the statistical standardisation process.”
“The statistical standardisation model should place more weight on historical evidence of centre performance (given the prior attainment of students) than the submitted centre assessment grades where that will increase the likelihood of students getting the grades that they would most likely have achieved had they been able to complete their assessments in summer 2020.”
We feel that if the approaches above are adopted many of our students will be unfairly penalised.
We believe the following questions need to be answered:
If a school’s trajectory is not taken into account then students who attend a school on an upward trajectory will be penalised, through no fault of their own, for the results of students from years gone by. Conversely, students attending a school on a downward trajectory will benefit unfairly due to the results of better performing students from the past.
Schools on an upward trajectory are likely to have put a lot of time and resources into securing those results over time. If this is not recognised then it is demoralising for the staff involved and more importantly unfair on the students who should have benefitted the work they have produced.
Please see below the concerns raised by one of our students who wrote to us on behalf of the rest of the cohort. Then see our response which was written prior to Ofqual’s announcements regarding the decisions for the exceptional arrangements for exam grading and assessment in 2020.
Dear Mr Laing,
I hope you are well and are coping with the lockdown.
I am writing to you on behalf of a group of year 11 students concerning the 2020 GCSEs and how they are being moderated by Ofqual. I am unsure if you are the correct person to contact about this, but I hope you will forward the message to the appropriate person. I do not want to write to any subject teachers about this, as to make clear that there are no intentions of interfering with the grades that they are submitting to the exam boards. I know we are all in the same boat at the minute but after reviewing the latest information about how grades will be calculated we have become concerned that the standardisation process is incredibly biased against students at our school, and many others like it).
(Quotations in this email are taken from an article detailing the whole process - https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-how-gcses-as-and-a-levels-will-be-graded-and-awarded-in-england-11988838 from Friday 15 May 2020 15:29, UK)
Firstly, we would like to thank all the school staff for their hard work in these trying times, and thank our subject teachers, we trust their judgment and have full confidence in them. Our issue is with how Ofqual and the exam boards are planning to standardise the submitted grades nationally. Although our submitted predicted grades will be decided based upon “homework assignments, mock exams and any other recorded pieces of the student’s performance”, these criteria are being thrown out of the window by Ofqual for the standardisation process, and are using different criteria to determine how the grades should be fine-tuned.
“Exam boards will then standardise the judgements once grades have been submitted. This will be done using a computer model drawing on:
It will not be determined by the individual student's previous grades.”
“The previous results from that school or college” – This is the primary cause for concern. We understand the rationale behind this, a school with consistently low results would be expected to produce lower grades than a school with consistently high results. This is reasonable in concept; however it is far too great a generalisation to actually determine students’ grades, as individual performance of students within the current year will not be reflected in the performance of previous years, and therefore it should not be used as criteria to judge us.
This is especially an issue for us because the government has deemed that this school is under-performing, which will likely taint our results. For example, let us say that in a certain subject there is a national over-saturation of grade 7s. A student from our school, and a student from a grammar school have both been predicted a 7 in this subject. The student from our school could have consistently scored better in exams, worked harder in class, and completed work to a higher standard than the grammar school student. However, this would not have been reflected in the grade, and they would be treated as equals by Ofqual. Then when the grades must be fine-tuned, the student from our school would be more likely to be downgraded than the grammar school student due to the school’s previous performance. This is deeply unjust as it does not reflect that students’ efforts, “It will not be determined by the individual student's previous grades.”, and they are being judged solely on their school. This serves to further disadvantage students from deprived backgrounds who already do not have the same opportunities as students who go to selective schools.
These students may have repeatedly achieved a grade in mock exams, and be awarded it by their teacher, and have it stripped from them simply because of the school that they attend. This is clearly unfair.
“The previous grades of that year’s students within the school or college” – This would not apply to GCSE students because we haven’t sat any external examinations, and our mock exams will not be submitted, “Will schools and colleges be asked to submit the evidence they have based grades on? - No, but they should keep records in case any queries arise.”, only reflected in our submitted grades, which are subject to change for unjust reasons outlined above.
We know that this is not the school’s decision, but we were hoping that you might be able to provide some clarity or assure us that the process will be fair as we may not have all the information. We are aware that we will have the opportunity to resit the exams in autumn, however we have still not finished some courses, and the time and effort we would have to give to sitting these exams in order to rectify any errors made in the standardisation process would have knock on effects to our A-Levels, college courses, or apprenticeships.
We would be grateful if you could contact us to confirm how this process works, to reassure us that the process will be fair and that we will get the grades we deserve.
Yours sincerely,
(Signed by all students)
Hi Joseph,
Thank you for your email. You have raised some very important issues and we fully understand your concerns. However, please be assured that we will do all we can to ensure that our students achieve the grades they deserve.
There was one part of the report that was overlooked. It states that ”The standardisation process will take into account whether the school or college made a recent improvement or downturn in performance.”
One of the key performance indicators for a school is a measure called Progress 8. Our school has worked very hard in recent years and you can see that we have made significant improvements and the Progress 8 measure shows that we are on an upward trend.
When staff were asked to provide the grades it was so important that every student was treated as an individual in each of their subjects. They used their professional judgement, backed up by evidence, so that every student received a fair grade. A grade the teacher feels they would have achieved had they sat the exams this summer.
We then looked at the grades collectively to check if they were in line with expectation. On the whole they were but in some cases grades were awarded that didn’t follow previous trends. For example, we may have had a student who demonstrated that they were able to achieve a grade at the highest level. The fact that students in the past had not achieved those grades was not an influencing factor. We agree that the results of the students this year should not be affected by the results of students in previous years. As such we stuck to that first principle of treating every student as an individual in each of their subjects and awarded the grades we believe they would have achieved, backed up by evidence.
It is difficult to say whether the grades we submit will be affected by external moderation. That depends very much on the mathematical modelling they use and to what extent the model takes into account a school’s historical performance or whether its performance in recent years is genuinely recognised.
Please be assured that, if following the external standardisation, we feel that results are affected unfairly, either individually or as a collective, we will challenge those decisions. We want, as you do, for every student to achieve fair results and that students are not disadvantaged through no fault of their own.
If there are further developments we will keep you informed through the school bulletin and if you would like to meet ‘face to face’ for a conversation we could arrange that through Microsoft Teams or Zoom.
We wish you and all our students every success this year and for the future.
Best wishes, | https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/6459/html/ |
We know this can be a confusing problem, so we will try to explain the intended audience for our five introductory non-majors courses and for our two upper-division astrophysics courses. This is the "plain English" description of these courses: see the official Schedule of Classes and Course Catalog for definitive language, and consult your adviser if you have any questions about how these courses fit into your curriculum.
Introductory Non-Majors Courses
The Astronomy Department offers 6 introductory-level courses for non-majors that satisfy the General Education (GE) physical sciences requirement:
- Astronomy 1101: From Planets to the Cosmos (4 cr: 3 cr Lecture + 1 cr Lab)
- Astronomy 1102: Online version of Astronomy 1101 without the lab (3 cr)
- Astronomy 1140: Planets and the Solar System (3 cr)
- Astronomy 1141: Life in the Universe (3 cr)
- Astronomy 1142: Black Holes (3 cr)
- Astronomy 1143: Cosmology: History of the Universe (3 cr)
- Astronomy 1144: Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe (3cr)
These are single-term courses devoted to particular current topics in modern astronomy from the solar system to the entire universe. They are designed for non-majors seeking to satisfy their Natural Sciences GE requirement. Note that these courses are not a sequence: they may be taken singly or multiply in any order.
One of these courses, Astronomy 1101, includes a required 1-hour lab section that satisfies the GE natural sciences laboratory requirement. Astronomy 1102 is an online-only version of Astronomy 1101 without the lab component. The Astronomy 1140 to 1144 courses are all 3-hour GE courses with only a lecture section. All of these courses are taught at the same basic level.
Introductory Astronomy and Astrophysics Majors Courses
The introductory courses for Astronomy and Astrophysics majors and minors are as follows:
- Astronomy 2291: Basic Astrophysics & Planetary Astronomy (3 cr)
- Astronomy 2292: Stellar, Galactic, & Extragalactic Astronomy & Astrophysics (3 cr)
- Astronomy 2895: Introductory Seminar (1 cr)
- Astronomy 3350: Methods of Astronomical Observation & Data Analysis (3 cr)
Astronomy 2291-2292: Introductory Astrophysics Sequence
This is a general survey of astrophysics, but unlike the 1000-level courses, these are intended primarily for physical sciences majors (especially astronomy and astrophysics majors and minors, for whom these are required). These can also be taken as GE courses for those who are interested in a more mathematical approach to the subject. Students who enroll in these courses are expected to have already taken a year of college-level calculus (through Math 153, 1152, 2162, 2173, or equivalent) and at least one year of classical physics, either completion of or concurrent registration in Physics 133, 1251, or equivalent.
Astronomy 2895: Introductory Seminar
This is a 1-credit course taught only during the Autumn Semester. It consists of a single session once per week during which a different member of the astronomy faculty will discuss their research. It is intended to give those students considering becoming astronomy and astrophysics majors or minors a broad overview of the current research topics in the department. Normally taken by first- and second-year students, it is open to anyone considering majoring or minoring in astrophysics.
Astronomy 3350: Methods of Observational Astronomy & Data Analysis
Unlike the courses listed above, this is a course designed primarily for astronomy and astrophysics majors and minors, or for very technically-inclined Bachelors of Science students. Astronomy 3350 concentrates on the statistical treatment of experimental data as applied to astrophysical problems (photon detection and the analysis of ensembles of data). Although specific to observational astrophysics, the methods developed in this course will be applicable to any of the physical sciences or engineering disciplines. Prerequisites include Astronomy 2392 (or Astronomy 2162H in very exceptional cases), Math 153, 1152, 1262, 2173, or equivalent, and Physics 133, 1251, or equivalent. Interested students who are not astronomy majors/minors and/or who have not taken the Astronomy 2291/2292 sequence must speak with the instructor before enrolling in this course.
Upper Division Courses
In addition to the introductory sequences, there are two higher-level astrophysics courses that do not have astronomy prerequisites. These are no-nonsense astrophysics courses that are intended primarily for astronomy and astrophysics majors/minors, as well as for physics majors/minors or graduate students in physical sciences other than astronomy. Astronomy and astrophysics majors are required to take at least one of these courses, but may (and are encouraged to) take the other as a free elective. These courses are taught in the Spring Semester in alternate years. Prerequisites for both courses are differential equations (Math 255, 415, 2255, 2415, or equivalent) and basic quantum physics (Physics 253, 2301, or equivalent); completion of or concurrent registration in statistical physics (Physics 621, 5600, or equivalent) is also recommended, but not required.
Astronomy 5681:
Principles of Stellar Evolution & Nucleosynthesis.
This course provides an in-depth exploration of the structure and evolution of stars, including nucleosynthesis in stellar interiors and in supernova explosions. The equations of stellar structure are derived from first principles, and the case of degenerate objects is also treated. Topics covered in detail include radiation transport mechanisms, nuclear reactions, and stellar evolution. This course is offered during the Spring Semester in even-numbered years.
Astronomy 5682:
Introduction to Cosmology.
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to standard Big-Bang cosmology, including an introduction to the General Theory of Relativity. Solutions to Einstein's equations are derived. The structure and evolution of the Universe are studied through the Friedmann equations, including the possible role of the cosmological constant. The early thermal history of the Universe, including primordial particle physics, nucleosynthesis, and the cosmic background radiation, are explored in detail. The very early Universe, including inflation and quantum cosmology and the origin of density fluctuations, is discussed and observational tests of cosmological models are described. This course is offered during the Spring Semester in odd-numbered years. | https://astronomy.osu.edu/courses/which |
How can the abolition of user fees and the provision of in-kind support impact on child poverty?
Speakers:
Dr Josef Decosas, Plan West Africa Regional Office
Francis Sathya, Plan International
Christina Behrendt, Social Security Department, International Labour Office
Chair:
Angela Penrose, Grow Up Free From Poverty Coalition
The second meeting in the series was held on Wednesday 15th June 2005. The meeting was chaired by Angela Penrose and the three speakers were Josef Decosas, Francis V. Sathya and Christina Behrendt.
1. Josef Decosas observed that healthcare user charges in Africa were introduced in the 1980s based on two distinct justifications: to increase community ownership and as an alternative financing strategy. Over time these two objectives merged. He argued that increased investment in healthcare services in Africa impacted positively on the health of the population, especially that of children.
2. He focused on the case of Ghana, one of the first African countries to introduce health care user charges in the early 1980s. Studies had shown that user charges were a major deterrent in seeking healthcare services. Outpatient attendance rates initially dropped by 50 % in rural and urban areas. Although there was some recovery in urban areas after four years, the rates in rural areas had never recovered. The drop had greatest impact among the economically inactive. Children were left without access to services and there was a major fall in utilisation rates among older people. At the same time the proportion of users aged 15-45 increased from 27% to 42%. There was an increase in patients seeking traditional medicine, which allowed more flexible methods of payment, and in self-medication. Ghana was now to move to a universal health insurance system.
3. Josef Decosas outlined Plan's research on health equity in 5 communities in Senegal, Burkina Faso and Ghana. Plan developed 11 indicators and identified 5 social classes ranging from desperately poor to poor in the focus communities. One of the key findings was that the better off had better access to healthcare.
4. He looked at the case of child immunisation which was provided free of charge. Of 3,200 children in 2000 families, 90% were fully immunised. The households of the 242 unimmunised children identified the non-existence of the service or its lack of affordability as barriers to access. Poorer households were disproportionately affected by transport costs and waiting time which constituted access costs. While he concluded that free services were not sufficient to overcome inequity, Josef Decosas called for African governments and their donors to review the issue of user charges.
6. Francis V. Sathya reviewed desk research on user fees in primary education in 44 of the 45 countries where Plan had programmes. He looked at 3 sets of data: the percentage of the population living below the national poverty line, net primary school enrolments, and primary school completion rates. He found that 7 of the 44 countries offered no guarantee of free education. One of these 7, Niger had the lowest education indicators of all the countries surveyed.
7. He identified different forms of user fees. African countries tended to require a financial contribution to tuition fees, in East Asia user fees had often taken the form of financial contributions and uniforms, South Asian countries required tuition fees, text books and financial contributions, and in Latin America contributions were in the form of uniforms.
8. In his desk research Francis V. Sathya found no strong correlation between education user fees and enrolment or completion data. He identified a range of motives for poor parents investment in their children's educations including aspirational reasons, economic expectations and cultural or religious factors.
9. He concluded by questioning whether Plan's in-kind contributions had an impact on access to education and noted that Plan programme areas reported higher enrolment and completion rates than in non-Plan areas.
10. Christina Behrendt compared the arguments for cash and in-kind forms of social protection interventions. In-kind transfers were more easily targeted at those with greatest need, offered greater control over their use, had less inflationary impact on the local market, posed less of a security risk and were less prone to corruption and diversion. Cash allowed beneficiaries to decide on their priorities, had a strong stimulation effect on local market and were less prone to corruption if payments were regular and transparent and recipients were aware of their rights.
11. She then summarised an ILO study which examined the feasibility of low income countries to introduce a package of cash and in-kind transfers to ensure old age and disability pensions, child benefits, and universal access to basic healthcare and education. The simulated impact of such a package on Tanzania demonstrated that the most dramatic effects would be seen in 'missing generation households' which consisted of older people and children. A cash transfer targeted at the most vulnerable would see poverty rates in missing generation households drop from 47.6% to 5.4%.
12. The discussion that followed centred on the need for further research on the wider economic implications of cash and in kind transfers, in particular the impact on local inflation and equality. The negative impact of food relief on the local market was acknowledged while the inflationary effects of cash might be offset by stimulation of the local market. However it was pointed out that providing cash is pointless if there are no commodities to buy and that the potential vulnerability of transfer recipients at hands of the local elites should not be overlooked.
13. There was some discussion around an apparent orthodoxy around user fees. It was observed that successful experiences of high quality health services by fee-charging mission hospitals had led to the belief in quality being linked with charges. Religious factors meant drugs were less likely to be stolen, staff were committed and were paid, but these factors were ignored in assessing success.
14. The impact of user fees on the enrolment rates of girls in schools was debated. Conclusions were drawn on the importance of longitudinal studies.
Description
Links between poverty and lack of access to basic services are uncontested, however there is a contentious debate about whether abolition of fees is the best way to increase accessibility. Lack of direct cost for the service may obscure the limits to accessibility imposed by related costs of related items or associated services. Plus abolition of fees does not address the issue of quality of the available services. Addressing these issues within a social protection package will increase the cost. This session presented Plan's research on the issue of user fees and discuss the best ways of delivering basic services that meet the needs of poor children. The key questions in this session focused on viability and affordability of the abolition of user fees, targeting mechanisms and the impact of such measures on quality. | https://odi.org/en/events/how-can-the-abolition-of-user-fees-and-the-provision-of-in-kind-support-impact-on-child-poverty/ |
Youth Programs Through Catholic Social Services
Catholic Social Services Youth Services Programs support at-risk children, youth, and their families with compassionate care, educational opportunity, and loving homes that affirm their worth and their potential.
A Better Way within Catholic Social Services teaches social responsibility skills and conflict management skills to youths between ages 12 and 18 who are involved in the juvenile justice system. This community program utilizes the Sanctuary Model of Trauma-Informed Care to help you with issues of chronic adversity, loss, and trauma.
Out of School Time Programs are school-based community centers that offer an array of creative after-school activities in the late afternoon aimed at youth development and family support. These programs are in neighborhoods with high poverty and crime rates and significant child welfare problems. Rooted in Catholic faith, Programs are educational, social, and recreational in nature, and serve school-aged children and adolescents from the community. | https://cssphiladelphia.org/service-category/youth/ |
Draw a triangle with two sides equal to 4 cm and 5 cm and the angle between them is 120∘. Then the circumcentre of this triangle lies inside the triangle.
True
False
False
Draw triangle ABC with the given specifications, AB=4 cm, AC = 5 cm and ∠BAC = 120∘.
Draw perpendicular bisectors of sides AB and AC, they meet at O. Join OB.
So, O is the centre and OB is the radius of the circumcircle of △ABC.
From the above constructions, we see that the circumcentre O lies outside the △ABC.
Hence the given statement is false. | https://byjus.com/question-answer/draw-a-triangle-with-two-sides-equal-to-4-cm-and-5-cm-and-the-3/ |
Q:
Value of expression of $8\sin^280^\circ - 2\sqrt{3}\sin40^\circ - 2\cos40^\circ$ is equal to?
This should be done by using identities and double angle formulas I guess, but I need hint? Solution in my booklet is 4.
A:
Hint:
$8\sin^280^\circ - 2\sqrt{3}\sin40^\circ - 2\cos40^\circ = 8\sin^280^\circ - 4(\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}\sin40^\circ + \frac{1}{2}\cos40^\circ)=8\sin^280^\circ - 4\cos20^\circ = 8\cos^210^\circ - 4\cos20^\circ= 4 (\cos20^\circ+1) -4\cos20^\circ = 4 $
A:
Hint:-
Use the formula $2\sin C\cos D=\sin (C+D)+\sin(C-D)$ for simplifying $2\sin 80^\circ$.
Divide $2\sqrt{3}\sin40^\circ+2\cos40^\circ$ by $4$.
Solution:-
$2\sin^2 80^\circ=2\sin 80^\circ\cos10^\circ=\sin90^\circ+\sin 70^\circ\tag{1}$ $\dfrac{\sqrt{3}}{2}\sin 40^\circ+\dfrac{1}{2}\cos 40^\circ=\sin 40^\circ\cos 30^\circ+\cos 40^\circ\sin 30^\circ=\sin70^\circ\tag{2}$ $\begin{align}\therefore4\left(2\sin^2 80^\circ-\left(\dfrac{\sqrt{3}}{2}\sin 40^\circ+\dfrac{1}{2}\cos 40^\circ\right)\right)&=4(\sin90^\circ+\sin 70^\circ-\sin70^\circ)\\&=4\sin 90^\circ\\&=4\end{align}$
| |
by Matt Weik
I’ve been in the industry for over a decade now and I get asked quite frequently from clients how I stay motivated to exercise when I’m constantly surrounded by it every day by putting clients through workouts as well as doing my own. The thought never crossed my mind until people started asking me, so I figured it would be a great opportunity to share it as it’s something you too can implement into your routines to stay focused and motivated whether you are a trainer or not. Below are a few ways that I, myself, along with many other trainers I am friends with, have found it easy to stick to and stay motivated when it comes to exercise.
1. Set goals
Personally, goal setting to me and investing in the time writing them down is as good as gold. I’m not the type of person who likes to go through life on a whim. I like to have structure and goals in place. I enjoy having something to work towards and allowing myself the ability to measure my goals at any given point to check on my progress and reevaluate if needed. I write down short term goals that lead a clear path to my long-term goals. Having these goals in place and where I can see them as a constant reminder keeps me motivated.
2. Listen to music
Anyone who knows my background knows I was a radio DJ about a decade ago. That part-time career lasted several years before I finally gave it up to pursue my career in the fitness industry. But, I still have a love for music to this day. If I’m having a bad day, music can instantly put me in a better mood. So, it’s only natural that I listen to music while I’m working out. Some people consider music a crutch when lifting, that it’s an “artificial energy source” but I don’t listen to all that noise. To me, music puts me in a better mood, keeps me pumped up and energized, and allows me to stay motivated to exercise. There are plenty of days (and I’m sure this is true for you as well) where I simply don’t want to work out. In fact, I try talking myself out of hitting the gym. I end up putting my headphones on and crank up the tunes and instantly it’s like someone flipped a switch. I’m ready to do battle with the iron—and I end up having a great workout despite not even wanting to lift earlier.
3. Work out with another trainer
Some people will raise an eyebrow on this one, but trust me, it’s extremely motivating to work with a trainer. Many will ask why I would want to work with a trainer if I, myself, am a trainer. And the answer is actually very simple. I want to be pushed further than I would normally go myself. Failure hits and all of a sudden you stop your set. Working with a trainer, they help push you through the pain and pump you up to give it your all. Good days, bad days, any day is a good day to work with a trainer and have them put you through a workout. Another way I stay motivated through the use of a trainer is allowing them to put me through a workout that I don’t know about ahead of time. I walk in, and they put me through the ringer without even knowing what’s coming next. One exercise after the next where I have no clue what I’m in store for. It’s motivating to do something different and get out of your comfort zone. That’s what we as trainers do best, we push you to be better and perform at your best. So, whether you are a trainer or not, I highly recommend working with a trainer if you want something new or different or want someone to push you a little harder and bring back that motivation to stick to your goals. It’s well worth the time and investment in my opinion.
4. Take a class
Guys, I’m not saying you need to start doing Pilates if it’s not your thing. And ladies, I’m not telling you to go to a boot camp class if that’s out of your comfort zone. But, classes are a great way to break the boredom of exercise programs and increase your motivation levels. A cycling class is a great way to break free from the treadmill. And a Body Pump class is a great way to introduce resistance training to women who tend to be afraid to walk into the weight room and feel the cardio room is their safe zone. Change doesn’t have to be a bad thing. In fact, change can take your motivation to the next level and keep you progressing towards your health and fitness goals. Just because you are leaving your comfort zone does not mean you won’t have fun and enjoy yourself. Classes are also a great way to exercise in a group setting if you aren’t comfortable exercising by yourself. Everyone in class is there for the same reason and everyone helps keep each other motivated. Change things up and see how you respond. Your mind and body will thank you.
5. Exercise with friends
If a buddy calls me up and wants to work out I’m always down. Exercising with friends is a great way to motivate and push each other through a grueling workout. It doesn’t even matter if your strength levels are polar opposites. And don’t be surprised if your strength even increases when you’re working out with friends. The competitive nature in you might help you squeeze out some extra reps or add another plate to the bar. Exercising with friends is extremely motivating and I’d recommend considering it whenever possible.
6. Take a workout outdoors
Trainers spend a good amount of time indoors working with clients; therefore, there’s something about the great outdoors that clears my head. A little natural vitamin D is always good too. We get into a routine of hitting our workouts in a gym setting that by simply taking it outdoors it reignites your motivation level and builds up your eagerness to exercise. Obviously, depending on where you live and what season it is will depend on if you’re going to be able to take things outdoors. But, whenever possible, do your cardio outside or take some dumbbells or a barbell and plates outside and enjoy the sun and nice weather. There’s something freeing when you can do cardio outside versus cooped up in a gym somewhere. Going for a hike is another great way to stay motivated. When you’re trekking through the woods and checking out the scenery around you, it’s as if you completely forget your “exercising.” When the temperature is nice and you’re ready to get motivated, hit the outdoors. | https://www.ironmagazine.com/2017/how-do-fitness-trainers-stay-motivated-to-exercise/ |
An active Chinese strategic presence in the Indian Ocean is no longer merely the stuff of speculation. India and other resident powers need to not only adjust to this reality but also exploit their geographic and diplomatic advantages to encourage China to operate in these waters cooperatively, not unilaterally. India could do this through a combination of further bolstering its own maritime capabilities, sustaining its capacity building for smaller island states, and deepening defense cooperation with such partners as the United States, Australia, Japan, France, and Indonesia. These steps could be augmented by the reinforcement of regional diplomatic institutions and visible efforts to engage China in security cooperation and dialogue, such as on transnational issues like search and rescue or noncombatant evacuations. This analysis begins with an assessment of China’s expanding interests and presence in the Indian Ocean, followed by a summary of India’s perspectives and responses. It concludes with some broad recommendations regarding the right mix of capabilities, posture, and partnerships for India to manage the impact of an inevitable Chinese role in its maritime neighborhood. | https://researchprofiles.anu.edu.au/en/publications/the-western-indo-pacific-india-china-and-the-terms-of-engagement |
In honor of Stephen Hawking’s 70th birthday, a meeting of the minds took place to discuss the state of cosmology. New Scientist reported on the events of the night, one of which was a talk delivered by famed cosmologist, Alexander Vilenkin, describing why physical reality must have a beginning. But first, a little background is in order.
For a long time scientists held that the universe was eternal and unchanging. This allowed them to avoid the God question—who or what caused the universe—because they reasoned that a beginningless universe needed no cause. They recognized that if the universe began to exist in the finite past that it begged for a cause that was outside of the time-space-continuum. As Stephen Hawking told his well-wishers in a pre-recorded message, “A point of creation would be a place where science broke down. One would have to appeal to religion and the hand of God.”
Scientific discoveries in the early and mid-20th century, however, forced cosmologists to the uncomfortable conclusion that our universe came into being in the finite past. The scientific consensus was that the origin of our universe constituted the origin of physical reality itself. Before the Big Bang, literally nothing existed. The universe came into being from nothing and nowhere. This sounded too much like the creation ex nihilo of Genesis, however, and seemed to require the God of Genesis to make it happen. As a result, some cosmologists were feverishly looking for ways to restore an eternal universe.
Several theories have been put forward over the last 50 years. None of them have enjoyed the empirical confirmation that supports the Big Bang model. They are either lacking in empirical support, or have been disconfirmed by the empirical evidence. But every time one theory goes down in flames, cosmologists think up a new possibility or a variation of an older one.
In the not-so-distant past, Vilenkin himself has advocated cosmogenic theories that entail an eternal universe, but based on cosmological theorems he developed with Alan Guth and Arvin Borde, as well as an examination of the various candidates for an eternal universe, Vilenkin has come to see that all the evidence points in a singular direction: the universe had an absolute beginning in the finite past.
Vilenkin discussed three models for an eternal universe in his presentation, describing why each cannot deliver on what it promises. The first is Alan Guth’s eternal inflation model which proposes eternally inflating bubble universes within a multiverse that stretches both forward and backward in time. In 2003 Vilenkin and Guth discovered that the math for this model will not work because it violates the Hubble constant. Speaking of the inflationary multiverse, Vilenkin said “it can’t possibly be eternal in the past,” and that “there must be some kind of boundary.”
The second cosmological model was the cyclical model, which proposes that the universe goes through an eternal series of contractions and expansions – our Big Bang being the latest contraction in an eternal series. Vilenkin shows that this model cannot extend infinitely into the past either because disorder would accumulate with each cycle. If the universe has been going through this process eternally, we should find ourselves in a universe that is completely disordered and dead. We do not, hence a cyclical universe cannot extend infinitely into the past.
The final cosmological model Vilenkin deconstructed is the cosmic egg model. On this model the universe exists eternally in a steady state, but then it “cracked” resulting in the Big Bang. The problem with this model is that quantum instabilities would not allow the “egg” to remain in a steady state for an infinite amount of time. It would be forced to collapse after a finite amount of time, and thus cannot be eternal.
Vilenkin concluded by saying “All the evidence we have says that the universe had a beginning.” The power of this statement, and its source, should not be underestimated. Like many other cosmologists, Vilenkin was not satisfied to conclude that the Standard Model (Big Bang) was the end of the story. He wanted the universe to be eternal. He has been involved in projects trying to restore an eternal universe, and yet based on the evidence, he is willing to admit that an eternal universe does not appear to be a physical possibility. All the evidence points to a beginning. And if there is a beginning, then the question of what caused the universe to come into being needs to be answered.
Science cannot answer this question because science trades on material causes, and you can’t have a material cause before the origin of material reality itself. Whatever caused the universe to come into being must be immaterial, timeless, non-spatial, powerful, and intelligent. Furthermore, the cause must be personal as well. As William Lane Craig has argued: “[I]f the cause of the universe were an impersonal set of necessary and sufficient conditions, it could not exist without its effect. The only way for the cause to be timeless and changeless but for its effect to originate de novo a finite time ago is for the cause to be a personal agent who freely chooses to bring about an effect without antecedent determining conditions.” And again, “As a free agent God is able to exercise His causal power without any antecedent determining conditions. That is what differentiates a personal agent from an impersonal cause. … Thus, the moment of God’s creating the universe is the moment at which the universe begins to exist. So God exists changelessly (though not immutably) without creation with a timeless intention that a world with a beginning exist, and by exercising His causal power brings such a world into being at the first moment of time.” An immaterial, timeless, non-spatial, powerful, personal, and intelligent agent sure sounds a lot like the God of theism!
The scientific evidence for a temporally finite universe continues to mount, and this fact leads us toward a theological conclusion about its origin. As Robert Jastrow famously wrote, “For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance: he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.”
Lisa Grossman, “Why physicists can’t avoid a creation event,” New Scientist, Issue 2847, 11 January 2012, pp. 6-7.
Arguably, even an eternal universe needs a cause. Indeed, the Greeks believed the universe was eternal and unchanging, but still believed an Unmoved Mover was necessary to explain motion in the universe. I am reporting what the early cosmologists believed, not necessarily claiming that they were correct.
William Lane Craig, “Beyond the Big Bang”; available from http://www.bethinking.org/viewall.php?ID=51; Internet; accessed 20 May 2010.
William Lane Craig, “Wes Morriston on Divine Creation”; available from http://www.reasonablefaith.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7001; Internet; accessed 03 January 2011. | https://thinkingtobelieve.com/2012/01/22/alexander-vilenkin-all-the-evidence-we-have-says-that-the-universe-had-a-beginning/ |
Total Pages: 5 Words: 1505 Bibliography: 10 Citation Style: APA Document Type: Essay
Essay Instructions: I am a junior in Highschool chemistry The assignment is The chemistry of a man made useable material/substance.
I choose the Rx Adderall (Dextroamphetamine and Amphetamine)
You can include as many references/diagrams as needed I put ten which is a fine amount I think. If you need more go ahead.
Here is the assignment
"
The Chemistry of a man-made material/substance
Include the following in your research paper:
- History of development (who developed it and how? what difficulties were encountered?
What improvements have been made since it was first invented?)
- The process of how it is created
- Diagrams of its molecular composition
- Properties of the molecules and bonding forces that give substance desired effect
__
The final paper should include a bibliography: citing all references properly.
The final paper will be no less than 4 pages typed, double-spaced, 12 font, excluding
graphs and diagrams.
"
Excerpt From Essay:
Total Pages: 4 Words: 1116 Sources: 0 Citation Style: MLA Document Type: Research Paper
Essay Instructions: Please NO NO NO outside information UNLESS cited. Thank you in advanced.
This is an ethics essay about drugs and addiction** which discusses the use of enhancement drugs, in specific please focus on Adderall as the main one but relate to other enhancers and stimulants.
Focus on the moral aspects of the drug use, is it fair to others? Etc.
Offer counter arguments like since Adderall is helpful with studying should eating healthy be treated the same way as Adderall? Should it not be allowed for students to eat healthy? How about access to Adderall, could that be why? Also please discuss the harm to the self and the harm to others from the drug use.
Please note that this essay is "argument and analysis."
Note especially the recommendation on offering counterarguments against the thesis and the responses to these counterarguments.
Use Chicago/Turabian style notation.
Length: 1200 words (~4 pgs.)
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
Excerpt From Essay:
Total Pages: 11 Words: 3284 References: 20 Citation Style: APA Document Type: Essay
Essay Instructions: A persuasive essay, arguing for the link between school shootings such as Columbine and Virginia Tech, as well as various other mass shootings, such as the Aurora Theater shootings, Gabriel Giffords shooting, and the gunman/perpetrators use of psychotropic medications such as SSRI Antidepressants, Stimulant medications such as Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta to name a few, Atypical Antipsychotics, even smoking cessation drugs such as Zyban and Champix.
There is a well known link to violence, akethisia, Homicidality an Suicidality on these drugs And numerous legal cases where the accused was acquitted/discharged/ or found not criminally responsible for murder or violence when under the influence of these drugs..
See the work of David Healy, Ann Blake Tracy, Peter Breggin, Robert Whitaker, Joseph Glenmullen and others for inspiration.
Excerpt From Essay:
Total Pages: 3 Words: 1301 Works Cited: 3 Citation Style: MLA Document Type: Research Paper
Essay Instructions: This paper is for a public speaking course and the instructor has asked us to write an informative speech. This 5-7 minute speech will need to include an outline with no more than 6 main points. Two outside sources (articles, books, websites, newspapers, interviews, etc.)
Example:
Specifie Purpose: To inform my audience about.........
Thesis Statement:
Main Points:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
I would like to inform my audience about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. I was drawn to this topic because of my own struggle with ADHD as a child and now as an adult. I'm open to any way you want to take this...it could even be narrowed down to something like "Informing my audience about Living with ADHD." or something like that. I have struggled with ADHD since I was a child and have tried all the med's the shrinks pushed on me--- such as ritalin, adderall, etc..... I didn't like the effects these had on me they made me feel almost in a zombie like state...so I stopped taking them early on and just worked really hard going through school having to put more time into my schoolwork. The same goes today in my professional career and in college. I always have to put extra studying and preperation in everthing. It's very hard to stay focused and organize tasks and thoughts in my head. This could even not be about my own struggle with this disorder and just hit the main points staying away from my own experiences or a mix of both. This also doesn't have to be 3pgs it can be less if you choose.
Professors instructions or details about assignment:
Informative Speech Info
An informative speech is one in which the speaker tells the audience about a topic, but does not try to persuade them to do or think a certain way. An informative speech presents both the positive and negative aspects of a topic.
Criteria for a good informative speech:
Remember that you only have 5-7 minutes for this speech. That means you want to stay away from topics that are too complicated or lengthy (ie, “the Civil War” would not be a good topic because it is too broad)
The optimal number of points for a speech this length is 3-6.
Don’t choose a topic that is too simple. Make sure both you and your audience are interested in the topic. Find something that interests you. For more ideas about topics go to: http://www.goodspeechtopics.com/ (click on Informative Speech topics).
The particulars about this speech:
The speech should be 5-7 minutes long.
Because you already presented a demonstrative speech, you cannot give a demonstrative speech for this assignment. So although a demonstrative speech is a type of informative speech, that option is not open to you.
The speech is worth 100 points.
Two outside sources (articles, books, websites, newspapers, interviews, etc.) are required for this speech.
Visual aids can be used in your speech, but are not required.
An outline of this speech is due in Outline Quiz 2 by March 25 and is worth 50 points.
Whether you use the classroom audience, or find your own, you will still need to record your speech. After it is recorded, you must answer Self-Critique Quiz 2 about your Informative Speech. This quiz is worth 50 points and is due on April 8.
The speech must be completed in a classroom session or postmarked by April 2.
Excerpt From Essay:
I really do appreciate HelpMyEssay.com. I'm not a good writer and the service really gets me going in the right direction. The staff gets back to me quickly with any concerns that I might have and they are always on time.
I have had all positive experiences with HelpMyEssay.com. I will recommend your service to everyone I know. Thank you!
I am finished with school thanks to HelpMyEssay.com. They really did help me graduate college.. | https://www.helpmyessay.com/subjects/adderall |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical fiber having a lens formed at an end thereof for introducing light when the optical fiber is connected to a light source, and more particularly, to an optical fiber of this kind which ensures high-efficiency coupling with a light source (usually, a semiconductor laser).
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional light-emitting module incorporated in an optical communications system comprises a semiconductor laser serving as a light source, and a lens such as a spherical lens, self-focusing lens or aspherical lens interposed between the semiconductor laser and an optical fiber for converging the laser beam onto the core of the optical fiber. Since the light-emitting module is required to provide high coupling efficiency between the semiconductor laser and the optical fiber, the module is assembled with the optical axes of the semiconductor laser, lens, and optical fiber aligned with each other, so as to achieve maximum coupling power.
The alignment of optical axes of the optical coupling system is, however, complicated, and it is almost impossible to integrate a number of modules into a unit by using a semiconductor laser array, because each optical fiber must be aligned with a corresponding semiconductor laser. Thus, it is difficult to reduce the size and cost of the light- emitting module.
Recently, there has been proposed an optical fiber having a lens directly and integrally formed on an end face thereof, i.e., at a portion of the fiber on which light from the light source is incident (this type of optical fiber is hereinafter called "lensed optical fiber"). In the lensed optical fiber, the fiber end itself functions as a lens. Accordingly, when manufacturing light-emitting modules, the number of required component parts can be reduced, because there is no need to use a light-converging lens, and the number of operations associated with the axis alignment can also be reduced, whereby the cost is cut down.
As shown in FIG. 1, a lensed optical fiber has a lens 2 formed integrally at an end of a fiber body 1 composed of a core 1a and a cladding 1b. Where the optical fiber 1 is a silica glass optical fiber, for example, the lens 2 is formed in the following manner: First, while a portion of the silica glass optical fiber is heated by heating means such as a burner, a tensile force is applied to the fiber in the longitudinal direction thereof, whereby the heated portion extends. When the outer diameter of the heated portion has decreased to a predetermined diameter, the optical fiber is cut at the diameter-reduced portion, and then the cut end is again heated for fusion.
In this heating step, the extreme end 2a of the optical fiber, including the core 1a in the center thereof, becomes spherical in shape due to surface tension, and this spherical end functions as a lens. Thus, the lensed optical fiber 1 has a taper portion 2b extending from the extreme end 2a to an outer peripheral edge which is not affected by heat and having a certain inclination determined by the heating and drawing conditions.
The lensed optical fiber produced in this manner is connected to a semiconductor laser 3, and a laser beam is emitted from a light- emitting surface 3a of the semiconductor laser 3. In this case, the laser beam radiates in conical form. In the laser beam thus emitted, a part incident on the spherical surface 2a at the extremity of the core 1a is propagated through the core 1a, as indicated by arrows p in FIG. 1, and is used for optical communications.
Accordingly, in order to increase the coupling efficiency between the semiconductor laser 3 and the lensed optical fiber, it is necessary that the laser beam emitted from the light-emitting surface 3a of the semiconductor laser 3 be converged and focused on the spherical surface 2a of the core 1a with as high efficiency as possible.
In the lensed optical fiber having the above-described structure, however, the spherical end 2a of the core has a small light convergence area. Therefore, this lensed optical fiber has a problem in that the tolerance or allowable range for axial displacement and angular displacement between the spherical end 2a of the core and the light- emitting surface 3a of the semiconductor laser is extremely limited.
Further, in the case of the lensed optical fiber, the radius of the spherical end 2a of the core should be approximately 5 &mgr;m. Accordingly, to increase the coupling efficiency between the semiconductor laser 3 and the optical fiber, the spherical surface 2a must be formed with increased precision. This work, however, is very complicated, in view of the fact that the outer diameter of an optical fiber is about 100 &mgr;m at most, and a desired lens shape cannot be formed with satisfactory reproducibility.
Furthermore, when connecting the lensed optical fiber to a semiconductor laser, they must be positioned close to each other such that the distance between the distal end of the fiber and the semiconductor laser is about 10 &mgr;m.
Thus, the spherical surface 2a of the core of the lensed optical fiber is positioned as close to the light-emitting surface 3a of the semiconductor laser 3 as possible, as shown in FIG. 1, so that the laser beam may be focused on the spherical surface 2a with high efficiency. During this positioning work, however, the distal end 2a of the lensed optical fiber may collide with the light-emitting surface 3a of the semiconductor laser 3, causing damage to the laser resonance surface or the lens 2, or the laser beam reflected at the spherical surface 2a may enter the semiconductor laser 3, making the emission power of the laser 3 extremely unstable.
To avoid the drawback, if the distance between the distal end of the lensed optical fiber and the semiconductor laser 3 is increased as shown in FIG. 2, the laser beam from the semiconductor laser 3 diverges at a greater angle. Accordingly, major part of the laser beam falls upon and is refracted at the taper portion 2b, and then propagated through the cladding 1b as indicated by arrows q, thus unduly increasing the coupling loss between the semiconductor laser and the lensed optical fiber.
To solve the above problem associated with the conventional lensed optical fiber, the inventors of the present application developed a lensed optical fiber having the structure shown in FIG. 3 (Japanese Patent Application No. 4-348019), corresponding to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 6-201946.
This lensed optical fiber has an incident light guide portion at an end portion 4 thereof. The incident light guide portion 4 extends from an end face 4a of the fiber to a distal end 1c of the core 1a and is made of an optical material having a uniform refractive index.
The end face 4a of the incident light guide portion 4 is formed in the shape of a hemisphere having a radius substantially equal to that of the optical fiber 1 or a convexity such as a paraboloid. Thus, when this optical fiber is connected to the semiconductor laser 3, the laser beam emitted in conical form from the light-emitting surface 3a of the semiconductor laser 3 falls upon the convex surface 4a formed at the end of the fiber, is refracted at the convex surface 4a and propagated through the incident light guide portion 4, such that the laser beam is concentrated on the distal end 1c of the core 1a of the optical fiber 1.
The optical fiber 1 is previously formed such that the distal end 1c of the core 1a is located in the vicinity of the focal point of the convex surface; therefore, the amount of light concentrated on the core 1a of the optical fiber is extremely large, compared with the case of the lensed optical fiber shown in FIG. 1.
Namely, this lensed optical fiber permits high coupling efficiency with respect to the semiconductor laser, and the distance between the end face 4a of the fiber and the light-emitting surface 3a of the semiconductor laser 3 can be increased. Accordingly, a number of lensed optical fibers of this type can be integrated into a unit by using a semiconductor laser array.
However, since the end face 4a of the incident light guide portion 4 of the above lensed optical fiber is formed in the shape of a convexity such as a hemisphere, the laser beam reaching the distal end 1c of the core 1a is subject to aberration.
A conventional measure to eliminate the aberration is to form the end of an optical fiber into an aspherical shape such as a hyperboloid, by using a CO.sub.2 laser (cf. H. M. Presby, et al., Appl. Opt., 2692 (1991)) .
However, when the optical fiber having an end face processed by this method is connected to a semiconductor laser, the distance between the end face of the fiber and the light-emitting surface of the semiconductor laser must be very short, and thus it cannot be said that this optical fiber is suited for practical use.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber having a lens formed at an end thereof to be connected to a semiconductor laser which fiber ensures high coupling efficiency even if positioned at a large distance from the light-emitting surface of the semiconductor laser.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber which has an aspherical lens formed at an end thereof and in which a laser beam reaching a fiber core after passing through the aspherical lens is subject to no aberration.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber having a lens formed at an end thereof, which can be suitably integrated using a semiconductor laser array and can provide an inexpensive light-emitting module having a small overall size.
To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides an optical fiber having a lens formed at an end thereof, comprising:
a fiber body including a core and a cladding; and
an incident light guide portion having a uniform refractive index and integrally formed at an end portion of the fiber body,
an outer surface of the incident light guide portion being party convex-shaped,
the core having a distal end located within the incident light guide portion at a position close to a focal point of the incident light guide portion,
the incident light guide portion having dimensional properties defined as follows:
when the incident light guide portion is arranged in alignment with a light source such that an extremity of the convex surface of the incident light guide portion faces a light-emitting surface of the light source, assuming that an X-Y coordinate system is established wherein an X axis coincides with an optical axis of the fiber body and a Y axis coincides with a radius direction of the fiber body,
a relationship expressed by the following equation is fulfilled: ##EQU2## where coordinates of the extremity of the convex surface of the incident light guide portion are (0, 0), coordinates of the light- emitting surface of the light source are (-k, 0), coordinates of the distal end of the core are (L, 0), coordinates of an incident point at which light from the light-emitting surface of the light source falls upon the convex surface of the incident light guide portion are (z, r), and the refractive index of the incident light guide portion is n.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of how a conventional lensed optical fiber is connected to a semiconductor laser;
FIG. 2 is a side view showing another example of connection between the conventional lensed optical fiber and the semiconductor laser;
FIG. 3 is a side view of a lensed optical fiber proposed in Japanese Patent Application No. 4-348019;
FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating how a lensed optical fiber according to the present invention is positioned relative to a semiconductor laser;
FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating a method of producing the lensed optical fiber of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating another method of producing the lensed optical fiber of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a side view showing examples of a convex surface of an incident light guide portion of the lensed optical fiber according to the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a side view showing another set of examples of the convex surface formed on the incident light guide portion of the lensed optical fiber according to the present invention;
FIG. 9 is a side view showing still another set of examples of the convex surface formed on the incident light guide portion of the lensed optical fiber according to the present invention;
FIG. 10 is a side view showing a further set of examples of the convex surface formed on the incident light guide portion of the lensed optical fiber according to the present invention;
FIG. 11 is a side view showing examples of the convex surface of the incident light guide portion of the lensed optical fiber according to the present invention;
FIG. 12 is a side view showing examples of a convex surface of a transparent sleeve used in the lensed optical fiber of the present invention;
FIG. 13 is a side view showing other examples of the convex surface of the transparent sleeve used in the lensed optical fiber of the present invention;
FIG. 14 is a side view showing another set of examples of the convex surface of the transparent sleeve used in the lensed optical fiber of the present invention; and
FIG. 15 is a side view showing a further set of examples of the convex surface of the transparent sleeve used in the lensed optical fiber of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
As shown in FIG. 4, in an optical fiber 1 having a lens formed at an end thereof (hereinafter referred to as "lensed optical fiber"), an incident light guide portion 4 having a uniform refractive index n is integrally formed at an end portion of the optical fiber 1. The incident light guide portion 4 has an aspherical convex surface 4a, and a distal end 1c of a fiber core 1a is located at a position close to the focal point of the incident light guide portion 4. The distal end 1c of the core 1a is positioned at a distance L from an extreme end (extremity) 4b of the incident light guide portion 4.
It is here assumed that the lensed optical fiber 1 is arranged coaxially with a semiconductor laser 3 so as to provide a gap k between the extreme end 4b of the incident light guide portion 4 and a light- emitting surface 3a of the semiconductor laser 3, and that a laser beam emitted from the light-emitting surface 3a falls upon an arbitrary point P on the convex surface 4a, then is propagated through the incident light guide portion 4 and focused on the distal end 1c of the fiber core 1a.
With the semiconductor laser 3 and the lensed optical fiber 1 positioned as shown in FIG. 4, an X-Y coordinate system is assumed wherein the X axis coincides with an optical axis passing through the light-emitting surface 3a of the semiconductor laser 3, the extreme end 4b of the incident light guide portion 4, and the distal end 1c of the core 1a of the optical fiber 1, the Y axis extends in a radius direction of the lensed optical fiber 1, and the origin (0, 0) coincides with the extreme end 4b of the incident light guide portion 4. In this case, the position of the light-emitting surface 3a of the semiconductor laser 3 is represented by coordinates (-k, 0, and the position of the distal end 1c of the fiber core 1a is represented by coordinates (L, 0).
Provided the coordinates of the point P at which the laser beam is incident on the convex surface 4a are (z, r), conditions will be now considered under which no phase difference occurs between a laser beam propagated along an optical path (1), which passes through the light- emitting surface 3a, the extreme end 4b, the incident light guide portion 4 and the distal end 1c of the core 1a, and a laser beam propagated along an optical path (2), which passes through the light- emitting surface 3a, the incident point P, the incident light guide portion 4 and the distal end 1c of the core 1a.
First, the phase (optical distance) of the laser beam propagated along the optical path (1) is given by k+nL. The phase (optical distance) of the laser beam propagated along the optical path (2) is given by ##EQU3##
Therefore, in order that no phase difference may occur between the laser beams propagated along the optical paths (1) and (2), respectively, the laser beams should be in phase, and thus the following equation need be fulfilled: ##EQU4##
Namely, with the semiconductor laser 3 and the lensed optical fiber 1 positioned as shown in FIG. 4, if the convex surface 4a of the incident light guide portion 4 is formed such that z and r have values satisfying the above equation (1), then no phase difference occurs between the laser beams converging to the distal end 1c of the fiber core 1a.
In the lensed optical fiber according to the present invention, the incident light guide portion 4 is integrally formed at an end portion of the optical fiber 1 and has a convex surface 4a satisfying equation (1) above.
The convex surface 4a of the incident light guide portion 4 may have a shape satisfying an approximate expression of equation (1), as explained below.
Specifically, the approximate expression can be derived as follows: First, a part in the right side of equation (1), i.e., {square root} (L-z).sup. 2 +r.sup.2 is expanded and approximated as follows: ##EQU5##
Substituting formula (2) into equation (1) provides the following equation: ##EQU6##
Subsequently, both sides of equation (3) are squared. In this case, L can be deemed to be infinitely great, and the second term in the left side of the resulting formula is very small and thus is negligible, then ##EQU7##
Accordingly, if the convex surface 4a of the incident light guide portion 4 is formed so as to satisfy the above equation (4), then substantially no phase difference of laser beams occurs at the distal end 1c of the core 1a of the lensed optical fiber 1.
In connection with equation (4), where L→∞, that is, in the case where the laser beam from the semiconductor laser 3 is propagated through the incident light guide portion 4 in the form of parallel rays, equation (4) can be modified as ##EQU8## In this case, the convex surface 4a of the incident light guide portion 4 should be hyperboloidal.
The lensed optical fiber according to the present invention can be produced in the following manner:
First, an end portion of the optical fiber 1 is cut in a direction perpendicular to the axis thereof. Then, a portion of the optical fiber including the cut end is locally heated by means of arc discharge, micro torch, or the like.
Consequently, the cut end of the optical fiber is melted, and a spherical convex portion having a radius substantially equal to that of the optical fiber 1 is formed on the cut end face due to,surface tension. In the locally heated portion of the optical fiber, the dopant in the core 1a diffuses into the cladding 1b due to heat, and thus the boundary between the core 1a and the cladding 1b vanishes. As a result, the end portion of the optical fiber 1 up to the distal end 1c of the fiber core 1a changes in its entirety to homogeneous glass and functions as the incident light guide portion 4 with the uniform refractive index n. In this case, by controlling the local heating conditions, the distal end 1c of the core 1a of the optical fiber 1 can be positioned in the vicinity of the focal point of the incident light guide portion 4.
At this stage, the convex surface 4a of the incident light guide portion 4 is spherical and does not have a shape satisfying the aforementioned equation (1) or (4).
Therefore, a die 5 having a concave die face 5a satisfying equation (1) or (4) is used, as shown in FIG. 5. Specifically, while the optical fiber 1 is heated, the spherical end of the incident light guide portion 4 is pressed against the die face 5a, thereby forming the spherical end into an aspherical Shape satisfying equation (1) or (4).
According to this method, the incident light guide portion 4 is directly formed on an end face of the optical fiber 1. In practice, however, this method requires considerable skill.
The incident light guide portion 4 may, therefore, be produced by the method described below.
As shown in FIG. 6, a transparent sleeve 6 made of transparent glass or transparent plastic material having a desired refractive index is prepared which sleeve has a convex surface 6a satisfying equation (1) or (4) and which also has a small-diameter hole 6b cut in a rear end thereof for allowing insertion of the optical fiber 1. An optical fiber 1 whose core 1a is exposed at an end face thereof is inserted into the small- diameter hole 6b, and then securely bonded to the sleeve 6 to form a one- piece body.
This method is preferable to the first-mentioned method in which the incident light guide portion with a desired shape is directly formed on an end face of the optical fiber, because the transparent sleeve 6 is separate from the optical fiber and thus can be easily formed into a desired shape.
Further, the transparent sleeve 6 can be mass-produced since a molding method using various materials such as multicomponent glass is available. Furthermore, if the transparent sleeve is formed so as to have a diameter of about 1 mm and a plurality of such transparent sleeves are set in array, then a semiconductor laser array can be used as light sources. This means that the lensed optical fibers and related components can be integrated into a light-emitting module.
Embodiment 1
In the same type of lensed optical fiber as shown in FIG. 4, the extreme end 4b of the incident light guide portion 4 having a refractive index n of 1.45 was set apart from the light-emitting surface 3a of the semiconductor laser 3 at a distance k of 30 &mgr;m.
With the distance L between the extreme end 4b and the distal end 1c of the core 1a changed to different values, coordinates (z, r) satisfying equation (1) were calculated, and based on the calculated values, profiles of the convex surface 4a of the incident light guide portion 4 were obtained.
The results are shown in FIG. 7 which corresponds to the first quadrant of the X-Y coordinate system shown in FIG. 4.
The calculation was performed on the assumption that the radius of the beam spot on the light-emitting surface 3a of the semiconductor laser 3 was 1 &mgr;m and that the radius of the core 1a was 5 &mgr;m.
In this embodiment in which k was set to 30 &mgr;m while L was changed to different values as mentioned above, it was confirmed that none of the profiles of the convex surface 4a of the incident light guide portion 4, shown in FIG. 7, caused a phase difference at the distal end 1c of the core 1a.
Embodiment 2
Profiles of the convex surface 4a satisfying equation (1) were obtained in the same manner as in Embodiment 1, except that the distance k between the extreme end 4b and the light-emitting surface 3a of the semiconductor laser 3 was set to 50 &mgr;m.
The results are shown in FIG. 8, in the same manner as in Embodiment 1.
Embodiment 3
Profiles of the convex surface 4a satisfying equation (1) were obtained in the same manner as in Embodiment 1, except that the distance k between the extreme end 4b and the light-emitting surface 3a of the semiconductor laser 3 was set to 70 &mgr;m.
The results are shown in FIG. 9, in the same manner as in Embodiment 1.
Embodiment 4
Profiles of the convex surface 4a satisfying equation (1) were obtained in the same manner as in Embodiment 1, except that the distance k between the extreme end 4b and the light-emitting surface 3a of the semiconductor laser 3 was set to 100 &mgr;m.
The results are shown in FIG. 10, in the same manner as in Embodiment 1.
Embodiment 5
Using the same lensed optical fiber as used in Embodiment 1, k was set to 50 &mgr;m, and with L changed to different values, profiles of the convex surface 4a were calculated according equation (4). The results are indicated by the solid lines in FIG. 11. For comparison, the profile of the convex surface calculated with respect to the distance L of 250 &mgr;m according to equation (1) is also shown in FIG. 11 by the dashed line.
As is obvious from FIG. 11, in the case where the distance L is 250 . mu.m, the profile of the convex surface calculated according to equation (4) is closely approximate to the profile calculated according to equation (1). Namely, the lensed optical fiber having a profile satisfying equation (4) also is suited for practical use, since no phase difference is caused.
Embodiment 6
Using transparent glass having a refractive index of 1.8, a transparent sleeve 6 as shown in FIG. 6 was produced, and an optical fiber 1 whose core 1c was exposed at an end face thereof was inserted into a small-diameter hole 6b cut in the sleeve 6 and fixed by a binding agent.
The distance k between the extreme end (extremity) 6c of the transparent sleeve 6 and the light-emitting surface of the semiconductor laser was set to 300 &mgr;m, and with the distance L between the extreme end 6c and the distal end 1c of the core of the inserted fiber 1 changed to different values, profiles of the convex surface 6a were calculated according to equation (1). FIG. 12 shows the results.
Also in this case, it was confirmed that, if the convex surface 6a had an aspherical profile as in Embodiments 1 to 5, no phase difference was caused at the distal end 1c of the core 1a, as seen from FIG. 12.
Embodiment 7
Profiles of the convex surface 6a satisfying equation (1) were obtained in the same manner as in Embodiment 6, except that the distance k between the extreme end 6c and the light-emitting surface of the semiconductor laser was set to 500 &mgr;m. The results are shown in FIG. 13.
Embodiment 8
Using transparent sleeves 6 identical to that used in Embodiment 6 but having different refractive indexes n, profiles of the convex surface 6a were derived according to equation (1), with the distances k and L set at 300 &mgr;m and 1500 &mgr;m, respectively. The results are shown in FIG. 14.
Embodiment 9
Using transparent sleeves 6 identical to that used in Embodiment 6 but having different refractive indexes n, profiles of the convex surface 6a were derived according to equation (1), with the distances k and L set at 300 &mgr;m and 4500 &mgr;m, respectively. The results are shown in FIG. 15. | |
The Institute of International Education’s Center for Academic Mobility Research and Impact brings together the Institute’s in-house research expertise and leading minds from around the world to conduct and disseminate timely research in the field of international student and faculty mobility. The Center also excels in its analytical work studying the impact of international exchange, leadership, and scholarship programs in education. The Center provides applied research and program evaluation services to domestic and international government agencies, non-governmental organizations, corporations and foundations. The Center’s in-depth books and reports, including the Open Doors Report on International Education Exchange, supported by the U.S. Department of State, are key reference resources.
What We Do:
Drive policy and program decisions through applied research and analysis
We conduct longitudinal and snapshot research on the global mobility of students and faculty as well as offer a comprehensive suite of research services. Our policy papers and snapshot surveys capture trends in the rapidly changing landscape of international education.
- Longitudinal and snapshot research on the global mobility of students and faculty: Since 1919, the Institute has pioneered the collection of student mobility data. Today this continues through Open Doors® that provides trend analysis on international students and scholars in the U.S. and on American students abroad, through Project Atlas® and related projects. New and upcoming research includes: U.S. students pursuing degree study overseas; student enrollment in U.S. branch campuses overseas; and trends in U.S. faculty mobility.
- Research services: The Center provides customized research services that focus on student mobility and the internationalization of higher education. Our wide range of U.S. and international clients and sponsors includes: the U.S. government; U.S. higher education institutions; U.S. state consortia; the Ford Foundation; Carnegie Corporation; and the World Bank, among others.
Measure Impact of International Education Programs
We provide technical assistance and expertise to international education programs that want to measure the outputs, outcomes, and impact of their work. IIE’s substantive knowledge of the international exchange and leadership development fields and our methodological expertise drives our study of the impact and multiplier effects of a wide range of programs. The Center also specializes in carrying out alumni impact studies, including a 10-year tracking study of the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program (IFP).
Current and past clients and sponsors include: the Ford Foundation; the Carnegie Corporation of New York; the Cargill Foundation; the Alcoa Foundation; the Schlumberger Foundation; and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Foster and Disseminate Knowledge
We offer a range of in-depth publications, and host global conferences, roundtable discussions, and expert workshops that bring together networks of thought leaders on key topics in international education and global mobility.
- Publications: Center publications range from in-depth books to rapid-response white papers that enjoy a wide readership and are frequently cited in the global media. In addition to publications by its research staff, the Center regularly invites external experts to contribute to its publications. Recent reports, books and co-authored series include the The World is the New Classroom: Non-Credit Education Abroad (2016); the Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange (2016); Asia: The Next Higher Education Superpower? (2015); and IIE/AIFS Global Education Research Reports.
- Conferences: The Center disseminates its research and analysis at international conferences on international education, international development and educational research. Recent and upcoming conferences include, among others: the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE); NAFSA; AIEA; EAIE; APAIE; CAIE; and CIES.
- Roundtable discussions: The Center frequently hosts roundtable discussions of critical trends that bring together a diverse group of participants, including: experts in the field, practitioners, policymakers, and educators. Recent roundtable discussions have focused on: trends in global student mobility; higher education in the Middle East; the U.S. Department of State’s Passport to India initiative; and higher education in Africa. | https://www.iie.org/mobility |
'Alive' has been painted on a deep edge canvas using acrylic paint. Many layers of paint build a depth to it's appearance, with texture on the initial layers and then paint mediums used to add a translucency on the top layers. The painting is inspired by the verses in Ephesians chapters 1 & 2.
Related CategoriesPaintingsAbstractsMedium (16 - 30")AcrylicBrownRedAbstractExpressionism
Miriam Meek
Miriam had a love for painting and drawing throughout childhood; as a self taught artist she has devoted more time to developing her style of painting following her youngest child starting school. Working with acrylic, her semi abstract paintings are inspired by the sky and it's ever changing colour and movement. Whatever the time of day or the time of year, as the light changes, the sky provides endless ideas for new material. Miriam's paintings gain a depth through layers of paint. Texture is introduced with the use of a palette knife and occasionally the addition of other media. The paintings evolve as each layer is applied. The use of translucent mediums accentuates the light and the paint is allowed to have a freedom of movement ... (see more)
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US FDA Review for SCENESSE® Extended by Three Months
The FDA sets new goal date of 6 October 2019 to complete review and issue risk-benefit decision
MELBOURNE, Australia, June 03, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CLINUVEL PHARMACEUTICALS LTD today published that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Division of Dermatology and Dental Products (DDDP) has set a new Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date of 6 October 2019 for CLINUVEL’s drug SCENESSE® (afamelanotide 16mg). The FDA also revised the expected date to provide commentary on product labelling and CLINUVEL’s post-marketing authorisation commitments to 6 September. From the FDA’s communication it is understood that the DDDP requires more time to complete a full review of the submission of the SCENESSE® new drug application (NDA) scientific dossier.
CLINUVEL submitted an NDA – under Section 505(b) of Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act – for the use of SCENESSE® in the prevention of phototoxicity and anaphylactoid reactions in adult patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) in 2018.
CHRONOLOGY SCENESSE® was granted an orphan drug designation by the FDA in 2008. In March 2016, CLINUVEL was asked by the DDDP to submit its clinical data. In October 2016, the FDA held its first public workshop on EPP inviting 150 patients and their families to learn more about the restrictions and impact of the disorder. In July 2016 the FDA determined that the NDA filing met the Fast Track Designation criteria, enabling a regulatory review on a rolling basis. In November 2016, the FDA invited CLINUVEL for a pre-NDA meeting, and it was deemed that the Company was ready to file its scientific dossier on SCENESSE®.
The submission under rolling review started in 2018. In January 2019 the FDA validated the NDA filing and awarded the product Priority Review, providing for a scientific review of six months with an initial PDUFA user fee goal date of 8 July. The FDA had previously advised that it does not intend to hold an advisory committee meeting during the scientific review of the SCENESSE® NDA.
On 31 May, the DDDP extended its own timeline – determined under Priority Review – allowing for more review time with a new PDUFA user fee goal date set to 6 October 2019.
Following an assessment under 21 CRF 314.101(a) for NDA completeness, the FDA review will assess the risk-benefit profile of the product for the intended patient population. The exchange between the FDA and CLINUVEL continues during these final stages of the scientific review process.
COMMENTARY “It is not unusual to see the FDA extend its own timelines when it finds that it requires more time for review and to arrive at a final benefit-risk assessment,” CLINUVEL’s Chief Scientific Officer, Dr Dennis Wright said.
“It is most frustrating that, while SCENESSE® is being prescribed in the European Union and Switzerland and some of the US patients travel to Europe to obtain the treatment, the majority of US EPP patients have no access.
“We will continue to work with the FDA to work at all possible hours to assist the FDA staff to reach a positive conclusion on the scientific review of SCENESSE®. We are sympathetic to the finite resources the US FDA currently has and will patiently wait for the communication on labelling and post-marketing commitments by 6 September,” Dr Wright concluded.
SCENESSE® FOR EPP SCENESSE® is a controlled release injectable implant containing the novel active ingredient afamelanotide. The drug was developed as a first-line treatment for patients with EPP, a rare genetic metabolic disorder which causes phototoxicity and anaphylactoid reactions when patients expose their skin to light. CLINUVEL conducted five clinical trials of SCENESSE® in EPP. Two randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trials of SCENESSE® conducted at US EPP expert centres showed the drug enabled patients to increase the amount of time spent outside without experiencing phototoxicity and improved patient quality of life.
SCENESSE® was approved for the prevention of phototoxicity in adult patients with EPP in Europe in 2014.1 CLINUVEL seeks US regulatory approval for the same treatment dose and regimen in the United States as is currently approved in the European Union, where SCENESSE® is prescribed to EPP patients by clinical experts at specialised treatment centres. There are currently no approved therapies for EPP patients in the US.
1 SCENESSE® (afamelanotide 16mg) is approved in Europe as an orphan medicinal product for the prevention of phototoxicity in adult patients with EPP. Information on the product can be found on CLINUVEL’s website at www.clinuvel.com.
About CLINUVEL PHARMACEUTICALS LIMITED CLINUVEL PHARMACEUTICALS LTD (ASX: CUV; NASDAQ INTERNATIONAL DESIGNATION ADR: CLVLY; XETRA-DAX: UR9) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and delivering treatments for patients with a range of severe genetic and skin disorders. As pioneers in photomedicine and understanding the interaction of light and human biology, CLINUVEL’s research and development has led to innovative treatments for patient populations with a clinical need for photoprotection and repigmentation. These patient groups range in size from 5,000 to 45 million worldwide. CLINUVEL’s lead compound, SCENESSE® (afamelanotide 16mg), was approved by the European Commission in 2014 for the prevention of phototoxicity (anaphylactoid reactions and burns) in adult patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP). More information on EPP can be found at http://www.epp.care. Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, CLINUVEL has operations in Europe, Switzerland, the US and Singapore, with the UK acting as the EU distribution centre. For more information go to http://www.clinuvel.com.
Forward-Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements, which reflect the current beliefs and expectations of CLINUVEL’s management. Statements may involve a number of known and unknown risks that could cause our future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include risks relating to: our ability to develop and commercialise pharmaceutical products, including our ability to develop, manufacture, market and sell biopharmaceutical products; competition for our products, especially SCENESSE® (afamelanotide 16mg); our ability to achieve expected safety and efficacy results through our innovative R&D efforts; the effectiveness of our patents and other protections for innovative products, particularly in view of national and regional variations in patent laws; our potential exposure to product liability claims to the extent not covered by insurance; increased government scrutiny in either Australia, the U.S., Europe and Japan of our agreements with third parties and suppliers; our exposure to currency fluctuations and restrictions as well as credit risks; the effects of reforms in healthcare regulation and pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement; that the Company may incur unexpected delays in the outsourced manufacturing of SCENESSE® which may lead to it being unable to supply its commercial markets and/or clinical trial programs; any failures to comply with any government payment system (i.e. Medicare) reporting and payment obligations; uncertainties surrounding the legislative and regulatory pathways for the registration and approval of biotechnology based products; decisions by regulatory authorities regarding approval of our products as well as their decisions regarding label claims; any failure to retain or attract key personnel and managerial talent; the impact of broader change within the pharmaceutical industry and related industries; potential changes to tax liabilities or legislation; environmental risks; and other factors that have been discussed in our 2018 Annual Report. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation, outside of those required under applicable laws or relevant listing rules of the Australian Securities Exchange, to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. More information on the forecasts and estimates is available on request. Past performance is not an indicator of future performance.
EIN Presswire does not exercise editorial control over third-party content provided, uploaded, published, or distributed by users of EIN Presswire. We are a distributor, not a publisher, of 3rd party content. Such content may contain the views, opinions, statements, offers, and other material of the respective users, suppliers, participants, or authors.
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Computer Network Operations Ref. 1833
GCHQ, the longest standing code-breaking intelligence agency in the UK, is offering you an exciting opportunity to join our Organisation as either a CCNO Online Technologist or a CNO Online Technologist.
THE ROLES
CCNO Online Technologist roles will suit those who have the knowledge required for defending systems and networks. Your work will directly support the whole range of GCHQ’s cyber capabilities, and is dedicated to designing, developing or utilising bespoke tools to help save lives. One day, you may be carrying out operations to retrieve vital online clues about the location and identity of members of an organised crime ring. The next day, you could be carrying out vulnerability research in support of national security objectives for network defence purposes in support of military operations across the full spectrum of cyber activities.
As a CNO Online Technologist, you’ll develop solutions to counter attack an array of threats operating in a dynamic and demanding technical environment. Your skills could cover numerous technical areas, from the administration of complex operational infrastructure to the development of sophisticated software and everything in-between. You’ll have an affinity for technology, a desire to learn and adapt to an ever-changing set of adversaries. We need people to develop the solutions required to gather intelligence and disrupt those that seek to do the UK and its citizens.
Our flexible working policy ensures a healthy work-life balance. Wherever possible, we accommodate reduced hours or job share options, balanced against business needs.
REQUIREMENTS
If you’re excited about working with us and think you have some of what we’re looking for but aren’t sure if you’re 100% there yet… Rule yourself in and give it a go!
We’re looking for passionate individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds, who will strive working in a team and value the different perspectives of others, you’ll have an interest in technology and how it works, and have the ability to apply technology creatively to solve problems. You relish a challenge and are willing to experiment to find a solution. You recognise the breadth of internet technologies and both the benefits and drawbacks that they offer the world. Keeping up with the latest developments in technology, you’ll able to grasp computing concepts and to apply your knowledge above and beyond academia. Along with an ability to work lawfully, ethically and impartially at all times. You stay safe online, and are aware of cyber threats, and the importance of digital data.
We welcome applications from experienced candidates who currently work within a related field irrelevant of educational background. Alternatively, you have, or expect to obtain shortly, a 2:2 degree or above in STEM subject with a proven ability to work within the areas noted above from previous work experience, personal projects or degree related study.
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
At GCHQ we’re proud of our inclusive and supportive working environment that’s designed to encourage open minds and attitudes. As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we’re committed to helping you fulfil your potential. With comprehensive training and development opportunities, tailored to your needs and the requirements of your work, we’ll enable you to flourish in your role and perform to the very best of your abilities.
ABOUT US
At GCHQ, we work closely with other intelligence agencies to keep the nation safe. We work against unique, complex threats – everything from cyber attacks and espionage, to terrorism and organised crime. It means your work will be incredibly interesting, and unlike anything you’ll find anywhere else.
SALARY
Basic salary of £28,804 (includes a concessionary payment) plus skills payments ranging from £3,000 - £6,500 depending on role and capability
LOCATION
Cheltenham (located within an hour’s journey of Birmingham and Bristol) and Scarborough
SELECTION PROCESS
To apply for this position, you must meet our nationality, residency and security requirements. You’ll find more details here: Recruitment Process.
As users of the disability confident scheme, we also guarantee to interview all disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for our roles.
You can familiarise yourself with the general competencies we use to assess the aptitude of candidates here: Recruitment Process.
Be prepared to dedicate 60-90 minutes to completing your application. We’re conscious this might be more time than you expected, so our system will allow you to save your application at any time and come back to it later. But remember to submit your full application before the closing date.
Once we’ve established that you meet our eligibility criteria, the next steps of this selection process are:
- Application Form
- Personal interview*
- Drug test
*Interviews will be held in Cheltenham.
If you successfully complete these stages, you’ll receive a job offer, conditional upon you completing our developed vetting (DV) process which enables you to obtain the level of security clearance required to perform this vital role
This Program / Vacancy is closed to applications. | https://recruitmentservices.applicationtrack.com/vx/lang-en-GB/mobile-0/appcentre-3/brand-4/user-1348009/xf-91518523efbd/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/6/opp/1833-Computer-Network-Operations-Ref-1833/en-GB |
Liquid crystalline (LC) materials show high responsivity to various stimuli due to their collective molecular motion. The high responsivity can lead to developments of LC devices; in fact, LC displays need the control of light propagation by means of the molecular reorientation in applied electric fields. It had been natural that magnetic properties of metal-free compounds are undetectably weak in high-temperature LC phases until some metal-free LC compounds with a stable nitroxide radical moiety in the mesogen core like 8NO8 were reported to exhibit the detectable change in magnetic properties at their melting points, which is called "Magneto-LC effect" (Fig. 1a). We have reported that magneto-LC effects originate from spin glass-like inhomogeneous magnetic interactions and the molecular motion in fluid phases: LC and isotropic (Iso) phases. To apply this phenomenon to any devices, the main problems are that transitions from or to Cr phases are usually irreversible and too slow. Since LC-to-Iso phase transitions are reversible and fast, these can immediately occur in response to external stimuli like not only temperature but also light. Thus, LC materials consisting of the magnetic LC compounds could exhibit light-induced reversible switching of magnetic properties as a new photomagnetic effect (Fig. 1b). However, since the magnetic properties of the previously reported LC-NRs hardly change at the LC-to-Iso phase transitions, we have designed a new compound 8NO82 showing the large change of magnetic properties at the chiral smectic C LC (SmC*)-to-Iso phase transitions to realize the light-induced reversible switching.
Fig. 1. Molecules and properties of the present LC mixture. a Molecular structures of (2S,5S) enantiomers of compounds 8NO8, 8NO82, and BMAB. b Photomagnetic effect in a metal-free LC system consisting of (2S,5S)-8NO82 and an azobenzene analog, BMAB. SmC* denotes chiral smectic C, and Iso denotes isotropic liquid. Ultraviolet (UV) and visible (Vis) lights induce trans-to-cis and cis-to-trans photoisomerization of BMAB, respectively. When SmC* material dissolving BMAB is irradiated with UV light, cis-BMAB disturbs the SmC* structure, and therefore, SmC*-to-Iso phase transition can occur. When the SmC* material consists mainly of nitroxide radicals, the magnetic susceptibility (χ) can increase at the photo-induced SmC*-to-Iso phase transition.
With the effective use of this large change of magnetic properties at SmC*-to-Iso phase transition, temperature change could induce the reversible switching of magnetic properties. We focused on light irradiation as one of the other external stimuli to induce the SmC*-to-Iso and Iso-to-SmC* phase transitions because light stimuli can be controlled much more quickly than temperature. According to previous reports, for the photo-induced switching of the magnetic properties, we doped 4-butyl-4’-methoxyazobenzene (BMAB) into (2S,5S)-8NO82. The mixture shows an enantiotropic SmC* phase from room temperature to 51.2 °C in the DSC chart; the doped BMAB does not extinguish the intrinsic LC nature of (2S,5S)-8NO82. The switching of magnetic properties is reversible and stable against repeated irradiation of UV and visible lights as well as temperature change (Fig. 2).
Fig. 2. Photomagnetic effects in LC mixture of (2S,5S)-8NO82 and BMAB. a Molecular structure and photoisomerization of BMAB. b Temperature dependence of χrel for photo-responsive magnetic LC mixture of (2S,5S)-8NO82 and BMAB by EPR spectroscopy in a magnetic field of around 0.33 T in the heating processes in dark (closed circles) and under UV light irradiation (open circles). Error bars are not shown because they are sufficiently small. Vertical dashed line denotes the clearing point under UV light irradiation expected by DSC analysis. Switching of c χrel, d g-value, e ΔBppL, and f ΔBppG for photo-responsive magnetic LC mixture was measured by EPR spectroscopy in a magnetic field of 0.33 T. The data were obtained from EPR spectra measured under UV and visible light irradiation at 51 °C
To read more, please see our paper: “Photomagnetic effects in metal-free liquid crystals” published in Communications Chemistry: | https://chemistrycommunity.nature.com/posts/49803-photomagnetic-effects-in-metal-free-liquid-crystals |
1.. Introduction {#s1}
================
Group-living is a widespread strategy among animals. For many grouping species, grouping can increase the efficiency of foraging, or anti-predator behaviour. Less widespread benefits include access to mates, resource conservation and improved navigation (see \[[@RSOS181132C1],[@RSOS181132C2]\]) for reviews of the benefits of grouping). Although most discussions of grouping behaviour in animals focus on single-species assemblages, mixed-species groups are a common phenomenon in nature \[[@RSOS181132C3]\]. Examples of mixed-species groups have been recorded in songbirds \[[@RSOS181132C3]--[@RSOS181132C11]\], in artiodactyls, primates (including mixed-species groups of ungulates and primates) and in other mammalian orders (reviewed by Stensland *et al*. \[[@RSOS181132C12]\]) and in fishes \[[@RSOS181132C13]--[@RSOS181132C16]\]. In order to differentiate between simple, resource-based assemblages of multiple species and true mixed-species groups, we follow Goodale *et al.* \[[@RSOS181132C17]\] and define mixed-species groups as occurring where members of different species simultaneously associate and interact with both conspecifics and heterospecifics. Associating with heterospecifics in a mixed-species group can provide individuals with significant benefits. These potentially include basic risk-dilution benefits of associating with others, improved predator detection capabilities in mixed-species groups \[[@RSOS181132C18],[@RSOS181132C19]\], and increasing foraging opportunities based either on the spread of information on foraging opportunities among species \[[@RSOS181132C20],[@RSOS181132C21]\], or facilitation effects, such as the flushing of the prey of one species by the activity of another \[[@RSOS181132C6]\]. In some cases, associating with heterospecifics can reduce the competition costs associated with foraging in groups due to niche divergence between species; however, the competition costs between species are often asymmetric \[[@RSOS181132C22],[@RSOS181132C23]\]. Broadly speaking, mixed-species groups do tend to be formed by species that exploit similar resources and which have overlap in locomotion and/or activity patterns \[[@RSOS181132C24]--[@RSOS181132C26]\]. Mixed-species groups are often skewed in terms of the relative numbers of different species that comprise them. Studying mixed-species fish shoals in Canadian lakes, Hoare *et al*. \[[@RSOS181132C14],[@RSOS181132C15]\] reported groups consisting of one or two numerically dominant core species accompanied by a small number of representatives of minority species.
The coherent and synchronous movements of animal groups, often referred to as collective motion, emerges from the repeated interactions of group members \[[@RSOS181132C27]--[@RSOS181132C29]\]. To date, these interactions have been considered almost exclusively in the context of single-species aggregations. To develop a deeper understanding of mixed-species groups, it is important that we examine how conspecifics and heterospecifics interact within mixed-species groups and indeed whether single-species groups are characteristically different from mixed-species groups, particularly in terms of two key descriptors of collective motion, cohesion and order. Group cohesion describes the distance between individuals within the group, while order can refer to the alignment of individuals across the group when it is measured as polarization. Those groups that express high group cohesion and polarization may move more efficiently and maximize the benefits of grouping for individual group members \[[@RSOS181132C30]\].
In addition to these measures, a particular feature of collective behaviour is the propagation of information across a group that occurs when a single individual initiates a change in direction and, with some small time delay, its near neighbours respond by adapting their trajectories to follow suit. Gradually, the information about the change in direction propagates throughout the group until all group members are following the new trajectory. Information theoretic measures are increasingly being used to provide a more rigorous framework for the examination of information transfer in biological systems. In particular, transfer entropy quantifies the reduction in uncertainty in predicting the updates of one time series (in this case, the temporal sequence of spatial movements of an animal) that can be achieved by knowing the past values of a second time series (a similar sequence derived from a second individual animal). Effectively, it models the directed effect of one time series (the source) on another (the target), from which we can infer the information flow from source to target \[[@RSOS181132C31],[@RSOS181132C32]\]. Transfer entropy has previously been applied to analyse information flow in models \[[@RSOS181132C33]\] and data collected from collective interactions, including in bats \[[@RSOS181132C34]\], soldier crabs \[[@RSOS181132C35]\], fish \[[@RSOS181132C36],[@RSOS181132C37]\], insects \[[@RSOS181132C38]\], robotic soccer players \[[@RSOS181132C39]\] and indeed in interactions between fish and robots \[[@RSOS181132C40]\]. Such analyses have revealed, for example, strong wave-like sequences of information propagating across a group as the group undertakes collective turns \[[@RSOS181132C33],[@RSOS181132C37]\].
We examined first, the occurrence of mixed-species shoals of fish in the wild among three common shoaling species, the threespine sticklebacks (*Gasterosteus aculeatus*), ninespine sticklebacks (*Pungitius pungitius*) and roach (*Rutilus rutilus*). We then subsequently examined collective motion within single-species and mixed-species shoals under controlled conditions, in an arena. Since single-species groups are most likely to comprise individuals with similar motivations and patterns of activity (e.g. \[[@RSOS181132C26]\]), we predicted that, compared to mixed-species shoals, single-species shoals would be more cohesive and polarized with higher levels of information transfer among group members. Furthermore, threespine sticklebacks are more similar to ninespine sticklebacks in appearance and ecology than they are to roach, which might act to promote association between the stickleback species to a greater extent than between the sticklebacks and the roach. Based on this, we further predicted that mixed-species shoals comprising two stickleback species would be more cohesive and polarized with greater information transfer than mixed-species shoals comprising stickleback and roach.
2.. Methods {#s2}
===========
2.1.. Field survey {#s2a}
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We performed a pilot field survey in July 2016 to determine whether the fish at our study site (a stretch of the Great Eau, a river in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, UK, (53°22\'10.83″ N, 0°11\'21.96″ E)) form into mixed-species shoals. During summer and autumn periods at this site, there are large numbers of juveniles of three shoaling species of fish: threespine sticklebacks \[[@RSOS181132C41]\], ninespine sticklebacks and roach. To perform our survey, we used four GoPro Hero3+ cameras, each fixed to aluminium tubing, which allowed the camera to sit on the river bed, at a depth of approximately 1 m. The cameras were spaced along the river, approximately 8 m apart. In total, we filmed for 6 h per camera, spread over 2 days (24 h of video footage in total). From the resulting video, we analysed 1 min of film from each camera every 20 min. We synchronized the cameras so that we used the same minute in time, thus reducing the risk of counting the same shoals more than once. We allowed 20 min between our 1 min sampling periods to allow for the fish to move on, or for shoals to break up and reform. Although we readily acknowledge that this method cannot exclude the possibility of pseudoreplication, it was sufficient for the purpose of determining the presence or the absence of naturally occurring single- and mixed-species shoals. From the film, we noted each shoal that passed the camera (where a shoal is defined as an aggregation of two or more fish, moving in the same or similar direction and where each individual is within approximately four body lengths of its nearest neighbour (following \[[@RSOS181132C42]\]), and recorded the number and species of fish in each shoal.
2.2.. Experimental studies in an arena {#s2b}
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In October 2016, we returned to the Great Eau to conduct experiments on single- and mixed-species shoals of the three species of fish described.
2.3.. Study animals {#s2c}
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We collected our three species of fish using large handnets from the Great Eau at 53°19′016 N, 0°08′16 E. We measured water temperatures at the capture sites with a digital thermometer (Traceable Digital Thermometer, Control Company, Friendswood, TX, USA). The fish were transferred to nearby holding facilities, where each species was maintained separately in round plastic containers (0.9 m diameter, 0.25 m water depth). Fish were held for 16--20 h before they were used in experiments. The temperature of the water in the vats was ambient and ranged from 14.8°C to 15.4°C, which is similar to our measurements of the river at the time of capture (14.6°C to 14.9°C). The fish were not fed while in captivity. They were released at their site of capture following completion of the experiments, approximately 24 h following their initial capture.
2.4.. Experimental protocol {#s2d}
---------------------------
All experiments were conducted in a circular, white plastic arena (0.9 m in diameter), filled to a depth of 16 cm. We placed a circular white plastic bowl (0.32 m in diameter) in the centre of the arena to create an annulus. The arena was lit using two 10 W LED strips positioned at either side of the arena. We used white plastic sheeting to screen the arena and thereby minimize external disturbance to the experimental animals. We used a Panasonic Lumix GH4 positioned 1.2 m above the arena to film the experiments at a resolution of 1080p and 50 fps.
At the beginning of each trial, we captured six fish from our holding tanks and transferred them in a 0.5 l vessel to the experimental arena. The fish were size matched by eye prior to each trial. The fish were then allowed to move freely throughout the arena for the following 8 min. The fish were then removed and replaced with six new fish. Each fish was used once. We conducted five separate treatments consisting of three single-species shoaling treatments (threespine sticklebacks '3SS'; ninespine sticklebacks '9SS'; roach 'R') and two mixed-species shoaling treatments, using three individuals of each of two species (threespine sticklebacks with ninespine sticklebacks '3SS--9SS', and threespine sticklebacks with roach '3SS--R'). We carried out six replicates of each treatment, a total of 30 replicates. At the end of each trial, all of the fish were measured from still photographs taken following each replicate. Across all groups, body length was 30.4 ± 2.96 mm (mean ± s.d.), and there were no significant differences between treatments in relation to the body lengths of the fish used (ANOVA: *F*~4,175~ = 0.66, *p* = 0.62).
2.5.. Data extraction and preparation {#s2e}
-------------------------------------
We used 5 min of video footage for analysis, resulting in a series of 15 000 time steps for each replicate. To standardize across replicates and across treatments, we used the time period from 2:30 min to 7:30 min in each video. This was converted to AVI format using VirtualDub and then tracked using CTrax tracking software \[[@RSOS181132C43]\]. From the resulting trajectories, we calculated the mean of the median speeds of each fish (median speeds are used due to the right skew typically seen in speed distributions), the mean distance between all fish and the mean polarization of the group during each trial, using methods described in detail in \[[@RSOS181132C44]\].
Transfer entropy was calculated on heading updates and differences for each pair of individuals within each group, across all relevant samples. Transfer entropy is based on conditional mutual information (CMI) \[[@RSOS181132C45]\]: the CMI from *X* to *Y* given *Z* tells us how much information a sample *x* of the variable *X* tells us about the co-sample *y* of *Y*, given that we know the value of co-sample *z* of the variable *Z*. In other words, this is a log-ratio of probability of *y* given *x* and *z* versus given *z* alone: $$I({X;Y|Z}) = \,\left\langle {\log\frac{\, p(y|x,z)}{\, p(y|z)}} \right\rangle.$$As detailed in \[[@RSOS181132C37]\], we calculated transfer entropy between fish as a CMI about the target\'s current heading update gained from the relative heading of the source, given (a vector of the *k*) previous relative headings of the target. Samples for the calculation are taken from all relevant directed pairs of the appropriate type (e.g. for the overall analysis we used all possible pairs, then additionally for the mixed-species groups we used pairs within a single species, and also pairs comprising the different species) at every time step in the trial. Specifically, we used the KSG estimator \[[@RSOS181132C46]\] from the JIDT open-source software \[[@RSOS181132C47]\] with four nearest samples used in the search space, and an embedding history length for target of *k* = 3 (with embedding delay *τ* = 1) selected to maximally remove (bias-corrected) stored information in the target being misattributed as transfer \[[@RSOS181132C48]\] as averaged across all fish, and a source-target time delay of *u* = 5 (10 ms) selected to optimize the transfer detected \[[@RSOS181132C49]\]. This then allowed us to determine mean pairwise transfer entropy for each group, or in the case of mixed-species groups, to determine mean transfer entropy within and between species. For each individual trial, we calculated the surrogate distribution of the mean transfer entropy under the null hypothesis that there was no (directed) relationship between source and target (see \[[@RSOS181132C47]\] describing techniques in \[[@RSOS181132C50],[@RSOS181132C51]\]). For an average transfer entropy estimated from *N* samples, each surrogate transfer entropy is estimated by resampling the source value for each of the *N* samples, then computing the new average transfer entropy over the new surrogate samples. The transfer entropy estimate can then be compared to the surrogate distribution to test whether there is a statistically significant directed relationship.
In addition, we examined the mean distance of threespine sticklebacks to conspecifics and to ninespine sticklebacks in the 3SS--9SS treatment, and to conspecifics and to roach in the 3SS--R treatment. We also calculated the mean position of fish in the shoal according to their travelling order. Fish leading the shoal were given a score of 1, the next was given a score of 2 and so on to the last fish, which was given a score of 6. We then compared the mean position of each species in the 3SS--9SS treatment and again in the 3SS--R treatment.
Subsequently, we analysed the interactions between animals within the single- and mixed-species groups, as described in detail in a previous paper \[[@RSOS181132C44]\]. In particular, we examined the positions and orientation of near neighbours relative to a focal fish at each time step. In both cases, the coordinates were transformed such that the focal fish was positioned at the origin (*0*,*0*) and travelling parallel to the *x*-axis in a positive direction. This process was repeated taking each fish within the group as the focal fish in turn and we then constructed heat plots based on the data gathered. In addition, we used these data to produce graphs to show how the fish, on average, adjusted their heading (or angle of motion) as a function of the relative *y*-coordinate of partner fish, which is a key aspect of the rules of motion, or interaction, that are proposed to govern how animals respond to near neighbours during collective motion \[[@RSOS181132C28],[@RSOS181132C29]\].
2.6.. Statistical analysis {#s2f}
--------------------------
We analysed the results in R \[[@RSOS181132C52]\], examining for departures from normality using Shapiro--Wilks tests and the equality of variances using Levene\'s test. Where Levene\'s test indicated inequality of variances, we log transformed the data prior to analysis, although untransformed data are presented in the figures. We used the lme package in R to analyse the groups and used planned, non-orthogonal contrasts \[[@RSOS181132C53]\] to compare (i) single-species groups, (ii) mixed-species groups, (iii) 3SS, 9SS and 3SS--9SS and (iv) 3SS, R and 3SS--R. Subsequently, we compared the behaviour of the different species within the mixed shoals, using paired *t*-tests in the case of measures of position and neighbour distance and a linear mixed-effects model in the case of measures of transfer entropy. In the latter case, we used the source species and the target (receiver) species as fixed effects, and included the trial group as a random effect to account for the non-independence of individuals within groups.
3.. Results {#s3}
===========
3.1.. Field survey {#s3a}
------------------
We observed a total of 57 shoals, including single-species shoals of 3SS, 9SS and R, and mixed-species 3SS--9SS and 3SS--R shoals ([table 1](#RSOS181132TB1){ref-type="table"}). Table 1.Results of field survey, showing the mean (±s.d.) number of each species of fish in 57 shoals captured on video. 3SS = threespine sticklebacks, 9SS = ninespine sticklebacks.species compositionnumber of shoals observedmean (±s.d.) number of 3SSmean (±s.d.) number of 9SSmean (±s.d.) number of roachsingle species, 3SS319.2 (7)single species, 9SS34.3 (2.3)single species, roach1116.7 (8.9)mixed 3SS and 9SS412.3 (7.4)2.5 (0.6)mixed 3SS and roach811.6 (8.2)2.5 (0.9)mixed 9SS and roach0mixed 3SS, 9SS and roach0
3.2.. Arena experiments {#s3b}
-----------------------
There was significant variation in group cohesion (linear model: *F*~4,25~ = 10.9, *p* \< 0.001; [figure 1](#RSOS181132F1){ref-type="fig"}*a*), polarization (linear model: *F*~4,25~ = 5.64, *p* = 0.002; [figure 1](#RSOS181132F1){ref-type="fig"}*b*), and transfer entropy (linear model: *F*~4,25~ = 3.63, *p* = 0.018) across treatments. Planned contrasts are shown in [table 2](#RSOS181132TB2){ref-type="table"}. Observed mean pairwise transfer entropy for all replicates was significantly greater than the null expectation for all treatments. In each case, each observed value was greater than 1000 surrogate values, indicating a statistically significant directed relationship for all replicates in all treatments. Figure 1.Comparison of (*a*) mean (±s.d.) group cohesion and (*b*) mean (±s.d.) polarization as a function of shoal species composition: 3SS = threespine sticklebacks (*Gasterosteus aculeatus*); 9SS = ninespine sticklebacks (*Pungitius pungitius*); roach = roach (*Rutilus rutilus*); 3SS--9SS = mixed-species shoal comprising threespine and ninespine sticklebacks; 3SS--R = mixed-species shoal comprising threespine sticklebacks and roach. Table 2.Planned non-orthogonal contrasts to examine variance within the dataset between single-species and mixed-species groups, among single-species groups and between mixed-species groups in relation to group cohesion and polarization. 3SS = threespine sticklebacks, 9SS = ninespine sticklebacks, R = roach.95% Conf Intresponse variablecontrastEsts.e.*t*lowerupper*p*-valuegroup cohesionamong single-species groups−0.430.02−3.23−0.71−0.150.003between mixed-species groups0.380.084.970.220.54\<0.0013SS, 9SS and mixed 3SS--9SS shoals−0.010.13−0.04−0.280.270.9723SS, roach and mixed 3SS--R shoals0.480.133.590.210.760.001polarizationamong single-species groups−0.840.3−2.87−0.8−0.580.008between mixed-species groups0.180.171.05−1.46−0.240.33SS, 9SS and mixed 3SS--9SS shoals0.760.32.59−0.170.530.0163SS, roach and mixed 3SS--R shoals0.750.32.540.161.370.018transfer entropyamong single-species groups0.010.011.6200.030.12between mixed-species groups−0.010.00−1.55−0.010.020.133SS, 9SS and mixed 3SS--9SS shoals−0.010.01−0.5−0.020.010.623SS, roach and mixed 3SS--R shoals−0.010.01−0.65−0.020.010.52
Heat plots showing the distribution of near neighbours relative to a focal individual positioned at the origin (*0*,*0*) show a typical elliptical pattern, with a relatively low occurrence in the immediate proximity of the focal individual and peak occurrence of near neighbours at a distance of 1--2 body lengths ([figure 2](#RSOS181132F2){ref-type="fig"}). Heat plots showing the alignment of near neighbours relative to a focal fish at the origin show peak alignment ahead of, as well as behind, that individual, which may be typical of elongated moving groups ([figure 3](#RSOS181132F3){ref-type="fig"}). Figure 2.Heat plots showing the relative frequency of near neighbours to a focal individual positioned at the origin and travelling parallel to the positive *x*-axis. Panel (*a*) shows single-species 3SS shoals; (*b*) shows single-species 9SS shoals (*c*) shows mixed 3SS--9SS shoals; (*d*) shows single-species shoals of roach; (*e*) shows mixed 3SS-roach shoals. Figure 3.Alignment in direction of motion of near neighbours relative to a focal individual positioned at the origin and travelling parallel to the positive *x*-axis. Arrow shows mean alignment direction of neighbours at this position, while colour shows *R*---a measure of the focus of all relative angles of motion observed about the mean at each relative (*x,y*) coordinate. High values of *R* (closer to 1) indicate greater focus about the mean, whereas lower values indicate lower focus about the mean. Panel (*a*) shows single-species 3SS shoals; (*b*) shows single-species 9SS shoals; (*c*) shows mixed 3SS--9SS shoals; (*d*) shows single-species shoals of roach; (*e*) shows mixed 3SS--R shoals.
Within the mixed-species groups, there was no significant difference between the mean distance of 3SS to conspecifics and their mean distance to 9SS (paired *t*-test: *t*~5~ = −0.372, *p* = 0.725; 95% confidence interval: −14.92--11.15; effect size = 0.164); however, 3SS were located on average significantly closer to conspecifics than to roach (paired *t*-test: *t*~5~ = 3, *p* = 0.03; 95% confidence interval: −331.24--25.75; effect size = 0.8).
There was no significant difference in the mean positions of 3SS versus 9SS sticklebacks (paired *t*-test: *t*~5~ = 2.37, *p* = 0.065; 95% confidence interval: −1.42--0.06; effect size = 0.726), while 3SS were found significantly further towards the front compared to roach in the 3SS--R shoals (paired *t*-test: *t*~5~ = 2.76, *p* = 0.04; 95% confidence interval: 1--0.035; effect size = 0.776).
The turning response of focal fish in response to near neighbours ([figure 4](#RSOS181132F4){ref-type="fig"}) appears steeper (greater responsiveness in the tendency to turn towards near neighbours) and more coherent (less differentiation in the responses of focal fish to conspecifics versus heterospecifics) in mixed 3SS--9SS shoals than in mixed 3SS--R shoals, which would tend to indicate that the potential for more effective collective motion for groups comprising the two stickleback groups. Figure 4.Mean localized turning response (± s.e.) in degrees per second of focal fish to near neighbours positioned to either side of themselves in the mixed-species treatments. The motion of the focal fish is perpendicular to the page, moving towards the reader. Positive changes in angle of motion indicate a turn to the left by the focal individual (relative to its direction of motion), whereas negative changes in angle of motion indicate a turn to the right. Panel (*a*) describes the response of threespine sticklebacks focals to conspecifics (blue curve) and to ninespine sticklebacks (black curve), while panel (*b*) describes the same responses but for the threespine sticklebacks and roach treatment, so that the black curve in this instance represents the response of threespine sticklebacks to roach. Panel (*c*) describes the response of focal ninespine sticklebacks to conspecifics (magenta) and to threespine sticklebacks (red), while panel (*d*) describes the response of focal roach to conspecifics (magenta) and to threespine sticklebacks (red).
Transfer entropy varied significantly between species in the mixed-species groups ([table 3](#RSOS181132TB3){ref-type="table"}). In the mixed 3SS--9SS groups, information flow was affected by both the identity of the source species as well as according to which species was the receiver (target) species. A similar pattern was evident in the mixed 3SS--R groups with the exception that only the identity of the source species was important, with 3SS more likely to act as information sources ([figure 5](#RSOS181132F5){ref-type="fig"}). Figure 5.Boxplots to show transfer entropy (nats) in (*a*) the 3SS--9SS mixed-species shoals and (*b*) the 3SS--R mixed-species shoals. Table 3.Differences in mean transfer entropy between source and target species. 3SS = threespine sticklebacks, 9SS = ninespine sticklebacks.95% Conf Inttreatmentinformation source*χ*^2^d.f.lowerupper*p*-valuemixed 3SS and 9SSsource species10.67910.0040.020.001target species16.9871−0.0170.002\<0.001source × target interaction0.8311−0.0160.0060.362mixed 3SS and roachsource species7.2231−0.040.0120.007target species2.73610.0070.0440.098source × target interaction2.4151−0.0470.0020.12
4.. Discussion {#s4}
==============
Single-species groups of roach and of 3SS were more cohesive and more polarized than mixed-species shoals comprising these two species. By contrast, mixed 3SS--9SS shoals were as cohesive, although not as polarized, as single-species shoals of their constituent species. There was a significant difference across all treatments in information flow, measured as mean transfer entropy. Furthermore, there were significant differences in the mixed-species shoals in relation to the tendency of species to act as the source (to trigger), or as the receiver (to act upon) changes in orientation.
Mixed-species shoals comprising the two stickleback species were no less cohesive than the single-species shoals formed by each of those species, suggesting that the stickleback species can shoal together effectively. However, the mixed 3SS--9SS shoals showed an apparent decrease in polarization relative to the two single-species shoals. In contrast to this, mixed 3SS--R shoals were both less cohesive and less polarized than when each species shoaled individually. Differences in cohesion and in polarization at the group level probably reflect patterns of organization within the group. In mixed 3SS--R shoals, 3SS maintained lower distance to conspecifics and were found in a different part of the shoal, towards the front. These findings suggest that 3SS and roach do not integrate well and thus that mixed-species shoals comprising these two species may be relatively short-lived. Comparative studies on the stability and persistence of mixed-species groups that differ in their constituent member species are lacking and acquiring this kind of basic information would a useful starting point for further research in this area.
Our examinations of patterns of cohesion are broadly supported by the accompanying heat maps, which show high clustering of near neighbours in both stickleback shoals and relatively lower clustering in roach shoals. In comparison to the cohesion seen in the single-species shoals, mixed 3SS--9SS shoals were approximately intermediate to their single-species counterparts, whereas the mixed 3SS--R shoals showed lower clustering than either species on its own. The heat maps describing patterns of polarization in single-species shoals show typically high alignment of the focal fish with group mates immediately in front of and immediately behind the focal fish, consistent with elongated, travelling groups. By contrast, both mixed-species treatments show lower alignment than that observed in the single-species treatments.
Information flow provides a potential mechanistic explanation for these observed patterns. It is important to note, however, that measurements of transfer entropy do not necessarily imply direct causality in terms of information flow between the source (or 'sender') and the target (or 'receiver') \[[@RSOS181132C54]\]. For example, both parties could be responding independently to some external cue. That said, the measurements of transfer entropy were significantly 'non-zero' in all treatments, including the mixed-species groups, and there were no significant decreases in mean pairwise transfer entropy at the group level between single- and mixed-species groups which does suggest information flow both between and within species. Differences in mean pairwise transfer entropy observed between the two species in each of the mixed-species shoals implies that asymmetries in information flow could at least partially account for the reductions in cohesion and polarization seen at the group level. In some cases, the transfer entropy results align with what we see from the other measures, e.g. the higher transfer from 3SS as a source compared to roach correlates with the finding of 3SS being positioned at the front of the shoal. Yet other results of the transfer entropy analysis are not visible in the other measures, e.g. the higher transfers seen from 9SS as a source compared to 3SS in the mixed shoal are not reflected in their relative positions in the shoal. The information transfer analysis thus reveals features of the interactions between species that extend beyond dynamics that were explained otherwise here. Applications of information theoretic measures such as transfer entropy therefore provide a valuable means of quantifying the processes and interactions occurring within animal groups.
What does this mean for mixed-species groups in the wild? Our field observations provide evidence of the occurrence of such groups under natural conditions; however, our controlled experiments in the arena suggest that, in some cases, mixed-species shoals may not be quite so cohesive, or so polarized, as single-species groups. While individuals may obtain some benefit from associating with heterospecifics as well as with conspecifics, mixed-species associations (in this system at least) may be relatively more prone to splitting along species lines, and thus may be more short-lived than their single-species counterparts. It would be valuable therefore to observe shoals in the wild for extended periods to see whether this prediction is correct. More generally, mixed-species groups are common, both with respect to the frequency with which they are observed and their taxonomic distribution, yet the research effort directed towards understanding their functions and underlying social organization is relatively insubstantial compared to that focused upon the dynamics of single-species groups. Under what conditions do mixed-species groups form and how is their frequency in a given environment related to the relative abundance of each of the member species? How generally applicable is the observation from some studies \[[@RSOS181132C3],[@RSOS181132C9],[@RSOS181132C15],[@RSOS181132C16],[@RSOS181132C55]\] that groups tend to be numerically dominated by one or just a few core species with further satellite species occurring in lower numbers? Does this observation have some functional significance, perhaps related to inter- and intraspecific differences in interaction rules, or does it merely reflect the local distribution of member species? Related to this, how do species-specific differences in travel energetics affect group composition in mobile groups? For example Krause *et al.* \[[@RSOS181132C16]\] revealed that size-specific locomotor performance differed between species, and that the composition of mixed-species groups was determined more by matching of swimming speeds across species than by phenotypic matching of shoal members according to body size. Finally, how do external factors such as predation risk or resource distribution affect the underlying mechanics that maintain mixed-species groups? Over the last three decades researchers have made great advances in understanding the functions and organization of single-species animal groups; extending this understanding to encompass mixed-species groups is an obvious next step and, we argue, should be a priority for researchers interested in social behaviour.
Supplementary Material
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###### Figure S2
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###### Data
The authors thank Alan Bacchus and Anthony Bear for their assistance during the experimental phase of this work. In addition, we thank the editor and two anonymous referees for their comments, which greatly improved the manuscript.
Ethics {#s5}
======
All applicable international, national and institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. All procedures performed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the University of Sydney and were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of the University of Sydney (ref. no. 2017/1160).
Data accessibility {#s6}
==================
Data used in the analyses described in this paper are freely available and have been submitted as electronic supplementary information alongside this manuscript.
Authors\' contributions {#s7}
=======================
A.J.W.W., M.M.W. and A.L.J.B. designed and study and conducted the experiments. A.J.W.W., M.M.W., A.L.J.B., T.M.S., J.T.L., E.C. and M.P. analysed the data and wrote the paper. All authors gave final approval for publication.
Competing interests {#s8}
===================
The authors declare no competing interests.
Funding {#s9}
=======
Financial support came from the Australian Research Council (grant nos. DP 160103905 and DE 160100630).
[^1]: Electronic supplementary material is available online at <https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4320917>.
| |
According to Kentucky and Federal laws, individuals with disabilities are protected from being discriminated against in the workplace. The various laws ensure that disabled individuals in Russellville have an equal opportunity to get hired and obtain promotions in their choice of field. It also requires that employers provide reasonable accommodations to enable all persons to perform their job properly.
Kentucky Employment for the Disabled
Both government and private employers are prohibited from discriminating against the disabled according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Employers in the state of are prohibited from considering an individual's disability when deciding to hire them, assign them a job position, or provide them with an advancement opportunity.
Besides treating them equally, Russellville employers must also provide disabled workers with any specific equipment needed for work, according to reasonable costs. The act also prohibits discrimination against someone based on their relation to a person with a disability that poses special needs.
When do I need an Attorney in Russellville?
Numerous lawyers in Russellville specialize in employment laws dealing with individuals with disabilities. It can be helpful to consult with a lawyer who may be able to help guide you should difficulties come up. | https://employment-law.legalmatch.com/KY/Russellville/disability-lawyers.html |
Here is a video of one of our abduction exercises that we do within our core/torso program. With the constant use of our adductors and other internal rotators of the hip, we feel that we need to strengthen abductors to make their that there is adequate muscle balance at the hip joint to prevent injuries. We will do 2 sets of 10 reps with a 3 second hold at the top.
The coaching cues are for the athlete to keep their legs straight with the top leg slightly behind the bottom leg with the toe pointed down. The upper body is to remain perpendicular to the floor. | http://seanskahan.com/2009/straight-leg-abduction |
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Is catch-per-unit-effort proportional to abundance?
Harley, S.J.; Myers, R.A.; Dunn, A.
(2001). Is catch-per-unit-effort proportional to abundance?
Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 58(9)
: 1760-1772
In:
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences = Journal canadien des sciences halieutiques et aquatiques. National Research Council Canada: Ottawa. ISSN 0706-652X,
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Keywords
Catchability; Collapse; Collapse; Collapse; Density; Fisheries; Mortality; Stock assessment
Authors
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Harley, S.J.
Myers, R.A.
Dunn, A.
Abstract
We compiled 297 series of catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) and independent abundance data (as estimated by research trawl surveys) and used observation error and random effects models to test the hypothesis that CPUE is proportional to true abundance. We used a power curve, for which we were interested in the shape parameter (beta). There was little difference among species, ages, or gear types in the distributions of the raw estimates of beta for each CPUE series. We examined three groups: cod, flatfish, and gadiformes, finding strong evidence that CPUE was most likely to remain high while abundance declines (i.e., hyperstability, where beta < 1). The range in the mean of the random effects distribution for beta was quite small, 0.64-0.75. Cod showed the least hyperstability, but still, 76% of the mass of the random effects distribution was below 1. Based on simulations, our estimates of beta are positively biased by approximately 10%; this should be considered in the application of our findings here. We also considered the precision of CPUE indices through a meta-analysis of observation error variances. The most precise indices were those from flatfish (median coefficient of variation of approximately approximate to 0.42). | http://www.vliz.be/en/imis?module=ref&refid=20316 |
The housing industry has a long and complicated history with racial equity. Though discriminatory policies are now illegal, more corrective action is needed to achieve equality in housing. The housing industry is thriving with low rates and high demand, but low rates of minority homeownership demonstrate the current system is not serving everyone.
The Minority Homeownership Gap
Centuries of compounded inequities and mistreatment of people of color have contributed to a widening wealth gap, only made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. When it comes to homeownership, the Black community faces many obstacles. Black homeownership has never reached 50% and has seen a continued decrease in net new Black households since the Great Recession.
Black families were hit particularly hard by the 2008 housing crisis and have had the slowest recovery rate amongst all racial groups. Right before the housing collapse, Black homeownership rates were historically high — peaking around 49.7% according to the Census Bureau — making the effects of the downturn devastating to the Black community. Today, the current homeownership gap between Black and white households is wider than before the Fair Housing Act was passed in 1968.
Over 10 years following the housing crisis, the average homeownership rate, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, was 64.4%. However, the homeownership rate among Black Americans was only 42%, far below average and significantly below white Americans, who reported a 73.3% homeownership rate. Asian and Hispanic populations also fell, but much closer to average, coming in at 57.7% and 47.5%, respectively.
Fast-forward to the current day; the COVID-19 pandemic has further revealed the inequities embedded into our health and financial systems. COVID-19 has presented many challenges, but it also offers an opportunity for equitable recovery. Building on lessons of the past, the mortgage industry, policymakers and community organizations can minimize the gap in minority homeownership, creating a more inclusive future.
Opportunities for inclusivity
1. Access to credit
Credit tightens with every downturn, disproportionately affecting Hispanic and Black communities. It’s essential to monitor risk carefully — particularly during times of economic uncertainty — but more work can be done to define more clearly what is “risky.” Unfortunately, risk has historically been conflated with race through policies such as redlining, and the effects still linger today. That is why when credit tightening trends emerge, it’s essential to pay attention to potential disproportionate effects.
Credit scores play a crucial role in access to mortgage loans, and the low credit scores for Black and Hispanic households are a sign innovation is needed to provide more holistic credit scoring.
The Equal Credit Opportunity Act was passed in 1974, which “prohibits creditors from discriminating against credit applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, [and] age.”
This should have eliminated bias in credit scoring, but more needs to be done to make credit scoring a more inclusive system. Too many minorities in America are “credit invisible” because they rely mainly on cash or do not have sufficient account histories within the mainstream financial system. FICO reported, in the U.S., roughly 28 million consumers have insufficient data in their credit bureau file to meet the minimum criteria for calculating a FICO Score, and “another 25 million consumers have no credit bureau file at all.”
Many of these people could be deemed credit ready with a more robust credit file, which could be made possible with the inclusion of monthly utility or rent payments and checking account data. Alternative data options can increase minority representation in credit scoring, making mortgage loans more accessible and affordable.
However, it will be critical to analyze potential bias embedded into the old and new credit scoring systems to ensure the outcome is a more inclusive and equitable system.
2. Cost of credit
Loan-level price adjustments at the Government Sponsored Enterprises are a housing crisis-era policy. LLPAs are risk-based adjustments based primarily on credit score and loan-to-value ratio and are most costly for borrowers with 10% or less of a down payment. Borrowers incur these fees while having credit enhancement from private mortgage insurance, not fully recognizing the benefit of PMI. Reducing or eliminating loan-level price adjustments would reduce mortgage costs for borrowers of color.
Expanding other low- and moderate- income programs would also increase minority homeownership. Examples include Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s HomeReady and Home Possible programs, which target borrowers with lower incomes and offer reduced LLPAs and PMI coverage. HomeReady and Home Possible are currently available for borrowers at or below 80% average median income. An increase in AMI limits could widen the eligible population and help more borrowers of color, especially in high-cost areas.
Special purpose credit programs made available through the Equal Credit Opportunity Act also foster many opportunities for innovation that expand homeownership in the Black community with intentionality, making up for years of exclusion.
3. Housing supply
Housing supply also plays an essential role in minority homeownership. Driven by low inventory, home prices are up 15.8% on average year-over- year across the U.S., according to a report from the National Association of Realtors. Equitable housing financing is essential to address the Black homeownership gap, but the high demand for housing will keep prices elevated until we have more supply. Working on supply issues will improve affordability and make homeownership more attainable. Many steps need to be taken to address the housing supply shortage, but one recommendation is to address local zoning policies. In 1917, the Supreme Court’s decision in Buchanan v. Warley declared racially biased zoning unconstitutional, but economic zoning followed.
Economic zoning is achieved in part by single- family zoning, which keeps people segregated by class and race. According to a Brookings report, “[O]n roughly 75% of land in most cities today, it is illegal to build anything except single-family detached houses.” More inclusive zoning policies could increase the supply of affordable housing and help to reverse the impacts of long-standing segregation.
4. Low down payment mortgage options, tax credits, and down payment assistance
Making progress toward housing equality will take a continued effort in dispelling the myth that a 20% down payment is required to buy a home. Fannie Mae reported in research conducted in October 2020, “the primary barrier to homeownership for first- time homebuyers is saving money for the down payment and closing costs.” Down payment mortgage options like private mortgage insurance can help overcome this barrier by requiring as little as 3% down. However, it’s essential to recognize more targeted relief also is needed.
The Biden administration and lawmakers from both parties have proposed legislation to increase homeownership in communities of color. Some recently introduced legislation includes the “First- Time Homebuyer Act,” which calls for a $15,000 tax credit for first- time homebuyers introduced by Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., and Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., on April 26.
On April 23, 2021, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., announced the “American Housing and Economic Mobility Act of 2021,” which includes down payment assistance grants to first-time homebuyers living in historically redlined or segregated areas. And finally, Chairwoman Maxine Waters, D-Calif., announced the “Housing is Infrastructure Act” that was released April 14, includes $10 billion for DPA for first-time, first-generation homebuyers. These proposals and many others not listed are promising signs of a commitment to equitable housing solutions. Down payment assistance and tax credit programs are the kind of target assistance needed to uplift those left behind for too long and reduce the wealth disparity in the U.S.
Closing the minority homeownership gap
The lasting benefits of homeownership include building equity and wealth. That only happens when homeownership is affordable and sustainable, which should be a key focus with any new housing policy. There are many ideas and visions for making housing possible for all people, but it will take collaborative efforts from policymakers and the housing industry to create lasting change. And we cannot overlook the need for increased diversity in the housing industry, especially at the leadership level.
Representation is critically important, and there is no replacement for diverse perspectives that develop out of lived experiences. There is a passion within the housing industry to find equitable solutions, and more and more organizations are putting in the time and resources it’s going to take to get there. Unfortunately, no one solution will close the homeownership gap, but together we can take steps to narrow it every day.
To see the HousingWire July Magazine, click here. | https://www.housingwire.com/articles/how-industry-partnerships-help-minimize-the-minority-homeownership-gap/ |
Sales in Western Europe could be below 10 million this year, just two-thirds of the 2019 total of 14.3 million, LMC Automotive said.
Sales of new cars in Western Europe could fall below the 10 million mark this year due to continuing supply chain problems, forecaster LMC Automotive said this month.
The LMC forecast of 9.81 million passenger cars sold in the region would be just two-thirds of the pre-pandemic level of 14.29 million in 2019. This figure is 7.4% below 2021 and 24.5% below 2020, which has endured most of the outages caused by coronavirus.
“Risks are still downward, with the most immediate threat to the forecast being a longer-than-expected conflict in Ukraine or a disrupted supply chain exacerbated by China’s COVID-19 policy,” the LMC said in a statement. report.
LMC said the demand side was “increasingly bleak”, with consumer confidence at its lowest ebb since the beginning of the pandemic in the first quarter of 2020.
By May, sales in the 17 countries in the region had fallen by 13.6%, LMC said this week, Germany by 10.2%, the United Kingdom by 20.6%, Italy by 15.3% and France by 10.1%.
A number of carmakers, however, say they are confident that the persistent shortage of microchips will be mitigated in the second half of the year. Such forecasts were not made in mid-2021, but what is different now is an expected decline in demand for consumer electronics due to inflation and other pressures.
Mercedes-Benz, Daimler Trucks and BMW are among the carmakers now getting enough high-tech components to produce at full capacity after months of paralyzing disruptions.
Recurring problems
Part of the new availability of chips comes from a weakening economic outlook and inflation, which has reduced the demand for consumer electronics that use components as well.
Automakers have been stuck in microchip production at major production sites since the end of 2020 as demand for consumer electronics increased during the pandemic. In addition, the auto industry underestimated demand following the initial wave of blockages, analysts said.
As a result, carmakers have given priority to the production of high-margin models, keeping – and in some cases suddenly increasing – profits at the expense of several lower-end models.
Another forecaster, Sam Fiorani of AutoForecastSolutions, said this week that “there are few positive signs that encourage a more positive short-term outlook, but there are some signs.”
Fiorani cited a shift in the production of key wiring from war-torn Ukraine to Morocco and Mexico and new semiconductor offerings in Taiwan. The Skoda brand from VW, based in the Czech Republic, plans to make its own harnesses.
In terms of production, S&P Global Mobility (formerly IHS Markit) said in mid-May in its latest report that improvements were seen for Europe and South Asia compared to previous forecasts.
IHS expects European light vehicle production to reach 16.6 million vehicles this year, up from 15.9 million in 2021 and rising to 18.3 million next year. | https://www.royalsblue.com/the-european-car-industry-is-struggling-what-happens-to-sales/ |
Demonstrating and defending a method of close reading and historical contextualisation of Shakespeare and his contemporaries, this collection of essays by Tom McAlindon combines a number of previously published pieces with original studies. The volume includes six interpretative studies, all but one of which involve challenges to radical readings of the plays involved, including Henry V, Coriolanus, The Tempest, and Doctor Faustus. The other three essays are critiques of the claims and methods of radical, postmodernist criticism (new historicism and cultural materialism especially); they illustrate the author's conviction that some leading scholars in the field of Renaissance literature and drama, who deserve credit for shifting attention to new areas of interest, must also be charged with responsibility for a marked decline in standards of analysis, interpretation, and argument. Likely to provoke considerable debate, this stimulating collection is an important contribution to Shakespeare studies. | https://www.perlego.com/book/1486539/shakespeare-minus-theory-pdf |
Israel’s longest-serving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing the battle of his life, with crucial national elections to take place on March 2 and a corruption trial to be opened only two weeks later.
Last July, Netanyahu became the longest-serving prime minister in Israel’s history, surpassing David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s founding father.
His election campaign focuses on how his legacy will be remembered: as a great statesman and popular leader, known by his supporters as “King Bibi,” as Bibi is Netanyahu’s often-used nickname, or as a hedonistic leader involved in corruption.
On March 17, his trial is scheduled to be opened at the Jerusalem District Court, marking the first time that an incumbent prime minister in Israel stands trial. General-Attorney Avichai Mandelblit indicted him with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three separate corruption cases.
In two cases, Netanyahu is suspected of providing regulatory and financial benefits to business owners of large media and telecom corporations in return for favorable media coverage.
In the other case, he allegedly received expensive cigars, champagne, and jewelry worth about 1 million new shekels (293,000 U.S. dollars) from Israeli tycoon and Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan.
Netanyahu’s father, Benzion, was a Polish-born historian and a member of the nationalistic Revisionist Zionism faction.
In 1956, the Netanyahu family moved to the United States, where he spent his teenage years and attended high school.
Netanyahu later returned to Israel to serve as a soldier and commander in an elite commando unit called Sayeret Matkal, before returning to the United States and obtaining academic degrees in architecture and business administration.
In 1993, he won the Likud chairmanship, becoming the official leader of the party. He expressed strong opposition to the 1993 Oslo Accords, an interim framework agreement providing the Palestinian with self-government.
In 1996, amid a wave of attacks by Palestinians which killed hundreds of Israelis, Netanyahu was elected as prime minister for the first time, beating Shimon Peres, Israel’s former president.
It was a razor-thin margin victory. Netanyahu became Israel’s youngest prime minister but was criticized for his lack of experience.
Despite Netanyahu’s hawkish views against the Israeli-Palestinian diplomatic contacts, he negotiated with the Palestinian Authority (PA) in 1997 and signed a deal handing the control over some 80 percent of the West Bank city of Hebron to the PA.
Netanyahu was defeated in 1999 by Ehud Barak, a left-wing politician and former army chief.
His recent years have focused on Iran, highlighting the risk a nuclear Iran poses to Israel.
The Iranian issue also shadowed his relations with former U.S. President Barack Obama, with a head-on collision between the two amid Netanyahu’s hawkish view on the Iranian nuclear program negotiations and the conflict with the Palestinians.
The relations with the United States saw a revival after President Donald Trump was elected. In May 2018, Trump moved the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. | https://newsghana.com.gh/israels-longest-serving-pm-struggles-for-political-future/ |
COVID-19:
Air Cleaning Technologies
This guidance aims to help building practitioners and managers to assess whether an air cleaning device might be beneficial in indoor environments and to assess suitability, safety, effectiveness, and fitness for purpose.
COVID-19:
Ventilation
This guidance is intended to give business owners and managers an outline of ventilation systems commonly encountered in buildings and to advise on how they can be used, now and in the future, to maintain adequate air quality and reduce the risks of airborne infection.
It is also intended to assist building managers and those who operate and maintain building
systems in identifying the areas of a building, and elements of ventilation systems, that may
need particular attention in order to reduce risk to building occupants.
It is relevant to all types of building ventilation system, whether natural, mechanical or full
air conditioning. | https://www.cibseireland.org/covid-19/ |
Canna indica (Zingiberales) is one of the most important ornamental species characterized with beautiful petaloid staminodes, which are considered to evolve from stamens. However, the genetic basis for the development of petaloid staminodes remains unclear largely because the genomic sequences are not available. By using RNA-Seq, we sequenced the transcripts in the flower of C. indica, and quantified the temporal gene expressions in flower primordium and differentiated flower, as well as the spatial gene expressions in petal and petaloid staminode. In total, 118,869 unigenes were assembled, among which 67,299 unigenes were annotated. Quantification analysis identified the differentially expressed genes in the temporal and spatial two comparisons, based on which, Gene Ontology enrichment analysis highlighted the representative terms in each sample, such as specification of organ number in flower primordium, growth in differentiated flower, secondary cell wall biogenesis in petal and cell division in petaloid staminode. Among the 51 analyzed MADS-box unigenes, 37 were up-regulated in differentiated flower compared with those in flower primordium. A-class unigenes were expressed higher in petal than in petaloid staminode, and C-class unigenes were expressed oppositely, whereas B-class unigenes demonstrated close expression levels in these two organs, indicating that petaloid staminode retains stamen identity to some degree. In situ hybridization provided more detailed expression patterns of these unigenes, and revealed the extended expression of B-class to the carpel at later stages when the style turned flat. These results constitute a preliminary basis for the study of flower development in C. indica and can be applied in further study of the evolution of Zingiberales.
Introduction
The Zingiberales is an order of tropical monocots comprising eight families (Tomlinson, 1962; Dahlgren and Rasmussen, 1983). Considerable species in Zingiberales are widely cultivated, including banana, ginger, and many kinds of ornamental plants. The main line of the evolution of Zingiberales is the number of fertile stamen decreasing by (6)5 → 1 → 1/2, and the number of petaloid organs increasing contrarily. Based on the stamen number, the eight families in Zingiberales are often divided into two groups: paraphyletic banana group (Musaceae, Lowiaceae, Strelitziaceae, and Heliconiaceae) with five (occasionally six) fertile stamens, and monophyletic ginger group (Zingiberaceae, Costaceae, Cannaceae, and Marantaceae) with one or a half fertile stamen (Tomlinson, 1962; Kress, 1990; Rudall and Bateman, 2004). Bearing only a half fertile stamen in the flower, Canna indica (Cannaceae) is regarded as an ideal material to investigate the phylogenetic evolution of Zingiberales.
In the flower of C. indica, the fertile stamen consists of a one-theca anther and a petaloid appendage, while the other androecial members are all completely petaloid structures (Kirchoff, 1983; Miao et al., 2014). As implied by the name, petaloid staminodes are thought to have evolved from stamens. Recently, many efforts have been made to reveal the molecular basis for androecial petaloidy of Zingiberales species including C. indica, yet the exact mechanism remains unclear (Bartlett and Specht, 2010; Song et al., 2010; Almeida et al., 2013; Yockteng et al., 2013; Fu et al., 2014; Almeida et al., 2015).
In core eudicots such as Arabidopsis, the ABC model has provided a rational interpretation for floral organ specification (Bowman et al., 1991; Coen and Meyerowitz, 1991; Weigel and Meyerowltzt, 1994). According to this model, A-class genes APETALA1 (AP1) and AP2 confer sepal identity in the first floral whorl; A-class genes together with B-class genes AP3 and PISTILLATA (PI) specify petal identity in the second whorl; stamen identity in whorl 3 is determined by AP3, PI and the C-class gene AGAMOUS (AG), while the expression of the AG alone in whorl four promotes carpel development. Mutual repression between the A- and C-functions is an essential postulate of ABC model. With the exception of AP2, the ABC genes encode MADS domain proteins. However, the classic ABC model could not be perfectly applied to all clades, and researches have revealed the limited applicability of A-functions. In grasses such as maize, rice, and wheat, the B- and C-class genes are functionally conserved with eudicots (Mena et al., 1996; Kang et al., 1998; Ambrose et al., 2000; Munster, 2001; Meguro et al., 2003), while no clear evidence has been found in these species to support the role of A-class genes in specifying petal identity, neither in other species besides Arabidopsis (Causier et al., 2010). In addition, besides in Arabidopsis, none of the described ap1 or ap2-like mutants shows ectopic C-function in the perianth (Litt, 2007). Recently, a new (A)BC model with more widespread applicability was proposed. In this model, the (A)-function genes, including but not limited to AP1 and AP2, fulfill several roles, such as establishing floral meristem identity and promoting the production of sepals, which serve as the ground state of floral organs. With the regulation of (A)-function genes, B- and C-functions genes act to specify organ identities. Thus, the identity of whorl 2 is determined by B-class genes, while whorl 3 and whorl 4 are specified in a similar manner to the classical ABC model (Causier et al., 2010).
In Zingiberales, petaloid staminodes replace stamens in four of the eight families (Kirchoff et al., 2009). According to the ABC model (whether classic or updated), it is hypothesized that this kind of homeotic conversion is resulted from the absence of C-class genes in these petaloid staminodes (Wake et al., 2011). However, evidences in Alpinia hainanensis (Zingiberaceae) and C. indica have shown that C-class genes were still expressed in the petaloid androecial members (Song et al., 2010; Almeida et al., 2013; Fu et al., 2014). Furthermore, expressions of B-class GLOBOSA (GLO, homologous to PI)-like genes were not confined within corolla and androecium (Bartlett and Specht, 2010), making it more complicated to explain the organ identity specification in C. indica as well as in Zingiberales.
In recent years, next generation sequencing (NGS) techniques have provided fascinating opportunities in life sciences and remarkably improved the efficiency of gene discovery. In Zingiberales, D'Hont et al. (2012) described the genome sequence of Musa acuminata (Musaceae), providing a crucial basis for genetic improvement of banana. Besides, transcriptome sequencing has facilitated various kinds of studies on Zingiberales species such as molecular marker development and disease-resistant researches (Karthika et al., 2015; Ravishankar et al., 2015). As for flower development, no complete transcriptome analysis has been reported in Zingiberales except for some fragmentary descriptions on expression levels of several genes.
In this study, transcriptome sequencing of C. indica flower and quantitative gene expressions in different stages and different floral organs were performed using RNA-Seq. Comprehensive information about gene sequences, expressions and functions were provided, which could facilitate our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of flower development in C. indica and the relative species. Based on these data, we analyzed the expressions of ABC genes together with in situ hybridization approach, providing fundamental insights into the flower development of C. indica.
Materials and Methods
Plant Materials
Canna indica plants were grown in South China Botanical Garden (SCBG, Guangzhou), and the flower materials were collected during May and June.
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
Young inflorescences were fixed in FAA (90 parts 70% ethyl alcohol: 5 parts glacial acetic acid: 5 parts 40% formaldehyde). Bracts and larger floral organs were removed under a dissecting microscope; then the inflorescences were dehydrated in an alcohol series (75, 85, 95, 100, and 100%) and transferred to isoamyl acetate. The materials were critical point dried with CO2, mounted on stubs, gold-coated in the JFC-1600 Auto Fine Coater (JEOL, Tokyo, Japan), and observed under a JSM-6360LV SEM (JEOL) operated at 10 kV.
Transcriptome Sequencing
Two transcriptome libraries were constructed from four flower samples: sample 1 (flower primordia), sample 2 (young flowers of 1–2 mm in length), sample 3 (young flowers of 3–10 mm in length), and sample 4 (flowers of 1–4 cm in length). Total RNA of these four samples were extracted using TruSeq™ RNA Sample Preparation Kit (Illumia, SanDiego). One sequencing library (flower primordium/FP) was constructed with the RNA of sample 1, while RNA from sample 2, 3, and 4 were equally mixed for the construction of a second library (differentiated flower/DF). After DNase I treatment, magnetic beads with Oligo (dT) were used to isolate mRNA, which was then fragmented into short fragments by mixing with the fragmentation buffer. The cDNA was synthesized using the mRNA fragments as templates. Short fragments were purified and resolved with EB buffer for end reparation and single nucleotide A (adenine) addition. After that, the short fragments were connected with adapters. The suitable fragments were selected for the PCR amplification as templates. Then Agilent 2100 Bioanaylzer and ABI StepOnePlus Real-Time PCR System were used in quantification and qualification of the sample libraries. At last, the libraries were sequenced using Illumina HiSeq™ 2000, and 90 nt raw reads were generated.
Transcriptome Assembly and Annotation
The dirty raw reads [a. containing adapters, b. containing unknown nucleotides larger than 5%, c. low quality reads which the percentage of low quality bases (base quality ≤ 10) is more than 20%] were discarded, and the remaining clean reads in each library were assembled into one set of unigenes using Trinity (Grabherr et al., 2011), and then the two sets of unigenes were merged into a more complete set of unigenes, which served as the sequence reference in this research. The unigenes were divided into two classes. One was clusters with several unigenes between which the similarity was more than 70%, and the prefix is CL. The other class was singletons with the prefix of Unigene.
The unigene sequences were aligned by BLASTX to protein databases NR, Swiss-Prot, KEGG, and COG (e < 0.00001), and aligned by BLASTN to nucleotide databases NT (e < 0.00001) to get the annotations. Blast2GO program was used to get the GO annotation (Conesa et al., 2005), and WEGO software was used to do GO functional classification for all the unigenes (Ye et al., 2006). MADS-box unigenes were identified based on the Nr annotation. Besides the best hit, other alignments with relatively high blast scores were also referenced for the identification of putative ABC homologs.
Gene Expression Analysis
A portion of the sequencing reads in FP and DF was used to quantify the temporal gene expression in these two samples. In addition, a spatial gene expression analysis in floral organs was also performed. Young petals (P) and petaloid staminodes (PS) about 1.5 mm in length were collected for RNA extraction when they could be carefully dissected. Procedures of library construction and sequencing were the same with those described above, except that the length of reads here was 49 nt.
Clean reads in FP, DF, P, and PS were mapped to the reference unigenes using SOAPaligner/SOAP2 (Li et al., 2009). No more than 2 mismatches were allowed in the alignment. The expression level for each gene is determined by the numbers of reads uniquely mapped to the specific gene (unique match), and was calculated by using RPKM method (Mortazavi et al., 2008). The differentially expressed unigenes (DEGs) between the two samples were identified using the DEGseq R package (1.12.0) (Wang et al., 2010), with the read counts as input. The raw read counts were previously adjusted by edgeR package through one scaling normalized factor (Robinson et al., 2010). The p-values were adjusted to q-values for multiple testing corrections (Storey and Tibshirani, 2003), and q-value of 0.001 and log2 (fold-change) of 1 were set as the threshold for significantly differential expression. GO enrichment analysis were using agriGO program with customized annotation (Du et al., 2010), and the GO terms with FDR less than 0.05 were considered significantly enriched in the DEGs.
qRT-PCR
Total RNA was extracted from petals and petaloid staminodes of the same stages with those in RNA-Seq using TRIzol (Invitrogen) and then treated with DNase I (TaKaRa) followed by phenol/chloroform extraction to remove DNA contamination. Approximately 4 μg of purified RNA was used for reverse transcription with oligo(dT) primers. qRT-PCR was performed using specific primer pairs (Supplementary Table 1) with the MyiQ2 two-color real-time PCR detection system (Bio-Rad). Actin mRNA was used as an internal control, and the comparative threshold cycle (Ct) method was used to determine relative transcript levels of each tested genes. Three technical replicates were performed.
In situ Hybridization
Sections (7 μm thick) of young inflorescence without phyllary were prepared following pretreatment and hybridization methods described previously (Brewer et al., 2006). Digoxigenin (DIG)-labeled hybridization probes of CiAP1-1 (457 nt), CiGLO-1 (693 nt), and CiAG-1 (675 nt) mRNA were prepared by in vitro transcription (Roche) according to the manufacturer's protocol. The primer pairs are listed in Supplementary Table 1.
Results
Flower Development
The flower of C. indica comprises 3 sepals, 3 petals, 4, or 5 (occasionally 6) androecial members and 3 carpels (Figures 1A,B,F). Within the androecial whorl, the only fertile stamen comprises a one-theca anther and a petaloid appendage, while the other members are all petaloid staminodes, including a labellum (Figures 1B,C). Floral organogenesis of C. indica has been previously reported (Kirchoff, 1983; Almeida et al., 2013; Miao et al., 2014). Partially, due to the differentiation of the androecium, the flower development process of C. indica is quite complicated.
Figure 1. Flower morphogenesis of Canna indica. (A) A pre-anthesis flower (left) and mature flower at anthesis (right). (B) Dissected floral organs of a mature flower. (C) Adaxial (left) and abaxial (right) sides of a fertile stamen. (D) Initiation of floral primordia. Asterisk indicates bract or bractlet. (E) A flower pair (the two flowers in the axil of a bract) with a flower 1 at differentiated stage (right) and the primordium of flower 2 (left). (F) Schematic representation of the flower. S, sepal; P, petal; PS, petaloid staminode; L, labellum; St, stamen; A, anther; PA, petaloid appendage; C, carpel; IM, inflorescence meristem; FP, floral primordium; FC, floral cup. Bars = 5 mm in (A–C), 100 μm in (D,E).
Flower primordia were initiated in the axils of bracts (Figure 1D). When the organogenesis process starts, sepals are initiated first, and then serve to protect the inner organs at early stages (Figure 1E). However, petals grow fast after initiation and soon surmount the sepals, and begin to act as the main protective organs instead of sepals till anthesis (Figure 1A). Indeed, except for their difference in size, sepals and petals share similarities in shape, color and texture, and both of them are much thicker and tougher than the inner flexible petaloid staminodes (Figure 1B). Petaloid staminodes are the most attractive parts in a mature flower of C. indica, and look similar to the bright-colored petals of other ornamental species rather than the petals of Canna indica itself. Although both are petal-like organs, petaloid staminodes and petals are different in size, shape, color, and texture (Figures 1A,B).
Transcriptome Sequencing and Assembly
In order to get a comprehensive understanding about the flower development process of C. indica, a temporal-spatial RNA-Seq analysis was carried out (Figure 2).
Since there is no genome reference for this species currently, a set of inclusive transcriptome assembly was needed. Flower development process concerns various stages from flower primordium initiation to anthesis, and we took flower primordium (FP) and differentiated flower (DF, included flowers at various developmental stages, see materials and methods) materials to perform transcriptome sequencing respectively. Ninety Nucleotide databases reads were generated and sequenced using Illumina HiSeq™ 2000 platform. In total, 118,693,512 (FP) and 116,509,018 (DF) raw sequencing reads were generated in each library. After cleaning and quality checks, the remaining 111,087,434 (FP) and 105,704,938 (DF) clean reads were assembled into two sets of unigenes, which were then merged to one set of 118,869 unigenes. The average length of all the unigenes was 1053 nt, and the N50 length was 1766 nt (Table 1). In addition, 44,076 unigenes were ≥1000 nt in length, 6719 unigenes were ≥3000 nt, and none was <200 nt.
Using BLASTX, the unigenes were aligned to the protein databases in the priority order of NR, NT, Swiss-Prot, KEGG, COG, and GO (e < 0.00001), and totally 67,299 unigenes were annotated. 65,392 unigenes were annotated to NR database, among which about 50% showed blast e < 1e-100 (Figure 3A), 80% shared high similarity (≥60%) with the homologs they were annotated to (Figure 3B). About 75% (48,654) of the annotated unigenes shared highest similarity with the genes of Musa acuminate (Zingiberales, Musaceae), and 5 and 4% with Elaeis guineensis and Phoenix dactylifera (Arecaceae), two Arecales species (Figure 3C). Twenty-six thousand five hundred and twenty-nine annotated unigenes were classified into 25 function classifications in COG database, and 38,318 were mapped to 128 KEGG pathways (data not shown). With GO annotation, 44,866 unigenes were categorized into 55 functional groups, which belong to three categories: molecular function, cellular component and biological process. Cellular process and metabolic process, cell and cell part, catalytic activity, and binding were the two dominant groups in each category respectively (Figure 4). These unigenes provided valuable sequence and annotation reference for the following quantification analysis.
Figure 3. Annotations of unigenes in Nr database. (A) Statistics of E-value distribution. (B) Statistics of similarity distribution. (C) Statistics of species distribution.
Quantitative Temporal-Spatial Gene Expression
Flower development process concerns various stages from flower primordium initiation to anthesis, and floral organ identity determination happens in FP while flower organ development mainly takes place in DF. Accordingly we took these two stages to perform temporal gene expression analysis, although DF represented various stages rather than a specific one (Figure 2). To quantify the expression of the unigenes, 36,393,804 and 36,749,397 sequencing reads in FP and DF were used to map to the reference assembly. The unigene expression levels were calculated with RPKM (Reads Per Kb per Million reads) method (Mortazavi et al., 2008). We set a threshold value at 0.3 RPKM to determine whether or not a gene was expressed in a specific sample. With this standard, 95,602 and 86,516 unigenes were expressed in FP and DF respectively. Seventeen thousand and six hundred and thirty and Eight thousand five hundred and forty-four unigenes were expressed specifically in FP and DF, and 77,972 unigenes were expressed in both the two stages (Figure 5A).
Figure 5. Temporal-spatial expression and function analysis of unigenes. (A) Distribution of detected unigenes in FP, DF and P, PS. (B) MA plots (log ratio vs. abundance) showing the DEG (red points) identification. (C) Numbers of the enriched biological process terms in each group of DEGs. (D) The representative terms in each group of DEGs.
As the first step to investigate the genetic basis for the differences between petal (P) and petaloid staminode (PS), the global gene expression in these two organs was analyzed (Figure 2). Considering the differences in the organogenesis of these two organs, we took young petals and petaloid staminodes of about 1.5 mm in length as materials for quantitative RNA-Seq analysis. 49-nt reads were generated in each RNA sample which were subsequently sequenced for the library construction. After data filtering, the retained clean reads were used for mapping to the reference unigenes. The total numbers of clean reads in the two libraries were 11,779,727 and 11,668,376, of which 91.54 and 92.41% could be mapped to the reference. Seventy-five lakhs twelve thousand eight hundred and sixteen and Seventy-five lakhs fifty eight thousand five hundred and seventy-eight reads were mapped to a unique position (Table 2). In total, 78,255 unigenes were mapped in at least one organ. Not counting those with RPKM < 0.3, we got the expressions of 69,352 unigenes in P and PS. Sixty one thousand five hundred and seventy-nine and Fifty one thousand seven hundred and ninety six were expressed in P and PS respectively, with 17,556 specifically expressed in P and 7773 specifically in PS, and 44,023 in both organs (Figure 5A).
Function Analysis of the Differentially Expressed Unigenes
With DEGseq R package (q < 0.001, |log2 fold-change|≥1), the differentially expressed unigenes (DEGs) between FP and DF, and between P and PS were identified (Storey and Tibshirani, 2003; Wang et al., 2010). Compared with FP, 17,131 unigenes were down-regulated and 10,385 were up-regulated in DF, and these unigenes were defined as FP-higher and DF-higher DEGs respectively (Figure 5B). While in P-PS comparison, there were 6310 DEGs between the two organs, among which 4241 expressed higher in P (defined as P-higher DEGs) and 2069 expressed higher in PS (defined as PS-higher DEGs; Figure 5B).
To find out the representative biological processes in each sample, GO enrichment analysis were carried out based on the PF-higher, DF-higher, P-higher, and PS-higher DEGs. In PF-higher DEGs, 34 biological progress terms were enriched, among which, maintenance of floral meristem identity and specification of organ number explicitly presented the main biological processes in this stage (Supplementary Table 2; Figures 5C,D). While in DF-higher DEGs, 128 terms got enriched, far more than that in FP-higher DEGs (Figure 5C). Perhaps this was because a differentiated flower is more complicated than a flower primordium, whether in structure or function. The representative terms, such as pigmentation, growth, and floral whorl development gave a brief but clear description on the development processes in DF (Supplementary Table 2; Figure 5D).
In the P-higher DEGs, 131 biological process terms were enriched. Secondary cell wall biogenesis term indicated that cells in petals may possess thicker cell walls than those in petaloid staminodes, providing possible explanation that petals are tougher than petaloid staminodes; photosynthesis term indicated that as the outer whorl organs, young petals possess higher ability or potential to perform photosynthesis than petaloid staminodes in the inner whorls; in addition, response to stress term was probably related to the protection function of petals (Supplementary Table 2; Figures 5C,D). As for the PS-higher DEGs, chromosome organization, protein-DNA complex assembly and DNA replication were highly enriched (Supplementary Table 2; Figures 5C,D). It was conjectured that at the tested stage, young petaloid staminodes were experiencing rapid and continuous cell division, which was also an enriched term. In addition, stamen development term was also enriched in PS-higher DEGs, indicating that quite a few unigenes that participating in stamen development were also expressed in petaloid staminodes, and exhibited higher expressions in PS than P.
Temporal-Spatial Expression Patterns of MADS-Box Unigenes
According to the Nr annotation, 106 unigenes were identified as MADS-box family members, and 51 were detected in one or both organs of P and PS. We focused on these 51 unigenes, and analyzed the temporal-spatial expressions of them. 37 (72.5%) of them were expressed higher in DF than in FP, while 27 (52.9%) were expressed higher in PS than in P (Supplementary Table 3; Figure 6A). It seemed that there was a temporal expression preference for these MADS-box unigenes in DF, while no evident spatial preference was found in P or PS. Besides, 18 MADS-box unigenes were annotated as putative homologs of the ABC genes. Spatial expression analysis revealed that, all of the 3 A-class unigenes were P-higher DEGs, while 2 of 3 C-class AG homologs belonged to the PS-higher DEGs. The B-class unigenes exhibited intermediate expression patterns, with 1 P-higher, 3 PS-higher DEGs and 8 non-spatial-DEGs (Figure 6A). We selected 3 MADS-box unigenes CiAP1-1, CiGLO-1, and CiAG-1 as the representative homologs of A-class gene AP1, B-class gene GLO and C-class gene AG, respectively, and validated their spatial expression patterns with quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), together with other 5 randomly selected unigenes (Figure 6B).
Figure 6. Expression patterns of MADS-box and randomly selected unigenes. (A) Heatmap illustrating the expression of 51 MADS-box unigenes. The left and middle columns show the RPKM value in P and PS respectively, and the right column represents the ratio of RPKM (P/PS). Asterisks indicate the putative A, B, and C class unigenes, and 7 P-higher and 8 PS-higher DEGs are lined out. (B) P/PS expression ratio from RNA-Seq (left) and qRT-PCR (right) for 8 unigenes.
Based on the RNA-Seq results, the expression of CiAP1-1 in FP and DF were almost the same, and CiGLO-1 expression was moderately down-regulated in DF, while CiAG-1 was remarkably up-regulated in DF. Spatially, CiAP1-1 was expressed lower in PS than in P, CiGLO-1 was expressed almost equally in the two types of organs, and CiAG-1 was expressed much higher in PS than in P (Figures 7A,F,K). To define the expression patterns of these ABC genes more precisely, in situ hybridization was performed. CiAP1-1 mRNA was detected in flower meristem, but not in inflorescence meristem (Figure 7B), showing a similar pattern to that in Arabidopsis (Mandel et al., 1992). At either early or late stage, CiAP1-1 transcripts were detected in all whorls of the flower, except in sepals when they were comparatively old (Figures 7C–E). At early stages, CiGLO-1 mRNA was detected in the edge of the floral cup (ring meristem) where petals and androecial members would develop, but not in the regions corresponding to sepals and carpels (Figure 7G). Later when petals and androecial members were established, CiGLO-1 was expressed in both whorls, and no detectable signal was observed in the sepal and carpel primordia (Figures 7H,I). However, CiGLO-1 mRNA was then detected in the young style, which mainly comprises the lateral carpel (Figure 7J). CiAG-1 mRNA was firstly detected in the center of the floral meristem (Figure 7L), and then in all the androecial members, as well as in the carpels, while no expression signal was detected in sepals and petals (Figures 7M,N). CiAG-1 also expressed in the ovary (Figure 7O). These results showed that the expression of A-function gene in C. indica is not confined to the first and second whorls, B-function gene could extend its expression domain to the gynoecium during development process, and C-function gene is expressed in the sterile petaloid staminodes as well as the fertile organs.
Figure 7. Temporal-spatial expression of ABC unigenes during flower development. (A,F,K), RNA-Seq results showing the temporal and spatial expression of CiAP1-1 (A), CiGLO-1 (F), and CiAG-1 (K). All the others, in situ hybridization results of the temporal and spatial expression of CiAP1-1 (B–E), CiGLO-1 (G–J), and CiAG-1 (L–O). Arrows in (I,N) indicated the emerging carpel primordia. Sections in (J,O) were transverse and the others were all longitudinal. IM, inflorescence meristem; FM, flower meristem; S, sepal; P, petal; PS, petaloid staminode; PA, petaloid appendage; A, anther; C, carpel; O, ovary. Bars = 100 μm.
Discussion
Canna indica is a representative species for studying phylogenetic evolution of Zingiberales. In this species, most of androecial members are transformed to petaloid organs and only a half fertile stamen remains in the flower. Little is known about the mechanism for the evolutionary conversion of stamens to petaloid organs, largely because the genomic information of C. indica is currently unavailable, and genetic transformation of this species is not applicable yet. With a large amount of transcript sequence data, our results provided fundamental information for studying the flower development of C. indica. Totally, 118,869 unigenes were sequenced in C. indica, among which 67,299 got annotated with gene names and functions. Meanwhile, 51,570 unigenes show no homology with the already known genes. Most of the annotated unigenes show the highest similarity with M. acuminata (Musaceae), which is also Zingiberales species, supporting the close genetic relationship between them.
Based on the (A)BC model, (A)-function genes specify the identity of sepal, which is the ground state of the flower (Causier et al., 2010). Expression analysis showed that A-class MADS-box unigenes in C. indica were all expressed higher in P than PS. Accordingly, it is inferred that petals possess more sepal identity than petaloid staminodes, and the similarities between petals and sepals could possibly support this supposition. The fact that CiAP1-1 was expressed in all whorls reminded us of CAULIFLOWER (CAL), the closest paralogue of AP1, which is also expressed in all whorls at early stages (Kempin et al., 1995). However, the expression pattern of CiAP1-1 in later stages was dissimilar to either AP1 or CAL in Arabidopsis.
RNA-Seq and in situ hybridization results showed that C-function unigene CiAG-1 was highly expressed in PS, while showed much lower or no expression in P. The combined expression of CiGLO-1 and CiAG-1 in the whorl 3 suggests that the petaloid staminodes are of androecial identity, which is in accordance with the traditional view, and with the case in A. hainanensis (Zingiberaceae), another Zingiberales species (Song et al., 2010). However, this evidence was not sufficient to explain the different fates of the androecial members since co-expression of B- and C-class genes specifies stamen identity (Fu et al., 2014).
Expansion of B-class domain to other whorls was widely observed in angiosperm including Arabidopsis and Antirrhitum (Zahn et al., 2005). In C. indica, transcripts of CiGLO-1 were not detected in the carpel primordia at early stages, while were detectable in the style primordium later. It seems that B-class is not involved in initiation and identity determination of carpels, while plays a role in the partially petaloid morphogenesis of the style (Glinos and Cocucci, 2011; Fu et al., 2014).
In the flowers of C. indica, petals turn partially sepaloid, while members of the inner whorls including staminodes, fertile stamen and style are petaloid more or less. Taken all these homeotic changes into consideration, we speculated that the sepal and petal identities have shifted inwards uniformly in Canna flowers. In accordance with this supposition, the expressions of both A- and B-function genes are expanded to inner whorls to some extent. However, the remaining expression of C-function genes in petaloid androecium members makes it complicated to explain the stamen-to-petal conversion of these organs. Besides expression domain, the sequence diversity of C-function genes may also relate to the androecial petaloidy in Zingiberales (Almeida et al., 2015). To eventually reveal the exact mechanism for this kind of homeotic conversion, much more work is needed.
To summarize, through RNA-Seq and in situ hybridization analyses, we found a correlation between expression patterns of ABC genes and the organ identities of floral organs. A-function gene is expressed in sepals, A- and B-function genes are expressed in petals, A-, B-, and C-function genes are expressed in androecial members, A- and C-function genes are expressed in carpels at earlier stages, and later, B-function gene also appears in the style. Although, the mechanism for the differentiation of androecial members remains unclear, the current expression results as well as the sequences data have provided a preliminary basis for further researches on flower development in C. indica, and on the phylogenetic development of Zingiberales.
Accession Numbers
All the RNA-seq raw reads were deposited in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) (Accession GSE72440 and GSE72441).
Author Contributions
HL and JL conceived and designed the research. XT performed the RNA-Seq, qRT-PCR, and in situ hybridization experiments, QY performed the SEM observation. XT wrote the manuscript and all authors contributed to the discussion and manuscript revision.
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
The reviewer XS and handling Editor declared their shared affiliation, and the handling Editor states that the process nevertheless met the standards of a fair and objective review.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 31200246) and National Science and Technology Infrastructure Program of China (grant no. 2015FY210100).
Supplementary Material
The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpls.2016.01194
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Keywords: transcriptome, RNA-Seq, petaloid staminode, Zingiberales, Canna indica, ABC model
Citation: Tian X, Yu Q, Liu H and Liao J (2016) Temporal-Spatial Transcriptome Analyses Provide Insights into the Development of Petaloid Androecium in Canna indica. Front. Plant Sci. 7:1194. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2016.01194
Received: 12 May 2016; Accepted: 25 July 2016;
Published: 17 August 2016.
Edited by:Ping Ma, University of Georgia, USA
Reviewed by:Chi Zhang, Indiana University School of Medicine, USA
Xiaoxiao Sun, University of Georgia, USA
Copyright © 2016 Tian, Yu, Liu and Liao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2016.01194/full |
One of the priorities of energy in the world is the use of the renewable energy sources. This paper examines the status and prospects of Ukraine’s energy market through the diversification of energy resources. The world experience in implementing the renewable energy sources of the main energy market participants has been revealed. The characteristics of the current state and prospects of the renewable energy in the world and in the European Union have been given. The state of energy usage in final gross energy consumption volume in Ukraine considering main areas has been analyzed and projections till 2020 have been made. The necessity of reducing the total primary energy consumption through the introduction of renewable energy sources has been shown. The existing resource potential for the implementation of energy efficiency and energy saving has been characterized. The document “REmap 2030” which made assessment and showed the projections for production capacity of the renewable energy in Ukraine until 2030 has been created. Active state regulation of the renewable energy in Ukraine is in progress. There exists the program “green tariff” that provides the acceleration of the renewable electricity. A system of measures to develop renewable energy for the period until 2020 has been adopted, which is reflected in the National Action Plan. There are examples of the work of the Ukrainian companies engaged in the production of the alternative energy sources to meet their own needs, as well as its sale to consumers in Ukraine and abroad. It is noted that the use of the renewable energy is an undeniable factor for the improving energy security and reducing the negative impact of energy on the environment. The prognostic potentiality and obstacles of the alternative energy sources production in Ukraine have been stated and possible solutions have been suggested.
KeywordsEnergy independence Renewable energy Biofuels Market International experience Energy “Green” tariff Government support
References
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- 5.Ukrainian-Polish Center of renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency http://upc-re.kpi.ua/stage-1/
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- 10. | https://rd.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-72371-6_8 |
Thought I’d share an interesting read from the University of Missouri. There’s no doubt that bullying is a huge problem facing kids today. It doesn’t matter if we live in Canada, or the United States. The University of Missouri believe they’ve discovered an effective way of tackling the issue among teenage girls. The researchers were mainly dealing with the so-called “Mean Girls”-type bullying, or “relational aggression,” non-physical forms of bullying like gossip, spreading rumors, rejection and exclusion. They believe that this form of bullying can be reduced through an intervention-type program, they’ve dubbed Growing Interpersonal Relationships through Learning and Systemic Support (GIRLSS). Thirty girls between the ages of 12 and 15 took part in a ten-week program that included group counseling, role playing, journaling and weekly goal setting.
In addition, the girls’ caregivers attended workshops and had phone consultations, in which they were taught appropriate disciplinary responses to such bad behavior, as well as monitoring and supervision skills. Overall, the researchers found that at the end of the program, there was a decrease in such relational aggression.
As for boys, their bullying tends to be more overtly physical and easier to detect than the “relational aggression” for girls. It isn’t known whether such programs would work on them. Source: Daily Mail
Thought Starters… Has your daughter ever been bullied by other girls? How did you handle it? Did you ever discipline your child for bullying? Did it stop them from doing it again? What is the worst case of bullying you’ve ever heard of in your kids’ school? | http://www.kix.fm/parents-curing-the-mean-girl-behaviour/ |
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN, INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, AUSTRALIA OR JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTICES AT THE END OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF ARTICLE 7 OF EU REGULATION 596/2014 AS IT FORMS PART OF UK DOMESTIC LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018 ("MAR"). UPON THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT VIA REGULATORY INFORMATION SERVICE, THIS INSIDE INFORMATION IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
18 October 2021
Gusbourne Plc
("Gusbourne", the "Company" or the "Group")
Application for Admission
Gusbourne Plc (AIM: GUS) announces that, further to the announcements made today by the Company, application has been made to the London Stock Exchange for 3,493,329 Ordinary Shares, comprising 2,993,329 Placing Shares and 500,000 Subscription Shares, to be issued pursuant to the Placing and Subscription.
Admission is expected to take place at 8.00 a.m. on 22 October 2021. The Placing is conditional, inter alia, upon Admission becoming effective and the Placing Agreement becoming unconditional and not being terminated.
The New Ordinary Shares will, when issued, be credited as fully paid and rank pari passu with the existing Shares, including, without limitation, the right to receive all future dividends and distributions declared, made or paid after the date of issue of the New Ordinary Shares.
Terms defined in this announcement have the same meanings in the Launch Announcement unless the context provides otherwise.
Enquiries:
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Gusbourne Plc
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Charlie Holland
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+44 (0)1233 758 666
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Canaccord Genuity Limited (Nomad and Joint Broker)
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Bobbie Hilliam
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+44 (0)20 7523 8000
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Georgina McCooke
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Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited (Joint Broker)
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Oliver Cardigan
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+44 (0)20 7886 2500
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Hugh Rich
Ailsa Macmaster
Note to Editors
Gusbourne produces and distributes a range of high quality and award winning vintage English sparkling and still wines from grapes grown in its own vineyards in Kent and West Sussex.
The Gusbourne business was founded by Andrew Weeber in 2004 with the first vineyard plantings at Appledore in Kent. The first wines were released in 2010 to critical acclaim. Following additional vineyard plantings in 2013 and 2015 in both Kent and West Sussex, Gusbourne now has 231 acres of mature vineyards. The NEST visitor centre was opened next to the winery in Appledore in 2017, providing tours, tastings and a direct outlet for our wines.
Right from the beginning, Gusbourne's intention has always been to produce the finest English sparkling wines. Starting with carefully chosen sites, we use best practice in establishing and maintaining the vineyards and conduct green harvests to ensure we achieve the highest quality grapes for each vintage. A quest for excellence is at the heart of everything we do. We blind taste hundreds of samples before finalising our blends and even after the wines are bottled, they spend extended time on their lees to add depth and flavour. Once disgorged, extra cork ageing further enhances complexity. Our winemaking process remains traditional, but one that is open to innovation where appropriate. It takes four years to bring a vineyard into full production and a further four years to transform those grapes into Gusbourne's premium sparkling wine.
We are one of England's most awarded wine producers. Highlights include:
· Winner of 'Winery of the Year' trophy at the WineGB competition
· Highest rated English sparkling wine by the Wine Enthusiast in 2020
· Trophy for best English Still Red Wine at Wine GB awards 2018-2020
· Best in Class trophies at the Champagne & Sparkling World Championships in both 2018 and 2019
· 'Best English Sparkling Wine' as well as overall 'IWC China Champion Sparkling Wine 2019' at the International Wine Challenge held in Shanghai
Gusbourne's luxury brand enjoys premium price positioning, and its wines are distributed in some of the finest establishments both in the UK and abroad. Our wines can be found in leading luxury retailers, restaurants, hotels and stockists, always being aware that where we are says a lot about who we are.
IMPORTANT NOTICES
The distribution of this announcement and/or the Placing and/or issue of the Placing Shares in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. No action has been taken by the Company, the Bookrunner or any of their respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees that would permit an offer of the Placing Shares or possession or distribution of this announcement or any other offering or publicity material relating to such Placing Shares in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. Persons into whose possession this announcement comes are required by the Company and the Bookrunner to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions.
This announcement or any part of it is for information purposes only and does not constitute or form part of any offer to issue or sell, or the solicitation of an offer to acquire, purchase or subscribe for, any securities in the United States (including its territories and possessions, any state of the United States and the District of Columbia (the "United States" or the "US")), Australia, Canada, the Republic of South Africa or Japan or any other jurisdiction in which the same would be unlawful. No public offering of the Placing Shares is being made in any such jurisdiction.
The Placing Shares have not been approved or disapproved by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities commission or other regulatory authority in the United States, nor have any of the foregoing authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the Placing or the accuracy or adequacy of this announcement. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offence in the United States. The relevant clearances have not been, nor will they be, obtained from the securities commission of any province or territory of Canada, no prospectus has been lodged with, or registered by, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission or the Japanese Ministry of Finance; the relevant clearances have not been, and will not be, obtained from the South Africa Reserve Bank or any other applicable body in the Republic of South Africa in relation to the Placing Shares and the Placing Shares have not been, nor will they be, registered under or offered in compliance with the securities laws of any state, province or territory of Australia, Canada, the Republic of South Africa or Japan. Accordingly, the Placing Shares may not (unless an exemption under the relevant securities laws is applicable) be offered, sold, resold or delivered, directly or indirectly, in or into Australia, Canada, the Republic of South Africa or Japan or any other jurisdiction outside the United Kingdom.
Persons (including, without limitation, nominees and trustees) who have a contractual right or other legal obligations to forward a copy of this announcement should seek appropriate advice before taking any action.
This announcement may contain and the Company may make verbal statements containing "forward-looking statements" with respect to certain of the Company's plans and its current goals and expectations relating to its future financial condition, performance, strategic initiatives, objectives and results. Forward-looking statements sometimes use words such as "aim", "anticipate", "target", "expect", "estimate", "intend", "plan", "goal", "believe", "seek", "may", "could", "outlook" or other words of similar meaning. By their nature, all forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future events and circumstances which are beyond the control of the Company, including amongst other things, United Kingdom domestic and global economic business conditions, market-related risks such as fluctuations in interest rates and exchange rates, the policies and actions of governmental and regulatory authorities, the effect of competition, inflation, deflation, the timing effect and other uncertainties of future acquisitions or combinations within relevant industries, the effect of tax and other legislation and other regulations in the jurisdictions in which the Company and its affiliates operate, the effect of volatility in the equity, capital and credit markets on the Company's profitability and ability to access capital and credit, a decline in the Company's credit ratings; the effect of operational risks; and the loss of key personnel. As a result, the actual future financial condition, performance and results of the Company may differ materially from the plans, goals and expectations set forth in any forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements made in this announcement by or on behalf of the Company speak only as of the date they are made. Except as required by applicable law or regulation, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to publish any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained in this announcement to reflect any changes in the Company's expectations with regard thereto or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
Panmure Gordon is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom and is acting exclusively for the Company and no one else in connection with the Placing, and Panmure Gordon will not be responsible to anyone (including any Placees) other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to its clients or for providing advice in relation to the Placing or any other matters referred to in this announcement.
No representation or warranty, express or implied, is or will be made as to, or in relation to, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by the Bookrunner or by any of its affiliates or agents as to, or in relation to, the accuracy or completeness of this announcement or any other written or oral information made available to or publicly available to any interested party or its advisers, and any liability therefor is expressly disclaimed.
No statement in this announcement is intended to be a profit forecast or estimate, and no statement in this announcement should be interpreted to mean that earnings per share of the Company for the current or future financial years would necessarily match or exceed the historical published earnings per share of the Company.
The price of shares and any income expected from them may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the full amount invested upon disposal of the shares. Past performance is no guide to future performance, and persons needing advice should consult an independent financial adviser.
The Placing Shares to be issued pursuant to the Placing will not be admitted to trading on any stock exchange other than the London Stock Exchange.
Neither the content of the Company's website nor any website accessible by hyperlinks on the Company's website is incorporated in, or forms part of, this announcement. | https://investing.thisismoney.co.uk/rns/news/32199617 |
Jumilla, in the north of the Region of Murcia, has become internationally famous over recent decades due to the quality of the wines produced in the municipality, and wine tourism has begun to attract more visitors from other parts of Spain and the rest of Europe. However, the town and the surrounding countryside have plenty of other attractions for visitors, and the popularity of Jumilla wines is leading more and more people to discover other facets of the area.
Despite having a population of only just over 25,000, Jumilla is, in geographical terms, the tenth largest of the 8,000 municipalities of Spain. Covering an area of 972 square kilometres, it includes the mountains and natural parks of the Sierra de la Pila and the Sierra del Carche, the highest point of which is 1,372 metres above sea level. This is 28 metres higher than Ben Nevis, and the wooded slopes provide not only a stunning landscape but also a habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, especially birds of prey.
Within this extensive territory lie outlying villages such as Fuente del Pino, El Carche and Cañada del Trigo, but most of the population live in the town of Jumilla itself, which has been inhabited since the Bronze Age: the remains of Iberian and Roman settlements can still be seen on or near the hill on which the castle is located. This castle was built in the 15th century, more than two hundred years after Jumilla had been reconquered by the Christians from the Moors, who ruled the area for five hundred years. Until the 19th century the Marquises of Villena were the feudal overlords of the area, and it was under their supervision that the first wines were produced here. Jumilla was awarded the title of “city” in 1911, after which the population barely increased until the early 21st century.
As a result the centre of Jumilla has not been excessively modernized, and among the most important monuments are the Iglesia de Santiago, the Santa Ana del Monte monastery and various secondary churches. Non-religious sites of interest include the castle, the Casón (a small late Roman mausoleum which dates from the 5th century), the Torre del Rico fortress, the Town Hall and the squares of the city centre. The old Town Hall is home to the archaeological museum, and the wine museum also receives numerous visitors throughout the year.
Tourism in Jumilla is not as seasonal as it is in the coastal areas of the Region of Murcia. There are reasons to visit all year round, not least of them the hearty gastronomic offerings, which include the Gazpacho Jumillano: this dish is of Jewish origin, and includes game and snails on a wheat flour pastry base.
he main draw for visitors, though, are the 41 wineries which are included in the Denomination of Origin of Jumilla, although it shouldn’t be forgotten that the pears of the area also enjoy a similar status.
The town is at its liveliest during the fiestas in Holy Week and the August Fair, which incorporates the grape harvest celebrations and the Moors and Christians parades.
The Altiplano of the Region of Murcia, which consists of the municipalities of Jumilla and Yecla, is often not visited by those who come to south-eastern Spain to enjoy the beaches and the Mediterranean. However, it is only just over an hour by car from the Mar Menor, Cartagena, Mazarrón, Torrevieja and Alicante, and anyone wishing to visit real inland Spain and world-class wineries is well-advised to include Jumilla in their schedule.
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Teatro Vico Jumilla The Jumilla theatre offers a full range of musical and theatrical entertainment Address: Calle Cánovas del Castillo, nº 74, 30520 Jumilla T: 968 781166 E: [email protected] Click for map, Calle Cánovas del.. | https://murciatoday.com/jumilla_50-t.html |
The annual Days of Clusters event in Brașov brings together leading figures in the private and public sector in the Balkan and Black Sea region to share their experiences and the latest examples of best practice.
At Days of Cluster Design for Europe had the opportunity to host two events as part of the Design Driven Romania series. Design Driven Romania set out to demonstrate why design is a vital asset for companies and governments alike. The events hosted by Design for Europe emphasised the role design can play to support innovation in the region, drawing on examples from other European countries who have faced similar challenges.
The context: the state of design in Romania
Romania is a country with a huge amount of design potential, but currently a lot of the public and private sector do not use design at all. Its value is currently seen only in terms of aesthetics, and as result, there are very few live examples of strategic design. Crucially there’s still very little public recognition of the positive economic effects that design can bring. These are areas where we feel Design for Europe can start to make a difference.
Day one
Including design in Romania’s policies for innovation
Our first event on Design in Innovation Policies was hosted by Design for Europe partner Birmingham City University. This event was aimed at policymakers and SMEs, and featured a panel discussion on including design in innovation policies.
The conversation highlighted the advantages of implementing design-led innovation policies at a city level. The benefit of working this way is that projects can be “challenge driven”, meaning that they can respond directly to the specific environmental and economic issues a city is facing. These policies can encourage innovation and experimentation based on real user needs, and as a result produce fresh ideas that contribute to economic development and quality of life in a city.
The Birmingham City University team was particularly keen to highlight the potential contribution of product and service innovation to the creative and cultural industries. In recent years the city of Birmingham has seen a dramatic shift from being a former-industrial centre lacking in investment, to a growing city with a thriving creative sector. The Birmingham example also underlines the role universities can play in boosting a regional economy by giving local people the creative and entrepreneurial skills to succeed.
This panel discussion was followed up with Bar Camp Brasov, an interactive session during which participants could put forward ideas that would increase the take-up of these kind of design-driven activities in Romania. These included:
Production techniques: design at the engineering workplace
Participants highlighted the need to adopt new manufacturing techniques and incorporate design skills including: changing the workplace safety culture and adopting approaches from ergonomics to increase product quality.
Design education in schools
Participants felt the impact on the Romanian society would be very positive if design were made a central part of the school curriculum to help create the innovators of the future.
Co-designing city branding
Participants felt the experience of living and working in Brașov could be improved if the city government better understood the needs citizens. One idea was to establish a team to conduct user research to examine how people use public services currently and identify where the most pressing issues lie. Delegates felt there were currently a lot of infrastructural issues in Brașov, and a lot of potential for improvement if city authorities gained a better understanding how citizens currently use the transport network. These observations could then form the basis of creative brief that could be used to find new ways to solve these problems.
The panel we put together included:
- Alexa Hartwell, Cross Innovation Producer – Birmingham City University (part of the Design for Europe consortium)
- Michaela Mixova, Depo2015 – Creative Zone Pilsen
- Razvan Patrascu, Co-founder & Member of the Steering Committee – Alt Brasov
- Steve Harding, Head of Transforming the Region – Birmingham City University (part of the Design for Europe consortium)
About the Bar Camp Method
The Birmingham City University team used the BarCamp method to run this session asking the audience “What design policies and practices do you want to develop?”. The audience’s ideas were gathered on a grid, the delegates picked which topic they wanted to work on then formed small groups to discuss the idea in more detail. This was run in two rounds, during which six topics were covered with each small group feeding back to assembled delegates.
This technique works well as it is participant-driven and came at the end of the day when attendees had been hearing about the subjects in detail as part of the conference programme. It gives ownership of the discussion to the group and provides a platform for a wide range of views, surfacing a large number of new ideas.
To make the process a little less formal, each group was was named after a famous Birmingham band. For this afternoon session Days of Clusters boasted an impressive line-up of UB40, Black Sabbath and Duran Duran.
Day two
Using design to overcome challenges
Day two was hosted by the Danish Design Centre who aimed to give participants practical insights and design-driven tools applicable to their organisations.
A key focus was to look at how design can systematically generate insights into user and stakeholders needs – then transform these insights into tangible new solutions.
The event was devised by the Danish Design Centre in collaboration with leading Danish design company Attention Group. Both parties drew upon experiences and case studies from a new business programme in Denmark called PLUS. This programme facilitates explorative design partnerships between Danish design firms and companies in the services and manufacturing sectors to tackle complex innovation challenges.
For many companies the future they face is increasingly difficult to predict. Existing business models are under threat, and new approaches are needed to transform customer needs and expectations into products and services. This is a key reason, why we at the Danish Design Centre have agreed on a new strategy that allow us to run systematic experiments on how design can create value for businesses.
The PLUS programme is funded by Denmark’s Market Development Fund and aims to create new partnerships between large companies and strategic design firms to pioneer new approaches and increase innovation. The partners work closely together on a challenge defined by the company, this allows both partners to test and experiment with design methods to develop entirely new processes and areas of business.
Good insights make for better design
For businesses the importance of understanding their users has never been greater. Companies should be continuously and systematically challenging their own understanding of the needs, wants and limitations of the real human beings using their products or services – as well as their social, cultural and psychological context.
It’s vital companies have a clear picture of who their users are, because it’s these insights that help identify strategic opportunities. These same insights can then form the basis of the practical and innovative solutions catering to existing and emerging markets. Crucially, insights identify what people are actually doing with your product or service!
By using design methods such as: fieldwork, observations studies, user journey mapping, service blueprints, co-creation workshops, contextual interviews and personas, companies together with designers will be able to identify needs, limitations and new market opportunities. They do this by understanding what brings value, what motivates, what inspires and what influences behaviour.
How might we design a more homely hospital bed?
That was the challenge to be solved in the insights workshop as part of the event. 30 participants from across business, design, academia, policymaking and the public sector were mixed together and then divided into 5 groups. They were then presented with a range of different user insights on which to base their idea generation.
Building on the large number of initial ideas they generated, the groups were asked to merge the best ideas into one concept. However just before during so, the groups were presented to new insights. This was to demonstrate how fresh insights can challenge current thinking and perceptions even at the concept phase, but they can also further support the development new design ideas.
The groups came up with very interesting concepts incorporating most of the insights and user needs presented. The aim was to illustrate the power of multi-disciplinary teams, the power of insights – both to meet future needs, but also to serve as great inspiration for development and innovation. | http://designforeurope.eu/events/days-clusters-conference |
by Mike Shea on 4 June 2012
In late May 2012, Wizards of the Coast released the first D&D Next playtest including a short adventure, the Caves of Chaos, built on the original 1st edition Keep of the Borderlands adventure. This article contains NPCs you can use to fill out your playtest adventure. This article works along-side the D&D Next Caves of Chaos Character Relationships article.
Note, you can download the Caves of Chaos Relationships and NPCs PDF suitable for printing along with the adventure.
If you plan to run a series of adventures in the Caves of Chaos, you will likely benefit from a used copy of the original Keep on the Borderlands adventure which still sells for a reasonable price on Amazon.
We will begin with a brief overview of the town before diving into the NPCs.
The keep itself is a small walled town on the edges of civilization. Through a variety of circumstances, the citizens of the keep find themselves somewhat trapped in the city surrounded by a wilderness full of monsters and villainy. Being out on the edge of civilization like this can have its advantages. Many caves and ruins lead to lost treasures and artifacts beyond price. Many of those who found themselves at the keep had hoped to capitalize on this though most simply found death or isolation. A few, such as Torin the barkeep and Reeves the provisioner have found a way to profit from the continual stream of adventurers who travel off to seek their fortune.
Here's a list of the keeps primary locations. Flavor them to suit:
PCs and NPCs alike might have a variety of motivations for coming to and staying at the keep. Here are a few:
Any of these reasons can help fill out the NPCs below or any random NPCs your party might encounter.
Below is a list of potential major NPCs. This is a short list to keep things manageable for you and your group. It is quite possible that these NPCs might become minor NPCs and minor NPCs might become major. Depending on your group, keeping somewhere around three major NPCs will give your players a lot of options without confusing them with too many characters.
Stark is a middle-aged man with black hair, black eyes, pale skin, and sports a thin mustache and beard. His eyes are dark and piercing and he always moves with confidence and purpose. Stark holds the protection of the keep very dear and makes its protection his personal responsibility. Stark introduces himself to any PCs he does not know, gives a brief tour of the outer keep, and lists the rules. A veteran protector of the keep, PCs would have a difficult time lying to him or trying various ruses. He is also not easily intimidated but can be flattered if the flattering is truthful.
Quest: Orc Ears
The local orc tribes grow stronger and more wild every day. Stark hopes to hire mercenaries, adventurers, or hunters to thin their numbers. Stark will pay adventurers for each set of ten left orc ears.
Quest: Return of the jeweled sword
Months ago, a noble left the keep and was killed along the road. Stark will pay a handsome sum for the return of a blade once carried by this noble that now hangs on the hip of the orc chief.
Torin is an older scarred man who has kept home in the Keep for decades. He's seen adventurers come and go but is quick to find a way to profit from their excursions. He's often willing to share a rumor or two that he's picked up. For a bit of coin, the rumors might even be true. For a list of potential rumors, consult the following list:
Torin is a man of big city streets and isn't afraid to get his hands dirty. He is suspicious and keen to deception. He prefers straight talk and profane language to flattery or flowery words.
Quest: Maps of the Caves
Torin is very interested in recovering maps to the caves in the valley. Using maps already in his possession, he is able to spot fakes but each truthful map gives him greater and greater accuracy. He is willing to pay a modest sum for the map to each cave and will pay handsomely for a complete map.
Adrin is a soft-spoken priest of Pelor who is a recent newcomer to the Keep. There he aids the locals and visitors alike in a small chapel purchased by his church for his mission. Adrin does not like to partake in rumors and is saddened to see so many fall within the valley of chaos. Adrin's kind heart makes him susceptible to deception but he has no love for street talk. He treats all well and responds well to such treatment in kind.
Quest: Find the missing husband
Adrin has aided a merchant woman whose husband went missing two weeks ago when traveling between the Keep and a nearby city. Unable to fund a rescue mission herself, she sought Adrin's aid. Adrin seeks out adventurers who might be willing to look for the man. It is said he was captured by goblins (and secretly ransomed to the hobgoblins who have kept him alive).
Brandis the Smithy: A large overweight blacksmith sells basic goods and seeks fine weapons from the caves.
Daven the Castilian: The overseer of the town, he distances himself from the local riff-raff and lets Stark take care of the day to day business.
Reeves the Provisioner: A small unassuming man with a strange accent, Reeves buys and sells a variety of adventuring goods.
Sebastian the Innkeeper: A small nosy man who loves to pass gossop and engage in get-rich-quick schemes rents rooms by the night or by the week.
Two months ago, another priest came to town along with two acolytes in hopes of starting a business to fund his church. He worships a little-known god named Rune (history checks reveal no mention of this god anywhere).
Velor is, in fact, an agent of the cultists of Bel, Archdevil of the first layer of the nine hells. Velor seeks to strengthen the power of the cult of Bel in the keep and within the caves. He will purposefully mislead adventurers and sends secret word to his brethren in the caves. Velor is second only to Ashar, the leader of the cultists who resides in the caves.
One great way to build out a town full of rich and realistic NPCs is to model them on existing characters in one of the best sandbox TV shows ever, the HBO series Deadwood. Most of the NPCs above correspond to characters in the show. Here's a list:
These templates may or may not work for you but using character archetypes to flesh out your NPCs is a great way to determine how they will act and react to the actions of the PCs and of the world.
If you enjoyed this article please take a look at Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master, the Lazy DM's Workbook, and Fantastic Adventures: Ruins of the Grendleroot.
Subscribe and get the latest Sly Flourish article to your email inbox each Monday morning.
You can also support this site by supporting me on Patreon or using these links to purchase the D&D Essentials Kit, Players Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master's Guide, or metal dice from Easy Roller Dice.
Send feedback to @slyflourish on Twitter or email [email protected]. | https://slyflourish.com/chaos_npcs.html |
In the case of Grandma – well, for staters, her maiden name was Lettie Nichols and she married Jacob Toussaint, my father’s father. They had three children – all boys – Vernon, the eldest, who married Alice and had Yvonne, Vernon, Jr., Ronald and Sandra. Then there was Wayne, who married Francis Cooper and they had two daughters, my cousins Lynn (Jacqueline to my grandmother) and Laurel. Then came Bruce – my father – who married Louise LaRue and in addition to me, had my brothers Doug and Ken. Of course, I could go on and on with the succeeding generations, but you get the idea. One person touches a number of other lives. In my case, even my first post for TBTB was a result of a NT Bible that Grandma gave me on my tenth birthday.
Now the title of this post is technically incorrect from a biblical point of view. The word “begat” meant “of the seed of” or “in the lineage of” and the genealogies always followed the male descendants. That would mean that I should have titled this, “And Jacob Begat” but this isn’t about my grandfather – it’s about all the lives that Grandma touched. In all seriousness, my brothers and I didn’t know her nearly as well as our cousins, who grew up very close to Grandma but she had a huge influence on us nonetheless.
I remember all the stories she read to us as children and how we would rotate Christmases at Grandma’s home every third year. And when I got older and really into gardening, Grandma would come and spend the night with Janet and me when we were first married – we would make bread and butter pickles and Grandma taught me quite a bit about canning in general. Grandpa always had a really large garden and I guess a little of that rubbed off on me. I loved the outdoors and enjoyed my time in the kitchen as well. Lately, in fact, I have had the inclination to get back into it, but we’ll see as my corporate workload decreases.
The Jewish people of God considered genealogies among the most important things they could be involved in. Family history and honoring the past generations were requisite in the Jewish culture. In fact, Matthew, the first book of the New Testament, written to Jews, starts with a genealogy as a recognition of the importance of history. There is also a genealogy in the first several chapters of Luke, and both of them point to the human lineage of Jesus – one from the family of Joseph and one from the family of Mary. The Jews were very particular about their ancestry and it is not uncommon for Jewish people today to be able to trace their heritage all the way back to the twelve tribes of Israel.
The point of all this is that our ancestors provide an undeniable link to the past – and we are the links to the future. Whatever generation you are in – there are people before you and presumably people who will follow you. And it usually pays huge dividends to share the story of our ancestors with our children and grandchildren. The verse for tonight highlights the importance of genealogies – it is the opening verse of the book of Matthew. We are told, in Matthew 1:1,16, “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham…… and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” Notice that many intervening generations are mentioned completing the links from Abraham all the way to Jesus Himself. | http://www.transitionsbythebook.com/lost-in-translation/and-lettie-begat/ |
WASHINGTON,
DC Autumn 1998 There
was a time, before the dawn of the 20th Century, when
Europeans and Americans (in particular) admired and
respected China.
For
over a thousand years the
Chinese diffused their remarkable technological innovations
in agriculture (the plow), information (printing),
finance (paper money), warfare (gunpowder) without
restrictions throughout the world.
Chinese
philosophy, art, and culture were revered and widely
imitated.
The
economy of China was huge and its exports were the
most sought after products on the planet. Columbus
and Magellan made their famous "discoveries"
in order to capture this great trade.
It
is an ideological assumption that the wholesale adoption
of "democracy" will result in an efficient economy,
"freedom," and the other "advancements" from which
the citizens of such systems supposedly benefit.
Between
circa 1500 and 1800 A.D. the "West" (European
countries and later the United States)
grew rich on China trade and expanded the Chinese
technological legacy in armaments until it secured
independent sea routes to Chinese ports and protected
markets in China.
By mid 19th Century,
Europe and the USA (to a lessor extent) dominated
the world almost entirely through military force.
Soon European ideologies arose that effectively rewrote
history despite the reality of the recent past.
In a line of progression
from Adam Smith and Georg W. F. Hegel to Friedrich
Engels and Karl Marx to Emile Durkheim, Max Weber,
and countless other philosophers, historians, and
economists, the world was divided into arbitrary zones
such as "capitalist" and "non-capitalist."
The concepts of "Protestant
ethic" and "industrial revolution" were invented and
China, along with other ancient civilizations, was
belittled and dismissed as anachronistic, backward,
and still "feudal."
This complex ideology
is continually enhanced and supported by new rounds
of academics, journalists, and politicians for each
successive generation.
After the Second World
War, the French added the popular characterization
of the "Third World" to the lexicon. In the Thirld
World scenario the most technologically disadvantaged
(poorest) countries on Earth lie outside the first
(capitalist) and second (communist) worlds.
At that time, the baton
of world economic and political "leadership" was passed
from an exhausted Europe (Britain mostly) to the United
States, the only surviving superpower. The inherited
ideology was redefined by Americans and justified
what became known as the Cold War.
The Euro/USA
interpretation of economic and political development
is, in fact, accepted without reservation by every
country on the planet. China itself is governed
by a constitution that does not question the reality
of such concepts as "capitalism," "class struggle,"
or "communism."
The irony is that
China embraced one of the chief components of Euro/USA.-centered
ideology when it accepted the notion of communism.
Of course, as we are witnessing today communism in
China is an ideology that, like Confucianism before
it, is forever reinterpreted and redefined to
changing needs.
Communism as practiced by
the Chinese is first and foremost an organizing principle
for the administration of China and the starting point
in the creation of a new as yet undetermined ideology.
Viewed in this
light, we see then that the world is still being divided
arbitrarily based on belief systems that arose in
Europe and the United States in the 19th Century.
As the Cold War fades, we
see how damaging its impact was on international relations
and how it retarded the natural growth of economic
and political systems outside Euro/USA definitions.
Yet the lessons of
the Cold War are not learned. Already there
are attempts to create a new cold war with China based
on the old 19th Century concept that it is the West's
duty to "better" China by insisting that China become
US.
As part of this ideology,
age-old anti-China sentiments are rising in the United
States. The architects of anti-China policies
continue to press China on "human rights" as part
of a desire to see Western ideas and institutions
adopted outright. This is the same tactic used
on Russia (and the USSR before it) to negative effect.
It is an ideological
assumption that the wholesale adoption of Euro/USA
"democracy" will result in an efficient economy, "freedom,"
and the other "advancements" from which all the citizens
of such systems supposedly benefit.
Look at the
example of Russia today. The end result of American
insistence on complete economic and political revolution
is a destroyed economy and a return to political repression.
And the collapse of Russia's Asian borders has created
the world's worst crises (Iran, Iraq, Osettia, Chechnya,
North Korea, etc.).
The Bush and Clinton
administrations have not helped matters. Nor
has a Congress enticed by Taiwan money. United States
policies on China are uninformed and cause unnecessary
rifts between the two countries.
Sinophobic politicians,
journalists, academics, and right-wing ideologues
in the USA dismiss those with alternate viewpoints
on China as China "apologists" but this is not the
case. There is no need to apologize for accepting
China on equal terms.
And accept China as
it is we must. For China is the ascendant power in
Asia. And by virtue of demographics alone the focus
of world economic and therefore political power is
shifting to Asia in the 21st Century.
As a new world order
unfolds in the decades after the approaching millenium
it will become increasingly evident that not only
is a new cold war with China unrealistic, it is counter-productive.
©Ben
Calmes for Sinomania!, 1998. All rights reserved. | http://www.sinomania.com/CHINANEWS/coldwar.html |
Shanghai Noon (2000)
Rank: 90/100 in Action Movie, Adventure Movie, Comedy Movie, Western Movie,
Movie Synopsis:
Chon Wang, a clumsy imperial guard trails Princess Pei Pei when she is kidnapped from the Forbidden City and transported to America. Wang follows her captors to Nevada, where he teams up with an unlikely partner, outcast outlaw Roy O’Bannon, and tries to spring the princess from her imprisonment.
Movie details:
- Original Title: Shanghai Noon
- Original Language: en
- Studio:
- Director:
- Actors:
- Genre:
- Running Time:
- Release Date: 2000-05-26
- Vote Average: 6.3
- Popularity: 13.645
- Genre:
- Type:
- ASIN:
- Product Group:
- Running Time:
Video Trailer: | https://yourbest100.com/shanghai-noon-2000/ |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1
The invention relates to a method for identifying critical to quality (CTQ) dependencies in quality function deployment. Quality function deployment (QFD) is a methodology for documenting and breaking down customer requirements into manageable and actionable details. The concept of “houses of quality” has been used to represent the decomposition of higher level requirements such as critical to quality characteristics or CTQ's (also referred to as Y's) into lower level characteristics such as key control parameters or KCP's (also referred to as X's). depicts a conventional house of quality hierarchy in which high level requirements such as customer requirements are decomposed into lower level characteristics such as key manufacturing processes and key process variables within the manufacturing processes.
Each house of quality corresponds to a stage or level of the process of designing a product. At the highest level, represented as house of quality #1, customer requirements are associated with functional requirements of the product. At the next level of the design process, represented as house of quality #2, the functional requirements of the product are associated with part characteristics. At the next level of the design process, represented as house of quality #3, the part characteristics are associated with manufacturing processes. At the next level of the design process, represented as house of quality #4, the manufacturing processes are associated with manufacturing process variables. While the house of quality design process is useful, it is understood that improvements to this process are needed.
An exemplary embodiment of the invention is directed to a method of generating quality matrices indicating a relationship between critical to quality characteristics and key control parameters for levels of a process. A plurality of rows of a first matrix are designated as critical to quality characteristics and a plurality of columns of the first matrix are designated as key control parameters. Each critical to quality characteristic is assigned a critical to quality weight. An interaction weight is assigned between at least one critical to quality characteristic and at least one key control parameter. A score is then generated for at least one key control parameter in response to said critical to quality weight and said interaction weight.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring now to the drawings wherein like elements are numbered alike in the several Figures:
FIG. 1
illustrates the houses of quality in a conventional multi-level design process;
FIG. 2
is a quality matrix in an exemplary embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 3
is a graphical representation of scores for key control parameters;
FIG. 4
is a flowchart of a process for generating a quality matrix;
FIG. 5
depicts a hierarchy of quality matrices; and
FIG. 6
is a flowchart of the process of tracking critical to quality characteristics or key control parameters.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
100
110
1
6
112
1
8
110
112
110
112
100
depicts a quality matrix shown generally at . A quality matrix may be created for one or more levels of a multi-level design process. The quality matrices provide for tracking and assessing the relationship between critical to quality characteristics and key control parameters within a level and between levels of the design process. Critical to quality characteristics are labeled y-y and are arranged in rows. Key control parameters are labeled x-x and are arranged in columns. In the example shown in , the quality matrix is based on market data and the critical to quality characteristics are customer expectations. The key control parameters are product requirements. It is understood that other critical to quality characteristics and key control parameters may be arranged in a matrix as described below. Each critical to quality characteristic and key control parameter may be associated with stored data providing information for each entry (e.g., source of the data, assumptions, ranges, exceptions, etc.). The matrix may be expanded by adding critical to quality characteristics and/or key control parameters.
114
110
112
116
112
110
1
1
1
1
FIG. 2
Each critical to quality characteristic is assigned an importance or weight as shown in column . The critical to quality weights range from 1 to 5 (with 5 being the highest) depending on how important each critical to quality characteristic is to customer expectation. It is understood that different weights may be used. For each critical to quality characteristic and each key control parameter , an interaction weight is assigned representing the effect that a key control parameter has on a critical to quality characteristic . The interaction weights shown in are h, m, and l representing high, medium and low respectively. For example, at the intersection of critical to quality characteristic y and key control parameters x, h indicates that key control parameters x has a high effect on critical to quality characteristic y.
118
116
112
116
114
1
1
6
1
120
110
114
120
110
114
120
110
112
FIG. 2
A total score is generated for each key control parameter as shown in row . Each interaction weight may be assigned a numerical value. In the example shown in , low has a value of 1, medium has a value of 3 and high has a value of 9. To generate the total score for each key control parameter , the interaction weights are multiplied by the critical to quality weights along a column of the matrix and these products are summed. If a key control parameter is not assigned an interaction weight, its interaction weight is zero. For example, key control parameter x has a high interaction weight with critical to quality characteristic y and a low interaction weight with critical to quality characteristic y. The total score for key control parameter x is (9·5)+(1·1)=46. The total score indicates the key control parameters that contribute the most to the critical to quality characteristics. A total column contains a total score for each critical to quality characteristic which may serve as a consistency check. Critical to quality characteristics having similar critical to quality weights should have similar scores in total column . If critical to quality characteristics having similar critical to quality weights but significantly different values in total column , this indicates that a critical to quality characteristic should be a key control parameter or that some key control parameters are missing.
FIG. 3
FIG. 3
100
114
116
118
depicts a pareto graph of the total score for each key control parameter. The present invention may be implemented on a general purpose computer. The user may create matrix , enter the critical to quality weights and the interaction weights through a user interface. The process then computes the total score row . depicts a pareto graph of the total score values that may be presented to a user to facilitate identification of key control parameters having the greatest effect on critical to quality characteristics.
FIG. 4
FIG. 2
2
10
1
12
1
14
114
16
116
18
118
20
3
is a flowchart depicting the steps for creating the quality matrix shown in FIG. . The process begins at step where the user enters the critical to quality characteristics y-yn. Flow proceeds to step where the user enters the key control parameters x-xn. At step , the critical to quality weights are entered and at step , the interaction weights are entered for each combination of critical to quality characteristics and key control parameters. At step , the total score for each key control parameter is determined as described above. At step , the total scores for each key control parameter are presented to the user either numerically as shown in or graphically as shown in FIG. .
FIG. 5
FIG. 5
FIG. 2. A
100
100
2
200
112
100
210
200
210
212
200
214
216
218
212
The process of creating a quality matrix may be performed for multiple levels of the design process. depicts a plurality of quality matrices each corresponding to one level of a hierarchical design process. Matrix in is similar to matrix in FIG. and is based on market data. Matrix uses the key control parameters from matrix as the critical to quality characteristics . Matrix is directed to product design and associates the product requirements represented by critical to quality characteristics with deign features represented by key control parameters . Matrix includes critical to quality weights and interaction weights similar to those described above with reference to total score is determined for each key control parameter as described above.
14
216
118
100
118
100
210
214
118
210
118
When there exists a higher level matrix, step of entering the critical to quality weights may be performed automatically by the system based on the total scores from prior matrix . The total score from matrix indicates the importance of the critical to quality characteristics . To determine critical to quality weights , the total score for each critical to quality characteristic may be compared to a first threshold and a second threshold. Scores equal to or exceeding the second threshold are assigned an importance of 5. Scores equal to or below the first threshold are assigned an importance of 1. Scores between the first and second threshold are assigned an importance of 3. In addition, the scores may be normalized by dividing each score by the maximum score.
300
310
312
300
212
200
310
300
314
316
318
316
218
200
FIG. 2. A
Quality matrix is directed to product manufacturing and associates the design features represented by critical to quality characteristics with manufacturing processes represented by key control parameters . Matrix uses the key control parameters from matrix as the critical to quality characteristics . Matrix includes critical to quality characteristic weights and interaction weights similar to those described above with reference to total score is determined for each key control parameter as described above. The critical to quality characteristic weights may be automatically determined based on the total scores as described above with reference to matrix .
FIG. 6
20
22
1
24
26
28
30
28
26
The hierarchical relationship between the quality matrices and the use of key control parameters from a prior matrix as the critical to quality characteristics in a subsequent matrix allows for tracking of critical to quality characteristics or key control parameters having a specified level of interaction. is a flow chart of an exemplary process for tracking critical to quality characteristics or key control parameters having a specified level of interaction. At step , the user is queried whether they wish to track critical to quality characteristics (CTQ's) or key control parameters (KCP's). If the user selects critical to quality characteristics, flow proceeds to step where the user defines the level of interaction weight to be tracked. For example, the user may desire locating all critical to quality characteristics having high interaction weights with key control parameters. The user may also designate a single critical to quality characteristic (e.g., y) and track key control parameters having the desired interaction weight. At step , the key control parameters having the desired interaction weight (e.g., high) are detected and displayed to the user as described herein. At step , the process determines if there exists any successor levels. If not, the process ends. If so, at step the process examines the successor matrix and selects critical to quality characteristics corresponding to the key control parameters having the specified level of interaction in the previous matrix. As described above, the key control parameters from a predecessor level are used as the critical to quality characteristics in a successor level. At step , the critical to quality characteristics selected at step are examined for key control parameters having the desired interaction weight. Flow proceeds to step and the process continues until all the levels of matrices have been processed.
20
32
32
34
36
38
40
38
36
If at step , the user selects to track key control parameters, flow proceeds to step . The process for tracking key control parameters is similar to that of tracking critical to quality characteristics but it is performed from low levels to high levels. At step , the user defines the level of interaction weight to be tracked. For example, the user may desire locating all key control parameters having high interaction weights with critical to quality characteristics. At step , the critical to quality characteristics having the desired interaction weight (e.g., high) are detected and displayed to the user as described herein. At step , the process determines if there exists any predecessor levels. If not, the process ends. If so, at step the process examines the predecessor matrix and selects key control parameters corresponding to the critical to quality characteristics having the specified level of interaction in the previous matrix. As described above, the critical to quality characteristics from a successor level are the key control parameters in a predecessor level. At step , the key control parameters selected at step are examined for critical to quality characteristics having the desired interaction weight. Flow proceeds to step and the process continues until all the levels of matrices have been processed.
FIG. 5
2
2
8
2
8
5
8
4
5
6
8
8
4
5
6
4
5
6
1
3
4
5
6
4
5
6
1
3
illustrates the process of tracking critical to quality characteristics having a high interaction weight with key control parameter y. As shown in the market data matrix, critical to quality characteristic y has a high interaction weight with key control parameter x. Both row y and column x are highlighted in color as shown by the cross-hatching in FIG. . Moving to the successor design matrix, critical to quality characteristic x is examined and key control parameters df, df, and df are found to have a high interaction weight with critical to quality characteristic x. Row x and columns df, df, and df are highlighted in color as shown by the cross-hatching. Moving to the design matrix, critical to quality characteristics df, df and df are examined and key control parameters mp and mp are found to have a high interaction weight with critical to quality characteristics df, df, and df. Rows df, df and df and columns mp and mp are highlighted in color as shown by cross-hatching. By highlighting rows and columns where the desired interaction weight is found, the user is presented with an easily readable format for determining the relationship between critical to quality characteristics and key control parameters across multiple levels. The information from the highlighted rows and columns may then be extracted to a partitioned QFD to highlight the significant aspects of the QFD. The relative scores may change in performing the extraction because some interactions will be omitted.
The present invention can be embodied in the form of computer implemented processes and apparatuses for practicing those processes. The present invention can also be embodied in the form of computer program code, for example, whether stored in a storage medium, loaded into and/or executed by a computer, or transmitted over some transmission medium, such as over electrical wiring or cabling, through fiber optics, or via electromagnetic radiation, wherein, when the computer program code is loaded into and executed by a computer, the computer becomes an apparatus for practicing the invention. When implemented on a general-purpose microprocessor, the computer program code segments configure the microprocessor to create specific logic circuits.
While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as an exemplary mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. | |
We take pride in the contributions that EPDC made to the field of education over the past 16+ years, highlighted in our Legacy of EPDC blog post. To celebrate the work of EPDC, we asked a few EPDC alumni and champions to share their thoughts on the role and legacy of EPDC during their time, and since then. Read a few reflections on the role of EPDC since it began and its key contributions to education data and research below.
George Ingram, EPDC Executive Director [2004-2009], currently Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development, Brookings Institution
1. What did your role with EPDC look like?
I served as the first executive director of EPDC 2004 - 2009. My principal roles were to develop the mission and strategy, oversee the staff, maintain relations with our principal funder (USAID), and outreach to government and non-government organizations (our target audience).
2. How did you see the role of EPDC at the time that you led it?
The role of EPDC was to serve the development community -- especially education ministries and other entities in developing countries, but also USAID, international organizations, and non-governmental development actors (particularly NGOs). The role was to provide solid, updated data and analysis of that data. This was done mostly on-line -- establishing and constantly updating a comprehensive database of developing country administrative and survey data on education and related indicators, creating tools to use to mine the data, and sharing analysis of the data. We had a few paid consultancies, mainly with UNESCO to provide projects for the annual Education for All Report.
2. What was its key contribution to the field, in your opinion?
By example -- providing the data and putting it into "pictures" (graphs and charts) and analysis that teased out the knowledge in the data -- making government policy makers and development organizations aware of the...value of solid data and analysis of that data for decision making and management.
3. How has the field of education data and research evolved, in your opinion? Did EPDC play a role in this shift? Why or why not?
I cannot speak to how the field has evolved as I am a decade beyond being involved. However, EPDC was one of the first and only (UNESCO started about the same time with analysis but wasn't making its database available) entity making available comprehensive data (UN Institute for Statistics was making only administrative data available) and analysis on education in development countries.
4. Do you have any other reflections to share?
Considerable credit goes to USAID education staffer Greg Loos and senior AED staff who early on -- long before data generally gained such currency over the past decade -- understood the value of data and conceived of the idea for EPDC to gather all education data in one place and make it and analysis available to all.
EPDC was part of AED but was not managed to serve AED. It was designed so as to serve the broad development community, U.S. and international, and served AED only in the same way it served everyone -- so kudos to Greg and AED senior management for understanding the importance of EPDC's independence from AED.
Also, EPDC's substantive success rested on the shoulders of Babette Wils -- who created many of the tools to utilize the data, directed the analysis, and mentored the staff on gathering the data and connecting it into a compatible data system.
Babette Wils, EPDC Research Director [2003-2011], independent consultant
1. What did your role with EPDC look like?
I was EPDC's first employee, hired because I was doing long-term education projections using household survey data. This was something that Greg Loos, our funder at USAID, and John GIllies, EQUIP2 project director at AED, were interested in at the time.
2. How did you see the role of EPDC at the time that you were part of it?
We saw the EPDC as a compliment to UIS' work. The UIS was focused - by its mandate at the time - on national level, official government education statistics. We knew however, that there were other valuable sources of information on education access, namely household surveys and national country education websites. We set out to become a global warehouse for these sources of education statistics.
3. What was its key contribution to the field, in your opinion?
We made two key contributions. First, we pushed accessing sub-national education data to identify particularly vulnerable children in developing countries, and to highlight inequities in education access that needed to be addressed. Although this is fairly common to look at sub-national data today; at the time when we launched EPDC, many people did not think that sub-national data was available or reliable for many countries. We put these more finely-grained information out there, analyzed it in numerous research reports, and helped the education community realize its value and availability. The second contribution we made was in education forecasting. At the time, global forecasts of education were based on very simple models. We developed tools that made it possible to make large-scale global projections using detailed data for individual countries. This culminated in our work for UNESCO doing their global education projections in 2008. The model that we developed was later taken up and adapted by the Education Commission and is still in use today by UNESCO.
4. How has the field of education data and research evolved, in your opinion? Did EPDC play a role in this shift? Why or why not?
When we began, the global focus for education goals was on national levels of primary completion. Today, global education goals include sub-national analyses, learning levels, and secondary education. We contributed to this shift by accessing new data sources, and developing tools for the analysis and use of those data.
5. Do you have any other reflections to share?
We were a small, enthusiastic team. It was very exciting to be delving into new areas of research and to work with a talented and fun group of professionals! We hired a number of young researchers and it was one of my most gratifying experiences to see them grow professionally. I remember our meetings in the EPDC meeting room fondly - we had a lot of laughs and a great feeling of camaraderie. George Ingram was a fantastic Director for the first 5 years of EDPC's existence. Many thanks to all!
David Sprague, EPDC Executive Director [2009-2011]
1. What was EPDC's key contribution to the field, in your opinion?
The major funding source for EPDC had been (and continued to be during my time) the Office of Education in USAID. Under its direction, EPDC with a relatively small staff had developed a substantial body of research projections using education data from a wide variety of sources. These projections were published and recognized by international donors as legitimate contributions to discussions about the future pace of growth in the education sector of developing countries. They did influence donors to see that the challenge of providing resources for universal primary education was not insurmountable and the effort should not be abandoned.
During my time as director, I tried to increase the involvement of USAID in using the staff and resources of EPDC to support education staff in the field Missions. EPDC staff did make several trips to work with local USAID staff and Ministry of Education officials demonstrating how data can be used to make better planning decisions. However, it was disappointing that greater use was not made before USAID shifted funding and priorities to early grade reading.
2. How has the field of education data and research evolved? Did EPDC play a role in this shift?
Although not as much as I had hoped, the USAID education officers in the field did become more aware of the resources that EPDC could offer, especially on its WEB site. This exposure contributed to a greater reliance on the use of data in formulating USAID projects...
John Gillies, formerly Director of the Global Learning Business Unit, FHI 360 and AED
1. How did you see the role of EPDC at the time that you first learned of it?
When EPDC was first proposed as an associate award under EQUIP2 in 2003…it was one of a number of ideas to strengthen USAID’s contribution to global education for all efforts. At that point, the multilateral education data resources were not nearly as robust and useful as they are today. UNESCO UIS and the World Bank provided data, of course, but it was often not as complete, accessible, or user friendly as was needed. The GMR was a new entity.
USAID and AED recognized that insights into education performance required going deeper into available knowledge and information than the “official” education statistics allowed. Having an official data set was critical, as a single common measure and source was needed, but it was also very limited, incomplete, or inaccurate in many instances.
I saw EPDC’s role as using the emerging power of online platforms to create a common source for a more robust set of information about education in each country, and to mine that data to explore key questions. EPDC sought to capture multiple sources of data for each country — the official UNESCO data, of course, but also the national datasets that drilled down into sub-national data, (which allowed for much more nuanced understanding of trends), as well as all available non-official sources, studies, analyses, etc. that were often hard to find. In addition, EPDC’s mandate was to make all of this more accessible, more informative, more useful to users in all countries.
2. What was its key contribution to the field, in your opinion?
EPDC was one of many efforts to understand how to better use emerging online platforms to meet needs. Its key contributions were creative initiatives in data visualization, information management, website design, and an obsessive focus on mining agencies, institutions, and scholars to collect relevant - if partial - information sets. As a small, relatively independent (USAID financed as a cooperative agreement) entity that did not purport to be an “official” source of an international institution, it had a degree of flexibility and agility that the more formal institutions lacked. It could operate in a space between global and national institutions, which must manage internal and external politics, implementing partners and NGOs, and academics. This was demonstrated in both its depth of data, data presentation innovations, and analyses. Lacking the inherent “legitimacy” of a global institutional foundation like UIS, which was explicitly designed to be the data of record, EPDC needed to create its own legitimacy through the power of its publications, policy analysis, utility of data visualization, and access.
3. How has the field of education data and research evolved, in your opinion? Did EPDC play a role in this shift? Why or why not?
The last 20 years has seen phenomenal growth in the availability, accuracy, completeness, and breadth of data about education as EFA and MDGs evolved into GPE and SDGs, as global and national investment in education has increased, and the focus expanded from access to learning and equity. This coincided with the growth and increasing sophistication of online platforms and internet access. All of the international entities (UNESCO, GPE, USAID, World Bank) and most national education systems have much more robust, accessible and useful systems today. EPDC was a part of this growth, injecting new approaches, analyses, insights into the global dialogue. It was a small, but important global actor whose freedom of action and creativity contributed to this growth.
4. Do you have any other reflections to share?
EPDC’s history reflects interesting insights into the dynamics of global development, in education as well as other fields. USAID support for a small independent actor, followed by ongoing support from AED and FHI 360, enabled it to fill niches and gaps in the system and support education efforts. An EPDC was never going to substitute or compete with the international institutions, which with much greater resources and legitimacy, would inevitably expand and fill these gaps, reducing the need and viability of EPDC. Even as EPDC closes as an organization, its sustained contribution is evident in the gaps and niches that are now filled by others.
Elizabeth Buckner, EPDC Research Associate [2014-2015], currently Assistant Professor of Higher Education at the University of Toronto
1. How did you see the role of EPDC at the time that you were part of it?
EDPC was a resource that made cross-national education data accessible to a broader audience, and conducted original analysis on education and development. I really saw it as serving the educational development community by taking technical sources of data and making them available and insightful to non-technical users.
2. What was its key contribution to the field, in your opinion?
EPDC took the educational data available in household surveys, extracted them, and made them publicly available at a time when most cross-national data on education was still only collected from Ministries and other administrative sources. This was a true contribution to the field.
3. How has the field of education data and research evolved, in your opinion? Did EPDC play a role in this shift?
Education data is more accessible than ever before, and we have many excellent large-scale resources available that we didn’t have only a few years ago. I think EDPC has been a leader in many areas, particularly in making sub-national data disaggregations publicly available from household surveys, which other sources of data have only recently begun doing.
4. Do you have any other reflections to share?
I am sad to see EPDC close, but also look forward to seeing how FHI360 continues to promote education and development around the world! | https://www.epdc.org/node/6114.html |
Your electronic records are your most valuable asset! How do you protect them from malware, spyware, computer viruses, and hackers?
As digital threats continue to evolve, health care organizations are in need to ensure the security, privacy and integrity of their digital assets such as sensitive patient data.
BlueBird takes a proactive approach to safeguarding critical information ensuring that your network will be safeguarded against external and internal threats.
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The wide variety of flowering bulbs now available can give you year round colour in the garden, or they can brighten your living room or window box and provide a spectacular greenhouse display.
In this book, H.G.Witham Fogg writes about which bulbs, corms, rhizomes and tubers to select for growing outdoors or inside, followed by advice on planting, propagating and caring fro them.
Full colour photographs show both favourite and exotic flowers and for quick reference the planting details are summarized in handy chart form. | https://siansattic.co.uk/bulbs-437.html |
Kevin Bacon shows off Footloose moves on TV
Actor Kevin Bacon showed he can still manage the moves from his classic movie Footloose by reenacting the film’s iconic dance sequences on U.S. TV to mark its 30th anniversary. The Apollo 13 star made an appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show on Friday (21Mar14) and he thrilled fans of the 1984 movie by reviving the dance scenes as he made his grand entrance on the programme.
Bacon was shown reenacting the steps from Footloose in his dressing room and in the corridors of the TV studio, even stripping to a white vest and performing the moves from the film’s finale with a group of dancers before walking out onto the set where the routine continued.
But the 55 year old has since admitted the Footloose sequence has left him nursing a few aches and pains. | http://www.hollywood.com/general/kevin-bacon-shows-off-footloose-moves-on-tv-57790626/ |
November 25, 2022/CBN
In furtherance of efforts towards promoting compliance with Anti-Money Laundering, Combating the Financing of Terrorism and Countering Proliferation Financing (AML/CFT/CPF) laws and regulations, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) hereby issues this Guidelines for use by individuals and entities applying for licence to operate as banks or other financial institutions.
This Guidelines represents the minimum AML/CFT/CPF requirements for licensing of new financial institutions and should be read in conjunction with applicable AML/CFT/CPF laws, regulations and other CBN licensing requirements applicable to the institution-type for which the licence is sought.
The scope of this Guidelines covers both new and pending applications (including those awaiting final approval).
This circular takes immediate effect. | https://investadvocate.com.ng/2022/11/26/cbn-unveil-guidelines-for-licensing-of-banks-and-ofis-in-nigeria-on-aml-cft-and-cpf-of-weapons-of-mass-destruction/ |
3 edition of Six month report on tissue cultured avian skeletal myofibers in the STL/A module aboard STS-77 found in the catalog.
Six month report on tissue cultured avian skeletal myofibers in the STL/A module aboard STS-77
Published
1997
by National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Technical Information Service, distributor in [Washington, DC, Springfield, Va
.
Written in English
Edition Notes
|Other titles||NASA NAG 2-914 "Effects of space travel on skeletal myofibers", Effects of space travel on skeletal myofibers.|
|Statement||Herman H. Vandenburgh, principle [i.e. principal] investigator.|
|Series||[NASA contractor report] -- NASA/CR-207753., NASA contractor report -- NASA CR-207753.|
|Contributions||United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.|
|The Physical Object|
|Format||Microform|
|Pagination||1 v.|
|ID Numbers|
|Open Library||OL17701225M|
Animal Tissue - Types, Structure The animal cells are grouped together to form animal tissues. These tissues vary in their structure, function, and animal tissues are divided into epithelial, connective, muscular and nervous tissues. THE AVIAN SKELETAL SYSTEM A bird’s skeleton is highly adapted for flight. It is extremely lightweight but strong enough to withstand the stresses of taking off, flying, and landing. A key adaptation is the fusing of bones into single ossifications1, such as those of .
ASC Avian Skeletal System Jacquie Jacob and Tony Pescatore, Animal Sciences A ll animals have a skeleton to allow them to stand up and to protect their internal organs and tissues. The avian skeletal sys-tem looks similar to those of their mammalian counterparts, but there are some important differ-ences. Many of these differencesFile Size: KB. Tissue clearing for confocal imaging of native and bio-artificial skeletal muscle L Decroix 1, V Van Muylder 1, L Desender 1, M Sampaolesi 2, L Thorrez 1,2.
exercise can be found in other sections, such as Skeletal or Arthrology. You can use the Related Images section to find additional images. If you need help navigating Real Anatomy, click on Take a Tour or click the question mark for the Help menu Tissues in the skeletal system 1. Identify the depicted tissue. The major adaptations regarding flight in the avian skeletal system are pneumatic bone structure, elongated necks, small skulls, modified ribs, and a serious degree of rigidity. Many bones in the avian skeletal system are fused into single ossifications, such as the “Pope’s nose” or pygostyle at .
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NASA NAG "Effects of Space Travel on Skeletal My0fibers" Herman H. Vandenburgh, Ph.D. Principle Investigator Department of Pathology Brown University School of Medicine and The Miriam Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island Six Month Report on Tissue Cultured Avian Skeletal Myofibers in the STL/A Module Aboard STS Summary.
Get this from a library. Six month report on tissue cultured avian skeletal myofibers in the STL/A module aboard STS NASA NAG The recent development of a tissue culture incubator system for Shuttle Middeck basic science experiments [Space Tissue Loss (STL) Module] by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) allows the study of the effects of space travel directly on isolated skeletal myofibers.
Avian bioartificial skeletal muscle 'organoids' containing differentiated skeletal myofibers and connective tissue fibroblasts Author: Herman H. Vandenburgh. Isolation and culture of skeletal muscle myofibers as a means to analyze satellite cells.
Shefer G(1), Yablonka-Reuveni Z. Author information: (1)Department of Biological Structure, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, USA. Myofibers are the functional contractile units of skeletal by: Repeat steps with the second FDB muscle until all six tendons and their attached myofibers are in the mm tissue culture dish containing 10% HS.
For one tendon at a time: hold one end of the tendon with a pair of forceps and with the tip of a second pair gently separate the myofibers from the by: Skeletal muscle satellite cells cultured in simulated microgravity [microform] / Greg Molnar [et al.] Adaptive response of slow and fast skeletal muscle in the monkey to spaceflight [microform]: final repo Six month report on tissue cultured avian skeletal myofibers in the STL/A module aboard STS [microfor.
All vertebrate animals have skeletons. A skeleton allows an animal to stand and protects its internal organs and tissues. The avian skeletal system looks similar to that of mammals but must accommodate a bird’s need to be light enough to fly while having necessary body support.
Start studying components of skeletal muscles and skeletal myofibers. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Start studying Avian Skeletal System. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. unique skeletal bones of the adult avian female.
Anatomy Chapter 6 Study Guide. 84 terms. Skeletal system stuff. 20 terms. Start studying BIO Ch. 6 Skeletal Tissue and Bones. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Medullary bone (MB) is a sex-specific, estrogen-dependent tissue unique to female birds among extant amniotes , produced during the egg-laying cycle .Together with dietary intake, MB is a key source of calcium necessary for the formation of avian eggshell [3,4,5,6].This unique adaptation was first observed by Foote [7, 8] in the femora of a passeriform and pelecaniform, and later.
New Harvest is supporting a foundational cultured avian tissue research project for the purpose of creating chicken and turkey meat without animals at Author: New Harvest.
The Effects of Growth Hormone on Avian Skeletal Muscle Satellite Cell Proliferation and Differentiation mRNA was expressed in avian skeletal muscle tissue and satellite cells in culture, and was capable of binding chicken growth hormone (cGH).
In the satellite cells, GH-R gene expression was regulated by cGH in a biphasic manner which Cited by: Update 11/6/ Less than 7 months into the project, Marie has been able to create a "nugget" of cultured turkey muscle.
As an initial step towards the broader goal of culturing chicken and turkey meat, Marie and Dr. Paul are focusing on creating an open source line of avian cells for food production. Einheber S, Fischman DA. Isolation and characterization of a cDNA clone encoding avian skeletal muscle C-protein: an intracellular member of the immunoglobulin superfamily.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. Mar; 87 (6)– [PMC free article] Epstein HF, Ortiz I, Mackinnon LA. Plant Tissue Culture Terminology AdventitiousDeveloping from unusual points of origin, such as shoot or root tissues, from callus or embryos, from sources other than zygotes.
Agara polysaccharide powder derived from algae used to gel a medium. Agar is generally used at a concentration of g/liter. his lecture describes the two types of skeletal tissue found in bone structure. CNFs do not appear immediately after injury, but instead are found in the damaged segments of myofibers within days/weeks after injury.
At 2 weeks after injury, the occurrence of CNFs was much higher in the middle of the muscle (40 ± 8% of myofibers) than in the distal (5 ± 3%) or proximal (0 ± 0%) portions of the muscle (Fig.
2A).Once the EBD enters a damaged myofiber, its distribution Cited by: 1. Methods Cell Biol. ; Tissue culture of avian hematopoietic cells. Moscovici C, Moscovici MG. PMID: [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Cited by: 9.
A film demonstrating R. Canti's research into cell behaviour in real-time and time-lapse. This film provides a fascinating insight into the development of the. This video contain detailed information on the types of skeleton tissues in the human body.
Tissues of the Human Skeleton Bones is a living hard connective tissue.Evaluation and Optimization of Avian Embryos and Cell Culture Methods for Efficient Isolation and Propagation of Avian Influenza Viruses Kira A.
Moresco, 1David E. Stallknecht,2 David E. Swayne 1Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture Athens, Georgia USA 2Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary File Size: KB.
Tissue Culture is the general term for the removal of cells, tissues, or organs from an animal or plant and their subsequent placement into an artificial environment conducive to growth.
This environment usually consists of a suitable glass or plastic culture vessel containing a liquid or semisolid medium that supplies the nutrients essential. | https://bidiwocasitisevib.stevefrithphotography.com/six-month-report-on-tissue-cultured-avian-skeletal-myofibers-in-the-stla-module-aboard-sts-77-book-39724ry.php |
Shareholder activism poses a significant threat to your company's vision and strategy. No company is immune. But by keeping pace with current trends in shareholder activism and proxy defense strategies, you gain an edge that allows you to effectively prepare for the threat.
2 Collaborative Credits
Event File Attachment:pdf Behind the Boardroom Door-Managing Shareholder Activism
Please join us for Episode Two of the NACD New England Chapter Private Company Governance and Leadership Series. Our panelists include currently serving Directors and C-Suite executives, who will discuss issues unique to private companies, and their decision to remain private. Topics will include the patient capital, corporate culture, control, freedom from quarterly financial pressure, less regulation and other aspects of the allure of being a private company. Speakers include Elizabeth Boland, CFO from Bright Horizons which went from Public to Private and back again; and Directors and Executives of several private companies. Our moderator, Jim Wood, is from the EY Family Enterprise Business Services Group.
2 Collaborative Credits
The U.S. economic outlook is healthy, but market reactions and some economic indicators have led to speculation about how long this strong economy will last. Board directors need to understand today's regional, national, and global economic conditions and how they affect their organizations. While we don't know yet which of many "economic forces" will be "hot" in March, we do know that we live in an ever-changing world and understanding the factors driving the economy and economic policy are key. Please join us on Tuesday, March 5 for a presentation by Eric Rosengren, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. President Rosengren will offer his analysis of the current economic landscape, both in the U.S. and abroad. He will welcome questions from the audience.
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Event File Attachment:docx NACDNE March 2019 Meeting summary
What practice can boards and management apply to overcome their systemic decision biases and reduce the likelihood and the impacts of catastrophic risks? Hear this overview of what works based on research of 100 companies by Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center.
2 Collaborative Credits
Event File Attachments:pdf Howard Kunreuther Slide Deck docx NACDNE February 2019 Meeting summary
Inevitably the annual meeting season rolls around each year in March accompanied, also inevitably, by a number of hotly debated issues that often pit one of the firm's stakeholders against another placing board directors directly in the middle. Each January we convene a meeting of governance, legal, accounting and shareholder experts to educate us on the current issues prior to the season.
2 Collaborative Credits
Event File Attachment:docx NACDNE January 2019 Meeting summary
There is increasing evidence that diversity in the boardroom is essential for the long-term financial success of both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. However, some organizations believe that board diversity is important for more than financial reasons - that board diversity is necessary for any socially responsible organization seeking to contribute to a just and fair community.
1 Collaborative Credits
Join us for a session looking at the role of the Compensation Committee working with CHROs to vet, reward and retain executive talent as a driver of business innovation The session will focus on: Sourcing talent - identifying what companies need Management development - Selecting and developing leaders Leadership - Assessing leaders and succession planning Rewards - bringing it to the bottom line of the company and the executives
2 Collaborative Credits
Event File Attachment:docx NACDNE November 2018 Meeting summary
You MUST be a currently serving Public Company Director to attend this event. Seating is limited. The need to innovate and respond to disruption are constant in business now. What role should Boards play in evaluating the company's ability to innovate? To respond to disruption? How does the Board assess the culture of an organization to respond to these challenges? Does the company have the strategy and leadership to deliver? The second Thought Leadership program has a powerhouse panel with broad experience in evaluating, leading and implementing innovation and change in a variety of cultures. This program is designed to provide thought provoking conversation for experienced public company directors.
2 Collaborative Credits
Private Equity can play a large role in growth strategies and exit planning for private companies. But what role does the private company's board - and specifically private directors - play before, during and after Private Equity gains control? Hear from Partners of leading Private Equity firms, Investment Bankers, as well as from Directors and C-level executives of private companies that have been through the process.
2 Collaborative Credits
Expected to be as transformative as the internet was for communication, Blockchain will change the way businesses work globally. Why is knowing about Blockchain important for Board Directors? Directors need to understand and consider applications of the disruptive nature of blockchain technology, and boards need to be sure that their Companies (Technology, Life Sciences, Industrial, Healthcare, Financial Services, Retail and many others) all are incorporating it into its strategic thinking. | https://newengland.nacdonline.org/Events/Past/?ItemNumber=53147 |
In clinical social work the ethnicity of the clinician encounters the ethnicity of the client. Just as clinicians are affected by the client's family-of-origin issues, they also are uncomfortable to some extent with ethnic and cultural differences. A challenge for clinicians is how to therapeutically use self with ethnically diverse clients while recognizing the effects of cultural differences.
In discussing ethnic-sensitive clinical practice, Pinderhughes (1989) consistently emphasized the importance of clinician comfort in working with clients' ethnic and cultural differences. To feel as comfortable as possible in cross-cultural work, clinicians need to be aware of and feel positive about their own ethnic and cultural identity (Pinderhughes, 1989). Pinderhughes stated that clinicians must monitor and manage their "feelings, perceptions, and attitudes mobilized as a result of one's clinical and cultural group status role" (p. 133) to practice effectively with ethnically diverse clients.
Desired outcomes of clinical social work include increases in self-esteem and empowerment for clients. Such outcomes can occur when the therapeutic discourse causes the client to have an empowered sense of self. Essential to this empowerment process is the client's feeling more connected to his or her ethnic identity. In taking a constructivist or narrative approach to clinical work with clients of color, clinicians must include ethnicity and issues of discrimination and powerlessness in the therapeutic discourse for such clients to successfully restory their lives. Howard (1991) stated that some examples of clinical work could be viewed as cross-cultural experiences in story repair. Clients develop new stories as models for future action (Laird, 1989).
Ethics - Use of Self
A constructivist approach to therapy lends itself well to client empowerment and, thus, is well suited to cross-cultural clinical social work. A constructivist approach to therapy de-emphasizes therapeutic hierarchical power and control and emphasizes therapy as collaborative and empowering (Hoffman, 1988). Thus, from a constructivist perspective, the clinician does therapy with clients rather than to them.
Clinicians using a constructivist approach do not attempt to impose "reality" but rather facilitate through the therapeutic conversation the clients' construction of a more workable reality for themselves. This perspective can allow clinicians to transcend their discomfort arising from crosscultural differences with clients. According to Anderson and Goolishian (1988), a therapeutic conversation involves "a mutual search and exploration through dialogue, a two-way exchange, a crisscrossing of ideas in which new meanings are continually evolving toward the 'dissolving' of problems" (p. 372).
Coconstruction. Because reality is socially constructed, a constructivist therapist believes that there is no one truth but many possible explanations--multiple realities--for the phenomena under discussion (Cecchin, 1987). This belief allows the clinician to take a position of curiosity about which explanation fits the client rather than insisting on discovering the "truth" (Cecchin, 1987).
Lax (1992) stated that it is the clinician's job to join with clients "in the development of a new story about their lives that offers them a view that is different enough from their situation, yet not too different, to further the conversation" (p. 74). In this co-constructing process, clinicians and clients both contribute words and ideas. Clinicians continually translate the clients' words into their own and share these words with them to see if there is a match with the clients' language and interpretations (Lax, 1992).
During the therapeutic conversation the clinician may offer suggestions and ideas that build on what the client has said; the clinician presents them in a tentative way, leaving plenty of room for the client to come up with his or her own answers (Lax, 1992). The successful coconstruction of the client's story no longer includes the presenting problem.
The experience of "novelty" by the client as a result of the therapeutic conversation is integral to a constructivist approach (Anderson & Goolishian, 1992; Fruggeri, 1992). The clinician should have some guidelines for asking questions during the therapeutic conversation so that the client experiences such novelty in the coconstruction of a new reality (or a new story) that does not include the problem and the vicious cycles that maintain it.
Real (1990) pointed out "that the only behavior directly accessible to the therapist's control is the therapist's own behavior. How the therapist moves, the selections he makes, where he places his weight, so to speak, in other words his use of self, is the only tool available to him" (p.260). Given constructivism's emphasis on language and conversation in reality construction, the use of self in contributing to the process of empowering ethnically diverse clients involves bringing the issue of ethnicity into the therapeutic discourse in a way that allows the clinician to transcend any discomfort with cultural differences. The literature on operationalizing the use of self in general and with ethnically diverse clients in particular is limited. In response to a lack of literature on the operationalization of constructivist-systemic family therapy, Real (1990) developed five stances for guiding therapeutic use of self: eliciting, probing, contextualizing, matching, and amplifying. The following adaptation of Real's stances for the therapeutic use of self (found in Section 9 of the Manual) from a constructivistsystemic perspective provides a map for operationalizing such an endeavor with ethnically diverse clients.
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Teachers have been encouraged to bring more primary sources into the classroom, but doing so presents a challenge when the voices of Native Americans and other historically marginalized groups are so often missing from these documents.
A review of the first year in office New York City district's new chancellor shows the difficulty of taking on diversity in schools.
White principals were less likely than principals of color to say that their preparation programs helped them feel ready to meet the needs of diverse students, according to a new survey.
A district near Portland, Ore., is putting out an explicit call for underrepresented groups to apply for open jobs.
Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg wants to increase transparency about teacher hiring practices to boost diversity in the field. Would his plan work? | https://www.onlineceucredit.com/ceus-online/dbs-cultural-ethics-boundaries/secDBS12.html |
As consumer preferences change and competition for shelf space intensifies, retailers and manufacturers need to provide more segmented, targeted shopper experiences to drive greater revenues. But lack of sufficient data about store-level execution and an inability to continuously track planogram compliance make this challenging.
Computer vision technology allows retailers and manufacturers to compare images of the actual shelf or a “realogram” with the planogram for each category, and thus measure power statistics like OOS, low facings and compliance.
Providing today’s consumers with a delightful shopping experience requires retailers to go back to basics and execute the fundamentals around shelf effectiveness well. | https://traxretail.com/media/focus-fundamentals-build-store-future/ |
Scientists are set to begin combing forests for as many as 100 species of "lost amphibians" — animals considered possibly extinct but that may be holding on in a few remote places.
The first-of-its-kind search, covering 14 countries on five continents, will be the first coordinated effort to find so many potentially extinct creatures.
Amphibian populations are suffering a shocking decline worldwide, with half the 6,000 known species in decline and more than 30 percent threatened with extinction. Many of the amphibians that the scientists are looking for have not been seen in decades — in some cases, nearly 100 years. [Images: Top 10 Lost Amphibians]
Scientists are hoping to better understand the recent amphibian extinction crisis.
"Amphibians are particularly sensitive to changes in the environment, so they are often an indicator of damage that is being done to ecosystems," said Robin Moore, a search team member from the nonprofit group Conservation International. "But this role as the global 'canary in a coal mine' means that the rapid and profound change to the global environment that has taken place over the last 50 years or so — in particular, climate change and habitat loss — has had a devastating impact on these incredible creatures.
"We've arranged this search for lost species that we believe may have managed to hang on so that we can get some definite answers — and hopefully learn about what has allowed some tiny populations of certain species to survive when the rest of their species has been lost."
The culprits behind the amphibians' decline include pollution, climate change, habitat loss from development, and a fungal infection that causes chytridiomycosis, a disease that has wiped out entire populations, including some whole species, of amphibians.
The exact toll of these factors on the once-thriving populations of amphibians in the United States is unknown. Amphibian declines are particularly serious in California, the Rocky Mountains, the Southwest and Puerto Rico. Scientists hope the new search will fill gaps in their knowledge.
"This is something that has never been done before and is hugely significant, not only because of the threats that amphibians face and our need to understand what has been happening to them better, but also because it represents an incredible opportunity for the world's amphibian scientists to rediscover long-lost species," said search team member Claude Gascon, of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Amphibian Specialist Group.
"The search for these lost animals may well yield vital information in our attempts to stop the amphibian extinction crisis, and information that helps humanity to better understand the impact that we are having on the planet," Gascon said.
- 8 of the World's Most Endangered Places
- 10 Species You Can Kiss Goodbye
- How Many Species Exist on Earth?
This article was provided by OurAmazingPlanet, a sister site to LiveScience. | https://www.livescience.com/6837-wanted-alive-lost-amphibians.html |
Making the most of end-of-summer stone fruit. I just made my first plum dessert of the season... two Rustic Plum Galettes that were served with scoops of freshly-made ice milk. Consider baking two of these free-form tarts. You'll want big slices (and leftovers for breakfast!).
1. Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 tablespoons ice water; blend until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if mixture is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
2. Toss plums, 4 tablespoons sugar, ginger and cinnamon in bowl. Roll out dough on floured surface to 12 1/2-inch round. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Mix 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon flour in small bowl; sprinkle over dough, leaving 2-inch plain border.
3. Scoop the plums on top of the pastry round, leaving a 2-inch plain border; drizzle with melted butter. Gently fold dough border in toward center, pleating the dough as you go. Brush border and underneath the pleats with the egg glaze. Sprinkle (generously, if you like) with turbinado sugar.
4. Place galette on the middle rack of oven and bake until plums are tender and crust is golden, about 45 minutes. | https://www.livingtastefully.com/passions-to-pastry-blog/back-to-baking |
The PILATES Room, located in Ithaca, NY, is staffed by 8 of the most thoroughly trained and qualified staff in the entire CNY and Southern Tier region, in both classical and contemporary Pilates methods. Aside from providing both classical and contemSee More...
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The report provides a unique tool for evaluating the Market, highlighting opportunities, and supporting strategic and tactical decision-making. This report recognizes that in this rapidly-evolving and competitive environment, up-to-date Marketing information is essential to monitor performance and make critical decisions for growth and profitability. It provides information on trends and developments, and focuses on market, capacities and technologies and on the changing structure of the Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome.
The global Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome Market was valued at USD 957.3 million in 2016 and is projected to reach USD 1,280.0 million by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 3.3% from 2017 to 2025.
Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is a rare congenital heart disorder involving irregularities in the electrical transmission system of the heart. In WPW syndrome, an abnormal alternate electrical pathway exists resulting in arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeat rhythms) and tachycardia (faster than normal heartbeats).
What exactly will be the influencing variables which are be cited at the Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome Market Report?
As mentioned earlier: This particular section provides detail information about the overall overview of the company and key developments associated with the specific company. One of the most valuable features of this report is the inclusion of the SWOT analysis of top companies operating in the Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome Market. The SWOT analysis is helpful in giving information about opportunities, strengths, weaknesses and threats.
The most valuable part of this report is the competitive landscape which consists of all the essential information to examine key player's operational plans in the global Market for Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome. One of the important characteristics of this report is a detail analysis of key companies vision and their strategies to stay sustain in a Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome industry. | http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/wolff-parkinson-white-syndrome-market-2019-research-experts-analysis-and-future-outlook-1196654.htm |
Can the Jewish Federation system embrace Disruptive Philanthropy?
I’m currently attending the annual gathering of Jewish community federations and affiliated communities. The gathering, known as the General Assembly (GA), focuses on issues critical to North American Jewry, Jews abroad, and the State of Israel. As explained by the Jewish Federations of North America, the system’s umbrella organization, the federation movement “represents 157 Jewish Federations and 400 Network communities, which raise and distribute more than $3 billion annually for social welfare, social services and educational needs” placing it “collectively among the top 10 charities on the continent.” In a very rough foundation analogy, that would a foundation with roughly $60 billion in assets.
That’s big; really big. And yet, the federation movement is struggling with declining donor bases, growing local community needs, and challenges to implementing effective philanthropic strategies. So, yesterday’s session on “Disruptive Philanthropy” with Diana Aviv (President and CEO, Independent Sector), Jeffery R. Solomon (President, The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies), and Brian A. Gallagher (President and CEO, United Way Worldwide), promised to provide an interesting barometer of how the federation movement is embracing (or resisting) change in its grantmaking approaches.
The basis of the session was Disrupting Philanthropy, a report written by Lucy Bernholz, Edward Skloot and Barry Varela, which looks at the impact of data, information, and networked digital technologies on philanthropy. Sadly, there was little reference made to the report and its key findings during the session. However, the speakers did touch upon some central related themes.
Each recognized the dramatic landscape changes over the past ten years and the accelerating pace of change. Diana Aviv noted the growth of both the nonprofit sector and the emergence of hybrid organizations (L3Cs, B-Corps). She also mentioned a future in which nonprofits might struggle to engage Millennials and will have to become more fluid and adaptable in their operations.
Brian Gallagher reflected on the growth in the number of active and engaged donors who don’t want simply charitable giving transactions, but are looking for more intense engagement opportunities. These individuals will shift the philanthropic marketplace much faster than organizations. They are now also challenging organizational value propositions: organizations such as the United Way, a Jewish community federation, and by extension a local community foundation are now facing the challenge of proofing their value as intermediaries between a donor and a charity. If they cannot, a donor can simply drop that intermediary from the transaction and fund a charity directly.
Jeffery Solomon echoed this critical point. If an intermediary does not add value now to a donor, then it will cease to remain necessary. The growth in access to data and information further challenges the Federation movement to adjust to a changed philanthropic sector. Importantly though, he did list a range of opportunities for the Federation movement to embrace that could stem the drop in donors and philanthropic resources including tactics such as re-granting, donor circles, social venture funding, and more innovative strategic giving.
All of them noted the impact of technology on the sector and the growth in the availability of data.
The discussion with the audience provided more thoughts from the panel. At one point, Diana Aviv simply stated that if the Federation movement doesn’t change, it won’t be around to see the future. As intermediaries, the individual federations need to provide information and data to donors, and must understand that they are operating in a competitive market space. They must articulate a clear purpose, implement models that work, provide a wider vision on how to generate impact, and demonstrate the ability to evolve, adapt, and find new opportunities.
Brian Gallagher provided some positive hope by noting that the United Way affiliates’ efforts to engage donors in the grantmaking process and the designation of their own funds have helped grow donor participation and charitable resources.
The session was sobering for the federation audience and hopefully many will begin to adjust to the disruptions happening now in the philanthropic sector. But I still worry about a field that’s not embracing the latest thinking in sections of the philanthropic space that are currently pushing philanthropy in new directions.
For example, the Federation movement could have a tremendous role in building investment options for the $120 billion market of individuals looking to embrace social impact investing (see “Money for Good” report (PDF)). The federations could find new ways to engage the Millennial Generation in giving, such as the One Percent Foundation does online, or adjust their philanthropic strategies to support hybrid organizations such as L3Cs and B-Corps. One great suggestion came from Jeffery Solomon, who imagined the federation system pooling 10% of its resources to create a social innovation fund – such as fund, with about $300 million to distribute – would easily eclipse other efforts such as the Social Innovation Fund.
But impact investing and social innovation requires increased capital to create more effective community solutions and grow them to scale. Does the Federation movement have the resolve to embrace the necessary change to adopt such philanthropic strategies?
As a barometer, the Disruptive Philanthropy session highlighted how new this concept is for the Federation movement. But the organizations that operate in this system are already seeing their philanthropic models come under pressure to evolve. The next step for the Federation movement is ahead: will it embrace the disruptions and chart new ways to make philanthropic decisions and engage donors? | http://adinmiller.com/content/can-jewish-federation-system-embrace-disruptive-philanthropy |
Background and Service Details: Acute toxicity studies are performed to study adverse effects after administration of a single dose or multiple doses of a test substance given during a period not exceeding 24 hours. Acute toxicity studies in animals are necessary for early stage preclinical molecules to evaluate the perspectives of their further development. The information obtained from such studies is also useful in choosing doses for efficacy studies, providing preliminary identification of target organs of toxicity, and, in some cases, revealing delayed toxicity. Acute toxicity studies in animals are often conducted using two routes of drug administration – the route intended for human therapy as well as intravenous administration. We can run acute toxicology studies of various designs in mice or rats. We can also provide follow-up studies, such as toxicokinetics or histopathology if requested. In a simple exemplary study, we dose three groups of 10 mice each (5 male/5 female) with 3 selected doses of the test article by oral gavage. A smaller vehicle dosing group (4-6 animals) is typically included. Animals are observed for mortality, signs of gross toxicity and behavioral changes at 30 min, 2, 4 and 6 hours after the administration and thereafter daily for a period of 14 consecutive days. Body weights are recorded prior to dosing, and on days 7 and 14. Gross necropsy is performed on all animals at the terminal sacrifice.
We claim that for animal studies Bienta is strictly following internationally accepted guidelines for ethical animal care.
Deliverable: A detailed study report including full description of study design, all experimental data and discussion.
Sample Submission: Dry compound or compound in a pre-made animal dosing formulation. Amounts depend upon the dosing levels and the design of the study. | http://bienta.net/acute-toxicity-study-rodents/ |
As urban consumers become more interested in their food and where it comes from, communities are increasingly integrating food into mainstream planning and policymaking. One of the common innovations is the use of Food Policy Councils, groups which bring together diverse industry, government, and non-profit partners to address challenges in the food supply chain, and to capitalize on new knowledge and expertise.
While the councils help to educate urban citizens and provide a place for innovation, they often do not include membership from rural populations—the people who grow and raise most of the food. An opportunity exists in this space to better understand how urban policies can support urban communities, while also providing opportunities for their rural providers. This is the goal of the CSU food system program.
Northern Colorado provides an exciting venue to investigate the challenges of urban and rural food co-development. In October 2017, the City and County of Denver released its Denver Food Vision, a program facilitated by the Denver Sustainable Food Policy Council. The program represents the City and the County’s first ever long-term strategic plan for food, and incorporates 12 achievable goals under pillars of Inclusivity, Health, Vibrancy, and Resilience. Colorado State University’s food research system team plans to use this innovative new program as a case study to develop a framework, models, and tools that will aid in the understanding of how urban food policy works. The team will study the impacts of this integrated food policy plan on rural social, political, cultural, physical, financial, natural, and human issues—and will focus especially on evaluating the inevitable trade-offs that will occur.
The goal of this research is to use observations and data to provide cities, regions, and communities with the tools they need to make educated decisions around food-systems community development. The resulting tools will focus on supporting enhanced discussion and collaborations across rural-urban lines, allowing for partnerships and educations for city-dwellers and rural communities alike.
RESEARCH QUESTION:
OBJECTIVES: | https://foodsystems.colostate.edu/research-impacts/rwc/about-rwc/ |
The cyrosphere is made up of many parts including snow and ice; frozen ground and permafrost; glaciers, which include alpine glaciers, ice caps, and the ice sheets that cover Greenland and Antarctica; ice shelves and icebergs; sea ice; and weather and climate.
Pick a part of the cryosphere
What is the cryosphere?
This section is your introduction to the frozen parts of our planet. Learn where the cryosphere lies and how it influences life on our planet. Dive deeper into each feature below.
Arctic weather & climate
The Arctic is known as Earth's refrigerator. Land surrounds a cold ocean, which is covered by a thin layer of perennial sea ice and snow. How do these white surfaces affect weather and climate, both global and regional?
Frozen ground & permafrost
More than half of all the land in the Northern Hemisphere freezes and thaws every year, while a quarter of the land has an underground layer that stays frozen all year long. How has life learned to thrive in such a harsh environment?
Glaciers
Two categories of glaciers exist: ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Ice sheets cover vast areas of land in broad domes. Alpine glaciers, are smaller, and found not only at the poles, but in high mountain regions across the globe.
Ice sheets
During a series of Pleistocene Ice Ages, vast areas of our planet were covered by land. As the planet warmed, about 12,000 years ago, the ice sheets retreated to two major land areas, Greenland in the Northern Hemisphere and Antarctica in the
Ice shelves
This part of the cryosphere is an extension of land ice that spreads out over cold ocean waters. Since they are key in regulating glacial movement, they are an indirect, yet critical component to sea level rise.
Sea ice
When the surfaces of bodies of water reach their freezing point, layers of ice form. Sea ice is unique in that the water must be colder than fresh water to freeze. As such, the polar regions are cold enough to allow sea ice to form.
Snow
When most people think of the cold parts of Earth, they think of snow. Snow is much more important to the planet than simply for recreational purposes. Learn how it impacts wildlife, communities, and the global climate.
Ask a scientist
Visit this area to read common questions that have been asked of our scientists and staff. Feel free to suggest your own question.
Cryosphere glossary
Words matter and their meanings even more so. Search for a specific word or browse the many interesting words characteristic of the cryosphere. | https://nsidc.org/learn/parts-cryosphere |
Creating a positive school environment, where children can learn and thrive, is a goal of all schools. One of the ways many charter schools do this is by creating student rules of expected behavior, commonly referred to as a Student Code of Conduct (“Code”) that lays out the behaviors that schools have determined are significant to their successful operation and culture. This need remains even at a time when the traditional structure schools use to deliver education has radically shifted from in-person instruction to remote online learning. So, what does maintaining a positive learning environment look like in a remote, primarily online context? What standards of behavior are expected, and what consequences can schools implement virtually since exclusion of extra-curricular activities, traditional suspension, detention, and other more common consequences are not viable?
Regardless of whether instruction is primarily online or in person, charter schools still have a responsibility for complying with applicable federal and state law regarding discipline. One important element of that relates to special education. Schools need to be mindful of the rules governing discipline for students with disabilities, even in the present environment, including those relating to punishments that are determined to be a manifestation of a disability. Working with CSEs to make decisions in the current environment will require flexibility.
In addition, in NY, charter schools should abide by the Dignity for all Students Act, which requires that schools provide a safe and supportive learning environment free from discrimination, taunting, harassment and bullying, including cyber-bullying which is particularly relevant in today’s environment. Cyber-bullying is the use of technology to deliberately harass, threaten or intimate others. It can take many forms, including, electronic harassment, outing, exclusion, spamming and trickery through chat rooms or online activity. If a student’s educational environment is disrupted due to another student’s intentional harassment through electronic communication, schools are required to investigate, and respond in an appropriate matter to end such harassment. Other possible infractions that may arise in a remote setting could include disruptive classroom behavior during ‘live’ remote instruction, faking attendance, plagiarism, cheating during exams (asking other students for answers, looking up answers on another device, or having someone else within the home complete an exam). Another infraction that schools have seen a rise in over recent years is the exchange of pornographic images between students, otherwise known as sexting. This includes students initially consensually sharing images between each other, which later are re-circulated to a larger student body without permission. These are difficult circumstances for schools to handle under normal circumstances and may become even more challenging with students at home constantly on remote devices.
Schools may choose to create a revised Code of Conduct or an addendum to the current Code of Conduct to address the challenges posed by a virtual learning environment. This new code or addendum can be tailored to your school’s mission and aligned with the different electronic resources you have available to students and challenges you anticipate facing in your school community. It may also be worth having a parent and student conference to explain the expectations of remote instruction. Students and parents may not understand that looking on Google to answer a question on an exam could be considered cheating, or understand what plagiarism is.
The new and revised code can impose potential consequences such as limiting a student’s ability to participate in a chat room or other ‘fun’ online activity. Schools may also want to require students to write a reflective essay or attend a virtual mediation with students when the Remote Code is violated. Another possibility could be to have a reward system, giving students points for stellar remote contributions and participation, perhaps highlighting them as remote students of the week/month. Schools can have a virtual assembly highlighting achievement or allow students to certain perks in the online environment, or a promise of one when traditional schooling resumes.
For more egregious violations that may result in suspension or expulsion, schools may want to proceed with holding a formal discipline hearing once school is back in session, either later this school year, or the beginning of the coming school year. Suspending a student from instruction in a remote environment would be challenging since schools are still responsible for providing alternative instruction during suspension. Proper legal notifications would be required shortly after the infraction occurs, as students are entitled to the same due process protections. While this is not traditionally done, these are not traditional times, and it may be prudent to draft language that allows schools flexibility to make disciplinary decisions when buildings reopens.
Jaime A. Fernand is a New York-based education attorney and Of Counsel at the law firm Barton Gilman LLP. You may also be interested in her podcast discussing these issues, which can be found at: https://www.bglaw.com/legal-lowdown-podcast-episode-13-covid-19-student-discipline-in-the-virtual-classroom/
About Barton Gilman
Barton Gilman provides the full scope of legal services to education clients – including traditional and non-traditional public schools, charter schools, charter management organizations, private schools, education advocacy organizations and other education-related organizations – throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York. For more information, please click here. | https://www.bglaw.com/coronavirus-covid-19-dealing-with-student-discipline-during-covid-19-closures/ |
Bonjour à tous et à toutes,
Je me permets vous signaler l'appel à communication pour la conférence "Pesticide Politics in Africa. An interdisciplinary international conference on the use, regulation and health effects of agro-chemicals in sub-Saharian countries".
Elle est organisée par Moritz Hunsmann (CNRS, IRIS), Eliana Lekei (Registrar, TPRI), Vera Ngowi (Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Science), Samuel Pinaud (Université Paris-Dauphine, IRISSO) et Nathalie Jas (INRA, IRISSO).
Les deux langues de la conférence sont le français et l’anglais. Une traduction simultanée devrait être disponible.
Les propositions de communication peuvent être faites en français et en anglais et sont à soumettre avant le 5 janvier 2019 à l’adresse mail suivante : [email protected]
Vous trouverez un résumé en français de l'appel sur le blog "Transhumances", une initiative des chercheurs INRA de l'IRISSO : https://ritme.hypotheses.org/4491
Le texte de l'appel se trouve sur le lien suivant :
iris.ehess.fr/docannexe/file/4188/cfp_conference_pesticide_politics_final_compressed.pdf
Cette conférence bénéficie du soutien de la COMUE PSL Research University, de l’Institut Français de Recherche en Afrique (IFRA), de l’Ambassade de France en Tanzanie et du du Tropical Pesticide Research Institute (TPRI) .
N'HESITEZ PAS A FAIRE CIRCULER.
Cordialement,
Nathalie
Introduction
The current economic boom in many sub-Saharan countries is accompanied by an unprecedented increase in noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) due to industrial pollution, including pesticides. While local and international mobilizations call for more stringent pesticide control measures, African governments often refrain from adopting and enforcing strict regulations – considered as potential obstacles to “development”.
This interdisciplinary conference aims at laying the foundations for a long-term scientific cooperation between African and European scholars on the management of pesticide-related occupational and environmental health hazards in Africa. It aims at exploring the trade-offs between production and prevention that underlie the expansion of chemical-intensive agriculture on the continent, to understand the relations between technique, knowledge and power that condition the inclusion of African populations in the globalized economy, and to grasp the resulting health and environmental inequalities.
As in other areas with intensive use and poor regulation and/or implementation, pesticide-related health risks are exacerbated in Africa by the inadequacy of regulatory frameworks and the weakness, or inexistence, of surveillance and control systems. As a result, the import, production, trade and use of pesticides take place without the legal safeguards and institutional counterweights ensuring that public health concerns receive adequate attention in a political context where “development”, narrowly defined as economic growth, and “food security”, with a single dominant focus on increased agricultural production, are the overriding priorities. Facing strong activism denouncing the adverse effects of industrial agriculture and corporate influence over pesticide-related public policy making, some European governments have started to backpedal at home – at least in their declarations of political intent. African governments and
Western development agencies are less challenged, however, when – backed by private foundations and transnational corporations – they are calling for an “African Green Revolution”, still essentially based on the much-contested model of chemical-intensive agriculture, with pesticides as the cornerstone. In parallel, foreign agro-companies and governments are making large-scale land acquisitions in a new “scramble for Africa”, transforming the continent into the new frontier of global agro-industrial expansion.
Pesticide Politics in Africa
An interdisciplinary international conference on the use, regulation and health effects of agrochemicals in sub-Saharan countries 29-31 May 2019, Tropical Pesticide Research Institute (TPRI), Arusha, Tanzania
This conference develops upon the observation that the chemical-based intensification of agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa, which is likely to be aggravated by climate change, bears new occupational and environmental health hazards, which are exacerbated by the use of highly toxic pesticides (often banned in Europe), by informal trade, by dysfunctional control systems, by lack of access to risk information, by the inexistence of protective gear appropriate for tropical climates, and by the diversity of exposed populations (≈ 80% of the active population has an agricultural activity – mostly on family farms, potentially exposing
vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and children). As rapid population growth and trade liberalization boost domestic and international demands, these hazards confront African governments with technically and politically intricate regulatory and public policy choices. While international donors, industry players and environmentalist groups try to influence pesticide legislation and its implementation, the underlying trade-offs between productive and preventive considerations become a major political stake, and the way these trade-offs are formulated becomes an important field of scientific enquiry.
We aim at bringing together researchers from various backgrounds in human and social sciences, other sciences with an interest in public health and public policy, or environmental and health exposures, as well as members of administrations or NGOs involved in pesticide regulation who are eager to reflect on what may be done to better assess and manage pesticide-related detrimental health effects.
We welcome proposals along the following themes:
1. Producing knowledge on pesticide exposures and their health effects
Concerned about pesticide-induced hazards, researchers, health practitioners, public officials, activists and simply concerned citizens in many regions of Africa have started to gather information and produce knowledge on pesticide exposures and their suspected effects on human health. How do these players go about this and what forms of expert and/or lay knowledge do they produce: counting cases of possibly pesticide-related health conditions, registration of acute poisoning cases, forms of popular epidemiology, etc.? Do they engage in studying the toxicity of the compounds sold in African countries? What difficulties do
these players face in objectivizing the phenomena they attempt to explore? Whom are information and knowledge produced for? Which alliances do information and knowledge producers engage in and, if any, which strategies of mobilization do they adopt? To what extent and how do they attempt (and possibly succeed) to draw attention to their findings, either in discreet but possibly influential spaces or in more public arenas, and with which effects? What is the political economy of attention to occupational health, environmental health, and environmental aspects of pesticide exposures? This focus welcomes presentations both by social science researchers studying these knowledge-production practices and by the
very players engaged in these practices.
2. Regulatory dimensions: national and international regimes for pesticide regulation and control
The various processes leading to the international conventions regulating the safety of international pesticide trade have been studied in much detail, with a special focus on the Rotterdam Convention and its Prior Informed Consent (PIC) mechanism. However, far less is known about the actual implementation of these international agreements and the PIC in African countries. Do these international agreements and mechanisms influence domestic authorization processes? If so, in which ways? Furthermore, little is known on how pesticides are actually authorized in African Countries. Given many regulatory authorities’ limited toxicological capacities, how are risk assessments carried out, and by whom? How do authorities reach the
decision to register a specific pesticide – especially if it is banned elsewhere? Who are the actors involved in defining pesticide regulation? How do they interact, with which rationales? How are economic, social and safety dimensions confronted and/or articulated? Do pro-pesticide economic actors adopt common strategies or are they competing, with specific interests and claims? How do other national or international actors (administrations, international organizations, NGOs, foundations, etc.) address pesticide regulation? What are their claims and how do they promote them? Concerning regulatory enforcement, how are data on pesticide trade and uses collected? What is known about the magnitude of illegal trade of unregistered,
banned or obsolete pesticides? How are borders controlled? What is the political economy of nonenforcement? Lastly, what is the role of private standards (or soft law) in the management of pesticides’ detrimental effects?
3. Coping with contamination: pesticides and their effects in everyday life
Populations exposed to pesticides or other toxic chemicals – especially if they have low education – are often presented as unaware of the dangers they face and the risks they take. It is then assumed that safety education would contribute to reducing harm and protecting these populations. Yet, various bodies of work have shown that even untrained people are often aware of the dangers they face and develop preventive or coping strategies. Other bodies of work have also shown that top-down generalist prescriptions may not be efficient – especially if not adapted to local conditions (environmental, technical, economic, etc.). We expect contributions that address both sets of issues: 1) How do (potentially) affected populations apprehend pesticide exposures and their effects? How do they identify and characterize exposures and how do they deal with the uncertainty concerning the resulting hazards? Which preventive or curative actions do they adopt? How does the awareness to live and work in a contaminated area alter the affected populations’ relations with political institutions and with their natural environment? 2) How – and with whom – can effective preventive interventions and arrangements be developed and implemented? How to best involve exposed populations? How can one avoid the transfer of responsibility to the victims that is often implicit in calls for an improved “risk culture”?
4. The political economy of pesticide use (and its alternatives): the industrialization of agriculture in Africa
Postulating that the magnitude and modalities of pesticide use are strongly influenced by the structures of agricultural production and distribution, this focus proposes to explore the ways in which national and international agricultural policies and market structures affect the use of agrochemicals in various contexts. Globally and locally, how do producers of agricultural inputs (seeds, fertilizers, pesticides…) attempt to exert influence on regulators, farmers and other agricultural players? While its influence remains underresearched and often invisible, what role does agribusiness play in the conception and promotion of agricultural development projects/corridors? How do agri-food companies, as buyers of produce and structuring agents of value chains, shape modes of agricultural production – and thus pesticide use? In which ways is the production and uptake of a certain type of agronomical knowledge (at the expense of other
types) conditioned by these political and economic considerations? More generally, to what extent do dominant policy frames – such as “economic growth” or “food security” – limit the resonance of considerations concerning food quality and the safety of production processes? How does this affect the legitimacy of mobilisations against pesticide use? Which factors condition the emergence of such mobilisations – or their absence? Lastly, but importantly, this focus strongly welcomes presentations on experiences of alternative (organic or less pesticide-intensive) modes of production and distribution.
Drawing on individual examples, which political, social and economic factors condition the success or failure of these alternative approaches – and to what extent do they remain local forms of resistance (for instance, based on niche markets) or do they attempt to engage more structural transformations towards more sustainable agricultural systems?
Contributions are accepted in English or French. Proposals should not exceed 500 words, include a brief presentation of the author(s), contact information of the corresponding author, and be sent to [email protected] by 5 January 2019 at the latest.
Authors will be informed of the selection (or reject) of their abstracts by 20 January 2019.
Authors of selected proposals are expected to share a draft manuscript of their contribution by 30 April 2019, which will be pre-circulated to discussants only.
We may cover travel expenses in accordance to the limited budget of the conference. Priority will be given to African and early-career scholars.
The conference will be held from 29th to 31st May 2019 at the Tropical Pesticide Research Institute (TPRI) in Arusha, Tanzania.
Organizing committee:
Moritz Hunsmann, associate researcher in sociology, French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), Paris, France
Nathalie Jas, associate researcher in history and science and technology studies, French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), Paris, France
Eliana Lekei, registrar of pesticides, Tropical Pesticide Research Institute (TPRI), Arusha, Tanzania
Vera Ngowi, senior lecturer in occupational and environmental health, Muhimbili University of
Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Samuel Pinaud, associate professor in sociology, Paris Dauphine University, France
Scientific Committee: | https://www.isa-agrifood.com/forum/rc40-announcements/pesticide-politics-in-africa-call-for-papers-in-english-and-french |
San Jose, CA – In its eighth year, the LGBTQ Youth Space has seen a 17 percent year-over-year increase in visits to the drop-in center. Founded in 2009, the Youth Space offers free peer support groups, professional counseling, creative expression programming, leadership development opportunities and assistance understanding rights and accessing local services, by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning (LGBTQ) youth and young adults in Santa Clara County. In addition, the LGBTQ Wellness program is projecting a 10 percent increase in program usage by the end of June. Both programs are operated by Family & Children Services of Silicon Valley, a division of the nonprofit organization Caminar.
“This has been a very challenging year for LGBTQ communities, prompting more youth and adults to reach out for culturally relevant support,” says Cassie Blume, director of LGBTQ programs at Family & Children Services of Silicon Valley. “At our LGBTQ Youth Space and LGBTQ Wellness programs, we have worked to provide opportunities for people who are feeling vulnerable to regain their feelings of power. After the election, for example, we received many calls and visits from people fearing a rise in intolerance and policies that intend to erase and persecute our communities. We continue to respond and do our best to provide information, resources and advocacy alongside the communities we serve and represent.”
The LGBTQ Youth Space serves youth and young adults from 13 to 25 years old living throughout the county. From July 1, 2016, through May 31, 2017, the program’s drop-in center on South First Street in San Jose had 4,526 visits. The outreach team reached an additional 7,667 people through community-based education activities, such as speakers bureau presentations.
The LGBTQ Wellness program, the only program of its kind in the county, completed its second year of service this spring. By providing culturally relevant outreach and education, advocacy, and peer support, the program overcomes stigma associated with behavioral health conditions and increases community awareness of behavioral health topics and resources. Over the last 11 months, the LGBTQ Wellness program provided 175 peer support contacts and reached 762 individuals through outreach activities.
In addition to delivering ongoing direct services, the LGBTQ programs’ advocacy and leadership development accomplishments over the last 11 months included:
Co-planning and speaking at both the Rally for Trans Youth at San Jose City Hall, called in response to the federal government’s decision to rescind guidance on Title IX protections for transgender students, and San Jose’s Equality March.
Co-hosting the inaugural South Bay Youth Pride Festival with the youth organizing committee. The festival, held on May 13 in San Jose, convened more than 200 county youth. Planning will begin soon for the 2018 event.
Being featured by the San Jose Sharks as part of the inaugural “Hockey Is for Everyone” awareness night on March 2.
Representing LGBTQ communities on key community task forces, such as the CDC’s Epi-Aid Coordinating Committee (the investigation into youth suicides in the county), Intimate Partner Violence Blue Ribbon Task Force, and the Disproportionality Committee of the Child Abuse Council.
With grants from the Horizons Foundation and Farrington Historical Foundation, the LGBTQ Youth Space expanded programming this year for youth and young adults to explore diverse forms of creative self-expression, including zine-making, music and salsa and vogue dancing. In May, youth presented a performance night featuring a drag show, music and spoken word. Planning is underway for the fall show.
In January, Family & Children Services of Silicon Valley became a division of Caminar, a nonprofit organization headquartered in San Mateo that has been serving the San Francisco Bay Area since 1964. The combined organization has 122 years of experience and annually reaches more than 11,000 people in the Bay Area with counseling, prevention, and support services.
For more information and to access LGBTQ program services, please visit www.youthspace.org or www.fcservices.org or call 408.343.7940. | http://el-observador.com/2017/06/30/caminars-lgbtq-programs-in-santa-clara-county-report-increased-demand-and-usage-over-last-11-months/ |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation application of and claims benefit to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/957,822, filed on Apr. 19, 2018 and entitled “Probabilistic Determination of Compatible Content,” which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
While there are many online content services available to computer users, there are, among them, at least some that allow their users/subscribers to aggregate digital content items into personal collections of items. For example, Pinterest® (an example of an online content service) enables its users to generate personal content collections, i.e., collections of images.
In regard to the various collections of digital content items, there is a presumption that the items of a user's collection “go together,” i.e., that they are compatible and/or complimentary of each other, or at least have some basis of belonging to the collection to the user or users that create the content collection. This aggregation of items into a collection is a reflection of that user's “taste” with those items, and the aggregating user (or users) has curated (i.e., selected, organized and/or presented) the collection of items according to their taste.
Most online content services have many users, including those that encourage or allow content aggregation. By way of example, Pinterest® has millions of users/subscribers that, collectively, have created hundreds of millions of boards (collections/aggregations) from numerous images (digital content items). These collections represent a very large base of human-curated collections according to various individuals' tastes.
Text-based content items lend themselves to analysis. Key terms, phrases, and the like can be identified such that similar content items can be matched together. On the other hand, digital content items comprising images, videos, and/or audio files do not readily lend themselves to analysis. Indeed, the reason that digital content items are viewed as being compatible may be so subtle that even the user who aggregates the collection may not be able to articulate, with any real specificity, why the digital content items of the collection “go together.”
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of the disclosed subject matter will become more readily appreciated as they are better understood by reference to the following description when taken in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1
is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary taste graph configured according to aspects of the disclosed subject matter;
FIG. 2
is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary feature vector formed in accordance with aspects of the disclosed subject matter;
FIG. 3
is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary routine suitable for determining the dimensions of a feature vector according to a corpus of content collections, in accordance with aspects of the disclosed subject matter;
FIG. 4
is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary routine for identifying common, type-specific item elements of a group of digital content items, in accordance with aspects of the disclosed subject matter;
FIG. 5
is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary routine suitable for recommending likely content to a user for a content collection, according to aspects of the disclosed subject matter;
FIG. 6
is a pictorial diagram illustrating an exemplary content graph as may be used to generate a taste graph in accordance with aspects of the disclosed subject matter;
FIG. 7
is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary routine for processing a content graph into a taste graph in accordance with aspects of the disclosed subject matter;
FIG. 8
is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary computing device suitable for implementing aspects of the disclosed subject matter;
FIG. 9
is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary computing system (or computing device) suitably configured for implementing an online content provider that can recommend likely digital content items for inclusion in a user-generated content collection, in accordance with aspects of the disclosed subject matter; and
FIG. 10
is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary network environment suitable for implementing aspects of the disclosed subject matter.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
According to aspects of the disclosed subject matter, a taste graph comprising representative content collection nodes with corresponding representative digital content items is generated through one or more analyses of a corpus of content collections that is maintained by the online content service. As should be understood, this corpus of content collections is comprised of a plurality of curated content collections, with each content collection comprising a plurality of digital content items. With this taste graph available, as a user generates (or in response to a user generating) a content collection of digital content items, reference can be made to the taste graph to identify one or more representative digital content collections, and from the representative digital content collections, identify one or more representative digital content items that may be added to the content collection, where the one or more representative digital content items have a probabilistic likelihood of being complimentary and/or compatible with the other digital content items of the content collection generated by the user. Advantageously, as a user generates a content collection, the user is provided with one or more digital content items (that may be included in the content collection) that have a high likelihood of being compatible with and/or complimentary to the existing elements of the content collection. This “recommendation” of one or more additional content items is made according to one or more features corresponding to the digital content items of the content collection generated by the user. This “recommendation” may be made for digital content items that meet or exceed a probabilistic likelihood threshold of being compatible/complimentary.
In contrast to social networking services whose focus is about building and interacting with others, the online content services described herein are not focused on social networks. Rather, the focus is to enable users to create their own aggregations of content (e.g., collections of images), much as one might maintain his/her own collection of stamps. In this regard, while others might view a user's collection of content, the collection inherently belongs to that user for the benefit of the user. Indeed, even if others are able to repost/repin content from a user's collection, the collection of content remains individual to that user. What this means is that, unlike the aggregations that might result from multiple users, each content collection corresponds uniquely to its creator, and is a reflection of the unique tastes of that user, not that of a group. Advantageously, the content collections of a user can be analyzed and leveraged to identify specific tastes of the user that could not be obtained (as they would be co-mingled with tastes of friends, family, etc.) in a social network setting. Moreover, because the content collections uniquely reflect the individual, locating other users that may have similar “tastes” becomes more accurate and expansive, identifying those that share similar tastes irrespective of whether or not the user is connected, to any degree, by way of the user's social network.
For purposes of clarity and by way of definition, the term “exemplary,” as used in this document, should be interpreted as serving as an illustration or example of something, and it should not be interpreted as an ideal or leading illustration of that thing. Stylistically, when a word or term is followed by “(s)”, the meaning should be interpreted as indicating the singular or the plural form of the word or term, depending on whether there is one instance of the term/item or whether there is one or multiple instances of the term/item. For example, the term “user(s)” should be interpreted as one or more users. Moreover, the use of the combination “and/or” with regard to multiple items should be viewed as meaning either or both items.
By way of definition and description, online content service (or online content provider) is a network-accessible platform or service to enable a user to aggregated content according to his/her tastes into one or more content collections, where each collection comprises one or more items of content. By way of illustration, a content collection may comprise a plurality of images that are included within the collection by a user.
As indicated above and by way of definition, a “taste graph” comprises a set of “representative content collections,” with each representative content collection comprising a plurality of “representative digital content items.” The taste graph is generated through one or more analyses of a corpus of content collections that is typically maintained by the online content service. For human visualization purposes, this set of collections is described in the context of a graph, with representative content collections being a first set of nodes, and each representative content collection being connected to its plurality of representative digital content items.
FIG. 1
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Regarding a taste graph and by way of illustration, is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary taste graph as may be generated by the one or more analyses mentioned above. For visualization purposes, the representative content collections (RCCs) of the taste graph are illustrated as originating nodes in the taste graph, including rCC1-rCC5. These RCCs are “originating” nodes since each collection includes a plurality of representative digital content items (RDCIs), each also represented as a node in the taste graph, such as RCDIs DCI1-DCI10) and this “inclusion” is indicated by a directed ray (such as directed ray from rCC1 to DCI5) originating from an RCC node to an RDCI node. For example, rCC1 includes three representative digital content items DCI1, DCI2 and DCI5, and rCC4 includes the representative digital content items DCI6 and DCI9.
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While the content collections and digital content items in the taste graph are referred to as “representative,” it should be appreciated that in some instances the representative content collections may be system-constructed content collections and not actual user-generated content collections. Similarly, the representative digital content items may be the actual digital content items of a user-generated content collection or may be a substitute digital content item; perhaps a superior quality image or audio than was actually used. Moreover, while the representative digital content items are shown as being included in the taste graph , it should be appreciated that, in some embodiments, an actual taste graph may simply include references to the representative digital content items.
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Each representative content collection in a taste graph is associated with a feature vector, such as feature vector of rCC1, identifying key features of the representative content collection. Generally speaking, the digital content items are also associated with a feature vector, such as feature vector of DCI5, that identifies various features of the corresponding representative digital content item.
Regarding feature vectors and by way of definition, a feature vector is an n-dimensional collection (referred to as a vector) of feature elements. Each feature element of a feature describes some feature of a “thing:” either some feature of a content collection or some feature of a digital content item. Of course, some features may have no value for a given item. For example, a feature element corresponding to the sampling rate of an audio file will likely have an empty value when applied to a digital image. Each feature element is comprised of at least a feature/value tuple, where the “feature” identifies the type of feature element, and the “value” identifies the value for this particular element. In various embodiments, the feature/value tuple may also include a weighting that identifies a weighting or importance of this particular feature element to the “thing.” According to various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, a feature vector may be implemented as an n-dimensional array of feature elements, or as a sparse array of feature elements where only those feature elements that include substantive information (i.e., not empty values) are included.
In some embodiments the number of distinct features that may be used by the system may range into the thousands of distinct features, though which features and the number of features may be determined according to implementation details. Alternatively, and according to aspects of the disclosed subject matter, the number of specific elements (distinct features) that make up the dimensions of a feature vector is determined, at least in part, according to one or more analyses of the corpus of content collections.
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By way of illustration, is a pictorial diagram illustrating an exemplary feature vector , formed in accordance with aspects of the disclosed subject matter. This feature vector includes “n” feature elements, and each feature element, such as feature element , is comprised of at least three fields: a feature element type 208, a weighting or importance of the feature to it's corresponding “thing”, and a value for that type.
FIG. 3
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According to aspects of the disclosed subject matter, one or more analyses are conducted on a corpus of content collections in order to identify feature elements that, collectively, make up the dimensions of a feature vector as may be used in a taste graph and in recommending likely content to a person for inclusion in a content collection. Indeed, is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary routine suitable for determining the dimensions of a feature vector according to a corpus of content collections, in accordance with aspects of the disclosed subject matter. Beginning at block , textual content associated with the various content collections, including their digital content items, is extracted. This textual content may include, by way of illustration and not limitation, titles of content collections, titles of digital content items, file names of digital content items, user comments with regard to content collections and/or digital content items, and the like. Indeed, all text-based meta-data associated with the digital content items is extracted from the various items of the content collections.
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At block , the extracted textual content is aggregated (or clustered) into a set of textual groups or clusters. These clusters are made according to any one or more of similarity aggregations and/or clustering techniques that may include k-means clustering, predetermined lexicographies, latent semantic indexing (LSI), distance-based clustering, feature selection methods, density-based partitioning, and the like. The result of the clustering is a set of textual clusters representing similar textual elements.
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At block , an iteration loop is begun to iterate through each of the various textual clusters derived from the corpus of content collections, including the steps of -. At block , key or representative terms and phrases are identified and extracted from the currently iterated textual cluster. Identification of the key terms and phrases may be made according to predetermined one or more lexicographies, feature extraction, document frequency/inverse document frequency analyses, and the like.
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At block , an iteration loop is begun to iterate through each of the representative/key terms and phrases for the currently iterated textual group, comprising the steps of -. At block , the currently iterated key term or key phrase is added as a feature element (or dimension) to a feature vector that will serve as the template feature vector for the taste graph discussed above. At block , if there are additional key terms or key phrases for the currently iterated textual group, the routine returns to block where the next term/phrase is selected. Alternative, when there are no more terms/phrases to iterate for the currently iterated textual group, the routine proceeds to block .
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At block , if there are any additional textual groups to process, the routine proceeds to block to repeat the key term/phrase extraction process indicated above for another group. Alternatively, if all of the textual groups have been processed, the routine proceeds to block .
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At block , the content collections are aggregated according to content similarity of the various collections. This may be made according to similarities of the digital content items of the collections, common digital content items between content collections, textual content related to the content collections, and the like. Aggregating the content collections of the corpus reduces the number of content collections to a reasonable number, i.e., from 100 million content collections to 100 thousand resulting content collection groups.
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At block , an iteration loop is begun to iterate through each of the various content collection groups, comprising the steps of -. At block , a set of representative content collections of the currently iterated group of content collections is made. The number of representative content collections may be configured according to the size of the aggregated group of content collections, or some other determination. The representative content collections may be selected according to those most representative of the group of content collections, based on size of digital content elements to the collection, commonality of textual terms, commonality of digital content items in the collections, and the like. These representative content collections comprise the content collections of the taste graph.
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At block , another iteration loop is begun to now iterate through each of the representative content collections, this iteration to identify similar features among the various digital content items of the collections, and comprising steps, -. At block , a determination of the various feature elements of the currently iterated representative content collection and its digital content items is made.
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
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Turning to , is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary routine for identifying common, type-specific item elements of a group of digital content items, in accordance with aspects of the disclosed subject matter. Beginning at block , an iteration loop is begun on the current representative content collection, to iterate through its digital content items. At block , type-specific (i.e., elements for digital images, or elements for audio content, etc.) are determined for the digital content item. This determination may be made according to an analysis of the digital content item in view of a library of type-specific item elements. After the item elements of the currently iterated digital content item are determined, the routine proceeds to block . At block , if there are additional digital content items to process, the routine returns to block . In the alternative, the routine proceeds to block .
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At block , common item elements among the digital content items of the currently iterated content collection are identified, as well as frequency and importance of each. At bock , the common item elements are added to the feature vector as feature elements. Thereafter, routine terminates.
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Returning again to routine , after having determined feature elements for the currently iterated representative content collection, at block , if there are additional representative content collections to process, the routine returns to block to process the remaining collections for the cluster. Alternatively, if there are no additional representative content collections of the current cluster, the routine proceeds to block where a determination is made as to whether there are additional groups/clusters of content collections to process. If so, the routine proceeds to block to process the remaining groups/clusters of content collections. Alternatively, if there are no additional groups to process, the routine proceeds to block .
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At block , all of the representative content collections are added to a taste graph corresponding to the corpus of content collections, with feature vectors (as determined by the processing) associated with the various elements of the taste graph. Thereafter, the routine terminates.
FIG. 5
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With a feature vector and a taste graph defined according to various analyses of a corpus of content collections, this information can be advantageously leveraged to identify content to a user for inclusion in a user-generated content collection. is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary routine suitable for recommending likely content to a user for a content collection, according to aspects of the disclosed subject matter.
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Beginning at block , a feature vector is determined for a user-generated content collection, the feature vector having been determined according to one or more analyses of a corpus of content collections. At block , a taste graph including representative content collections, such as taste graph , is accessed. At block , one or more representative content collections of the taste graph are identified, where the identification of the representative content collections is made according to similarities between the feature vector of the user-generated content collection and the feature vectors of the representative content collections.
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At block , a representative content collection of the identified representative content collections is selected. This selection may be made according to that representative content collection that is most similar to the user-generated content collection according to the feature vectors, as well as in consideration of user preferences with regard to particular items of content.
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Based on the selected representative content collection (and, more particularly, according to the feature vector of the content collection), at block an identification of a likely digital content item from a corpus of digital content items is made. This selection is made according to similarities of the feature vector of the selected content collection, where the feature vector may serve as an indexing key into the corpus of digital content items. At block , the likely digital content item is presented to the user for inclusion in the user-generated digital content collection. Thereafter, the routine terminates.
In addition to selecting likely digital content items for the user according to the feature vector, consideration may also be made according to a pecuniary interest that the online content service may derive by recommending content. Indeed, while selection may be made as a function of similarities between feature vectors, this calculus may also consider pecuniary benefit such that the greater the benefit to the online content service, the less similar a likely digital content item needs to be. This allows for third party vendors and/or advertisers to include content that goes with elements of a user-generated content collection, based on similarity of a sponsored item to elements of the user-generated content collection. Further still, weighting, as discussed earlier, may be considered in determining similarity between digital content items.
As can be appreciated, according to various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, one or more likely digital content items are identified and recommended to the user according to similarity of content items, i.e., what items are determined to “go together.” This is not simply based on the frequency that users include a digital content item in a certain context, but on the elements of the digital content item. Thus, a newly identified digital content item may be recommended to a user for inclusion in a user-generated content collection due to its similarity (as determined by feature vectors), even though it has not been recommended beforehand.
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FIG. 6
Regarding the taste graph and particularly in regard to generating such a taste graph, one advantage of online content services is that the subscribers/users of the services provide a human-curated set of content from which a taste graph may be derived. The social networking service/online content service Pinterest® allows users to post content in content collections that are meaningful to the individual users, and to further group and annotate such content. This user provided/curated content is stored and maintained in a content graph. By way of illustration, is a pictorial diagram illustrating an exemplary content graph as may be used to generate a taste graph in accordance with aspects of the disclosed subject matter. Of course, where an online content service such as Pinterest® may store/maintain a content graph that contains over 10 million boards of content items (referred to as pins), representing such an immense content graph in a figure is prohibitive. However, while the exemplary content graph includes content from only two users (as represented by nodes and ), the simple graph is sufficient to illustrate various aspects of the disclosed subject matter.
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As mentioned, the exemplary content graph includes the content of two users, represented in the graph by nodes and . For purposes of description, the users will be referred to as User1 (corresponding to node ) and User2 (corresponding to node ). In this exemplary content graph, each user has created as set of content collections, referred to as boards, into which content items may be aggregated. In regard to content graph , both User1 and User2 have created 3 boards, including boards and (for User1), and and (for User2).
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Each board, such as board , includes one or more items of content, such as content items , and of board , and content items , and of board . These content items may include a variety of different formats of content. In regard to Pinterest's content, the content items are typically images/pictures or videos. In addition to content items, each board may also include a sub-board that identifies a subset of the board's content as a particular sub-species of the board's content. For example, board includes a sub-board that contains content items and .
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Regarding the sub-boards and by way of illustration, it is often common for a person to post content items and identify a particular subset of those items with a more specific, particular label. For example, if User1 were to post images of a trip to Japan on board , User1 could create a sub-board (e.g., ) in which images of Kyoto, Japan were identified.
Image items that are posted to a user's board are often associated with textual annotations. Boards may be labeled/annotated with textual information, images may be similarly annotated/labeled with textual content. Content items are associated with file names (or URL information) that can be mined for textual content relating to the items. Additionally, the users will often provide comments regarding the various content items of a board. Similarly, sub-boards are often annotated such that the purpose of the subset is readily apparent. As will be explained below, all of this content (textual annotations and/or metadata and content items) may be used to determine a taste graph.
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Turning to , is a flow diagram illustrating the processing of a content graph, such as content graph , in creating a taste graph. Beginning at block , a content graph, such as content graph , is accessed and processed for the annotations associated with the various boards, sub-boards and content items. This processing, which takes the annotations, tokenizes them to identify the various, distinct words and phrases in the annotations, is used to create a large set of words, referred to as the vocabulary , that are associated with the content graph. Of course, this vocabulary will typically include misspellings, abbreviations, synonyms, non-descriptive terms (e.g., articles, conjunctions, and the like) which, without reduction, results in a very large number of vocabulary terms.
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In order to process the various annotation terms, one or more “coteries” are utilized. A coterie is a computer-implemented set of rules or heuristics that accept input data (e.g., tokens) and generate output data. In the context of processing the content graph in regard to annotations, a coterie may be generated to search for abbreviations and expand the abbreviations to its corresponding word/token. Another coterie may be generated (or provided) to map synonyms to a corresponding token. A coterie may be provided to eliminate non-descriptive words/tokens from the body of tokens (words/tokens such as “the,” “and,” and the like. A coterie may be directed to translating tokens to a common language, e.g., English. Another coterie may be directed to generating tokens from multiple words/terms. For example, while the terms “chicken” and “Marsala” might be viewed as separate tokens in a given context, in various contexts the term “Chicken Marsala” may be viewed as a single token. This coterie may examine the context of multiple, distinct words to determine whether they should be viewed as a single, multi-word token. Yet another coterie may be provided to review the remaining tokens and identify a set of the top-most occurring tokens, with this identified set becoming the vocabulary of the content graph. In one embodiment, the vocabulary is selected from the , most common tokens of the content graph. This coterie may map various less-occurring tokens (much like a synonym) into a frequently occurring token or eliminate the less-occurring tokens (much like a non-descriptive coterie would eliminate some tokens.)
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At block , an ontology processing of the vocabulary and the content graph is conducted. According to aspects of the disclosed subject matter, the ontology corresponds to a hierarchical relationship of items, based on the vocabulary . In this, an evaluation of the relationship within the content graph , e.g., whether items are included in a sub-board, hierarchical relationships may be determined. A coterie may be provided to analyze the structure of the content graph in regard to various terms to identify hierarchical relationships. Similarly, a coterie may be utilized to analyze the relationship of board tokens (words/phrases that a user employs to annotate at a board level) in view of content tokens (words/phrases that a user employs to annotate the content items in a board) to identify hierarchical relationships.
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At block , using the currently defined vocabulary and content ontology , another coterie may be deployed to perform content labeling in the content graph . As will be discussed below, with content labels associated with content items and content collections/boards, when a user updates a content collection with new content, the process of labeling the new content with vocabulary terms (or updating the vocabulary terms), as well as confirming or updating ontology relationships both the annotation processing and ontology processing steps may be readily and efficiently accomplished. Additionally, frequency of content usage is more readily identified due to the common vocabulary, labels and ontology.
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Based on the now-labeled content graph, vocabulary and content ontology , at block a coterie is deployed to analyze the various content items of the content graph, in view of the content ontology , to identify a taste graph as discussed above. At block , the labeled content graph is processed, by a coterie, to associate the labels of a user's posted content and content boards into user profiles as user preferences.
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Of course, a content graph hosted/maintained by an online content service is not a static structure. Indeed, in most instances, an online content service's content graph is updated constantly. These additional updates may be used to augment and/or refine the vocabulary , content ontology , taste graph , and/or user profiles . Thus, at block , at a periodic interval or when sufficient additional content is obtained, the process is repeated. As an efficiency measure, only that additional content that has not been previously processed could be processed and folded into the existing information bases: e.g., vocabulary, content ontology, taste graph, and user profiles.
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Regarding routines , , and described above, as well as other routines and/or processes described or suggested herein, while these routines/processes are expressed in regard to discrete steps, these steps should be viewed as being logical in nature and may or may not correspond to any specific actual and/or discrete execution steps of a given implementation. Also, the order in which these steps are presented in the various routines and processes, unless otherwise indicated, should not be construed as the only or best order in which the steps may be carried out. Moreover, in some instances, some of these steps may be combined and/or omitted. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the logical presentation of steps is sufficiently instructive to carry out aspects of the claimed subject matter irrespective of any particular development or coding language in which the logical instructions/steps are encoded.
FIG. 9
Of course, while these routines and/or processes include various novel features of the disclosed subject matter, other steps (not listed) may also be included and carried out in the execution of the subject matter set forth in these routines, some of which have been suggested above. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the logical steps of these routines may be combined together or be comprised of multiple steps. Steps of the above-described routines may be carried out in parallel or in series. Often, but not exclusively, the functionality of the various routines is embodied in software (e.g., applications, system services, libraries, and the like) that is executed on one or more processors of computing devices, such as the computing device described in regard to below. Additionally, in various embodiments all or some of the various routines may also be embodied in executable hardware modules including, but not limited to, systems on chips (SoC's), codecs, specially designed processors and or logic circuits, and the like.
As suggested above, these routines and/or processes are typically embodied within executable code blocks and/or modules comprising routines, functions, looping structures, selectors and switches such as if-then and if-then-else statements, assignments, arithmetic computations, and the like that, in execution, configure a computing device to operate in accordance with the routines/processes. However, the exact implementation in executable statement of each of the routines is based on various implementation configurations and decisions, including programming languages, compilers, target processors, operating environments, and the linking or binding operation. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the logical steps identified in these routines may be implemented in any number of ways and, thus, the logical descriptions set forth above are sufficiently enabling to achieve similar results.
While many novel aspects of the disclosed subject matter are expressed in routines embodied within applications (also referred to as computer programs), apps (small, generally single or narrow purposed applications), and/or methods, these aspects may also be embodied as computer executable instructions stored by computer readable media, also referred to as computer readable storage media, which are articles of manufacture. As those skilled in the art will recognize, computer readable media can host, store and/or reproduce computer executable instructions and data for later retrieval and/or execution. When the computer executable instructions that are hosted or stored on the computer readable storage devices are executed by a processor of a computing device, the execution thereof causes, configures and/or adapts the executing computing device to carry out various steps, methods and/or functionality, including those steps, methods, and routines described above in regard to the various illustrated routines and/or processes. Examples of computer readable media include, but are not limited to: optical storage media such as Blu-ray discs, digital video discs (DVDs), compact discs (CDs), optical disc cartridges, and the like; magnetic storage media including hard disk drives, floppy disks, magnetic tape, and the like; memory storage devices such as random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), memory cards, thumb drives, and the like; cloud storage (i.e., an online storage service); and the like. While computer readable media may reproduce and/or cause to deliver the computer executable instructions and data to a computing device for execution by one or more processors via various transmission means and mediums, including carrier waves and/or propagated signals, for purposes of this disclosure computer readable media expressly excludes carrier waves and/or propagated signals.
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Regarding computer readable media, is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary computer readable medium encoded with instructions for selecting a set of users for receiving notice of a re-post action of an item of content, as described in regard to routines , and of , respectively. More particularly, the implementation comprises a computer-readable medium (e.g., a CD-R, DVD-R or a platter of a hard disk drive), on which is encoded computer-readable data . This computer-readable data in turn comprises a set of computer instructions configured to operate according to one or more of the principles set forth herein. In one such embodiment , the processor-executable instructions may be configured to perform a method, such as at least some of exemplary routines , , and , for example. In another such embodiment, the processor-executable instructions may be configured to implement a system on a computing device, such as at least some of the exemplary, executable components of computing device of , as described below. Many such computer readable media may be devised, by those of ordinary skill in the art, which are configured to operate in accordance with the techniques presented herein.
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Turning now to , is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary computing system (or computing device) suitably configured for implementing an online content service that can recommend likely digital content items for inclusion in a user-generated content collection, in accordance with aspects of the disclosed subject matter. The computing system typically includes one or more processors (or processing units), such as processor , and further includes at least one memory . The processor and memory , as well as other components of the computing system, are interconnected by way of a system bus .
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As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the memory typically (but not always) comprises both volatile memory and non-volatile memory . Volatile memory retains or stores information so long as the memory is supplied with power. In contrast, non-volatile memory is capable of storing (or persisting) information even when a power supply is not available. Generally speaking, RAM and CPU cache memory are examples of volatile memory whereas ROM, solid-state memory devices, memory storage devices, and/or memory cards are examples of non-volatile memory .
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As will be further appreciated by those skilled in the art, the processor executes instructions retrieved from the memory , from computer readable media, such as computer readable media of , and/or other executable components in carrying out the various functions of recommending likely digital content items for a content collection. The processor may be comprised of any of a number of available processors such as single-processor, multi-processor, single-core units, and multi-core units, which are well known in the art.
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Further still, the illustrated computing system typically also includes a network communication interface for interconnecting this computing system with other devices, computers and/or services over a computer network, such as network of . The network communication interface , sometimes referred to as a network interface card or NIC, communicates over a network using one or more communication protocols via a physical/tangible (e.g., wired, optical fiber, etc.) connection, a wireless connection such as WiFi or Bluetooth communication protocols, NFC, or a combination thereof. As will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, a network communication interface, such as network communication component , is typically comprised of hardware and/or firmware components (and may also include or comprise executable software components) that transmit and receive digital and/or analog signals over a transmission medium (i.e., the network).
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The exemplary computing system further includes an executable content recommender . As described above in regard to routine of , the content recommender provides a recommended digital content item from a digital content items store to a user in regard to a user-generated content collection according to similarities of the recommended content to the content collection. As discussed above, the recommendation is based on information in a taste graph that is generated according to one or more analyses of a corpus of content collections to identify that items that likely “go together.”
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Also included is an executable taste graph generator that, in execution, generates, the taste graph from the corpus of content collections according to one or more analyses, such as illustratively described above in regard to routine of .
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is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary network environment suitable for implementing aspects of the disclosed subject matter. In particular the network environment includes one or more computer users, such as computer users connected to computing devices, such as computing devices -, to a network . As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the user computers may comprise any of a variety of computing devices such as, by way of illustration and not limitation, tablet computers (such as tablet computer ), laptop computers, desktop computers (such as desktop computer ), smart phones (such as smart phone ), and the like.
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The user computers - communicate with other computers and/or devices over one or more networks, such as network . As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the network is a telecommunication network over which computing devices and network enabled processes and/or services may communicate and/or exchange data. By way of illustration, a computer network such as network may comprise any of a local area network or LAN, a wide area network or WAN, or combinations of the two. According to various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, the network may comprise the Internet. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use a defined protocol suite to link devices (including computers) worldwide. Additionally, the Internet is a network of networks that consists of private, public, academic, business, and government networks of varying scope and size, linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless, and optical networking technologies. According to aspects of the disclosed subject matter, the personal computing devices, including user computing devices -, can communicate with the network by way of a wired connection, a wireless connection, an optical connection, or any combination of these.
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Also included in the exemplary network environment is an online content service implemented on a network computing system . As described above, the online content service may operate as a social networking service in which one or more users are able to generate content collections. Moreover, the online content service is able to recommend likely digital content items for a content collection of the user according to a taste graph that is generated or curated from a corpus of content collections. Advantageous, the likely digital content items recommended to the user are determined according to feature vectors of digital content items and content collections.
While various novel aspects of the disclosed subject matter have been described, it should be appreciated that these aspects are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting. Variations and alterations to the various aspects may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosed subject matter. | |
Seven Tips to Become a Politically Savvy Manager
Most people view workplace politics as something to be avoided since it can be manipulative and even unethical in practice. However, workplace politics is not inherently bad; its bad reputation comes from how people use it. In fact, if you want to succeed as a manager and leader and be positively productive, you must understand how things get done and who has the power to make things happen. Politically savvy leaders know what power they have, when to use it, and who to rely on for support. They understand how to navigate the organization, accomplish goals, and deliver results. Here are some tips to help you in the political arena.
- Get to know the people you manage. What motivates them? How do they prefer to work—alone or on teams? Cultivate their strengths and strengthen their weaknesses.
- Form mutually supportive relationships with your peers. Look for ways you can support others and offer guidance, advice, and assistance.
- Pay attention to the decision makers in your company and learn how they exercise their influence within and outside the organization.
- Plan your career two or three steps ahead and find out what you need to do and who you need to meet to reach your professional goals.
- When you make a mistake or misstep, apologize, fix it, and analyze the situation to determine what went wrong, so you can avoid the same pitfall in the future.
- Be considerate of how you communicate. Think about the effects of your words before you speak. How will people respond? Is there a better way to express yourself?
- Be positive and upbeat. Generally, those who exercise negative politics—the gossipers, the back-biters, the manipulators—have a negative reputation around the office. Position yourself on the opposite side by always being courteous and pleasant and refuse to be sucked into their petty games.
Start thinking about office politics as a positively productive means to achieve organizational and professional goals. Understand how it works in your organization and use the information to improve. Check out my newest program Getting Results through Influence and Persuasion for more help.
Comments are closed. | https://organize4results.com/2017/09/seven-tips-to-become-a-politically-savvy-manager/ |
John believes that Cambridge has a unique duty to be a leading model for progressive urbanism. This means setting standards for good public process, great urban planning, fostering diversity, and advancing progressive values. It means embracing what’s great and special about our city and being serious about our commitment to the future.
1. FIX OUR STREETS AND TRANSPORTATION NETWORK
OUR MOBILITY NETWORK MUST ENCOURAGE HEALTHY, ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION. I WILL AGGRESSIVELY PUSH CAMBRIDGE FORWARD ON DESIGNING An innovative, sustainable urban MOBILITY NETWORK. OUR TRANSIT use, WALKABILITY, AND BIKEABILITY SHOULD BE THE ENVY OF THE WORLD.
+ Implement the Cambridge Bicycle Network Plan.
+ Expand the “complete streets” model. Create more vibrant, interesting, and safe streets like Vassar Street and Western Avenue.
+ Create more people-first streets and plazas, like Winthrop Street in Harvard Square, and Longfellow Road. Encourage creative and progressive design by engaging our local talent.
+ Focus on our local transit infrastructure. Improve Cambridge’s T station amenities, enhance local bus stops, and pilot dedicated rapid bus lanes.
+ Prioritize parking maximums over parking minimums for new development.
+ Build intersections and street crossings to the highest multi-modal standards. For instance, transit priority signalization, raised intersections, and bicycle intersection phasing.
+ Safe routes to schools everywhere in the city.
+ Commit Cambridge to Vision Zero.
+ Complete the Grand Junction Path and the Cambridge-Watertown Greenway. Find more opportunities for multi-use paths and linear parks.
+ Re-envision our major streets as multi-modal transportation corridors, cultural destinations, and thriving, people-first business districts.
2. MAKE PLANNING BETTER
AS PLACES LIKE ALEWIFE AND KENDALL SQUARE EXPERIENCE RAPID DEVELOPMENT, it is important that planning is cohesive and positive community impact is maximized. I WILL WORK TO ADVANCE A ROBUST PLANNING AGENDA.
+ As the citywide planning process continues, bring in talent and voices from across the community in a meaningful way.
+ Overhaul Central Square, with recommendations from C2 and ongoing community conversations.
+ Implement Connect Kendall Square and transform the neighborhood into a hub of sustainable transportation.
+ Do substantially better with Fresh Pond-area planning. Great urban design and an excellent mobility network must come along with new development.
+ Broaden our city-wide conversation about density.
+ Streets are public places. They should be designed as such.
+ We must collaborate with our city neighbors like Boston and Somerville when it comes to transportation, development, and social services planning.
+ Create more effective public spaces by selectively abandoning parcel-by-parcel open space requirements, and instead pooling into grander-scale open spaces.
+ Take a hard look at refining inclusionary zoning and improving affordable housing standards.
+ Data, data, data. Design, design, design.
3. IMPROVE LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS
CAMBRIDGE HAS MANY UNIQUE RESOURCES. LET’S BE SURE WE’RE MAXIMIZING COLLABORATION WITH OUR EDUCATIONAL, CULTURAL, SOCIAL, AND BUSINESS INSTITUTIONS. I WILL WORK TIRELESSLY TO CHART NEW AND CREATIVE PARTNERSHIPS.
+ Reconnect Cambridge with the Charles River and build community around it.
+ Continue to foster historic preservation and neighborhood conservation, and further develop programs where preservation and restoration overlap with affordable housing and streetscape improvement.
+ Celebrate investment and work constructively with developers to maximize community benefits. Clearly define these benefits as part of an expanded planning process.
+ Partner with MIT and Harvard on planning, development, and transportation issues, with a special focus on gateways and intra-campus mobility. Engage the creative and brilliant talent pool within our borders to design a better city.
+ Work with the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority more often to get things done.
+ Create highly active and model programs with local youth and university students to enhance and care for our public spaces. Restore values of stewardship, and encourage creative design and programming.
+ Bring non-traditional and non-politically active members of the community into important conversations — for instance, those who can’t attend meetings, non-native English speakers, Harvard, MIT, and Lesley students, and more youth!
Like us on Facebook to follow our campaign and to see John’s comments on current issues: www.facebook.com/votesanzone
Contact: [email protected]
Donate to JOHN SANZONE FOR CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL | $25 | $100 | $250 | $1000
State law requires that you include your address, your employer, and your profession, when you donate. Each individual may donate up to $1,000.
You may also send a check (email for more information). | https://johnsanzone.com/platform/ |
How to Contact Senator Collins - Maine
If you live in the state of Maine, contacting Senator Susan Collins it's a great way to get involved in the political processes of your community. The senator and her office can help you reach out to any federal agency, claim benefits, or resolve issues within your community.
This article will provide you with everything you need to know about getting in touch with the Senator of Maine, and how DoNotPay can help you make the process fast and effective.
Who Is Senator Susan Collins?
Senator Susan Margaret Collins was born in Caribou, Maine in 1952. She completed her university degree at St Lawrence University and was first elected as senator in 1997.
The senator is now a member of the Republican party, and her current senatorial term will end in January of 2027.
Senator Collins Contact Information
|Address||68 Sewall Street, Room 507
|
Augusta, ME 04330
|Official Website||https://www.collins.senate.gov/|
|You can click here to fill out the necessary form for contacting the senator.|
|Senator phone number||(207) 622-8414|
|Fax||(202) 224-2693|
|Social Media Accounts||Twitter: @SenatorCollins
|
Facebook: Senator Susan Collins
Instagram: @sensusancollins
Senator Collins also has other offices located throughout the state of Maine. Here is a list of all the cities and towns where you can access the Senator’s services, we recommend that you pick whichever location is most convenient for you:
- Bangor
- Biddeford
- Caribou
- Lewiston
- Portland
- Washington DC
To discover further details on any of these locations you can click the following link.
What Services Does Senator Susan Collins Offer?
Like any other government representative, Senator Collins has a wide range of constitutional responsibilities and duties assigned to her. Anyone residing in the state of Maine has access to her services, here is a list explaining what she can help you with:
Getting help with a federal agency
The senator’s office can help you submit an inquiry to the federal agency of your choice. If you're having problems with a federal agency or feel that your concerns have not been solved, the senator's office can help you mediate the issue.
Claiming benefits
If you're entitled to government benefits, for example in cases of unemployment, illness or disability, the senator can assist you to file your claims and obtain them.
Having the Senator attend an event
Senator Collins schedules events across Maine all throughout the year. This is a way for the senator to connect with communities across her state and hear their concerns. If you wish for the senator to attend an event of special significance, you can contact her through the following email address: [email protected]
Requesting a meeting with the senator
The opportunity to speak with the representative of your state can be a great way to voice your opinions and concerns. If you want to voice any important issues regarding your city or town in particular, this would also be a good time to explain them to Senator Collins and discuss possible solutions.
Why It’s Hard Getting In Touch with A Senator
The problem with phone calls
Although calling the senators’ office might appear like the fastest solution to answering your questions, it's important to know that the phone lines are often busy and representatives might have a limited time to talk.
This means that getting your point across can be stressful and time-consuming. It’s also hard to be sure if your message will be given to the senator with accuracy.
Writing the perfect email might be a challenge
If you want your email to be taken seriously, you have to be sure that it is formal, concise and direct. The email should address your main concern and the course of action that you would like the Senator to help you with. Meeting all of these requirements can be intimidating, but the good news is that DoNotPay can help you.
How Can DoNotPay Help You Contact Senator Collins Faster?
DoNotPay can help you send a letter to any government representative quickly and effectively - whether it’s a state representative, your Mayor, Senator, or even the president. Just by answering a few questions and providing the details of your case, DoNotPay can help write the perfect formal email on your behalf.
Here’s how it works:
1. Search the words “contact” on the DoNotPay search bar and select the Contact Your Government Representative product.
2. Select which representative you wish to contact: your Senator, Governor, President, Mayor, or House Representative.
3. Briefly explain the issues you want to get across to them, or whatever bill you’re concerned about. Give us details about your position and what action you wish for them to take.
4. You’re done! All you have to do is sit and relax while our bots create the perfect email. They’ll fill out all the necessary forms on your legislator’s website on your behalf.
DoNotPay Can Help You With…
- Parking tickets
- Chargebacks and refunds
- Compensation for victims of crime
- Defamation demand letters
- Gift card cash backs
- And more! | https://donotpay.com/learn/contact-senator-collins/ |
Taman Sari Cave Sunyaragi tourist attractions it is located on Jl. Brigjen Darsono, Kelurahan Sunyaragi, Cirebon which was built in 1703. The meaning of Sunyaragi itself, namely Sunya means lonely, Ragi means body, and a place to grow. Therefore, it is known as Sunyaragi.
The cultural heritage area with an area of 1.5 hectares, there are about 18 ancient buildings with the architecture between classical Indonesia and China. So that it becomes the main attraction in each ornament. Most visitors are photographers, because this place is perfect for photo shoots.
2. The Kesepuhan Palace
Cirebon as a tourist attraction with historical value. For that you will enjoy the magnificent Keraton Kesepuhan Tour Cirebon, which was founded in 1529 by Pangeran Mas Mochammad Arifin II (great-grandson of Sunan Gunung Jati).
Inside the palace, there is a museum containing various heirlooms and paintings in the royal collection. You will enjoy the atmosphere of Cirebon in the past when you set foot in this Kasepuhan Palace. The buildings that were created were acculturated with thick cultures, including Javanese and Sundanese culture and with several cultures in the world, namely, Arabic, European and Indian.
3. Banyu Panas Palimanan
Tourist Attractions in Cirebon Hot springs located in Palimanan Barat Village, Gempol District, Cirebon are very crowded. It is famous for its water sources which are rich in sulfur which is high enough for the health of the body.
You will always be shown the green color of the trees and gray limestone of Mount Kromong which is quite dominant in the hot spring area. Facilities that provide various types of swimming pools, with the availability of washing rooms, changing rooms and toilets. You only need to reach the pocket of Rp. 4,500, – per person for admission. Meanwhile, for a hot bath, a tariff of Rp. 6000, – per person.
4. The Beach of Kejaraan
This attractive and simple tourist attraction in Cirebon is very busy with visitors in the afternoon. This location is suitable, for those of you who want to release your boredom while working while feeling the breeze of the beach. You only need to pay Rp. 20,000, – per person.
5. Mussels Lake
When you see Remis Lake, of course you will be amazed by the beauty of this tourist spot. The coolness of the clear, greenish water and the bottom is very clear. In this lake, you can also find many delicious mussels (freshwater clams) and contain high protein. While the lake side is directly adjacent to the forest, and is often used for pre-wedding photo locations by photographers.
6. Apita Waterboom
Apita Waterboom Tourism Object is perfect for recreation with family. You can children to enjoy the facilities available at this tourist spot. The location is on Jalan Kedawung (next to the Apita hotel), Cirebon. This object is one of the most visited when the holidays arrive.
Those are the things that can be said about Cirebon Tourism in this article, hopefully it can add to your information on vacation. Make sure you visit popular tourist spots in the Cirebon area.
Also read: | http://jerk-bitch.com/6-of-the-most-popular-tourist-attractions-in-cirebon-with-beautiful-views/ |
Suwon is the capital and largest city in Gyeonggi-do. It is also a popular tourist destination because of short distance (about 30 km) from Seoul. You can do day tour easily. The famous attraction in Suwon is Hwaseong Fortress, also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are some notable places near Suwon, such as Korean Folk Village, Everland Theme Park and Daejanggeum Park in Yongin.
Gyeonggi-do is home to a large variety of tourist destinations, including cultural heritage sites (Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, Korea Folk Village), theme parks (Everland in Yongin), the Demilitarized Zone... The tour includes mainly attractions in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do.
Seoul, Jeju Island, Gyeongju and Busan, are top four destinations in South Korea. The tour includes mainly attractions in these four cities, popular show “Nanta Show” and culture experience for kimchi making and hanbok wearing.
Itinerary: Pick up from hotel in Seoul, transfer to visit Korean Folk Village (Traditional Houses, Farmers Music & Dance, and Acrobatics on a Tightrope). In the afternoon, have one hour relaxing hiking in Suwon Hwaseong Fortress and then visit Hwaseong Haenggung Palace, which is a temporary palace where the king and royal family retreated to during a war.
Itinerary: Pick up from hotel in Seoul, transfer to Yongin and have full day to enjoy Everland Theme Park, South Korea’s largest theme park. | https://www.dipertour.com/suwon-tour.html |
1. What is PMTA, and how does it work?
The Premarket Tobacco Product Application (“PMTA”) is a marketing authorization process run by the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) that new categories of tobacco products must go through before they can be sold in the United States.
PMTA traces its roots to the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which gave the FDA regulatory authority over cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, and authorized the FDA to issue regulations, if the Agency thought it appropriate to do so, to bring any future tobacco products under the Agency’s authority and the provisions of the Act.
A core component of the Act is that it requires FDA authorization to market a new tobacco product. A “new” tobacco product is any product not marketed in the U.S. as of February 15, 2007. PMTA is one of the means of obtaining market authorization, and it is the process most every “new category” product must go through.
In its review of a PMTA submission, the FDA takes into account, among other things:
- The increased or decreased likelihood that existing users of tobacco products will stop using such products if the product being submitted for PMTA is on the market;
- The increased or decreased likelihood that those who do not use tobacco products will start using such products if the product being submitted for PMTA is on the market; and
- The methods, facilities, and controls used to manufacture, process, and pack the product.
2. What are the steps in the PMTA process?
We see there being five steps to the PMTA process, but other manufacturers and the FDA itself may see this slightly differently:
- Determining What to Submit
- Compiling an Application
- FDA Administrative Review
- FDA Substantive Review
- Receiving a Marketing Order
We believe the outcome of successfully completing all of these steps will be continued product excellence and market access for products that meet the requirements.
3. What products go through PMTA?
The PMTA process applies to all new tobacco products introduced after February 15, 2007, that are not addressed by the Substantial Equivalence (“SE”) or SE exemption paths.
This means that every “new category” product —such as vapor devices and liquids, tobacco-leaf free modern oral nicotine pouches and lozenges, and heat-not-burn products—must go through the PMTA process, because for almost all of them, there is no grandfathered predicate product to allow them to go through the FDA’s other clearance paths.
4. What happens once a PMTA marketing order is granted?
Manufacturers are granted a PMTA marketing order, not an approval or a “signoff” from the FDA. This is a key element of PMTA. This allows the company to market and sell the product, subject to specific post-market surveillance and reporting requirements, such as establishing and maintaining certain records, tracking how the product is being used, and filing reports with the FDA.
5. Is a PMTA marketing order permanent?
PMTA marketing orders are subject to review based upon the post-market surveillance information and reporting submitted to FDA. The FDA may withdraw or temporarily suspend a marketing order if the applicant fails to submit the required reports or if new data suggests that continued marketing of the product would not be appropriate for the protection of public health.
6. What will the PMTA process change about the industry?
Generally, we believe the PMTA process presents a great opportunity to level-set the U.S. industry for vapor and other new category products, and enable adult nicotine consumers (ANCs) to feel a renewed confidence in the products they buy at reputable retailers.
Reynolds believes that by level setting the market through the evidence-based PMTA process, the FDA and manufacturers like us can help address the serious issues facing the industry by ensuring responsibly manufactured and marketed new category products are the norm and not an exception.
More specifically, there are a handful of key changes we would anticipate:
- There will be a clear understanding of the range of authorized, new category products available to adult nicotine consumers in the U.S.
- Non-compliant manufacturers and marketers will be forced out of the ecosystem, and we will have an industry where all participants are held to the same sort of standards Reynolds has held itself to.
- ANCs will continue to have access to a wide array of product formats, flavors, and strengths from reputable manufacturers.
- ANCs will be able to feel confident that products sold at reputable retailers have gone through a detailed vetting process.
- Retail partners and trade partners will benefit from streamlined supply chains and supplier relationships.
- People working across the industry, including our own employees, will gain a deeper understanding of the PMTA process, its significance, and what to expect moving forward.
- We will have a diverse new category focused industry with higher standards of care throughout the product lifecycle than are present today.
7. How were tobacco products regulated before the 2009 Tobacco Control Act (TCA)?
Prior to passage of the TCA, cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products were subject to various statutory, regulatory, and other legal requirements at the federal, state, and local levels. The FDA was the first government body vested with the comprehensive authority to regulate the sale, distribution, marketing, advertising, and use of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products. The TCA also granted the FDA authority to expand its regulatory oversight over all products made or derived from tobacco (including vapor and modern oral products). This was accomplished through the so-called “deeming” regulations issued in May 2016.
8. What products has Reynolds submitted?
We have submitted or are in the process of submitting PMTAs for our Vuse Ciro, Vibe, Solo, and Alto branded vapor products, including for individual flavors. We are very confident in our submissions and are hopeful that Reynolds’ applications will be successful.
9. What science did you submit with your applications?
There are a variety of ways a manufacturer could go about developing and providing this information, and we anticipate other manufacturers may choose to take a different approach.
The content of submissions is confidential and proprietary so we are unable to discuss them directly. However, to provide a high-level example, Reynolds’ process for Vuse products involved:
- Surveying current tobacco users to understand product use behavior and demographics;
- Conducting behavioral studies of current and non-users of tobacco to gauge consumer understanding of risks and interest in product use;
- Performing statistical population modeling to project the effect of marketing these products on the population as a whole; and
- Conducting clinical studies that looked at the abuse potential of Vuse products, which included examining nicotine pharmacokinetics, as well as several studies to examine the aerosol properties of the products and the temperature during use.
10. How will I know if a Vuse product will no longer be available?
At this time, you can expect the availability of specific Vuse products in retail stores to remain the same as today, pending any changes to local, regional and state ordinances. We will continue to share more detailed information on product availability as we complete this process.
11. How will the PMTA process help ensure that tobacco products stay out of the hands of youth?
We hope that, over time, the PMTA process will enable higher standards of care throughout the entire industry. Reynolds has long set rigorous standards for how it develops and markets new category products and we hope this process makes those sort of standards more widespread as regulators implement these tighter restrictions and take enforcement action against brands that do not meet the requirements.
12. Will PMTA change anything about your product marketing standards?
Responsible marketing already underscores everything we execute at RJRVC, and we believe new category nicotine products can be produced, marketed and sold responsibly to adult nicotine consumers (ANCs) with only ANCs in mind. Our rigorous methods are designed to prevent youth access to information about, or access to, our products. They are effective, specific and ensure we adhere to applicable federal, state and local laws governing vapor products as well as our own standards across the product lifecycle, from conception to sale and everything in between.
Reynolds has not and does not make health or cessation claims in our product marketing, but there have been instances of players in the market pushing the boundaries, and the FDA has issued a number of warning letters. We are hopeful the PMTA process will reduce the number of marketers making unverified health claims as the FDA takes more aggressive action to address them.
13. What actions has the company taken to prevent youth access to tobacco products?
Reynolds utilizes multiple third-party data sources and technologies in an effort to prevent youth access to tobacco products and ensure our marketing programs are oriented towards adult nicotine consumers (ANCs) only. More specifically, the company:
- Only uses mass media platforms with audiences that third-party survey data shows to be at least 85% adult.
- Avoids imagery with youth appeal, only utilizes models who are 25 and older, and does not use testimonials from athletes or celebrities with special appeal to youth.
- Verifies consumers are 21 years of age or older prior to purchase through an independent third-party.
In addition to the thorough marketing guidelines restricting how it markets its products, Reynolds has already instituted a tiered compliance program in all of its retailer contracts that includes penalties ranging from warning letters to contract termination for contracted retailers found to have illegally sold Vuse products to youth.
14. Will you have to continue to file PMTA applications for new products in the future?
Yes. In the U.S. market, we will have to complete this same process before introducing any new products to our portfolios for which there is no grandfathered product to which to compare it to. The insights we have acquired thus far, and that we seek to continue building upon, will only increase our familiarity with the process and our expertise in submitting acceptable applications moving forward.
15. Where can I find more information about PMTA and the Tobacco Control Act?
The FDA has a number of informative resources on its PMTA page, which can be accessed here. | https://www.rjrvapor.com/pmta-faq/ |
These deadpan critiques of Formal condition imagery are obvious in Ai Weiwei big-scale, hand-painted visuals of Mao, generated from the mid-nineteen eighties in Big apple. Ai's a variety of representations of Mao matter the communist leader to designs of interference familiar from tv signals and CRT screens, or to gestural abstraction and distortion.
Lacking stylistic aptitude or express judgement, his 'Ring Street' movies capture urban expertise and transformation in true time, recording the uneasy balance among heritage and development, and shifting patterns of human exercise and displacement. From 1964 to 1966, Andy Warhol generated many hundreds of Display screen Checks
This is often ironic specified the amount of of Warhol's do the job was Photograph based mostly. And as Warhol told an interview in 1963, "The key reason why I'm painting using this method is because I want to be a device". In Warhol's images – he became the machine.
When Reed came to The big apple from Southern California while in the sixties, he entered an artwork environment which was skeptical about the flexibility of painting to become forward-on the lookout. The younger artist sympathized with the humanist, even metaphysical recent in painters like his teachers Philip Guston and Milton Resnick, whilst he admired the deadpan materiality of contemporaneous experiments in sculpture and movie.
Lawrence Alloway was an English artwork critic and curator, and the moment a leading member of London's Independent Team inside the 1960s. Alloway credited himself with coining the term "Pop art" in a 1955 posting, but actually, the time period he released was "mass well-liked art.
A tendency amid Ny painters with the late nineteen forties and '50s, all of whom were being dedicated to an expressive art of profound emotion and universal themes. The motion embraced the gestural abstraction of Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock, and the colour area portray of Mark Rothko and Some others.
Duchamp's emphasis on Thoughts over artisanal skill was foundational to Warhol's employment of industrial fabrication and serial output inside the sixties and his critique of originality, authenticity and the commodity status of your artwork object.
Ai interrogates this record as well as the output and circulation of myths with out dropping sight with the dangers of cultural appropriation and the value of cultural heritage.
Normally, he would initially established down a layer of colors which would compliment the stencilled picture immediately after it had been used.
Influenced by this legacy, Ai took up pictures while in the 1980s, publishing and curating during the 1990s, and blogging during the 2000s, and carries on being an incessant producer of social networking material as a result of Twitter, Instagram, media interviews and social activism.
Ai Weiwei explores the city cloth of Beijing – a twenty-first century metropolis – in countless hours of documentary footage recorded through a period of speedy city transformation from the lead up for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Game titles.
Gilbert and George are an Italian and British (respectively) inventive duo, best noted for their provocative and conceptualist community stagings, as well as the idiosyncratic way through which they perform by themselves. They only look in community as an inseperable duo, and normally carrying their trademark fits.
Warhol's pictures generally were matters. While his option of digital camera—the Polaroid or the most up-to-date 35mm level-and-shoot—belied his desire in jettisoning any technical proficiency (in the exact same way which the monitor-print neutralized the mastery of the comb stroke), Warhol andy warhol exhibition UK was Firstly an artist who relied within the camera as a private recording device. If his paintings largely repel the human presence, his pictures solicit and revere them.
Double Dwell album showcasing performances in the earlier three several years, Warhol was apparently dismayed to view that Jagger had extra pencil smears to his design. | http://josuetwxx505949.fitnell.com/5093018/the-definitive-guide-to-best-andy-warhol-paintings-uk |
Olamiju Fajemisin speaks to Shannon Tamara Lewis about her painted assemblages of limbs that evoke transformation as well as certain burdens.
A new generation of young painters in Europe are using internet languages to create multilayered aesthetics and narratives. Revising traditional techniques with digital sensibilities, these artists are opening themselves and the medium up to possibilities that were previously unconsidered. In this series, Digital Strokes, we highlight some of these artists.
Shannon Tamara Lewis paints people in rooms. Dark-skinned people, unaware they are the subject of our contemplation, innocuously positioned, docile. Look longer and you may wonder who they are, or where they are and why. And so the layers of Lewis’s paintings reveal themselves. The artist, who studied at Toronto’s Ontario College of Art and Design before going to London to undertake an MFA at Goldsmiths, moved to Berlin four years ago. “Back then, making work about decoloniality and immigration,” she tells me over a video call, “I really had to defend my practice.” Instead of realigning her intentions, Lewis pivoted toward subtext.
Lewis’s paintings are quiet studies of fragmentation. Limbs, heads, faces, and furniture are conscientiously arranged, forming sites of living memory. “It’s about scattered identities, identities that are shifting and moving and can never be put back together as they were originally intended.” Let it be noted that Lewis considers herself a collage artist as well as a painter, in terms of both papier colleé and the reassembly of ideas. “I’m constantly collecting images,” she tells me, “collecting scenes, or hands, or spaces, then I put them together, literally, then start painting. I hold onto the images until I find the right space for them.”
Lewis’s attitude toward the staging of identities – to the graphic unity of ideas – recalls the practice of African American artist, author, and songwriter Romare Bearden (1911–88), whose much-loved artworks comprise a deliberate reassembly of fragmented images of Black life as he understood it. Collages included in his seminal Prevalence of Ritual series (1971) served as a rejection of the expectation held by patrons of African American art (specifically the Harmon Foundation) that Black artists should only reproduce their image and culture in their work.This expectation was a burden. Like Lewis, Bearden’s images are composites of non-linear history, of direct and indirect experience. “When I conjure these memories, they are of the present to me,” Bearden once said. “Because after all, the artist is a kind of enchanter in time.”
Lewis’s milky palettes and elegant limbs distract from what is painted between the lines. It is only once we look beyond the compositions and question the circumstances of the staged identities before us that more can be revealed. There is an implicit urgency in Sometimes But Not Very Often (2016), for example. Two, maybe three half-bodies float in the foreground, moving, it seems, to nowhere. Brown arms intimately interlink, a shoulder and elbow jut forward, two hands gently grasp at each other. If the face had eyes it would look directly at us, but instead it disappears above the nostrils. The brown knot of arms look as if they could be peeled from the canvas like a piece of collaged paper. The figure casts no shadow. “A lot of my work is about bodies in different places and migration,” the artist says. “I take fragments from different places and put them together and layer them.” Lewis’s painted assemblages of “shapeshifting” limbs demonstrate perfectly the “joyful possibilities of transformation and the harried burdens of constant adaptation.” She pairs aspirational fantasies with visions of gnomic, monolithic figures, reckoning the digital and social media-borne phenomenon of staging identities and artificial mobility with exhaustion – the multiple hands on her canvas are those of the “filmmaker and the performer, that of the painter and the shapeshifting subject.”
In Fixture of Fantasy (2019), a woman’s black skin is again limned amid taupes and creams. Above her delicately painted lips, her body simply ends. Ruminating on the union of the words “fixture” and “fantasy,” the lines of a paned window appear more like the bars of a cell. “I collect images in architectural magazines, or Vogue. I look for pristine spaces that are quite beautiful but also quite staged and not really lived-in.” Recalling her own family’s experience with economic migration, Lewis paints this woman as trapped by the fantasy of aspiration: “There’s this idea you’re always supposed to be moving upwards, but what do the things we collect on the way mean? What does it mean to have a beautiful home?”
Lewis’s is a game of denial. Look at her paintings and no one will look back at you. “I like the idea of refusal and reveal,” she says. “I wanted to play with power, deciding what I want to reveal, and when.” Whereas the people in Sometimes But Not Very Often and Fixture of Fantasy are proportional, and exist in somewhat tangible settings, the subjects of her 2019 diptych Too Fast Ones: We Stole These Heads float on a more unusual plane. Measuring two by two meters, the life-size paintings were created last year for Les Urbaines, an interdisciplinary contemporary art festival in Lausanne, the latest edition of which was curated by Deborah Joyce Holman. This diptych, and another painting, The Warmth of Other Suns (2019), occupied a large, airy room in Espace Arlaud over the course of a long weekend last December. For Lewis, the commission granted a long-awaited opportunity to scale up. “I was reading a lot last summer, some Frederick Douglass, Saidiya Hartman and the ‘errant path’,” she says. “If I say my body can go anywhere, if it’s already a fugitive, then let me play with where I go.”
The heads in Too Fast Ones are smartly dressed – they lean against a wash of blush pink with white high-collared shirts. The figure on the left bites at her companion’s ear, across the gap between the canvases, and they both ignore us with closed eyes – they depart swiftly from the smaller-scale tangles of limbs and half-faces. Lewis’s ample invocations of the fugitive point to the multiplicity of self, the many possibilities for identity formation, and the potential for performance in post-internet painting. Her collaged ideas and body parts can be studied in many ways. Through Lewis’s contemplative practice, viewers can ask open-ended questions about their Black experience, as it pertains to them personally.
Carroll Greene, Jr., Romare Bearden: The Prevalence of Ritual (Museum of Modern Art, 1971).
Neda Ulaby, The Art of Romare Bearden: Collages Fuse Essence of Old Harlem, American South (NPR, September 2003).
Alex Pittman, “Introduction: Can the Subaltern Fabulate?”, Shady Convivialities: On Tavia Nyong’o’s Afro Fabulations, Social Text Online, January 2020.
Ibid. | https://contemporaryand.com/magazines/the-fantasy-of-aspiration-in-the-paintings-of-shannon-tamara-lewis/ |
This information is for the 2020/21 session.
Teacher responsible
Dr Harry Walker and Dr Mukulika Banerjee
Availability
This course is compulsory on the BA in Social Anthropology and BSc in Social Anthropology. This course is not available as an outside option nor to General Course students.
Course content
The course gives students the opportunity to write an extended essay which addresses an anthropological theme of their own choosing. The extended essay should be based either on library-based research or on fieldwork-based research conducted on a topic that is suitable for anthropological analysis. Students should ensure that there is an adequate body of relevant literature available for analysis, and that the topic as defined is not unmanageably large.
There is no formal course content. Students will be expected to draw widely on their readings from other anthropology courses.
Teaching
2 hours of lectures, 5 hours of lectures and 1 hour of seminars in the MT. 2 hours of lectures, 3 hours of seminars and 3 hours of workshops in the LT. 1 hour of lectures in the ST.
Guidance on dissertation research and writing will be given in a one-hour session in ST (to students finishing their 2nd year) and in the timetabled teaching in MT and LT (to students in their 3rd year). In addition to direction from their Academic Mentor in regular mentoring meetings across the year, the AM will suggest other members of staff for students to consult on the basis of the proposed topic.
This year, some or all of this teaching will be delivered through a combination of virtual lectures, classes and online interactive activities. The contact hours listed above are the minimum expected.
Formative coursework
Following an introductory lecture and seminar, students will submit a Dissertation Topic form at the end of MT week 2 (using a template published on Moodle). They will then work with their academic mentor and through timetabled teaching. They will submit a Dissertation Title form at the end of MT week 8, a Dissertation Contents form at the end of LT week 2, and a 2,500-word extract at the end of LT week 8.
Indicative reading
There is no formal course content. Students will be expected to draw widely on their readings from other anthropology courses.
Assessment
Dissertation (100%, 9000 words) in the ST.
The essay is 9,000 words of main text, including footnotes and appendices but excluding bibliography. The essay should be typed, double spaced, and should follow the reference procedures of The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute. The essay must be handed in to the Anthropology Departmental Office by the date announced in the Department’s Handbook, normally week 2 of ST.
Important information in response to COVID-19
Please note that during 2020/21 academic year some variation to teaching and learning activities may be required to respond to changes in public health advice and/or to account for the situation of students in attendance on campus and those studying online during the early part of the academic year. For assessment, this may involve changes to mode of delivery and/or the format or weighting of assessments. Changes will only be made if required and students will be notified about any changes to teaching or assessment plans at the earliest opportunity. | https://www.lse.ac.uk/resources/calendar2020-2021/courseGuides/AN/2020_AN397.htm |
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ADA-designated hotel rooms will be specifically set aside for individuals requesting them. Be sure to indicate your specific needs in the online housing form. These rooms are guaranteed. Each year APHA conducts a detailed accessibility survey (available mid-July) and environmental survey (available mid-July) of all official APHA hotels. These surveys (completed by the hotels) provide information about accessible entrances, parking and drop-off areas and information regarding accessible public areas, guest rooms, meeting rooms, restaurants, hotel amenities and assistive devices. Use this information to select the hotel that best meets your needs.
Make hotel reservations as early as possible as there are a limited number of accessible rooms available at each property.
Denver is accessed by Denver International Airport (DEN). Visit their webpage for more information about accessible travel.
View our housing and travel page for general information about traveling to Denver. Be sure to take advantage of exclusive, APHA travel discounts! | https://apha.org/Events-and-Meetings/Annual/Accessibility/Accessible-Transportation-and-Housing |
We all have good intentions of eating healthier, but it can get overwhelming. Everyone has an opinion about what eating healthy means, and that's okay. However, there are several things that should be considered when it comes to how to eat healthy and especially when forming your definition around what healthy eating means to you. Instead of worrying about ratios, calorie counting or the hottest super foods consider these 5 tips for eating healthy to get you started in the right direction.
5 Tips for Eating Healthy
1. Plan Your Meals
This may seem tough but just jot down a few ideas to get you started. If you plan a meal you are more likely to make good choices. Start with breakfast and lunch. Be realistic and avoid planning difficult meals if you have a short time frame to prepare them and eat. Don't forget about snacks. Most of us eat some sort of snack everyday, if it's not planned you may reach for cookies or chips. Opt for fresh fruit and veggies instead. You are making great choices throughout the day don't let dinner get hijacked by poor planning. If you don't have a lot of prep time choose things that cook quickly like quinoa and lentils and add your favorite veggies rely on low-sodium canned beans and frozen cut veggies.
2. Drink Water
I know you have heard it before but it bears repeating, Drink More Water. I carry a reusable water bottle every where I go. It helps me stay hydrated and avoid cravings for soda or coffee when I'm running errands. Need to avoid headaches or clear up your skin? Drink More Water. Your body will function better and eliminate waste more efficiently when you are hydrated.
3. Eat More Fruit and Veggies
Try adding a piece of fresh fruit or raw veggies to every meal. I've been eating at least one piece of fruit everyday as part of my breakfast. Salads and wraps are great ways to get more produce to your diet but you can always add an extra veggie side dish at dinner or a bowl of berries for dessert. When I'm hungry (outside of meal times) I'll eat an apple or some carrots before considering something else. Many fruits and veggies can easily be stored in a desk or backpack for a healthy snack.
4. Eliminate Processed Food
While there are some decent processed options out there most are scary chemical-filled concoctions. Focus instead on whole foods. Cutting down on packaged food will open up opportunities for healthier foods that will fuel your body and help you feel great. Instead of reaching for that frozen “one-pot meal”, toss your favorite veggies in a pan with some rice or quinoa. Oatmeal is a hearty breakfast and very easy to make; buy rolled oats and cook according to the directions and add your favorite fruit, nuts and seeds.
5. Keep a Food Journal
Tedious? Maybe, however many of us eat without even thinking about it. Keep track, even for 2 weeks, of every thing you eat or drink. A food journal will help you see trends like high calorie late night snacks or chocolate-filled stress eating. I make better choices when I know I have to write them down. I'll rethink that Venti Frappuccino and all of the calories that come with it. That doesn't mean you can't have treats but it will keep you honest about how many treats you actually eat. A journal will also help you keep track of your water consumption.
For more tips on healthy eating and transitioning to a plant-based diet check out My Plant-Based Family. | https://berryripe.com/5-tips-for-eating-healthy/ |
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