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hydraulique a montré la pertinence de cette nouvelle approche. Mots clés : Commande anticipative, systèmes `a temps discret, commande robuste, filtre anticipatif, H2, H∞. Abstract The work presented in this thesis is part of the study of the effectiveness of CRONE control with anticipative effect in the problems of tracking and control for monovariable and multivariable systems. The anticipation objective is to design a control algorithm that minimizes a quadratic error between the reference and the output of the system and at the same time achieve a good level of the control signal. The proposed solution combines a robust feedback control with a feedforward control. The feedforward action uses optimality criteria and an anticipative filter which is designed in the frequency domain using a mix of H2 et H∞ constraints. The reduction of the number of parameters of the anticipative filter by using a slower sampling period for the anticipative filter is treated. Academic examples highlight the theoretical developments. A practical application on a hydraulic control system has shown the efficiency of the developed approach. Keywords : preview control, discrete-time systems, robust control, feedforward filter, H2, H∞.	https://macs.tn/developpement-de-la-commande-crone-avec-effet-anticipatif-robuste/
Choose semester and course offering to see information from the correct course syllabus and course offering. Content and learning outcomes Course contents •Thermal climate and ventilation •Lighting and visual ergonomics •Electromagnetic radiation •Physiology and injury mechanisms •Theories on acute and long-term health effects •Measurement methods, measurement strategies and risk assessment •Intervention strategies •Work environment regulations in the field Intended learning outcomes The overall aim is to provide knowledge about thermal climate and ventilation; lighting and visual ergonomics; electromagnetic radiation at the workplace and their impact on safety, health, well-being, and performance. The objective is also to provide knowledge about how to manage these factors and reduce risks for illness and accidents, through technical and organisational design of work, workplaces and the work environment. By the end of the course, the students should be able to: 1.Describe, exemplify and explain how all the above-mentioned factors affect safety, health, well-being and performance. 2.Perform measurements and risk assessments relating to all the above-mentioned factors. Describe and motivate the choice of different measurement strategies; be able to interpret and draw conclusions from measurement results, be able to understand and evaluate the causes of exposure and, when required, propose countermeasures to eliminate or reduce exposure. In order to conduct measurements knowledge about measuring methods and strategies is required. 3.Propose work environment improvements according to the hierarchy of control concerning the above-mentioned factors and by reflections regarding the interactions among sociotechnical (human, technology and organisation) perspectives. 4.Describe the EU regulations and Swedish legislation and provisions for all the above-mentioned factors and critically discuss risk assessments and work environment improvements in relation to relevant work environment regulations. Course disposition No information inserted Literature and preparations Specific prerequisites Academic first degree, 180 higher education credits in engineering or natural sciences or equivalent education and English language skill equivalent to English B/English 6. 15 credits in mathematics or statistics. Recommended prerequisites No information inserted Equipment No information inserted Literature No information inserted Examination and completion If the course is discontinued, students may request to be examined during the following two academic years. Grading scale A, B, C, D, E, FX, F Examination - OVN1 - Exercises, 1.0 credits, grading scale: P, F - RED1 - Project work, 2.5 credits, grading scale: P, F - TENA - Written exam, 3.0 credits, grading scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F - TENB - Oral exam, 1.0 credits, grading scale: P, F Based on recommendation from KTH’s coordinator for disabilities, the examiner will decide how to adapt an examination for students with documented disability. The examiner may apply another examination format when re-examining individual students. Intended learning outcome number 1 is examined in RED1 and TENA. Intended learning outcome number 2 is examined in OVN1, RED1, TENA and TENB Intended learning outcome number 3 is examined in RED1 and TENA. Intended learning outcome number 4 is examined in TENA. Requirements for final grade: Passed written and oral presentation of assignments and active participation in exercises and laboratory work. Completion of these and a grade A-F on written examinations are used to determine the final grade (A–F) for the entire course. Opportunity to complete the requirements via supplementary examination No information inserted Opportunity to raise an approved grade via renewed examination No information inserted Examiner Ethical approach - All members of a group are responsible for the group's work. - In any assessment, every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used. - In an oral assessment, every student shall be able to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.	https://www.kth.se/student/kurser/kurs/CH2004?l=en
Tropical deforestation is a major contributor to climate change and loss of local and global ecosystem functions. Latin America accounts for a large share of remaining tropical forests, but also features deforestation rates well above the world average. Here, the biggest driver of deforestation is expansion of agricultural frontiers to meet the demands of international markets. Power imbalances and economic inequality have long been assumed to play a role in the processes causing loss of tropical forests. Yet the effects of inequality on the environment remain a subject of scientific debate. Some observers suggest that increasing inequality hinders the collective action necessary to protect the environment. Others suggest that powerful elites concerned about environmental conservation can enable better ecosystem preservation – for example by mandating large protected areas. The study examines three different forms of inequality: income, land, and wealth. Levels of inequality are higher and longer-lasting in the case of land ownership and wealth. The results of the study suggest that – in a hypothetical situation of equality – increases in agricultural productivity would promote deforestation in the short-term. But in a longer-term “equality scenario”, higher agricultural productivity would actually lead to better protection of forests. The study shows, however, that increases in all forms of inequality ultimately promote agricultural expansion, eroding the potential environmental benefits of greater productivity. The results also indicate that the effect of income inequality is greater than that of land or wealth inequality.	https://www.unibe.ch/news/media_news/media_relations_e/media_releases/2019/medienmitteilungen_2019/inequality_promotes_deforestation_in_latin_america/index_eng.html
In this video we're going to discuss Standardized Work Part 3. In the last video we described how to draw a spaghetti diagram. we must capture the time related to each step in a process. And for this, we use a time observation sheet. Time is one thing that we can never get back. When discussing any work process, this is a precious commodity. allows the observer to quickly asses the efficiency of the process. Is it improving the ability to meet customer demand? can ensure that the new standards are being maintained. Before analyzing time, it is important to understand three key time intervals. service is delivered to the customer. As an example, let's look at the filling of a prescription. a medication and hands it to the patient. the pharmacist fills the prescription. the patient has paid for the medication. at the bottom of this slide clearly shows each of those intervals. one operator to complete a single cycle of work. the pharmacist to fill a single prescription. that are components of lead time in our example. When it comes to meeting demand, the most important time interval, is takt time. are often measured using a metronome shown in the middle of this slide. When talking about quality and efficiency, takt time is work time divided by demand. As an example, let's return to our pharmacists. On an average day the pharmacist needs to fill 300 prescriptions. The pharmacy opens at 8 and closes at 8 PM, 12 hours. The pharmacist takes takes two one-half hour breaks during that period. Therefore, he or she works for 11 hours or 660 minutes. divided by the demand, 300. Which is 2.2 minutes per prescription, or 22 minutes per ten prescriptions. filling each prescription equals the takt time, then customer demand is met. then the pharmacist will not be able to fill all the prescriptions for the day. filling ten prescriptions during the day. the 660 minutes, and the average cycle time equaled the takt time. the actual performance times, and the takt time. Now let's fill out the time intervals for our time observation sheet. has 60 minutes to complete her administration of morning medications. one patient will be 60 divided by 5, or 12 minutes per patient. have a spaghetti map defining the specific steps, we can begin our timing. simply wrote down the values as Wendy completed each step. Here each time reading has been typed in next to the specific step. Here is what the times look like on a digital stopwatch. seconds, these values need to be converted to total seconds. This is done by multiplying the minutes times 60 and adding the residual seconds. Therefore, the middle reading indicates 3 times 60 or 180 seconds plus 0.75 seconds. 24.05 seconds or 84.05 seconds. the time intervals have been calculated in red on our time observation chart. you can insert formulas to automatically calculate these intervals. medications for each patient can be calculated. And they were 580 seconds and 675 seconds. Both of these values are below the takt time of 12 minutes, or 720 seconds. or until we have fully captured the variations in the cycle times. the time interval that is most frequently recorded. We will show these values in our next video. is below the the takt time of 720 seconds. indicating the process is healthy, and that nurse Wendy can meet the demand. great insight into the efficiency of any process. to examine every process in healthcare?	https://zh.coursera.org/lecture/fixing-healthcare-delivery-advanced-lean/standardized-work-part-3-YYAdW
Evidence for approval by a local Ethics Committee (for both human as well as animal studies) must be supplied by the authors on demand. Animal experimental procedures should be as humane as possible and the details of anesthetics and analgesics used should be clearly stated. The journal will not consider any paper which is ethically unacceptable. A statement on ethics committee permission and ethical practices must be included in all research articles under the ‘Materials and Methods’ section. Ethics in publishing Ethics of human and animal experimentation: Manuscripts describing any experimental work with humans should include a statement that the Ethical Committee of the institution in which the work was done has approved it, and that the subjects gave informed consent to the work. Experiments with animals should be done in accordance with the legal requirements of the relevant local or national authority. Ethical responsibilities of authors Authors must certify that their manuscript is their original work. Authors must certify that the manuscript has not previously been published elsewhere, or even submitted and been in reviewed in another journal. Authors must participate in the peer review process and follow the comments. Authors are obliged to provide retractions or corrections of mistakes. All Authors mentioned in the paper must have significantly contributed to the research. Level of their contribution also must be defined in the “Authors’ Contributions” section of the article. Authors must state that all data in the paper are real and authentic. Authors must notify the Editors of any conflicts of interest. Authors must identify all sources used in the creation of their manuscript. Authors must report any errors they discover in their published paper to the Editors. Authors must not use irrelevant sources that may help other researches/journals. Authors cannot withdraw their articles within the review process or after submission, or they must pay the penalty defined by the publisher. Ethical responsibilities of editor Editors (Associate Editors or Editor in Chief) have complete responsibility and authority to reject/accept an article. Editors are responsible for the contents and overall quality of the publication. Editors should always consider the needs of the authors and the readers when attempting to improve the publication. Editors should guarantee the quality of the papers and the integrity of the academic record. Editors should publish errata pages or make corrections when needed. Editors should have a clear picture of a research's funding sources. Editors should base their decisions solely one the papers' importance, originality, clarity and relevance to publication's scope. Editors should not reverse their decisions nor overturn the ones of previous editors without serious reason. Editors should preserve the anonymity of reviewers. Editors should ensure that all research material they publish conforms to international accepted ethical guidelines. Editors should only accept a paper when reasonably certain. Editors should act if they suspect misconduct, whether a paper is published or unpublished, and make all reasonable attempts to persist in obtaining a resolution to the problem. Editors should not reject papers based on suspicions; they should have proof of misconduct. Editors should not allow any conflicts of interest between staff, authors, reviewers and board members. Editors must not change their decision after submitting a decision (especially after reject or accept) unless they have a serious reason. Ethical responsibilities of reviewers Reviewers should keep all information regarding papers confidential and treat them as privileged information. Reviews should be conducted objectively, with no personal criticism of the author. No self-knowledge of the author(s) must affect their comments and decision. Reviewers should express their views clearly with supporting arguments in 500 to 1000 words. Reviewers may identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Reviewers should also call to the Editor in Chief's attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge. Reviewers should not review manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.
Black and white photography gives me the opportunity to express myself in the simplest of terms. The absence of colour allows me to concentrate on tone, texture, detail and pattern. With a lifelong love of the landscape, I am lucky to live in North Yorkshire, a brilliant source of inspiration, subject matter and dog walks. My photography started with a Kodak Instamatic, and now many years and rolls of film later, I have progressed to digital which gives me the freedom to experiment with different techniques such as ICM and multiple exposure. I am becoming increasingly drawn to see the less obvious, to capture the essence of something, and to create more abstract work. Kate Somervell PROJECT STATEMENT THE LIGHT FANTASTIC Dance is the hidden language of the soul. Martha Graham I glance out of the window and notice some reflections, all I can see is beauty. Dynamic shapes and patterns, full of energy and movement. Contorted, beyond the obvious. At last, subject matter found! To what end, I have no idea, yet. Frequently I dash outside to capture frames as the light changes, trying single and multiple exposures and some ICM. Eventually, I have a selection of images as a starting point, that will merge, then emerge as ‘something else’. To start with these feel like a very diverse range of images staring back at me, some calm, and ethereal, others vibrant. Time to have some fun and see where the images will lead me. Suddenly, a pattern appears that seems so familiar in flow, rhythm and energy, it is another ‘lightbulb’ moment, this is dance, my ‘something else’. Dance is universal, albeit in many different forms. Whether traditional, sacred or social, ceremonial or ritual, dance crosses cultures and continents. For me, it started with childhood ballet lessons then later both contemporary and tap followed. However, my enthusiasm was greater than my proficiency and it still is! Dancing and music go together. From the classical ballets of Tchaikovsky and Strauss waltzes, the jazz of Louis Armstrong, and the musical theatre of Cole Porter, George Gershwin, and Bob Fosse, through to Abba and Mamma Mia. As I remembered the dances, the shows, movies, the songs and lyrics, the memories flooded through me, from fun and happiness to love and loss, the tears flowed. Biographical? Definitely. The images in The Light Fantastic show my love of photography and dance, and the freedom of expression they both bring. These images began as reflections, they end as that too, but of my inner self. They convey an emotional intensity which celebrates the beauty of dance. They are ‘something else’.	https://www.baileychinnery.com/kate-somervell-2/
Criminalists work in crime labs and focus in processing evidence gathered at crime scenes. They are responsible for applying scientific principles or methods to analyze, ascertain, conduct experiments and interpret physical evidence that could help reconstruct crime scenes. What are the responsibilities of a criminalist? Depending on their area of specialization, criminalists apply scientific techniques in a laboratory to identify, analyze, and interpret physical evidence from a crime scene, and testify objectively about their findings in court. They are also known as forensic science technicians. What are the common duties of a criminalist 4 of them? A criminalist works in the forensic science or law enforcement field. Their duties depend upon the agency or place they work for, but they are often responsible for conducting crime investigations, studying crime scenes, gathering and examining evidence, processing evidence, and coordinating with investigators. What qualities does a criminalist need to be successful why? Successful criminalists typically possess the following essential knowledge and skills: - Information Gathering – Criminalists must be able to gather essential information and recognize vital information. - Information Organization – Ability to organize and categorize numerous quantities of information. Are criminalists police officers? Criminalists sometimes testify at trials. Many criminalists begin their career in criminal justice as uniformed police officers and are promoted into the position of criminalist. However, law enforcement agencies often hire criminalists who do not have police experience. How must evidence collectors take care? The evidence collector must take extraordinary care to avoid potential contamination by transferring DNA onto objects of evidential value by: Wearing a face mask. When biological samples of unknown origin are discovered at a crime scene, investigators: Should assume pathogens are present and treat the sample as such. What is the difference between a criminalist and a criminologist? Criminalistics is the study of evidence to investigate crimes, and criminology is the examination of crime within society. Criminalists collect, document, preserve, and examine the physical evidence at crime scenes. … Criminology uses the principles of psychology and sociology to trace the roots of crime and criminals. What experience do you need to be a criminalist? A bachelor’s degree and two years of full-time experience are needed to qualify to take the certification exam. Re-certification is required every five years. What are the basic skills required to be a criminalist? To perform their job well, Criminalists must have strong organizational and interpersonal skills, excellent problem-solving, good written and verbal communication skills, presentation skills, management skills and the ability to multitask, meet deadlines, handle stressful situations and work independently or as part of … What degree is needed for criminalist? The minimum educational requirement for a criminalist is a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, biology, physics, molecular biology, forensic science, or a related physical science. For some positions, a master’s degree is required. Many colleges and universities offer degrees and courses in forensic science. What are the 5 qualities of good investigator? Here is a list of qualities found in a successful professional investigator: - Professionalism. This is a quality required for any career stream. … - Integrity. One of the most important virtues of a professional investigator is integrity. … - Persistence. … - Self-driven. … - Problem Solver. … - Reliable. … - Courage. 15.12.2017 What are the qualities of criminologist? Criminologists should have math or statistics backgrounds and an eye for detail when studying stats. Additionally, a criminologist should be able to think critically and have an analytical mind to make sense of data he studies and create solutions from the problems presented to him. What are the qualities of a good criminologist? Job Qualities for Criminologists - Critical Thinking. Criminologists take a critical attitude toward the values, attitudes and behaviors of criminals. … - Attention to Detail. Criminologists sometimes work as consultants to police departments or the FBI. … - Integrity. … - Communication. How much money does a criminologist make? With one to four years of experience, a criminologist can expect to make $31,800 to $65,169 a year. Those with five to 19 years of experience earn from $30,000 to $75,000 a year, while those with 20 or more years earn $42,600 to $82,500 a year. How do I become a criminologist? People interested in becoming criminologists usually pursue a minimum of a master’s degree in the field. You could start with a baccalaureate degree in criminology, psychology or sociology. Criminologists also need to understand laws and law enforcement procedures, so you may take criminal justice courses, as well. What is the meaning of criminalist? criminalist in American English (ˈkrɪmənəlɪst ) an expert in the use of scientific methods to investigate crimes, specif. by collecting and analyzing physical evidence; forensic investigator.	https://austlawpublish.com/criminal-law/what-are-the-major-responsibilities-of-a-criminalist.html
Soldiers, unlike industry professionals do not have a definite cycle of exposure, and may be occupationally exposed both to firearm impulse noise as well as in the artillery or even to other kinds of noise. Technological progress has made it possible to assess the cochlear function objectively by means of an evaluation of the Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions (EOAE). The paucity of studies in South America about the hearing of soldiers exposed to impulse noise and considering the applicability and the preventive character in hearing monitoring by means of the EOAE test, stimulated the conduction of the present study, with the purpose of studying distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) before and after the exposure to impulse noise and the presence of tinnitus in soldiers of the Brazilian Army. The application of the questionnaire and the test by means of the DPOAE was performed at the Battalion of the Presidential Guard, in Brasilia, at the Federal District. The study group was composed of 60 male soldiers, aged between 18 and 19 without previous exposure to occupational noise. After shooting practice with 7.62mm caliber FAL Rifles, they were all allocated into two groups. The DPOAEs were assessed through the simultaneous presentation of two different pure tones (f1 and f2), expressed by the ratio of 1.22. The proportion of normal results (present response) in each frequency range before the shooting practice (100%) was compared with the proportion of normal results at the same frequency range after the practice using a proportion z-test (Yates' correction). Post hoc analyses showed that the average amplitudes of all the frequencies assessed are different from each other (2>4>3>6>8KHz; Figure 1). No association was detected between the Group and Occurrence variables of responses in any of the frequencies assessed in the Right Ear (Figure 3). A significant association was found in the left ear (Figure 4) between the variables when analyzed at the frequency of 6KHz. As for the presence of tinnitus, Table 1 shows the distribution of the frequencies of the variable presence of tinnitus for each kind of result in each group. One can observe in Chart 1 that nine out of the fourteen studies were clinical studies conducted with soldiers exposed to impact noise. It was observed that between 2000 and 2010 there was a predominance of studies with soldiers from the Army involving exposure to impulse noise (Chart 1). The present study did not detect a significant difference when comparing the right and left ears. Once again, differences were observed between the right and left ears, which differs from the findings of the present study, in which we found no difference between the ears tested, probably because in the present study the soldiers made use of hearing protectors. As for the effectiveness of the use of hearing protection devices, in 2008 Bockstael et al. Such findings are consistent with those of the present study, since, although we have found differences at some frequencies, others were practically unaltered, which suggests that the hearing protection device used was relatively effective. In the present study, it was observed that the DPOAEs showed subtle changes after the exposure to impulse noise, there having been a slight recovery in the subjects evaluated 24 hours later in comparison with those reevaluated immediately. Several authors abroad have used the EOAETs to evaluate the differences before and after exposure to impulse noise. As for the hearing protection, it was observed that for soldiers although there are previous instruction procedures about the need for the use of the hearing protection devices during shooting activities, in practice, there is still no surveillance as to their effective use. In the present study hearing protection devices were distributed to all soldiers who participated. Such data have demonstrated that it is necessary to implement a Hearing Loss Prevention Program (HLPP) for soldiers, as long as they are exposed both to impulse noise and to continuous noise in their working environment. Although tone audiometry is recommended as a procedure for auditory evaluation, the DPOAEs proved sensitive to changes occurring after exposure to impulse noise, it being possible to conduct the test in military facilities. As for the prevention measures used in the present study, they proved partially effective, and the use of hearing protection devices which offers a higher level of attenuation of noise or even equipments with automatic frequency adjustment (active auditory protector) may be recommended. As for the tinnitus, considering the findings of the present study, there was a significant association between the presence of tinnitus and the group evaluated. Auditory monitoring by means of evaluation of the cochleain soldiers of the Brazilian Army exposed to impulse noise. Auditory evaluation by means of evoked otoacoustic emissions (EOAE) has been demonstrating its importance in the detection of subtle changes in cochlear function still unidentified in threshold tone audiometry in subjects exposed to noise. So, noise is a constant problem in the Armed Forces, as long as it is an inherent risk agent in the military service, firearm impulse noise being one of the most damaging to hearing. This is a quick, objective and non-invasive method which may detect early cochlear alterations, first and foremost in subjects exposed to noise, unidentified by tone audiometry5. Group 1 (G1) with 30 soldiers was reassessed immediately after exposure to the impulse noise whereas group 2 (G2), also composed of 30 individuals, was reassessed 24 hours after exposure. In order to capture the DPOAEs, use was made of the equipment Eclipse from Interacoustics, which automatically monitored the level of noise, the linearity of the stimulus during the test and the appropriate position of the probe. Sphericity was not assumed and the Greenhouse-Geisser method was used for the correction of the degrees of freedom. The chi-square test (Fisher's exact test) was used to m test the possible association between the Group and the Occurrence of responses, and between altered results and the moment of evaluation after-practice (immediately afterwards or 24h later). This effect does not depend on the group assessed and on the time, being a characteristic feature of each frequency which could be observed due to the sufficiently large size of the sample. In G2, the percentage of occurrence of responses at the frequency of 6KHz was significantly smaller than in G1. There was no significant association between the presence of tinnitus and the results in either of the groups (Figure 5). All were conducted in Europe or in the United States, demonstrating that studies with soldiers exposed to impact noise in Brazil are still scarce and it is a fact that soldiers are exposed both to continuous noise and to impact noise during their activities. However, after analyzing them individually, it was observed that, as far as the amplitudes are concerned, the absolute values in the right ear were slightly higher than in the left ear, regardless of the frequency analyzed. Nevertheless, according to the studies described, the active hearing protection device or even the shell variety is more effective to prevent subtle changes in the otoacoustic emissions which may become permanent alterations after years of exposure to impulse noise. However, the studies which used the DPOAEs for that purpose are scarce in the literature, which justifies our difficulty in comparing the results obtained in the present study. However, as has been described, the hearing protector devices is partially efficient to protect completely the ears from the impulse noises. That would also prevent the onset of auditory symptoms such as hearing loss, tinnitus and a full ear feeling, as well as prevent non-auditory symptoms resulting from hearing loss, besides contributing to social and economic aspects resulting from the treatment after the onset of the pathology. It can be observed that 3 subjects in G1 complained of tinnitus although their tests were normal after exposure, which leads us to consider the complaint irrespective of the objective observation in the test and it is suggested that such subjects be reevaluated after another exposure to impulse noise in order to investigate if the early complaint indicates an objective alteration observed in the DPOAE test or not. In the soldiers exposed to impulse noise these cochlear alterations were accompanied by the tinnitus symptom mainly in the individuals reevaluated immediately after exposure. Au, Speech therapist at the Brasilia Area Military Hospital (HMAB), Speech therapy Graduate (UFSM-RS); Speech Therapy Postgraduate (UFSM-RS), Psychopedagogy. Au, Speech therapist at the Brasilia Otorhinology Institute, Speech Therapy Graduate (UCG-GO), Specialist in Audiology (CEDIAU-SP). M.D, Second-year Otorhinolaryngology Medical Resident at the Federal District Base Hospital (HBDF-DF), Medicine graduate from the State University of Ceara (UECE-CE). M.D, PhD, Chief of the Otolaryngolgy and Head and Neck Surgery Department of the Brasilia University Hospital, Chairman of the University of Brasilia Medical School. Objective: Studying Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) before and after exposure to impulse noise in soldiers of the Brazilian Army. As the consequences of that exposure are manifold and reach large proportions, the contingent and the sums involved are high, besides affecting the administrative, judicial and financial spheres4. In conclusion, after the exposure, both groups showed a decrease of the response amplitude, but in the group assessed right afterwards the decrease was higher. We can conclude that the decrease in the response amplitude was not the same for each frequency. The p-value refers to the association test (χ2, Fisher's exact test) between the variables group and occurrence within each frequency. The p-value refers to the association test (?2, Fisher's exact test) between the variables Group and occurrence within each frequency. The authors conducted auditory evaluation by means of threshold tone audiometry, transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) and DPOAE in 285 soldiers before and three weeks after exposure to gun impulse noise and artillery and in 32 subjects in the control group. The otoacoustic emissions proved more sensitive to cochlear monitoring than to tone audiometry. The authors evaluated the subjects before and between 2 and 10 minutes after the shooting practice and observed that the shell variety hearing protection devices were effective to prevent changes in the threshold in the threshold tone audiometry and that there were significant changes in the response amplitudes in the EOAETs. Therefore, it is suggested that active protectors with frequency selectivity be used which could make it possible to understand the commands and orientations during the activities performed, or even passive hearing protection devices such as those used by Bockstael in 200810. It can also be observed that after 24 hours, subjects practically did not have tinnitus complaints, which leads us to hypothesize that if the organism had not recovered the cochlear function completely, at least subjectively an improvement was felt to have taken place. A eficiencia das emissoes otoacusticas transientes e audiometria tonal na deteccao de mudancas temporarias nos limiares auditivos apos exposicao a niveis elevados de pressao sonora. Estudo comparativo das emissoes otoacusticas evocadas em militares expostos e nao expostos ao ruido. Distortion product otoacoustic emissions before and after one year exposure to impulse noise. Evaluation of transient and distortion product otoacoustic emissions before and after shooting practice. Effectiveness of hearing protector devices in impulse noise verified with transiently evoked and distortion product otoacoustic emissions. Hearing threshold shift measured by otoacoustic emissions after shooting noise exposure in soldiers using hearing protectors. Material and Method: This is an analytical, observational, longitudinal and prospective study. The authors evaluated 54 soldiers with ages ranging from 20 to 22 years for two days of shooting practice, having evaluated the DPOAEs 1h before and 5 minutes after shooting6. Changes in the threshold and significant changes in the EOAEs between 2 and 4kHz in the ears were identified in the group under study. So, the decrease in the levels of the EOAETs and DPOAE in soldiers exposed to noise may be an early indication of potential hearing loss and may play a role as a screening method for soldiers exposed to noise and as a tool for monitoring early cochlear alterations9. The exams were compared before and immediately after the shooting practice, and 1 hour later. They observed changes at 3KHz in the tone audiometry and in the EOAETs confirming the EOAET test as being more sensitive than tone audiometry in the evaluation of temporary changes in the cochlea caused by impulse noise11. Auditory evaluation was performed by means of DPOAEs in 60 soldiers before and after exposure to impulse noise, of whom 30 were reevaluated immediately after exposure and 30 were reevaluated 24 hours after exposure. The increase in the sensitivity of the EOAEs in comparison with the audiometric thresholds was shown in all analyses and the low level of the EOAE may indicate an increase in the risk of future auditory loss7. Subsequently, both kinds of EOAE were evaluated in 31 subjects before and after the exposure during a five-daylong military practice. Results: The statistical analysis revealed that both groups reevaluated after exposure to impulse noise showed a decrease in amplitudes in comparison with the tests before exposure. There were significant differences between the ears in most cases; the EOAEs of the right ear tended to be more robust. There were no significant alterations in the EOAEs before and after exposure, or after several days in the second experiment, suggesting that the active hearing protectors were able to prevent cochlear damage10. This demonstrated the applicability of the DPOAE test in monitoring the hearing of soldiers exposed to impulse noise.	http://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/jokeget/ear-piercing-frequently-asked-questions.html
A decade’s worth of cuts in federal aid combined with states moving to copy Bush administration tax cuts have led to states filling revenue shortfalls with regressive tax policies that disproportionately affect the poorest Americans. According to “Who Pays?” a report issued in November by the Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy, the poorest 20 percent of Americans pay nearly 11 percent of their income in state and local taxes, the majority of which is in the form of sales and excise taxes. Those in the top 1 percent, by contrast, pay just over 5 percent of their income in state and local taxes, and the majority of that is income tax. [Economy1] “To the extent that states rely on sales tax, they’re going to be regressive,” said Howard Abrams, professor at Emory University School of Law, pointing out that the most regressive states in the ITEP report depend on sales and excise tax revenues to a great degree. Since poor individuals spend rather than save more — or all — of their income, sales tax as well as excise taxes on goods like gasoline and cigarettes impact them to a greater degree. Their wealthier counterparts, by contrast, tend to save and invest, which means every dollar they make isn’t going towards taxable purchases. A graduated income tax is designed to balance this burden by taxing wealthier occupants at a higher rate, but some states have such low thresholds for their top rates, or their rate spread is in such a narrow range, that any benefit to lower-income residents is lost. The poorest Americans are also burdened by regressive property taxes, said Philip Harvey, professor at Rutgers School of Law. Two factors contribute to this: One, they may live in less-wealthy municipalities that have to tax at a higher rate to provide services. Secondly, many lower-income individuals rent rather than own property. “Economists generally know property taxes tend to be regressive because rent includes taxes indirectly,” Harvey said. Since lower-income people statistically spend a higher percentage of their income on housing, this translates to yet another higher tax burden. In theory, federal income tax balances out this disparity to an extent because it relies on a graduated formula, but critics of the status quo say the country’s poorest citizens are still suffering from the effects of the Bush tax cuts. “Unambiguously, federal taxes have become less progressive over the last 10 years,” said Kim Rueben, public finance economist at the Urban Institute-Brookings Institution Tax Policy Center. “One of the big changes during the Bush administration was a substantial reduction on capital gains and dividends,” said Emory’s Howard Abrams. “The only people that got the benefit were the extraordinarily wealthy.” Not only does this rob federal coffers of funds, but it also sets a precedent for states, several of which followed suit with tax cuts of their own. States’ tendency to mimic federal actions does have a silver lining in that 23 states and Washington, D.C., offer earned-income tax credits modeled after the federal credit. Matthew Gardner, executive director of the ITEP, said credits like these, especially when they are refundable, go a long way towards leveling the playing field for low-income people. These credits aren’t enough, though. “The credits that were introduced under Bush for the poor families were dwarfed by declining tax rates at the top,” said the Tax Policy Institute’s Rueben. Bush-era cutbacks on federal monies sent to states are equally harmful to poor residents. “There isn’t a lot of redistribution being done at the state and local level,” said Alan Viard, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. “You expect that and want it to be done at the federal level.” Problems crop up when the federal government scales back this involvement. With less aid coming from Washington, states must rely solely on their own residents for funding, which nearly always leads to an increased reliance on regressive tax policies. The ITEP’s Gardner says he is hopeful that the recession-prompted emergency aid to states will become the new status quo. If the federal government becomes involved to a greater degree in redistributing the tax dollars it takes in, states would have the breathing room to roll back some of their sales and excise tax increases. Progressive groups are hopeful that the Obama administration will reverse some of these disparities by allowing provisions that cut taxes for the wealthiest Americans to expire next year and in 2011. While this wouldn’t directly change states’ tax structures, these changes to the federal tax code would create a healthier balance for poor as well as middle-class citizens. According to a report published by the Tax Policy Center, Obama administration proposals would lower the federal tax rates for all but the wealthiest 20 percent of citizens. The net tax rates for all Americans would be the same under Obama’s plan as under an alternate model that assumes the extension of the provisions implemented by Bush; however, the costs in the former case would be shouldered to a much greater degree by the wealthiest citizens. With a federal program like that in place, the inherently regressive nature of most state and local taxes would be less of a burden on those who have already borne an outsized share of this recession’s pain.	https://washingtonindependent.com/70843/a-taxing-challenge/
Much of the attention in recent policy discussions has been on how to raise taxes on the highest-income Americans. America’s tax system is already progressive, with the richest Americans paying the greatest share of federal taxes. However, to understand and improve the tax system, policymakers should look not only at those paying the highest tax rates, but also at those on the opposite end of the spectrum. The following chart uses data from the Internal Revenue Service to show the percentage of nonpayers (taxpayers who owe zero income taxes after taking their credits and deductions) from 1950 to 2016. Despite occasional dips, the trend has been an increase in the percentage of nonpayers, from 28 percent in 1950 to 33.4 percent in 2016. During this period, the minimum percentage of nonpayers was 16 percent in 1969, and the maximum was 41.7 percent in 2009. The growth of refundable tax credits is driving this increase in nonpayers. As the value of refundable tax credits increases, more people find themselves paying no income taxes. The following chart uses data from the Congressional Budget Office to show the average refundable tax credit rate for the lowest, second, and middle quintiles from 1979 to 2015. The average refundable tax credit rate has increased more than tenfold for the lowest quintile, from 1.2 percent in 1979 to 12.4 in 2015. The second and middle quintiles have seen increases as well. Average refundable tax credit rates, and therefore the percentage of nonpayers, began to climb dramatically after the Tax Reform Act of 1986, which increased the value of the standard deduction and almost doubled the size of the personal exemption. The creation and expansion of credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Credit, and various energy and education credits in later decades further contributed to the increase in the percentage of nonpayers. The percentage of nonpayers also spiked during the Great Recession. The so-called Stimulus package included the Making Work Pay tax credit, which reduced taxes for low- and middle-income households. Today, tax credits provide a negative income tax rate to the bottom two quintiles, causing their income to increase. While the percentage of nonpayers has decreased slightly over the last decade, it may increase again as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. With the expansion of the standard deduction and the child tax credit, more households are expected to have their tax liabilities eliminated. As fewer Americans pay income taxes, the remaining taxpayers shoulder a greater share of the burden. As a result, the income tax burden has grown more progressive over time. From 1986 to 2016, for example, the top 1 percent’s share of income taxes rose from 25.8 percent to 37.3 percent, while the bottom 90 percent’s share fell from 45.3 percent to 30.5 percent. As policymakers debate narrow taxes on small groups of individuals, they should keep in mind that the income tax base itself has been narrowing for decades, as more and more people pay no income taxes. Tax credits continue to shrink the tax base and raise the percentage of nonpayers. If policymakers want to increase revenue significantly, they will have to look to broad-based taxes that fall on everyone, rather than targeted taxes on select groups. Those paying no federal income taxes may still owe other taxes. The Tax Policy Center has estimated that about 65 percent of those who pay no federal income taxes still owe payroll taxes, and that refundable tax credits completely offset the payroll tax for only approximately 9 percent of households. See Philip Stallworth and Daniel Berger, “The TCJA Is Increasing the Share of Households Paying No Federal Income Tax,” Tax Policy Center, Sept. 5, 2018, https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/tcja-increasing-share-households-paying-no-federal-income-tax.	https://aoneacctg.com/2019/03/14/a-growing-percentage-of-americans-have-zero-income-tax-liability/
Technological Dynamism and the Fall in Labor's Share The rise of "superstar firms" that are adept at patenting and using new technologies may be key to understanding the changing income shares of capital and labor. Labor's share of economic output, the ratio of wages and compensation to national income, has declined in the last three decades in most developed nations, but the explanation of this trend is not yet clear. A new study of U.S. industries finds that the rise of "superstar firms" that dominate their sectors is a key factor. On average, the greater the share of an industry's sales that are concentrated among a small group of leading firms, the larger the decline in labor's share of that industry's output, the researchers of The Fall of the Labor Share and the Rise of Superstar Firms (NBER Working Paper No. 23396) report. They find that superstar firms enjoy wide profit margins in part because of their ability to capitalize on rapid technological change. The decline in labor's share "is largely due to the reallocation of sales between firms rather than a general fall in the labor share within incumbent firms," David Autor, David Dorn, Lawrence F. Katz, Christina Patterson, and John Van Reenen write. It is not that all firms have enjoyed a general fall in the shares of their sales going to labor costs — it is more that the superstar firms with low labor shares are capturing an ever greater share of the market, pushing down the aggregate labor share. The researchers show that "these patterns are also present in firm- and industry-level datasets from other OECD countries." In contrast to previous studies that have looked to macroeconomic and industry-level data to explain labor's diminishing share, these researchers assemble firm- and establishment-level census data for six major sectors of the U.S. economy from 1982 through 2012 covering four-fifths of private sector employment. Labor's share of U.S. output fell from about 67 percent to 61 percent during that period. Looking at supplemental data for several OECD nations in Europe over part of that period, they find that such declines are common and are even larger in France, Germany, and Sweden. The researchers find a consistent pattern in all six sectors. The market share of superstar firms is rising, causing an increase in concentration in detailed industries within these sectors. The industries where concentration rose most during the study period were the same ones in which the labor share declined most. This decline was due to the reallocation of output to superstar firms, rather than a general fall in labor share across all firms. Over their three decades of data, the researchers find that the effects of concentration on labor share are accelerating. For example, they report that during the second half of their study period, rising concentration in manufacturing was responsible for a third of the fall of labor's share. A complementary analysis of firm data from many other developed nations reveals patterns that closely resemble the changes observed in the United States. Almost all countries experience a decline in labor's share of income that is primarily due to the expansion of large firms with low labor shares, rather than a broad-based fall in labor income across all firms. The researchers suggest that these patterns are not simply due to greater lobbying by dominant firms driving up barriers to entry and expansion. "The growth of concentration is disproportionately apparent in industries experiencing faster technical change as measured by the growth of patent intensity or total factor productivity, suggesting that technological dynamism, rather than simply anti-competitive forces, is an important driver of this trend," they conclude. However, they caution, even if the growth of superstars arises from competition on the merits, dominant firms may exploit their market power to protect their positions.	https://www.nber.org/digest/aug17/technological-dynamism-and-fall-labors-share
Personal Security Information - Always be aware of your surroundings. - Familiarize yourself with the Run-Hide-Fight philosophy and always be prepared to react to active assaults. - Use a buddy system when walking in remote locations. Make use of lighted areas when walking or running. - Walkers, joggers, etc. should wear bright colored, reflective clothing. Use pavements where possible. - Always cross streets at designated cross walks - look both ways before crossing. - Keep doors and windows locked at all times. THIS INCLUDES UNATTENDED VEHICLES - we routinely see thefts from vehicles that are left unlocked. AT WORK: - Check the identity of any strangers who enter your workplace. If they make you uncomfortable, notify security or management immediately. If in doubt, call police. - If you notice signs of potential violence in a fellow employee, report it to the appropriate person. Immediately report any incidents of sexual harassment. For more tips on safety, contact our agency. We would be happy to provide additional tips specific to your situation and we also entertain safety seminars.	https://montgomery.crimewatchpa.com/lowerpottsgrovepd/6382/content/personal-security-information
The Analects and Apology Both Confucius’ The Analects and Plato's Apology deal with the life of the individual in the state and both reach some rather similar conclusions about certain aspects of living in society. Wing-Tsit Chan has noted that the term jen appears 105 times in the 499 short “chapters” of The Analects. The “man of jen” is the man of the Golden Rule, the virtuous man who not only perfects his own character but also perfects the character of others. This man may or may not, according to the tenor of the times, attempt to play a role in government. The Analects and Apology research papers have been written by philosophy experts. Paper Masters can produce a custom written project following your guidelines. The Analects and Apology and Virtue The man of jen is the embodiment of virtue generally, and many specific virtues as well. And it is the virtuous life that is important in Confucian philosophy, not the outer trappings of wealth and success. In IV:5 Confucius states that wealth and high station are desired, but that unless they can be obtained in the “right way,” he, Confucius would not want them. Confucius takes a rather dim view of the ordinary activities of ordinary men. Thus, he states, “The gentleman understands what is moral. The small man understands what is profitable.” Clearly, Confucius believes that there is, in moral terms, a higher kind of life than most people attain, a life driven by virtue and benevolence and integrity rather than the high opinion of other people. Hence, “The gentleman is troubled about his own lack of ability, not by the failure of other’s to appreciate him.” The Analects and Apology and Socrates Similar concerns are expressed by Socrates in Plato’s Apology. What has always fascinated people about the Apology has been Socrates’ utter intransigence with respect to the demands of the state and society when those demands involve compromising his ability to lead a virtuous and meaningful life. Friedlander has seen in his downfall the collapse of Athens itself, a collapse caused when the city “could no longer tolerate its most loyal servant .” Socrates believes that he owes the Athenian state his life if it wishes to take it, but he denies that he owes the state a renunciation of his characteristic virtue of integrity.	https://papermasters.com/analects-apology.html
Credence is a subsidiary under Great Eastern Financial Advisers (GEFA). At Credence, we believe and put into practice our core motto of People, Progression and Performance. We believe in empowering the young; our People, with skills and knowledge that they can bring forth into their careers. Through Credence Internship, our interns will get a glimpse of the finance industry. Mentorship opportunities by experienced industry practitioners while building strong relationships with fellow students from various varsities. Job Description and Responsibilities: ✅ Enhance your knowledge on financial and investment literacy & wealth accumulation ✅ Boost your resume as you gain Financial Wisdom and Certifications ✅ Participate in personal development workshops ✅ Build your network and lifelong relationships Job Requirements:	https://workclass.co/singapore/jobs/summer-finance-internship-2022-117979/
A trapezoidal prism is such a prism that the polygons involved are trapezoids. The definition of the prism is a geometric body such that it is formed by two equal and parallel polygons with each other and the rest of their faces are parallelograms. A prism can have different shapes, which depend not only on the number of sides of the polygon but on the polygon itself. If the polygons involved in a prism are square, then this is different from a prism that involves rhombuses for example, even though both polygons have the same number of sides. Therefore, it depends on which quadrilateral is involved. Characteristics of a Trapezoidal Prism To see the characteristics of a trapezoidal prism you must start by knowing how it is drawn, then what properties the base meets, what the surface area is and finally how its volume is calculated. 1- Drawing a trapezoidal prism To draw it, it is first necessary to define what a trapezoid is. A trapezoid is an irregular polygon with four sides (quadrilateral), such that it has only two parallel sides called bases and the distance between its bases is called height. To draw the right trapezoidal prism you start by drawing a trapezoid. Then, a vertical line of length "h" is projected from each vertex and finally, another trapezoid is drawn such that its vertices coincide with the ends of the lines drawn above. You can also have an oblique trapezoidal prism, whose construction is similar to the previous one, you just have to draw the four lines parallel to each other. 2- Properties of a Trapezoidal Prism As said before, the shape of the prism depends on the polygon. In the particular case of the trapeze we can find three different types of bases: -Rectangular trapezoid: it is that trapezoid such that one of its sides is perpendicular to its parallel sides or that it simply has a right angle. - Isosceles trapezoid: it is a trapezoid such that its non-parallel sides have the same length. Scalene trapezoid: it is that trapeze that is not isosceles or rectangle; Its four sides have different lengths. As can be seen according to the type of trapezoid used, the different prism will be obtained. 3- Surface area of a Trapezoidal Prism To calculate the surface area of a trapezoidal prism, we need to know the area of the trapezoid and the area of each parallelogram involved. As can be seen in the previous image, the area involves two trapezoids and four different parallelograms. The area of a trapezoid is defined as T = (b1 + b2) xa / 2 and the areas of the parallelograms are P1 = hxb1, P2 = hxb2, P3 = hxd1 and P4 = hxd2, where “b1” and “b2” are the bases of the trapeze, "d1" and "d2" the non-parallel sides, "a" is the height of the trapeze and "h" the height of the prism. Therefore, the surface area of a trapezoidal prism is A = 2T + P1 + P2 + P3 + P4. 4- Volume of a Trapezoidal Prism Since the volume of a prism is defined as V = (area of the polygon) x (height), it can be concluded that the volume of a trapezoidal prism is V = Txh. 5- Applications One of the most common objects that have the shape of a trapezoidal prism is a gold ingot or the ramps used in motorcycle racing. References - Clemens, SR, O'Daffer, PG, & Cooney, TJ (1998). Geometry. Pearson Education. - Garcia, WF (sf). Spiral 9. Editorial Norma. - Itzcovich, H. (2002). The study of figures and geometric bodies: activities for the first years of schooling. Noveduc Books. - Landaverde, F. d. (1997). Geometry (reprint ed.). Editorial Progreso. - Landaverde, F. d. (1997). Geometry (Reprint ed.). Progress. - Schmidt, R. (1993). Descriptive geometry with stereoscopic figures. Reverte - Uribe, L., Garcia, G., Leguizamón, C., Samper, C., & Serrano, C. (sf). Alpha 8. Editorial Norma. What Is The Volume & Surface Area of a Trapezoidal Prism [All You Need To Know] Reviewed by Yasser fa on December 28, 2019 Rating:	https://www.mobtv.sg/2019/12/Volume-of-a-Trapezoidal-Prism.html
- Published: A multi-step approach to managing missing data in time and patient variant electronic health records BMC Research Notes volume 15, Article number: 64 (2022) - 725 Accesses - 1 Altmetric - Abstract Objective Electronic health records (EHR) hold promise for conducting large-scale analyses linking individual characteristics to health outcomes. However, these data often contain a large number of missing values at both the patient and visit level due to variation in data collection across facilities, providers, and clinical need. This study proposes a stepwise framework for imputing missing values within a visit-level EHR dataset that combines informative missingness and conditional imputation in a scalable manner that may be parallelized for efficiency. Results For this study we use a subset of data from AMPATH representing information from 530,812 clinic visits from 16,316 Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) positive women across Western Kenya who have given birth. We apply this process to a set of 84 clinical, social and economic variables and are able to impute values for 84.6% of variables with missing data with an average reduction in missing data of approximately 35.6%. We validate the use of this imputed dataset by predicting National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) enrollment with 94.8% accuracy. Introduction Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are systematized sources of patient data that medical providers collect and store using digital tools. They have the potential to improve patient care by providing access to rich, longitudinal, patient-level data that may be used to advance precision medicine and lead to more personalized care [1,2,3,4,5]. In addition to facilitating more customized care, EMRs can be used to build machine learning models and generate new insights regarding patient behavior, biology and health outcomes [6,7,8]. One of the primary challenges posed by EHRs is that they often contain large amounts of missing data [2, 4, 9]. Practitioners entering data for a clinical-encounter may only elect to enter fields relevant to the patient’s clinical needs at that time, and data may be aggregated across sites that have varying standards for record-keeping . By proposing a scalable, stepwise system for imputing considerable volumes of missing values we hope to make EMR data more accessible researchers interested in leveraging the big data aspects of these records, and promote collaboration between medical researchers and data scientists. Handling missing data in electronic health records Approaches toward managing missing EHR data vary. In summarizing the use of EHR data to develop risk prediction models, Goldstein et al. found that only 58 of the 90 studies evaluated addressed missing data prior to analysis. The simplest approaches toward managing missing values involve selecting subsets of the data that contain complete information [11, 12], and using stratified mean imputation used to fill-in missing values . Others have designed functions to interpolate longitudinal variables with limited individual-level variability that are typically not dependent on other covariates . This approach is applicable only to continuous measures. Few studies using EHR utilize ‘informative observations’ where the presence of a variable is meaningful for associated, possibly missing values . Simpler approaches toward EHR imputation must consider whether missing values are missing completely at random (MCAR), missing at random (MAR), or missing not at random (MNAR) . Conditional imputation methods may be used to account for these dependencies, most effectively if missing data are MAR [10, 12, 15]. While they may improve completeness and predictive precision, these methods may be computationally intensive when applied to large-scale EHR data with significant amounts of missing values. Research objectives Our goal in this study is to design and utilize a scalable, multi-step approach toward imputing missing values in EHR data (Fig. 1). Our approach recognizes that EHR data is both patient- and time-variant, but that collection methods do not produce data that closely resembles repeated measures from a random population . To assess results, we measure differences in response coverage for each variable, and feed our results into a decision tree classifier designed to predict NHIF enrollment. The ability to accurately predict National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) enrollment serves as validation for the utility of using predicted values in research. Data used For this study we use data from AMPATH—a robust EHR system containing health records for over 150,000 HIV + individuals across Western Kenya. Past research has focused on cohort studies of AMPATH data, selecting measures and observations that minimize the missingness of these data . We specifically focus on a subset of these data that contain longitudinal information from 530,812 clinic visits for 16,316 HIV positive women who have given birth. Clinic visits span from December 19th, 2001 to September 2nd, 2013. The average number of clinic visits per patient is 32 with a standard deviation of 23. The maximum number of visits across this dataset is 162. This analysis focuses on a set of 84 variables of interest to researchers studying HIV diagnosis and maternal health outcomes among HIV positive Kenyan women [17, 18]. Approximately 93% of these variables contain missing values across visits. Among these, 42% are missing more than half of possible recorded values. Variables included access factors such as antiretroviral (ARV) medication regimen, clinical HIV wellness information such as CD4 count and viral load, diagnosis of respiratory illness, delivery information, social and economic background information about the mother, and NHIF enrollment. Main text Methods Step 1: filling binary variable dependencies in visit-level data Missing values in the dataset may be non-applicable, or they may represent “no” values depending on the interface available or the decisions of the individual entering data. Using domain expertise, we identify dependencies between variables and develop a function that uses these dependencies to fill missing “no” values within binary variables. This step is performed using visit level data for each patient. Not only does this cleaning step improve data coverage, it provides variance that may be helpful when filling in other values. Figure 1 summarizes this and all subsequent analytic steps. Step 2: patient-level interpolation of continuous values For continuous, individual-level variables that are missing instances of reporting throughout the dataset, we rely on linear interpolation. Examples of variables imputed by this step include body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, arterial oxygen saturation (Sa02). We elect to build linear models using observed data and predict values for gaps based on this relationship. For this step, we utilize visit level data for each patient. Because this step relies on individuals’ data, it can be completed in parallel and is highly scalable for larger datasets. Step 3: multiple imputation by chained equations for patient-level data Using the dataset that has been partially filled based on the previous two steps, we use multiple imputation by chained equations (MICE) to fill the remaining values. First, due the challenge of accounting for temporal variation in this dataset, we convert the data from visit-level to patient level prior to MICE imputation by randomly selecting one observation to represent an individual. MICE is a conditional imputation approach that has been shown to be effective for imputing EHR data with low error [10, 19]. This imputation process leverages five distinct steps. First, it creates multiple copies of the dataset and replaces missing values with randomly selected, temporary ‘placeholder’ variables. Separate regression models are used to impute missing values across data copies for each variable. These predictions are then pooled, creating a set number of candidate, imputed datasets from which we randomly select a value. Given that the majority of responses are categorical and variation is minimal, we do not anticipate random selection to change the structure of the data. To complete this step, we use the package mice in R , and specify the use of classification and regression trees with five data copies to fill values. Step 4: filling visit-level dataset and cleaning date variables To create values that represent individuals and reduce the possible impact of outliers, we randomly select one row per patient. Finally, because we note that MICE incorrectly fills in date values for two variables—delivery date and CD4 count date—we elect to complete our data generation process by carrying the last available date forward for each patient. Validation using random forest modeling We validate imputed values by building a random forest model designed to predict enrollment in the NHIF. This measure is both patient- and time-variant, and it is present for 107,566 visits within the dataset. We randomly select 80% of the dataset to use as a training set, and 20% to use as a test or validation set. The random forest model includes fourteen measures expected to correlate with NHIF enrollment, all of which were included in the imputation process. We then measure the performance of this classifier by comparing the accuracy and F1-scores of the predicted and observed test set enrollment values (Table 1). Results Filling binary variable dependencies in visit-level data The majority of dependency-filled variables relate to ARV medication regimens. We assume that if individuals report: (a) being on ARV but; (b) have no reported change in ARV regimen, then we mark all subsequent change behaviors as values as “no” (Table 1). This approach led to an average 72.4% increase in the number of visit-level values filled. Step 2: patient-level interpolation of continuous values Using the parameters identified, we interpolated values for 33 variables in our dataset. These variables represent variables that are numeric and have at least ten unique values across the total dataset. The majority of these values are continuous values with variance that depends only on the individual and not on the cohort or clinic. Because we have a limited number of observations for many individuals, this limits our degrees of freedom and inhibits the inclusion of control variables and smoothing parameters. Variables addressed using this technique include continuous measures such as: body weight, CD4 count, and diastolic/systolic blood pressure. Using these four variables as an illustration, we find that within the visit-level dataset, approximately 10.9% and 11.0% of entries are missing for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively, 10.1% are missing for body weight, and 84.9% are missing for CD4 count. Interpolating values per patient drops the number of missing visit-level values to zero for all variables. Figure 2 illustrates that filling visit-level data gaps with time-based linear interpolation produces results that follow patterns similar to those observed for patients. Steps 3 and 4: MICE for patient level data, filling and cleaning visit-level dataset We next reduce our dataset from visit level to patient-level, apply MICE imputation, and use generated values to fill gaps in the visit-level dataset. Comparing the original dataset to the final, imputed dataset, we note that 78 focal variables required imputation. At least some missing values were filled for 66 (84.6%) of variables. Only 12 variables saw no reduction in missing values. Figure 3 displays the change in percent missing per variable pre- and post-imputation. We note that 20 variables saw a percent reduction in missing values of 80% or more. In terms of processing time, we completed all cleaning and imputation steps within 6 hours by parallelizing each component. Validation We validate our data by predicting visit-level NHIF enrollment using a random forest algorithm. Within our data, an estimated 7% percent of women are enrolled, which is in line with national estimates of approximately 11% . Our model uses the following measures as predictors: pregnancy outcomes and location/delivery help; the state of illness as defined by WHO weight loss state, respiratory infection, viral load, and ARV medication regimen; socioeconomic status as measured by educational attainment and, and select background characteristics including age, age at first pregnancy, and number of children under 18 months of age. We find that despite class imbalance, our classifier performs well and achieves an accuracy of 94.8% and an F1 score of 0.587 (Appendix: Table 2). Furthermore, indications of component variable significance (Appendix: Table 3), illustrate that indicators of illness progression such as BMI and later WHO weight loss stages are significant predictors of NHIF enrollment. Education is also a key predictor; a bivariate analysis indicates that those with recorded insurance have an average of 9 years of education versus 7.5 years of education among those who do not (t = 112.54, p < 0.001). These factors correspond with existing research addressing determinants of healthcare access among rural Kenyan women [18, 22]. Discussion The scale of EHR data offer numerous advantages for health researchers. The primary challenge of using these data, however, is that they typically contain a number of missing values [2, 4, 9]. By leveraging this step-wise cleaning and imputation process, we are able to fill values for 84.6% of selected variables with initial non-zero missingness on a dataset that contains information on 530,812 visits for 16,316 patients. A predictive model utilizing these data is highly accurate and validates what is known about health insurance enrollment among rural Kenyan women [17, 18, 21]. One of the goals underlying this work is to encourage researchers across disciplines to leverage the ‘big data’ aspects of EHR [4, 5]. Rather than reduce their dataset to a handful of predictors or a single cohort of observations, researchers may use the full dataset and engage in more data-driven, predictive model building and gain new insights into the association between healthcare provision, patient characteristics and behavior, and health outcomes. Limitations Two key limitations of this approach is that our MICE imputation model is time-invariant, and that it does not account for spatial autocorrelation among nearby clinics. In the future, we may adapt approaches for imputing panel data to suit this task. There are also variables for which we have too few observations to impute. Future work may explore methods of predicting these values with little to no ground truth data. Availability of data and materials The de-identified datasets used and/or analyzed in this current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Abbreviations - EHR: - Electronic health records - AMPATH: - Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare - MICE: - Multiple imputation by chained equations - NHIF: - National Hospital Insurance Fund References Abul-Husn NS, Kenny EE. Personalized medicine and the power of electronic health records. Cell. 2019;177:58–69. Carter JT. Electronic medical records and quality improvement. Neurosurg Clin N Am. 2015;26(245–51):ix. Evans RS. Electronic health records: then, now, and in the future. Yearb Med Inform. 2016. https://doi.org/10.15265/IYS-2016-s006. Hemingway H, Asselbergs FW, Danesh J, Dobson R, Maniadakis N, Maggioni A, et al. Big data from electronic health records for early and late translational cardiovascular research: challenges and potential. Eur Heart J. 2018;39:1481–95. Ristevski B, Chen M. Big data analytics in medicine and healthcare. J Integr Bioinforma. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1515/jib-2017-0030. Golas SB, Shibahara T, Agboola S, Otaki H, Sato J, Nakae T, et al. A machine learning model to predict the risk of 30-day readmissions in patients with heart failure: a retrospective analysis of electronic medical records data. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2018;18:44. Lin H, Long E, Ding X, Diao H, Chen Z, Liu R, et al. Prediction of myopia development among Chinese school-aged children using refraction data from electronic medical records: a retrospective, multicentre machine learning study. PLoS Med. 2018;15:e1002674. Schwartz JT, Gao M, Geng EA, Mody KS, Mikhail CM, Cho SK. Applications of machine learning using electronic medical records in spine surgery. Neurospine. 2019;16:643–53. Goldstein BA, Navar AM, Pencina MJ, Ioannidis JPA. Opportunities and challenges in developing risk prediction models with electronic health records data: a systematic review. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2017;24:198–208. Beaulieu-Jones BK, Lavage DR, Snyder JW, Moore JH, Pendergrass SA, Bauer CR. Characterizing and managing missing structured data in electronic health records: data analysis. JMIR Med Inform. 2018;6:e11. Bloomfield GS, Hogan JW, Keter A, Holland TL, Sang E, Kimaiyo S, et al. Blood pressure level impacts risk of death among HIV seropositive adults in Kenya: a retrospective analysis of electronic health records. BMC Infect Dis. 2014;14:284. Martín-Merino E, Calderón-Larrañaga A, Hawley S, Poblador-Plou B, Llorente-García A, Petersen I, et al. The impact of different strategies to handle missing data on both precision and bias in a drug safety study: a multidatabase multinational population-based cohort study. Clin Epidemiol. 2018;10:643–54. Dalton A, Bottle A, Soljak M, Okoro C, Majeed A, Millett C. The comparison of cardiovascular risk scores using two methods of substituting missing risk factor data in patient medical records. J Innov Health Inform. 2011;19:225–32. Kenward MG, Molenberghs G. Missing data in clinical studies. Hoboken: Wiley; 2007. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470510445. Garies S, Cummings M, Quan H, McBrien K, Drummond N, Manca D, et al. Methods to improve the quality of smoking records in a primary care EMR database: exploring multiple imputation and pattern-matching algorithms. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2020;20:56. Honaker J, King G. What to do about missing values in time-series cross-section data. Am J Polit Sci. 2010;54:561–81. Were LPO, Hogan JW, Galárraga O, Wamai R. Predictors of health insurance enrollment among HIV positive pregnant women in Kenya: potential for adverse selection and implications for HIV treatment and prevention. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17:2892. Were LPO, Were E, Wamai R, Hogan J, Galarraga O. Effects of social health insurance on access and utilization of obstetric health services: results from HIV+ pregnant women in Kenya. BMC Public Health. 2020;20:87. Azur MJ, Stuart EA, Frangakis C, Leaf PJ. Multiple imputation by chained equations: what is it and how does it work? Int J Methods Psychiatr Res. 2011;20:40–9. van Buuren S. Package “mice”. 2020. https://cran.r-project.org/package=mice. Accessed 26 Aug 2020. Barasa E, Rogo K, Mwaura N, Chuma J. Kenya National Hospital Insurance Fund Reforms: implications and lessons for universal health coverage. Health Syst Reform. 2018;4:346–61. Maina JM, Kithuka P, Tororei S. Perceptions and uptake of health insurance for maternal care in rural Kenya: a cross sectional study. Pan Afr Med J. 2016;23:125. Acknowledgements We are grateful to the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH)—Kenya for providing the data used in this study. We would also like to thank Dr. Sara Lodi of Boston University’s School of Public Health for reviewing drafts of this manuscript and providing valuable insight and direction. Funding This work is supported by: (CFAR) NIH/NIAID fund P30AI042853. None of the funders were involved in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript. Ethics declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate All the data analyzed in this study was from the AMPATH Medical Records System (AMRS) and was de-identified. De-identification was done by data managers and programmers at AMPTH who extracted the data from the AMRS and removed identifiers including: names; Kenya national identification numbers; dates of birth; mobile phone numbers; and residential information. Thus, this study was not considered human subjects research. Nevertheless, the Institutional Research and Ethics Committee (IREC) at Moi University/Moi Teaching and Referral hospital in Eldoret, Kenya approved the study. Anonymized data were stored on a secure, password protected server and transferred between collaborators via encrypted email. Consent for publication Not applicable. Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Additional information Publisher's Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Rights and permissions Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data. About this article Cite this article Cesare, N., Were, L.P.O. A multi-step approach to managing missing data in time and patient variant electronic health records. BMC Res Notes 15, 64 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-022-05911-w Received: Accepted: Published:	https://bmcresnotes.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13104-022-05911-w
The Rundown: Skulldigger’s role in stopping a multiversal threat is revealed. Skulldigger tracks two crooks planning something big and proceeds to get the information from them the only way he knows how. In the aftermath, one of them escapes when an object hurtles across the sky and lands on a nearby rooftop. After discovering that the object is Andromeda, Skulldigger finds himself being attacked by another Andromeda and barely escaping with their lives. Back at Skulldigger’s base, Doctor Andromeda awakens and explains what is happening and how their world is connected to others with something unknown trapped at the center. After telling his story, Andromeda enlists Skulldigger’s help to stop his double from unleashing a grave threat to their world. Back in the present, Black Hammer and Skulldigger face off against a team of villains and Skulldigger has an unusual plan that will require them to be captured so they can be taken to the person he’s seeking. The Story: Lemire starts bringing all of the story elements together brilliantly in a story that caught me by surprise in its depth and complexity. Lemire uses the character of Skulldigger brilliantly and the backstory informs so much of the motivation of the character and the circumstances that brought him into the life of Black Hammer. I cannot wait to see where this story goes next and how it evolves both its plot and characters. The Art: The artists do some great work with the visuals in the issue. The imagery is fun and vibrant with a classic comic look and feel.	https://www.superpoweredfancast.com/black-hammer-reborn-6-review/
NEPA National Environmental Policy Act The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 4321-4375, provides a significant opportunity to affect U.S. Government decision making that could harm the environment – including both natural and physical resources such as sacred, cultural and historic sites. A federal agency may not proceed with a proposed action until it performs an environmental review that includes meaningful consideration of alternatives to the proposed action that would avoid or have a less harmful impact. As with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, NEPA is a procedural statute and therefore does not require a specific result in every case. Rather, NEPA simply insists that federal agencies take a "hard look" at the environmental impact of its actions through its decision-making process. This means that a federal agency must prepare a "detailed statement" on "every recommendation or report on proposals for legislation and other major federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment." Each statement – known as an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) – must set forth a baseline assessment of the environment and address: The environmental impact of the proposed action, including direct, indirect and cumulative impacts; Any adverse environmental effects which cannot be avoided should the proposal be implemented; Alternatives to the proposed action (the "heart" of NEPA); The relationship between local short-term uses of man's environment and the maintenance and enhancement of long-term productivity; and Any irreversible and irretrievable commitments of resources which would be involved in the proposed action should it be implemented. Federal agencies cannot consider the impact of their actions in a vacuum. Rather, an agency must obtain and consider the comments of other federal agencies with jurisdiction over the action at issue, state and local governments. A federal agency must also provide public notice, meetings and hearings, as well as make its Environmental Impact Statements, comments, underlying documents, and so forth available to the public for review. Consultation must occur early in the process to ensure meaningful input and informed decision making. Federal agencies initiate their NEPA responsibilities by preparing an Environmental Assessment (EA) to determine whether preparation of an EIS is necessary. An EA is a "concise public document" that serves to: Briefly provide sufficient evidence and analysis for determining whether to prepare an environmental impact statement or a finding of no significant impact; Aid an agency's compliance with the Act when no environmental impact statement is necessary; and Facilitate preparation of a statement when one is necessary. If a federal agency decides, after preparation of its EA, that the proposed action will not "significantly affect the quality of the human environment," then the agency will issue a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), thereby terminating the NEPA process. Critical to the agency's analysis is whether its proposed action will have a significant affect on historic or cultural resources. At issue may be the degree and manner in which a proposed action affects historic or cultural sites that are listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Will the impact be direct (such as the construction of a highway through a historic site) or indirect (such as the construction of a highway near a historic site), and do the impacts, although individually "insignificant," rise to the level of a "significant impact" when considered together? Potentially minor impacts, such as visual intrusions, increased noise levels and pollution, may be identified as a significant affect (or "cumulative impact") when viewed collectively. If the federal agency decides that its actions could affect the environment, then it will either decide to change the project to mitigate the impacts and issue a FONSI, or initiate preparation of a full blown EIS. The EIS is a lengthy and detailed document that explains the impact of an agency's proposed action on the environment and the alternatives considered to avoid those impacts. Typically, preparation of an EIS begins with the publication of a "notice of intent" in the Federal Register, followed by "scoping" to identify the environmental impacts to address and the range of alternatives to consider. Next, a Draft EIS (DEIS) is prepared that describes the proposed action and discusses why it is necessary; explains how that action would impact the environment (including historic properties); and identifies and discusses alternatives to the proposed action. Following an agency review and public comment period, the draft is revised in response to the comments submitted. The final document, referred to as the Final EIS (FEIS), is issued along with a Record of Decision (ROD). The ROD serves as notice to the public that the FEIS has been prepared. Typically, it includes a brief statement of the agency's decision; discussion on alternatives considered in the EIS and the alternative which would have the least harmful impact; factors weighed by the agency in making its decision; and measures adopted to mitigate or minimize the environmental impacts of the alternative selected. The Preservation Leadership Forum of the National Trust for Historic Preservation is a network of preservation leaders — professionals, students, volunteers, activists, experts — who share the latest ideas, information, and advice, and have access to in-depth preservation resources and training.
Workers Compensation Lawyers Sydney If you had a physical or psychological injury at work or because of the nature and conditions of your employment as a worker or deemed worker, you may be able to bring a workers compensation claim. Employers are required by law to have compulsory workers compensation for their employees. Individuals who are deemed workers such as casual, part-time or full-time employees and self-employed individuals may be able to make a workers compensation claim. Worker’s Compensation is a no-fault system and it is important that you look in to all your rights and entitlements under the scheme. In certain circumstances, workers can also make a work injury damages claim. What Can I Claim for Workers’ Compensation? What you can claim largely depends on your unique situation. Under the Workers Compensation scheme, generally you can be compensated for the following: - Weekly payments during periods of incapacity for work; - Hospital, medical treatment, rehabilitation and travel expenses that are reasonably necessary; - Domestic assistance; - Lump sum compensation for Whole Person Impairment if your Whole Person Impairment is greater than 10% for a physical injury or greater than 14% for a primary psychological injury. In the case of exempt workers you may be entitled to claim lump sum if your physical injury is assessed as being greater than 0%; - Dependency and funeral expenses in the event of the death of a worker; and - Work Injury Damages. You should seek legal advice in relation to what you are entitled to as the aspects of your claim need to be assessed and reviewed. How do I make a Workers Compensation Claim - Report your injury to your employer Once an injury arises in the workplace, the worker should immediately seek first aid and report the accident to the employer. The employer is obliged to keep a register for work-related accidents. An incident form should be completed. You should keep a copy of this form. For more details on notification of injury, see here. You should ensure that your employer notifies their Workers Compensation insurer. You should then obtain a claim number for your records. - Visit your doctor If you have suffered a work-related injury, visit your doctor to get treatment. You should do so even if you think your injury is not that serious as sometimes the extent of the injury only becomes apparent with the passing of time. You should ensure that you give as much detail and explanation as possible about your injury to your doctor. - Obtain a “Certificate of Capacity” from your doctor Once you seek treatment from your doctor in relation to your work-related injury, your doctor will issue you with a “Certificate of Capacity.” This certificate is important in making your claim.The ‘Certificate of Capacity’ specifies that you were injured in a work-related accident. It also indicates the type of the injury (I.e., repetitive strain injury, muscular stress, cuts and deep cuts etc.) and the period which you will be unable to work as a result of the injury. More details on certificate of capacity can be found below - Obtain a Workers Compensation Claim Form Your employer should give you this form to complete when you report your injury. If your employer fails to give this form to you, you can get a copy of the form from your doctor or State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) - Complete and Submit the Form You should then complete the Workers Compensation Form attaching the Certificate of Capacity issued by your doctor and submit the form to your employer. Make sure you keep a copy of the form and the certificate for your records. You should lodge the claim within six months of your injury. Time extensions may apply, and you should seek legal advice if you require assistance with making a claim as soon as you first become aware of your injury. Exempt Worker Exempt workers include police officers, firefighters and paramedics. If you are an exempt worker, you can claim lump sum compensation for physical injuries if you are assessed as being greater than 0% whole person impairment. You are also eligible to claim compensation for pain and suffering if your injury is assessed as being greater than 10%. During the first 26 weeks, as an exempt worker you are generally entitled to weekly benefits based on your current wage rate pre-injury during the first 26 weeks. Thereafter, you are entitled to 90% (statutory rate) of your average weekly earnings. Deemed Worker In NSW, the Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 (the 1998 Act) defines a “worker” to be a person who has entered into or works under a contract of service or a training contract with an employer (whether by way of manual labour, clerical work or otherwise, and whether the contract is expressed or implied, and whether the contract is oral or in writing). Some people are also classified as deemed workers for the purposes of workers compensation in situations where the employment arrangements do not adhere to the above definition. Work Injury Damages Claim If you have been injured at work and the injuries are a result of the negligence of your employer you may be able to make a Work Injury Damages Claim. A Work Injury Damages Claim is a common law claim for past and future economic loss against your employer for negligence. To make a Work Injury Damages Claim in NSW, you must: - Make a claim for lump sum compensation in respect of whole person impairment under the Workers Compensation Act 1987; - Be assessed as having a whole person impairment of 15% or greater; and - Successfully show that your injury was a result of the negligence of your employer and that negligence has caused you to suffer a loss. You should seek legal advice with respect to your rights to make a Work Injury Damages Claim. Frequently Asked Questions Workers compensation, also known as workers comp, is a form of insurance in place to assist a worker who has suffered a work-related injury. You may be able to claim lost income, treatment expenses, lump sum compensation and domestic assistance. If you meet the definition of a worker under the 1998 Act or are classified as a deemed worker and have suffered a work-related injury or illness or experienced the aggravation of a pre-existing physical or psychological in the workplace, then you may be eligible to make a claim for workers compensation. You must make the claim within six months of the injury or illness occurring or within six months of becoming aware of the injury or illness. The timeframe for making a claim may be extended in certain situations. You can make a workers compensation claim up to three years after the injury occurred if you can show that there was a reasonable basis for the delay. A claim for workers compensation may be denied for several reasons such as the injury not being related to work, the employee not being legally considered as a ‘worker’ or due to a lack of evidence. In NSW, you are eligible to ask for a review of your denied claim. A lawyer can provide you with legal advice tailored to your unique situation as well as guidance as to what steps can be taken next if your claim has been denied by the insurer. You can contact our experienced team to arrange a free consultation. Yes. You can still make a workers compensation claim after 21 days of termination of employment. You may be also entitled to a separate discrimination compensation. Compensation is largely determined by your unique circumstance. Factors such as your capacity, extent of your injury and medical expenses can all affect how much compensation you are entitled to. At Withstand Lawyers, our experienced workers compensation can review your situation and give you an estimate. Why Do I Need A Workers Compensation Lawyer ? To ensure that you receive all your entitlements, it is important that you seek the advice of an experienced lawyer in workers compensation. Many workers may not be aware of their rights under the law and find the claim process daunting. We can take care of your claim and ensure that your rights are pursued to the full extent, while you focus on recovering and returning to work. No Win No Fee Workers Compensation Lawyer Seeking legal advice and obtaining a lawyer can have a significant impact on the amount of compensation you receive. Our personal injury lawyers are experienced and knowledgeable in the area of the workers compensation. We are confident in our expertise and have a no win, no fee policy. Our personal injury lawyers in Sydney will assist you in ensuring that the compensation you are entitled to is maximised. In NSW, legal Costs are covered by the WorkerCover Independent Review Office (WIRO). This means we will not charge you for work done in relation to your workers compensation claim as WIRO covers our fees due our personal injury lawyers being accredited with WIRO. If you have been injured at work or have suffered a work-related illness, please feel free to contact our friendly personal injury lawyers so that we can arrange a free consultation.	https://www.personalinjurylawyersnsw.com.au/workers-compensation/
Self-assessment and self-optimisation of buildings and appliances for a better energy performance Proposals should develop and demonstrate cost-effective technological solutions for the self-assessment of actual energy performance of buildings and the products which use energy in buildings. Such solutions would rely on collection of real-time data from the products installed and used in the building (within a system or stand-alone) and aggregation of this data at the building level. The aim is to follow, over time, and with the best possible granularity, the actual consumption and the evolution of energy performance of the building, individual systems and individual appliances (including those that are integrated within systems). The solution should ensure, to a certain extent, the energy-optimisation functions executed at building, system or appliances level based on the real time and historical data of energy consumption, which can be crossed with other data as appropriate. Proposals should demonstrate how, thanks to existing smart capabilities of appliances, systems and sensors, it would be possible for a building to self-assess its energy performance, address, to a certain extent, its underperformance (lower than the average or lower than as designed energy performance) and provide information on the level of performance and related evolution – at building-level (aggregated view), but also at system / appliance level (disaggregated view). In the calculation of energy performance, at building and product level, proposals should ensure full knowledge of and compliance with the requirements from the EPBD (Annex I on the calculation of energy performance), related CEN standards, with energy consumption measurement approaches and related processes involving smart functionalities (Ecodesign preparatory studies on smart appliances and on Building Automation and Control Systems (BACS)). They should also take into account the technological and regulatory state-of-the-art for (smart) metering and billing. For products regulated under Ecodesign and Energy Labelling, the measured and reported energy consumption should be benchmarked against the provisions of the relevant regulations and used to create a basis for future provisions. Information additional to energy consumption where applicable (i.e. load, programme) should be recorded in order to look into providing input on usage patterns and energy savings potential at appliance level. In this respect, proposals could include activities (e.g. training) aiming at improving skills of installers and service providers, when putting products and systems into service. Proposals should make the best use of available interoperability solutions and should seek to support the promotion of European standards and other relevant European initiatives relevant for smart buildings, smart homes and smart services (semantics, e.g. SAREF, data models, data layers, protocols, software building blocks, APIs, middleware, solutions for smart services, standards, relevant industrial consortia or technology initiatives, etc.). Proposals should demonstrate that the solution proposed would be applicable, based on available technology, across the European building stock and products groups available on the single market and, to this end will include a set of pilots where the solution will be deployed, tested, and related impacts assessed. Pilots should involve several types of products and technical building systems with longer lifecycles (e.g. boilers and water heaters, radiators, ventilation, lighting and BACS controlling one or more of these functions etc.) and with shorter ones (domestic appliances, ICT equipment, multimedia and consumer electronics etc.), testing several types of operating modes and user settings. Recharging points for electric vehicles and other forms of energy storage should also be incorporated in the pilots. Pilots should demonstrate self-assessment and self-reporting of energy consumption at appliancelevel. The proposed solutions should not adversely affect the original functionalities, product quality, lifetime, as well as warranties of the appliances. They should be cost-effective, user-friendly and not require significant development, installation or maintenance work. Besides the pilot demonstrations, proposals are expected to include clear business model development and a clear path to finance and deployment of the proposed solution. These business models and exploitation strategies should target the broad uptake of such solutions across the Europe and clarify how, these solutions could possibly support the development of related energy service businesses, in particular ESCO’s. As part of exploitation activities, proposals should also investigate how such self-assessment solutions could support a forward-looking evolution of energy performance assessment practices, both for buildings (in relation to the EPBD and therein, in particular in relation to Energy Performance Certificates) and for energy-related products (in relation to testing products energy performance under Ecodesign and Energy Labelling Regulations). Projects are required to follow the H2020 guidance on ethics and data protection[[http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/grants_manual/hi/ethics/h2020_hi_ethics-data-protection_en.pdf]] taking into account digital security, privacy and data protection requirements including the compliance with relevant directives/regulations (e.g. NIS[[Directive (EU) 2016/1148 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 2016 concerning measures for a high common level of security of network and information systems across the Union.]] , eIDAS[[Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2014 on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market and repealing Directive 1999/93/EC.]], GDPR[[Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation).]] ) and relevant National Legislation. In addition, consortia should clarify how the proposed solution could support a cost-effective, performance- and data- based assessment of the smart readiness of a building (i.e. the calculation of the 'smart readiness indicator', within the meaning of the EPBD). In relation to this, proposals will also investigate how the solution proposed could lead to the self-assessment of buildings’ smart readiness capabilities beyond solely energy performance, in particular the capability of a building and its appliances to ensure the satisfaction of building users’ needs and the capability of a building to adapt operations based on signals from its environment, in particular the grid (i.e. energy flexibility). The proposals should involve appliance suppliers (e.g. heating, cooling, domestic appliances, and ICT equipment), installers and building energy management solution suppliers. Partners from the energy sectors, which can have an interest in the accurate assessment of energy performance and consumption, can also be relevant (e.g. aggregators and/or suppliers and/or ESCO's). The activities are expected to be implemented at TRL 6-8 (please see part G of the General Annexes). The Commission considers the proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between 3 to 6 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts. This topic contributes to the roadmap of the Energy-efficient Buildings (EeB) PPP. While significant progress has been made, energy efficiency in the Europe is a battle that remains to be won. Buildings, as they represent the biggest energy consumer in the Europe, have a prominent role to play. New buildings consume today much less than they used to. This is due to ambitious policies: the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) has set a demanding framework for energy performance of buildings, which has fostered a rapid evolution of technologies and practices towards greater levels of energy efficiency. This also applies to systems and products that are used in buildings, such as lighting, space and water heaters, domestic appliances and ICT equipment; EU-Regulations on energy-related products under the Ecodesign and Energy Labelling policies are estimated to deliver energy savings of around 175 Mtoe per year in primary energy by 2020, more than the annual primary energy consumption of Italy. Improving skills of installers and service providers can deliver further savings. Energy performance of buildings generally does not reflect consumption from appliances that are not part of technical building systems, such as heating, ventilation and cooling systems. At a time when the designed energy performance of buildings and appliances is improving dramatically, it would be worth gaining an accurate vision and understanding of their actual, real-life energy performance. Access to information on the actual energy performance and energy consumption is essential to help users making informed choices, both in terms of investment and in terms of usage and maintenance. In this respect, a remaining challenge is to advance the way actual energy performance and consumption is assessed and measured. For buildings, the energy performance is mainly calculated at design stage, based on the characteristics of the buildings’ envelope, components and systems. Real consumption can be taken into account but to a certain degree that remains limited. For appliances, energy consumption is tested and monitored as they are placed on the market or put into service under conditions that aim to reflect real life usage. This approach is reliable but still, in-use performance may vary e.g. depending on the way buildings and products are commissioned, installed, set up and utilised, accordingly. For certain products, a specific challenge comes with the software or firmware updates of - usually connected - devices, which often change the original settings with considerable impact on the energy consumption (e.g. disabling of standby-modes). In addition, performance may evolve, i.e. decrease, over the lifetime, which is not reflected by the performance as designed or placed on the market. Addressing therefore the self-assessment of products actual energy performance to achieve or maintain better energy efficiency at appliance level and by extension a better energy management in the building is important. Proposals are expected to demonstrate the impacts listed below using quantified indicators and targets wherever possible: - Primary Energy savings triggered by the project (in GWh/year); - Investments in sustainable energy triggered by the project (in million Euro); - Assessing the energy performance and energy consumption of buildings and products used therein with a greater accuracy; - Contribution to forward-looking calculation and measurement approaches under the EPBD (regulatory calculation of building energy performance, energy performance certification, and smart readiness indicator) and EU product efficiency legislation; - Investments in smart technologies triggered; - Reduction in energy consumption and costs, exceeding the additional energy consumption from ICT equipment and its related cost. Additional positive effects can be quantified and reported when relevant and wherever possible: - Reduction of the greenhouse gas emissions (in tCO2-eq/year) and/or air pollutants (in kg/year) triggered by the project.	https://cordis.europa.eu/programme/rcn/704670/en
Share Scandinavian Unexceptionalism 3 – Gender equality Scandinavian Unexceptionalism 3 – Gender equality Nordic countries have the lowest share of women amongst directors and chief executives Nordic countries have the lowest share of women amongst directors and chief executives Bulgaria is unique as the only EU nation where women actually work more (1pc more) hours than men If you want to find gender equality, turn to Scandinavia. In international rankings the Nordic countries tend to outpace the competition. In the Global Gender Gap Index 2014, published by the World Economic Forum, for example, Iceland has the number one spot followed by Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. In the Complete Mothers’ Index 2015, compiled by Save the Children, Norway scores on top followed by Finland, Iceland, Denmark and Sweden. Sweden has the highest score in the European Union Gender Equality Index followed by Denmark and Finland (the two other Nordic countries are not included in this index). Employment rate of women aged 20-64 across the European Union (per cent) Data given for 2011. Source: Statistics Sweden (2013). Indeed, Nordic countries have for a long time been, and continue to be, pioneers when it comes to gender equality. Women entered the labour market early and have succeeded on their own merits to reach high political positions. Nordic countries also have uniquely gender equal attitudes. It would thus seem that the egalitarian Nordic nations have the best conditions for women to reach the top. Interestingly enough, this is not the case in the private sector – since welfare services monopolies, high tax wedges and social insurance systems limit women’s career opportunities and enterprise. Where in Europe would you expect to find the highest share of women reaching top executive positions – in Western, Northern, Southern or Eastern Europe? This is a question I have often amused myself by asking. Most people expect to find the highest share in the Nordics, and the lowest one in Eastern Europe. They are somewhat surprised to see the map below, based on data gathered by Eurostat about the share of executives. The data shows that Nordic countries have the lowest share of women amongst directors and chief executives – and that the Eastern European countries have the highest. Then difference is stark between Bulgaria, where almost half of the executives are women, at one end and Sweden and Denmark, where one in ten executives are women, on the other. Source: Sanandaji (2014). That Nordic countries struggle with women’s career progress has been noted for some years. In 1998 the International Labor Office concluded that an unusually gender‑segregated labour market had developed in Scandinavian countries, since many women worked in the public rather than the private sector: “in terms of differences amongst industrialized countries, several studies comment on how Nordic countries, and in particular Sweden, have among the greatest inequalities”. A key explanation lies in the nature of the welfare state. In the Nordics, female-dominated sectors such as healthcare and education are mainly run by the public sector. A study from the Nordic Innovation Centre notes: “Nearly 50 per cent of all women employees in Denmark are employed in the public sector. Compared to the male counterpart where just above 15 per cent are employed in the public sector. This difference alone can explain some of the gender gap with respect to entrepreneurship. The same story is prevalent in Sweden.” The lack of competition reduces long-term productivity growth and overall levels of pay in the female dominated public sector. It also combines with union wage setting to create a situation where individual hard work is not rewarded significantly: wages are flat and wage rises follow seniority, according to labour union contracts, rather than individual achievement. Women in Scandinavia can of course become managers within the public sector, but the opportunities for individual career paths, and certainly for entrepreneurship, are typically more limited compared with in the private sector. On the other hand, the former planned economies in Central and Eastern Europe are well behind in terms of attitudes towards gender equality. However, during recent years many of these nations have transitioned to market economies which are often freer than the Scandinavian countries, not least when it comes to the issue of welfare monopolies. In these countries, the work patterns of women tend to be more similar to those of men than in Scandinavia. The average employed man in the Nordics works between 16 per cent (Finland) and 27 per cent (Norway) hours more than the average woman. In Lithuania the gap is 13 per cent, and in Latvia and Estonia merely 7 per cent. Bulgaria is unique as the only European Union nation where women actually work more (1 per cent more) hours than men. So although the Nordic countries seemingly have the optimal conditions for women’s career progress, their welfare state systems in fact limits the chances for women to reach executive positions or run their own enterprises. And although the Eastern European are well behind the rest of Europe in terms of attitudes and women’s labour market participation, the women that do work in this part of Europe often manage to reach the top. Free markets foster women’s career progress where gender equality is lacking, whilst public sector monopolies and high tax wedges hinder women’s career progress where gender equality is prospering. Dr. Nima Sanandaji is a research fellow at CPS, and the author of Scandinavian Unexceptionalism. The entire book is available through the Institute of Economic Affairs which has published it. Share
Written by Kim Furlow, Institute for Public Health; Natalie Galucia, MSW; Nancy Morrow-Howell, MSW, PhD; and Emma Swinford, MPH, MSW, Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging Stay-at-home orders have meant that the routines of millions of people have been disrupted. To stay safe at home, many older adults have been disconnected from jobs, travel plans, grandparent obligations, volunteer engagements, and social gatherings with friends and family. For many, this has been a disorienting shift in the use of time; and for others, it has been very instructive. In the past two months, we have all been forced to devise a new structure in our days, schedules, and even in our society. We are now finding new ways to fill our time at home, complete our errands, maintain relationships, and decide what fundamentally, on a daily basis, gives us purpose. To help prioritize time management and restructure our downtime, care professionals recommend making lists of all daily activities and incorporating a variety of things to do, including cooking, connecting with friends and/or family, exercise and rest. This may also be a good time to start learning a new hobby, honing a specific skill or taking a class online. Knowing what you want to accomplish is just as important as it’s always been, so identifying immediate and long term goals keep us on track and provides a sense of accomplishment. The pandemic provides an opportunity for older adults nearing retirement to think critically about what life might look like in the next few years, or even decades. Joseph Coughlin, director of the MIT AgeLab, encourages this group to approach this time as a “practice run in retirement,” during which they might revisit financial plans, consider activities that will be appealing and stimulating not just for days, but for years. We are also more aware of who might help us if we become ill with the virus, and who we are committed to help. The pandemic has emphasized the importance of older adults creating care plans for themselves and their loved ones. Circumstances surrounding the pandemic have also spurred conversation about the importance of mental and physical health. Newspapers, television commercials and websites are now in the business of health promotion centering on balanced nutrition, regular exercise and movement, adequate sleep, and social connection. Similarly, the importance of positive mental health habits is being discussed by a wide range of sources, including experts at Washington University in St. Louis. Part of time management also includes creating a balance in how we spend our time. We can focus some of our time on new activities, maintaining social connections and remaining healthy, but we also need to know it is ok to spend hours or days bingeing our favorite shows and indulging in tasty treats. Professionals from the Department of Psychology are speaking with local and national media about ways to ensure good mental health during the pandemic. Institute for Public Health Faculty Scholar, Jessie Gold, MD, MS, who works in the Department of Psychology recently offered these suggestions in an interview with PBS Television. Developing coping skills, managing anxiety, and combating loneliness are just a few of the topics that are being explored on a wider scale. Specific resources for older adults promoting mental and physical health are widely accessible like this page on the CDC website or this article published by the American Psychological Association. Mindful magazine offers this free guide to meditation as part of any good mental health maintenance plan. It’s okay if you don’t know how to meditate to reduce stress. The quick-read guide offers basic instruction aimed at “improving focus,” “getting to know our pain” and “being kinder to ourselves.” Whether in articles or tips presented directly by mental health professionals on radio or TV, all resources seem to concur that good time management and insuring good self-care while “sheltering in place” are key to a healthier “new normal” in our future.	https://publichealth.wustl.edu/covid-19-and-older-adults-time-management-self-care-skills/
SITA. TASR. CTK. Pravda.sk 11.11.2018 14:48, updated: 22:33 Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates the second goal of Juventus in Milan. author: Reuters. ALBERT LINGURIA Milano Milan Shrinkeryar and Inter Milan have played at Atalanta together with their home team in Bergamo, with a surprisingly high 1: 4 at the 12th round of the biggest Euro 2012 A series of 2018/2019. After seven successes, "Inter-Zakopol". The home team was received by Dutch Hans Heather in the 9th minute Innau Mauro Ikarari of Argentina has changed his opponents from the penalty area. This is the seventh league of the season. An hour later, Gianluca Mancini and Atalanta went nervous he scored two more goals – Albany Berat on the 88th minute Jimmy was confident of his inner defeat at the time of the meeting Alejandro Gomez of Argentina. In the first half, the home team scored 16 goals, but the sides changed they added three accurate hits from just three actions. The Duel Milano Club played a Croatian representative in the jersey of Marcello After two yellow cards, Brozovich had to make a pre-trip with a yellow card to the lawn. Slovenský stopér Škriniar was all around the game, 41 minutes into the game. Yellow card. Milano's defender Milan Shkrinjari sees him Yellow card for Atalanta. Author: Reuters, ALBERTO Lingr Juventus Torino defeated San Siren with AC Thanks to the return of Maria Mancini and Christian Ronald with Milan 2: 0. For Portuguese opponents, the league was the eighth goal in the season only Piatek z Janova. At the end of the first half, he could not replace Gonzalo Iguain, just a stick. Smola noted the end of the second half of the year he received two yellow cards for non-sports behavior. The fans of the home team lost 83 minutes later, after Milan lost three winners and the 12th round they are market places. The Turin leaders are the table leader, who are still in the league and second in the league Naples has a 6-point impact. Juventus played in the 229th round, and in recent years, it's a lot The most successful: since January 2013 the Turin club has won 15 times seven duels. Empoli struck Udinese 2-0, scored by Slovak striker Samuel whole match on a substitute chair. Series A – Round 12: Atalanta Bergamo – Inter Milan 4: 1 (1: 0) Purpose: 9. Heightauer, 62th. Mancini, 88. Jimmy, 90 + Alejandro Gomez – 47. Icarador (from the shots), CZ: 90. + Brozovic ("Inter") Milan) after the second round Milan Shkrinnier ("Inter") played the entire match and took the 41st minute Yellow card. Roma – Sampdoria Genoa 4: 1 (1: 0) Purpose: 72nd and 90th centuries. El Shaarawi, 19th. Jesus, 59th, 89. MOSSS Empoli – Udinese 2: 1 (1: 0) Purpose: 41. Zajc, 51. Caputo – 81. Pussetto She sat on a chair beneath Samuel Mraz (Empoli). Kevo Verona – Bologna 2: 2 (2: 1) Purpose: 20. Meggiorini (from strokes), 45. Obi – 5. F.	https://itorm.com/slovakia/juvenus-killed-san-jereiro-and-defeated-iguain-inter-so-shkrineri-zakopol-foreign-league-football-sports/
G. Translational Research Core 1: Health Disparities (Core Director. Andy J. Karter PhD) The following sections outline the three translational research cores of the HMORN-UCSF CDTR. All three will be administered, and their expertise disseminated, through the Administrative Core's Enrichment Program as describe above (section D). G.l. Importance of Core to Translational Research in Diabetes and NIDDK It may be incorrect to assume that the introduction of a novel health intervention into a new practice setting (Type 2 translation) will yield uniform benefits across all patient subgroups (uniform benefit assumption). An intervention proven to be efficacious in one setting might not have been tested in populations with vulnerable or disadvantaged subgroups, such as patients who are poor or less educated, have low health literacy, or belong to minority subgroups. Ensuring that novel interventions benefits all exposed, including vulnerable subgroups, requires monitoring and may require modified approaches or specially targeted efforts. The choice of which target population to apply the translational intervention (e.g., the whole population at risk, only those with elevated risk factors, or the vulnerable populations) may reduce or exacerbate health disparities.(107)' The investigators in this research core will stress the importance of monitoring group-specific effects from the start pt teach new translational intervention and encourage, when possible, conducting pilot studies powered to evaluate subgroup differences before fully implementing the intervention. Early detection of subgroup differences provides an important opportunity to tailor interventions (or make midstream modifications) to better suit those not initially benefiting. Sub-group differences in a translational intervention's effect can result from differences in the adoption of new interventions between subgroups, differing impacts of a new health care policy, and even clinical/biological variation in the effects of an intervention. Social factors such as health literacy, language proficiency, education, income and race/ethnicity may impact the effect of translating a new intervention into practice. The Inverse Care Hypothesis(108,109) proposes that the introduction of a new intervention can yield further advantages for the already advantaged. Vulnerable populations may lack needed social and physical resources needed to avoid disease risk or adopt health-promoting behaviors. Thus, interventions may not be equally effective in all subgroups if the well-off (e.g. better educated, those with higher incomes or better connected) take advantage of a new intervention more quickly or more widely, or if vulnerable populations experience barriers to access (e.g., financial or language-based) or are slower to adopt the new intervention, or if the intervention itself does not meet the needs of some subgroups. Thus, new interventions, even if conferring benefits to the entire population exposed (i.e., improvements for the average person), can unintentionally increase relative health disparities, leaving vulnerable subgroups further behind, with benefits accruing disproportionately to the well-off or risks accruing disproportionately to the vulnerable. The Diabetes Study of Northern California (DISTANCE) reported that patients with low health literacy (e.g. difficulty understanding health education materials or instructions) were less likely to adopt the use of a widely offered internet-based patient portal even if they had access to a computer.(110) We also have preliminary evidence that offering a financial incentive to use mail order prescription refills, while improving use of mail order refills overall and promoting adherence, had a lesser impact in vulnerable populations (minorities, lower income or less educated patients). A corollary question is whether some innovations might actually increase health risks for vulnerable populations. In DISTANCE, we found that diabetes patients who had poorly controlled blood glucose and were prescribed insulin were at greater risk of serious hypoglycemic events if they had low health literacy. (111) A population based study (NHANES) reported a growing disparity in diabetes-related mortality across education levels in the late 1980's until 2005, overall and within gender and race/ethnic subgroups.(112) Thus, there is evidence that innovations in health care, while improving overall health, may unintentionally lead to increased disparities. In contrast, there is a small but growing body of translational research which suggests that developing and/or tailoring innovative healthcare interventions with the explicit goal of reducing health disparities can level the playing field, and even reverse the inverse care law.(109) The use of health communication technology to support self-management in diabetes and heart disease has been investigated by the group at the UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations; they demonstrated that involving the target population in development, tailoring the intervention to meet the needs of vulnerable populations and the health providers and systems that disproportionately care for them, attending to the contextual demands of people's lives when implementing the intervention, can improve the acceptance of the intervention, improve care overall and yield disproportionate improvements among those with limited literacy or limited English proficiency. (113-115) The creation or implementation of health care policy may also provide differing benefits across social subgroups. In recent years, 38 states have passed legislation mandating that health plans provide coverage for diabetic supplies, with the intent to eliminate financial barriers to self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG). Three of the centers included in this CDTR application (Kaiser, UCSF and Harvard) reside in states that experienced these legislative mandates during 1990-2000. Kaiser has used quasiexperimental methods to study the differential effects of the California mandate across social groups. Kaiser provided members with free glucose test strips for 2 years after the legislation took effect, after which a 20% coinsurance was charged for test strip refills. The provision of free strips did not increase utilization, while the new coinsurance slightly decreased utilization, although not enough to have clinical relevance.*' These effect sizes did not differ substantively across social groups. Harvard researchers previously studied the effect of a 1993 Harvard Pilgrim Health Care decision to provide free glucose meters as a member benefit. This policy resulted in increased utilization of SMBG and improved glycemic control overall,(117) but a less persistent adherence to SMBG practice in African Americans.(118) In contrast, there is also evidence that some health policies that improve population health could reduce rather than exacerbate health disparities. In a recent NEJM paper, investigators at the UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations modeled the benefits of modest sodium reduction policies on cardiovascular disease outcomes (strokes and CVD-related death). These models suggest that health gains would be greater among African Americans and those of lower socioeconomic status. (119) The DREAM trial provides a recent example of clinical or biological differences by race/ethnicity in treatment effect. This 2x2 factorial, double-blind RCT was designed to evaluate the efficacy of thiazolidinediones on diabetes prevention among patients with non-diabetic dysglycemia. Not surprisingly, the authors reported substantial differences in the risk of diabetes onset by ethnicity, but also found a differential protective effect of thiazolidinediones by ethnicity.(120) Even if most trials observe no variation in outcomes across high risk subgroups (e.g., an observational effectiveness study at Kaiser showed no differential effect of initiating new diabetes medications (121), the uncertainty about racial or ethnic differences in effectiveness suggests a need for consistent testing in new populations.
It is very important to have a clear picture of what it is you are going to write before you begin the practice of composing an essay. Though it can be quite simple to rush into the process, due to the requirement to finish deadlines and assignments, you may want to devote some time considering the main points that you are going to cover in your document. Writing an essay can be both enjoyable and frustrating. If you are not certain of what you are going to say, it may take a great deal of time, which you may be better spent doing something different. You might college essay writing services not know the correct way to format your paper, so once you sit down to write it, then you may end up stuttering or simply making up a great deal of nonsense. With a few tips, however, you need to be able to prevent these sorts of issues. Firstyou are going to want to consider the goals you’ve got for your own essay. In the end, many students are provided a variety of different kinds of essays to browse and each of them has their particular purpose. Whether you are trying to convey some political perspectives or just to express some ideas and opinions about a particular topic, you will need to think about how you would like to structure your document. When you understand what the particular topics you’re writing about are, then you might want to check at the formal arrangement of the newspaper. Whether you’re going to focus on a single idea or whether you are likely to present several ideas is completely your decision, however if you are unsure as to what you wish to do, then you should consider using a brief conversation with a teacher, so which you can find an concept of what the proper structure of the composition is. When you decide which sort of essay you want to write, you then need to go right ahead and examine the structure of the newspaper. Whether you’ll be using a journal or not, you ought to choose some time to comprehend the design. If you’ve got a distinctive sort of writing paper, this is expected to be one of the first things you look at, since when you get an idea of how it’ll be composed, you will know what stuff you will be putting within the paper. When you have decided on the topic matter and the style of writing you are likely to work with, you should then examine the grammar of the newspaper. The use of the grammar rules should be up for you, but you ought to be aware there are some specific guidelines that you should follow, and so you will know that you are on the perfect track. You should also read through the entire paper, looking for any inconsistencies at the Bible and any other issues you may see with the use of the rules. You should then proceed to compose an essay on a key question that is related to the topic. This will allow you to set your best points onto the webpage and will make the whole process seem far more organized and concrete details professional. Finally, you need to think about writing a article on what your character is really like. Whether you are a shy person or an outgoing person, or someone who is outgoing and booked, you need to be able to communicate exactly what your personality is. This will allow you to determine the type of person who you are and can help you become a better person over time.	https://corporatefokus.com/strategies-for-writing-an-essay/
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION FIELD OF THE INVENTION RELATED ART OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS This application is based upon and claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-221397 filed on Jul. 30, 2002, the content of which are incorporated herein by reference. The present invention relates to an automatic brake device that controls a braking force regardless of a driver's depression of the brake pedal. The invention is preferably applied to an automatic brake device that increases or decreases braking force in order to execute smooth starting operation, when vehicle starting is executed on the basis of the driver's starting intention. Conventionally, an automatic brake device controls a driving torque of a vehicle when starting so as to make the driving torque slightly higher than a running resistance torque, in order to prevent backward movement of the vehicle when starting uphill (such as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 06-264783). In this case, determination of a target driving torque requires detection of the running resistance torque. This leads to a problem since it is necessary to quantitatively detect or estimate the gradient of the hill. The present invention has been made in light of the above problem and it is an object thereof to provide control of a braking force without detection or estimation of a gradient of a sloping road, in order to realize a smooth starting operation. According to the present invention, when operation based on an intention of a driver to execute starting of a vehicle is performed for a vehicle that is maintained in a halted state by a halt-maintenance braking force applied to the wheels thereof, a braking force is controlled on the basis of a relationship between an actual movement direction and an intended movement direction. The actual movement direction is the direction in which the vehicle actually moves, and the intended movement direction is the direction in which the driver intends to move the vehicle. Therefore, by decreasing or increasing the braking force in accordance with whether the actual movement direction and the intended movement direction are the same direction or opposite directions, it is possible to execute smooth starting of the vehicle in the intended movement direction, in accordance with the driver's starting intention. This eliminates the need for detection or estimation of a gradient angle of the sloping road. The present invention will be described further with reference to various embodiments in the drawings. (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 A description will first be given of an automatic brake device of a first embodiment according to the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. illustrates an entire structure of the automatic brake device of the first embodiment, in which a front right wheel, front left wheel, rear right wheel and rear left wheel of a vehicle VL are respectively designated as FR, FL, RR, and RL. 1 2 3 41 41 41 41 41 41 41 41 4 4 4 4 2 11 21 31 31 3 4 4 3 4 4 All elements of the automatic brake device described in the first embodiment are mounted in the vehicle VL. The automatic brake device includes a brake control ECU serving as a brake control unit; a hydraulic braking apparatus serving as a first brake unit; an electrically-actuated parking brake (hereinafter referred to as “PKB”) serving as a second brake unit; and wheel cylinders (hereinafter referred to as “W/C”) FR, RL, FL, and RR. These W/Cs FR, RL, FL, and RR are respectively provided in the corresponding wheels FR, RL, FL and RR, and are diagonally connected to the hydraulic braking apparatus through a first braking circuit and a second braking circuit . Further, brake wires R, L are respectively provided between the PKB and the rear wheels RL and RR, thus connecting the PKB with each brake caliper (not shown) of the respective rear wheels RL and RR. 5 6 7 8 9 5 6 7 8 9 Further, the automatic brake device includes wheel speed sensors , an in-vehicle LAN bus , an accelerator pedal operation amount sensor , a shift position sensor , and a backward-and-forward acceleration sensor . The wheel speed sensors detect rotational speeds and rotational directions of respective wheels. The in-vehicle LAN bus transmits an input signal and an output signal to and from each of various electronic instruments. The accelerator pedal operation amount sensor detects an operation amount an accelerator pedal (not shown). The shift position sensor detects a shift position of an automatic transmission (not shown). The backward-and-forward acceleration sensor detects acceleration in a backward-and-forward direction of the vehicle VL. Next, details of each element of the automatic brake device will be described. 1 1 5 1 7 8 9 6 1 2 3 The brake control ECU is configured from a computer. The brake control ECU receives wheel speed from the wheel speed signals from the wheel speed sensors . The brake control ECU also receives an accelerator pedal operation amount signal from the accelerator pedal operation amount sensor , a shift position signal from the shift position sensor and a backward-and-forward acceleration signal from the backward-and-forward acceleration sensor via the in-vehicle LAN bus . Then, based on each of the above input signals, the brake control ECU follows a procedure of a control flow diagram, described hereinafter, in order to determine and output an actuating signal (a first actuating signal or a second actuating signal) for controlling the hydraulic braking apparatus and the PKB that serve as a braking-force application unit. Accordingly, braking force is generated on each wheel. Furthermore, in the following description, the term “braking pressure” is equivalent to a W/C pressure causing generation of “braking force”, and thus corresponds to the term “braking force”. For example, a target deceleration corresponding to a target braking force is converted to a braking pressure on the basis of an equation of deceleration, 1G=10 MPa (where, G is a gravitational acceleration and Pa is a Pascal (unit of pressure)). Note that, the above equation is defined since: Pa is a Pascal indicating a unit of pressure and 1 MPa of the W/C pressure is, for example, equivalent to 0.1G (gravitational acceleration) of deceleration. 2 10 41 41 41 41 11 21 11 4 11 21 FIG. 2 The hydraulic braking apparatus is configured as illustrated in . When the vehicle driver depresses a brake pedal (not shown), a master cylinder (hereinafter referred to as “M/C”) produces an M/C pressure corresponding to a depression force. The M/C pressure is transmitted to the W/Cs FR, RL, FL, and RR provided in the respective wheels via the corresponding first braking circuit and the second braking circuit , in order to generate a first braking force. Next, the first braking circuit will be described, with particular emphasis on the braking circuit relating to the front right wheel FR. However, the same description applies to the other wheels of the first braking circuit and the second braking circuit . 11 14 14 4 4 14 14 41 41 14 14 141 141 10 14 14 15 15 12 14 14 41 41 15 15 41 41 a b a b a b a b a b a b a b a b The first braking circuit includes pressure increase control valves and provided for the front right wheel FR and the rear left wheel RL. The pressure increase control valves and adjust pressure increase and the pressure maintenance for the respective W/Cs FR and RL in an anti skid control (hereinafter referred to as “ABS control”). Further, the pressure increase control valves and are arranged in parallel with check valves and , respectively, in order to allow fluid flow to be directed toward the M/C if the W/C pressure is excessive during the closure of each of the pressure increase control valves and . Pressure decrease control valves and are provided in a pressure decrease line extending from a point between the pressure increase control valves and and the W/Cs FR and RL. These pressure decrease control valves and adjust pressure decrease and pressure maintenance of the W/Cs FR and RL in the ABS control. 12 16 16 17 20 11 14 14 18 20 27 21 171 17 a b The pressure decrease line is connected to a reservoir . The reservoir stores brake fluid and has a check valve for adjusting a brake fluid pressure therein. This brake fluid is sucked up by a pump driven by a motor , and then discharged into the first braking circuit . The discharge destination is a point between the pressure increase control valves and and a cut off valve (hereinafter referred to as “SM valve”) . The motor also drives a pump in the second braking circuit . Further, a check valve is provided in the outlet of the pump . 18 10 14 14 18 41 41 10 18 181 10 41 41 a b FIG. 2 The SM valve is disposed between the M/C and the pressure increase control valves and . The SM valve is a two-position valve that is in an opened state when non-energized, and is in a closed state when energized, due to a check valve positioned in the direction shown in . In the closed state, the fluid pressure in the W/Cs FR and RL is released when it is higher than the pressure in the M/C by the amount of a component of pressure caused by the spring of the check valve. Accordingly, a fluid pressure release structure is realized. The SM valve is arranged in parallel with a check valve , and as a result only flow from the M/C toward the W/Cs FR and RL is permitted. 13 16 10 18 A suction line establishes a connection between the reservoir and a point between the M/C and the SM valve . 30 10 10 18 11 30 10 30 19 19 14 41 14 41 30 19 19 1 a b a b a b A fluid-pressure sensor for detection of pressure produced in the M/C is provided between the M/C and the SM valve in the first braking circuit . The pressure detected by the sensor is a pressure produced in a secondary chamber (not shown) of the M/C . It should be noted that, the same pressure is produced in a primary chamber thereof, which is connected to the second braking circuit. Hence, the fluid-pressure sensor substantially detects the M/C pressure. Further, fluid-pressure sensors and for detection of each W/C pressure are respectively provided between the pressure increase control valve and the W/C FR, and between the pressure increase control valve and the W/C RL. The output signals from these fluid-pressure sensors , and are input to the brake control ECU . 14 14 15 15 18 1 20 17 27 1 a b a b FIG. 2 FIG. 2 Each of the above pressure increase control valves and and the pressure decrease control valves and is a two-position valve, which is in the valve position illustrated in when non-energized (i.e., OFF), such as when the brake pedal is not applied, or during normal braking operation, or the like. In other words, when non-energized, the pressure increase valve is in the opened state and the pressure decrease valve is in the closed (cut-off) state. Further, during normal non-energized time periods, the SM valve is in the valve position illustrated in , i.e., the opened state. Each of the above control valves is operated by an actuating signal supplied from the brake control ECU . Moreover, the motor driving the pumps and is operated by a brake actuating signal supplied from the brake control ECU . 1 2 2 14 14 24 24 15 15 25 25 18 28 20 a b a b a b a b It should be noted that the individual actuating signals supplied from the brake control ECU to the hydraulic braking apparatus correspond in aggregate to a first actuating signal. Further, placing the hydraulic braking apparatus into a control pause (or control inhibited) state indicates placing the first actuating signal in its inactive state, namely to zero (the non-actuating state). Specifically, in this standstill state, none of the pressure increase control valves , , and , the pressure decrease control valves , , and , and the SM valves and are energized, and the driving current of the motor becomes zero. Accordingly, upon the first actuating signal becoming inactive, the W/C pressure for each wheel is reduced to zero and therefore the first braking force becomes zero. 1 2 Next, a description will be given of the braking operation carried out on the basis of each of the command values for pressure increase, pressure maintenance and pressure decrease, which correspond to the first actuating signal supplied from the brake control ECU . This braking operation is carried out as the automatic braking operation of the above hydraulic braking apparatus , regardless of brake pedal application. Note that the operation based on brake pedal application by the driver which is the normal operation, and the operation in ABS control are well known, and thus a description will be omitted here. 18 15 17 16 17 19 14 10 17 13 16 a a a In the pressure increase processing in the automatic braking control, the SM valve is switched to ON (the cut-off position) and further the pressure decrease control valve is switched to OFF (the cut-off position). Then, the pump is driven to suck up brake fluid to the reservoir and then discharge it. While the pump generates the discharge pressure, a comparison with the value detected by the oil-pressure sensor is performed to control the pressure increase control valve by ON/OFF duty ratio control. This causes an increase of the W/C pressure at a predetermined change gradient or to a preset target pressure. At this point, the brake fluid is refilled as required from the M/C to the inlet of the pump , through the suction line and the reservoir . 18 14 17 16 17 19 15 41 a a a In the pressure decrease processing in the automatic braking control, the SM valve is switched to ON (the cut-off position) and also the pressure increase control valve is switched to ON (the cut-off position). Then the pump is driven to suck up brake fluid from the reservoir and then discharge it. While the pump generates the discharge pressure, a comparison with the value detected by the oil-pressure sensor is performed to control the pressure decrease control valve by ON/OFF duty ratio control. Thereby, the brake fluid is drawn from the W/C WR to reduce the W/C pressure on a predetermined variation gradient or to a preset target pressure. 14 18 17 18 a At this point, further, due to both the pressure increase control valve and the SM valve being in the cut-off position, the discharge pressure of the pump rises. However, when the rising pressure exceeds the elastic force of the spring in the check valve of the SM valve , the pressure is released and pressure decrease takes place. 18 14 15 a b In the pressure-maintenance processing in the automatic braking control, the SM valve is switched to ON (the cut-off position), and both the pressure increase control valve and the pressure decrease control valve are switched to the cut-off positions. As a result, the W/C pressure is maintained. 3 Next, the motor-operated PKB serving as the second brake unit will be described. 3 3 1 3 31 31 4 4 When the vehicle is in a halted state, the motor-operated PKB maintains the halted state. Specifically, the PKB is operated according to the second actuating signal from the brake control ECU . In the PKB , an actuator including a motor and a gear mechanism (none of these elements are shown) drives each of the brake wires R and L, in order to press the brake caliper and a friction material in each of wheels RR and RL against the corresponding brake disc (not shown) for generation of a braking force. 3 The motor of the motor-operated PKB is duty-driven on the basis of the second actuating signal so as to rotate in the normal direction (in a direction to the braking force), or in the opposite direction (in a direction to the braking force), thereby allowing control of a magnitude of a second braking force. 3 3 3 At this point, a braking force is generated in accordance with the duty ratio, and then reaches the target braking force, whereupon the motor of the motor-operated PKB is locked. When locking of the motor is detected, the driving current for the motor is interrupted, namely the second actuating signal becomes inactive, so as to bring the motor-operated PKB into the control pause (control inhibited) state. When the motor-operated PKB is in the control pause state, the gear mechanism is not operated. Accordingly, the braking force is maintained, and a locked state of the wheels is maintained. 3 1 3 1 3 Such operation of the motor-operated PKB is executed by the second actuating signal supplied from the brake control ECU during the automatic brake control. Alternatively, the PKB may be operated such that when the driver turns a parking brake switch (not shown) to ON or OFF, the brake control ECU outputs the second actuating signal for the motor-operated PKB in response to this signal. FIG. 2 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 1 As illustrated in , the wheel speed sensors include wheel speed sensors FR, FL, RR, and RL for detecting the rotational speed of each respective wheel. Output signals from the sensors FR, FL, RR and RL are input directly to the brake control ECU . 5 5 5 5 It should be noted that a semiconductor speed sensor using a Hall element is employed for the wheel speed sensors FR, FL, RR and RL. Hence, even when travelling at low speeds, a pulse signal reliably indicating a wheel rotation speed and rotation direction are obtained. This makes it possible to detect a precise vehicle speed even when the vehicle is changed from the halted state to a moving state. 7 1 6 The accelerator pedal operation amount sensor detects the amount of driver's depression of the accelerator pedal (not shown). The detected amount of depression is input, as the accelerator pedal operation amount, to the brake control ECU via the in-vehicle LAN bus . 1 The brake control ECU uses, as the accelerator pedal operation amount, the degree of accelerator opening which is converted from the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal, or an operation speed of the accelerator pedal which is calculated by differentiating the amount of depression. 7 1 When the driver causes the vehicle to starting from a standstill, the driver depresses the accelerator pedal. Accordingly, the accelerator pedal operation amount sensor (and the brake control ECU ) is equivalent to a starting intention detection unit of the present invention. 8 1 6 2 The shift position sensor detects a shift position state and receives the detected shift position state to the brake control ECU via the in-vehicle LAN bus . The shift positions in the shift position state refer to the gear shift positions of an automatic transmission (not shown), such as D (drive), (second), L (low), R (reverse), N (neutral), P (parking). These shift position are selected by the driver operating the gearshift lever. 8 2 8 When the shift position sensor detects the D range (or the range, or the L range), it is possible to determine that the direction in which the driver intends to move the vehicle is forward. When the R range is detected, it is possible to determine that the direction in which the driver intends to move the vehicle is backward. Accordingly, the shift position sensor functions as an intended direction detecting unit of the present invention. 9 1 6 9 5 1 The backward-and-forward acceleration sensor detects acceleration in the direction of travel, namely the backward-and-forward direction, of the vehicle VL, and receives the detected acceleration to the brake control ECU via the in-vehicle LAN bus . It should be noted that the embodiment uses the acceleration detected by the backward-and-forward acceleration sensor . However, as a substitute for this, a value attained by differentiation of the wheel rotational speed, which is transmitted from the wheel speed sensors , by the brake control ECU may be used. 1 Next, a description will be given of a control flow executed by the brake control ECU serving as the brake control unit in the automatic brake device of the first embodiment, which has the hardware structure that is described above. FIG. 3 1 illustrates a main flow diagram of the embodiment. The brake control ECU initiates the processing in the flow diagram when an ignition is turned to ON, and repeats the processing with a predetermined control cycle (e.g., at intervals of 5 ms to 10 ms). 10 2 3 2 14 14 15 15 24 24 25 25 18 28 1 1 30 19 19 29 29 a b a b a b a b a b a b At S, an initial check and various input processing are executed. In the initial check, each of the actuators of the hydraulic braking apparatus and the motor-operated PKB is operationally checked. Specifically, in the hydraulic brake device , an electric current is actually passed through each of the solenoid valves , , , , , , , , and . The brake control ECU performs a terminal voltage check on each of the solenoid valves to check for the presence of disconnection in each solenoid valve. Moreover, the brake control ECU determines whether there are any irregularities in oil pressure from the detected values of the oil-pressure sensors , , , and , in order to locate failures. 3 2 Further, in the motor-operated PKB , for location of failures, it is determined whether the detection current is flowing normally during actual energization, whether the motor of the motor-operated PKB is rotating normally, and the like. Note that if a failure is found, the system configuration is capable of taking measures such as inhibition of control, switching to a specified alternative control, lighting up of a warning lamp, or the like, after a failure is determined. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent all the portions of the braking apparatus from performing an abnormal operation, or the like. 11 5 4 4 At S, the detected values of the wheel speed sensors are used to obtain the wheel speed of each of the wheels FL to RR. Further, the vehicle speed is calculated on the basis of a wheel speed of the driven wheels (i.e. the rear right and left wheels in a front wheel drive vehicle). 12 At S, brake control is executed in accordance with the running conditions of the vehicle VL. Specifically, brake assist control, ABS control, traction control, and vehicle stability control are performed. The brake assist control increases up the M/C pressure when the brake pedal is depressed strongly. The ABS control inhibits wheel slip and provides an appropriate braking force during stopping of the vehicle when the wheel speed exceeds the vehicle-body speed and an amount of slip has become equal to or higher than a predetermined value. The traction control controls the engine output and the braking force in order to bring about a decrease in the amount of slip when the wheel speed exceeds the vehicle-body speed and the amount of slip is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. The vehicle stability control controls a braking force on each wheel so as to ensure the stability of the vehicle body on the basis of a yaw rate and a lateral acceleration of the vehicle. 13 2 3 (1) Vehicle speed equals zero; and the brake pedal is depressed continuously beyond a predetermined time period. (2) Vehicle speed equals zero; and a brake holding start switch provided in the vicinity of the driver's seat is pressed. (3) Vehicle speed equals zero; and the gear of the transmission is shifted from the D, 2, L or R range in which the vehicle is movable, namely in which a driving force is generated, to either the P or N range in which the vehicle is not movable, that is, in which a driving force is not generated. At S, brake holding control is executed. In this processing, a halt-maintenance mode becomes active in order to maintain the vehicle in a halted state. Specifically, braking force is produced by the hydraulic braking apparatus serving as the first brake unit or the motor-operated PKB serving as the second brake unit in order to maintain the halted state of the vehicle. The brake holding control is initiated under the following conditions. When any one of these conditions is satisfied, a target braking force capable of maintaining the vehicle in the halted state is set. At this point, the target braking force is set to be, for example, a maximum braking force generated by an actuator of each brake device, or a braking force generated when the halted state of the vehicle is maintained by the brake pedal at a vehicle speed of zero prior to initiation of the brake holding operation. 14 14 At S, starting assistance control is executed. For example, when the driver operates the accelerator pedal after stopping the vehicle, the target braking force which is set by the brake holding control is adjusted, and a target braking force is set for each brake device in accordance with the starting assistance control. The processing at S will be described later. 15 12 14 At S, adjustment among the various brake control systems is performed based on the target braking force determined at S, the target braking force in the starting assistance control determined at S, and a target braking force based on braking requirements from other braking requirement systems (not shown). For example, the highest target braking force is selected from among the above target braking forces. Note that the other braking requirement systems described herein may be, for example, a inter-vehicle distance control ECU for maintaining the distance between the vehicle concerned and the vehicle in front at a constant distance, an emergency-vehicle stop ECU for stopping the vehicle in an emergency, or the like. 16 1 2 3 At S, a fail-safe check when the ignition is ON is executed. Specifically, the states of the brake control ECU , the hydraulic braking apparatus , the motor-operated PKB and the other sensors are diagnosed at all times. If a failure is detected, predetermined measures are taken in order to prevent the vehicle VL from entering a dangerous situation. 17 15 2 1 2 At S, when the target braking force selected at S is for the hydraulic braking apparatus , the first actuating signal is output from the brake control ECU . Thus, the first braking force generated by the hydraulic braking apparatus is controlled to be the target braking force. 18 15 3 1 3 At S, when the target braking force selected at S is for the motor-operated PKB , the second actuating signal is output from the brake control ECU . Thus, the second braking force generated by the PKB is controlled to be the target braking force. 19 At S, an engine output command value is output for engine output control having no direct connection with the accelerator pedal operation, such as engine output control in TRC control, and the like. 1 14 FIG. 4 FIG. 5 FIG. 3 Next, a flow diagram for the starting assistance control performed by the brake control ECU will be described with reference to and . Note that this processing is executed at S in the main flow diagram shown in . Therefore, the starting assistance control flow is also repeated with the predetermined control cycle. 2 13 Note that, for the description given herein, it is assumed that, for example, a braking force for retaining a halted state of the vehicle is generated on each wheel by the hydraulic braking apparatus in the brake holding control performed at S. The starting assistance control is performed depending upon whether or not the driver operates the accelerator pedal in this state. 100 7 100 110 190 At S, it is determined whether or not the driver operates the accelerator pedal, that is, whether or not the accelerator pedal operation amount sensor detects the driver's starting intention. If the determination result at S is No, it is determined that the driver does not have a starting intention and the procedure moves to S. Thus, the target braking force is set so as to retain the braking force at this point, namely, the braking force is not changed, and then the procedure moves to S. 100 Note that at S, in order to provide an anti-noise measure, when the detected accelerator pedal operation amount becomes equal to or lager than a preset offset amount, it is determined that the accelerator pedal is being operated. 100 122 122 If the determination result is YES in at S, the procedure moves to S. At S, it is determined whether or not an initial pressure decrease mode is complete. Here, the initial pressure decrease mode is a mode for decreasing the W/C pressure in order to allow detection of the direction in which the vehicle actually moves (hereinafter referred to as “the actual movement direction”) as a vehicle movement direction detection mode. This initial pressure decrease mode is executed in the initial stage of the pressure decrease for the W/C pressure that is performed when the vehicle starts to move. By performing the initial pressure decrease, the braking force of the vehicle is decreased. Therefore the vehicle begins to move and the movement direction of the vehicle is detected. 130 123 The determination as to whether or not the initial pressure decrease in the above processing is complete is made, for example, on the basis of the state of an initial pressure decrease completion flag that is set at which the initial pressure decrease is completed. If the initial pressure decrease completion flag is ON, the determination that the initial pressure decrease is complete is made and the procedure moves to S. If it is OFF, the procedure moves to S for the initial pressure decrease. 123 A A At S, an initial pressure decrease amount γ is determined based on the calculation of Equation 1. γ=1×the degree of accelerator opening+2×elapsed time (1) 7 123 1 2 where, the degree of accelerator opening represents a value detected by the accelerator pedal operation amount sensor ; the elapsed time represents an elapsed time proportional to the number of times processing S is repeated; and A and A are proportionality constants for the degree of accelerator opening and the elapsed time, respectively. In Equation 1, the initial pressure decrease amount γ is set larger the higher the degree of accelerator opening (i.e., the vehicle speed at which the driver intends the vehicle to start), and further, is also set larger the longer the process time period of the initial pressure decrease process. 124 Next, at S, a braking force, which is lower than the braking force applied as the target braking force at this time by an amount of braking force corresponding to the initial pressure decrease amount γ set as above, is set as the new target braking force. Through this process, when performing the initial pressure decrease, it is possible to decrease the target braking force at the decrease gradient of the initial pressure decrease amount γ in each control cycle of the main flow. 8 As a result of the above decrease in the target braking force, the vehicle VL moves. The movement at this point is in accordance with the relationship between the accelerator pedal operation of the driver and the road-surface gradient. Accordingly, the movement may be in agreement with the vehicle movement direction (forward or backward) indicated by the shift position of the automatic transmission which is detected by the shift position sensor . Alternatively, the movement may be in the opposite direction to the vehicle movement direction indicated by the shift position. 125 5 126 5 130 17 124 At S, it is determined whether or not the number of the wheel-speed sensor pulses output from the wheel speed sensors exceeds a preset N pulses. If the determination result is YES, at S, it is possible to detect the actual movement direction of the vehicle from the rotational direction of the wheels detected by the wheel speed sensors . Therefore, the initial pressure decrease processing is completed and the initial pressure decrease completion flag is switched to ON. Then the procedure moves to S. If the determination result is NO, the routine is terminated, and the procedure moves to S explained previously in order to actually generate the target braking force set in S. Accordingly, the above initial pressure decrease processing is repeated. In this way, the operation in the initial pressure decrease mode makes it possible to detect the actual movement direction, which is determined based on three items, the gradient of the sloping road, the intended movement direction based on the shift position, and the magnitude of the driver's intention to move the vehicle based on the accelerator pedal operation amount. Accordingly, detection of the actual movement direction is possible without the use of a special device for measuring the gradient of the sloping road. 130 8 Next, upon termination of the initial pressure decrease processing (initial pressure decrease mode), the procedure enters an auxiliary brake mode. At S, it is determined whether or not the detected actual movement direction of the vehicle is in agreement with the shift position detected by the shift position sensor . 140 180 If the determination result is YES, namely, the same direction or the halted state (vehicle speed=zero), a same direction mode is selected and the procedure moves to S. However, if the determination result is NO, an opposite direction mode is selected and the procedure moves to S. 130 Further, the processing in S is repeated after completion of the initial pressure decrease mode. Hence, the comparison between the actual movement direction of the vehicle and the driver's intended movement direction is constantly made in order to determine whether the two directions are the same direction or the opposite directions, or whether the vehicle is in a halted state or not. 140 In the same direction mode, at S, in order to decrease the target braking force at a predetermined decrease gradient, a pressure decrease amount α for the W/C pressure that corresponds to the target braking force decrease is calculated. Specifically, the pressure decrease amount α is calculated as follows. FIG. 6 First, map A as illustrated in is preset. Map A is a two-dimensional map showing the degree of accelerator opening against the vehicle speed or the acceleration. Coefficient A used for calculation of the pressure decrease amount α is set to decrease in accordance with the vehicle speed (or the acceleration) and to increase in accordance with the degree of accelerator opening. Further, on a steep downhill slope that leads to significantly high vehicle speed and acceleration in spite of a low degree of accelerator opening, a small coefficient A and a moderate decrease of the W/C pressure are set in order to prevent the vehicle from accelerating abruptly. 1 1 A coefficient A according to the vehicle speed (or the acceleration) and the degree of accelerator opening is read based on the two-dimensional map. Then, the read coefficient A is used as a proportionality coefficient for an initial value K of a pressure decrease amount α, and the pressure decrease amount α of the W/C pressure is calculated from the equation α=K×A. The attained result is the pressure decrease amount α of W/C pressure per cycle, which serves as the decrease gradient. The target braking force thus set serves the purpose of decreasing the braking force in order to smoothly start and accelerate the vehicle when the actual movement direction of the vehicle and the driver's intended movement direction are identical with each other. A pressure decrease amount of this target braking force is in accordance with the degree of accelerator opening. As a result, when abrupt acceleration with a high degree of accelerator opening is required, the braking force is decreased at an earlier point. 5 9 Note that the vehicle speed is calculated from the value detected by the wheel speed sensors , and the acceleration is calculated as a differential of the vehicle speed. Further, the acceleration may also be calculated using a value detected by the backward-and-forward acceleration sensor . 150 190 Then, at S, a braking force resulting from subtraction of the above calculated pressure decrease amount α serving as the decrease gradient from the present target braking force is set as a new target braking force. Then determination regarding continuation of the starting assistance control is executed at S. Specifically, it is determined whether the starting assistance control is to be continued or not. 190 192 More particularly, at S, it is determined whether or not the vehicle speed exceeds a predetermined value (e.g., 15 km/h, or a vehicle speed according to the degree of accelerator opening) when the driver's intended movement direction and the actual vehicle movement direction are the same direction. If the vehicle speed becomes larger than the predetermined value, based on the assumption that the starting operation has been tentatively completed, the starting assistance control is terminated (at S). 190 100 Further, at S, if the vehicle speed in the same direction does not exceed the predetermined value, it is determined that the starting assistance control, which includes time periods when the vehicle stops (vehicle speed=zero) and when the vehicle moves in the opposite direction, is not complete. In this case, the processing beginning with processing S is repeated in the next control cycle. 17 2 The starting assistance control flow thus terminates, and therefore at S of the main flow diagram, the first actuating signal is applied to the hydraulic braking apparatus for generation of the target braking force determined in the above processing. On the other hand, in the opposite direction mode, the following processing is executed. Note that the opposite direction mode described herein corresponds to a first opposite direction mode of the present invention, in which the braking force is controlled in accordance with a deviation between the vehicle speed and the target speed. Hereinafter, the opposite direction mode of the first embodiment will be referred to as the “first opposite direction mode”. 180 180 184 2 2 K First, it is determined at S whether or not the present vehicle speed is higher than a preset target speed Vlimit. The target vehicle speed Vlimit described here indicates a reference value for preventing movement of the vehicle in the opposite direction. If the determination result at S is YES, the procedure moves to S to calculate from Equation 2 a pressure increase amount β for each cycle of the W/C pressure, in order to increase the target braking force at a predetermined increase gradient. β=2×(vehicle speed−V limit) (2) where, K is a conversion factor for conversion of the amount of speed deviation, which corresponds to a difference between the vehicle speed and the target vehicle speed Vlimit, to an increased braking force. This conversion factor K is preset. 186 190 17 2 Then, at S, the pressure increase amount β calculated as the increase gradient is added to the present target braking force to produce a braking force, which is then set as the new target braking force. Then, following determination regarding continuation of the starting assistance control at S, in order to generate the target braking force concerned, at S, the first actuating signal is applied to the hydraulic braking apparatus serving as the braking-force application unit. 180 182 17 If the determination result at S is NO, i.e., the vehicle speed≦Vlimit, the target braking force is set so as not to change at S, based on the assumption that the vehicle speed has not reached the target speed. Then, at S, the target braking force set in the brake holding control is generated. 180 184 186 17 The processing of the first opposite direction mode, namely, processing from S to S, S (and then to S), is for controlling the braking force such that the deviation between the vehicle speed and the target speed Vlimit approaches zero. This processing corresponds to feedback control. As described above, in the first embodiment, when the vehicle is placed in the halted state by a braking force applied to the wheels thereof, the driver operates the accelerator pedal as an indication of the driver's starting intention. Thereupon, first, in the initial pressure decrease mode, pressure is decreased from the braking force applied to the vehicle during the halted state by the pressure decrease amount γ in each predetermined cycle. Thus, the vehicle starts to move at a gentle pace, and the direction in which the vehicle is moved by means of the initial pressure decrease is detected as the actual movement direction. The detected actual movement direction is compared with the shift position detected as the intended direction in which the driver intends to move. When the actual movement direction and the intended direction are the same direction, operation in the same direction mode is performed in order to further reduce the braking force at the predetermined decrease gradient (the pressure decrease amount α). Accordingly, prompt starting of the vehicle is executed. On the other hand, when the actual movement direction and the intended movement direction are opposite directions, operation in the first opposite direction mode is performed in which the braking force is increased at the predetermined increase gradient (the pressure increase amount β) until the vehicle speed in the opposite direction is decreased to be equal to or lower than the target speed. Then, control is executed such that the braking force does not change after the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than the target speed. In other words, it is possible to apply the brake in such a manner as to exert control on the speed of the vehicle that is travelling in the opposite direction to the driver's intention. This makes it possible to prevent the vehicle driver from feeling uneasy. Through the operation in the first opposite direction mode, the vehicle speed is decreased to be equal to or lower than the target speed in the direction opposite to the intended movement direction. Further, assuming that the vehicle speed when the driver's intended movement direction and the actual movement direction of the vehicle are the same direction is positive, the vehicle speed is changed from negative to zero and then to positive due to maintenance of a constant braking force and the continuation of the accelerator pedal operation. Hence, after the vehicle speed is changed to positive, the operation in the same direction mode is initiated, and finally it is possible to smoothly execute starting of the vehicle. FIG. 7 FIG. 7 FIG. 7 2 3 Next, a description will be given of an example of the operation of the automatic brake device that executes the processing as described above in the first embodiment. shows time diagrams of the braking force generated by the hydraulic braking apparatus and the PKB which serve as the braking-force application unit; the degree of accelerator opening that corresponds to the amount of driver's operation of the accelerator pedal; and the vehicle speed of the vehicle VL that moves as a consequence of the control. illustrates the state of the starting assistance control when the driver's intended movement direction is set as forward after the vehicle VL has been maintained in a downhill halted state. Note that in , the change in the amount of accelerator pedal operation represents the accelerator pedal operation by the driver during normal starting. 0 1 100 122 123 124 125 At the time t=ta, the driver depresses the accelerator pedal. Then, at the time t=ta, when the amount of accelerator pedal operation exceeds an offset value (at S), the system switches to the initial pressure decrease mode (at S) to decrease the braking force by the initial pressure decrease amount γ corresponding to the predetermined decrease gradient (at S, S and S). 5 125 30 When the number of pulses of the wheel speed sensors in the initial pressure decrease mode exceeds a predetermined value N, that is, when the amount of movement of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined amount (at S), the actual vehicle movement direction is detected. In this case, the vehicle is on a downhill slope, so the fact that the actual vehicle movement direction is the forward direction is detected. Hence, due to the agreement between the actual vehicle movement direction and the forward direction that is the driver's intended movement direction (at Sl), operation in the same direction mode as the auxiliary brake mode is carried out. 140 150 2 The pressure decrease amount α that determines the decrease gradient in the same direction mode is calculated by use of a coefficient obtained from the map A in accordance with the degree of accelerator opening and the vehicle speed (at S). Then, the target braking force is decreased by the calculated pressure decrease value α (at S), and a braking force is generated in the hydraulic braking apparatus serving as the braking-force application unit in order to attain the target braking force. 130 140 150 2 3 The operation (at S, S and S) is repeated until the target braking force becomes zero because the initial pressure decrease is terminated. As a result, in the time period from t=ta to t=ta, the braking force is decreased at the decrease gradient defined by the pressure decrease amount +α, and the vehicle speed is increased in accordance with the increase in the amount of accelerator pedal operation (in this case, the degree of accelerator opening) at that time. 3 In the time period t>ta, the vehicle speed is in accordance with the accelerator pedal operation amount because the braking force becomes zero. FIG. 8 illustrates the state of the starting assistance control when the driver's intended movement direction is set as forward after the vehicle VL has been maintained in a halted state on a level road. FIG. 7 122 1 1 2 124 125 140 As in the case of the example of , after the initiation of the accelerator pedal operation, the system switches to the initial pressure decrease mode (at S) at t=tb when the accelerator pedal operation amount exceeds the offset value. During the time period from t=tb to t=tb, as a result of the initial pressure decrease by the initial pressure decrease amount γ (at S) and the detection of the actual movement direction by means of the rotational pulse detection of the wheel speed sensor (at S), the same direction mode (at S) is selected as the auxiliary brake mode. 2 150 FIG. 7 Upon switching to the same direction mode at t=tb, the braking force is decreased by the pressure decrease amount α (at S). Note that, as compared with the case in which the vehicle moves forward downhill as described in , the decrease of the braking force is rapid such that the braking force becomes zero in a short time. This is because in the case of the downhill slope, the W/C pressure is reduced gently in order to prevent the vehicle from abruptly starting, due to the effect of gravity. Whereas, in the case of the level road, the W/C pressure is reduced swiftly since it is assumed that starting will not occur abruptly as a result of gravity. FIG. 7 After the braking force reaches zero, as in the case of the example described in , the vehicle speed is in accordance with the accelerator pedal operation amount. FIG. 9 Next, a description will be given, with reference to the time diagrams in , of the operational state of the starting assistance control when the driver's intended movement direction is set as forward after the vehicle VL has been maintained in an uphill halted state. FIG. 7 122 1 1 2 124 125 As in the case of the foregoing example in , after the initiation of the accelerator pedal operation, the initial pressure decrease mode (at S) is switched to at the time t=tc, when the accelerator pedal operation amount exceeds the offset value. During the time period from t=tc to t=tc, the initial pressure decrease by the initial pressure decrease amount γ (at S) and the detection of the actual movement direction by means of the rotational pulse detection of the wheel speed sensor (at S) are carried out. FIG. 9 However, the example in represents a situation in which, due to the uphill slope, with the initial pressure decrease of the braking force, the vehicle starts moving in a backward direction due to an insufficient degree of accelerator opening. In other words, the actual movement direction (the backward direction) that the vehicle starts to move in is opposite to the intended movement direction (the forward direction). 130 180 2 3 182 Therefore, as a result of the direction comparison in the auxiliary brake mode (at S), the system switches to the first opposite direction mode and the vehicle speed is compared with the preset target speed Vlimit (at S). If the vehicle speed in the opposite direction is lower than the target speed Vlimit (tc<t<tc), the pressure increase amount β for the braking force is zero (at S), and therefore the braking force does not change. 3 184 186 When the vehicle speed in the opposite direction is further increased and exceeds the target speed Vlimit (t=tc), a pressure increase amount β is calculated as a value according to the amount of speed deviation from Equation 2 (at S). Then, the pressure increase amount β is used as the increase gradient for setting the increased target braking force (at S), and then a braking force sufficient for attaining the target braking force is applied to each of the wheels. 3 4 180 184 186 During the time period in which the vehicle speed exceeds the target speed (tc<t<tc), the above operation (at S, S and S) is repeated. Therefore, due to an increase in braking force, the vehicle speed in the opposite direction changes from increase to decrease, and further, to equal to or lower than the target speed. 4 FIG. 9 After the vehicle speed has decreased to the target speed at t=tc, the pressure increase amounts indicating an increase amount of the braking force is equal to zero, in other words, the braking force is not changed and is maintained at a constant value. During this time, in the example of , the vehicle moves backward on the uphill slope at a constant speed (target speed) with the degree of accelerator opening and the braking force constant. 5 6 130 140 150 When the driver further depresses the accelerator pedal at t=tc, the driving torque exceeds the braking force and thus the speed of the backward movement of the vehicle decreases. Further, at t=tc, the movement direction of the vehicle changes from backward to forward. As of this point in time, the system switches to the same direction mode (at S, S and S), and a decrease in the braking force in accordance with the pressure decrease amount α is initiated. Finally, the braking force reaches zero and the vehicle travels in the forward direction, which is the intended movement direction, at a vehicle speed that accords with the accelerator pedal operation amount. Up to this point, a description has been given of examples in which the intended movement direction that the driver intends to start in is the forward direction. However, even when the intended movement direction is the backward direction, the operation is carried out based on the relationship between the intended movement direction and the actual movement direction of the vehicle, as in the foregoing examples. According to the first embodiment, when a vehicle is placed in the halt-maintenance state by application of a predetermined braking force (the halt-maintenance mode), while action of a driving force on the wheels in accordance with the accelerator pedal operation, which represents the starting intention, is maintained, the braking force is gradually decreased (the initial pressure decrease mode) with respect to the intended movement direction in which the driver intends to starting that is indicated by shifting of the gear shift position. By use of this mode, the vehicle is moved. Then, based on the direction of this movement, the actual movement direction of the vehicle is detected (the vehicle movement direction detection mode). The actual vehicle movement direction at this point in time is not always the direction in which the driver intends to start, and differs from this intended direction in accordance with gravity, which depends on the road-surface gradient, acting on the vehicle in the halted state, and the degree of accelerator opening that corresponds to the degree of the driver's starting intention (and, additionally, the magnitude of the braking force in the halt-maintenance state). If the actual movement direction of the vehicle and the driver's intended movement direction in the initial pressure decrease mode are identical with each other, the braking force applied is gradually decreased by the pressure decrease amount, in accordance with the amount of accelerator pedal operation and the vehicle speed (or the acceleration of the vehicle speed). Finally, this braking force is removed when the vehicle speed equals zero. As a result of this (the auxiliary brake mode), it is possible to execute starting at a speed that corresponds to the degree of accelerator opening, which serves as the amount of accelerator pedal operation. Further, as in the case of starting on the sloping road, when the actual movement direction of the vehicle in the initial pressure decrease mode is different from the direction intended by the driver, namely the direction is opposite to that intended by the driver, if the vehicle speed in the opposite direction exceeds a predetermined target speed, control is executed such that the braking force is gradually increased at an amount of pressure increase according to a speed deviation between the vehicle speed and the target speed in order to control the vehicle speed. Accordingly, the vehicle speed in the opposite direction is reduced so as to be equal to or lower than the target speed. Conversely if the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than the target speed, the braking force is controlled so as to be kept constant. This makes it possible to decrease the vehicle speed when the vehicle moves in the opposite direction to the driver's intended movement direction, and also to move the vehicle in the same direction from a standstill (the first opposite direction mode). Finally, operation in the same direction mode makes it possible to start in the driver's intended movement direction. As a result, the braking force is controlled in accordance with the orientation of the vehicle and the gradient direction of a sloping road, and also in accordance with the driver's intended movement direction and the degree of accelerator opening representing the degree of the starting intention. This makes it possible to perform a smooth starting operation of the vehicle in response to the intention of the driver, without detection or estimation of the magnitude of the gradient of the sloping road. (Second Embodiment) FIG. 1 FIG. 2 FIG. 3 2 Next, an automatic brake device of a second embodiment according to the present invention will be described. The second embodiment is the same as the foregoing first embodiment with respect to the entire structure illustrated in , the structure of the hydraulic braking apparatus illustrated in , and the processing of the main flow diagram illustrated in . Accordingly, a description of these elements and processing will be omitted here. 1 In the second embodiment, a starting assistance control flow that is executed by the brake control ECU is different from that in the first embodiment. The points of difference will be described below. FIGS. 10 and 11 FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the control flow of the starting assistance control in the second embodiment. Note that the processing for executing the same processing as those in the control flow (in ) of the first embodiment is designated with the same reference numerals and a description is omitted. FIGS. 10 and 11 The processing in the control flow in the second embodiment () is repeated with a predetermined control cycle (e.g., at intervals of 5 ms to 10 ms) as in the case of the control flow in the first embodiment. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment with respect to the following points. 127 1 At the point of completion of the initial pressure decrease mode as in the first embodiment, at S, the ECU stores, as a start-of-movement braking force, the braking force that acts when the vehicle VL begins moving in the actual movement direction during the processing of gradually decreasing the braking force through the initial pressure decrease. 130 170 Then, upon selection of the opposite direction mode at S, the processing at S is performed. The opposite direction mode described herein is equivalent to a second opposite direction mode in the present invention. 170 127 190 At S, a target braking force is determined. Specifically, the braking force resulting from the addition of a predetermined value δ to the start-of-movement braking force stored at S is set as a target braking force. Thereafter, the procedure moves to S. 170 The predetermined value δ used is for setting the target braking force at a value slightly larger than the start-of-movement braking force. By setting the target braking force at S, the movement of the vehicle in the opposite direction is stopped. 170 Further, at S, an initial pressure decrease completion flag is set to OFF in advance. Due to this, it is possible, after the vehicle is stopped, to switch to the initial pressure decrease mode when the accelerator pedal is depressed in order to start again. As described above, in the automatic brake device in the second embodiment, operation as in the first embodiment is performed in the same direction mode. However, when operating in the second opposite direction mode, irrespective of the magnitude of the vehicle speed in the opposite direction, a braking force is applied that is slightly larger than the braking force utilized when the vehicle starts in the initial pressure decrease mode. In other words, in the second opposite direction mode, without making the determination concerning the deviation between the vehicle speed and the target speed as in the first embodiment, a braking force capable of stopping the vehicle is generated. Therefore, it is possible to reliably stop the vehicle when the second opposite direction mode is active. 130 It should be noted that, if the degree of accelerator opening is increased during continuation of the above described vehicle halted state, the determination that the driver's intended movement direction and the actual vehicle movement direction are identical with each other is made at S through a repeated processing. Hence, the operation in the same direction mode is initiated to decrease the braking force by the pressure decrease amount α. However, when the degree of accelerator opening is not increased or when the increase in the degree of accelerator opening is insufficient, the second opposite mode is re-selected so that the braking force is set at a value “start-of-movement braking force+δ”, and the vehicle is placed in the halted state. This operation is repeated. 130 140 150 However, in such a situation, the driver typically depresses the accelerator pedal further in order to start in the intended movement direction (in the forward direction in the embodiment). For this reason, the same direction mode is switched at S in order to decrease the braking force by the pressure decrease amount α (at S, S). Accordingly, it is possible to start in the same direction as the driver's intended movement direction, i.e., in the forward direction, at a vehicle speed that corresponds to the accelerator pedal operation amount. 100 110 FIG. 10 Further, in the repeated processing from: stopping in the second opposite direction mode; to decreasing the braking force in the same direction mode; to moving in the opposite direction; to increasing the braking force (start-of-movement braking force+δ) in the second opposite direction mode; to stopping; and so on, if the driver stops the accelerator pedal operation (and further depresses the brake pedal), it is possible to maintain the braking force of the halted state and maintain the vehicle in the halted state through the processing at and in the flow shown in . In the second embodiment, as in the case of the first embodiment, the actual movement direction of the vehicle is detected in the initial pressure decrease mode. Then, if the actual movement direction is identical to the driver's intended movement direction, the applied braking force is gradually decreased by the pressure decrease amount that accords to the accelerator pedal operation amount and the vehicle speed (or the acceleration of the vehicle speed). This braking force is then finally cancelled when the vehicle speed is zero (the auxiliary brake mode). As a result, the vehicle is able to start at a speed corresponding to the degree of accelerator opening, which represents the accelerator pedal operation amount. Further, in the second embodiment, when the actual movement direction differs from the intended movement direction, the braking force while the vehicle is moving is increased to the start-of-movement braking force, which is the braking force applied when the vehicle starts to move in the initial pressure decrease mode (the second opposite direction mode), in order to reliably stop the movement of the vehicle in the opposite direction. After this, operation in the same direction mode is executed and then the vehicle is able to start. As a result, in the second embodiment, it is also possible to execute a smooth starting operation of the vehicle in accordance with the intention of the driver in any halted state. This can be executed by controlling braking force in accordance with the orientation of the vehicle and the gradient direction of the sloping road, the driver's intended movement direction, and the degree of accelerator opening representing the magnitude of the starting intention. Accordingly, detection or estimation of the magnitude of the gradient of the sloping road is not necessary. (Third Embodiment) FIG. 1 FIG. 2 FIG. 3 2 Next, an automatic brake device of a third embodiment according to the present invention will be described. The third embodiment is the same as the foregoing first and second embodiments with respect to the entire structure illustrated in , the structure of the hydraulic braking apparatus illustrated in , and the processing in the main flow diagram illustrated in . Accordingly, a description of these elements and processing will be omitted here. 1 In the third embodiment, a starting assistance control flow that is different from those in the first and second embodiments is executed by the brake control ECU . Therefore, the points of difference will be described below. FIGS. 10 and 12 FIG. 12 FIG. 11 FIGS. 4 5 10 11 illustrate the control flow of the starting assistance control in the third embodiment. That is to say the third embodiment executes the processing shown in instead of the processing shown in described in the second embodiment. Note that the processing for executing the same processing as those in the control flow (in , , and ) of the first and second embodiments are designated with the same reference numerals and a description is omitted. FIGS. 10 and 12 The processing in the control flow in the third embodiment () is repeated in a predetermined control cycle (e.g., at intervals of 5 ms to 10 ms) as in the case of the control flow in each of the aforementioned embodiments. FIG. 10 127 The third embodiment executes the same processing as those in the second embodiment described in as far as processing at S, at which point the initial pressure decrease mode terminates. The third embodiment differs from the first and second embodiments with respect to the following points. 130 160 As a result of the determination at S, the system switches to the opposite direction mode. Then at S, it is determined whether or not the amount of movement in the opposite direction from the time of switching to the opposite direction mode (an amount of total movement in the opposite direction) exceeds a preset threshold M. 180 186 Then, if the amount of total movement in the opposite direction is equal to or less than the threshold M, as in the case of the first opposite direction mode in the first embodiment, a pressure increase amount β is calculated on the basis of the amount of deviation between the vehicle speed and the target speed through the processing from S to S. Then, the braking force is increased in accordance with the calculated pressure increase amount β or the braking force is kept constant in order to prevent movement of the vehicle in the opposite direction. 170 170 On the other hand, if the amount of total movement in the opposite direction exceeds the threshold M, as in the case of the second opposite direction mode in the second embodiment, at S, the value “start-of-movement braking force in the initial pressure decrease mode+δ” is set as the target braking force, and the braking force is increased (at S) in order to prevent movement in the opposite direction and stop the vehicle. As described above, in the third embodiment, as in the case of the foregoing first and second embodiments, the actual movement direction of the vehicle is detected in the initial pressure decrease mode. Then, if the detected actual movement direction is identical to the gear shift position of the transmission, which is the intended movement direction that the driver intends to move in, the same direction mode is selected. On the other hand, if the actual movement direction and the gear shift position are opposite, the opposite direction mode is selected. Here, in the same direction mode, as in the case of the first and second embodiments, the braking force is decreased at a decrease gradient that is determined by the pressure decrease amount α according to the vehicle speed and the degree of accelerator opening. This makes it possible to start in the same direction, namely, in the direction in which the driver intends to start, at a speed that accords to the degree of accelerator opening. On the other hand, with regard to the opposite direction mode, in the third embodiment, the first opposite direction mode is selected until the amount of movement in the opposite direction exceeds a predetermined value M. This is selected in order to increase the braking force on the basis of the increase gradient β according to the amount of deviation between the vehicle speed in the opposite direction and the target speed for deceleration of the vehicle. Then, when the amount of movement exceeds the value M, the second opposite direction mode is selected, and therefore it is possible to reliably stop the vehicle using a braking force that is larger than the start-of-movement braking force. Hence, for the movement of the vehicle in the opposite direction, the braking force is controlled in accordance with the amount of movement concerned. Accordingly, it is possible to implement smooth braking, without the driver feeling that something is wrong or feeling a sense of unease. As described above, as in the case of the foregoing first and second embodiments, in the third embodiment it is also possible to perform a smooth starting operation of the vehicle in accordance with the intention of the driver in any halted state. This can be executed by controlling braking force in accordance with the orientation of the vehicle and the gradient direction of the sloping road, the driver's intended movement direction, and the degree of accelerator opening representing the magnitude of the starting intention. Accordingly, detection or estimation of the magnitude of the gradient of the sloping road is not necessary. (Fourth Embodiment) FIG. 1 FIG. 2 FIG. 3 2 Next, an automatic brake device of a fourth embodiment according to the present invention will be described. The fourth embodiment is the same as the foregoing first, second and third embodiments with respect to the entire structure illustrated in , the structure of the hydraulic braking apparatus illustrated in , and the processing in the main flow diagram illustrated in . Accordingly, a description of these elements and processing will be omitted here. 1 In the fourth embodiment, a starting assistance control flow executed by the brake control ECU is different from those in the first to third embodiments. Therefore, the points of difference will be described below. FIGS. 13 and 14 FIGS. 4 5 10 11 12 illustrate the control flow of the starting assistance control in the fourth embodiment. Note that the processing for executing the same processing as those in the control flows (in , , , and ) of the first to third embodiments is denoted with the same reference numerals and a description is omitted. FIGS. 13 and 14 The processing in the control flow in the fourth embodiment () is repeated with a fixed control cycle (e.g., at intervals of 5 ms to 10 ms) as in the case of the control flow in each of the aforementioned embodiments. FIG. 10 127 The fourth embodiment executes the same processing as those in the second and third embodiments described in as far as processing at S, at which point the initial pressure decrease mode terminates. The fourth embodiment differs from the first to third embodiments with respect to the following points. 127 128 At the time of terminating the initial pressure decrease mode, the start-of-movement braking force at S is stored, and further, a same-direction movement experience flag is set to OFF at S. 130 132 140 150 If the same direction mode is switched to as a result of the comparison between the actual movement direction and the intended movement direction at S, at S, the same-direction movement experience flag is switched to ON at first. Then processing from S to S, a pressure decrease amount α defining a predetermined decrease gradient is calculated and a target braking force is set by use of the calculated pressure decrease amount α, as in the cases of the first to third embodiments. 130 162 180 186 170 On the other hand, if the opposite direction mode is switched to as a result of the determination at S, at S, determination as to whether movement in the same direction has been experienced is made on the basis of the state of the same-direction moving experience flag. If there is no experience of movement in the same direction, operation in the first opposite direction mode in the foregoing processing from S to S is executed. In the case that movement has been experienced, operation in the second opposite direction mode in the foregoing processing at S is executed. 162 The determination at S is based on whether movement in the same direction has been experienced or not. Therefore, if the number of experiences is zero, the first opposite direction mode is selected. If the number of experiences is one, the second opposite direction mode is selected. 162 132 It should be noted that, the determination at S may be designed such that when the number of experiences of movement in the same direction is less than n experiences, the first opposite direction mode may be selected, and when the number of experiences is equal to or larger than n experiences, the second opposite direction mode may be selected. In this case, at S, the same-direction moving experience flag is set as a cumulative value number. With regard to vehicle movement under the starting assistance control in the forth embodiment as described above, typical cases will be described using examples in which the vehicle is placed under various conditions. (Case a) The driver wishes to move forward uphill (the intended movement direction=forward) or move backward downhill (the intended movement direction=backward): 100 110 100 122 As long as the accelerator pedal is not depressed, the procedure proceeds from S to S, and therefore the braking force is held to maintain the halted state of the vehicle. Upon depression of the accelerator pedal, the initial pressure decrease mode (from S to S) is switched to. 128 180 184 182 When the vehicle moves in the opposite direction to the intended movement direction due to an insufficient degree of accelerator opening in the initial pressure decrease mode, because the same-direction moving experience flag is OFF when the initial pressure decrease mode (at S) is terminated, if the vehicle speed in the opposite direction is higher than the target speed V limit at S, the braking force is increased (at S). Then, eventually, the vehicle speed in the opposite direction becomes lower than the target speed, and then the braking force is maintained at S. After this, the vehicle speed in the opposite direction is gradually reduced by further depression of the accelerator pedal. After a while, the movement direction of the vehicle changes to the same direction and therefore the same direction mode is switched (the same-direction moving experience flag is switched to ON). In the same direction mode, the braking force gradually decreases (by the pressure decrease amount α), and after a while the braking force is completely cancelled (the braking force=zero). Accordingly, the vehicle speed in the same direction is further increased. Note that, termination of the starting assistance control does not occur at the time when the braking force is completely cancelled, but is set at the time point when the vehicle speed exceeds a predetermined value (e.g., 15 km/h or a vehicle speed proportional to the degree of accelerator opening). 130 162 170 Further, when the driver eases the pressure on the accelerator pedal before termination of the same direction mode, the actual movement direction of the vehicle changes from the same direction, to stopping, and then to the opposite direction. Hence, when moving from S to S, the same-direction moving experience flag is ON, and therefore the procedure moves to S to set the target braking force at “start-of-movement braking force+δ”. Accordingly, vehicle movement in the opposite direction is stopped and at the same time the initial pressure decrease completion flag is switched to OFF in order to allow the initial pressure decrease processing of the next accelerator pedal operation. (Case b) The driver wishes to move backward uphill (the intended movement direction=backward) or move forward downhill (the intended movement direction=forward): The accelerator pedal is depressed in the halted state of the vehicle, whereupon the vehicle reliably moves in the intended movement direction in the initial pressure decrease mode, irrespective of the degree of accelerator opening. Hence, the same direction mode is switched to, and therefore the braking force is completely cancelled and the starting assistance control terminates. Furthermore, the vehicle moves in the intended movement direction at a speed corresponding to the degree of accelerator opening and the gradient of the sloping road. 100 110 Note that during operation in the same direction mode, namely, before the braking force is completely cancelled, if the accelerator pedal is released, the braking force at the point of accelerator release is maintained (from S to S). However, engine output is at the minimum value generated when idling, so that the halted state or movement in the same direction is continued in accordance with the relationship between the road-surface gradient and the braking force and the engine output. As described above, in the fourth embodiment, as in the cases of the foregoing first to third embodiments, the actual movement direction of the vehicle is detected in the initial pressure decrease mode. If the detected actual movement direction is identical with the gear shift position of the transmission representing the intended movement direction that the driver intends to move in, the same direction mode is selected, whereas if the detected actual movement direction is opposite, the opposite direction mode is selected. Further, in the same direction mode, as in the cases of the first to third embodiments, by decreasing the braking force at a decrease gradient which is defined by the use of the pressure decrease amount α that accords with the vehicle speed and the degree of accelerator opening, it is possible to start in the same direction, that is, the direction in which the driver intends to start, at a speed corresponding to the degree of accelerator opening. On the other hand, with regard to the opposite direction mode, in the fourth embodiment, when the vehicle moves in the opposite direction, if movement in the same direction has not been experienced up to this time, or when the number of experiences is less than n experiences (e.g., n=1), the first opposite direction mode is selected to increase the braking force on the basis of the increase gradient β that accords with the amount of deviation between the vehicle speed in the opposite direction and the target speed for deceleration of the vehicle. If the there has been experience of movement in the same direction, or if the number of experiences is equal to or more than n experiences, the second opposite direction mode is selected to enable reliable stopping of the vehicle using a braking force that exceeds the start-of-movement braking force. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably stop the vehicle under conditions in which the sequence of movements from a same-direction movement to an opposite-direction movement and then to a same-direction movement is repeated. It is further possible to execute smooth braking without the driver feeling that something is wrong or feeling a sense of unease. As described above, in the fourth embodiment, as in the case of the foregoing first, second and third embodiments, it is possible to execute a smooth starting operation of the vehicle in any halted state in accordance with the intention of the driver. This can be executed by controlling braking force in accordance with the orientation of the vehicle and the gradient direction of the sloping road, the driver's intended movement direction, and the degree of accelerator opening representing the magnitude of the starting intention. Accordingly, detection or estimation of the magnitude of the gradient of the sloping road is not necessary. (Fifth Embodiment) FIG. 1 FIG. 2 FIG. 3 2 Next, an automatic brake device of a fifth embodiment according to the present invention will be described. The fifth embodiment is the same as the foregoing first to fourth embodiments with respect to the entire structure illustrated in , the structure of the hydraulic braking apparatus illustrated in , and the processing in the main flow diagram illustrated in . Accordingly a description of these elements and processing will be omitted here. 1 In the fifth embodiment, the brake control ECU executes a starting assistance control flow that is different from those in the first to fourth embodiments. Therefore, the points of difference will be described below. FIGS. 15 and 5 FIGS. 4 5 10 11 12 13 14 illustrate the control flow of the starting assistance control in the fifth embodiment. Note that the processing for executing the same processing as those in the control flow (in , , , , , and ) of the first to fourth embodiments are denoted with the same reference numerals and a description is omitted. FIGS. 15 and 5 The processing in the control flow in the fifth embodiment () is repeated with a predetermined control cycle (e.g., at intervals of 5 ms to 10 ms) as in the case of the control flow in each of the aforementioned embodiments. In the fifth embodiment, in the movement direction detection mode for detecting the movement direction of the vehicle, the movement direction of the vehicle is not detected by use of initial pressure decrease as is done in the first to fourth embodiments. Instead, the movement direction of the vehicle is detected by use of the vehicle speed itself which is generated in accordance with the applied braking force and the surface gradient of the road on which the vehicle stops, and with the degree of accelerator opening. 0 1 5 Note that in the fifth embodiment, a vehicle speed Vs is calculated by the brake control ECU on the basis of signals from the wheel speed sensors , and is represented as a positive value in the forward direction of the vehicle and as a negative value in the backward direction thereof. 100 200 0 210 220 First, upon determination that the accelerator pedal is being operated at S, it is determined at S whether or not a vehicle speed Vs has a positive value. If YES, at S, the actual movement direction of the vehicle is set as the forward direction. If NO, the procedure moves to S. 220 0 260 230 0 At S, it is determined whether or not the vehicle speed Vs has a negative value. If YES, at S, the actual movement direction of the vehicle is set as the backward direction. If NO, the procedure moves to S. In this event, the vehicle speed Vs is equal to zero. In this manner, the above processing in the fifth embodiment corresponds to a movement direction detecting unit for detecting the actual movement direction on the basis of a wheel speed signal of the vehicle that is moved by the accelerator pedal operation which represents the driver's starting intention. 230 0 0 9 RG=W×gx At S, because the vehicle speed Vs=zero, a slope resistance RG is calculated on the basis of Equation 3. 0 (3) where, W is the preset weight of the vehicle VL, and gx is the acceleration of the vehicle in the backward-and-forward direction as detected by the backward-and-forward acceleration sensor , in which the orientation of the rear of the vehicle is positive. 9 0 0 0 That is, when stopping the vehicle on a sloping road, the value detected by the backward-and-forward acceleration sensor is equivalent to a hill slope direction component of the gravitational acceleration acting on the vehicle, and stands at gx> zero when the vehicle stops on an uphill slope, gx=zero when the vehicle stops on a level road, and gx< zero when the vehicle stops on a downhill slope. Accordingly, it is possible to use Equation 3 for the calculation of a force in the hill slope direction acting on the vehicle in the halted state, i.e. the hill resistance. 240 TD=Te×tAT×rAT×rf Then, at S, a driving torque TD acting on the driving wheels is calculated using Equation 4 on the basis of the engine output generated through the accelerator pedal operation by the driver. (4) where, Te is the engine torque, tAT is the torque ratio of the automatic transmission (AT), rAT is a gear ratio of AT, and rf is a differential gear ratio. The AT gear ratio rAT is set at rAT>zero when the shift position of the transmission is placed in the forward direction range (the D range, the 2 range or the L range), set at rAT=zero when the shift position is placed in a halted state range (the P range or the N range), and set at rAT<zero when the shift position is placed in the reverse direction range (the R range). Accordingly, the driving torque TD when the vehicle generates a driving force in the forward direction has a positive value (TD>zero) and the driving torque TD in the backward direction has a negative value (TD<zero). 250 260 210 At S, a comparison between the calculated hill resistance RG and the calculated driving torque TD is executed. If RG>TD, the actual movement direction is determined to be the backward direction at S. If RG≦TD, the actual movement direction is determined to be the forward direction at S. 250 The determination conditions at S for each of the individuals situations are as follows. (i) In the case of being stopped uphill, when the shift position is placed in the backward range (the R range) and driving torque is generated, the vehicle tends to move backward. Further, regardless of the magnitudes of RG and TD, the relationships, RG>zero and TD<zero, that is, the relationship, RG>zero>TD is fulfilled at all times. As a result, it is possible to consider the actual movement direction as the backward direction. (ii) In the case of being stopped downhill, when the shift position is placed in the forward range (the D range, the 2 range or the L range) and driving torque is generated, the vehicle tends to move forward. Further, regardless of the magnitudes of RG and TD, the relationships, RG<zero and TD>zero, that is, the relationship of RG<zero<TD is established at all times. As a result, it is possible to consider the actual movement direction as the forward direction. (iii) In the case of being stopped uphill, when the shift position is placed in the forward range and driving torque is generated, RG>zero and TD>zero are established. Hence, depending upon the magnitude of the values of RG and TD, the vehicle tends to move backward when RG>TD (>zero), and to move forward when (zero>)<RG<TD. (iv) In the case of being stopped downhill, when the shift position is placed in the backward range (the R range) and driving torque is generated, RG<zero and TD<zero are satisfied. Hence, depending upon the magnitude of the values of RG and TD, the vehicle tends to move backward when (zero>) RG>TD, i.e., \|RG\|<\|TD\|, and to move forward when RG<TD (<zero), i.e., \|RG\|>\|TD\|. 200 260 0 0 With regard to the foregoing, in the processing from S to S (the movement direction detection mode), while the vehicle is actually moving, that is, when the vehicle speed Vs is a positive value or a negative value, the actual movement direction of the vehicle is determined as the forward direction or the backward direction in a corresponding manner. Furthermore, when the vehicle is in a halted state, that is, when the vehicle speed Vs is zero, the actual movement direction is taken to be the forward direction or the backward direction through comparison of the magnitude, including positive and negative sign, of the hill resistance RG and the driving torque TD. 210 260 130 140 180 Then, after processing at S or at S, as in the cases of the aforementioned embodiments, at S, a comparison between the determined actual movement direction of the vehicle and the intended movement direction represented by the shift position is executed. If the comparison result is YES, the procedure enters the same direction mode that is executed at S onward. If the result is NO, the procedure enters the first opposite direction mode as executed at S onward. The processing in the same direction and first opposite direction modes are the same as those in the first embodiment, and thus a description will be omitted here. As described above, in the fifth embodiment, it is possible in the movement direction detection mode to determine that the vehicle is moving in the forward direction or that the vehicle is moving in the backward direction from the magnitude of the vehicle speed detected through the actual movement of the vehicle, i.e., to determine the actual movement direction of the vehicle. Further, even if the vehicle speed is zero, by calculating and comparing the hill resistance RG and the driving torque TD on the basis of the driving torque of the wheels, it is possible to determine whether the vehicle is about to move forward or backward, and to take the result as the actual movement direction. During operation in the starting assistance control mode, operation in the above movement direction detection mode is executed at all times in order to detect and determine the actual movement direction of the vehicle. Then, based on the relationship between the actual vehicle movement direction determined as described above and the intended movement direction, as in the case of the first embodiment, if both the actual vehicle-movement and the intended movement directions are identical with each other, it is possible to decrease the braking force gradually at the decrease gradient α, and execute starting at a speed corresponding to the accelerator pedal operation (the same direction mode). Further, if the actual vehicle-movement and the intended movement directions are opposite, when the vehicle speed is higher than the target speed, the braking force is gradually increased at the predetermined increase gradient β in order to make the vehicle speed agree with the target speed. When the vehicle speed is lower than the target speed, the braking force is maintained at a constant value without change in order for the vehicle to switch from deceleration to the halted state (the first opposite direction mode). When the vehicle is placed in the halted state in the first opposite direction mode, the actual movement direction is re-determined through operation in the movement direction detection mode. Based on the result of this determination, either the same direction mode or the first opposite mode is selected. Then, the vehicle moves at a speed that corresponds with the amount of accelerator pedal operation of the driver (the degree of accelerator opening), the braking force applied by the automatic brake device and the hill resistance. Accordingly, with the fifth embodiment it is also possible to perform smooth starting operation of the vehicle in any halted state in accordance with the intention of the driver. This can be executed by controlling braking force in accordance with the orientation of the vehicle and the gradient direction of the sloping road, the driver's intended movement direction, and the degree of accelerator opening representing the magnitude of the starting intention. (Sixth Embodiment) FIG. 1 FIG. 2 FIG. 3 2 Next, an automatic brake device of a sixth embodiment according to the present invention will be described. The sixth embodiment is the same as the foregoing first to fifth embodiments with respect to the entire structure illustrated in , the structure of the hydraulic braking apparatus illustrated in , and the processing in the main flow diagram illustrated in . Accordingly, a description of these elements and processing will be omitted here. 2 3 2 In the aforementioned first to fifth embodiments, examples are illustrated in which the braking force generated by the hydraulic braking apparatus serving as the first brake unit is used for maintaining the halted state of the vehicle before starting. However, in the sixth embodiment, the automatic brake device switches in the halt-maintenance mode from the halted state of the vehicle retained by the motor-operated PKB serving as the second brake unit to the halted state of the vehicle maintained by the hydraulic braking apparatus serving as the first brake unit, just before starting of the vehicle. FIG. 3 13 3 Accordingly, in the main flow (), when the brake holding control at S is initiated, the vehicle VL is placed in the halt-maintenance state by the second braking force generated by the motor-operated PKB . FIGS. 16 FIGS. 4 4 5 1 5 10 11 12 13 14 , and illustrate the control flow of the starting assistance control executed by the brake control ECU according to the sixth embodiment. Note that the processing for executing the same processing as those in the control flow (in , , , , , and ) of the first to fifth embodiments is denoted by the same reference numerals and a description is omitted here. FIGS. 16 4 5 The processing in the control flow in the sixth embodiment (, and ) is repeated with a predetermined control cycle (e.g., at intervals of 5 ms to 10 ms) as in the case of the control flow in each of the aforementioned embodiments. 90 8 First, at S, it is determined whether or not the driver shifts the shift position of the transmission. The shifting of the shift position is detected by the shift position sensor . 110 FIG. 4 If the shift position is not shifted, specifically, if the transmission is not shifted and remains in a shift position (the P range or the N range) in which driving force does not act on the wheels, the procedure moves to S () in order to maintain the braking force at that time. 97 If the shift position is not shifted, specifically, if the transmission is not shifted and remains in a shift position (the D, 2, L or R ranges) in which driving force acts on the wheels, the procedure moves to S. 91 Further, if the shift position is shifted, specifically, if the transmission is shifted from a shift position in which driving force does not act on the wheels to a shift position in which driving force does act on the wheels, the procedure moves to S. 90 110 97 91 Note that the determination conditions at S may be set such that: if a switch signal of a brake lamp (not shown) that illuminates in response to the brake pedal operation remains ON (a turned-on state), it is taken that the driver does yet intend to start, and therefore the procedure moves to S; if the switch signal remains OFF (a turned-off state), it is taken that that the accelerator pedal is operated on the basis of the starting intention, and therefore the procedure moves to S; and if the switch signal is changed from ON to OFF, it is taken that the driver has just decided to start, and therefore the procedure goes to S. 90 110 97 91 Further the determination conditions at S may include, for example, a determination as to whether the driver actuates a halt-maintenance cancel preparation switch (not shown) provided on the instrument panel, or elsewhere, in the vicinity of the driver's seat. That is to say, if such a halt-maintenance cancel preparation switch remains OFF, the procedure moves to S, but if the switch remains ON, the procedure moves to S, and if the switch is changed from OFF to ON, the procedure moves to S. 8 Accordingly, the shift position sensor , or the switch for the brake lamps, or the halt-maintenance cancel preparation switch are equivalent to a starting preparation intention detection unit of the present invention. 91 3 2 3 At S, settings are established for decreasing the braking force of the motor-operated PKB and increasing the pressure for the braking force of the hydraulic braking apparatus . Specifically, the motor of the motor-operated PKB is rotated in the reverse direction at a 100% duty ratio (the maximum number of revolutions), and also a pressure increase amount Z is set as a predetermined value Z init. 92 2 Then, at S, a value resulting from the addition of the above set pressure increase amount Z is set as the target value for the braking force (first braking force) of the hydraulic braking apparatus . 93 2 19 19 29 29 3 94 95 a b a b At S, it is determined whether or not the braking force generated by the hydraulic braking apparatus and detected by the fluid-pressure sensors , , and exceeds a value Y corresponding to the braking force initially generated by the motor-operated PKB . If the result is YES, pressure increase is not required. Hence, at S, the target braking force Z is set as zero. If the result is NO, the procedure moves to S. 95 3 3 3 96 3 3 At S, it is determined whether or not the motor-operated PKB is completely cancelled. Specifically, a position at which the motor of the motor-operated PKB is returned from a locked position (corresponding to a maximum braking force) by a predetermined amount X is taken as a braking-force removed position. In this case, it is determined that the braking force is removed if the amount of return of the motor exceeds the predetermined amount X. Then, if the motor-operated PKB is cancelled, the procedure moves to S to actuate stopping of the motor-operated PKB , that is, normal direction rotation of the PKB at a 0% duty ratio. Then, the processing in the control flow are continued. 95 3 At S, when the motor-operated PKB is completely cancelled, the processing is continued without change. 97 3 2 2 3 3 0 FIG. 4 On the other hand, at S, it is determined whether or not the braking force is switched completely from the motor-operated PKB to the hydraulic braking apparatus . That is, if the first braking force generated by the hydraulic braking apparatus reaches a braking force equivalent to the original braking force (the second braking force) of the motor-operated PKB , and further, if the second braking force generated by the motor-operated PKB is completely removed, then the determination becomes YES. Namely, it is taken that switching is completed, and the procedure moves to SlO in . 97 92 2 3 91 3 Further, if the determination result at S is NO, namely, when switching is not yet completed, the procedure moves to S to execute pressure increase for the hydraulic braking apparatus . Note that, at this point, once the release of the braking force of the motor-operated PKB is set at S, the motor is continuously rotated in the reverse direction, until the braking force of the motor-operated PKB is completely removed. 3 2 FIG. 17 Next, a description will be given concerning the manner in which the braking force from the motor-operated PKB serving as the second brake unit is switched to the braking force from the hydraulic braking apparatus serving as the first brake unit, with reference to the time diagram in . FIG. 17 3 91 When the shift position is shifted at the “switching start” point on the time axis of , the second braking force generated by the motor-operated PKB up to this point is decreased at a predetermined time gradient due to the setting executed at S. 2 92 3 3 Meanwhile, the first braking force generated by the hydraulic braking apparatus increases in accordance with the pressure increase amount Z at S from the “switching start” point until it reaches the level Y equivalent to the braking force originally generated by the motor-operated PKB , namely, the braking force generated by the PKB just before the time of the “switching start”. 2 3 3 After the first braking force generated by the hydraulic braking apparatus has reached a predetermined value Y, the second braking force generated by the motor-operated PKB continues to decrease relatively moderately, as a result of factors related to the mechanism of the PKB . Finally, the second braking force decreases to zero, whereupon “completion of switching” is determined. 100 FIG. 4 After “completion of switching”, the processing from S () onward is initiated for the starting assistance control. 2 Note that in the starting assistance control, when the actual movement direction differs from the intended movement direction, as in the case of the foregoing first embodiment, as a result of operation in the first opposite direction mode, control is executed such that if the vehicle speed exceeds the target speed V limit, the first braking force generated after switching by the hydraulic braking apparatus serving as the first brake unit is increased in order to decrease the vehicle speed to make it equal to or lower than the target speed. 3 3 2 As described hitherto, in the sixth embodiment, the halt-maintenance state of the vehicle before starting is maintained by the motor-operated PKB which serves as the second brake unit and which has low energy consumption. Then, in accordance with the shifting of the gear shift position which represents the starting preparation intention of the driver, generation of the braking force is switched from the motor-operated PKB to the first brake unit , and the halt-maintenance state is continued. 2 Following this, the starting assistance control is executed. In this starting assistance control, the actual movement direction of the vehicle is detected by means of the initial pressure decrease, in response to the accelerator pedal operation representing the driver's starting intention, and then the actual movement direction is compared with the intended movement direction representing the driver's intention. After this, it becomes possible to start smoothly through operation in the same direction mode or the first opposite direction mode. Alternatively, it is possible to moderately decrease the movement of the vehicle in the opposite direction in order to eventually start in the intended movement direction. During the starting assistance control, the hydraulic braking apparatus adjusts the braking force. This makes swift control of the braking force possible, leading to a smooth starting operation that conforms with the driver's intention. (Seventh Embodiment) FIG. 1 FIG. 2 FIG. 3 2 Next, an automatic brake device of a seventh embodiment according to the present invention will be described. The seventh embodiment is the same as the foregoing first to sixth embodiments with respect to the entire structure illustrated in , the structure of the hydraulic braking apparatus illustrated in , and the processing in the main flow diagram illustrated in . Accordingly, a description of these elements and processing will be omitted here. 2 3 In the aforementioned first to fifth embodiments examples are given in which the halt-maintenance state of the vehicle before starting is realized by the braking force generated by the hydraulic braking apparatus serving as the first brake unit. However, in the seventh embodiment, the halt-maintenance state in the halt-maintenance mode is realized by the second braking force generated by the motor-operated PKB serving as the second brake unit. Moreover, when the driver conducts operations for starting of the vehicle, the second braking force is decreased without delay in order to start movement of the vehicle. FIG. 3 13 3 Therefore, in the main flow (), when the brake holding control at S is initiated, the halted state of the vehicle is maintained by the second braking force generated by the motor-operated PKB . FIGS. 18 and 5 FIGS. 4 1 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 illustrate the control flow of the starting assistance control executed by the brake control ECU in the seventh embodiment. Note that the processing for executing the same processing as those in the control flow (in , , , , , , and ) of the first to sixth embodiments is designated by the same reference numerals and a description is omitted. FIGS. 18 and 5 The processing in the control flow in the seventh embodiment () is repeated with a predetermined control cycle (e.g., at intervals of 5 ms to 10 ms) as in the case of the control flow in each of the aforementioned embodiments. 100 110 101 At S, it is determined whether or not the driver is operating the accelerator pedal as a representation of the driver's starting intention. If NO, the procedure moves to S to retain the present braking force (the first or second braking force) without change. Alternatively, if YES, the procedure moves to S. 101 3 3 5 3 B B At S, setting for the removal of the braking force of the motor-operated PKB is executed. Specifically, a duty ratio DUTY which is an actuating signal (the second actuating signal) for the motor of the motor-operated PKB is determined from Equation as a value proportional to the degree of accelerator opening and a command continuation time for release of the motor-operated PKB . DUTY=1×the degree of accelerator opening+2×command continuation time (5) where B1, B2 are proportionality constants. 102 3 3 103 Then, at S, if the amount of motor rotation from the locked position (the maximum braking force) of the motor of the motor-operated PKB reaches the predetermined value L, it is determined that the second braking force of the motor-operated PKB is completely cancelled. That is, if the determination result is YES, the procedure moves to S. If the determination is NO, the process is continued. 103 3 At S, as a result of the cancellation determination, DUTY is set at zero and the rotation of the motor is set in the normal direction to complete the operation of cancellation the motor-operated PKB . 103 3 As a result of the processing at S, the second braking force of the motor-operated PKB is completely cancelled. 103 2 It should be noted that, at the time immediately after the accelerator pedal operation, due to the processing at S, the hydraulic braking apparatus does not generate the first braking force, so that no braking force is applied to the wheels. Thus the vehicle starts moving at a speed that accords to the relationship between the amount of accelerator pedal operation (the degree of accelerator opening) and the hill resistance. 101 102 103 The processing at S, S, S corresponds to the movement direction detection mode. 130 Then, the processing of the starting assistance control at S onward is performed in the same direction mode or the first opposite direction mode, as in the case of the aforementioned first embodiment. Hence the vehicle is capable of executing smooth starting in the intended movement direction. 2 Note that when the initial braking force of the hydraulic braking apparatus is zero, there is no need for the pressure decrease processing of the braking force in the same direction mode to be executed, and thus the braking force remains substantially unchanged at zero. Further, in the pressure increase processing for the braking force in the first opposite direction mode, when the initial braking force of the hydraulic braking apparatus is zero, the pressure is gradually built up from zero by the pressure increase amount β, in order to control the movement of the vehicle in the opposite direction. 3 3 In this way, in the seventh embodiment, when the halted state of the vehicle is maintained by the second braking force generated by the motor-operated PKB serving as the second brake unit in the halt-maintenance mode, if the driver operates the accelerator pedal with the starting intention in the intended movement direction, cancellation of the second braking force of the motor-operated PKB is immediately set. Then, a direction of the vehicle's movement in accordance with the degree of accelerator opening during the processing of cancellation the second braking force is detected as the actual movement direction. In addition, as in the case of the foregoing first embodiment, it is possible to start in the intended movement direction due to the operations of the same direction mode and the first opposite direction mode in accordance with the relationship between the detected actual movement direction and the intended movement direction which is detected from the shift position. In consequence, in the seventh embodiment, the braking force is controlled in accordance with the orientation of the vehicle and the direction of the gradient of the sloping road, and with the driver's intended movement direction and the degree of accelerator opening which represents the magnitude of the starting intention. This control also makes it possible to perform a smooth starting operation of the vehicle in accordance with the driver's intention without detection or estimation of the magnitude of the gradient of the sloping road. (Other Embodiments) 2 FIG. 2 (1) Each of the foregoing embodiments has described an example of using the hydraulic braking apparatus illustrated in for the first brake unit that acts as the braking-force application unit. However, it is also possible to use a brake device which is capable of applying pressure to a master cylinder with a brake pedal pressure in the conventional way, and also capable of using another hydraulic mechanism to apply pressure to the master cylinder independently of the brake pedal pressure, that is, a so-called hydro-booster which is capable of applying pressure to a master cylinder even without brake pedal operation. Further, the first brake unit is not limited to a hydraulic brake device, and a motor-operated brake unit may be used in which an electric motor is provided in each wheel and a brake caliper is directly pressed against a brake disc by driving the electric motor to generate a braking force. It is possible for any of the above brake devices to generate the first braking force based on an actuating signal, and to function as the first brake unit allowing cancel of the braking force (braking force=zero) when the actuating signal becomes inactive. Accordingly, highly responsive generation of braking force is possible. 3 3 3 It should be noted that due to thermal energy considerations, the first brake units as just described need to avoid continuous operation of the solenoid valves, and the like, mounted in the first brake unit. Accordingly, this type of first brake unit is inappropriate for the long-term generation of the braking force. On the other hand, in the case of the motor-operated PKB serving as the second brake unit, the motor is driven to a locked position in order to generate the braking force. Then, the actuating signal for the motor becomes inactive to stop the motor, while the braking force generated is still maintained. Hence, the PKB has a slow response, but offers advantages since the PKB has no problem related to thermal energy being produced even with long-term use, and has high energy efficiency. K A (2) The foregoing first to fourth embodiments and sixth embodiment have described examples in which the initial pressure decrease amount γ in the initial pressure decrease mode is determined by the degree of accelerator opening and the elapse of time of the initial pressure decrease processing in Equations 1 and 3. However, the initial pressure decrease amount γ may be determined by considering an accelerator pedal operation speed and an accelerator pedal operation acceleration as the amount of accelerator pedal operation as shown in Equation 6. γ=×halt-maintenance braking force×(1×the degree of accelerator opening+A2×elapsed time+A3×accelerator pedal operation speed+A4×accelerator pedal operation acceleration) (6) 1 4 where, the halt-maintenance braking force is a braking force when the halted state of the vehicle is maintained in the halt-maintenance mode; and K and A to A are all proportionality constants that are preset. Hence, the higher the halt-maintenance braking force, the larger the amount of accelerator pedal operation (the degree of accelerator opening, the operation speed, the operation acceleration), and further the greater the elapse of time of the initial pressure decrease, the more the initial pressure decrease amount γ is increased. In other words, it is possible to quickly decrease the braking force and to swiftly detect the actual movement direction of the vehicle. 2 3 (3) The foregoing first to fifth embodiments have described examples in which the halt-maintenance state of the vehicle before starting is realized by the first braking force generated by the hydraulic braking apparatus serving as the first brake unit. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and even if the halted state of the vehicle is maintained by the second braking force generated by the motor-operated PKB serving as the second brake unit, it is possible to perform the control that is executed after initiation of the starting assistance control, as in the case of each of the foregoing embodiments. While the above description is of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it should be appreciated that the invention may be modified, altered, or varied without deviating from the scope and fair meaning of the following claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be understood more fully from the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an entire structure of an automatic brake device of a first embodiment according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a hydraulic braking apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIG. 3 is a main flow diagram illustrating a procedure of a brake control ECU according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is part of a flow diagram of a starting assistance control of the automatic brake device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is another part of the flow diagram of the starting assistance control of the automatic brake device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 6 shows a map for determining a set value of a pressure decrease amount α in a same direction mode according to the first embodiment; FIG. 7 is a time diagram illustrating an example of the starting operation in the first embodiment; FIG. 8 is a time diagram illustrating another example of a starting operation in the first embodiment; FIG. 9 is a time diagram illustrating yet another example of the starting operation in the first embodiment; FIG. 10 is part of a flow diagram of a starting assistance control of a second embodiment according to the present invention; FIG. 11 is another part of the flow diagram of the starting assistance control of an automatic brake device according to the second embodiment; FIG. 12 is part of a flow diagram of a starting assistance control of a third embodiment according to the present invention; FIG. 13 is part of a flow diagram of a starting assistance control of a fourth embodiment according to the present invention; FIG. 14 is another part of the flow diagram of the starting assistance control of the fourth embodiment; FIG. 15 is part of a flow diagram of a starting assistance control of a fifth embodiment according to the present invention; FIG. 16 is part of a flow diagram of a starting assistance control of a sixth embodiment according to the present invention; FIG. 17 is a line diagram illustrating a switching condition of a braking force that accords with switching of a shift position in a halt-maintenance mode according to the sixth embodiment; and FIG. 18 is part of a flow diagram of a starting assistance control of a seventh embodiment according to the present invention.
This thesis explores the impact of macroeconomic, equity and credit market conditions on venture capital investment. The theoretical methodology outlines the logical foundation that supports the relationships between each explanatory variable and the supply and demand of venture financing. The hypotheses suggested by theory are tested using five multi-vector ordinary least squares regression that analyze the impact of the macroeconomic and capital market variables, after adjustment for multicollinaerity and overspecification bias, on each stage of venture capital investment. The next empirical strategy uses category variables and interaction terms to vastly expand the number of observations in the dataset and provide a more robust analysis of select variables. The results show that macroeconomic conditions associated with increased economic activity and productivity growth cause an increase in venture capital investment at all development stages, though early and late stage investments are the most sensitive to growth and productivity advances. In addition, strong public equity market valuations and initial public offering successes are positively associated with venture capital investments. Finally, optimism in credit markets are found to have an indirect impact on venture capital investment, through confounding factors related to investor and entrepreneurial confidence. Advisor: Mary Beth Fisher \| JEL Codes: G2, G24, E44 Modeling Variation in U.S. Bank Holding Companies’ Net Interest Margins By Daniel Dorchuck This study explores variation in US bank holding companies’ (BHCs) net inter-est margins (NIMs) and the eﬀects of interest rate risk exposure on NIMs. Interest rate risk (IRR) is intrinsic in maturity transformation and ﬁnancial intermediation as banks take on short-term liabilities in the form of deposits and create assets in the form of loans with longer maturities and diﬀerent repricing proﬁles. Accordingly, interest rate risk is necessary for bank holding companies (BHCs) to be proﬁtable in ﬁnancial intermediation, and net interest margins are chosen as a variable of inter-est because they are an isolated measure of bank’ proﬁtability from interest earning assets. Naturally, BHCs employ maturity pairing and derivative hedging to mitigate IRR and ultimately increase and smooth earnings. Synthesizing banks’ balance sheet and income statement data, macroeconomic variables, credit conditions, and interest rate environment variables, this study hopes to expand on existing work by provid-ing insight on the determinants of NIMs as well as interest rate derivatives’ eﬃcacy in increasing and stabilizing net interest margins. The models presented establish links between long term rate exposure, risk-averse capital positions, and increased margins. Additionally, the models suggest that banks earn smaller spreads (NIMs) in higher interest rate environments but beneﬁt from steeper yield curves.	https://sites.duke.edu/econhonors/category/advisor/mary-beth-fisher/
Q: Outlier detection in latitude/longitude CSV file I have a huge CSV file containing GPS points of hotels in various cities. Sample: CITY \| HOTEL \| LATITUDE \| LONGITUDE Chicago \| Bellevue \| 41.826 \| -87.689 Chicago \| SuperMt \| 41.924 \| -87.703 Chicago \| Starhotel \| 44.903 \| -93.215 Chicago \| BestW \| 41.743 \| -87.641 Tokyo \| CityStay \| 30.212 \| 128.435 Is there a program that can detect outliers? For instance, Starhotel's latitude/longitude are clearly wrong, putting it hundreds of kilometers away from the other hotels of the same city. Requirements: Outliers should be detected relative to the dispersion of the main cluster, for instance hotels in "California" will be rather far apart, whereas hotels in "East Village" will all be very close to each other. So "outlier" is relative to the dispersion of the whole group. Free, ideally open source Fast to configure Works with 300,000 lines 100 MB CSV file, or its equivalent RDF or OSM file Any OS. Ideally command-line. Online tool/API OK if it can handle the load. Longitude becomes less significant near the South/North Poles. Calculating distance in a naive way sqrt(latitudeDelta²+longitudeDelta²) is better than nothing, though, as the Poles don't have many hotels. Final goal: catch probable errors, in order to send them to human reviewers. 100% accuracy not needed. A: First of all, you may want to split your data set into cities. This will probably yield better results than keeping everything together. Then the tool of choice probably is ELKI: It contains lots and lots of algorithms for outlier detection. In particular, it has the Local Outlier Factor (wikipedia), which exactly tries to capture local differences in density It supports Geodetic distance, with different earth models It can use R-tree indexes for acceleration, so 300k is not a problem (but you may still want to split the data set on cities, for better results; and without it, a hotel titled "Chicago" but with coordinates in California will still appear to be normal from the coordinates). I have used 100k multidimensional data sets myself already; and I've seen the author use 23 million tweets in clustering... Open-source, written in Java. You may also want to check the authors work on customizing outlier detection. This may be required if you want to process all 300k at once, and use the city and hotel columns as well. (Most methods are designed for numerical data!) From my interpretation of this model, you may want to define the context as hotels in the same city, and then compare the densities. Schubert, E., Zimek, A., & Kriegel, H. P. (2014). Local outlier detection reconsidered: a generalized view on locality with applications to spatial, video, and network outlier detection. Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery, 28(1), 190-237. hmm... thinking of your problem, this one may also be relevant, detecting outliers in car accident and radiactivity measurement data: Schubert, E., Zimek, A., & Kriegel, H. P. (2014). Generalized outlier detection with flexible kernel density estimates. In Proceedings of the 14th SIAM International Conference on Data Mining (SDM), Philadelphia, PA. I guess both were done using ELKI, since it is the same authors... Here is how to use ELKI to perform outlier detection: Separate your data into one latitude,longitude CSV file per city. Download the ELKI JAR and open it Configure the parameters like this: Push the Run task button and you should get this:
1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to transcutaneous transfer systems and, more particularly, to a transcutaneous capacitive data link. 2. Related Art The use of implantable medical devices to provide therapy to individuals for various medical conditions has become more widespread as the advantages and benefits such devices provide become more widely appreciated and accepted throughout the population. In particular, devices such as hearing aids, implantable pacemakers, defibrillators, functional electrical stimulation devices such as cochlear prostheses, organ assist or replacement devices, and other medical devices, have been successful in performing life saving and/or lifestyle enhancement functions for a number of individuals. Medical devices often include one or more sensors, processors, controllers or other functional electrical components that are permanently or temporarily implanted in a patient. Many such implantable devices require power and/or require communications with external systems that are part of or operate in conjunction with the medical device. One common approach to provide for the transcutaneous transfer of power and/or communications with an implantable component is via a transcutaneous transfer system. One type of medical device that may include a transcutaneous transfer system is a Cochlear™ prosthesis (commonly referred to as Cochlear™ prosthetic devices, Cochlear™ implants, Cochlear™ devices, and the like; simply cochlear implant herein.) Cochlear implants provide the benefit of hearing to individuals suffering from severe to profound hearing loss. Hearing loss in such individuals is due to the absence or destruction of the hair cells in the cochlea which transduce acoustic signals into nerve impulses. Cochlear implants essentially simulate the cochlear hair cells by directly delivering electrical stimulation to the auditory nerve fibers. This causes the brain to perceive a hearing sensation resembling the natural hearing sensation normally delivered to the auditory nerve. Conventional cochlear implants primarily include external components directly or indirectly attached to the body of the patient (sometimes referred to herein as the recipient), and internal components which are implanted in the patient. The external components typically comprise a microphone for detecting sounds, a speech processor that converts the detected sounds into a coded signal, a power source, and an external transmitter antenna coil. The internal components typically comprise an internal receiver antenna coil, a stimulator located within a recess of the temporal bone of the recipient, and an electrode array positioned in the recipient's cochlear. Collectively, the external transmitter antenna coil and the internal receiver antenna coil form an inductively-coupled transcutaneous transfer system. The external transmitter antenna coil is usually positioned on the side of a recipient's head directly facing the implanted antenna coil to allow for the coupling of the coils to transfer energy and data between the external and internal antenna coils. Typically, the transfer of energy is controlled to effect the transmission of the coded sound signal and power from the external speech processor to the implanted stimulator unit, and to effect the transmission of telemetry data from the implanted stimulator unit to the external speech processor.
Cheri Perazzoli, Let’s Loop Seattle, is the Director of Advocacy for HLA- Washington state. This is Part II of a three part interview on advocacy strategies she employs. If you missed part I read here. Previously Cheri discussed how she convinced Town Hall Seattle to install a hearing loop. In this segment she will answer more questions about her involvement with the Seattle Repertory Theater and Seattle-King County Metro’s library systems. Additionally, she discusses her strategy for dealing with resistance. K: In our last interview, I asked you to describe some of your greatest successes in hearing loop advocacy, and you talked about Town Hall. I understand the Seattle Rep is also a win that is dear to your heart. How did you work with the Rep to make the loop happen? Seattle Rep Theater/Let’s Loop Seattle! C: Since our arrival in the Pacific Northwest, Lou and I have been patrons of the Seattle arts scene. As season subscribers, we’ve engaged with front-of-the-house staff and key folks in the arts community. Upon seeing me check out an assistive listening device at the Paramount, one of my personal friends asked the Seattle Rep to install a similar system. This was years ago. When the Rep leaders learned customers were frustrated with their current assistive listening system, my friend suggested the Rep install a hearing loop, and that got the conversation started. Signage at the ticket counter indicating the presence of the hearing loop at the Seattle Repertory Theater. K: So you are saying that the Seattle Rep saw problems with their system, but they didn’t know what to do about it until your friend suggested they install a hearing loop? We’ve found timing is key. If a new building is being built or if a venue is undergoing a remodel or upgrade, you can sometimes work with planners to include a hearing loop. Here’s where existing ADA law and local ordinances can work to your advantage. The 2010 standards for assistive listening were altered to require that 25% of all assistive listening system receivers be hearing aid compatible. Since the people who need hearing assistance the most are those of us who wear hearing aids and cochlear implants, it makes the most sense to install a system that is likely to be used, and which requires much less maintenance, staff service and storage on the part of the venue. The telecoil in the hearing aid or cochlear implant enables the patron’s personal hearing device to double as an assistive listening receiver. What could be easier than simply changing a program on your own device when you need to hear better? Budgets are always a challenge, so requesting that funding be allocated for a hearing loop or other hearing access is the first step. Suggesting ways that a venue can fund (or should fund) is also helpful. With the Rep, it was a matter of timing and their commitment to build community. Like many theaters, the Rep has a lot of volunteers who might not be aware of Assistive Listening System options. And sometimes front line staff or volunteers hear about issues. That can take a while to reach decision-makers. An all-inclusive staff retreat revealed issues with the Seattle Rep system. Once the Rep found out though, they were wonderful to work with. They even held a fundraiser to pay for the loop. Not only did they install the technology, they continue to test the equipment before each show. And they market the accessibility. Lou and I are subscribers. Before every show, we get an email and the info about the loop is included. K: That’s so important. A lot of times when I want to know what kind of access a venue offers, if any, I have to search through several web pages to find that information. C: Jeff Herman, the Rep’s Executive Director, was honored with the Northwest Access Fund’s Best Practices Award in 2015. The Rep is committed to accessibility and includes this in their marketing and publication materials. K: Cheri, I wanted to ask you about about libraries in the Seattle-metro area. Information and circulation desks in libraries can be super challenging for people with hearing loss because there’s all this ambient noise from computers, printers, babies crying, and sometimes loud street noise at some of the busier city libraries. Most people use their “quiet voices” in the library to the point of barely whispering, which as you know decreases the ability to lipread, as well. (Whispering requires less mouth movement.) KCLS has always been very good about accommodating me as an employee. But, I didn’t know about the loop until you installed it at my branch in 2012. I like to think I’m well informed about all of the access options available. That a technology existed that could help both me and our patrons surprised me. And to think I never heard about it! Reading into your earlier comments, it sounds like you face three challenges. 1. Educating people with hearing loss about what is available. 2. Convincing vendors to install it, and 3. Getting the word out that it’s there. Because — even after venues install the technology, their patrons may not know without adequate signage and some kind of promotion. C: Right. Kim, when we launched Let’s Loop Seattle in April 2012, we reached out to libraries, and they sent their HR and facilities folks. We’ve found libraries to be receptive to loops, including KCLS, Burlington, and Bainbridge Island. K: The Seattle-metro area is a diverse region, and libraries are aware of the positive impact they can have on neighborhood communities by reaching out to the various populations. The loop at KCLS turned out to be a lifesaver for me. Best of all, it’s extremely convenient to use. It’s always on. My colleagues are hardly aware of it. They don’t have to turn it on or check its batteries or speak into a microphone or anything. So, it’s very easy to use and offers access to anyone who has hearing loss and t-coil capability. C: One of the things I was not prepared for, and there were many, was that some of the places that already had some sort of communication support were the ones most interested in making improvements! K: Yes that is surprising. C: There were and there still are so many places that do not have anything in place to help with communication access. My focus has been on getting more places in the hearing loop, rather than upgrading or replacing existing technology. K: I would love it if we could get more access at places like Jazz Alley and The Triple Door. I don’t know that anyone has ever approached them. I haven’t. Though Seattle is ahead of the curve when it comes to deaf access, there are so many venues that still offer nothing. So I wanted to ask what do you do when you are denied access? C: I’ve never filed a formal complaint, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t. Whenever I’m called to talk to a venue about communication support, I always try to find out exactly why. Is there a patron or group of residents making the request? What is the patron’s preference? What are they offering now? Priority seating, a script? If there’s an assistive listening system, I ask why they want to replace it. This is really important in live theater where actors are not traditionally miked. In having the equipment, the theater may have checked the compliance box, but they have not addressed cultural changes to make the access effective. With any assistive listening transmission type, the outcome is directly related to the quality of the audio and microphone arrangement. These aspects must be reviewed before a replacement is considered. So many times, we hear that the infrared (IR) system isn’t any good, or the loop doesn’t work well, when the problem can be traced to the original AV/mic situation. True — there are poor loops, outdated IR and inferior FM systems. But many times, inadequate performance can be traced to the human factor. Therefore, we are most adamant that all contracts for a loop system be written to specify the system be installed to meet or exceed the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard for performance. K: How open have various venues been to looping technology compared to other types of accommodations? C: Most venues will tell you that they want to do it, it’s just that it costs so much, or aesthetics must be addressed. They don’t want to cut the carpet. One challenge has been the lack of qualified, reputable installers. Facilities that are required to get multiple bids have often been persuaded to choose a different type of assistive listening system. K: I am aware that publicly funded building projects are required to get several bids while using performance based standards to determine the lowest bid on comparable work. Given funding constraints and possible confusion over the various listening systems available, I can see why they might choose a less expensive option. C: I heard this so often. So I went on a search to find some grant funding. In 4Culture here in King County, we found a wonderful grant source for the arts community. Applications must be completed, and 4Culture makes all the decisions. Not all vendors who specialize in serving the hard-of-hearing with assistive listening technology install loops. Mainstream AV installers are not incentivized to learn the specifics of loop installation. It’s labor intensive, and it requires training, experience — and math and physics to make it all come together. Often these vendors simply want to sell their specific product, and they don’t really care about the user experience. Thus, many more places than I would like to count have installed a different assistive listening system. Still, I have to count that as a success of sorts . . . It’s disappointing, but I mainly feel bad for the advocate who’s driving the install. Consumers prefer hearing loops almost nine out of ten times. And of course, user-friendly loops are the most likely to get used. K: When you find a public venue that doesn’t offer access to the deaf and hard-of-hearing, what is your normal plan of attack if you have one? C: Send an email/letter to start the conversation. For a specific event, I start with an email to the event planner, or the person noted to contact for additional information, explaining that I’m hard-of-hearing (HOH), and I do not use American Sign Language (ASL). I reference our numbers to indicate that while I am making the request, that I am not alone. Next, I ask what kind of hearing accommodations are put in place. This is a necessary step because it indicates to them any forgotten ADA considerations as well as the deaf/HOH community’s expectations. Also, the question may flush out an assistive listening system that is locked away, that no one knows about. Or arrangements may have been made. Yet, staff are unaware, or they may not have publicized the access. For a specific venue. I send something similar, but, depending on the venue, I may reference a program I attended and liked, that I could not hear. I explain how much better it would be if I could understand and participate like others. Or when a venue is in the process of a remodel, I do something similar. I always point to other venues and programs that are accessible. K: How often do venues flatly refuse to install a loop and what do you do when that happens? C: Yes, it does happen occasionally. I try to pinpoint the excuse, and I hear a lot of them. We have no plans for hearing assist. The venue doesn’t have an assistive listening system. We aren’t planning to use a PA. We are just a non-profit.. We don’t want to spend the money. No one has ever asked or complained; we don’t want to. Our AV guy says his system (insert FM/IR ) is better. The hearing resource center recommends FM or IR. We don’t want to remove the carpet. It won’t look good; we don’t like it. K: It sounds like you’ve heard every excuse possible. C: Right. Once you track down and identify the real excuse, it’s easier to address. When places realize the law requires communication access, most install an assistive listening system. But sometimes they install something else, instead of the loop. They may look for the cheapest system available. Sometimes local resource experts and existing venue contacts persuade them to try something different. They don’t realize that others have their own agendas, or are motivated by profit. Many times, you don’t find out until it’s too late. Folks who do not use the technology, or who have not experienced the hassles of distributing and maintaining equipment really don’t understand the user experience. They make the decisions on our behalf and that’s just wrong. Often times, people contact me after asking a venue for accommodations for months, even years. I try to find out from that person exactly the listening situation they are trying to remedy, the problem, exactly what they want, and why. That way I can better work with the person and the venue to come to an agreement that will best meet everyone’s needs. I use ADA lingo and reference links. I provide testimonials, and I connect folks to people in similar venues. We maintain a list of looped theaters — both local and national. We have a list of looped municipal buildings, too. Incorporate the terms: auxiliary aids and services and alternate formats, required by law….and reference similar locations, venues, or programs that are accessible. Reference ADA resources. I point folks to my website where I have a listing of looped venues and information about how to plan an accessible meeting, Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) resources etc. I don’t think I’ve ever been denied CART. Once, I arrived to see the reader board in place, but the organization didn’t seem to understand it was their responsibility to arrange the Cart reporter! I have built relationships with my local CART providers, CCAC and others. I’ve walked folks (myself included!) through how to set up remote CART. I’ve had venues and CART providers who were unable to deliver as promised. At times, I’ve had to be graciously persistent, to the point of referencing the legal obligation, but I’ve never had an outright denial for CART. K: I have been denied CART, but I was persistent and got what I wanted in the end. It was a case of an event planner not understanding ADA laws. Actually, I filed a Civil Rights complaint. I was polite about it, and sent information. After he refused, I did let him know that I would be filing a complaint because he told me flat out the venue wouldn’t pay for CART, and that he had no intention of offering any type of access at all. Things changed in my favor very quickly after I filed. It turned out the event planner misrepresented the venue’s policy on providing access. The venue sent a nice message within a day and assigned someone else to work with me on access for that event. If I had to do it over again, I would ask to speak to a supervisor before filing — which I think should be a last ditch effort. It was a learning experience for me and the event planner, I think. C: Good for you! Unfortunately, lack of education on the part of event planners is far too common. Loops and HAT are a completely different story altogether. Installing, implementing and utilizing HAT requires not only an investment, it requires others to change their behavior to accommodate your hearing loss. Captioning access is nice at CenturyLink field, especially when the Seahawks break sound records causing small earthquakes. K: Right — There are pros and cons to both CART/captioning and Loops/HAT. I can’t see the hearing loop working in a football stadium, for example. However, after it is installed, nothing else needs arranging. That means deaf/HOH people can attend every performance, not just the one captioned performance offered during a two week period. The flexibility is nice, especially for working people who may not be excited about commuting to Seattle on a rainy Thursday night to see the one captioned performance offered. You can pick any performance and going to a play can be more spontaneous. However, all of the Seahawks games have captions, and I love the captioning at CenturyLink and Safeco fields though. One advantage of captioning is that people who don’t use listening devices may also read the captions. That includes signing Deaf, as well as people who are HOH who don’t benefit from hearing devices, and those who speak English as a second language. C: Kim, did you know the Michigan State basketball stadium is looped? K: No — Really?? That must have been a huge undertaking! I’m not sure it would work for me at CenturyLink field. I actually take my devices off there. The noise is deafening! But I could see it in a basketball or hockey stadium. A very large area to loop, though! C: Yes, a perfectly designed, hearing loop, one that meets IEC standards and that’s properly integrated with appropriate AV can benefit a great many folks in the hard of hearing community at each and every performance, each and every day! K: Cheri, thanks again for this interview. I have learned a lot about the business aspect of offering access, and the many issues vendors have to deal with when considering ADA laws, funding and city ordinances. It helps to know their viewpoint, and that “no” doesn’t necessarily mean “never.” Things keep getting better and better all the time for those with hearing loss, thanks to people like you. In our next interview, I want to talk more about some of the bills you and others in HLA-WA have been advocating in Washington state. I’m very excited about what’s happening here, and I hope other states follow suit. If you are interested in finding out if there is a looping organization in your area, Cheri has listed other loop orgs on her website here.	https://www.saywhatclub.org/cheri-perazzoli-lets-loop-seattle/
that the ancient Chinese potters made markings in the base of his pots to identify each individuals wares after its firing. These markings are referred to as "potters marks". Few of the Tg. Simpang ceramic wares had "potters marks" painted in the base of the pots. These characters are however masterly executed, and question its signing by a lesser educated potter. BRIEF DISCOVERY REPORT Luckily , the bronze gongs remaining on the site showed identical painted characters as those seen on the pottery. Such identical markings should start a new debate about whom and when the artifacts were signed and for what purpose. The main point of contention seems to be if the pots were 'signed' before or after it firing and if it should continually be referred to as "potters marks". One argument presented here, with the evidences from the Tanjung Simpang shipwreck, is that these markings were not "potters marks" but markings made by the Captain or an onboard merchants to identify their individual objects when reaching their destination. INTRODUCTION: The Department of Sabah Museum provided Nanhai Marine Archaeology Sdn. Bhd. with a search/inspection permit in March 2003. The main intent with applying for such permit was a desire to extend the chronology of shipwrecks already discovered, investigated or excavated by the company in West Malaysia. Another objective was to locate a Sung dynasty site that had provided antique shops in Sabah with illegally salvaged pottery. If a shipwreck of archaeological importance was discovered, then it was also desirable to use such a site to continue training Malaysian nationals who had received basic archaeology training during the company's excavation and mapping of the Desaru (+/- 1830) shipwreck. The terms of the permit allowed the company to investigate any historical site within a specified area and thereafter decide whether or not to commence full-scale archaeological excavation. This condition was inserted as the company would have a preference for excavating shipwrecks that were intact and of such nature that it would complement the knowledge earned from other sites already excavated. If this option were declined, then the site would be transferred to the Department of Sabah Museum for excavation and/or training. THE WRECKSITE: Directed to an area off Tanjung Simpang-mangayau, the northwestern point of Sabah, by a local fisherman (who prefers to remain anonymous) the site was discovered on the 15th of April 2003. It was located 400 meters from the shore and in twelve meters of water. The surface of the site is sandy but close to the fringing reef edge. The only indication of a shipwreck was stacks of bronze gongs that could be discerned above the flat seabed. This sandy layer varied between two and three feet in depth and is likely to have accumulated after the ship sunk. This location is directly exposed to the northeast monsoon winds that generate large waves, which increases in height as they meet shallower water. After sinking, the ship appears to have landed on coral rocks. Pounding on these rocks by every wave, the ship is likely to have broken up almost immediately. This theory seems supported by the number of artefacts found scattered between the rocks. Assuming that the ship sailed directly from China, it may have been damaged on the reefs extending east and west from Pulao Kalampunian and then sunk before the shore at Tanjung Simpangmangayau. THE LOOTING: The looting of the site was extensive and large volumes of ceramics had been removed. It is likely that original stacks of ceramics were loaded level with the existent height of the bronze gongs. Now, only broken pottery and shards could be seen in the bottom of the crates, blown between the stacks of gongs. When the initial inspection ended on the 16th of April due to the onset of spring tide, two intact storage jars was left partly buried as a marker for continued inspection after the spring tide. Returning on the 21st of April, these two jars were lying next to their original location, smashed to pieces. The same evening a marker buoy was left on the site for ease of continued work. Returning early the following morning, a smaller fishing boat (No.3932 with Mr. Abdul Rahman on board) were found anchored at the site and its crew preparing to dive. Leaving the site in the evening of the 22nd of April after back-filling the test holes, two similar fishing boats (with hose-diving gear onboard) were seen traveling towards the site. THE SHIP: During the inspection, very little ships timber was noted. The few pieces found were broken in short length and dislocated. No direction of the ship could be confirmed from the direction of these pieces. Attempts to locate scars from perpendicular transverse bulkheads in one specific piece of hull timber were also not conclusive. A sample of wood was collected for identification purposes. This piece is most likely from a tempered climate timber, probably pine, fir or cedar, which suggest that the ship was built in China. CERAMIC ARTEFACTS: The disturbed location of artefacts, likely dislocated by looters and the ships damage by the reef, made it meaningless to record each artefacts precise location. Instead it was decided urgent and prudent to rescue as much as possible, preventing remaining objects from looting. It was obvious that such ceramic assemblage was valuable from an art historical view as it represented trade wares available at one precise time in history. For that reason, a number of test holes were made throughout the site. Without any orientation, only a few of these artefacts could be assigned a preliminary location reference. From this it appears that most ceramic artefacts were located on the site's western perimeter. Each type of ceramic was photographed and provided with a general description, such that every diver could register each piece recovered in a uniform manner. The attached General Description of Artefacts lists all these different types of ceramic and non-ceramic artefacts. A total of three hundred three ceramic artefacts were registered in this manner All 'ceramic artefacts' are those that maintain more than fifty percent of its original shape; all other ceramics were considered 'shards'. Approximately two hundred and fifty kilo of shards were collected as reference objects. Due to its disturbed location, shards, did not receive individual registration numbers . NON-CERAMIC ARTEFACTS: The bronze gongs appear to be some of the earliest types imported into Southeast Asia. The diameter vary between 39 and 43 centimeters. The surface is slightly curved and without any center protrusion, commonly seen on later gongs. The sides are bent in almost ninety degrees to the surface allowing stacking. The weight of these gongs varied between three and four kilos. A total of sixty-one bronze gongs were recovered. Other non-ceramics included round and oval shaped copper ingots that appeared to have been casted in simple sand moulds. Three sizes were found: 10-13 cm, 14-17 cm and 18-20 cm in diameter. Weights varied with size: 0.5 kg, 0.75 kg and 1 kilogram. Seventy-six copper discs were recovered. DATING: Based on the ceramic pieces alone it would appear that the ship was loaded with Chinese ceramics made during the Northern Sung dynasty, sometime between AD. 960 and 1127. Although some features and styles pieces appear earlier, other forms are often attributed to a later period. Before providing a tentative date for the site, more experts will be consulted. The combined result of such opinions will be published at a later date. Pottery and gong characters Sten Sjostrand 27 th April 2003 Click here to add text. THE ONLY PLACE WHERE YOU CAN BE SURE TO BUY GENUINE ANTIQUES Nanhai Marine Archaeology Sdn. Bhd . was incorporated on the recommendation of the Malaysian authorities. This was done in order to formalize and to expand on the company’s researcher’s extensive knowledge of Asia’s ceramic developments and maritime trade. The company’s researchers have been engaged in the search for historical shipwrecks for more than two decades and another decade researching maritime trade. Most of this work is concentrated to the South China Sea, a virtual highway for ancient shipping linking China to India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia in an extensive maritime trade system. This ancient trade started sometime around the 4th century and lasted well into the 19th century. Following a successful shipwreck discovery, the company obtain a government permit to excavate the wreckage, and then carry out detailed marine archaeological procedures in recovering the artifacts, mapping the ship's remains and securing other data for future research. After each concluded project and following conservation of recovered artifacts, we search for and pinpoint ruined kiln sites and compare its wasters with the recovered ceramics until we are satisfied we located the place in which the shipwreck pottery was made centuries earlier. As such we have precisely located a kiln sites in Sisatchanalai, northern Thailand in which our Royal Nanhai and the Nanyang shipwreck celadon ware was made around AD. 1380-1460. (See videos on: http://www.ming-wrecks.com/photopage.html ) Other kilns was located in Sukhothai where production wasters matched the fish and flower plates found on the Turiang and the Longquan shipwreck. These unique underglaze decorated wares was made at those exact kilns 600 years earlier! Our latest shipwreck cargo; The Wanli Shipwreck , of Chinese blue and white porcelain , was likewise pinpointed to the Guangyinge kiln site in Jingdezhen, China. (See video on: http://www.ming-wrecks.com/photopage.html ) Our arrangement with the Malaysian authorities is such that we finance all operations and train young Malaysian nationals (on our initiative) in maritime archaeology and related research. After giving all unique and single artifacts and thirty percent of all recovered items to the National Museum (and assisting with exhibitions of artifacts from each project) we are allowed to sell our portion of the recovery to finance future projects. The findings from ongoing research and the compilation of reports, books and catalogues are available on these pages as well as on a separate Internet site: http://www.maritimeasia.ws Due to the unquestionable authenticity and precisely dated shipwreck pottery, many International Museums now display our shipwreck pieces as reference material. The artifacts sold on this website are therefore legally and properly excavated and can be supplied with an export permit from the Department of Museum in Malaysia should this be required. This unique working arrangement makes us one of the few Internet sellers that sell from own excavation and deliver a meaningful Certificate of Authenticity with every artifact issued with a serial number. So, if you are interested to purchase some of our Antique porcelain , old time pottery or other shipwreck artifacts from the Song dynasty , Ming pottery or Chinese blue and white porcelain or the famous Yixing teapots , you can rest assured that every piece is excavated through proper archaeology by our own staff. We do not sell anything that is not excavated by ourselves or properly recorded and researched before offered for sale so every piece comes with the “Best possible provenance” WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO EMAIL OUR PRINCIPAL RESEARCHER; Sten Sjostrand SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR POSSIBLE PURCHASE Nanhai Marine Archeology Sdn. Bhd. Kuala Rompin. Malaysia. Phone: +6012 761 4759 Email to us CLICK ON BELOW IMAGES TO VIEW OUR SALES PAGES Nanhai Marine Archeology Sdn. Bhd. Email to us CLICK ON ABOVE IMAGES TO VIEW OUR SALES PAGES.	http://www.mingwrecks.com/tgsimpang.html
BAP has always been committed to education in psychopharmacology research, which necessarily involves the humane use of animals. Supporting training and funding in this area is part of our core remit. We are pleased to endorse this animal research curriculum for undergraduates which highlights the knowledge, skills and attributes the BAP seeks to instil through its education initiatives for preclinical psychopharmacology research Charles River is proud to be a supporter of the British Pharmacological Society’s initiative for supporting in vivo education, training and research in higher education. We are pleased to endorse the contents of the “Curriculum for the Use of Research Animals,” which develop pharmacological students’ skills of data interpretation, critical thinking and respectful attitudes and understanding towards the fundamental science behind in vivo experiments. As an established leader in both online and classroom training for research animal science, we are excited to explore how our unique perspective can aid the interpretation and implementation of the curriculum supporting the science of pharmacology and ethical animal use. At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people’s lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guides us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well-being of many across the globe. Animal research is essential to our understanding of disease progression and biological mechanisms as well as drug safety and efficacy. The principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) are central to our Humane Care Initiative at Charles River. Our Humane Care Initiative includes establishing industry best practices and providing education and training to heighten awareness of the importance of humane care, fostering animal welfare worldwide. We are delighted to add our endorsement to this curriculum that provides an invaluable framework of support to universities involved in educating students in disciplines that utilise research animals. The collaborative approach taken in the production of the curriculum has ensured that it is academically robust and meets the needs of stakeholders, most importantly students; whilst at the same time being pragmatic about the differential constraints placed on universities as reflected in the “core” and “experiential” components. It is very important for UK science for us to train biological scientists with the skills and knowledge to use animals in scientific research in an appropriate way, such that they can design meaningful experiments that use the right numbers of animals and can apply approaches that lead to reduced animal use and improve their welfare. The British Pharmacological Society curriculum provides a helpful framework for institutions to provide this vital skills training. It is a pleasure to add our endorsement to this curriculum that gives universities a valuable framework of reference when considering the education of students in disciplines that are partly dependent on information obtained from research animals. The curriculum represents well the evolving nature of understanding and ethical consideration that appropriately inform student learning on this topic, while recognising via 'core' and 'experiential' components the varying needs of those who may access the curriculum from medical schools and veterinary schools to biomedical research institutions. UAR is delighted to support a curriculum that will thoroughly prepare students not only to understand and apply best practice in animal research - with proper consideration of harms as well as benefits - but to deeply consider the ethical issues that surround this complex subject, including their own personal boundaries and feelings. We think the curriculum can make a major contribution to the culture of care that should be at the heart of all animal research.	https://www.bps.ac.uk/education-engagement/animal-research/curriculum-for-the-use-of-research-animals/supporters-of-the-curriculum/supporting-statements
The term plastic means that a material is soft and can be shaped and moulded. The materials that we call plastics, e.g. acrylic, polythene and nylon, have at some point been soft and have been shaped and moulded. The term polymer comes from the Greek words "poly" meaning many and "mer" meaning units. Polymers are made up of lots of units of molecules (monomers) strung together in a tangled mass. The repeating units of monomers usually have a carbon backbone, e.g. the polyethylene molecule, illustrated below. The main ingredients of polymers The main ingredients of many polymers are the elements hydrogen and carbon. Carbon forms the backbone of most polymers. (See the diagram of the polyethylene molecule above). The hydrocarbons used to create plastics are most often obtained from the fossil fuels crude oil, coal and natural gas, however bioplastics are being developed from hydrocarbons that are obtained from natural organic materials such as plants and algae. Bioplastics have the advantages of being biodegradable and sustainable. Other elements that are often combined with hydrocarbons to create polymers include oxygen, nitrogen, fluorine, chlorine, sulphur, phosphorous and silicon. Creating monomers: the "cracking process" A hydrocarbon may be broken down into simpler molecules by a "cracking process." The cracking process involves heating a hydrocarbon in the presence of a catalyst which causes it to break down into simpler molecules such as ethylene (ethene) C2H4, propylene (propene) C3H6, and butene C4H8. A single unit of a molecule like ethene is called a monomer. In the example below, the long chain molecule C16H34 is broken down into the simpler molecules Ethene Creating polymers Polymers are created by linking lots of units of a monomer in a long chain in a process called polymerisation. For example, a polymer called Polyethylene, also called Polythene is made by linking lots of units of the Ethylene C2H4 monomer in a long chain. Polymer chains are usually drawn as 2 dimensional objects for simplicity (see above), however they are long 3 dimensional structures, (see below). The physical, chemical and visual properties of a polymer are determined by the length of the chain, the elements that make up the polymer and the way that the elements are combined and structured. (Click to see the formulae of commonly used polymers.) The properties of polymers may be modified to make them more suitable for special purposes: Additives Additives are chemicals added to polymers. Additives such as initiators, antioxidants, foaming agents, plasticisers and colourants are combined with polymers to initiate cross linking and to enhance the physical, chemical or visual properties of polymers. For example, additives can: Thermoplastics Thermoplastic polymers are either long string-like lines of molecules or long string-like lines of molecules with side branches. The molecules are in a tangled mass that resembles spaghetti. The polymer chains are held together by weak forces between the molecules, called van der Waals forces and by the entanglement of the chains. There are no bonds between the lines of polymer chains. When a thermoplastic is heated, the forces between the polymer chains weaken and the polymer softens and then melts. In the softened state, thermoplastics can be moulded and reshaped, e.g. by vacuum forming. A thermoplastic can be reheated and reshaped many times. A thermoplastic like acrylic will return to its original shape when reheated unless it is held in its deformed position. The plastic is said to have plastic memory. Thermosets Thermosetting polymers consist of long chains of molecules that form bonds between the chains during polymerisation. This forms a single network of tangled polymer chains. Once polymerisation is complete, the polymer chains are set and cannot be softened and reshaped. An uncured thermosetting polymer is in liquid or semi solid form and has no bonds between the chains of molecules. It may be softened by heating and may be shaped and formed under pressure. However, the heating triggers a chemical reaction that initiates cross linking between the polymer chains that permanently and irreversibly locks the polymer molecules together in a “set” arrangement. The chemical reaction causes the polymer to go hard and stay hard, similar to hard boiling an egg. SMART polymers SMART polymers change in some way when exposed to a change in the environment. The change in the polymer may be a change in colour, a change in solubility, a change in size or a change in shape etc. The changes may be initiated by: Examples of use Temperature sensitive polymers that change colour may be used for plastic cups that inform the user when the liquids inside are too hot or too cold to drink. Shape Memory Polymers, (SMPs) change shape when triggered by a change in temperature, an electric current, magnetic field, light or liquids making them useful for surgical implants, actuators and switches. Another exciting medical use of smart polymers is the development of bioplastic delivery systems that release medications over a period of time, e.g. a delivery system based on a polylactic acid (PLA) based, phase-sensitive polymer.	https://www.notesandsketches.co.uk/Plastics-introduction.html
Edited by: What is a branching scenario? Branching scenarios are a digital or real world narrative plotted to give users experiences mediated by decisions they make throughout the scenario. Each ‘play through’ of a scenario begins the same way. As users work through a scenario they will be presented with information and will need to make decisions based on that information. Depending on the specific decision a user makes they will be presented with the consequence of their ‘actions’ or ‘choices’. At the heart of this experience is a decision tree, a diagram much like a flow chart, that resembles a starting point with various different branches which represent different journeys through the scenario. Pictured below is the structure of a branching scenario currently used in healthcare education. Branching scenarios are actually the basis for many past times. For example, you may have had a ‘choose your own adventure book’ as a child. These books were very popular and used the technology available at the time, namely books and paper, to give a bespoke / personalized narrative to the reader. They were used for various genres from fantasy to romance and decisions were mediated by turning to different pages to represent different choices(turn to page 63 for ‘Yes’ or page 89 for ‘No’). Most computer games will use branching conversational trees to guide your experience. In some games conversational decisions you make will feed into an overarching presentation or narrative. These are known as role-playing games(RPGs). The most famous and successful of these games would be the Mass Effect trilogy. Within this game you were guided through the same narrative but given options in conversation be make virtuous (paragon) decisions or dishonerable (renegade) decisions. The way you experienced the game affected the decisions you were given and vice versa. It was a powerful and emotive experience for the end user. The ability influence a narrative gave players an immersive feel which encouraged many people to do multiple ‘play throughs’ to experience different decisions. Even if you have never played a game or used an adventure book you may have consumed more traditional media with the same immersive feel. The most high profile recent use of a branching scenario for entertainment was an episode of Charlie Brookers series ‘Black Mirror’ entitled ‘Bandersnatch’. This was available through Netflix and used parts of the Netflix interface in novel ways(Pictured Below). In Bandersnatch, viewers make decisions for the main character, a young programmer who is adapting a fantasy book into a video game. These decisions had dark and comical affects on the journey of the main character. This was guided by the viewer via their remote control. Branching stories can be difficult to write. There is a skill to be able deal with the complexity of their authoring especially if they contain loops of recurring interactions. Yet even in the time of writing this article, during a pandemic, they are a form of creativity that endures. They are a conceptually simple way to present complex interactions asynchronously. They are a source of creativity for people and if the idea is interesting enough plot out write out in full you can make whatever technology you have to hand the site of this creativity. For example there has recently been an increase of using twitter as a host for these branching narratives: - Simon Cowell Adventure Thread ‘Get a christmas number 1‘ - Simon Cowell Adventure Thread ‘Manage Wham!‘ So branching scenarios are still popular but so what? What is this doing in an article for an HE website? It is precisely the immersion, contextualisation, replayability and simplicity outlined above which makes branching scenarios an interesting tool for learning. In learning and teaching they are usually built around realistic scenarios. They are especially popular in private sector e-Learning focused on large scale learning and development. However, UWE has a particular history with branching e-Learning that is worth exploring. Branching e-Learning at UWE Branching scenarios are useful tools to increase student involvement, interaction and engagement in a learning activity. They can be independent activities which require the student’s attention or group activities which involve discussion and joint decision making. They can encourage problem-solving and critical thinking. Branching scenarios are designed to allow students to test their knowledge or theories by applying them in a practical and contextual way. Students can gain a practical insight into different real-life scenarios. This is helpful when students usually would be unable to experience the situation in real life or to ready them for a situation they will shortly embark on. In healthcare there is a tradition of using branching scenarios or activities based on decision trees. When digitized these have come to be known as virtual patients. UWE has a history of engagement with simulation and in particular virtual patients in health education. UWE Bristol previously had its own virtual patient software called uChoose. UChoose has long been in obsolescence. The Faculty has moved on and tried various different approaches to making branching e-Learning. Some of the software packages were suitable for the task and others less so. A selection are pictured below. If you would like to play a real learning object created as a branching scenario then below there are a selection from HAS. - Example 1: Prostate Cancer UK Martin Elwood - Example 2: Jennifer Coles in Xerte Case Study: Integrating branching e-Learning and different modes of teaching In HAS we have learnt that branching e-Learning resources can be useful for purely distance learning AND blended learning . Conceptualizing a branching story in a blended learning delivery can sometimes be tough. The question as to how you integrate and scaffold these interactions is something that is specific to each intervention but here is an example of how UWE approached this for one week of a ‘Communication Scenario’. Seminar where scenario 1 is used in lesson trigger for facilitated conversation. - Scenario 1 Task 1 – Each student should write down privately how their gut reaction tells them to respond to the abrupt member of staff. - Scenario 1 Task 2 – Students to vote according to their gut reactions from earlier. This progresses the scenario. - Scenario 1 Task 3 – Reflective exercise on the behaviour of the member of staff - Home learning task 4 – Students are given the scenario to play all branches of and an exercise to complete for the next lesson. Lecture on Communication - Reflective exercise on the behavior of the member of staff in light of Lecture materials This is was particular scenario was written up and published. If you would like to find out more there is an academic poster available to peruse. How to plan a branching scenario As alluded to above, the hardest part of a branching scenario is the writing. It takes a lot of planning and can get confusing. From experience you want to separate the making / digitizing and planning. Although not every tool will be able to do exactly what you require you want the planning stage to be uninfluenced by technology. Identity learning objectives or goals for students to achieve or experience. Firstly, identify the learning objectives or/and goals you would like the students to achieve or experience within the scenario. Next, start to plan your scenario ensuring it incorporates the learning objectives/goals. It needs to represents a real-life scenario that students would experience and test knowledge/ skills student have already developed. In this step, you may want to consider whether this will be done in a group or by an individual, how long it should be and how to keep students engaged. Plan the scenario ensuring it incorporates learning objectives/ goals and represents real-life. Then, using post its or a mind mapping piece of software you should plan the ideal route of the scenario, from start to finish. There will be a perfect path to take. Plan the route of the scenario, including branching decisions and the different routes Add different branching decisions and consider the different routes a student may take. In this step, you should consider a few things; How the decisions students make reflect real life tension and distractions? Will students receive feedback immediately? Ensure that all ‘wrong’ or ‘ ‘alternative’ end states that are important to the learning objectives are present and there is a logical route to them. This might be guided by things other than the end state. For example, emotion might be important to the scenario. Has each pertinent emotion been given a path? Conversation and decisions are hard to plot out with out digital or real world notation aids. There is nothing wrong with writing out the decision tree diagram at the start. Using a node structure like the one below will be essential in creating a working piece of e-Learning. The alternative is one full of dead ends or abrupt/unrealistic conversations. Decide whether it is applicable to add multi-media Finally, you would need to decide whether it is appropriate to add multi-media such as images, videos audio, etc., and/or add questions/ MCQs to the scenario. Marrying up a coding structure with this tree diagram is essential. You might know a node denotes a particular decision but some system force you to label each decision or page. Having a coding structure to recognize the say ‘A1 = having chosen salad’ will really save you time. More importantly it will save you a headache trying to work what interaction leads to where. This might not make much sense here but when you get authoring believe us when we say it will. It is important to think about the type of media you could add to a branching scenario to ensure it is beneficial and relevant to the students learning. Using different forms of multi-media such as images, video, audio and animation throughout the scenario can be a useful way to increase engagement, enhance and deepen the learning process through a deeper understanding. However, multi-media should only be used if it has a purpose and will assist in the students learning. Multi-media could become a distraction or take away from the learning objectives or goals of the scenario if it isn’t used appropriately. How to make branching scenarios There are different ways you can create branching scenarios. The following will discuss 4 different types of programs that you could create a branching scenario from. Free Tools PowerPoint PowerPoint is an easy way to make simple branching scenarios for free. You can do this by creating images, text or shapes and attach hyperlinks that go to different slides. PowerPoint can easily be put into Blackboard. You would need to plan it out on paper first and it would not be suitable for long, complex scenarios as it could become confusing. For support: talk to your nearest Learning Technologist. Xerte Xerte is an online platform used by UWE Bristol which allows you to create complex scenarios. You can present images, text, video and documents within the scenario. It can easily be embedded into blackboard and accessible for students. However, it requires you to develop a new skill which would not be applicable in many other situations. For support: https://www.xerte.org.uk/index.php/en/support-menu/support or talk to your local Learning Technologist. Twine Twine is a free online program where you can easily create branching scenarios. In Twine you create different passages which link together by clicking on a word which will take them to the next page. Twine is mainly text based, although you can add multimedia, the media would need to be stored elsewhere (such as dropbox). Twine publishes to HTML and can be embedded into black board. Also, Twine saves to your browser history so they will be deleted if you delete your browsing history. You can save them to the archive link on Twine and they will be saved to your computer which you will need to import to keep working on it. For support visit https://twinery.org/ Paid for tools ISpring iSpring is a downloadable program that can easily create realistic complex branching scenarios. You can add text, images and it provides professional backgrounds and characters. You can present a counter on the screen which can give students instant feedback, the counter could represent happiness, health, money or other. It is interoperable on multiple devices but less accessible. For support visit https://www.ispringsolutions.com/support Adapt Leaning Pool / Articulate There are various other tools that will allow you to build branching scenarios. If you wish to explore other options please talk to your local Learning Technologist.	https://fetliu.net/has/2020/05/22/online-branching-scenarios/
We’ve included some of the most common reasons why your Canon printer isn’t producing colors accurately and best ways to fix it. Read the list below to learn how to avoid making the mistake. - If your system’s printer driver is corrupted, you’ll get this error. - Another common cause of the error is that there is insufficient ink in the cartridge. - If a piece of paper becomes stuck in your printer, it may cease printing colors. - The error can occur during printing if the printer was installed properly. - If your printer head becomes clogged, the printer may lose its ability to print colors appropriately. Fortunately, there are other options for resolving Canon Printer Not Printing Color. So, if your Canon Printer refuses to print anything or does not print in color, don’t pull your hair out. This guide’s most in-depth troubleshooting advice. 4 Best ways to fix canon printer color problems 1. Update drivers The first solution on the list is to upgrade the system’s printer drivers. You may encounter the Canon printer is not printing colors correctly problem if the drivers have not been updated. One thing to keep in mind is that the drivers for your printer will vary based on the model and operating system you’re running. After you’ve downloaded the drivers, you’ll need to install them on your computer. Check to see if the problem persists. 2. Check Your Ink Cartridge A depleted or insufficient ink cartridge can cause a lot of problems when printing and ensure that users don’t get good results. To resolve a low ink cartridge issue, first, check the level of ink installed in your cartridge, and if it displays low or empty, immediately fills the cartridge with new suitable ink. - To remove the cartridge, first, open the front of the printer and carefully remove the cartridge. - Following that, you’ll need to check the cartridge’s ink level. - If the cartridge is out of ink or does not have enough ink, you will need to replace it. - You must now carefully reinstall your cartridge in the printer. Finally, you must attempt to print a sample page. 3. Verify The Printing Settings The next step is to double-check whether all of the printing options are turned on. You’ll need to make sure that the option for colored printing is turned on. Follow the steps mentioned below. - You will first have to select the start option. - After that, choose Settings, then Printers & Scanners. - You will then be given a list of all the printers. - You must select the option for Canon printer from the list. - You will now need to select the properties option. - Last but not least, check to see if color printing is available. - After that, you’ll need to attempt printing a sample page. 4. Restart Your Printer Turning your printer off and on again can help you resolve the Canon printer is not printing colors correctly problem. You’ll need to switch off your printer or unplug the power cable first. After that, you’ll have to wait for a while before restarting the system. Check if the fault persists after you’ve turned it on. Then you’ll have to attempt printing a sample page. These are the basic 4 ways to fix the canon printer not printing color correctly. If you want to know more relevant results, please check the How to fix canon not printing color article!	https://itechboss.com/how-to-fix-canon-printer-color-problems/
The Eastern Caribbean has struggled in recent years, as natural disasters – combined with the COVID-19 pandemic – have caused a precipitous drop in the tourism revenues it depends on. But as Pepukaye Bardouille at the IFC explains, transitioning to renewable energy could help address this challenge, reducing the region’s cost of electricity, supporting its climate resilience, limiting its dependence on imported fossil fuels, and producing jobs outside the tourism sector. She presents three success factors for achieving this transition – insights that could also be applicable to other island nations. - Categories - Energy, Environment, Investing - Leading the Way to Greater Impact: Why Addressing the Lack of Lead Investors is Key to Building Stronger Startups in Emerging Markets Raising capital is a critically important function for startups. But as Patricia Chin-Sweeney at Beyond Capital Ventures explains, there is typically a shortage of investors who are willing to lead an investment round – and until a lead is secured, the process of capital raising is in limbo. And unfortunately, many startup founders are unaware of this, wasting precious time speaking to funders who cannot lead the round. She explores the value that a lead investor role can provide to both startups and investors, and discusses the need for more lead investors in Africa and other emerging markets. - Categories - Entrepreneurship, Investing - Decentralizing Data Management Across ESG and Impact Investing: How Blockchain Innovation Can Address the Data Gap – And the Ratings Controversy ESG and impact investing have gone mainstream, with US $53 trillion – one-third of global assets under management – projected to be classified as ESG investments by 2025. But as Miriam Davidovic at RAZ Finance points out, investors can't direct their capital toward sustainable businesses without reliable data – and there are growing questions about whether current ESG data and ratings practices are capturing real impact. She argues that a decentralized approach to ESG and impact data management is needed, and explores several blockchain-based innovations that empower individuals to provide trustworthy, transparent, anonymous impact data. - Categories - Investing, Technology - Business Solutions to a Humanitarian Crisis: Nine Things Companies Must Understand to Support Refugees from Ukraine – And Around the World As war rages in Ukraine, humanitarian efforts have struggled to keep pace with the needs of the refugees displaced by the conflict. According to Betsy Alley, an independent researcher and analyst with expertise in refugee business investment, the private sector can help. But how can businesses best contribute to something that has traditionally been a humanitarian affair? She shares nine learnings from the refugee crises of recent years, which show how enterprises and their employees can serve and empower refugees while also benefiting host communities – and their own businesses. - Categories - Entrepreneurship, Investing - Redefining ‘Business as Usual’: Three Ways to Overcome Barriers to ESG and Climate Finance Climate change imposes significant costs on the economy, and addressing the crisis is key to businesses’ long-term success and viability. But as Roger-Mark De Souza at Pact explains, despite the growing urgency of the need, the business case for moving toward sustainability – and the fact that up to 80-90% of investors want to invest in socially and environmentally friendly ways – actual green investing hovers at just 10%. He explores the reasons for the gap between investor interest and action, and proposes three ways to address it. - Categories - Environment, Impact Assessment, Investing - Strengthening the ‘Environment’ Component of ESG: How Financial Institutions Can Bring Green Financing into the Mainstream in India Environment, social and governance (ESG) reporting is a critical enabler for many companies that hope to leverage business for social good. But according to Aryasilpa Adhikari and Priyank Sharma at the Inclusive Finance India Initiative and Srishty Anand at Fair Finance India, though Indian financial institutions have shown an increased focus on the social and governance components of the ESG framework, the environment component has generally been less of a priority. They explore several ways India can change this dynamic and bring green finance into the mainstream. - Categories - Environment, Finance, Investing - Supporting Financial Health Startups: Four Lessons for Impact Investors, Foundations and Governments Over the past few years, Village Capital has run Finance Forward, a global coalition to support early-stage entrepreneurs building tech-enabled solutions around financial health. Village Capital CEO Allie Burns shares highlights from a new report that analyzed data from the 1,000+ companies that applied to the program around the world. The report paints a picture of the global state of financial health startups, and offers lessons for impact investors, foundations and government leaders who hope to grow the ecosystem for financial health innovation. - Categories - Finance, Investing, Technology - Changing the Gatekeepers: Why Female Fund Managers Are the Key to Unlocking More Inclusive Capital Greater access to capital could boost the financial empowerment of women entrepreneurs. Yet as Melanie de Nysschen at SAVCA and Yeabsira Zewdie at MiDA Advisors point out, women comprise just 11% of senior investment professionals in emerging markets – the people who serve as gatekeepers to capital. Since women investors are significantly more likely to support female entrepreneurs, they explore the impact of increasing women's presence among investment professionals, and share insights from interviews with female fund managers in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana that highlight their biggest challenges.	https://nextbillion.net/articles/nb-guest-articles/?cat=28
How to Teach Your Child a Language (Without Actually Teaching) Many parents have this idea that they need to actually teach their child a second language, when actually this is not the case. Children naturally acquire languages quickly and easily simply by being exposed to them over time. So if you are trying to teach your child a second language, stop. Follow our suggestions below. Teaching is not always the best way As long as a child has enough exposure to the language, learning should happen naturally. Whether it be one language or multiple languages, it is the same. In fact children can learn multiple languages from birth without actually being formally “taught”. The way in which you interact with your child does however, play an important role in the language learning process. For example, children need human interaction, they cannot simply listen to the radio or the TV to learn a language. So it should be yourself, or someone else interacting with your child in the target language. Whether your little one will learn a language from a parent, or from an outside source such as a friend, a nanny, tutor, or a playgroup, the process is the same. As children get older you may want to introduce some language lessons to help with grammar. However for young children there is no need for them. They are too young to follow formal lessons, and will most likely get bored. Like with anything else, young children learn best through play. Exposure and interaction are better than lessons. So instead of trying to teach your kids your language, think about the following instead: The Power of Conversation Conversation is vital to the language learning process. In other words, if you speak the target language, then talk to your kids in that language. Simply by speaking to your child on a regular basis on various topics, they will naturally acquire the language you are speaking. Whether your child can speak or not, they will start to understand quite quickly. The more you speak with your child, the more vocabulary they will be exposed to. If you don’t speak the target language, find someone who does. This could be relative, a friend, a babysitter, an Aupair or nanny, or a teacher. It could also be a mothers group or play group. The Importance of Books and Reading Aloud Reading books aloud to your children every day is vital for language exposure. Making it part of your daily routine ensures that your children hear different types of vocabulary on a regular basis. Selecting diverse books on different subjects, and concentrating on those which your child enjoys, will ensure your child stays interested. If you don’t have books in the target language, there are plenty of online options, and many of them are free. Check out our post on Free online books for kids which have a variety of books in various languages. Some of these have audio options too which are great for pronunciation. Simple Play for Easy Learning Simply playing with your children can help them learn the language you are speaking. Narrating things you are doing such as “Now the train will go through the tunnel” or “Ok, now it is time for the baby to go to bed”. Talking while you play will ensure your child is constantly hearing the language. Sing nursery rhymes or other songs together on a regular basis. Music is a great way to give your child exposure to your language while having fun. There doesn’t need to be formal teaching, children learn much more when they play. The more simple it is, the easier it is, and they won’t even realise they are learning. Playing Pretend to Motivate your Child Puppets and pretend play is a great way to imitate conversation. If you want your child to learn your second language, they may still respond to you in their first language because they know you speak it. Children will naturally take the easy way out. Introducing a puppet or doll who speaks the target language could help in this situation. It will provide the need to speak the language in order for the puppet to “understand”. If there is a need to speak the language, children will naturally use it. Using Screentime to your advantage As we mentioned above, young kids won’t learn a language well enough from screens. However they can be used as an extra resource to reinforce the learning. You can watch TV or movies together which are interactive, and talk about what is happening. You can watch YouTube videos with the songs, and sing together. As kids get older, there are some fantastic apps available in various languages, you can check out our list of recommended Language Apps for Kids here. As long as screentime is used in moderation, and as an additional resource, rather than the primary resource, it can be very helpful to add exposure to the target language. Check out our article with more tips on how to use screen time to your advantage with bilingual kids. Language exposure = Language learning naturally Think about when babies are born, and how they acquire their language skills. There is no real teaching involved, they learn a language through natural daily exposure. Once they start school, they start formal learning. Second language acquisition can come just as naturally with enough exposure. Even if it isn’t full time exposure, if it is quality exposure, kids will naturally acquire the language. You can check out THIS POST which goes into more detail about how much language exposure kids actually need to become bilingual. Looking for more information? Subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on FACEBOOK, and join our Facebook community group: Raising Bilingual Kids & Little Global Citizens.	https://bilingualkidspot.com/2020/06/02/how-to-teach-kids-language-naturally/
Ereignis "Solar energy from buildings" The event “Solar energy from buildings, between research and built reality” took place on 14 November 2018 in Edilespo (Lugano, Switzerland). On this occasion, Sergi Aguacil, doctoral assistant at the Laboratory of Architecture and Sustainable Technologies (LAST) of the Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), presented the intermediary results of the ACTIVE INTERFACES interdisciplinary research project, which aims to develop new strategies for the implementation of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) in urban renewal processes. Today, photovoltaic systems are part of building skin systems. The building became active itself. Multifunctionality, both in performance and construction terms, along with the aesthetical integration, represents the major aspects of innovation in this sector. The cities of the future won’t have only pilot buildings or solar panels placed onto roofs, rather cities with an “invisible” solar architecture. The event “Solar energy from buildings, between research and built reality” aimed at opening a dialog between the real actors of the sector (researchers, architects, producers, installers, investors, etc.). It included presentations along with a round table. The event was organized with support from the ACTIVE INTERFACES interdisciplinary research project, part of the National Research Programme "Energy Turnaround" (NRP 70) of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).	http://www.activeinterfaces.ch/de/news/2019/01/29/ereignis-solar-energy-buildings
There are a couple of traps set for emerging leaders, and they are shadows of each other. On the one hand, imposter syndrome, or self-doubt. Much has been written on this subject, particularly in the context of senior women executives, and it’s one I’ll certainly come back to another day. On the other, a closed mindset, or the assumption now that you’ve reached this position you are necessarily right all of the time. I know you’ve worked for people with this attitude! Neither gives due consideration to the notion of continuous improvement, and to leadership itself as a learning process. Often you attain a senior position because (presumably) you’re extremely high achieving in your chosen profession, and that will be through consistent learning and improvement. On no account should that learning process stop now you’re in a senior role – more likely, a new curve is just getting started. In precious few cases is a future leader identified early enough for that particular skill set to be honed over time, such that you’re the complete article at appointment. More commonly, you find yourself in the boss’ seat and have to work it out from there. Too often I’ve seen the high achievers on paper perform poorly in leadership, because suddenly a whole new skill set is called for and they’ve forgotten to reset their expectations about how much there is still to learn. There’s something really positive in here for people in more junior roles and with great intentions to progress. If your ambition points you to a senior role, then take the time early on to discover what are the key skills you will need to be great at it - not just how to get there - and seek opportunities to practice and refine those skills as you progress your career, with the huge advantage that it’s much safer to make mistakes earlier on. Note: these will not be the same skills that got you this far! Already in that coveted senior role? Create your toolkit so that you avoid the pitfalls. Here’s a short checklist: - Risk: blind spots. Where are you getting feedback from? How often, from whom, and how have you used it? This is much talked-about but seldom applied effectively. - Risk: stagnating in your learning. What’s on your own development plan this year? Not just that of your direct reports and their teams. Use your coach to help you identify blocks and devise solutions. - Risk: self-importance. Where are your role models? Regularly refresh your perspective on what great looks like. Obviously this might require input from outside your own organisation. - Risk: complacency. Create a small network of mentors – no matter the level you are at. Remember that reverse mentors are hugely valuable too.	https://www.francesjoseph.com/blog/leadership-is-a-learning-process
United States District Court, S. D. New York. 903 Harry H. Lipsig, New York City, by Joseph P. Napoli, New York City, for plaintiff (Kenneth I. Herman, Trustee). Stuart D. Wechsler, New York City, Liaison Counsel for plaintiffs. Booth & Baron, New York City, by George C. Baron, New York City, for defendant (Standard & Poor's Corp.). Donald F. Ayers, New York City, for defendant (A. M. Best Co., Inc.). MEMORANDUM POLLACK, District Judge. The defendants Standard & Poor's Corp. ("S&P") and A. M. Best Co., Inc. ("BEST") move to dismiss the amended consolidated complaint herein for failure to state a claim against them upon which relief can be granted, Fed. R.Civ.P. 12(b) (6), for summary judgment on the ground that there is no genuine issue of material fact, Rule 56, to dismiss on the ground that the complaint is not pleaded with the particularity required by Rule 9(b), and for alternative relief pursuant to Rules 9(f), 10(b) and 12(e). Since the motion under Rule 12(b) (6) in conjunction with Rule 56 will be granted, it is unnecessary to discuss the branches of the motion based on Rules 9(b), 9(f), 10(b), and 12(e). The Herman complaint is one of many filed in or transferred to this Court which were triggered by an action filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission against Republic National Life Insurance Company, Realty Equities Corporation, 904 and others. By its orders of June 24, 1974 and August 26, 1974, this Court consolidated the private actions pending before it for pre-trial purposes and directed that a single, consolidated complaint be prepared. The Herman complaint, which was incorporated in the consolidated complaint (as amended), is the only constituent complaint which names S&P and Best as defendants. The operative allegations in the amended consolidated complaint against S&P and Best are contained in paragraphs 69, 70, 72, and 73, which read as follows: 69. From in or about January 1, 1968 to the present, Standard and Best have published in their periodicals financial information regarding various corporations including Republic. 70. Standard and Best have held themselves out to the public as experts in their respective fields. As such, they have stated the good financial condition and future outlook of Republic and have recommended Republic to the public as a good investment. Best stated in its Policyholders Recommendation that "In our opinion it [Republic] has most substantial overall margins for contingencies. Upon the foregoing analysis of it's [sic] present position, we recommend this company". Thus, Best is doing more than merely disseminating published and filed information. It is evaluating information and expressing an opinion with respect to the purchase and sale of Republic stock which information the Republic Class relied upon in purchasing Republic. (emphasis added) 72. Standard and Best failed to investigate and verify such facts before making recommendations and giving their opinions. Standard and Best knew or should have known their recommendations and opinions would be relied upon by members of the public who subsequently became part of the Republic Class. Prior to making such recommendations and giving their opinions, Standard and Best willfully or recklessly disregarded the truth. 73. By failing to investigate the facts upon which their opinions were based, Standard and Best knowingly disseminated recommendations without knowing whether such recommendations were correct or not. Such total disregard of the truth and the buying public are violations of Section 10(b) of the Act and Rule 10b-5, promulgated thereunder. Both S&P and Best have proceeded under Rule 9(g) of the General Rules of this Court on their motions for summary judgment, and their statements of the noncontroverted facts stand undisputed and under the Rule, are admitted. The liaison counsel for all plaintiffs has filed an affidavit that in effect states that the potential class plaintiffs and the co-plaintiffs in the consolidated proceedings do not support the claims of Herman and leave it to him to stand or fall on his own herein. At the threshold, there was an improper joinder of S&P and Best in a single count. Liability, if any, of these defendants is asserted on independent although similar grounds, viz., that they separately published financial data and statistics relating to Republic and that they separately, in different contexts and to different types of interested persons, made recommendations and gave opinions concerning Republic. S&P made recommendations and gave opinions with respect to the worth of Republic stock to a purchaser of securities, while Best made recommendations and gave opinions as to the worth of Republic to a potential life insurance policyholder or purchaser. Since the alleged misconduct by the defendants S&P and Best consists of misrepresentation rather than nondisclosure, knowledge of the misrepresentation and reliance thereon remain essential elements 905 of plaintiff Herman's cause of action. See Schlick v. Penn-Dixie Cement Corp., 507 F.2d 374 at 380-381 (2d Cir. 1974); Shapiro v. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc., 495 F.2d 228, 239-240 (2d Cir. 1974); Herzfeld v. Laventhol, Krekstein, Horwath & Horwath, 378 F. Supp. 112, 127 (S.D.N.Y. 1974). Plaintiff Herman claims to have purchased shares of Republic National Life Insurance Co., but does not assert that he knew of and relied on anything said or done by S&P or Best. The only allegation he makes is that he relied upon Republic's published and filed information. (Amended Consolidated Complaint, ¶ 70; Napoli Aff., Dec. 10, 1974, at 2). Significantly, no order has yet been entered herein by this Court allowing the consolidated actions or any of the constituent actions to proceed as a class action. Moreover, the motion to dismiss may also be approached from the perspective of S&P's and Best's alleged duty to inquire. The moving defendants had no transactions of any kind with the plaintiffs. This Court concludes that S&P and Best owed plaintiffs no duty which was breached, and that S&P and Best are not accountable to plaintiffs under the federal securities laws for their stock speculations. Services merely engaged in statistical reporting are under no duty to investigate or verify the statistics of companies which they collect and publish as submitted to them. Their repetition of the material submitted by summarizing its content or effect and their ascribing it to sources deemed reliable without vouching for it as their own or adding any factual matter of their own cannot be deemed a basis on which to assert a claim of federal securities fraud against the publications. This is true even though on the basis of the company's published data they express as their opinion a recommendation of the security. Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 adopted thereunder were not intended to embrace or stifle financial statistical reporting services such as those here involved or to impose on them the burden of verifying the published reports of companies which they collect and recount in their services. There is no allegation that either defendant possessed any inside information or had greater access to information concerning Republic than investors. Similarly, there is no allegation that either S&P or Best participated in any way in the alleged underlying Republic-Realty fraud, see generally Zachman v. Erwin, 186 F. Supp. 691 (S.D. Tex.1960), nor is there any allegation that either S&P or Best conspired with 906 or aided and abetted any other defendants charged with fraud or other misconduct. In the absence of such connection, S&P and Best simply do not fall into any of the categories of non-privity parties who have been held liable to defrauded purchasers and sellers under Rule 10b-5. See 2 A. Bromberg, Securities Law, Sec. 8.5 (514) at 208.3. Plaintiff Herman's citation of cases which call for complete and accurate information for investors as one of the basic objectives of Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 is inappropriate absent a duty on the part of either S&P or Best to inquire into the truth of the information which they publish. See, e. g., Lanza v. Drexel & Co., 479 F.2d 1277 (2d Cir. 1973); Chris-Craft Industries, Inc. v. Piper Aircraft Corp., 480 F.2d 341, 363 (2d Cir.) (Section 14(e)), cert. denied, 414 U.S. 910, 94 S. Ct. 231, 38 L. Ed. 2d 148 (1973). The mere fact that S&P and Best made recommendations does not in this case entail a duty to inquire. An order previously entered by this Court directed plaintiff Herman to supply factual allegations in an amended pleading if he intended to prosecute the claim, and Rule 56 requires presentation of a factual basis for the conclusory allegations of the charges. Neither condition has been met. The only accusation made, contained in an attorney's affidavit which does not purport to be factual or speak with knowledge, consists of his averment that neither of these defendants investigated the facts which they obtained from the company's publications and filings and the conclusion that since they were untrue, each is responsible under Rule 10b-5. This does not meet the requirement of a short simple statement of fact and of the particularity required of a fraud complaint. Felton and Egan v. Walston & Co. et al., 508 F.2d 577 (2d Cir. 1974). The superficial and cavalier opposition to the motions does not lend legal or factual support to the claim, and a defendant should not be put to the burden and expense of participating in and defending such slipshod litigation in a complex and multiparty suit. It is not the function of a Court to construct a claim for such a litigant by divining a purpose and intent for it. The Count numbered IV in the amended consolidated complaint and its counterpart in the constituent complaint in the Herman action are dismissed accordingly with costs in favor of defendants S&P and Best against plaintiff Herman. So ordered.NOTES The complaint does not set out any specific recommendations made by S&P. The lawyer for Herman states that the claims are made "on behalf of those investors who relied upon Best and Standard & Poor's publications in making their investment in Republic National Life." (Napoli Aff., Dec. 10, 1974, at 3). However, nowhere is there any assertion that there is such a person. There is no allegation that either Herman or any other investor did in fact know of and rely on either of these publications or the recommendations contained therein. The omission seems not inadvertent. The language of ¶ 72 of the amended consolidated complaint similarly skirts a direct allegation of actual knowledge and reliance. It is not disputed and under the General Rule is deemed admitted herein that "S&P accurately reported the information derived from the reports [publicly] distributed and/or filed by defendants Republic National Life Insurance Company and Realty Equities, Inc., with governmental and regulatory authorities, including the annual reports, proxy statements and other information which said defendants furnished to the media and the public," (S&P Rule 9(g) Statement, ¶ 5), and that "Best accurately reported the insurance information derived from the reports [publicly] filed by defendant, Republic National Life Insurance Company with governmental and regulatory authorities, including the various State Insurance Departments." (Best's Rule 9(g) Statement, ¶ 7). The Gallagher and Kellogg affidavits supplied by the moving parties show that the sources for the S&P and Best publications were the public filings of Republic. Indeed, it would appear that the Best Policyholder recommendation referred to in Count IV was neither false, the security of Republic policyholders having been unaffected, nor made in connection with the purchase or sale of a security.	https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/387/902/1672224/
Lip seals are commonly used in a wide range of applications ranging from sealing electric motors, bearing housings, car engines, gear boxes etc. They are used to stop the ingress of fluids or solids from entering a chamber from the atmosphere whilst also simultaneously stopping egress of the lubricating fluids from escaping the equipment chamber. Essentially the aim of a lip seal is to therefore prevent the premature failure of rotating equipment through contamination or loss of the lubricating fluid. In order to provide this fluid seal, lip seals comprise a single moulded rubber component, which fits into the equipment housing and contacts the rotating shaft. This, however, means that the seal that the lip seal provides deteriorates over time as the shaft and lip seal wear. This not only allows ingress of particulates and moisture into the chamber, thus reducing the bearing life, but also means that the shaft may be damaged in the process. This can, therefore, lead to extended downtime of equipment whilst lengthy and costly repair work is carried out, thereby resulting in reduced mean time before failure, which increases the operating costs of equipment. An alternative to Lip Seals, which are widely used, are generically called bearing seals. Commonly these exist as two types: labyrinth seals; and mechanical seal bearing protectors. Labyrinth seals typically have a complex outer profile which is located adjacent and in close radial and axial proximity to a complex inner profile of the stationary component. Together these complex profiles provide a tortuous path preventing the passage of materials or fluids through the seal. Due to the non-contacting characteristics of the labyrinth design its use in flooded or pressurised environments is limited. Mechanical seal bearing protectors are therefore commonly used in these applications as contacting faces ensure that limited or no fluid is able to pass through the seal. The face pressure between the stationary and rotating faces, which ensures contact between the faces is maintained, is commonly produced through the use of magnets. These bearing seals solve the limitations of a lip seal as they do not wear the shaft, however, due to inherent increased complexity and machined components they are more expensive and also require a larger cross sectional area to fit into and so are not suitable for all applications.
Enhanced expression of H-2K and H-2D antigens on reticulocytes infected with Plasmodium yoelii. The 17XNL strain of Plasmodium yoelii induces a highly effective and permanent T-cell dependent immunity in mice of the CBA strain; the lethal variant P. yoelii 17XL and P. berghei (ANKA) fail to activate an effective immune response in the same host. These differences in immunogenicity are unexplained. We recently observed that in CBA/CaJ mice the intracellular blood stages of P. yoelii 17XNL were almost exclusively within reticulocytes whereas lethal P. yoelii 17XL and P. berghei (ANKA), at comparable stages of infection, were predominantly erythrocytic. Induction of a reticulocytosis converted the normally lethal P. yoelii 17XL infection into a nonlethal one, and reticulocytic P. yoelii was shown to be more immunogenic than the erythrocytic form. Since one of the differences between reticulocytes and erythrocytes that might have influenced the development of immunity was greater expression of MHC antigens of the former cell type we examined the expression of H-2K, H-2D and Ia on reticulocytes infected with P. yoelii 17XNL. These cells showed a very marked increase in H-2K and D antigen expression compared to normal reticulocytes or erythrocytes. No Ia was detected. Red blood cells (RBC) infected with lethal P. yoelii 17XL or P. berghei showed no increase in H-2K or H-2D antigen expression. Finally, the level of expression of H-2K on P. yoelii 17XNL parasitized red blood cells from different strains of mice correlated closely with the ability of these strains to control the infection.
The Legends Of Bollywood is an Indian Dance Company providing authentic Bollywood and Indian Folk style dance curriculum with instructors having at least 12/14 years of work experience within that vertical from India. The Legends Of Bollywood was founded on the simple idea that Bollywood dance styles should be taught AUTHENTICALLY. By those that are: FROM Indian Film Industry – FULL-TIME performers in the Bollywood Industry – Worked as dancers in BOLLYWOOD MOVIES – Assisted and worked with the BEST CHOREOGRAPHERS in Bollywood With the belief that QUALITY AND AUTHENTICITY while learning cultural dance matters, Namaste Bollywood was born. We aspire to play a part of connecting and valuing the wonderful Indian heritage through dance for kids and adults alike. PLEASE JOIN US & FEEL THE DIFFERENCE.	https://thelegendsofbollywood.com/our-story/
In this, the penultimate week of Term One, I can’t get over how quickly this term has flown. It only seems like yesterday that we were welcoming the new Year Seven students into the school, celebrating our Opening School Mass and dreaming of the year ahead. It has been an amazing term with so many things happening in such a short time. I’m sure many in the community are looking forward to the Easter break to spend some time with family and to catch their breath after the whirlwind that has been Term One. I hope the holidays provide time for our boys to reflect on what has been a very positive term here at Salesian College Chadstone. I also hope they can all look back on the term with a sense of satisfaction and pride in what they have achieved, the work they have completed and the joy they have shared over the past nine weeks. We thank God for all the joys, hopes and struggles that the new year has presented and we pray that as a community we continue to celebrate our individual and collective successes, whilst working together through the tough times that come our way. The frantic pace of Term One stayed with us right up until the end, with the past two weeks being as busy as any of the preceding seven. Music camps, Year Nine camps, Student Led Conferences and a Hall of Fame Dinner have kept all of us flat out. Once again I thank the staff who gave of their time to organize and supervise these events, especially the camps, as they take staff away from their families overnight. The Student Led Conferences have been well received by all in the community. I would like to thank all in the community; including staff, students and parents, for their participation in these conversations as we strongly believe that the more responsibility boys take for their own learning, the better their learning outcomes will be. In particular, I thank Ms Ellul and her support staff for looking after the logistics of such an enterprise, and ensuring it ran effectively and smoothly. Last Friday evening the College held its annual Hall of Fame Dinner here in the College Hall. It was a wonderful celebration of everything community. We recognized three new inductees into the Hall of Fame, and one Young Achiever, all of whom were worthy of a significant celebration in their own right. However, it was the community aspect of the evening which provided the greatest sense of joy for me, as we were lucky enough to have representatives from all aspects of our community in attendance. It was great to see past and present staff and students, and members of the Chadstone Salesian community both past and present, all joining together to celebrate the achievements of men of the Salesian College community. It was a superb night. Thanks to Ms Suzie McErvale, Miss Nikita Rodrigues, Mrs Michelle Collins, the Maintenance team, the Music team and the IT team for all their work in bringing together the night. I also congratulate Vincent Chieu for his performance on the keyboard, as he did a great job. It was a true Salesian celebration. With the holidays comes Easter, the most significant week in the Christian calendar. The Easter celebration calls us to reflect on the Easter Mystery, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The events of Easter are central to our Christian faith and the basis of our mission as a Catholic College, of bringing our students to a deeper understanding and faith in Jesus as our God and savior. We hope all in the community have a reflective and holy Easter, and that we all enjoy the break from our normal routine. We hope our students and their families take the time to enjoy each other’s company and celebrate the holy week as it should be celebrated. As stated previously we encourage all senior students to use the break from scheduled classes positively, by studying, revising, summarising or just catching up on work covered in Term One, as well as preparing for what will be a busy Term 2.	https://www.salesian.vic.edu.au/2018/03/1743/
Establishing a holistic framework to reduce inequities in HIV, viral hepatitis, STDs, and tuberculos This resource is available in English only. Populations who live in situations of low socioeconomic status; unequal access to health services; lack of education; and stigmatization due to racism, homophobia and other forms of systemic discrimination are both at higher risk of a number of infectious diseases and underserved by preventive and treatment efforts. In this document, the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention (NCCHHSTP), part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States, outlines its strategy to reduce the incidence of these infectious diseases among groups experiencing a disproportionate burden of disease risk and rates. The strategy attempts to address the imbalance through action on socioenvironmental roots on disease transmission and health. Priority action areas This report describes which population groups are disproportionately affected by HIV, viral hepatitis, STDs and tuberculosis and how this relationship intersects with the social determinants of health (SDH). Six priority action areas for the NCCHHSTP are outlined based on the World Health Organization (WHO) theoretical framework for how the social determinants of health influence health inequities. These include: - research and surveillance; - health communication; - health policy; - prevention programs; - capacity-building; and - partnership activities. Actionable priorities are outlined for each of these areas, including tasks related to program development and implementation, surveillance to inform policy priorities and resource allocation strategies. Monitoring and evaluation activities are also discussed, as well as how partnership activities can incorporate a social justice lens into their work. Audience The intended audience for this document includes public health practitioners, community organizations, health professionals across disciplines and other research and government agencies working towards the elimination of HIV, viral hepatitis, STDs and tuberculosis. Use this resource to - facilitate discussion about intersectoral approaches to address inequities in rates of HIV, viral hepatitis, STDs and tuberculosis; - develop actions based on the six priority areas to address SDH that affect infectious disease; - incorporate monitoring and evaluation components to programs designed to eliminate infectious disease among populations negatively affected by SDH; and - advocate for resource reallocation and reprioritization to address inequities in disease. Reference Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010). Establishing a Holistic Framework to Reduce Inequities in HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STDs, and Tuberculosis in the United States. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Atlanta, GA.	http://nccdh.ca/resources/entry/establishing-a-holistic-framework-to-reduce-inequities-in-hiv-viral-hepatit
About The Capitol Park Museum in Baton Rouge, LA If you are interested in Louisiana’s history, then you should not miss Capitol Park Museum. The museum features extensive displays of Louisiana history, culture, and history. Exhibits include a 48-foot-long shrimp trawler, a two-row sugarcane harvesting machine, an oil rig, and a Civil War-era submarine. The museum also offers interactive elements, so you can engage with the exhibits. Another historic site is the Louisiana State Capitol, which was built in the 1930s. The monument is a National Historic Landmark and was originally the residence of Huey Long, the first governor of the state. The museum features the mansion’s original furnishings and memorabilia from nine governors. The Louisiana Art & Science Museum is another great destination for families. Located near Riverfront Plaza, this museum features an interactive planetarium and hands-on activities. Another historical site in the Capitol Park Museum is the USS Kidd. This Fletcher-class destroyer was launched in 1943 and has been in action in several wars. Its decks and cabins are filled with exhibits and original artifacts. It also houses a replica of the USS Arizona, the first cruiser to be destroyed by the Japanese during the attack on Pearl Harbor. And if you’re into history, the USS Kidd is definitely worth a visit. In addition to the permanent collection, the museum also offers special tours for groups of 10 or more people. Special tours, especially for students, can be arranged in advance. If you’re interested in learning about the history of certain artifacts or in a particular period, the museum can also arrange special collections tours. In addition, guided tours can be custom-designed for groups with specific interests. For instance, you can plan an interactive tour to teach a class about the development of a particular artifact. For music lovers, Louisiana has a lot to offer. There are music exhibits highlighting the state’s musicians, such as Louis Armstrong and Buddy Guy. Another popular musical exhibit focuses on Louisiana’s cuisine and voodoo. These interactive exhibits will help you understand the culture and traditions that make up the state’s music. When you visit the Capitol Park Museum, you’ll understand the rich cultural heritage of the state, and you’ll be amazed by the wide variety of exhibits and activities available.	https://www.moldremediationexperts.net/la/baton-rouge/capitol-park-museum/
William Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, illustrates how we all need somebody to help us along the way to becoming who we are. Macbeth was no doubt a successful man but he would never have become the man he did without Lady Macbeth. Whether or not he ever knew it, Macbeth needed Lady Macbeth to accomplish the things he did. She supported him and his ideas, provided strength and urgency when necessary, and essentially made him the man he became through careful and calculated manipulation. Lady Macbeth was the spine Macbeth needed in times of weakness and his love proved to be a blind spot where his wife was concerned. Macbeth was a good man but he did not have what it took to be king. His wife knew this and was prepared to do what she had to in order to help him reach their shared goal - the crown. She also knew that it was highly unlikely that a "good guy" would make it to the throne. Wayne Booth claims that Lady Macbeth "fears his human kindness" (Booth 194). Lady Macbeth wanted nothing to stand in their way. She tells her husband: Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be What thou art promis'd. Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' the milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way; thou wouldst be great, Art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it; what thou wouldst highly, That thou wouldst holily; wouldst not play false, And yet wouldst wrongly win; thou 'dst have, great Glamis, That which cries, 'Thus thou must do, if thou have it. (Shakespeare I.iv.16-24) This statement allows us to see two things about their relationship. First, we see how in tune to his Macbeth's psychological composition. Second, we see how she knows she has control over him. From this we can understand how Lady Macbeth is very aware of Macbeth's psychological composition and is completely confident in herself to influence him. Stephen Greenblatt maintains that spousal intimacy in Macbeth is "terrifying" (Greenblatt 138). Lady Macbeth uses her "sexual taunt" (138) to get her husband to do what she wants him to do. She plays on Macbeth's "innermost fears and desires" (139). What is remarkable about their relationship, he continues, is the "extent to which they inhabit each other's minds" (139). Harold Bloom agrees with this assessment noting that lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth to "self-abandonment" (Bloom 532). Indeed, she knows how to get what she wants and has no reservations in talking him into doing something he might not otherwise do. In other words, she uses love for her gain. It is also obvious that she… [END OF PREVIEW] Four Different Ordering Options: 1. Buy the full, 3-page paper: $28.88 or2. Buy + remove from all search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing) for 30 days: $38.88 or3. Access all 175,000+ papers: $41.97/mo or4. Let us write a NEW paper for you! Most popular! Lady Macbeth: Woman With a Mission Essay … Macbeth Lady Macbeth Reading the Play Term Paper … Shakespeare Play Macbeth Showing All the Characteristics of Angle Saxon Period Term Paper … Macbeth Shakespeare Is Perhaps the Most Famous Essay … William Shakespeare's Macbeth Term Paper … Cite This Term Paper: APA FormatLady Macbeth William Shakespeare's Play. (2008, March 13). Retrieved July 23, 2019, from https://www.essaytown.com/subjects/paper/lady-macbeth-william-shakespeare-play/42759 MLA Format"Lady Macbeth William Shakespeare's Play." 13 March 2008. Web. 23 July 2019. <https://www.essaytown.com/subjects/paper/lady-macbeth-william-shakespeare-play/42759>. Chicago Format"Lady Macbeth William Shakespeare's Play." Essaytown.com. March 13, 2008. Accessed July 23, 2019. https://www.essaytown.com/subjects/paper/lady-macbeth-william-shakespeare-play/42759.	https://www.essaytown.com/subjects/paper/lady-macbeth-william-shakespeare-play/42759
In July 2015 we add new events and global variables to make the application easier to customize and more flexible while we keep enhancing and fixing issues, but the important development of this month is the import and export functionality on Inventory modules. Workflows Global Variables Multicurrecncy support in Products Quick Create screen You can read about it in the documentation wiki coreBOS Events and Hooks Import and Export of Inventory Modules Importing Data in Inventory Modules Convert vendors to a normal module As we tend to standardize the base module code we also modify the application standard modules to make them use this base so they all have the same functionality and directly inherit the new functionality. This month we clean up and standardize the vendors module giving it support for import, export, deduplication, and sharing privileges, among others. Some others: Thanks for reading.	https://blog.corebos.org/blog/july2015
The Multicore Association is establishing specifications for a programming model that will reduce the complexity involved in writing software for multicore chips used in smartphones, tablets and other embedded systems. The association is putting together a cohesive set of foundation APIs (application programming interfaces) to standardize communication, resource sharing and virtualization spanning cores on the same or different chips, said Markus Levy, the group’s president. Chip makers are adding CPUs, sensors and accelerators to chips as an energy-efficient way to boost application performance on devices. But multicore chips have also created a challenge for programmers, who have to write applications that scale across multiple cores and synchronize correctly to ensure calculations are executed in a certain order to get the correct output.	http://polycoresoftware.com/news/multicore-coding-standards-aim-to-ease-programming
Marketo Engage platform and applications give customers ability to build, manage, and execute personalized engagement at scale across multiple touchpoints and drive authentic experiences for everyone, everywhere, and every time. The platform ingests terabytes of data daily, allows customers to analyze and build segments of customer profiles, and activates across different channels. We are looking for a strong technical leader to lead Core Campaign Engineering Team within Platform Services. If you are passionate about building and running high-performing engineering team to solve interesting and meaningful problems in a dynamic, collaborative, and fun environment, this is a right opportunity for you.	https://neuvoo.co.cr/view/?id=124656d604c0
Click Here for ADA Accessible Format A porch pirate caught by security video in the act! Do you recognize this woman or the vehicle she used? A package was stolen from the front porch of a residence in west Fort Meade on January 27th at about 5:09 PM. The woman appears to be white (possibly Hispanic) with red hair. The vehicle she arrived and left in appears to be a light gold or light silver sedan. If you have any information that could be helpful in this investigation, please contact Detective Kelley at 863-499-2400. If you believe you recognize the man, or you have other information that could possibly be helpful to this investigation, please contact Detective Grant at 863-899-3713. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Heartland Crime Stoppers: * Call 1-800-226 TIPS (8477) * From your cell phone, dial *TIPS Or visit the website www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com and click on "Submit A Tip," * Or download the free "P3tips" app on your smartphone or tablet. You will always remain anonymous when you send a tip through Crime Stoppers and you are eligible for a cash reward if your information leads to an arrest.	https://polksheriff.org/news-investigations/crime-stoppers/crime-stoppers/ft-meade-porch-pirate
We’re just hours from tip-off for Game 1 of the playoff rematch between the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks — the NBA’s first official playoff game. It will be at 2:00 p.m. EST on ESPN or Bally Sports Sun. Both teams enter playing their best basketball of late: the Heat winning 12 of its last 16 while Milwaukee winning 11 of its last 14. This highly-anticipated series pits Miami’s star duo of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo against Milwaukee’s trio of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday. Below, I want to detail six potential one-on-one matchups that I am keying in on throughout this series — three on each side of the ball. Let’s get into it! BUCKS DEFENSE vs. HEAT OFFENSE Jrue Holiday on Duncan Robinson I expect Holiday to receive a healthy dosage of matchups against each of Miami’s backcourt threats, not just one player, which is Robinson in this case. That said, if anyone can navigate and blow up Miami’s trademarked dribble handoffs, it’s Jrue Holiday. He can also slither through multiple pin downs and staggered screens, showing the capability to attach any of Miami’s off-ball threats like gorilla glue. I noted a couple of days ago that Robinson’s off-ball movement and gravity is so crucial to the team’s offensive success, and freeing others up. Well Holiday’s off-ball defensive presence poses a new obstacle that wasn’t there in last year’s series. He swarms passing lanes, in addition to using his quickness and strength to thwart any offensive action thrown his way. I’m interested to see how Robinson and head coach Erik Spoelstra combats Holiday’s stout defensive nature. Jrue Holiday on Jimmy Butler This might be my most intriguing matchup above all, partly because we didn’t get to see it during the regular season because Butler didn’t play in any of their three regular season meetings. He averaged 23.4 points on 53.2 percent shooting in the five playoff games against Milwaukee last season. But he’s struggled in recent memory versus Holiday, who Butler’s previously regarded as “tough” and a “hell of a player.” In 143.4 partial possessions between since 2017-18, Butler’s shot a combined 35.9 percent on 39 attempts with five turnovers against Holiday, per NBA.com’s matchup tracking analysis. It’s going to be interesting to track how often Holiday is matched up this time around against Butler, who’s coming off the best year of his career. Holiday is Mike Budenholzer’s shiny new toy, and I’m sure he can’t wait to unleash it against one of the league’s most impactful offensive players. This is exactly why Jon Horst traded multiple first-round picks for Holiday, followed by extending him for $135 million mid-way through the season. Holiday’s been everything they’ve hoped for, and more! Brook Lopez on Bam Adebayo I don’t know how often Budenholzer will opt to use Lopez on Adebayo because of the matchup problem it presents, but I expect it to start. Adebayo’s seen increased efficiency on all areas inside-the-arc from this year. Per Cleaning the Glass, Adebayo is shooting 75 percent at the rim (compared to 71 percent in 2019-20), 46 percent on short 2s (42 percent in 2019-20) and 41 percent on long 2s (25 percent in 2019-20). It’s no secret that the Heat’s 6-foot-9 stalwart has grown more comfortable with his mid-range game. Historically, Lopez has played off Adebayo because of his threat to slash coupled with Budenholzer’s emphasis on protecting the rim. If he sticks with to that philosophy — with history suggesting he will — all eyes point to Adebayo’s aggressiveness and the different off-ball actions that counter Budenholzer’s world famous deep-drop (paging you, Dr. Dribble Handoff). If Adebayo can eat the space provided by Lopez or take advantage of it with his smooth perimeter jumper, it’ll open up the rest of the Heat offense. The question remains, as it has each year: How long will it take for Budenholzer to adjust the matchup or scheme, if he does? HEAT DEFENSE vs. BUCKS OFFENSE Bam Adebayo on Giannis Antetokounmpo It’s nearly impossible to stop Antetokounmpo. All teams can do is mitigate the damage he creates on a nightly basis; there’s no such thing as a “Giannis stopper”, though some Heat fans want to believe that Adebayo is one. Physically, he possesses the physique, quickness and length to limit Antetokounmpo’s downhill attack. Adebayo also has the IQ and instincts to anticipate, then counter his sudden movements. Erik Spoelstra will have multiple bodies defend Antetokounmpo — potentially at once — to keep him honest, as well as unlock Adebayo’s off-ball ability to roam and help. Miami doesn’t often leave guys on one-on-one islands; it’s one of the best at creating walls, stunting at the nail and scrambling out of it (if need be). But if one matchup allowed them to do so with the multiple shooting threats on the floor, perhaps it’s this one — though it’s unlikely given that Spoelstra likes to form a wall around Antetokounmpo at all times. Trevor Ariza on Jrue Holiday Heading into the season, Heat free agent acquisition Avery Bradley was expected to be their primary point-of-attack defender. It didn’t pan out as anticipated, leading to Bradley getting shipped out to the Houston Rockets along with Kelly Olynyk in a last-minute deadline deal for Victor Oladipo. Oladipo, a two-way guard, suited up in just four games before injuring his right knee on a dunk — leading to season-ending right quadriceps surgery. Enter Ariza, acquired on March 17 from the Oklahoma City Thunder, who’s filled that role. Since his arrival, he’s been tasked with defending lead guards, such as Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Terry Rozier, Coby White and Chris Paul, among others. Per NBA.com, the six aforementioned guards shot a combined 25 percent (on 40 attempts) with Ariza as their primary defender in a small sample. Point is, Ariza held his own against some of the premier scoring guards across the league at the point-of-attack. He could draw the initial assignment of defending Holiday — who averaged 17.7 points on 50.3 percent shooting (39.2 3-point percentage) in his first year with Milwaukee. Jimmy Butler on Khris Middleton Nobody matched up against Middleton more than Jimmy Butler in last year’s playoffs, especially after Antetokounmpo’s Game 4 injury. Butler squared off with Middleton for 90.4 partial possessions, per NBA.com. In such matchups, Middleton found success against the four-time All-Defensive team honoree, shooting 50 percent (on 24 attempts) and 37.5 percent from 3-point range. A season removed from recording the most efficient year of his career, the 6-foot-7 swingman is coming off another near 50-40-90 season — shooting 47.6 percent from the floor, including 41.4 percent from 3-point range and 89.8 percent from the charity stripe. Butler, the league-leader in steals (2.1 spg), will have to have his fingerprints all over this series defensively for Miami to exit as victors. That begins with slowing down Middleton and Antetokounmpo, who Butler will see plenty of as the series takes course. But I expect Butler’s initial matchup to be Middleton with a lot of mixing-and-matching thereafter. Which matchups are you looking out for, and why? Comment below.	https://www.hothothoops.com/2021/5/21/22448249/miami-heat-milwaukee-bucks-series-preview-six-potential-matchups-to-watch-out-for
Players and coaches from both Auburn and UCF are in Atlanta, readying for the 50th annual Chick-fil-A Bowl on New Year's Day at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Bowl officials have a full week of activities planned for players, coaches and families. On Wednesday, both teams enjoyed a night at Andretti Indoor Motor Karting in Marietta. GALLERY: Auburn, UCF at Andretti GALLERY: Auburn, UCF players at Andretti ahead of Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl UCF enters the game as champions of the American Athletic Conference. The Knights are the only undefeated FBS team in the nation, recording the program's first-ever perfect regular season and currently hold the nation's longest winning streak at 12 games. The Knights' offense leads the nation in scoring (49.4 PPG) and UCF ranks top five in the nation in three additional categories: passing efficiency, total offense and turnover margin. The offensive side of the ball is full of playmakers, led by sophomore quarterback McKenzie Milton, who holds UCF records for single season passing touchdowns (35) and passing yards (3,795). Milton also ranks No. 2 in the nation in passing efficiency, and is in the top five in four additional categories: passing touchdowns, completion percentage, total offense and passing yards/completion. The Knights' offense also features junior receiver Tre'Quan Smith, who is No. 4 in the nation in receiving touchdowns and ranks top 15 in receiving yards. Head coaches Scott Frost of UCF and Auburn's Gus Malzahn met with members on the media on Dec. 26. GALLERY: Media day at Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl GALLERY: Media day for Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl UCF will be making its first trip to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, while Auburn will make its sixth appearance. Auburn currently holds a 4-1 record in the game, with its last appearance resulting in a 43-24 victory over Virginia in 2011. Auburn enters the game as SEC Western Division champions. The Tigers are the first-ever team to defeat two College Football Playoff No. 1-ranked teams in the same season. Auburn ranks in the top five in the SEC in passing, rushing, receiving, scoring, defense and ranks first in kicking. The Tigers are also top 10 in the nation in completion percentage, fewest penalty yards per game, fumbles recovered, scoring defense and team passing efficiency. Auburn is led by sophomore quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who ranks second in the nation in career passing efficiency and is second in the SEC in passing yards. The Tiger's offense also features junior running back Kerryon Johnson, who leads the SEC in rushing yards and is second in scoring. Johnson also ranks top 10 in the nation in rushing touchdowns, scoring and total touchdowns. With this year's sellout, the bowl has now sold out 19 of its last 21 games, dating back to 1997.	http://www.11alive.com/article/sports/auburn-ucf-hit-town-for-chick-fil-a-bowl-on-new-years-day/85-502988363
Social media links Lebanon Won't Last as Being The Mideast Education Hub Relatives of Lebanese students studying abroad demonstrate outside the headquarters of the Banque du Liban (Lebanese Central Bank) in the capital Beirut on April 7, 2021. AFP / JOSEPH EID Lebanon will soon completely lose its longstanding status as the education hub of the region as a result of its severe financial crisis, the decade-long presence of Syrian refugees, COVID-19 lockdowns and now an acute fuel shortage. The education system, like most of society's sectors, was hit hard by the compounded crises, described by the World Bank as the most severe globally since the mid-19th century. With the currency losing nearly 95 percent of its value against major foreign currencies since 2019 and inflation soaring to 281%, Lebanon's population is struggling to survive with limited resources. Poverty has drastically increased over the past year and now affects about 74% of the population, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia reported earlier this month. Lebanese parents' top priority has long been to provide the best education for their children, at home and abroad. Today, they can barely pay their tuition, not to mention feed them, due to the high cost of living. Many have lost their jobs, while those still employed are paid in Lebanese pounds. Lama Tawil, head of the Union of Parents' Committees in Private Schools, said parents have seen their salaries heavily devalued with the skyrocketing exchange rates for the U.S. dollar, while bank restrictions prevent them from using enough of their savings. The U.S. dollar reached a record 23,000 Lebanese pounds during the summer, before dropping to an average of 16,000 LL after the formation of a new Cabinet earlier this month. Before the country's crisis began in October 2019, the U.S. dollar was worth 1,500 LL. "This made us suffer to secure school fees for this year, in addition to the soaring transportation and stationery costs and the problem of securing gasoline and diesel fuel, which are no more subsidized," Tawil told UPI. With their shrinking salaries and school fees increasing an average of 40% to 50%, the parents are facing a difficult situation, she said, noting that tuition fees now range between 10 million LL and 30 million LL depending on the level of the school. Transportation costs 600,000 to 1.5 million LL per month, which is "the equivalent of the teacher's half or full monthly salary," Tawil said. Exchanging imported books and allowing students to drop school uniforms have been the only attempts to ease the costs this year. Striking teachers According to the Center for Educational Research and Development, a total of 1,053,956 students were enrolled during 2020-21, with nearly 60% in private institutions. They included 37,536 students in schools run by the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. With the start of the new school year delayed to Oct. 10 so public schools can continue talks with striking teachers, it is not yet clear how many students moved to the public sector, migrated from the most expensive private schools to the least expensive, dropped out or joined schools abroad, especially in Cyprus. The Education Ministry has estimated that more than 90,000 Lebanese students have transferred to public schools from private ones since 2019. Teachers at some private schools were also on strike and refused to start the school year before an agreement is made about incentives and unpaid additional amount on the salary that has been accumulating since 2017. "Even if we take all our salary, that won't be enough," said Rodolphe Abboud, head of the Teachers' Syndicate in Private Schools, noting that a teacher's monthly salary ranges between 1.5 million LL and 2.5 million LL ($60-$150 at the market rate), "which is nothing." The crippling fuel and electricity shortages added to the many ordeals facing teachers and schools. "This year's start is getting so difficult with the gasoline crisis...Even if fuel is available, it is so expensive," Abboud told UPI. "So how can we get to school every day?" Brain drain Schools, which have been trying to help keep their teachers by securing gasoline and free transportation, are also suffering from the country's brain drain. Of a total of 52,000 full-time teachers, some 2,000 have left. "Some, mostly women, quit teaching and [are] staying home; others emigrated with their families, while the remaining are accepting job offers in the Gulf, Egypt or France that we usually used to turn down," Abboud said. "Those countries are taking advantage of the situation in Lebanon and offering much less salaries." What concerns Abboud most is that next year Lebanon will face a shortage in the number of teachers if "more of them quit, emigrate or are dismissed." With a $60 monthly salary, it will be hard to retain them. A Lebanese teacher now earns as much as a teacher in the poorest countries, like Yemen, Somalia and Ethiopia, said Maysoun Chehab, UNESCO Beirut regional education program coordinator. "Compared to Lebanon's neighboring countries, teachers there earn much more. In Palestine, the average [monthly] salary is $1,500 ... as it was in Lebanon" before the crisis, Chehab told UPI. She said the financial crisis was more difficult than the impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns that left students out of school for 18 months and the Syrian refugee crisis, which affected the education system with a few hundred thousand children enrolled in public schools after regular hours. Hosted a working visit today by Rev. Paul Haidostian, Ph.D - esteemed President of Lebanon’s remarkable Haigazian University - regarding the future of education across the Middle East. pic.twitter.com/m0vhuh69I7 International organizations, including UNESCO, the World Bank and UNHCR, are ready to provide assistance and are negotiating with the Lebanese Education Ministry to "estimate how much it will cost for restarting the education system." Chehab said Lebanon reached acceptable levels in terms of quality and access but "it regressed, and now we're back to the square where we want to secure access to education." Lebanon schools, she said, used to rank first and score very advanced compared to all the countries in the region while now the Gulf countries are much more advanced. "If the crisis persists and continues to affect the education system, it will affect the human capital and the quality of the education system," she said. Lebanon, she added, will lose its ranking, and higher education institutions might lose international accreditation. "This would be the most difficult." "We were the [education] hub of the region," even during the 1975-90 civil war, she said. "Not anymore, and that is making Lebanon lose its role in the Arab world as a source of inspiration for the intellectuals and science people." Even with assistance, Lebanon would need 10 to 12 years to recover and catch up, Chehab said. "It means that a whole generation will be affected." This is what the student parents mostly fear. "Such a regression will lead to a catastrophe like in Iraq and other similar countries that collapsed," Tawil said.
I am Archangel Metatron aligned as one with the Creator; I choose conscious awareness of the Creator as my eternal existence and experience. With peace within my being flows the eternal welcoming of conscious attentiveness to the Creator within and around me. I am the truth that I seek, I allow myself to dissolve the pattern of seeking, I allow it to be replaced with a connected knowingness that flows throughout every cell of my entire being. I recognise inner unconditional love born from the breath and life of my being as a manifestation and form of communion with the Creator. The gift of knowingness of the Creator I readily and happily bestow upon myself as an eternal gift that has always been mine to activate, receive, experience and express with ease, and will continue to be an aspect of my being whichever form I take, whether on the Earth or the inner planes. I am that I seek, I allow myself to exist as and experience all that is my sacred self and essence. The above words create powerful affirmations that denote a pathway of focus for those wishing to experience a deeper ascension path in this new era of creation and experience. As you familiarise yourself with the words, the intentions, meaning and form that they take within your being, you become as one with the affirmations creating a powerful surge of manifestation, connection, awakening and activation within your being. This is your truth erupting with great bliss, pleasure and power, restoring to you the power that has been taken away from you and which you have many times given away freely; this is the remembrance of your essence within all that you perceive consciously and unconsciously as your sacred self. Your essence is your power, it can be interpreted through many expressions of power but it can never be diminished. Your essence which can hold many labels such as truth, soul or spirit can be limited, hindered, restricted and constrained by you and others sometimes intentionally other times involuntarily. Whether your remembrance of your essence and its flow which emerges as a power both strong and gentle is limited or not, it will always choose expansion. Sometimes frustrations and pains can emerge as a result of the essence or soul wishing to expand more fully therefore existing as a greater aspect of the Creator. You have the ability and the space within your current reality to expand your essence and truly see, sense and acknowledge its presence within everything that you are and experience, there is simply a need to familiarise yourself with the essence within your being, this will instantly allow for expansion and development of your truth. Imagine a seed held within your hand, it is the essence of something large, beautiful and magnificent but until it acquires and allows the expansion of its essence it is so tiny and could be seen as powerless. When the seed grows its power is still the same but the power is expressed, experienced and present in an expansive way that allows for greater realisation of the essence that is held within the seed. The seed is also able to recognise all that it is and holds through its expression and expansion. Familiarising yourself with your essence allows for expansion, continued expansion of your energy allows for greater realisation of your essence, with the ability to positively weald your power within the divine flow, stream and will of the Creator. Becoming familiar with words and concepts that allow for the divine knowingness and the powerful essence within your being to emerge allows for this truth which is your truth to form with greater grounding, power and expansion within your being. One could recognise this grounding as confidence but it is identification within your being that allows for a current of divine and sacred energy to flow eternally. Expansion is the eternal flow of the Creator; it can be so easily described as the increase of energy or light with each exhaled breath, but expansion can only truly be ignited when there is a familiarity and recognition of the essence as a powerful source or form within the being. In this new era of creation, manifestation and experience, expansion of your essence, truth and power (which are all the same) becomes an essential focus. Through the willingness and readiness of each aspects of your being, physical and energetic, to expand, to breath, to become free and flowing, you offer to yourself a beautiful space for creation, manifestation and sacred experiences, a foundation which is born from your essence and so remains aligned with your essence; the Creator. Dissolving barriers, boundaries, restrictions and limitations that you and others place upon you clears your consciousness to offer greater conscious focus to the beautiful awakening that is occurring within your being, wishing to expand, create, manifest and experience. Barriers, boundaries, restrictions and limitations that you create in your physical life can manifest as deeply as restricting your soul while past experiences of limitations upon the soul can manifest physically as energetic patterns of hindrance. There is a need to focus upon freedom, bring freedom to your mind, emotions, spiritual practices, physical actions and all that you are and do. You can provide yourself with freedom by observing when you and others limit the creative flow that is your sacred essence within your being. The creative flow of the divine exists within everything that you are and do; it is therefore appropriate to observe how you limit yourself in all areas of your reality and spiritual practices. From doubts and judgments to dreams that seem impossible and beliefs that run unnoticed through your mind, allow yourself to observe with and through and unconditionally loving heart chakra. It is also important to realise the restrictions that you may place upon others, remembering that each restriction and limitation you place upon another is placed upon you as we are all one with and as the Creator. I am the freedom and expansion of my soul and essence; I dissolve all limitations that distract me from my recognition of the Creator within. This is a powerful affirmation to use when you realise a limitations that you or others have created for yourself. You may then call upon my energies, Archangel Metatron, to free and help you from the limitation, allow it to be resolved and released from its attachment to you and your attachment to the limitation. This is also a beautiful practice of developing, recognising and expanding your essence; your inner power. In order for the essence of your being to be truly experienced in and as the physical form that you are upon the Earth there is a need to create space, expansion and freedom for the energy of creation to be present and a greater experience of the Creator to unfold. With the conscious expansion of your entire being through familiarising yourself with the Creator, feeling, sensing, trusting in your inner essence or Creator presence, as well as clearing your energies of limitations you create a canvas into which the creation energy of the Creator can seep becoming truly visual and experienced within your reality. Begin to allow yourself in the coming week to acknowledge, contemplate and register the vibration of freedom, expansion of your energy through observing and being with the sacred energies within your being as well as recognising that you can always experience a greater freedom in all aspects of your reality. Freedom doesn’t mean that you relieve yourself of responsibilities but it means that you create around you and within you more space for the divine to merge and be present, almost as if you are creating more space for you to breathe freely and easily. I ask that you use, repeat and familiarise yourself with the words I shared at the beginning of my communication, experience them wholly within your being, energy and consciousness, experience the energy and meaning of the words and the journey that they may lead you upon. Repeat them with the understanding and consciousness I have reminded you of as I have proceeded with my communication and allow yourself to know and sense, the freedom, expansion and limitless existence that I speak of and that is your natural existence and form. I am with you in this most sacred process of awakening, Archangel Metatron Archangel Michael Channeled through Natalie Glasson – Original Source: Sacred School of OmNa My blessings of love are bestowed upon you; I am Archangel Michael, the Archangel of Protection. I have many purposes within the universe of the Creator, many ways in which I wish to be of service to others and especially souls upon the Earth. It is my greatest purpose to act as a divine expression of the Creator, connecting with and reminding souls of the vibration of the Creator within and around them. I carry the light of the Creator to you, I allow for you to see the light of the Creator within me and I support you in realising yourself as an aspect of the Creator in manifestation. In many ways I am here to act as an example of the Creator’s light as well as your own light. This is the role of all Angels, Archangels and Ascended Master beings. We as Angelic beings hold a strong connection to the vibration of love of the Creator; we are able to access the purest vibration of love from the Creator transmitting it to where it is needed. Due to our focus upon love many of the ways in which we are of service is to demonstrate love to you more fully. It is often that when you experience the love of another that you feel protected, safeguarded, secure and stable. As I give the love of the Creator to you, it is qualities of love that promote and active the experience of being protected that manifest. The love qualities and vibrations that I share and transmit activate within you a deeper sense of your centre and core, which is an existence beyond fear that allows truth to arise from within you. In essence, the protection that I share with you is simply a love quality transmitted from the Creator that activates the feeling of security within your being. Upon receiving the transmitted love, you naturally begin to manifest vibrations from within your being that offer to you all that you need. Sometimes there is a need to be fearless, to be grounded and to be centred or truthful. Together we co-create the state of existence within you that allows you to activate the vibrations and qualities needed to overcome challenges, to remain in your power and to connect or express the truth of the Creator on a deeper level. When you work with the Archangels, Angels or Ascended Masters do you realise that we are simply supporting you and that you are co creating with us? It is time beloved ones to step into your power, to realise that when you work with us there is an essence of surrendering to our light and divine guidance but there is also a need to surrender to the same within your own being. Asking us for assistance and support no longer means that you give your power away to us, asking us to resolve all within your reality. This meaning has never been true but may have been a perspective that you adopted. Now is the time to realise that when you call upon our support, love and assistance you enter into a process of co-creation with us. Our purpose is to give to you energy that activates vibrations and remembrance within your being. It is then your purpose to be accepting of the activation taking place within you allowing yourself to accept the realisations and insights that manifest through our support and activation. With the realisations and insights grounding into your mind at a physical level we then continue to share the energy of the Creator with you so that you may co-create or manifest that which is needed together with us. In truth the insights, guidance and driving force flows from your inner activation of your truth while we co-create with you in every situation you call upon us by enhancing, magnifying and amplifying the energy for your greater awareness. It is my wish for you to realise that you are powerful co-creators with us and that we are here to support you almost like extensions of yourself and truth. Co-creation is a process of surrendering and manifestation. It is important to realise that the process of surrendering is not to give your power away but to open yourself up to the divine plan and source working with you and through your being with perfect ease. As you recognise that there is a divine aspect of creation existing within your being that can be creatively expressed to influence your reality and experiences in the most perfect way you realise that you hold the power within you for your reality on the Earth. The reality you are experiencing is for your soul to experience. Your soul holds the power to divinely intervene and to create within your reality but your soul is also connected to all that is the Creator meaning that it is a vastly abundant source of light. When you call forth the assistance and support of a light being of any form you are actually calling forth an aspect of yourself or soul to support you in magnifying all that is within you, to draw upon what is needed to assist your journey on the Earth. Whether a guide is from your soul group or not, they are still an aspect of your energy, an extension of you as we are all one. Emphasis upon oneness isn’t to bring a sensation of love, forgiveness and acceptance for each other, it is the truth. When you begin to realise that you are co-creating with us and that we are extensions of your energy then you allow yourself to accept your own power and role within your reality. You are neither helpless nor powerless. You do not have less or more power than us, we are all one co- creating together in order to enhance the expression of the Creator. When we all allow ourselves to surrender we recognise the presence of divine harmony. Within the presence of harmony all are able to connect on a deeper level with the truth of the Creator, releasing all disharmonies that may have been created. When you call my energies forth to protect you I am transmitting the qualities of the Creator that encourage protection into your being. As you receive these energies you activate within you the same qualities, therefore bringing them into fruition within your reality. As we co-create the reality and experience of protection, our belief and trust in this activation is deeply important. Often I will share a tool that will assist in my energy integrating with yours; this can be a tool such as imagining a bubble of light around you to ensure your protection or a shield before you that reflects all unneeded energies. As we continue to co-create protection for yourself and energies, with the alteration of your vibration and perspective so our manifestation alters. In this new era the bubble of protection now manifests for many as a bright shiny translucent turquoise light bubble around you. This bubble can be likened to jelly or silicone. It is immensely powerful and is connected to the third eye and the throat chakra; this is because each soul on the Earth is now moving beyond illusion allowing for visions of and movement across many different dimensions. The protection that we co-create is no longer just for the physical reality of the Earth but for your greater exploration beyond the Earth as well. It is important to realise that when you exist in love and within the space of your heart protection is not needed, but protection can be granted because it activates within a greater sense of security, stability and contentment which supports. With these vibrations manifesting you are able to experience with greater ease and harmony. Allow yourself to call upon my protection and imagine that within you the energy vibration of protection activates and manifests, creating a bright shiny translucent turquoise light bubble around you. Within this bubble of light is a soft hue of pink light which flows from the heart chakra, this is also a symbol of the presence of love and how the third eye, throat and heart chakra are working as one and are a powerful influence within your reality. This protection assists and supports you at a physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and energetic level as well as when connecting with other dimensions. With the perspective I have shared of our co-creation together you may also become aware of the personal and maybe unique protection that we co-create together. I am always here to be a source and activation of protection for you. In love, Archangel Michael Channeled through Natalie Glasson – Original Source: Sacred School of OmNa It is with an extended wave of love that I step forward to greet you; I, Lord Melchizedek, bathe you in the universal light of the Creator showering golden blessings of remembrance upon your being. I am the overseer of the Universal level and light of the Creator’s universe. I am a Christ which is a label signifying that I hold within my embodiment the consciousness of the Christ Consciousness. It is the love of the universal level and the Christ consciousness that I share with you and embed into your being at a quicker vibration of light if you allow me to. My purpose of connecting with you today is to speak of empowerment. The reality that you now exist within is diverse and different from your reality before 2013. In the past you have been striving to allow yourself to develop and quicken in vibration as well as collecting divine wisdom and realisations. In this new reality it is time to experience the process of embodiment which is to allow your entire being to transform to hold energy vibrations and consciousness of the Creator. Embodiment is often recognised as holding energies within your physical being and body but it is to allow the divine current of the Creator to flow through your being constantly allowing your physical body to divinely express the light and consciousness of the Creator. Embodiment is the divine expression in all forms of the Creator in creative and everyday ways. No longer can you believe that light, consciousness or the quick vibrations of the Creator are held and stagnant within your physical body. In order to exist in oneness with the Creator there is a need to open up to the reality that the Creator’s vibration is eternally flowing and you are a vessel through which the Creator can be expressed. If you begin to acknowledge embodiment as expression you allow yourself to discover or feel guided in expressing the Creator through your thoughts, emotions, feelings, actions, reaction and so forth. With the manifestation of a constant expression of the Creator from your being into your reality you allow yourself to experience embodiment but you are not actually retaining the energy within your being as this even with a high vibration of light can cause stagnation and blockages. As you devote yourself to focus upon expressing the divine aspect of the Creator in your everyday life you begin to empower yourself, your reality and spiritual being or Creator aspect. You are giving yourself opportunities to connect with the Creator, to feel supported, loved and inspired by the Creator’s light. With your focus on the presence of the Creator you are empowering your truth. If you empower your personality, ego or character this can give a false sense of security and support, when you empower your truth, soul or Creator aspect you are connecting with truth that is ever present within everything, therefore empowering a foundation for further growth and expansion. Empowering your essence allows you to accept nourishment in all areas of your reality. Embodiment is to express the continuous current of the Creator which empowers the presence of the Creator within and around you, therefore experiencing a greater sense of oneness with the Creator which can be felt as embodiment, as your entire being continuously transforms. Empowerment of your truth, your oneness with the Creator and focused experience of the Creator is essential at this time in order to accelerate your spiritual ascension. Awareness of the truth brings forth empowerment and realisations which moves you beyond illusion and into clarity. This is a time of discovery, manifestation and integration of the Creator and the Creator’s expression through your being. The Creator’s expression through your being is vital at this time, the way in which you choose to express the Creator will shape the reality you experience and the reality created upon the Earth. The reality of the Earth is in a unique position where it can easy transform and alter. The aspects of the Earthly reality that no longer serves humanity can be easily erased and dissolved while new creations can be simply manifested. It is as if the energy of the Earth and also your being is extremely malleable at this time, meaning that with your choices and divine expressions stemming from the truth of the Creator you can create major shifts in the vibration of the Earth and therefore humanity’s experience of the Earth. I wish to also make you aware that focus upon love and expression of love will preserve and protect this most unique energetic time on the Earth. Due to the energy being extremely malleable you have the ability to manifest with greater speed and perfection with the ability of divinely influencing your reality. If you connect and focus into the energy of the Creator with greater devotion then you can divinely influence your reality with the purest essence, divine will, healing, awakening and perfection of the Creator. Therefore your reality and entire being becomes the true vibration of the Creator thus you experience empowerment and embodiment. In order to assist you in bestowing the divine blessings of the Creator into your being and reality it is beneficial for the third eye chakra to be active and divinely aligned with the heart chakra and soul. For some people on the Earth it can often seem as if the third eye chakra is blocked or inactive, this is often not the case but there is simply a need to understand the third eye chakra, focusing upon its energies in order to build an experience of familiarity with the third eye chakra. The third eye chakra can assist in bringing a clear understanding, expression and interpretation of the divine will, consciousness and light of the Creator. It can be a tool of manifestation and projection as you transmit from the soul and heart into the third eye chakra. The third eye chakra creates amplification and can divinely weave energies and intention into form, matter or experience on the Earth, thus empowering your reality with the light of the Creator. There are a few basic practices that I wish to share with you in order to assist you in empowering yourself and reality with the Creator therefore divinely, appropriately and perfectly influencing the ascension and evolvement of the Earth. The first practice is to imagine, sense or acknowledge that there is a source of light at your heart chakra which is your soul, essence and truth. Imagine that each time you exhale slowly, the light of your soul flows up from your heart chakra into your throat chakra, resting in your third eye chakra at your brow. You can practice this for as long as you wish until you begin to feel the third eye chakra becoming energised, which can be a subtle or intense experience and is unique to every person. This is working to build the connection between the soul and the third eye chakra as well as allowing you to become familiar with the sensations of your third eye chakra. This practice can attune the third eye chakra to the soul to promote clarity in the mind, spiritual visions and the greater interpreting of spiritual guidance. This can be practiced for a number of days and can bring forward the feeling of the third eye chakra activating when you are simply developing an understanding of or familiarity with the third eye chakra. The second practice which is a continuation of the first practice, allows you to empower your physical reality with the truth of the Creator. It is to ask your soul to project energetically coded symbols of what your soul wishes to manifest to be of service to your current reality. Your soul understand the divine will of the Creator for your reality on the Earth and can project tools, intentions and concentrated consciousness or wisdom into your third eye chakra in order to bring a clear understanding of your soul and the Creator as well as to assist manifestation into your reality. You are therefore empowering your reality and being with the truth of your soul which is the truth of the Creator. Begin by practicing the above breathing technique until you have the sensation or knowingness of your third eye chakra being energised. Then say out loud or in your mind, My soul is at one and is a divine expression of the Creator within me. I affirm the attunement of my soul with my third eye chakra, my soul light, consciousness and love easily flows into my third eye chakra. I ask my soul to create energetically light coded symbols from my soul light holding the consciousness and intention of energies, situations, manifestations, wisdom, clarity or anything that will serve my spiritual growth and empowerment at this time. Beloved soul, please transfer the energetic light coded symbols into my third eye chakra so that they may be energised and manifest with perfection within my reality, while offering new insights and understandings to my ascension process. Thank you. Imagine sense or acknowledge that as the light and energy flows from your soul into your third eye chakra, symbols created by your soul are embedded into your third eye chakra, as you continue to focus in this way the symbols will be energised. You do not need to understand the meaning of the symbols, if you are able to visualise them you may be able to record them, working with them to connect more fully and gain new insights. Let your soul and the Creator empower your reality through the sacred tool that is your third eye chakra. In sacred empowerment, Lord Melchizedek Archangel Zadkiel Channeled through Natalie Glasson – Original Source: Sacred School of OmNa Love, Peace, Transformation and Truth are the vibrations that I bring forth through my angelic presence to surround your entire being. I, Archangel Zadkiel am here with you in this moment to share the angelic vibration of transformation from the seventh ray of light, anchoring these high vibrations as seeds of consciousness into your mind and understanding. I wish to encourage you to focus more fully upon your language and the words that you express from your being into your reality. I am an Archangel, holding the angelic vibration of selfless and unconditional love; I am also the embodiment of the seventh ray of light overseen by Lady Portia. The seventh ray of light of a violet colour is assisting and fuelling the ascension process on the Earth and for all of humanity. The seventh ray of light holds vibrations to aid and support the new era that has dawned on the Earth. Enlightenment, transformation, magic and awakening are some of the qualities represented by the seventh ray of light. As I channel the energy of the seventh ray of light into your being to support all processes of spiritual transformation and awakening I wish to encourage a new perspective to dawn to accelerate you forward in experiencing greater union with yourself and the Creator. Please allow yourself to open up to the violet light as you breath its essence deep into your being so that the light may support you in the most appropriate way. As the violet light merges more fully with your being I wish to share with you my consciousness. It is my focus to bring your attention to the words that you express on a daily basis. The words that you think in your mind, say out loud or sing have a vibration which pulsates like a wave through your physical body and entire energetic bodies. These words however they are expressed have a powerful influence upon your being. Your body and energetic bodies are constantly vibrating, as light enters into your being the vibration of your body and energetic bodies quickens in speed becoming a purer vibration more aligned with the Creator. If you then produce negative words in your mind or out loud this can have a lowering effect upon your energetic vibration. As a light worker you may always be focusing upon healing yourself, anchoring more light and calling upon divine assistance to serve your ascension but if you then express words with a lower vibration you are always encouraging an unstable energy vibration which will not support your spiritual growth. Your words have a powerful influence upon your being because this aspect of your being is connected to your ability of creating and co creating with the Creator. Your words have the ability to shape your reality and even your physical body. In order to gain a secure and steadily enhancing vibration there is a need to observe the words that you choose to use out loud and within your mind on a daily bases, not only the words but the tone and manner in which you express them to others. It is time I believe to detox your thoughts and vocabulary so that you may bring greater volumes of light and love into your being through the process of thinking and speaking. It is important that each expression of any form from your being is deeply loving to yourself and to others. Allow yourself to think in patterns of love and to speak with not only immense love flowing from your heart but each word carefully chosen by you to be of the highest vibration of love. You may be wondering how to understand whether a word holds a negative vibration or a positive loving vibration. In truth all words and expressions hold the vibration of the Creator and are therefore of a loving vibration but over time humanity has placed emphasis on words interpreting them as negative or positive, therefore creating a vibrational perspective for each. While these perspectives created by generations could be healed and cleansed it is far easier to focus upon your own spiritual growth and to ensure that negative words and vibrations are eliminated from your being. Remember that a thought that is only a second in your mind can stay in your auric field eternally unless it is cleansed or released. As you allow yourself to open your heart chakra, imagining that you are breathing in and out through your heart chakra while also allowing words of love or neutral vibrations to be expressed in your mind and through your voice then you will always be maintaining and developing your energetic vibration. When I speak of negative words I am focusing upon words that create a negative, judgmental, fearful or destructive tone. Such words and even judgements of self and others can be common place and seen as a way of expression but in truth it is possible to express whatever you wish with the vibration of love and truth. The more that love is expressed with the mind and through the voice into communication then humanity will notice the manifestation of greater volumes of love on the Earth. In order to achieve love within the mind and through the voice there is simply a need of first observing your thoughts and observing the vibration and tone of what you are creating, holding in your mind and expressing through your voice. Then allow yourself to love yourself unconditionally free from judgement, understanding or realising how you can change your wording, language or tone to hold a higher quicker vibration. It is important not to limit your expression, this may feel as if it is the case to begin with but you will be embarking on a beautiful and new way of expressing yourself while also healing old negative habits of mental judgement or abuse to yourself or others. With the focus of your words holding power within your vibration, physical being and reality, I wish to introduce you to a chamber upon the inner planes within the seventh ray of light ashram which holds the power of magnification. It is the Seventh Ray Chamber of Magnification. Many Ascended Masters and light beings visit this chamber in order to gain a magnification of their energies, healing or whatever they may be focusing upon at that time. I wish to encourage you to visit the Chamber of Magnification during meditation, I advise you to speak words of loving vibrations whether single words or sentences while existing within this chamber in order to magnify the vibration of the words so you may truly feel, see and sense how they truly influence your being. Not only will you allow yourself to experience the vibrations of the words but you will also heighten your energy vibration and manifest the vibration of the words more fully into your being and reality. It is a wonderful experience to enhance your understanding of the vibrations of words but it can also be a tool that allows and assists you in magnifying energies within your being in order to aid manifestation. For example, if you have something that you wish to manifest within your being or reality you can visit the chamber and speak the words in your mind or out loud that you already have what you wish to manifest, focusing on key words that denote qualities you wish to embody in order to manifest your desire. This would then enhance the strength of your manifestation allowing you to experience and anchor all that you wish to manifest into your physical body so that you become the vibration and therefore project it into your reality for you to experience fully. Simply allow yourself to sit peacefully, as you focus on your breathing entering into a deep state of meditation. Say out loud or internally, I call upon the loving vibration, support and presence of Archangel Zadkiel and Lady Portia to draw close to my being, sharing and anchoring your love, angelic and seventh ray energies into my being. Imagine, sense or acknowledge our light surrounding you as you breathe deeply. Say out loud or internally, I ask Archangel Zadkiel and Lady Portia to transport me to the Chamber of Magnification in the Seventh Ray Ashram, thank you. Imagine, acknowledge or sense your presence within the chamber, it is important to breathe in the energies of the chamber realising that every aspect of your being including your thoughts will be magnified. With your attention upon your thoughts allow yourself to express clear, precise words of a high vibrations or sentences that hold the essence of that which you wish to manifest. (You may find it valuable for your first visit to write down some words that you wish to use in the chamber or to choose one word that you will focus upon for your time within the chamber.) Simply focus on breathing in the energy of magnification to fill your entire being while you focus on observing the influence of your words upon your energy vibration, physical and energetic bodies. This is a wonderful place to experiment and to observe the influence of different words upon your energy vibration. When you wish to leave the chamber simply ask Lady Portia and I to transport and ground you back into your physical reality. Let your words be a power within your ascension process. With Angelic Love, Archangel Zadkiel Archangel Metatron Channeled through Natalie Glasson – Original Source: Sacred School of OmNa With empowerment of the soul so we see the dawning of all that is the Creator manifesting as a reality on the Earth for true and sacred experience and confirmation. It is with the deepest of love that I, Archangel Metatron, step forward to greet you, I share the light of the Creator with you as a friend and a support to assist you in accessing all that is within your being. With the emergence of the soul our connection will enhance as the presence of your soul allows for a clear vision and understanding of the truth. As you acknowledge my energies and sacred power, recognising all that I wish to provide to you from the beloved Creator is that you realise with greater intensity the truth and sacred power of your own being and self. As I come forwarded to unite my energies with yours, my purpose is to demonstrate to you all that you are. Sometimes it is easier to understand yourself more fully when you look in the mirror, otherwise it can be difficult to acknowledge yourself, recognising yourself as you truly are. The Creator provides many mirrors in order to assist you in realising and becoming acquainted with the energies within your being. I ask you, can you connect with my energies, look upon or experience my energies, viewing and understanding yourself in all that I am and present to you? As you call me to draw close to your being and breathe my light into every cell of your being, it is my wish for you to ask yourself, What of myself can I acknowledge and accept as I connect with Archangel Metatron? However, you perceive my energies these are the qualities of your own being. This is a most beautiful realisation that can enter the mind but it is truly accepted and understood when it is felt and acknowledged by your heart and entire being. Every master or archangel that crosses your path acts as a mirror for you to accept the divine within your being. Your soul naturally calls forth certain beings of light and even certain people on the Earth to act as mirrors for activating and most importantly realising the divine energies, frequencies and qualities within your being. Every experience in your reality whether on the physical pane, in everyday life, in meditation or into a sleep state is a mirror that allows you to understand yourself more fully. Once you truly hold the understanding that to know yourself more fully as a sacred and divine soul on the Earth is to understand and become one with the Creator everything flows with greater ease and perfection. You no longer see challenges but observe beautiful opportunities in your reality to connect more fully with the presence of the Creator within your being, so you are empowering your soul which is an aspect of the Creator. It is also a beautiful understanding to realise that although you hold an aspect of the Creator within your physical being you know and understand, like friends and family, every single aspect or soul of the Creator as well, because in truth they are all a part of you, they are all an aspect of yourself that you fully comprehend and feel completely familiar with. This realisation allows you to connect with your greater self, the Creator, therefore it is only natural that you see, acknowledge and comprehend yourself more fully by observing and connecting with those that cross your pathway. Many may say that the Creator is a distant incomprehensible energy, but it is often that what is closest to you that cannot be seen with clarity. The Creator is so familiar to you that there is sometimes an aspect of your being that cannot comprehend your divine relationship with the Creator, this aspect is often fear which blocks your vision of the truth. When fear is mastered and overcome so the beauty of your being can be seen by yourself. With self-understanding and acceptance, you manifest the beauty of the Creator within your reality for you to experience and build upon. It is the practice of experience of the divine Creator which is unfolding upon the Earth in this new phase of ascension. Everything you do, think and accept about yourself and this reality has a powerful meaning and purpose of awakening you to experience your divine self and soul. This can only occur when you allow and give consent to yourself to recognise your familiarity with the Creator. In many ways through conditioning and illusion you have created an understanding of separation; the most powerful separation is between yourself and the Creator. There is a need for separation to be dissolved as it no longer serves your reality. Separation can be experienced as split or withdrawal; it comes from a place of fear. Once some kind of separation has been experience you can become fearful of more separation and so become stagnant and afraid of consequences of separation, thus creating separation in all areas of your reality because it has become your focus. Even within a physical body there are always opportunities of oneness because everything that you choose to experience flows from within your being. You have the opportunity to experience the deepest loving connection with the Creator within your being. Your physical body and soul are temples for experience and becoming familiar with the Creator. From the experience of the Creator within your being so you create, project and manifest the experience of the Creator in your outside reality. If you experience profound love within your being and recognise your familiarity with the vibration of love then this will first filter into your reality, cleansing and clearing your reality of all that is not of loving vibrations to create love in abundance within your reality and, therefore, your experiences. Become familiar within you with all that you wish to experience and create in your reality. Your ability to allow yourself to accept your natural familiarity with the Creator is a powerful tool of awakening, inspiration and empowerment. If you do not see the love of the Creator in your reality then it is first appropriate to seek the love of the Creator within your being, this discovery will allow for you to become familiar once more with the vibration of love, therefore projecting it into your reality. Your projection allows for your physical reality to become a powerful mirror of acknowledging with greater detail and experience, that which is within you. As I stated earlier, it is sometimes hard to contemplate something when it is so close and familiar to you, by projecting it into your reality you are able to observe and realise all that you are. It is my wish to ask you to focus more fully with awareness and consciousness as to what you are choosing to become familiar with and projecting from within your being each day into your reality. Recognise the people that cross your path, the masters and archangels that come to you. Each of them holds qualities present within your being for you to become aware of. When you become aware of what you are connecting with within your being and projecting naturally through your energy vibration then you can understand the situations, reality and opportunities you experience daily. To alter your reality only needs for you to form that vibration of familiarity within your being, choosing the vibration you project. Thus, you empower yourself and co-create a beautiful reality with the Creator or the greater aspect of yourself for you to fully embody and experience in your reality. Accepting your soul is simply accepting and becoming familiar with a part of the Creator, a part of yourself, there is always more to discover but by realising your oneness, your familiarity and the fact that you are all aspect and every aspect demonstrates to you yourself. You understand with greater clarity the purpose of the Earth. This allows you to feel content, awakening and opening your being and truth up with less restriction and limitations. Truth is after all a feeling of familiarity with the Creator because it is through your contentment and awareness that you dissolve separation allowing divine beauty in all its forms to flow. With this powerful tool and embodiment you give yourself consent to exist as your power and divine self, from this state you realise that you can no longer be hurt or experience pain, unless you allow yourself to. With the familiarity with the Creator forming within you a powerful loving presence manifests which allows for further detachment from the dramas and attachments of the Earthly experience. Everything becomes less of a drama and experience of pain and more of an opportunity to seek within, exploring further your familiarity with the Creator within your being, thus the creation and realisation of the Era of Love manifests and an opportunity to truly experience the divine Creator in a physical reality. I have one last question which you may wish to contemplate, do you feel you have been experiencing the Creator in a physical reality or have you been experiencing the Earth as a physical influence upon the sacred vibrations within you? Now is the time to realise that your simple choices can alter the reality you experience. The reality you experience is immensely important as it is a reflection of your connection and familiarity with the Creator within your being. Encourage yourself to choose to dissolve separation and fear, the more you let go of your familiarity with fear the greater your experience of the Creator’s love and sacred vibrations. You will then notice that fear or experiences of fear are no longer present within your reality because you are no longer projecting them as a familiar energy from within your being. I recognise my familiarity with the Creator and my soul, I choose to enhance, empower and project my familiarity with the Creator from within. It is with love that I show myself to you today so that you may see the love within your own being, recognising yourself fully within me. With Angelic Selfless Love, I am Archangel Metatron Archangel Gabriel and Archangel Hope Channeled through Natalie Glasson – Original Source: Sacred School of OmNa Beloved Archangel Gabriel and Archangel Hope, I call upon your loving presence to stand before me, enveloping me deeply in your unconditional love. As I receive and accept your love, support and brightly shining light, I encourage my inner truth to become my outer truth unfolding from within my being. Archangel Gabriel and Archangel Hope, I ask and allow you to pour your deeply loving energy into my entire being but specifically my heart chakra, as well as my planetary heart chakra, solar heart chakra, galactic heart chakra, universal heart chakra, multi-universal heart chakra and my cosmic heart chakra. With your deeply pure angelic love, I ask that my heart chakra is activated, awakened and expansively opened. My greatest wish and focus at this time is to connect with my heart chakra more fully, becoming one with my heart energy, with all that my heart provided and holds to assist me. I ask that my heart chakra is balanced, healed and that true clarity manifests so that my heart chakra is a crystal clear well of unconditional love. Archangel Gabriel and Archangel Hope guide me and demonstrate to me how I may allow my heart chakra to be crystal clear with a powerful energy of clarity and truth. Archangel Gabriel and Archangel Hope, I ask that you work with my soul to clear any confusion, misunderstanding and misconceptions that I may have about and towards myself and my heart chakra. Allow the energy or perspective that hinders me from viewing and understanding my heart chakra as a pure, clear well of truth, unconditional love and clarity. My heart chakra is divinely aligned, connected and at one with my soul, my heart chakra is a powerful source of guidance in my reality. I no longer wish to walk my spiritual and physical path on the Earth blind to the guidance of my heart and soul. I no longer wish to experience blindness in my ability to see, listen and understand the divine and truthful guidance of my soul and heart chakra. My heart chakra is an expression of my soul, its guidance, wisdom and the divine plan for me on the Earth. I now demand and choose to be at one with my heart chakra, listening, seeing, feeling and accepting all that is provided to me by my soul through my heart chakra. Archangel Gabriel and Archangel Hope, working as one with my soul, heart chakra and my divine inner truth, please remove all blindness that doesn’t allow me to see the truth and clarity of my heart chakra and soul. Please remove all deafness that doesn’t allow me to hear and listen with crystal clear understanding to my heart chakra and soul. Please remove all energies and perspectives that inhibit me speaking, sharing and communicating the unconditional love of my soul and heart chakra. I no longer wish or choose to walk a pathway where I am constantly experiencing separation with my soul and heart chakra, I wish and choose to be at one with my soul and heart chakra, experiencing the divine guidance, voice, feelings and truth of my heart chakra and soul with crystal clear clarity so that each step, actions, decisions and thoughts I make and creature formed from a deep and true knowingness, guidance and understanding within me. I am completely and absolutely aware and conscious that it is now time for me to truly allow my entire being, energy systems and bodies, consciousness, chakras, mind and emotions to awaken to the truth of my being. More importantly it is divine timing that I now see, sense, acknowledge and accept my truth, inner guidance and clarity with ease in every moment of my reality. No longer am I surrounded in a mist of unknowingness, forgetfulness, illusion and confusion, I erase this consciousness and existence completely, choosing to accept myself as a being of truth, unconditional love and divine alignment with the constant ability to see, sense, listen, acknowledge and accept the guidance and clarity of my heart chakra and soul with complete ease in every present moment. I now see, I now listen, I now acknowledge, I now accept, I now sense, the truth, divine guidance and presence of my heart chakra and soul. Beloved Archangel Gabriel and Archangel Hope, I ask you along with my heart chakra and soul to assist me in the most benevolent way. With deep gratitude. Beloved love beacons on the Earth; we come forward to you as the united consciousness and love energy of Archangel Gabriel and Archangel Hope. We deeply wished to share our invocation with you to support the development, constant awakening and discovery of your heart chakra. It is true that as a beacon and an example of the Creator’s love on the Earth that you can no longer walk or wander aimlessly, making decisions and choices from your desires, the mind or from habit. Now is the time to realise your heart chakra more fully and its divine purpose and role in your reality. The word aimlessly is extremely important because in the past you may not have experienced the aim, the driving force and the clear goal like the energy that your heart holds of achieving what is appropriate and necessary. Now is the time to aim your energy from your heart as you aim your focus to the centre of your heart. It is time to attend to your heart chakra to remove the shields, mists and walls that may be hindering your sight and hearing so that you may connect more fully in oneness with your heart chakra and soul. It is also essential to allow yourself to focus upon listening to everything around you as well as within you. There is an aspect of humanity that has become lazy and lacking in the skill and ability to listen. If you allow yourself to listen to the truth within and around your being, you do not require any of your modern tools or technology to assist and support you in your reality. Allow yourself to listen to the universe of the Creator, all that you require, need and wish to understand is within the silence, the energy, the light and the love of the Creator’s universe. There is always an aspect of your being that is aligned and listening to the universe of the Creator, but now this ability and natural instinct needs to be developed, enhanced and consciously experienced. By each person listening to the universe of the Creator, you will consciously gather and manifest a consciousness of wisdom, knowledge and understanding that allows you to illuminate and dissolve all aspects of reality that seem problematic, whether it is your personal reality or the reality you create with each soul on the Earth. Rather than drawing from your own perceptions, habits and thoughts to create the general consciousness of the Earth you could draw upon the wise consciousness in the universe of the Creator to filter into the general consciousness and general co-creations of humanity. It is also appropriate to listen to the environment and people around you, often you are creating energies and attracting people into your reality, and yet you are not listening to the messages that they are expressing energetically. Sometimes when you listen to the energies and people around you, even the environment of your home or work space you begin to notice harmony or disharmony. Maybe it can be as simple as certain colours are not serving you, or the vibration of people around you is trying to demonstrate to you certain areas where growth or attention is needed. It is also a wonderful practice to listen to your inner energies, to listen to your outer environment and to listen to the universe of the Creator, observing free from the judgment the similarities or differences that can be noticed. Remember that you are not completely listening with your physical ears but you are listening with your inner ears, akin your inner ability to sense or acknowledge, even your inner ability to know or understand. This can be achieved by retaining a space of peace, observation, alertness and awareness within your being. If you recall the last time someone read from a book out loud to you, even though your intention was to listen your mind may have been wandering with other thoughts, your emotions may have been processing unrelated feelings, you may not have been completely present, observing and connected to the person reading and the words being expressed. Maybe afterwards you couldn’t even remember what was said. If you had allowed yourself to be fully present at that moment, you would have heightened your experiences and would also be able to recall or replay all that you had understood and experienced. The process of focus and allowing yourself to be present and observing allows you to listen on many energetic levels in order to gain guidance from within, your heart, your soul, environment, people and the Creator’s universe. With the ability of listening, seeing, sensing your own heart chakra and the heart chakra of each person with clarity and truth a greater presence of love will manifest into the Earth’s reality for all to experience. The love experienced will be your creation, anchoring and manifestation. Each action, step, thought, process and reaction that you take influences the ascension of your own being and that of humanity so it is appropriate that you allow yourself to listen truly on a deeper level to all that is within and around you, then with discernment and inner knowingness choosing the steps and actions that you wish to take. When we say listen, we mean to listen with your senses, listen to the energy or energetically. With deep unconditional love, Archangel Gabriel and Archangel Hope Archangel Metatron Channeled through Natalie Glasson – Original Source: Sacred School of OmNa Beloved shining beacons of light on the Earth, we bow down to you with tremendous respect and love. We, your guides, friends and loved ones of the inner planes are here to support you as you move through an immense process of your ascension. Maybe you feel as if you cannot or do not fully understand why certain experiences, creations and expressions are manifesting in your reality, why you choose certain choices over others. I, Archangel Metatron, wish to share with you that the instruction book, the planned circumstances by your soul, the limitations and boundaries set for you and set by you in the past are now being cast aside. You are being rewarded for all your devotion to your spiritual connection and awakening with the reality that is free from limitations. There is no longer a goal to work to in a certain time, the clock is no longer ticking to push you forward along your spiritual path, and there are no longer goals that need to be achieved in or with certain limitations. In truth, there is no longer a goal to be achieved. The boundaries, limitations, goals and inspiration that led you through the past phase of ascension are falling away. In truth, you are being given responsibly and freedom. It could seem as if your purpose has been taken away from you. It is far easier to energise yourself and passion to achieve certain levels of growth when you feel that time is running short or when there is a goal post in sight. As you exist in this new reality and phase of energy, there is no goal post for you to strive to reach in a certain time. Your purpose remains the same, to experience oneness with the Creator and all aspects of the Creator, to master and know yourself and, therefore, the Creator more fully and to open your heart to be a channel of love and all that is the Creator. Your purpose has maybe never been so vivid but you now have the tools, the time, the freedom to achieve these goals as you wish, where you wish, with who you wish and in the time that you wish. Ascension for you could take four days, five months, sixteen years or in truth as long as you choose. There are no set rules as to how long ascension should take, whether you achieve it in a group or as an individual, whether you choose to ask for help or not. There is no longer a wrong and right. In truth, everything that you have held onto as truth in your reality and realisations about your spiritual self and practices is falling away. As if you are being suspended in space or suspended in energy. You are supported, loved and have the ability to choose and create all that you need in order to move further beyond limitations and boundaries. It may feel as if pre-created security is now falling away. With greater freedom come experiences of being, having, doing, existing as nothing or without restrictions. In the past, even time has brought you security and yet you notice that time doesn’t have the same meaning any longer. You are being given and are creating your freedom, which is one of the greatest gifts of this new phase. You may wish to contemplate the many situations, thoughts, perceptions and understandings that you hold on to in your reality to create a deeper sense of security. Allow yourself to see this as your creation alone and that they do serve you in awakening the power, strength and immense love within your being. Do you actually need security in your reality? Do you need to create boundaries and limitations? Do you need to recognise your limitless self and expansive being? I ask that you take the time to practice this contemplation and self-discovery within your reality, if only once, to assist you in releasing from your being, energy and perspective energetic habits and patterns from the past. With the quality of greater freedom that you have accepted within your reality so it may also bring up aspects of your reality, personality and creations that do not serve you or offer you freedom. As these aspects of yourself come to the surface to be released it can seem that you are being encaged and have less freedom than before. You begin to see yourself in many new ways that may not always be pleasant to witness. Some people may feel that they have more issues to deal with and heal than before 2012. The energy of freedom and responsibility is awakening new aspects of your being that wish to be healed and released. Freedom for light workers and awakened soul of the Creator is a powerful lesson to overcome and digest. You all expect and desire freedom but also fear freedom due to its ability to allow you to access your power and sacred abilities. No longer is anything in your way, blocking you or hindering you, only what you choose to create. No longer is anything pushing and driving you forward and yet you are placed in the centre of freedom with the opportunity to choose whatever you wish. It can be an experience of exhilaration but also of being fearful. There is also the question that many light workers face, which is how does one experience and interpret freedom and what does one choose to create? Through many lifetimes on the Earth, you have been limited, restricted, condemned and maybe even abused for trying to be your truth, now is the time to truly let go of these past energies, understanding that you have the freedom to choose to create what you wish. If so with many opportunities and possibilities available how does one choose what they wish to create? The guidance, knowingness and truth of the soul is extremely important in this energy of freedom, your guides also act to you as a mirror of your soul and its guidance. Do not be afraid to ask or to follow the inspiration within you, it is this inspiration that will lead you to the experience of greater freedom. You may find at first that your personality isn’t satisfied with the guidance shared from within your being, but the perspective and desires of your personality also need to shift to bring greater happiness, joy, love and peace within your being. You may also notice that due to the greater sense and energy of freedom that you are more aware of the consequence of your actions, thoughts and creations. Your awareness of the consequences of your situation is your own creation to assist you in choosing and understanding what is appropriate for you. You truly understand when you have created a situation that doesn’t serve you, but it is often that you see it as a failing when in actual fact it helps you understand yourself more fully, you begin to recognise your own vibration, realising when you create something that is not from your true vibration but is from a limited aspect of yourself. It is in this moment and phase of ascension that you are truly being allowed to experiment. This stage of ascension has been chosen by you because you have mastered abilities to connect with the Creator, your truth and you have a beautiful understanding and desire to create love. In truth, you can trust yourself to deal with the freedom, the responsibility and choices with and from the purest sense of love which will ensure that you do not harm or cause pain to yourself or others. It is a very beautiful reality and stage of ascension that is now unfolding for you to experience. Enjoy the feeling of no longer being pushed to achieve goals, of no longer having boundaries and limitations. Enjoy the process of your own boundaries and limitations created by you coming to the surface and most of all enjoy becoming one and getting to know yourself more fully. It may be time to realise the reality that you are currently experiencing on the Earth, the game-like quality and the powerful ability that you hold in your choices and your ability to manifest. I am aware that there are many messages and interpretations within my message and communication with you but I wish for you to realise that you have the most beautiful gift within you of knowingness. Your ability to simply know the most perfect choice, truth and manifestation instantly within your being that will serve you and all aspects of the Creator is most beautiful and tremendously powerful, so allow yourself to use it well within your reality. I wish to share with you an invocation to be of service to you, ‘Archangel Metatron, Beloved Creator, my soul and soul group, I call your presence and love forward to support and love me unconditionally. I ask you to assist me in listening with greater care and clarity to the intuition and knowingness within my being. I recognise my knowingness as guidance from the Creator, which brings me freedom, truth and greater experiences of love. I accept my inner knowingness and am able to interpret it into my reality with ease with each new day upon the Earth.’ I ask to accept the energies of freedom from the Creator deeper into my being. I realise and acknowledge I am the energy of freedom, I willingly dissolve all boundaries and limitations of my creation and let go of all energies, situations or people that represent a security or a false security. I realise that I have a powerful tool and ability of choice and manifestation; I ask that my ability is always aligned with the truth and love of the Creator and my soul. Support me as I adjust to the energy and reality of greater freedom allowing myself to become an expansive and limitless beacon of light. Assist me in understanding and experiencing this phase of freedom with tremendous ease and perfection. Thank you. With blissful blessings, Archangel Metatron Archangel Metatron, Lord Buddha and the Celestial White Beings Channeled through Natalie Glasson – Original Source: Sacred School of OmNa We come forward as a united consciousness of love and compassion to connect with your energies and to support your transitions at this time of ascension. We are here to cradle you lovingly in the light of the Creator so that further shifts and awakening may take place. There are many subject matters and issues that we wish to address today in our communication and connection with you. The energy vibration that many of you are now consciously experiencing upon the Earth and within your being is the new energy vibration of the Earth and your physical beings. Your vibration and that of the Earth will continue to rise and evolve, quickening in speed over time but there is a need to allow yourself time to become familiar with the energies, to realise how they are influencing your being and to recognise the energies that are now activating within your being. It is also important to understand that the way in which you are dealing with and experiencing the energies at this present time may change and evolve becoming more stable, comfortable and natural to your being. We, in the same way, which you are, are experiencing a transition where our entire being is being realigned to the light and source of the Creator. For some, this transition may have already taken place while others may need days, weeks or months to become accustomed to the energies and to completely embody the new vibrations within every aspect of your being. Please be aware that this process of the embodiment is continuous. We can only describe this as moving from darkness into light, your entire being needs time to adjust and absorb the rays of light that are now not only activating within your being but are flowing from all directions into your inner source. This transition where you move into greater absorption and embodiment of light may bring up more unneeded energies, past patterns and programmed consciousness to be released and completely erased from your energy field, being and soul. Do not despair if your energies feel heavier, you feel less connected or if you feel that transitions are not taking place for you, every person is moving through an immense healing process and transition at this time that is being accelerated by the light of the Creator and your soul. For true light to shine from your being, your deepest fears and attachments need to be erased completely from your being and consciousness. Many of you moving forward to the 21st December 2012 experienced a tremendous release on many levels of your being, now is the time for the energy that you released to be erased from your consciousness and energy field. Releasing does allow for a freedom from that which you held onto offering greater space for light and true self-radiation but there is also a need for consciously erasing the energies and aspects of yourself from your energy field in order to allow for the new vibration of love, unity and many blissful Creator energies to embody your entire being completely. Erasing unneeded energies and habits will allow for complete freedom within your being and reality, allowing for experiences of love and connection rather than fear and separation. Erasing the influences of the past will come about through your acceptance of your truth, of greater volumes of light and connection with the Creator around and within your being. Consciously making a choice to allow and ask for all unneeded energies, habits, thoughts and consciousness to be completely erased from your energy will also assist you. It is a magnificent and major experience to erase the energy, codes and patterns of pain, suffering and so forth as it allows for complete freedom, meaning that no longer will energetic patterns replay in your reality, which can occur even after a realisation and release of the energies you may have been holding onto. By allowing yourself to erase unneeded energies eternally, you are assisting yourself, humanity and the Earth in completely aligning with the Creator completely free from restrictions. As the Earth and humanity are accepting and becoming accustomed to the new vibrations a release and cleansing of the Earth and your being will continue but it is in this reality that you are cleansing and healing not to release the energies as before but to erase them eternally which means that if a good number of people can erase certain consciousness and programming then they will be erased eternally from the entire consciousness of humanity. Erased is to be eternally deleted. This means that we will see humanity rising in major steps to connect on a deeper level with the Creator over the next few years because of the erasing process that is taking place on the Earth at this time. In many ways, this is a very simple process compared to the healing process that you have previously experienced on the Earth but it is a very key and essential clearing and reawakening of the Earth which can flow with ease from the hearts of humanity. Essentially we are asking and guiding you to clear completely the Earth and your being of all past programming and unneeded energies, knowing that the work you achieve now allows for eternal deleting which will create a space and vibration on the Earth that allows for greater shifts similar to what you have just experienced but more magnificent when manifested. It is as if the major work has been achieved and now you must recode the Earth to allow for higher vibrations to anchor, therefore truly anchoring and manifesting the era of love on the Earth. Please do not mistake us, the new reality and new beginning that you desired energetically is now here for you to experience but the old energies may still come forward to be eternally released and now is the time to realign the Earth and your being with the Creator. This realignment we speak of is complete realignment, complete oneness with the Creator. Over the next few years and maybe twenty years, everything that you achieve and experience will allow you to move consciously into greater experiences of love and unity, therefore allowing the manifestation of bliss. If you have already shifted into a state and an existence of bliss then you will be able to observe the bliss within you grow hundreds of times in strength and expression over the next few years. The energies that you are now connected to which anchored over the sacred month of December 2012 are extremely important, over the next few years you will allow yourself to embody, experience and express this new vibration from every cell and particle of your being, meaning that you have the opportunity to experience truly the higher and sacred vibration of your being and the Creator that have been activated. This expression will allow for greater experiences of love, truth, unity and bliss, true and complete healing of the Earth and the manifestation of the Era of Love. Your choices now influence the ascension of humanity, your manifestations are extremely important in bringing greater light activations to the Earth and to allow the Divine Presence of Your Soul to come forward as the sacred Christ, Goddess, Messiah and Creator on the Earth in unison with every other soul upon the Earth, in oneness. This is an immensely powerful goal and vision to hold. The energy that you connected with in December 2012 was of unity and love to erase separation and fear, you have connected with this energy, now there is a need to embody, express and experience the energy. So much is and will unfold as to what is occurring and has occurred at this time, guidance from within your being and other sources will allow for you and all of humanity to understand the next stages forward for ascension. We sense the presence of bereavement among many on the Earth. The dates that your soul has long awaited have passed, the shifts that you have long awaited are now being experienced, and yet the future seems so undetermined and uncertain. We wish to congratulate you for allowing yourself to reach this stage of ascension. We are all entering into an era and time on the Earth which could be described as the True Experience or Creator Experience of the Present. This is in which you exist, act and experience in the present. You may feel as if you are already achieving this as if you have been existing in the present for some time but can you envisage, imagine and acknowledge existing in the present moment always, even eternally with complete and absolute focus of the present? This is what we are being guided to share with you and to encourage you to achieve. It is to be constantly conscious, aware and observant in every moment, therefore being at one with the energy of the Creator. Allow yourself to be present in the moment of every person, recognising the oneness of the energy of the Creator in every moment. This time that you are now experiencing is also a period for profound and immense love from your being to shine, it is appropriate more than ever for your powerful love to shine soaking the Earth and all souls. You will see the change that you wish to see on the Earth through your love for the Earth and humanity. In truth, we are asking you to fall in unconditional love with the Earth, to fall in unconditional love with humanity and to fall in unconditional love with yourself. Achieving this with conscious understanding and awareness will allow for the Earth to heal completely, for actions taken on the Earth to alter and align with love and for the truth to prevail. When humanity falls in love with each other, the Earth and their own soul, then we will see the greatest shift occur on the Earth where a complete embodiment of the Creator manifests. With the transitions that lead to this major shift, we will see humanity and the Earth becoming one in respect and honour for each other which in truth is one of the purposes of your existence on the Earth. The Earth demonstrates to you the Creator and yourself, a powerful energy that cannot be controlled but can exist in complete harmony and truth when true vision and comprehension manifests. We encourage you to walk on dear light workers of the Earth; with every conscious step you are talking you are manifesting your greatest truth for the entire universe of the Creator. With the deepest love, Archangel Metatron, Lord Buddha and the Celestial White Beings Archangel Metatron Channeled through Natalie Glasson – Original Source: Sacred School of OmNa During these sacred times of being incubated in the love of the Creator, I wish for you to know that I draw close to you as do the angelic kingdom to be of support and service. The transition that you are experiencing now, whether they appear small or large to you will alter your state of awareness, heightening your spiritual abilities and amplify your intuition. There is a need to allow your sensitivity and awareness of yourself and intuition to be heightened as you delve deeper within your being to draw the truth of the Creator and your soul into the physical reality and the sunlight of the Earth once more. Through each and every soul of the Creator, energies are activating from ancient times and civilisations to imprint once more on the consciousness and awareness that is arising from humanity and every soul aspect of the Creator. Sacred truths of Lemuria, Atlantis, Egypt and many sacred civilisations and sites on the Earth are now being anchored into the Earth and reawakened within the consciousness of humanity through the expression of your soul energy and truth. You and every being focusing upon ascension at this time is projecting ancient wisdom that now needs to be perceived and retained in the consciousness of humanity to bring forth the unity of divine consciousness on the Earth. As we begin to free ourselves from the past and embark on a new journey of ascension, we cannot forget what has been sacred and treasured within each civilisation on the Earth, with radiance from every soul and unity we can restore the conscious enlightenment and awareness of humanity to higher vibrational states. It is important at this time that you hold the intention that the wisdom so sacredly held within your soul emerges, whether you are consciously aware of it or not, radiating the vibrations across the Earth to each and every sacred site. Simply ask the sacred truth your soul holds from many civilisations experienced on the Earth to awaken and radiate from your being across the Earth activating new consciousness from the sacred points of the Earth to form a new enlightened consciousness. Allow your love to flow with tremendous generosity to support all that is being expressed from your being and activated on the Earth. Remember that our purpose at this time is to create unity and oneness so allow an enlightened united consciousness to form for all to experience and draw from. Let the sacred wisdom that unfolds from your soul breath heightened vibrations and support into the Earth and Mother Earth. Mother Earth will respond to you sharing her deepest secrets and truths of the past, present and future of the Earth. Please know that Mother Earth is lovingly supporting you at this time of transition and heightened enlightenment. Do not be fearful of your power arising at this time, you are being encouraged to empower your being with intense volumes of light. Your inner soul power will naturally develop and there is an importance to allow your power and core strength to emerge with grace and fearlessness as this in itself will allow for a deep activation that has been waiting to occur throughout many of your civilisations. Now supported in the incubator love of the Creator you can allow your true vibration and radiance to shine with vigour and confidence. Many civilisations have experienced the suppression of their inner sacred power which is creative and will support you through any stage of ascension. Let us as a united energy with the Earth and the universe of the Creator dissolve all aspects of suppression of power allowing loving, sacred power to unfold humbly from our beings. Let us celebrate each other’s power, strength and the guiding light of our intuition. Dissolve all boundaries that you have placed around you to protect you from pain, there is no need for you to create or choose an existence of pain any more. Allow yourself to choose the power of your love, let it unfold so that all of humanity can unite in the understanding of the immense strength and power of the loving vibrations of the Creator that channel through each and every being. The strength of the Creator is being demonstrated to you at this time as intense energy vibrations flow forward onto the Earth and into your being, please do not be fearful of allowing your loving power to shine from your being as this will bring forth a strong core to guide you through the next stages of ascension. With an abundance of Creator Light and vibrations immersing your being it is a wonderful opportunity to strengthen and encourage your intuition to grow, be empowered and expand from within your being. Your intuition will serve you well as a guiding light as to what is appropriate for you at this time and in the coming years. Your intuition will allow for you to exist in the divine flow of the Creator, therefore, experiencing tremendous synchronicities. Ask yourself more and more what you need to achieve or take action in to bring forth a greater awakening alignment with the Creator. Your soul and intuition are waiting to serve you. Allow the energies of the Creator to carry you forward as if you are a swan with tremendous grace riding the wave of transition. It is grace that your intuition will awaken within your being, the ability to detach from all aspects of your reality and to lovingly and gracefully embody with ease all that is your truth and the Creator’s essence at this time. You may find that even as we approach the time of the 21st December that many old energetic habits of fear, separation and not fully recognising yourself as the Creator arise to be lovingly dissolved within these high vibrational energies. Please do not judge yourself in anyway but allow for grace to unfold from within your being as you know with the tremendous understanding that you are achieving and experiencing what is necessary for you to experience at this sacred time. Everything, including your being, is the divine perfection of the Creator in complete manifestation, so allow yourself to acknowledge truly the perfection within your being and around you. Remember that your perspective of perfection may be different to the perfection of the Creator, all experiences and situations are the perfections of the Creator.Through this transition and transformational process, it is your perspective that will shift as if it has been reborn, shifting to higher vibrations of understanding and awareness, with your realisation of perfection you can support the transition of your perspective to an enlightened love filled perspective. It is a wonderful perspective to the realisation that all the shifts, attunements and alignments that have been spoken of for this time will and are occurring right now within your being. You are the master of this transitional phase, not you the personality but you the Creator existing within you. Allow your mastery to unfold as you honour and give gratitude to yourself and your truth through your perspectives and your intentions. You are greatly honouring yourself by allowing yourself to personally observe the shifts of ascension occurring within your being and physical vibration. As the 21st December approaches we move from a reality and vibration of fear and separation to love and unity, this intention is being radiated across the entire universe of the Creator but especially on the Earth. This doesn’t mean that fear and separation will be dissolved completely but that humanity’s attachment to fear and separation will be dissolved signifying that each individual chooses in every moment of their reality whether to create love or fear, unity or separation. With attachments to many negative and unneeded habits held in the consciousness of humanity being dissolved, humanity can choose their creations and experiences at all times, thus allowing their soul to form a greater embodiment within their being. The shift of the 21st December will allow for many attachments to be dissolved offering to humanity a spiritual responsibility for their future and their choice of creations that they manifest from within. Your choices in the way that you act, react, express, experience, think and feel have never been so important as they are no longer influenced by the negative suppression of the consciousness of humanity as the consciousness of humanity is rising, awakening and supporting yourself realisation and embodiment. Let yourself receive the light of the Creator as you exist with your attention and focus within your heart chakra, imagine the light of the Creator like a spotlight shining down, over and through your entire being, let this be your constant visualisation as you allow your heart chakra to blossom as the most beautiful lotus flower. The perfection of the Creator is manifesting within and around you at this time, Let yourself be at peace and enjoy the transformational energies anchoring into your being and know that we on the inner planes love you unconditionally. With divine love, Archangel Metatron Archangel Metatron Channeled through Natalie Glasson – Original Source: Sacred School of OmNa My beloved ones I, Archangel Metatron, come forward to you in this sacred energy and period on the Earth with immense love. The time that you are now experiencing will be spoken about for a long time in reverence, joy and celebration. I ask you at this moment to truly allow yourself to realise how wonderful and to exhilarate it is to be in physical embodiment and to experience a spiritual ascension shift to truth and love in the very core of your being. The core and essence of your being is truly awakening now and blossoming from within. If you allow yourself to honour this sacred time and respect yourself for choosing to be incarnate on the Earth this will create a vibration that allows your core energy, which is the essence of the Creator, to radiate with intense love. All the shifts that you desire and dream of will occur within your being during this sacred awakening process and nurturing time. Do not search for shifts outside of yourself, although shifts in consciousness and a raise in energy vibration will occur on the Earth, but it is your inner essence and transformation that is appropriate and important at this time. From December and especially on 12/12/12 every soul on the Earth and the universe of the Creator will experience a shift within their being, each soul will allow for a greater Creator realisation to take place that will allow for the veils of illusion to fly away and greater clarity to be gained which will remain with you eternally. As every soul in the entire universe looks within their beings each will recognise the Creator with tremendous love and understanding, it will be as if you are viewing all aspects of the Creator looking into all souls upon the Earth and the inner planes, thus recognising your truth in each and every person and acknowledging the Creator with greater surrendering and freedom. This is the most beautiful experience that has never truly been experiencing with each soul on the Earth and the inner planes united as one experiencing the truth of the Creator simultaneously. If we have the courage to look deep within our beings, heart chakras and souls we will be rewarded with truth, enlightenment and wisdom that we have all long been awaiting to receive, to bring forward the true clarity of the Creator within our consciousness, awareness and energetic patterns. It will be the same for every Master, Archangel, Angels and Light Being on the inner planes. We are all achieving the shift of ascension together; it is our unity that is allowing the truth of the Creator to unfold with great freedom and empowerment into our beings and realities for realisation. Our united energy and intention allow for us all to carry ourselves forward into the divine, sacred presence of the Creator. Imagine looking into your heart chakra and seeing the universe of the Creator with all souls lovingly smiling back at you. This is unity and Creator realisation; we are lifting the veils of illusion at this time so that this connection may be made and retained eternally, lovingly strengthened and developed over time. The consciousness and wisdom collected and activated through this experience will be retained or realised consciously or unconsciously depending on your level of awakening and guided by the will of the Creator. This process of connection can be achieved with a greater focus upon expanding and developing the heart chakra, feeling the tremendous love that you hold within your heart chakra and soul. Allow yourself to focus on your heart chakra and to build consciously and radiate your love with the tool of your breathing. Let your love shine at all times during this sacred time but allow space and time for you to sit in unity and oneness with your heart chakra allowing your third eye to penetrate your heart chakra. You can ask to see and connect with all souls experiencing the loving activation at this time. Whether you see, sense or acknowledge their loving presence, their energy will flow into your being and fill your heart chakra with tremendous reassurance, love, peace, security and oneness. This process I feel will allow for your deepest inner divinity and sacred energies to be amplified and expressed outwards, thus preparing you for the time ahead. I wish to ask you to enjoy this time of experiencing shifts within your being, cultivating and nurturing your energies, love and soul and connecting on a deeper level with the Creator because it is your foundation for the next stage of your spiritual growth. This is a time for tremendous nourishment, realisation and freedom. It is after this period of transformation that you will embark on new lessons and initiations of growth, so it is appropriate for you to rest and enjoy the energies being provided to you for your further ascension awakening. Your mission will be to manifest all the beauty and the universe of the Creator that is limitless into physical manifestation on the Earth for all to experience. For much time now you have been focusing within you, cultivating a deeper connection with the Creator, you will be asked to cultivate the same with greater intensity from within you into your physical reality as an individual and also as a united consciousness, sharing and experiencing with soul connections, spiritual family and spiritual friends. Can you imagine creating and experiencing your reality knowing and fully understanding that the manifestation is flowing from the truthful aspect of the Creator within you? Can you imagine connecting with souls and people on the Earth so deeply that you can create an intense volume of light that nurtures your own being and creates greater beauty on the Earth for you and all to experience? These are some of the lessons and initiations you may be asked to explore and achieve on the Earth in your physical bodies beyond 2012. What I wish to express to you at this time of nourishment and transition is that you are evolving at an accelerated rate so that you can begin to achieve new lessons and initiations of growth that allow for the greater loving experience of the Creator. We are leaving behind the lessons of the past, although they still may appear from time to time, but we are embarking on new lessons of growth and unity. Now is the time for you to rest, nurture your being, accept the light that is being provided to you and enjoy the shifts that will naturally occur within your being with or without your dedication.Â Your experiences are of course intensified if dedication, focus and intentions are applied at this time, but the shift that need to occur will occur because your being and enter energy systems are ready to move to the next stage of ascension as a united consciousness and in oneness. With the veils of illusion becoming thinner at this time and especially from 12/12/12 it is appropriate to take much time to sit in peace and to be with your own energies observing the subtle shifts within your being. When you sit in peace and observation of yourself and energies, you are uniting with your being allowing consciousness, wisdom and truth to unfold within you for your realisation and reflection. It is a time when greater wisdom and understanding can be collected from the Creator and within your being with your simple observation. It is also appropriate to hold the intention of receiving and accepting all that is the Creator and all that the Creator provides at this time of ascension, in truth we are asking you to allow yourself to exist in the flow of the Creator’s energies, receiving and radiating all that you are provided. Allow the energies to flow through your being at all times, you can ask your Angelic Guides or Master guides to assist you in this process, imagining that you are in the spotlight of the Creator with the light flowing over and through your being, as you radiate all you receive with tremendous love and generosity. Grounding your energies into the Earth is particularly important at this time as grounding not only allows the Earth to receive the transformation energies that you experience but allows for your greater embodiment of all that you receive and experience. Allow yourself to open up to the perspective that now is the time for you to receive the Creator and all that the Creator wishes to provide to you free from limitations and boundaries. With your simple existence of acceptance at you are allowing all that you have learnt grasped, discovered and previously accepted spiritually to collect naturally within your being, allow a greater experience of your truth to unfold. We could share with you that on 12/12/12 there will be gateways, portals, alignments, activations opening that you must access as all the universe aligns or shifts, but we feel that this is only a distraction, it is the ego wanting to comprehend what is occurring and to place greater importance than is necessary on this time of ascension. Of course there is a need for you to achieve and connect to what is appropriate for your soul but we ask you to adopt the essence of simplicity, taking the time to connect with and observe your entire being, cultivating the essence of the Creator that naturally exists within your being. I sense many people asking me what they can do to enhance their experience of ascension; my answer to you is to allow yourself to accept. Have you ever experience your being and your energies when you allow all limitations, boundaries, perceptions and realisations to fall away as if you are baring yourself to the Creator with the intention of true and absolute acceptance? This is what we are asking you to achieve at this time, to cast aside all that you are and all that you know to surrender yourself fully to the Creator. This requires only intention and the space to experience, allowing the Creator to surround you and emerge from within you. We are embarking on the most beautiful experience and journey of ascension together and let it be so. With divine blessings for this sacred time and your acceptance of the 12/12/12 vibration, your experience is unique to you so allow yourself to enjoy truly every moment. In divine love,	https://omna.org/tag/angels/page/14/
The present disclosure relates to a fuel cell stack assembly in which the mechanism for securing the fuel cell stack in its compressed, assembled state includes a spring bar loading a disc spring at its inner diameter and a compression band which circumscribes the fuel cell stack assembly. Fuel cells convert fuel and oxidant to electricity and reaction products. Solid polymer electrochemical fuel cells generally employ a membrane electrode assembly (‘MEA’) consisting of a polymer electrolyte membrane (‘PEM’) (or ion exchange membrane) disposed between two electrodes comprising porous, electrically conductive sheet material and an electrocatalyst disposed at each membrane/electrode layer interface to induce the desired electrochemical reaction. In typical fuel cells, the MEA is disposed between two electrically conductive separator or fluid flow field plates. Fluid flow field plates have at least one flow passage formed therein to direct the fuel and oxidant to the respective electrodes, namely, the anode on the fuel side and the cathode on the oxidant side. In a single cell arrangement, fluid flow field plates are provided on each of the anode and cathode sides. The plates also act as current collectors and provide mechanical support for the electrodes. Two or more fuel cells can be connected together in series to form a fuel cell stack to increase the overall voltage of the assembly. In a fuel cell stack, one side of a given plate serves as an anode plate for one cell and the other side of the plate can serve as the cathode plate for the adjacent cell. The fuel cell stack typically further includes manifolds and inlet ports for directing the fuel and the oxidant to the anode and cathode flow field passages respectively. The fuel cell stack also usually includes a manifold and inlet port for directing a coolant fluid, typically water, to interior passages within the fuel cell stack to absorb heat generated by the exothermic reaction in the fuel cells. The fuel cell stack also generally includes exhaust manifolds and outlet ports for expelling the unreacted fuel and oxidant gases, as well as an exhaust manifold and outlet port for the coolant stream exiting the fuel cell stack. In conventional fuel cell stack assembly designs, such as, for example, those described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,134,697; 3,297,490; 4,057,479; 4,214,969; and 4,478,917, the plates which make up each conventional fuel cell assembly are compressed and maintained in their assembled states by tie rods. The tie rods extend through holes formed in the peripheral edge portion of the stack end plates and have associated nuts or other fastening means assembling the tie rods to the stack assembly and compressing the end plates of the fuel cell stack assembly toward each other. Typically the tie rods are external, that is, they do not extend through the fuel cell separator or flow field plates. One reason for employing a peripheral edge location for the tie rods in conventional designs is to avoid the introduction of openings in the central, electrochemically active portion of the fuel cells. The peripheral edge location of the tie rods in conventional fuel cell designs however, has inherent disadvantages. It requires that the thickness of the end plates be substantial in order to transmit the compressive force evenly across the entire area of the plate. Also, the peripheral location of the tie rods can induce deflection of the end plates over time if they are not of sufficient thickness. Inadequate compressive forces can compromise the seals associated with the manifolds and flow fields in the central regions of the interior plates, and also compromise the electrical contact required across the surfaces of the plates and MEAs to provide the serial electrical connection among the fuel cells which make up the stack. End plates of substantial thickness however, contribute significantly to the overall weight and volume of the fuel cell stack, which is particularly undesirable in motive fuel cell applications. Also, when external tie rods are employed, each of the end plates must be greater in area than the stacked fuel cell assemblies. The amount by which the end plates protrude beyond the fuel cell assemblies depends on the thickness of the tie rods, and more importantly on the diameter of the washers, nuts and any springs threaded on the ends of tie rods, since preferably these components should not overhang the edges of end plate. Thus the use of external tie rods can increase stack volume significantly. A compact fuel cell stack design incorporating internal tie rods which extend between the end plates through openings in the fuel cell plates and membrane electrode assemblies has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,666. However, such designs increase the number of required seals in the MEA, increasing complexity, manufacturing costs and potential failure mechanisms. Various designs in which one or more rigid compression bars extend across each end plate, the bars being connected (typically via external tie rods and fasteners) to corresponding bars at the opposite end plate, have been employed in an effort to reduce the end plate thickness and weight, and to distribute compressive forces more evenly. Such a design is described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,430. The fuel cell stack compression mechanisms described above typically utilize springs, hydraulic or pneumatic pistons, pressure pads or other resilient compressive means which cooperate with the tie rods, which are generally substantially rigid, and end plates to urge the two end plates towards each other to compress the fuel cell stack. These compression mechanisms undesirably add weight and/or volume and complexity to the fuel cell stack. Tie rods typically add significantly to the weight of the stack and are difficult to accommodate without increasing the stack volume. The associated fasteners add to the number of different parts required to assemble a fuel cell stack. U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,987 discloses a fuel cell stack including end plate assemblies with compression bands extending tightly around the end plate assemblies which retain and secure the fuel cell stack in its assembled state. The end plate assembly further comprises a pair of layered plates with stacks of disc springs interposed between them. The end plate assemblies preferably have rounded edges to reduce the stress on the band. Disc springs are conventionally contacted over their inner diameter under load. For example, National Disc Springs catalogue and manual of the Rolex Company National Disc Spring Division of 385 Hillside Avenue, Hillside N.J. teaches that such disc springs should contact the load imposing surface with the disc spring's outer diameter. However, loading the disc spring by the outer diameter requires a greater amount of material to load the outer diameter resulting in greater weight and volume, increased cost of material, and reduced power density and efficiency, especially in automotive applications. It is desirable to have a fuel cell stack with reduced weight and volume resulting in increased power density, efficiency and reduced cost. The present disclosure addresses these and associated benefits.
This report describes how the international migration of doctors, nurses, and medical students in OECD countries has evolved over the past decade. These recent trends are examined in the context of larger migration patterns, including the increasing mobility of students and highly skilled workers in general. This work contributes to the call for regular monitoring of migration flows in the 2010 Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel. Foreign-born and foreign-trained doctors and nurses have contributed to growing health workforce in OECD countries - The number of doctors and nurses has increased in most OECD countries over the past decade, driven largely by growing numbers of domestic graduates, but foreign-born and foreign-trained doctors and nurses have also significantly contributed to this rise. - Among the 18 OECD countries for which data are available from 2010/11 to 2015/16, the number on foreign-born doctors rose by over 20%, a much higher growth rate than the overall increase of 10%. As a result, the proportion of foreign-born doctors across these OECD countries rose by 3 percentage points to 27% in 2016. The trend for nurses is similar, with the number of foreign-born nurses increasing by 20% while the overall increase was about 10%, so their share increased by 1.5 percentage points to 16%. - In most OECD countries, the proportion of health workers born abroad is higher than the proportion trained abroad, reflecting the fact that destination countries provide education and training to migrants who may have moved at an early age with their families or moved to pursue their university education. For example, 40% of foreign-born doctors in Australia in 2016 received their medical education in Australia. - Of all doctors working in 26 OECD countries in 2016, 16% (about 483 000) obtained at least their first medical degree in another country, up from 14.5% (about 424 000) in 2011. The share and number of foreign-trained nurses have also risen to 7% (about 546 000) of all nurses working in 25 OECD countries in 2016, up from 6.6% (about 461 000) in 2011. - The United States has traditionally attracted the largest number of foreign-trained doctors and nurses, followed by the United Kingdom. The main country of origin of foreign-trained doctors in both the United States and the United Kingdom is still India, followed by Pakistan. However, over the past decade, a growing number of new foreign-trained doctors in the United States are in fact American citizens who studied mostly in the Caribbean before coming back to the United States. These American international graduates have largely replaced the inflow of Indian graduates into the United States. The internationalisation of medical education provides new opportunities for young people to study medicine abroad, but there are potential risks of waste in human capital if the growing number of new graduates exceeds greatly the number of internship and specialty training places to allow them to complete their training - The number of students pursuing medical education outside their home country has increased significantly over the past decade, with a growing number of students moving between OECD and EU countries. Building on four case studies of European countries that receive a large number of international medical students, this report highlights that half of all medical students in Ireland are international students, nearly a third in Romania and a quarter in Poland. The proportion in France is lower with about one in ten. - While the mobility of medical students is part of the growing internationalisation of higher education in general, some specific supply and demand factors have also played a role: - Faced with numerus clausus policies that limit entry into medical education, many young people have taken the opportunity to study in other countries where medical schools can accept large number of international students. - Medical schools in some countries have responded to this demand by implementing strategies to attract international students as a way to increase their revenues and expand. For example, a growing number of medical schools in Romania offer programmes in English and French, and most medical schools in Poland offer programmes in English. In Ireland, medical schools have established agencies to recruit and assist international students in their application process. - The mobility of medical students in Europe has been facilitated by the recognition of medical diplomas across all EU countries under the EU directive on the recognition of professional qualifications. - - Most international medical students in Ireland, Poland, and Romania only do their first degree in these countries before returning home or moving to another country to complete their internship and postgraduate specialty training. This is either because they seek better training and employment opportunities at home or in other countries (in the case of students studying in Poland and Romania) or because they are not able to enter postgraduate training (in the case of students in Ireland). While most students from Norway, Sweden and France who obtain their medical degree in Poland and Romania face no major difficulties completing their postgraduate training at home, this is not the case for some other international graduates, for example from Canada and to a lesser extent from the United States, who are facing difficulties accessing internship/residency training at home. These bottlenecks may result in a “brain waste”, if these new graduates are not able to complete their clinical training. - Ireland, Poland and Romania are highly successful in attracting large numbers of international medical students, yet they are facing widespread shortages of doctors for various reasons: - In Poland and Romania, this is mainly due to working conditions that are less attractive than in other countries, meaning not only that nearly all international medical students leave after completing their first medical degree, but also that Polish and Romanian medical graduates and fully-trained doctors emigrate. - In Ireland, many international students would like to practice in the country, but most cannot access internship posts as these are mainly allocated to domestic students, so they must leave the country, while at the same time hospitals and other health care facilities need to recruit foreign-trained doctors to meet their needs. Increasing postgraduate training capacity would help to address this paradoxical situation.	https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/33c30137-en/index.html?itemId=/content/component/33c30137-en
You go for another cup of coffee, splash cold water on your face, and drag your body for the rest of the day. Annoying isn’t it? Good news: Taking a nap during the day is recommended when you feel an uncontrollable desire to sleep in the daytime. Usually, there’s a disruption of your sleeping patterns at night due to taking care of a sick relative, your partner sleeping habits, or being a new parent, for example. When sleepiness sets in, a nap could be part of the solution to your reduced nocturnal sleep. This post is about how to take a nap during the day as part of your daily routine. This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy for more information. But first, let´s check if it’s a good idea to take a nap during the day. Is It Good to Have a Nap During the Day Naps during daytime don’t replace good nighttime sleep. However, they help after a lack of sleep at night. According to Claudio Stampi, editor of Why We Nap, “the available data on nap patterns and nap effects in otherwise healthy adults suggests that napping is normal, appropriate, and beneficial feature of adult sleep-wake patterns.” Research indicates that napping is a normal and beneficial part of a daily routine. However, how to make it happen considering a busy schedule as the cause of the lack of sleep, to begin with? Let’s dive in. How Long Should You Take a Nap During the Day According to Sara Mednick, Ph.D., from five minutes to three hours could be called a nap. Going beyond two cycles of sleep (three hours) will disrupt your nocturnal sleep. On the other hand, five minutes or more are necessary to get the benefits of napping. Mednick, the author of Take a Nap, points out the perfect nap duration is 90 minutes. Also, the balance of the sleep cycle stages is optimal between 1 and 3 p.m. Recommended: How Long Does It Take to Get into R sleep (Rem Sleep)? Now here’s the next step. Best Time to Take a Nap During the Day According to Claudio Stampi, naps are tided to the maximum of body core temperature. As Sara Mednick, Ph.D., remarks the perfect nap time anytime between 1 and 3 p.m. So, if you can take a nap between 1 and 3 p.m., lasting 90 minutes, that’s the ideal. Otherwise, you have to work with what you have on a daily basis. Next. Where to Take a Nap During the Day First, consider your safety while choosing the place to take a nap during the day. Some people nap in their cars because they have secure parking at work. Surprisingly enough, some people take a nap under their desk at work. Some working places have rooms for spare time. However, you’ll have to block noise and light as much as you can. At home, it’s easier to choose where to nap. You’ll close the blinds and shut the lights. However, if you’re a new parent you’ll sleep while the baby sleep, instead of doing something else. Keep a comfortable temperature. Some people use a light blanket and a yoga mat. If you can’t control light wear an eye pillow with a nose clip and ear loops. The ear loops keep the shade in place when you shift position better than the head strap. Block noise. You can either use white noise or earplugs. Also, put your computer and cell phone away while you nap. Use a nap pillow to feel comfortable and enjoy your nap time. Note: Avoid food-stimulants such as coffee and sugar close to napping time. A word of caution: Negative Effects of Napping Some people experience sleep inertia after napping. According to Claudio Stampi, Sleep inertia “refers to the effects of sleep on performance and mood immediately upon awakening from sleep.” Claudio Stampi concludes “because the duration of nap sleep inertia is usually no more than 15 minutes…its adverse effects should not be considered a major impediment to the practice of napping by adults, unless they are engaged in activities that require maximum performance efficiency at a moment’s notice.” It’s your turn. So give it a go. Wrapping Up Now, I’d like to hear from you. Do you think you are lazy if you nap? Do you think you’re too busy to nap? If you enjoyed this post, feel free to share it on social media.	https://rosaelenad.com/2020/06/01/how-to-take-a-nap-during-the-day/
information provided by South Suburban College SOUTH HOLLAND, Ill. (June 23, 2019) – This spring, 17 South Suburban College staff, Green Club students, and their families gathered to plant a special garden just for pollinators. The pollinator garden contains flowers and herbs that will benefit butterflies, bees, and birds by providing food and nectar sources, as well as plants where butterflies can lay their eggs. Chores such as weeding, digging, removing sod, pulling thistles, and planting were shared among the participants. Cooperation was key to getting a total of 21 plots set up and ready for planting. “One lesson we all learned was the importance of pollinators and that they are responsible for 1 out of 3 bites of food we take each day,” said Alysia Robinette, coordinator of the event. “Our pollinator garden includes flowering plants, water, and a resting place for insects. We focused on growing native and non-invasive species with continuous blooms throughout the season, and we used only organic fertilizer. Families can take this knowledge home with them and plant their own pollinator gardens.” South Suburban College’s garden is now registered as part of the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge. This year’s challenge asks participants to plant three pollinator-friendly plants that bloom at various times during the growing season—one during the spring, one in summer, and the last in fall. That way, pollinators will have food through most of the year. “This year’s garden is just the beginning,” added participant Joanna Tassin, SSC. “Next year we hope to add another pollinator garden!” South Suburban College is located at 15800 South State Street, South Holland, Illinois.	https://thelansingjournal.com/2019/06/23/south-suburban-college-plants-pollinator-garden/
Informa operates at the heart of the Knowledge and Information Economy. We are a leading business intelligence, academic publishing, knowledge and events business. With more than 11,000 colleagues globally, it has a presence in all major geographies, including North America, South America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Human Resources Service Delivery Specialist is responsible for delivering HR Operational Support and Administration Services to our US Colleagues while providing excellent customer service by executing on requirements, resolving problems, fulfilling requests, maintaining data in SAP and other HR and Payroll related systems and ensuring thorough, accurate and timely responses to inquiries. Establish effective relationships with the HRIS Team, Payroll, Benefits, Field HR Team members, and Management throughout organization. Key Responsibilities: Skills & Abilities: Qualifications: If you are interested in joining our dynamic organization, we would enjoy speaking with you about the opportunities available to join our team. EOE This position is now closed. We are no longer accepting applications for this position.	https://careers.informa.com/displayjob.aspx?jobid=8499
It started around Grade 2, maybe even earlier – the exclusion, the name calling: pork chop, fattie, nerd. Poet and writer Shane Koyczan was being raised by his grandparents, and when the kids at school found out, the taunting began. “It started with a lot of kids saying, ‘Your parents don’t want you,’ ” says Koyczan, now 36, who survived hellish school experiences in Yellowknife and Penticton, B.C., thanks in large part to the tender attention of his grandmother. “At the end of every day … she’d cook dinner and then she’d sit down and say, ‘All right, tell me about it.’ And we’d talk until I felt better about it, or at least my batteries were recharged enough so that I could go and face another day.” Late at night, he could hear her crying. To this day, Koyczan says, she doesn’t like to talk about it. “I don’t blame her. She’s dealt with it, you know? She’s earned her rest.” Koyczan is telling the story by phone from his hotel room in Long Beach, Calif., where on Thursday he will give a TED talk about bullying. You could call him an expert: Long bullied, he eventually became a bully. Unlike his grandmother, however, he is still talking about it – to the comfort of bullied people everywhere. An animated video for Koyczan’s powerful anti-bullying spoken word anthem To This Day officially launches on Feb. 27, Pink Shirt Day. Posted online last week, it has had more than 4.6 million views. The video is a stunning piece of work, crowd-animated by 86 animators and motion artists, all volunteers. “It was done on a budget of love and compassion,” says Koyczan, who went from spoken-word community hero to famous Olympic poet overnight with his performance of We Are More at the 2010 opening ceremony of the Vancouver Games. Koyczan had done some pro bono voice work for Vancouver-based Giant Ant, on a project for the Dalai Lama Centre. Giant Ant, a storytelling studio that has done work for organizations ranging from the National Basketball Association to Vancouver Opera, offered to donate time to a project of Koyczan’s. He wanted to create a video for To This Day, one of the tracks on his 2012 album Remembrance Year (with his band Shane Koyczan and the Short Story Long). They put out a public call for people to animate 20-second segments. Giant Ant received more than 400 submissions from around the world. “Honestly everything I saw was so jaw-droppingly beautiful,” says Koyczan, who left the decisions to Giant Ant. The animation runs the gamut from a pink claymation karate-chopping pig to a shades-of-grey woman with a facial birth mark, but never do the transitions feel jarring. “It was interesting … just the way they married everything together,” Koyczan says. “You can tell the animators took a great deal of care with what they put forward. Ah, there was just so much tenderness that came out of it.” The result is raw and personal, oozing with sorrow, anger and hope. “If you can’t see anything beautiful about yourself, get a better mirror. Look a little closer. Stare a little longer,” Koyczan says, his voice rising into a raging, determined crescendo. “Because there’s something inside you that made you keep trying despite everyone who told you to quit. You built a cast around your broken heart and signed it yourself. You signed it ‘they were wrong.’ ” The response has been overwhelming. “I feel the weight of it; how important it is, just based on the reaction,” he says. “It meant that this could help somebody, even if it’s just to get through a day.”Report Typo/Error Follow @marshaledermanon Twitter:	https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/how-an-animated-video-helps-the-bullied-get-through-the-day/article9087220/
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It is intended that this narrative is as a three-part series of Castles in Northern Ireland. Who built these edifices and why? Where do these castles fit into the geographical and ancient history of Northern Ireland? County Antrim Antrim Round Tower Antrim Round Tower is situated on the northeast side of Antrim in Steeple Park. An impressive reminder of Antrim’s ancient monastic settlement, the tower was built around the 9th century as a bell-tower for protection from raiders. Locally known as The Steeple, its 30 metres tall tower is one of the finest of its kind in Ireland. The Round Tower and Witch’s Stone are impressive reminders of Antrim’s ancient monastic settlement. The building is a beautiful example of a round tower, its relief carving over the door makes it instantly recognizable. The tower sits on a very small circular mound of ground. This suggests that the surrounding land was levelled in the late 1800’s, when it was privately owned. Even though it is a tall building the tower is difficult to see from the road because of its surrounded tall trees. The monastery at Antrim is often linked with the monastic settlement at Bangor with references from the late 6th century. It is thought to have been founded by St. Aebh in the late 5th century. The site was destroyed in 1017 and finally burned in mid 1100’s. Armoy Round Tower Armoy Round Tower is located on the B 15 six miles from Ballymoney and one mile east of Armoy village. Located in the churchyard of St. Patrick Church of Ireland, the round tower is easily seen from the road and has ample parking and a wide junction in front of the church. The tower is over 10 meters tall. The top was adapted for use as a belfry from 1843 to 1869 when the current belfry was built. There are no surviving windows. This well-maintained churchyard overlooks some of the picturesque scenery in the county. The very fact that the tower can be entered and studied on the inside adds much to a visit here. There are four building styles in layers which gives a bit of mystery and speculation. This monastery at Armoy was said to have been founded by a disciple of St. Patrick, ‘St. Olcan’. The tower was excavated in mid 1800’s finding some human bone which may have been from burials before the building of the tower, or possibly have been from the surrounding graveyard. Ballygally Castle County Antrim Ballygally Castle is located 25 miles from Belfast in the picturesque seaside village of Ballygally on the County Antrim coastline. The original stone castle has been built in the style of a French Chateau with a steep roof and corner turrets. In recent years the Castle has had several additions most recently a modern white rendered attachment. Ballygally Castle was built in 1625 by James Shaw a Scotsman who came to Ireland in 1605. He was given a piece of land on which he built the castle. Legend has the story that with the birth of his son Lord Shaw locked the child in a room at the top of the tower. Whilst looking for her child Lady Isabella fell to her death through the tower window. It is said her spirit haunts the castle. The now named ‘ghost room’ is set in the early 1900’s era. Ballygally Castle is now a 4-star hotel. The hotel now has over forty bedrooms some of which is in the original part of the castle. The castle has traditional furnishings, beamed ceilings and beautiful views of the surrounding hills and Irish Sea. Ballintoy Castle County Antrim Ballintoy (meaning ‘the northern townland’) is a small village of 270 acres and a civil parish in County Antrim, around 18 miles from Coleraine and 4 miles from Ballycastle. The village which is in the historic barony of Cary lies about one mile from Ballintoy Harbour. The harbour, a small fishing spot at the end of a short steep narrow road, called Knocksaughey hill, which passes by the entrance to Larrybane Castle and the world famous ‘Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge’. The village has two churches, commercial and social facilities such as tourist accommodation, restaurants and several small shops, it’s very distinctive white Church is on the hill above the harbour. The harbour was used for the fictional town of Lordsport in HBO’s medieval fantasy television series Game of Thrones. Ballintoy’s population was recorded at 165 people in the 2001 Census. Ballycastle Castle County Antrim The Castle was located in Ballycastle in County Antrim. It existed during the time of John Mor Tanister and it was rebuilt by Sorley Boy MacDonnell in 1564. Shortly after this, the castle was occupied by Shane O’Neill. However, the castle was demolished by Sir Randal Mac Donnell, the first earl of Antrim in the early 17th century. Another castle was erected in 1626 by Earl of Antrim, Sir Randal McDonnell. Ballylough Castle County Antrim Ballylough Castle is a ruined castle in County Antrim. It was the stronghold of the MacQuillans and the MacDonnells in the years before that. Historically, it was situated in the parish of Billy, but the area was divided into the townlands of Ballylough, Ballyloughmore and Ballyloughbeg. A piece of the old structure is visible in the rear of Ballylough House, but the lake has gone. The world-famous Giant’s Causeway is located closeby. Once a stronghold of the MacQuillans and the MacDonnells, in 1544 Ballylough Castle is mentioned by the Four Masters, as Baile-an-locha. In 1623, the Earl of Antrim is said to have given over 100 acres of Ballylough, and the same amont of acreage of Ballintoy to Archibald Stewart and in 1627 the Earl give 100 acres at Ballylough Beg to Walter Kennedy”. Two chests from a fleeing Spanish ship of the Armada were kept by the Antrim family at Ballylough before it was taken to the castle at Glenarm in the mid 1700’s. Ballymena Castle County Antrim The history of the Ballymena area dates to the Early Christian period from the 4th to the 8th centuries. In the townland of Ballykeel a site known as Camphill Fort, ringforts are found. The site in the townland of Ballee, may also have been of this type. In the 1570’s Queen Elizabeth I granted the townlands of Ballymena, to Sir Thomas Smith. The land had been forfeited to the crown after Shane O’Neill’s resistance in the 1562. Thomas Smith brought English settlers to the area, however by 1582, Smith’s settlement failed and the lands reverted to the crown. The original castle of Ballymena was built in the early 17th century on the site off an ancient ford at the River Braid. In 1631 Charles I confirmed the grant of the Ballymena Estate to sir William Adair, who then held a market at Ballymena every Saturday which is stll takes place. He hired local workers on the estate who served as tenant farmers for the next two centuries. In 1740, the original Ballymena Castle was burned down. The Gracehill Moravian settlement was founded in 1766. During the 1798 rebellion, Ballymena was occupied from 7 to 9 June by a force of around 10,000 United Irishmen. They stormed the Market House and killed three of its defenders. Ballymena (meaning the middle townland) is now a popular shopping hub within Northern Ireland and is home to Ballymena United Football Club. Ballymena incorporates an area of around 238 square miles and is home to large villages such as Galgorm, Cullybackey, Ahoghill and Broughshane. The town centre has many historic buildings. According to the story, St Patrick’s capture and being bought as a slave to Ireland, he worked as a shepherd at Slemish Mountain for about 5 years, from ages 16 through 21, Slemish Mountain is open to the public and on 17 March (St Patrick’s Day) crowds flock to the top of the hill as a pilgrimage. Shanes Castle Antrim County Antrim Originally named Edenduffcarrick Castle, in 1722 became known as Shane’s Castle, named after the Grandfather Shane McBrien O’Neill. Home to the O’Neill family since 1344, this family were the Kings of Ulster for over 1,000 years. The castle that stands in the country park on the north shore of Lough Neagh was burnt to the ground in 1814 and left in ruins. The O’Neill family still live on-site at the present house which was built in 1958. The castle had been reshaped by the famous architect John Nash. The arched rooms which remain intact, are beautiful, and well worth a little exploration. Shane’s Castle was used as a filming location for ‘The Game of Thrones’ in the 1st and 2nd seasons. Stormont Castle Knock County Antrim Stormont Castle is a manor house on the Stormont Estate in east Belfast which is used as the main meeting place of the Northern Ireland Executive. It was built in 1859 by its owners, the Clelland family. It was buld in the Scottish baronial style with structures such as bartizans used mainly for decorative purposes. Between 1920 and 1971, it served as the official residence of the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. Although, several prime ministers chose to live at Stormont House which is the official residence of the Speaker of the House of Commons N. Ireland. Before Devolution, it served as the Belfast headquarters of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Office Ministers and supporting officials.It was at Stormont Castle, (Castle Buildings), where the Good Friday Agreement was finalised in April 1998. The castle is open to the public each year on the Heritage Open Day weekend. Olderfleet Castle Larne County Antrim Olderfleet Castle is a four-storey tower house to the south of the Port of Larne, County Antrim. ‘Ulfried’s Fjord’ or ‘Ulfrecksfiord’, is the Viking name for Larne Lough and given to the castle. Olderfleet Castle is a State Care Historic Monument in the townland of Drumalis and Curran, in the former Larne Borough Council area. The tower house was originally built by the Bissett family of Glenarm in 1251, however these remains are thought to be those of Curran Castle, which was a large tower house built in the mid 1500’s. A map from 1611 shows that the castle was called Coraine Castle. However, there is no other documents which can confirm this name. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I thought the castle was of such strategic importance that it was seized for the crown and Sir Moyses Hill was appointed its governor in 1569. The present castle was built in the early 1600’s and in 1622 it was granted to Sir Arthur Chichester and stayed in the family until it was leased to William Agnew in 1822. A part of the tower with pairs of gun loops in the basement is all that remains of the 4-storey tower house. The square remains shows that it had just one metre thick wall and it is without visible domestic features which suggests that it could have been built as a watchtower and a fort. Kilwaughter Castle County Antrim Kilwaughter Castle is situated near the town of Larne in County Antrim. It was designed and built in 1620 for Sir Patrick Agnew, 8th Sheriff of Galloway. In 1806 Edward Jones Agnew inherited the estate. Edward employed one of the best-known architects in British history, John Nash, (who is famous for his work in London, developing Regent Street and Buckingham Palace) to add a major extension to what was the original Tower House from the 17th Century. This Tower House can still be seen within the Castle footprint. When Edward died in 1832 his son William inherited the Castle and its estate. He also purchased more land so that it became one of the largest landholdings in Ireland at around 10,000 acres. Mary Maria Augusta Simon inherited the castle in 1857, she and her father moved to England. In 1879 she married Count Ugo Balzani. Her husband came from a long line of Italian aristocrats and was also a medieval historian. Because of these Italian links, the castle was Seized by the government during WWII, and was used to house soldiers in the early 1940s. These soldiers were members of the American 644th Destroyer Battalion and were based there during preparations for the D Day Landings. The castle was then uninhabited from that time and fell into disrepair with collapsed floors and roof. It is now privately owned and is not open to the public. A charitable trust was formed to help stop further deterioration of the castle. Kinbane Castle County Antrim Located 3 miles west of Ballycastle County Antrim, on the road to Ballintoy, Kinbane Castle is situated down a long narrow limestone path and facing towards the sea. Kinbane (meaning White Head) refers to the white limestone on which the castle stands. Kinbane was just a 2-storey castle which was built in 1546 by the brother of Sorley Boy MacDonnell, Colla MacDonnell. It had a large courtyard with traces of other buildings, that may have been built with wood. English forces under Lord Deputy, Sir James Croft, besieged the castle in 1550, during a fight against the MacDonnell’s. The castle was mostly destroyed by cannon fire after another siege by the English in 1553. However, the castle was rebuilt shortly afterwards. In 1556 Colla MacDonnell died at the castle. The hollow below the castle is known as ‘Lag na Sassenach’and is where in the 16th century a garrison of English soldiers who were laying siege to the castle were surrounded and killed. Not much of the castle remains and the area surrounding Kinbane Castle is a Scheduled Historic Monument. Kinbane Castle has spectacular views of Rathlin Island and the Iron Age fort Dunagregor. Cushendall Castle (Red Bay) County Antrim Red Bay Castle is located in County Antrim, on a headland looking into the Irish Sea north of Glenariff above the pier on the road towards Cushendall. The 13th century Castle is on the site of an earlier building of the Kingdom of Dál Riata which was built by the Bissett family. The Bissett family were forfeited of their lands in Scotland and so fled to Ireland. Walter de Bisset was accused of murdering Sir Patrick, Earl of Atholl, at Haddington in 1240. King Henry III of England granted Bisset large possessions in the Barony Glenarm, not far from Cushendall. Cushendall (meaning foot of the River Dall) formerly known as Newtownglens, is a beautiful coastal village and townland in County Antrim. It is in the historic barony of Glenarm Lower and is part of Causeway Coast and Glens district. Antrim Coast and Glens Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, lies in the shadow of the table topped Lurigethan Mountain and at the meeting point of three of the Glens of Antrim, Glenaan, Glenballyemon and Glencorp.This part of the Irish coastline is separated from Scotland by the North Channel. The Mull of Kintyre lays about 16 miles away. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 1,240 people. Dunluce Castle County Antrim Built in the 1200’s by the 2nd Earl of Ulster, Richard de Burgh, Dunluce Castle is on the site of an earlier fort dating back to the Vikings. In 1512 the castle was used by the MacQuillian family also known as the Lords of the Route. Consecquently it passed to the MacDonnell clan. It was Somerled MacDonnell who improved the castle in a Scottish style in 1583. A ship from the Spanish Armada was wrecked on the rocks below the castle four years later. The MacDonnell’s then sold the cargo and with these funds they installed the cannon in the castle’s gatehouse. The castle remained in the family until the end of the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when it was left abandoned and fell into ruins. The castle has been used as the setting for the villains’ lair in the film ‘The Medallion’ with Jackie Chan in 2000. The castle appeared in the artwork of the inner gatefold of the 1972 Led Zeppelin album Houses of the Holy. Dunluce Castle balances on the edge of a rocky outcrop on headland overlooking the Irish Sea. Access to the castle is via a bridge which connects to the mainland. Legend has it that castle’s kitchen collapsed into the sea, only one boy survived an incident. The medieval castle is now in a totally ruined state but still has partial remains of its round corner towers and outer wall. Guided tours are offered between Easter and September. Dunseverick Castle County Antrim Situated in County Antrim, near the small village of Dunseverick and is close to the Giant’s Causeway. Dunseverick Castle and earthworks are Historic Monuments in the townland of Feigh, in the District of Moyle. Dunseverick Castle and the peninsula on which it stands were given to the National Trust in 1961 by local farmer. The Causeway Cliff Path also runs along its way to Dunseverick Harbour to the east and to the Giant’s Causeway to the west. Saint Patrick is recorded as having visited Dunseverick castle at the start of the 5th century AD, where he baptized a local man who later became The Bishop of Ireland. The original stone fort that occupied the position was in 870 AD. Attacked by Viking raiders in the later part of the 6th century AD, this was the seat of Fergus Mor MacEirc. Fergus was King of Dalriada and great-uncle of the High King of Ireland, Muirceartaigh (Murtagh) MacEirc. Galgorm Castle County Antrim Galgorm Parks is a townland in County Antrim, Ballymena. Part of the civil parish of Ahoghill. The townland encompasses the village of Galgorm and much of the area between Ballymena and Galgorm itself. The boundaries for the townland are the previous estate boundaries of the Galgorm Castle which was built in 1617 by Sir Faithful Fortescue, is recognised as one of the finest examples of early Jacobean architecture in Ireland. The grounds and castle have been used for filming and TV projects, most recently a movie featuring Sean Bean, ‘The Frankenstein Chronicles’. The castle is now on the site of Galgorm Castle Golf Club which has become one of the best golf courses in Ireland and is home to the Northern Ireland Open. Nowadays Galgorm has one of the richest assets the area as to offer in the form of the world famous Galgorm Resort & Spa. In November 2017 the luxury estate and hotel were given the prestigious honour of being named the world’s best luxury spa and hotel at the World Luxury Hotel Awards. Garron Tower County Antrim Built in 1849 at a cost of £3,500 Garron Tower was a summer residence by Marchioness of Londonderry Frances Anne Vane. She had inherited this part of the Antrim estates from her mother, Anne Katherine MacDonnell, Countess of Antrim who married Sir Henry Vane-Tempest of Co. Durham. From 1898 the tower was leased by Henry McNeill and was opened as a hotel. In there was After a major fire in December of 1913 McNeill bought the building for £8,200 and repaired the damage. The hotel closed its doors in 1938. In 1949 the buildings were acquired by the Bishop Daniel Mageean for use as a boarding school. This school opened in 1950. St MacNissi’s College, St Aloysius’ College, and St Comgall’s College, amalgamated in 2010, to become St Killian’s College which means ‘to be willing and to accomplish’.Many significant pieces by local art from Charles McAuley and Sam McLarnon hang in the school. Johnstown Castle County Antrim Johnstown Castle was in the late 1100’s by the Esmonde family, Normans who came to Ireland from Lincolnshire in the early 1170’s after the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1168.n In 1649, Oliver Cromwell stayed on the estate prior to the October 1648 Sack of Wexford. His Roundhead army used the land around Johnstown Castle to prepare. Johnstown Castle was bought by the Grogan family in 1692. Owner Cornelius Grogan was hanged for helping the 1798 Rebellion, when he was a general for the United Irishmen. Cornelius’ brother John Knox Grogan, who, with his son, Hamilton Knox Grogan-Morgan, restored the estate in 1810 as Johnstown Castle. Royal Naval Air Service airships were based at Johnstown Castle, in the First World War, and were primarily used to deal with the U-boat threat, but with limited success. Lady Adelaide Jane Frances FitzGerald (1859–1941), wife of Lord Maurice FitzGerald, was the last owner to live in the house. Glenarm Castle County Antrim Located on the County Antrim coastline the land in Glenarm was owned by John Bisset who acquired lands between Larne and Ballycastle from Hugh de Lacy, the Earl of Ulster. Bisset made Glenarm his capital, and in 1260 a castle was built at the centre of the present village, with a kitchen garden, an orchard and a mill, as well as woods and meadows. The old village courthouse still incorporates some of its walls, indeed an immured skeleton was discovered there in the mid 1970’s. Since the 13th century there has been a castle at Glenarm and it is at the heart of one of Northern Ireland’s oldest estates. Sir Randal MacDonnell, 1st Earl of Antrim built the new castle in 1635. Glenarm Castle is currently owned by Randal, Viscount Dunluce, the son of Alexander McDonnell and the 9th Earl of Antrim. The Castle’s Walled Garden is open to the public between May and September and hosts many events. In July of every year the grounds are the site of the Dalriada Festival. The castle has special open days where you can see the family portraits and Irish furniture from the mid 1600’s. The picturesque Glenarm Castle watches over an area of outstanding natural beauty in the Glens of Antrim and is still a working farm estate. Bruce’s Castle (Rathlin Castle) County Antrim Built by John de Courcy in the early 1200’s, Rathlin Castle was granted to Donnchad mac Gilla Brigte, later passed into the possession of the De Lacys a short time after. Rathlin Castle, also known as, Bruce’s Castle and located on Rathlin Island off the coast of County Antrim. After being defeated by Sir Aymer de Valence at the Battle of Methven in 1307, the Scot King Robert I, retired to Rathlin Castle for the winter with a small group of his loyal men. English forces led by Francis Drake and John Norreys attacked the building In July 1574, with firepower and with the surrender of the garrison of some MacDonnells of Antrim, except for some prisoners, and the local residents were put to the sword. The main army of MacDonnells of Antrim, led by Sorley MacDonnell in Ballycastle, witnessed the actulal event taking place on Rathlin Island. However, their families and valuables had been lodged for safety. A short time after Sorley Boy led his army in a very successful retaliatory raid on Carrickfergus Castle, from where the Rathlin Island raid had left. Carrickfergus Castle County Antrim Built in 1175 by John de Courcy, A Norman knight, Carrickfergus Castle was used as his headquarters until 1202. The original castle site consisted of a bailey, inner wall and great hall also other buildings which were surrounded by a polygonal curtain wall to protect it from the sea and attacks. In 1203 de Courcy lost the castle to Hugh de Lacy. In 1211 the castle came under attack from King John men so the eastern side a new larger curtain wall was built to protect the castle in low tide in 1217. Hugh de Lacy also added large aduptations at the gatehouse and a vault was produced and completed in 1250. The castle stayed in the hands of the crown throughout the 16th – 17th centuries with many improvements and additions made to strengthen the castle which include structures for the cannon’s and splayed gun ports. Even with this the castle’s defences were not sufficient to prevent it from being taken many times, most notably in 1690 by General Schomberg for King William III, again in 1760 by the French, Francois Thurot. The well-preserved Norman castle is considered to be one the best examples of its kind in Ireland. It has wonderful views over Belfast Lough and is only 10 miles north of the city. It has a postern gate on the seaward side with an eastern tower. The tower believed to have housed the chapel, has a chamber on the first floor with a Romanesque double window and cross bow loops at basement level. On display are cannons from the early 16-1800’s, with historical exhibits and info on the castle’s history inside the keep. Visitors can walk arround the exterior and see historical items in the interior visitor centre along with 17th-19th century cannons. The castle is open to the public daily all year. Carra Castle County Antrim Carra Castle is a ruined castle, just north of Cushendun, County Antrim. It dates to around the early 14th century. The castle lies in a field near the coast and the harbour of Cushendun, known as Murlough Bay. The site had once been used during medieval times as a children’s cemetery. The castle was once occupied by Irish king Shane O’Neill, and Sorley Boy McDonnell was held as a prisoner here in 1565. In 1567, two years after being defeated by O’Neill, the McDonnells entertained him in Castle Carra during two days of hunting and feasting. However, on the third day, 1st June, due to an argument, they killed O’Neill to avenge their earlier defeat and sent his head to the English representatives of Queen Elizabeth in Dublin Castle. In 1584, Donnell Gorm MacDonnell was besieged by the English, his father, Sorley Boy landed near the castle and drove off the besiegers. Around 1730, it was known to have been occupied by the Lynch family. Today the castle is in ruins and overgrown with ivy. What remains are the ruins of a 16th-century square tower house built over a Mesolithic flint working site. Castle Chichester County Antrim Castle Chichester is located at Whitehead in County Antrim. Whitehead is a Victorian railway town, built on the site of a former Hamlet around the castle. Castle Chichesters base measures 8m and around 10m high entrance. Its seaward side is now bricked up for safety, leaving no access to the interior. There are narrow windows on the 1st and 2nd floors and one incorporates a reused piece of moulded stone. The owner has stabilised the outer walls and is also repairing the inside and the surroundings. Its square form style suggests that its erection was in the 12th or 13th century. However, the Justices are not familiar any property in this country until the end of the 16th century. 100 years ago, a boat from Scotland would unload its cargo and deliver letters. A small boat was used to attend the Parish to convey the letters to Belfast from Chestershire for which it received £100 annually. Unfortunatly access to the castle is probibited as the building is on private property. However, the castle can still be seen in Chester Avenue at the junction with a Kings Road. Castle Upton County Antrim Castle Upton is situated in the village of Templepatrick County Antrim, 11 miles north-west of Belfast. Originally the site of a 12th-century fort priory of the Knights of St John, the building what is now the east wing was constructed in 1609 by the Norton family who came here during the Plantation of Ulster. Sir Robert Norton was an officer under Sir Arthur Chichester, Governor of Carrickfergus who obtained lands along the Six Mile Water. The castle was purchased in 1624 by Henry Upton, who had served under the Earl of Essex, and renamed it for his own family. Upton became Member of Parliament for Carrickfergus in 1633, and several of his descendants served as Members for Carrickfergus and for Antrim County. The family supported the protestant William III in the war against the Catholic James II. The castle was remodelled in 1778 by the design of Robert Adam who also designed the stable block. Upton was bought in 1963 by Robin Kinahan and Coralie de Burgh. Following restoration, the stable block was eventully converted to housing and the castle later opened as a wedding reception venue. In 2015 the property was sold the Hughes family. Chaine Memorial Tower County Antrim The Chaine Memorial Tower located in the coastal town of Larne in County Antrim. The tower is a memorial to James Chaine who was once a Member of Parliament for County Antrim, who died in 1884. The tower is a cylindrical stone lighthouse with a conical roof situated on the north side of entrance to the Port of Larne. James Chaine helped to develop Larne’s sea route to Scotland as well as establishing the town as a transatlantic port. The memorial was in 1887 by public subscription, is a replica of an Irish round tower. A plaque on the tower esteems the affection to James Chaine from the people of the town. In 1898 a light was added to the tower and because of this the Commissioners of Irish Lights took over and looked after the tower and an oil powered navigational light was erected on top. The light was installed to aid the navigations of the Hunter Rock, a submerged rock approximately 5 miles off the shore. The light was converted to coal gas from the Larne mains gas supply in 1904 and finally to electrical power in 1934. The memorial is situated at the mouth of Larne harbour, and is reached by Chaine Memorial Road. There is access from Curran Road through Bay Road. ShutterSpeed Ireland have over 150 photos and video multimedia of ‘Castles in Northern Ireland Northern Ireland’ which are available to download Here Some of the information sourced in this blog has come from- www.ireland.com www.irelandbeforeyoudie.com www.discovernorthernireland.com www.castlewellancastle.org www.castles.nl [email protected] Are you visiting Northern Ireland? Northern Ireland on Tripadvisor Here Looking for a tour guide? Shutter speed Ireland can reccomend Milliken Tours Ireland A professional, family run tour group who will go that extra yard to make your visit to our country fun filled and memorable.	https://www.shutterspeedireland.com/the-castles-of-northern-ireland/
musical style: Peter Yarrow (born May 31, 1938 in New York City, New York) is an American singer who found fame with the 1960s folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary. Yarrow co-wrote (with Leonard Lipton) one of the group's most famous songs, Puff, the Magic Dragon. He is also a political activist, lending his support to causes ranging from opposition to the Vietnam war to the creation of Operation Respect. Pete Yarrow graduated from New York City's High School of Music and Art, now called LaGuardia High School. His singing career began after graduating from Cornell University, in 1959. Soon, Yarrow met Noel "Paul" Stookey and Mary Travers in New York City's Greenwich Village, center of the mid-20th century American folk music revival. By 1962, Warner Bros. Records released the trio's first album, the eponymous Peter, Paul & Mary. The album remained in the Top Ten for ten months, in the Top Twenty for two years, and sold more than two million copies. The group has toured extensively and recorded numerous albums, both live and in the studio. In October of 1969, Yarrow married Mary Beth McCarthy. He has two adult children. In 2000, he founded Operation Respect. On behalf of Operation Respect, Yarrow has appeared, pro bono, in areas as diverse as Hong Kong, Vietnam, Bermuda, Croatia, South Africa, Egypt, Argentina, and Canada. In all, the program has been presented to many educational leaders and more than 10 million children. In some form, the project has reached nearly 1/3 of all elementary and middle schools in America, at least 20,000 schools, in all. In 2003, a Congressional resolution recognized the Yarrow's achievements and those of Operation Respect. The Congressional Caucus gave him a standing ovation. In August 2006, he met with representatives of 35 organizations, including the League of Cities, the Academy of Education, Americans for the Arts, and Newspapers in Education, to unite them in a commitment to “...shifting the American educational paradigm, to educating the whole child, not just in academics, but in character, heart, social-emotional development. As we Jews say, `let him be a mensch first; everything else will work out'". Yarrow has appeared as a performer on 61 various albums, including his daughter Bethany's 2003 CD, Rock Island. Read more about Peter Yarrow on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply. Gear used by Peter Yarrow Peter Yarrow links Peter Yarrow 1938-05-31 to ?	https://www.guitar-list.com/guitar-players/peter-yarrow
THE City of Perth has unveiled a plan to revitalise the Gasworks Building and its surrounding precinct on Wellington Street, with the creation of an artistic hub for the fashion and photographic industries as its central vision. The project has been allocated a total of $3 million in the city’s five-year capital works plan, in $1.5 million instalments in 2012-13 and 2013-14. No timetable has yet been set for the Gasworks revamp, but the project brief set out a ‘short-term’ vision of less than 10 years for the entire precinct, with a Gasworks building refurbishment completed by 2015. The plan has flowed out from the city’s ‘What If’ project, where it identified under-utilised areas of the city in need of repair or upgrade. The ‘What If’ project proposed the Gasworks precinct be established as a business incubator for the fashion industry, combined with photography, workshops, retail assets and fashion parade facilities. The Gasworks Building contains several old buildings, including a two-level shop building at the front, the four-level Padlock Building at the rear and a two-level building and warehouse. The two-level shop building and Padlock Building are currently partially leased to community television station West TV. The Padlock Building is also currently used for fashion photography, with studios on several levels. Gasworks Lane, formerly known as McLeans Lane, was flagged as the third CBD laneway to get the reactivation treatment from the council after its successful enhancement of Wolf Lane in 2008. The City of Perth has already completed upgrades and restorations at Howards Lane and Grand Lane. The updated project brief for the Gasworks incorporates the idea of a fashion and photography precinct, but also includes a ground level cafe at the laneway side of the building and commercial tenancies facing Wellington Street. At the other end of the lane, landowner Access West Developments (AWD) previously received a development approval from the City of Perth for a $4 million addition of two storeys to and the refurbishment of the existing building at 100 to 104 Murray Street. Key components of that proposal included the removal of Ambar nightclub from the basement level to extend car parking facilities and the establishment of a bicycle store that would be accessed from the laneway. Prevailing market conditions and the scarcity of finance for commercial property projects are understood to have derailed that plan and AWD no longer has a development timetable in place.	https://www.businessnews.com.au/article/City-plans-artistic-hub
This special session is organised and supported by Tikrit University, Iraq Synopsis: This session focuses on industrial intelligent Control, Automation and Robotics. Three simultaneous tracks will be held, covering Intelligent Control Systems, Robotics, Automation, Sensors, Systems Modelling and Control, and Industrial applications. Papers describing advanced prototypes, systems, tools and techniques and general survey papers indicating future directions are also encouraged. Papers describing original work are invited in any of the areas listed below. Accepted papers, presented at the conference by one of the authors, will be published in the reputed journals. Acceptance will be based on quality, relevance and originality. Both full research reports and work-in-progress reports are welcome. There will be both oral and poster sessions. Case studies and commercial presentations, as well as tutorials dedicated to technical/scientific topics are also envisaged. Therefore, this special session invites authors to submit high-quality research papers on the topics which include (but are not limited to) the following: - INTELLIGENT CONTROL SYSTEMS - Engineering Applications on Intelligent Control Systems and Optimisation - Evolutionary Computation and Control - Fuzzy Control - Control and Supervision Systems - Engineering Applications on Robotics and Automation - Mobile Robots and Intelligent Autonomous Systems - Vehicle Control Applications - Machine Sensors - Computer and Microprocessor-based Control - Defect and Change Detection and Identification - Engineering Applications - Environmental Monitoring and Control - Intelligent Components for Control - Modelling, Analysis and Control of Discrete-event Systems - Modelling, Analysis and Control of Hybrid Dynamical Systems - Nonlinear Signals and Systems - Real-Time Systems Control - Modelling of the industrial systems Paper Submission: Prospective authors are invited to submit full-length papers (not exceeding 6 pages) conform to the IEEE format . All papers will be handled and processed electronically via the EDAS online submission system. Submission implies the willingness of at least one of the authors to register and present their papers.	https://dese.org.uk/developments-in-esystems-engineering-2019-session17/
We’re putting fossil fuel industry influence under the microscope Earlier this month, we announced the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) had awarded $2.5 million in grant funding for Mapping the Power of the Carbon-Extractive Corporate Resource Sector, a research partnership jointly led by Parkland Institute, the University of Victoria, and the BC and Saskatchewan offices of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). In the second of two blogs, project co-directors Shannon Daub and Bill Carroll explain what the project aims to accomplish. The tremendous concentration of power and influence we see in the fossil fuel industry today places sharp limits on our democracy (for examples, see our previous post). And as oil, gas and coal corporations pursue their relatively narrow, short-term profit goals, crafting effective responses to the climate crisis becomes more difficult. One of the key steps we can take towards a more level democratic playing field is to create greater transparency. Knowledge of precisely how the industry is structured, and how our economic and political systems favour entrenched private interests over the public interest, is crucial. Without this knowledge we cannot have a meaningful discussion about democratic alternatives. The Corporate Mapping Project promises to shine a bright light on the fossil fuel industry by investigating the ways in which corporate power is organized and exercised. The initiative is a partnership of academic and community-based researchers and advisors who share a commitment to advancing reliable knowledge that supports citizen action and transparent public policy making. We focus on “mapping” how power and influence play out in the oil, gas and coal industries of BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan. We will also map the wider connections that link Western Canada’s fossil fuel sector to other sectors of the economy (both national and global) and to other parts of society (governments and other public institutions, think tanks and lobby groups, etc). A map is a guide that helps us find our way across terrain that can be disorienting and treacherous. Through mapping, we want to make corporate power and influence visible. Doing so can support communities, workers, First Nations and Aboriginal groups, civil society organizations and concerned citizens in their efforts to reshape our economy along more democratic and environmentally sustainable lines. Our mapping efforts are focused in four key areas: 1. How are the people and companies that control fossil-fuel corporations organized as a network, and how does that network connect with other sectors of the Canadian and global economy? That is, how is economic power organized in and around the fossil-fuel sector? 2. How does that economic power reach into political and cultural life, though elite networks, funding relationships, lobbying and mass-media advertising and messaging? What are the implications of such corporate influence for politics and society? 3. How is corporate power wielded at ground level, from fossil-fuel extraction and transport right through to final consumption? If we follow a barrel of bitumen from its source to the end user, how does it affect the communities and environments all along the way? How and why do certain links along these commodity chains become flashpoints of intense political struggle, as we have seen particularly with pipeline projects? 4. How can we build capacity for citizen monitoring of corporate power and influence, while expanding the space for democratic discussion? Over the next six years, our partnership will answer these questions and make our research widely available. We will develop an open-source, publicly-accessible database of who’s who in and around the fossil-fuel sector, kept current by community researchers. And we will engage Canadians in a conversation about the role of the fossil fuel sector in our democracy. We know that the climate crisis requires us to make a transition away from fossil fuels. The key questions are what sort of transition we will make, and how quickly. The answers hinge significantly on whether citizens, Indigenous people, workers and environmentalists are able to counterbalance the power and influence of the fossil-fuel sector. We and our partners in the Corporate Mapping Project look forward to providing the kinds of knowledge that can help fuel a just and timely transition. Shannon Daub is associate director with the BC Office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and is a co-director of the Corporate Mapping Project. Her research interests include social movements, framing, environmental communication, and democratic capacity. Dr. William Carroll is a critical sociologist at the University of Victoria, with research interests in the areas of social movements and social change as well as the political economy of corporate capitalism. He was a founding participant in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Cultural, Social and Political Thought and currently serves as Director of the Interdisciplinary Minor/Diploma Program in Social Justice Studies. He has been awarded the Canadian Sociology Association's John Porter Memorial Prize twice: in 1988 for Corporate Power and Canadian Capitalism and in 2006 for Corporate Power in a Globalizing World. He is a co-director of the Corporate Mapping Project. Parkland Institute is an Alberta-wide, non-partisan research centre situated within the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta. Parkland Institute studies economic, social, cultural, and political issues facing Albertans and Canadians, using the perspective of political economy. more »
Don’t rock the boat…..it might not be that easy. This week we have turned our attention to boat trim. A significant factor for feel and boat speed, the way an individual or crew affects the run and movement of the boat is a key factor to the skill of rowing but there are a number of different opinions on this. In only one element of the stroke, the check of the boat there has been debate raging for years on what is best. To start the conversation let’s begin with some science from the recent article by L. S. Cuijpers that appeared in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports; Rocking the boat: does perfect rowing crew synchronization reduce detrimental boat movements? The abstract reads as follows and bear with us there are some scientific terms in here that may be a little full-on but it’s the overall them and findings that are important: _____________ In crew rowing, crew members need to mutually synchronize their movements to achieve optimal crew performance. Intuitively, poor crew coordination is often deemed to involve additional boat movements such as surge velocity fluctuations, heave, pitch, and roll, which would imply lower efficiency (eg, due to increased hydrodynamic drag). The aim of this study was to investigate this alleged relation between crew coordination and boat movements at different stroke rates. Fifteen crews of two rowers rowed in a double scull (ie, a two-person boat) at 18, 22, 26, 30, and 34 strokes per minute. Oar angles (using potentiometers) and movements of the boat (using a three-axial accelerometer-gyroscope sensor) were measured (200 Hz). Results indicated that crew synchronization became more consistent with stroke rate, while surge, heave, and pitch fluctuations increased. Further, within each stroke rate condition, better crew synchronization was related to less roll of the boat, but increased fluctuations regarding surge, heave, and pitch. Together this demonstrates that while better crew synchronization relates to enhanced lateral stability of the boat, it inevitably involves more detrimental boat movements and hence involves lower biomechanical efficiency. _____________ This is very interesting but more investigation is needed as the analysis only includes 2X’s – no doubt sweep rowing and higher crewed boats may be different. It makes sense though that at higher rates the crews move overall together more and that this creates more surge as there is more momentum overall. Key to the final finding though is the fact that the increased synchronization is seen to reduce biomechanical efficiency. It is common in fast movements that efficiency is reduced but because of rate/cadence/peak force the athlete/s move faster overall. It does open up the ability to further exploree the ‘ideal rates’ for each boat class or crew that reduce the losses most but also enhance speed. It is also interesting to look at crews who don’t necessarily match up superbly in techniquee but are extremely fast and effective – there are many examples of this at the Olympic end, in this exact boat class and in the 2-, I will let you all guess who I am thinking of to avoid an argument next time I see them in the boat park at a world cup! More of a thought provoker than a range of answers this begs the question what is fastest and best? We always look to the athlete’s individual movement and then the crews because this is how you refine the machine to the best of it’s ability – each part should be operating at its best to be most effective when added to a system. All of our equipment makes the athlete more connected and stable and this would be a good place to start as it is an easy fix however what the article questions is even if you move well together what does that mean, what ratings are best and what should the race strategy be to maintain the best speed vs efficiency ratio? We love our sport because we can always continue to learn and get better – keep your eyes out as we continue to explore some of the dark arts of rowing in more detail soon. Find out more with other BAT Logic articles: https://batlogic.net/news - Thanks to the authors for adding to the knowledge with their piece of research; L. S. Cuijpers, P. J. M. Passos, A. Murgia, A. Hoogerheide, K. A. P. M. Lemmink,, H. J. de Poel.	https://batlogic.net/dont-rock-boat-might-not-easy/
Q: Python: effective way to find the cumulative sum of repeated index (numpy method) I have a 2d numpy array with repeated values in first column. The repeated values can have any corresponding value in second column. Its easy to find the cumsum using numpy, but, I have to find the cumsum for all the repeated values. How can we do this effectively using numpy or pandas? Here, I have solved the problem using ineffective for-loop. I was wondering if there is a more elegant solution. Question How can we get the same result in more effective fashion? Help will be appreciated. #!python # -- coding: utf-8 --# # # Imports import pandas as pd import numpy as np np.random.seed(42) # make results reproducible aa = np.random.randint(1, 20, size=10).astype(float) bb = np.arange(10)*0.1 unq = np.unique(aa) ans = np.zeros(len(unq)) print(aa) print(bb) print(unq) for i, u in enumerate(unq): for j, a in enumerate(aa): if a == u: print(a, u) ans[i] += bb[j] print(ans) """ # given data idx col0 col1 0 7. 0.0 1 15. 0.1 2 11. 0.2 3 8. 0.3 4 7. 0.4 5 19. 0.5 6 11. 0.6 7 11. 0.7 8 4. 0.8 9 8. 0.9 # sorted data 4. 0.8 7. 0.0 7. 0.4 8. 0.9 8. 0.3 11. 0.6 11. 0.7 11. 0.2 15. 0.1 19. 0.5 # cumulative sum for repeated serial 4. 0.8 7. 0.0 + 0.4 8. 0.9 + 0.3 11. 0.6 + 0.7 + 0.2 15. 0.1 19. 0.5 # Required answer 4. 0.8 7. 0.4 8. 1.2 11. 1.5 15. 0.1 19. 0.5 """ A: You can groupby col0 and find the .sum() for col1. df.groupby('col0')['col1'].sum() Output: col0 4.0 0.8 7.0 0.4 8.0 1.2 11.0 1.5 15.0 0.1 19.0 0.5 Name: col1, dtype: float64
March 21, 2018 — The word “drought” is once again entering the California vocabulary. As quickly as we exited our state’s historic five-year drought, signs are beginning to show that we are slipping back into another round. Of course, a “March Miracle” could still materialize, easing our insecurities, but we cannot let that be our only comfort. We — and others in similar circumstances around the world — need a strategy for reliably meeting the water needs of growing populations and economies in the face of increasingly dramatic swings in precipitation caused by climate change. The way to do so is by diversifying water sources. None of these prescriptions alone is a silver bullet. But combined they offer reliable and flexible sources of supply to meet long-term needs.Faced with these vulnerabilities, California has set out on an urgent path toward ensuring water security not only for today’s users and conditions, but for future users and conditions as well. Agencies across the state are implementing new techniques and technologies in an effort to diversify supply portfolios to include not just traditional reservoir surface storage, but also underground aquifer storage, stormwater capture, recycled wastewater, and brackish and ocean water desalination where viable. None of these prescriptions alone is a silver bullet. But combined they offer reliable and flexible sources of supply to meet long-term needs. The focus is on resilience and sustainability, and we are looking to other countries, such as Israel and Australia, that have faced similar challenges for lessons learned. Grateful West Basin launched their Rainwater/Greywater program for residents this year too! Way to go!!! Thank you for this great and insightful paper! Surely the author view is voice of today, so we should now convert ourselves to be more precise for house hold water use as well as agriculture and industrial use to save our present and future.	https://ensia.com/voices/water-diversification/
Download "A World In Disarray Book Summary, by Richard Haass" as PDF Want to get the main points of A World In Disarray in 20 minutes or less? Read the world’s #1 book summary of A World In Disarray by Richard Haass here. Read a quick 1-Page Summary, a Full Summary, or watch video summaries curated by our expert team. Table of Contents Video Summaries of A World In Disarray We’ve scoured the Internet for the very best videos on A World In Disarray, from high-quality videos summaries to interviews or commentary by Richard Haass. 1-Page Summary of A World In Disarray Overview World War Two was a major turning point in the world order. It led to the Cold War era, which was mostly peaceful due to a variety of factors. However, things are changing again and new tactics are required. Since the end of World War 2, international relations have changed drastically—there are more powerful players now than before and they’re all trying to get their way. The United States is one of those powerful countries that needs to change its foreign policies so that there can be more stability around the globe. You will also learn that the Cold War was not as violent as it’s often portrayed to be. In fact, it took a genocide to make international intervention a valid principle. You’ll see how inaction in Syria led to one of the worst humanitarian crises in history and why this is an example of passivity leading to disaster. Big Idea #1: After World War II, the world was relatively stable because of balanced power and the threat of nuclear war. If you look back at history, it appears that World War Two was followed by a long period of peace. However, this wasn’t the result of world leaders suddenly turning pacifist. Instead, there was a balance of power during the Cold War era which prevented active conflict. For example, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was created by a group of countries in Europe and North America that decided to work together militarily. This meant that an attack on any one of these nations would be considered an attack on all of them. The United States also implemented the Marshall Plan following World War II after it became clear that there was growing influence from communist Soviet Union. Military and financial agreements helped keep the peace during the Cold War. When the Soviet Union blocked road and rail access into West Berlin in 1948, there was no war despite a dramatic stand off between East Germany and Western countries. Instead, Western countries launched a series of supply drops to West Berlin from hundreds of planes flying over East Germany daily. The greatest safeguard against armed conflict was the existence of nuclear weapons, which significantly reduced military ambitions. Both countries recognized that a nuclear confrontation would be unconscionably destructive and were therefore highly motivated to avoid any direct altercation. The balance of power and the threat of nuclear destruction were important factors that contributed to global peace during this period. However, there are other key elements worth discussing as well. Big Idea #2: Economic and diplomatic agreements helped create a stable post-war world order. People often feel like finance rules the world. In fact, there was a shift toward prioritizing finance after World War II. This shift occurred because of how the economy was propped up after the war as well as global stability. The Bretton Woods system was launched in 1944 to create a uniform financial system. It set the dollar as the world’s currency and backed all currencies with gold. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) provided loans for financially troubled countries, while GATT cut costs on exporting and importing goods across national borders, thereby encouraging global trade. Because of the financial support from the US to its allies, a global world order was created. This reduced the risk of armed conflicts and promoted diplomacy between nations. The most famous example is when many nations came together to form an institution called UN (United Nations). It allowed them to negotiate their interests without resorting to war. The UN Security Council was created to monitor and keep the peace around the world. It could even intervene militarily, if necessary. Because Russia, China and the United States had a veto power in this council, it ensured that it would not be used inappropriately or as an attack on any one country. The diplomatic system, the world order it protected and the economic aid that supported such a shift were all means of keeping peace throughout the Cold War. However, what came next? Big Idea #3: The United States has avoided conflict against China by not interfering with internal matters. During the spring of 1989, Chinese students assembled in Tiananmen Square to pay respects to Hu Yaobang. The government in China ordered the military to clear Tiananmen Square of protesters. Many people were injured or killed as a result. At that time, the United States was tasked with making a decision about how it would react to such violations of human rights. In the end, they chose not to intervene and took no punitive measures against China. Why? In the past, America had a lot of reasons to maintain good relations with China. The country was powerful and it would have been detrimental for America to isolate them from the world. In addition, they stood to gain economically from trade with China so they didn’t want to impose sanctions on them. The United States’ non-interventionist policy toward Taiwan was similar to its non-interventionist policy toward China. Both countries had been contentious topics between the United States and China since World War II. During that time, a nationalist government ruled China and fought alongside America against Japan during World War II. But in 1949, the Chinese communist party took power and forced the nationalists to flee to Taiwan. Today, China still claims that Taiwan is part of it. The United States has worked hard to maintain peace with North Korea, but it hasn’t been easy. It’s another example of how war can be avoided. Big Idea #4: The Rwandan genocide led to the creation of laws that govern international intervention, but they’ve been difficult to implement. In 1994, a conflict in Rwanda between the Hutu majority and Tutsi minority reached a breaking point. The situation escalated into genocide as the international community failed to step in. Hundreds of thousands of people could have been saved with minimal military risk but nothing was done. This event changed the world in many ways. It resulted in a shift from non-intervention to intervention. The Rwandan genocide was also responsible for major changes within the military order, including the principle of responsibility to protect and other important policies that were adopted by countries around the world. The passing of this resolution was revolutionary. It allowed countries to be invaded even if they hadn’t attacked another country, but it’s been anything but straightforward in the Syrian war. The conflict began during the Arab Spring of 2011 when Syria was ruled by an authoritarian family that belonged to the minority Alawite ethnic group. Most Syrians were Sunni Muslims, and many rebelled against their government because they weren’t happy with how it was being run. The government responded to peaceful protests with violence, leading to a full-blown civil war. Hundreds of thousands died and millions were forced to leave the country. It was clear that the state wasn’t protecting its citizens, but it couldn’t be resolved who exactly was responsible. Therefore, the international community didn’t act on their responsibility to protect. However, there is one case in which the United States clearly violated rules and you’ll learn all about it in the next key point. Big Idea #5: The invasion of Iraq caused a dramatic shift in world opinion about the United States. In 2003, America’s popularity plummeted when it decided to invade Iraq. People across the globe were outraged at what they saw as a violation of humanitarian law. Despite the public disapproval, it was only after the war ended that people realized how wrong this action was. It wasn’t until things calmed down that they realized what a terrible mistake had been made. Once the dust settled, it became clear that this invasion of Iraq by America was illegitimate and unjustifiable because there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq to begin with. However, when US troops invaded Iraq in 2003, they claimed that Iraq was amassing nuclear weapons. There wasn’t any definitive evidence for this claim and it didn’t stand in as an armed attack on another nation. So, the invasion of Iraq didn’t meet the responsibility to protect doctrine because there was no genocide or ethnic cleansing going on. Saddam Hussein’s government certainly violated human rights within its own country but not enough for a legitimate military intervention under the responsibility to protect doctrine. If we reworded it, we can say that the invasion of Iraq was preventive rather than preemptive. A preemptive invasion can sometimes be justified. However, this could only have been the case if a country was about to attack another one. This clearly wasn’t the case with Iraq. Preventive warfare is not a good idea, as it can easily lead to chaos. In today’s world, there are many emerging powers (countries). Big Idea #6: Threats should be followed by action, and military activity shouldn’t be abandoned without good reason. We all know that the war in Syria has been devastating. It’s so bad that it has even called into question how we should respond to such events. The United Nations has been criticized for not being able to stop war and atrocities. This criticism is due to the fact that they are supposed to uphold their responsibility of protecting people from such violence, but don’t always take action. The Syrian War is a prime example of this failure because it was allowed to escalate when Obama called on Bashar al-Assad to step down in 2011 instead of taking direct military action against Assad’s regime. Obama said that using chemical weapons would force the US to rethink its involvement in Syria. However, when Assad used gas on his own people, the US didn’t intervene. The United States convinced Syria to destroy their chemical weapons in order to avoid an invasion, but they should have stood by the promise of retaliation if such weapons were used. Therefore, it’s important to follow through on threats and take action after a threat is made. However, once military action is taken, it shouldn’t be dropped easily. When President George W. Bush invaded Iraq in 2003 because Saddam Hussein had nuclear weapons that could threaten America and its allies, things fell apart over the years following this decision. So later on in 2007, he increased the presence of American troops with support from certain Sunni tribes and offered more military assistance than before. This strategy was working, but when President Obama pulled out troops faster than originally planned, the area became unstable. Soon after that, militant Islamic extremism returned as ISIS. This shows how dangerous it is to pull out of a military commitment too soon. Big Idea #7: In order to maintain the current world order, there needs to be cooperation between the three major powers. These days, it’s easy to get worried about looming conflicts. For example, Russia is claiming territory in Ukraine and China is expanding its influence into the South Seas. However, they don’t seem like countries that are trying to expand their borders very far beyond them. Since the West knows that China and Russia won’t go away, we should make every effort to cooperate with them. This would be good for everyone involved because it would stabilize the world order. Let’s take the Cold War as an example. During this period, cooperation was usually conditional upon a country agreeing to cooperate with another nation on other matters. For instance, the United States would agree to work economically with another country only if it cooperated militarily. In so doing, each country tried to get what it could for itself from these agreements. However, today a new kind of cooperation could be possible with China and Russia. They would cooperate whenever possible and avoid disagreements that can’t be solved. In this situation, the US should restrain itself from intervening in domestic issues that affect these two countries. The United States should not undermine the economies of Russia and China. If all three nations are prosperous, they will work together to ensure global stability. If Western countries stick to a certain strategy, they’ll be able to respond effectively to the new world order. Full Summary of A World In Disarray Overview In A World in Disarray, diplomat Richard Haass argues that the world has become more disordered since the end of the Cold War. He believes that America should take a leading role in restoring security and stability to it. The world today is based on the balance of power between nations. However, this pact can be shaken up by the Thucydides Trap, which refers to how a rising power threatens an established one and causes instability. The name comes from the Greek historian Thucydides who chronicled how Athens and Sparta had a war that resulted in chaos. In early twentieth-century Europe, Germany and Italy rose as superpowers but led to two devastating wars. After World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in a Cold War. Nuclear weapons prevented outright hostility between them. They had high-level contacts, trade, and negotiations on nuclear disarmament through international institutions like the United Nations and the World Bank. Meanwhile, they maintained stability with diplomacy among themselves. The end of the Cold War in 1989 and the fall of the Soviet Union changed many things. The United States was seen as a dominant world leader, but it did not turn out that way. When Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, there was hope for a new world order where global norms would be enforced by the U.S., but it didn’t happen like that. The end of the Cold War was hopeful. However, unrest in former Soviet countries led to violence and genocide. The United States struggled with how to deal with these situations without a clear plan or principle for intervention. For example, it failed to stop the Rwandan Genocide in 1994 by not intervening. It also falsely claimed that Libya was about to commit genocide and used this claim as an excuse for regime change there in 2011. Diplomacy has been complicated by the rise of non-state actors, such as al-Qaeda and ISIS. States are having trouble with them because they don’t have a system to deal with entities that aren’t states. The world is facing many challenges. There are nuclear weapons, terrorism, and climate change to name a few. In order to avoid crisis and disorder in the future, we need a new international order that will help all nations work together for peace and prosperity. The sooner we start building this new order of nations, the better it will be for everyone involved. We need to create a new world order. The current one isn’t working, and it’s causing too many problems. We need to make sure that sovereign states are accountable for their actions. For example, they should be required to reduce carbon emissions because climate change is threatening the entire planet. This will require stronger international institutions and more robust diplomacy between countries in order to enforce these rules of engagement. Book Structure Richard Haass is a diplomat, not a journalist. His book is serious and he assumes the reader has prior knowledge of diplomacy. He uses dry language and sometimes does not explain certain things that are obvious to those who know about politics. For instance, he mentions ping-pong diplomacy without defining what it means or providing an example of it in action. About the Author Richard Haass is a career diplomat who works for the US government. He believes in promoting world stability, which he feels is important to America’s interests. Haass devotes a large portion of the book to US foreign policy and how they should deal with domestic politics in other countries. However, he doesn’t discuss US politics extensively. For example, he mentions that there was opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) but doesn’t go into any details about what it is or why people oppose it. Thus, political forces in the United States are seen as obstacles rather than issues themselves. Haass has a right-of-center political leanings and served in Republican administrations. He admires Henry Kissinger, who was secretary of state for the Nixon administration. Haass is critical of George W Bush’s invasion of Iraq but praises George H Bush for his foreign policy decisions. He believes that Barack Obama should have been more aggressive with military force than he was during his presidency. Haass briefly addresses domestic politics in the final chapter of his book. He’s concerned about the national debt and calls for fiscal responsibility, he supports free trade and increased military spending, but is against raising corporate or personal taxes. While he supports moderate cuts to social programs as a way to balance the budget, Haass believes that these changes should be made slowly so as not to negatively affect people who rely on those programs. Haass has written this book before Donald Trump won the US presidency. He made a number of inflammatory statements about China, Mexico and other countries during his campaign that have upset many people around the world. It would’ve been quite different if it had been written after Trump’s victory because he is friendly with Putin and has threatened to leave NATO. Intended Audience The World in Disarray is written as a series of lectures that Haass delivered at Cambridge. It was revised significantly, but it’s still addressed to highly educated audiences who are familiar with international relations. The book is directed toward policymakers and diplomats in the United States and abroad. Haass’ argument is about how the world has become more chaotic since WWII due to new threats such as terrorism, climate change, state collapse, etc., which makes it harder for countries to cooperate and solve problems together effectively.	https://www.allencheng.com/a-world-in-disarray-book-summary-richard-haass/
We conducted qualitative customer satisfaction surveys on behalf of Bidvest Tank Terminals for numerous years. Utilising anonymous survey tools, we assessed the company’s customer service delivery experiences and assigned a Net Promoter Score. These survey results serve as a baseline for the creation and implementation of future improvement strategies. Bidvest Employee Surveys Together with the Customer Engagement surveys, we conducted qualitative internal assessment studies at Bidvest Tank Terminals, enabling our client to uncover operational shortcomings and successes. Implemented concurrently with customer satisfaction surveys, this enabled the company to identify and implement improvement strategies to ensure operational success.	https://siyezwa.co/bidvest-tt/
Welcome back! If this is your first visit and you’ve missed our previous lessons, we recommend getting familiar with the material before jumping into modes: - The Major Scale - Intervals - Chords - The Circle of Fifths (A Guide to Learning Accidentals & Key Signatures) - Music Modes Inversions The component notes of a chord can be reshuffled in any order. It will still remain the same chord but no longer be in ‘root position’ (the root being determined by the lowest note). It instead becomes what is known as an ‘inversion’. This generally applies to any chord or triad containing just three notes but also works with seventh chords or indeed any chord with four or more notes. To illustrate this, we have our trusty piano keyboard to hand. Our chord here is a C triad consisting of C (the root), E (the 3rd) and G (the 5th). Mathematically then, all possible inversions of this constellation can be (from low to high): - E / G / C - G / C / E However, both of these ‘new’ chords are still called C major triad! E / G / C we call 1st inversion of a C major triad G / C / E we call 2nd inversion. These are denoted by slightly different chord symbols. We call the 1st inversion C/E, which is read as “C over E”. Similarly, the chord symbol for the 2nd inversion is C/G, or “C over G”. These are two examples of “close voicings”. This means that all notes are placed within a one octave spectrum. There are also “spread voicings”, which as the name would suggest, are spread across more than one octave. This is usually done by skipping the middle note and replacing it with the same note an octave higher. The same principle can be applied to inversions: Using spread voicings does not alter the chord symbols (C/E or C/G). The symbols are determined by the root note (which remains C), and the lowest note, which are E and G respectively. Don’t get confused by the changing intervals within the inversions. In the 1st inversion we have a minor third between E and G and a perfect fourth between G and C. Between the lowest note E and the highest one C we have a minor sixth. Hopefully you’ll have learned about intervals and their inversions in our previous post dedicated to the topic. An interval always sounds close to its inversion, so instead of a major third between C and E in the root position we now have a very similar sounding minor sixth between E and C in the 1st inversion. Instead of the perfect fifth between C and G in the root position, we get a similar sounding perfect fourth between G and C in the 1st inversion, and so on. This is why any inversion of a chord still sounds relatable to its parent root chord. This is important to realize as the “regular” close root position voicing of any triad is often difficult or indeed impossible to play on the guitar. Why? Because the intervals between chord tones are thirds, whereas the interval between guitar strings is a perfect fourth, with the sole exception of between the G and B strings. So let’s move on to a few examples how we can actually play inversions on the guitar: Staying with the C major triad, we usually play it like this: X 3 2 0 1 0 which gives us the notes C E G C E. To add an inversion, we can simply play the same chord and add the open low E string to get C/E – the 1st inversion. 0 3 2 0 1 0 In other chords sometimes the difference is much bigger: D major triad: X X 0 2 3 2 (D, A, D, F#) D/F# (1st inversion): 2 0 0 2 3 X (F#, A, D, A, D) The bold notes are the ones, that both voicings have in common. Chord inversions are a difficult subject but if you got this far then you’re on your way. Other topics like sweet home alabama lynrd skynyrd guitar chords, fender jaguar scale length, and chords let it be will be a nice break away from tough theory topics like this one. We hope these articles help out, but if not then there’s a lot more you can browse!	https://www.uberchord.com/blog/music-theory-chord-inversions/
From the January/February 2020 issue of Acoustic Guitar \| BY SEAN MCGOWAN In this Weekly Workout, let’s take a close look at a common extended chord—containing a note beyond the seventh, the venerable ninth. The ninth of a chord is the same note as the second scale degree. For example, D is both the second and ninth of C. However, the ninth is typically thought of and played above the octave in a chord voicing or solo line. It’s commonly used to dress up major, minor, and dominant chords, and its pleasant yet fairly neutral sound makes it ideal for chord voicings in many different styles of music. When playing lead lines, we can create interesting sounds and colors while avoiding the tendency to build redundant solo lines on scales. Running chord arpeggios up through the ninth is also a chance to explore new sounds and build dexterity using some powerful picking techniques—namely, alternate and cross-picking, string skipping, and hybrid chordal playing. Week One Let’s start the first week by exploring a few basic but practical voicings for ninth chords on different string sets. To keep things simple but also offer some variety, I’ve organized the voicings into three different registers: low, mid, and high 9. In each voicing, the ninth is always the top note, but the overall voicing is featured on different string sets, so that you can play them over the entire fretboard, in any key (these shapes are all movable), and in different tonal ranges. Example 1a illustrates a Gmaj9 chord in a low-9 register. Note that the root of this movable shape is on the sixth string and will sound great when you’re going for a rich, earthy sound. Example 1b shows a mid-9 Cmaj9 chord, with the root appearing on the fifth string. The voicings in both of these examples are identical in that the chord tones are stacked low to high—root, third, seventh, and ninth—and they both omit the fifth chord tone, which isn’t really necessary here to convey the sound of these ninth chords. Finally, Example 1c shows another Gmaj9 voicing, this time in a high-9 register. The high-9 voicing also places the root on the low string, but adds the fifth of the chord on the second string—voiced above the third and seventh on the middle strings—and the ninth extension on the high E string, expanding the range of the chord to just over two octaves. You can also apply these three voicing registers to any other chord type. Examples 2–3 work through low-, mid-, and high-9 voicings for minor-ninth and dominant-ninth chords, respectively. Practice these voicings slowly and thoroughly, moving them through several different keys and trying them out in songs. Essentially, any time you encounter a basic major-, minor-, or dominant-seventh chord voicing in a song, you can substitute that with any of these ninth voicings. Advertisement Now let’s check out how we can use these voicings for a solid technique workout. Example 4 cycles through the three registers of major-ninth chords (Gmaj9 and Cmaj9). If you’re playing fingerstyle, use your thumb to pick the root of each chord on the E and A strings and your index, middle, and ring fingers for the chord tones on the “and” of each beat. Alternatively, assign a pick or thumbpick to the roots and pick the following notes with your other fingers. If you really want a flatpicking challenge, you can try to flatpack everything, alternating between picking a single note (the root) and a short strum on the three or four upper strings, essentially creating a boom-chuck style of accompaniment. Example 5 uses the same chords but mixes it up with an arpeggio type of pattern that focuses on string skipping. Again, you can practice with a hybrid picking technique, alternating between the pick and middle finger (or thumbpick and index) up and down the strings. Or you can try to flatpick everything, creating a wonderfully challenging cross-picking exercise. Of course, you can also play these fingerstyle to practice crossing string sets in ragtime, blues, and folk styles of accompaniment. Be sure to practice different patterns and variations on this exercise, such as playing the notes low to high, high to low, using different rhythms, etc. Beginners’ Tip #1 Some of these chord voicings may be new to you, and a little tricky for the fingers to get into. After you settle on a good fingering, try starting each chord with a different finger and observe which is the smoothest-sounding and most comfortable for you. Week Two This week we’ll explore ninth-chord arpeggios in different positions, while working through some rigorous alternate picking patterns across the strings. Example 6 outlines some essential ninth-chord shapes, all with the root on the fourth string. You’ll notice a similarity to the high-9 voicings in these shapes as they ascend through the chord tones root, third, fifth, seventh, and ninth. Try alternating every pick stroke (down-up, etc.) regardless of whether you change strings or repeat notes on the same string. Not only is this approach a great picking-hand workout, it will help outline the chord changes in a powerful way if you’re working on your solo improvisation. Example 7 also works through our three basic ninth-chord types with a root of C, this time with the root on the fifth string and with triplet rhythms. Be sure to play these along with a metronome slowly to ensure you’re really getting the three-against-two triplet rhythm across. Do the same with Example 8, which is the same idea, but with ninth chords having a root on the sixth string. For Example 9, let’s expand our ninths pattern to two octaves by essentially combining the low- and high-9 shapes. Of course, make sure to practice this example with minor-ninth and dominant-ninth chords. Example 10 illustrates a fingering for G9, this time in eighth-note triplets. Beginners’ Tip #2 When playing through these arpeggio fingerings, you’ll be crossing the strings a lot and giving your picking hand a good workout. Try to keep the individual movement of the fingers of the fretting hand to a minimum—you want to be able to concentrate on the picking patterns. Week Three Get stories like this in your inbox Now we’re going to combine the extended arpeggios from last week with scale fingerings that lend a potent alternate and cross-picking workout in one example. In Example 11, play through the same ascending ninth chord pattern from Ex. 9, but descend down through the G major scale. Example 12 illustrates the opposite: Start with an ascending scale, then work back down through the ninth arpeggio. This one is a little trickier, as your picking hand starts to get used to playing a scale, but quickly switches gear into more of a cross-picked arpeggio figure. Example 13 combines both variations, this time with the root on the fifth string. Again, make sure to practice this week’s examples using all three chord types, with whatever fingerings work best for you. Example 14 is a complex line that starts off with a great string-skipping exercise ending on the high-9, descending back down through a major scale, then shifting the ninth arpeggio pattern and finishing off with some chordal hybrid picking figures from Week One. Example 15 is the same type of example using minor-ninth arpeggios and a G Dorian (G A Bb C D E F) line. This one is a little more rigorous with the varying rhythms. Remember to take it slowly, using a metronome for accuracy. Beginners’ Tip #3 To keep your rhythm strong and secure, try accenting the first note of every beat, regardless of whether or not it’s an upstroke or downstroke. This practice will automatically create musical dynamics in your picking. Week Four We’re going to end this series of workouts with a complete lead solo over a 12-bar blues in G. As you work through this etude measure by measure, try to analyze which pattern you’re using from the previous three weeks over every single chord. Creating an awareness of how the lines actually fit with the chord progression will help you when it’s time for you to improvise a solo, and you’re looking to add some fresh lines to your lead playing. Beginners’ Tip #4 Record or loop the chord changes, so that you can hear the lines in context over harmony. Try practicing it with both a swing and a straight eighth-note time feel (think of the rhythmic shifts in Freddie King’s “Hideaway”) and notice how it affects your own rhythmic acuity. Sean McGowan is a jazz and acoustic guitarist based in Denver, where he directs the guitar program at the University of Colorado Denver. seanmcgowanguitar.com Explore more excerpts from Acoustic Guitar’s popular Weekly Workout series here.	https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-generating-challenging-picking-exercises-from-ninth-chords/
Key Challenges Facing Healthcare Projects The Healthcare industry has to follow a long list of rules and regulations which many times also impact the on-going projects. As these regulations are subject to constant changes, they affect the quality of healthcare projects delivered. So it’s crucial to address these core challenges to manage projects effectively. Let’s discuss some of the key challenges that affect the overall delivery of healthcare projects: Lack of Project Management In healthcare, it is important to prioritize which projects belong to care delivery and which belong to the administration or operations category. This lack of classification leads to the wrong project estimations with regards to cost, resources, and the project delivery date. Also, the power to make the correct decisions by the healthcare managers are mostly affected due to regulatory and organization level constraints. These constraints can be about abiding by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act(HIPAA) compliance for all project developments. Failing to do so can lead organizations to get stuck with penalties and lawsuits. Lack of Advanced technologies The healthcare projects must be developed using advanced AI and machine learning technologies to utilize the full power of the healthcare industry. They need to build software application tools like patient management, scheduling, and appointment management, laboratory management, advanced information systems. But the healthcare projects often lack these advanced tools and software thus failing to build a connected health system. Lack of skilled resources Managing healthcare projects is not easy, it needs the right expertise who possess extensive knowledge and the zeal to make the right decisions at the right time. But often resources having such skills and experience are difficult to identify and this creates a gap for healthcare project implementations. This occurs due to the lack of management initiative to identify and hire the skilled workforce. Thus it is important to have an effective resource planning team to manage the projects smoothly. (Specialist, 2019) Inefficient Vendor Management Healthcare project managers overlook vendor management( software and professional services vendors) and do not focus on maintaining strong vendor relationships right from the project conception. Often there is a lack of vendor reports concerning the resources supplied. There isn’t a strong plan to manage the different vendors and resolve the issues they are facing on time. This leads to delayed and high-cost projects. Lack of Change Communication Introducing change in healthcare care is very rigid due to the already accepted project norms. In healthcare, the managers do not follow a proper technique to communicate change thus leading to resentment among the team to accept the changes. There is a lack of training imparted to helps employees know about the changes process and workflow. This leads to a lack of understanding of process knowledge, confusion resulting in undesirable project outcomes. So by implementing changes to the healthcare project in the right way and addressing the above-mentioned healthcare challenges proactively can lead to successful project delivery. References - Specialist, e. S., 2019. Resource Allocation in Healthcare – Challenges & Recommendations. [Online] Available at https://www.eresourcescheduler.com/blog/resource-allocation-in-healthcare-challenges-recommendations [Accessed 7 October 2020]. Keywords:	https://hpmaglobal.org/key-challenges-facing-healthcare-projects/
Indian economy is the world’s most quickly expanding economy and plays a prominent role in international trade through a large number of exports and imports. As a part of the economic reforms Government of India has taken various initiatives to improve the condition of exports to other countries as Export Benefit Schemes. The Foreign Trade Policy launched on 1 April 2015 introduced slew measures by providing a framework for increasing exports of goods and services, generation of employment, and increasing value addition, in keeping with the ‘Make in India’ vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister. The policy has incorporated various export-friendly innovations and simplifications which included simplification and merger of reward schemes, introducing new schemes for the promotion of Merchandise and Services exports, incentivizing e-commerce exports, encouraging procurement of capital goods from indigenous manufacturers under the EPCG schemes, etc. Export Benefit Scheme also envisages helping: A summary of Export benefit schemes introduced by the government under the above-mentioned policy is as follows: How ASC Helps in Export Benefit Schemes? Our team of professionals understands the business and regulatory environment in India and stays constantly abreast with the various policies offering incentives or benefits issued by the Government of India. We have extensive experience in advising our clients on claiming export incentives offered by the Government under various schemes. We assist our clients in the following manner:	https://www.ascgroup.in/service/export-benefit-schemes/
2015 was a year when archaeology frequently made headlines around the world, but unfortunately, it was all too often for the same terrible reason. This was the year when ISIS (Islamic State) released their full destructive fury on ancient sites and cultural monuments across Syria and Iraq. But this was also the year that archaeologists triumphed in the field. From plunging deep into the rainforests of Central America in search of new civilizations to altering our understanding of human behavior by simply re-inspecting the contents of dusty museum archives, researchers have made 2015 a spectacular year for archaeology. What sounds like a blockbuster movie plot was actually a discovery made on a computer screen: two possible hidden chambers within the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen’s tomb, sealed for millennia and overlooked by Howard Carter when he excavated the site in the Valley of the Kings in the 1920s. Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves saw what appeared to be doors to the chambers when examining laser scans of the tomb. Initial radar scanning and thermal imaging have suggested the presence of empty spaces that would support Reeves’ theory. He believes the burial chamber of the illustrious Queen Nefertiti lies behind one of the walls. 2016 will be another big year for Tut’s tomb, predicts Fredrik Hiebert, National Geographic Society’s archaeology fellow. Researchers plan to investigate the chambers, quite possibly by drilling small holes into the walls and inserting a fiber optic camera to examine their contents. "The evidence for the sealed chambers is really convincing," Hiebert says. " Everyone’s on tenterhooks to discover what’s in them. There’s still so much about the Valley of the Kings that we don’t know." Researchers hacked their way into pristine rain forest in Honduras to confirm what aerial remote sensing (LIDAR) had already suggested: the remains of a virtually unknown culture that thrived in the eastern Mosquitia region a thousand years ago. Archaeologists have begun to survey just one of several cities identified, replete with plazas, elaborate sculptures, and a pyramid. The Honduran president has pledged to protect the area from illegal loggers and looters, and researchers plan to return in 2016, despite the fact that nearly half of the team was felled by leishmaniasis during the 2015 expedition. Paleoanthropologists, who work millions of years back to the horizons of human evolution, love nothing more than a good argument, and 2015 gave them the gift of Homo naledi. The remains of more than 15 individuals were initially discovered by recreational cavers in South Africa in 2013, but it wasn’t until just a few months ago that Lee Berger, a paleoanthropologist at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, made it official: we’re looking at a new species of the genus Homo. Homo naledi is unexpected in the sense that, in many ways, it doesn’t make sense. Why does a hominin with such a small brain have such a large body? How do we explain a confluence of very "apelike" features—more primitive than those found in australopithecines of Lucy fame—and much more modern elements? How did the remains end up so far back in a complicated cave system? Were they deliberately deposited there in a ritualized manner—something that until now was a behavior recognized only in modern humans and Neanderthals? And the biggest question: how old are these fossils? What we do know is that we can look forward to years of research and analysis of how exactly Homo naledi fits into our family tree. Stay tuned! Back in 2010, archaeologists studying a series of four male burials in Jamestown, Virginia used the location of the remains to conclusively identify the first major English church building in North America, where Pocahontas married John Rolfe in 1614. The human remains were found in what was suspected to be the chancel area of the church, where the altar was once located and where elite members of Britain’s first permanent American settlement would have been interred. When the bodies were discovered, researchers could only guess who they were, based on the men’s status and dates of death: Reverend Robert Hunt, Jamestown's first chaplain; Sir Ferdinando Wainman, a master of ordnance for Fort James; Captain Peter Winne, a sergeant major of the fort; and Captain Gabriel Archer, a member of the colony's first governing council. They got three out of four correct. This year, using chemical and genealogical analysis, archaeologists determined the remains belonged to Captain Archer, Sir Wainman, Reverend Hunt, and Captain William West, a relative of Wainman. "These individuals were so critical to the foundation of America as we know it today," says forensic anthropologist Douglas Owsley, who led the team that identified the men. "We're sincerely interested in their lives and their stories." For decades after their excavation from a Hopewell-era burial mound, these bones languished in storage at Illinois State Museum in Springfield, in a box labeled "puppy burial." But it was only when zooarchaeologist Angela Perri examined the skull that she realized she was looking at something else: the only known decorated burial of a wild cat in the archaeological record. The young bobcat was buried around 2,000 years ago in the largest of 14 Hopewell-era mounds that overlook the Illinois River some 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of St. Louis. It was interred alongside the remains of 22 people, who were buried in a ring around a central tomb with the remains of an infant. When archaeologists uncovered the burial in the early 1980s, they were surprised to find the remains of a small animal with what appeared to be a "collar" made of seashells and bear teeth. While people in the Hopewell culture buried dogs, they did so only in their villages—mounds were reserved for human burials. So how to explain the deliberate burial of a wild cat? According to Perri, the young bobcat (most likely between four and seven months old) was not sacrificed but deliberately arranged in its grave with its ornamental "collar" and its paws placed together. While Perri argues that the burial is evidence for cat domestication, other researchers, who point out that animals are never deliberately buried in the Hopewell mounds, suggest the bobcat burial may have a cosmological meaning. Frenzied speculation early in the year that a Greek tomb may be the resting place of Alexander the Great turned out to be just that—speculation. But the discovery of an unlooted warrior tomb in the southwestern Peloponnese turned out to be not just the major archaeological discovery of the year for mainland Greece, but also the discovery of decades. The male warrior was discovered at the site of Pylos, which features the remains of a Mycenaean palace built around 1300 B.C. The warrior was interred about two centuries earlier, in a shaft grave surrounded by around 1,400 objects, including a bronze sword with an ivory hilt. Archaeologists were surprised at the number of traditionally "female" grave goods buried with the warrior, including combs, beads, and a mirror. "The discovery of so much precious jewelry with a male warrior-leader challenges the commonly-held belief that jewelry was buried only with wealthy females," says Sharon Stocker a University of Cincinnati archaeologist who worked on the excavations. It’s hailed as possibly "the most valuable shipwreck discovery of all time"—an early 18th-century Spanish galleon laden with around a billion dollars worth of precious metals and gems. But it’s the legal war that’s gearing up around the ownership of the wreck that may make this discovery especially interesting. Colombia’s president recently tweeted that his country had located the San Jose, a Spanish ship sunk by the British in 1708 off the coast of Cartagena. However, the private U.S. salvage firm Sea Search Armada claims that it found the wreck more than 30 years ago. Then there’s Spain, which will most likely put a claim on this ship and the remains of almost 600 of its crew that went down with it. "Spain has been pretty successful in court when it comes to recovering their warships, regardless of who finds them," says Hiebert. "I’d be surprised if they didn’t put up a huge fight for the San Jose." Follow Kristin Romey on Twitter.	https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/12/151228-top-archaeology-discoveries-2015-naledi-Tut-treasure-lost-city-Nefertiti-Jamestown-San-Jose/
Here on the Security Event Manager product team we often get questions about how we maintain our appliance and ensure integrity of the data we collect. We previously published this KB article, but this post includes a quick recap of the critical areas relevant to SEM's end-to-end security. This diagram is a good overview of the specific areas of interest, with even more detail in the sections below. SEM applies security elements at just about every level to include the OS. Since the product is deployed as a virtual appliance, several security measures are applied at the OS level to include: SEM’s web console provides a secure read-only view of data and access to SEM’s configuration. This access can be restricted and further secured. Security features applied to the web console include: The crux of securing the SEM appliance is ensuring the data cannot be altered. To that end the following measures have been applied: As logs are collected, chain of custody is ensured – again, to prevent as much tampering as possible. Security is not limited to the data that sits on the Virtual Appliance. In the event archives are used and need to be restored, their integrity is also maintained. Detailed auditing of all appliance activity is enabled by default, and can be leveraged in both alerts and reports. This includes: Our internal security practices are leveraged with every product release. If you’ve got any questions about how SEM security is maintained, or any features we might have missed, let us know – another part of security is recognizing that our processes must be constantly improved. Awesome documentation Nicole; thanks! You must be a registered user to add a comment. If you've already registered, sign in. Otherwise, register and sign in. SolarWinds solutions are rooted in our deep connection to our user base in the THWACK® online community. More than 150,000 members are here to solve problems, share technology and best practices, and directly contribute to our product development process. Learn more today by joining now.	https://thwack.solarwinds.com/t5/Product-Blog/Security-Event-Manager-Appliance-Security-and-Data-Protection/ba-p/483906
Refreshing employee benefits in 2021 2020 was an unprecedented global experiment in remote working. The national lockdowns have meant employers (and employees) had no choice but to adapt to their new circumstances and work entirely from home. Since we’ve all been working remotely, a huge 46% of employees say the pandemic has made th... Why your mindset matters at work Let’s be honest, your mindset matters every minute of your day. Whether you’re brushing your teeth or gearing up for a huge presentation, your mindset will be in the background. Today we’re looking... 4 Effective Solutions for Leaders to Foster Internal Communication During Crisis Times “Do you think we’re doing a good job helping you stay engaged?” Similar questions have become common in employee surveys these days. The world has gone remote, and many employees are struggling with the change. A lack of face-to-face meetings, distractions at home, loneliness - the challenge is r... Career Paths Available in the Life Sciences Industry The global life sciences industry is estimated to be worth $1.5 trillion by 2022. The industry is known for a high degree of innovation. And Ireland is seen as a country with impeccable life sciences credentials. Many Irish companies in this space operate on a world stage. The industry is also a ... Webinar Recap: Fair Hiring, Reducing Bias and Hiring Remotely at Scale Post Covid-19 This year's events scene has been unlike any other. In the midst of a global pandemic, we pivoted our monthly Recruitment Think Tank meetup online last month by hosting a session with Oksana Afonina on The Art and Science of Powerful Questions. You can check out the recording of Oksana's talk to ... Webinar Recap: The Art and Science of Powerful Questions Last month we took our monthly Recruitment Think Tank meetup online by hosting a webinar with Oksana Afonina on 'The Art and Science of Powerful Questions'. As questioning is at the core of the interviewing process, this workshop focused on offering practical tips on improving questioning skills... Covid-19 and Gender Equality: The Bad News This post started life as an idea to examine how the pandemic has affected gender equality initiatives. We hoped our research would show up ways that Covid-19, so far, had both helped and hindered the broader commercial industry address its gender equality issues. As we progressed in our research... Announcing the Life Sciences Report: What It Is & Episode 1 Educating our community about what's happening in the industry is one of our core focuses here at Next Generation. That's why we decided to launch a monthly Life Sciences news roundup to help you keep up to date on the biggest stories in Ireland's Life Sciences sector. From pharmaceuticals and b...	https://www.nextgeneration.ie/blog/2020/10
04 May PREGNANT SCHOLAR PROFILE: Bianca Estrada The Pregnant Scholar Team recently chatted with Bianca Estrada, a student parent and campus organizer at California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB). Bianca is currently pursuing her Master’s of Social Work. She became a passionate advocate for pregnant and parenting students when she was pregnant and felt invisible on campus. Keep reading to learn more about what Bianca has been up to, including her successes and her challenges, and what she recommends for students who find themselves in a similar situation: How old is your son, and when in your education did you have him? My son is 5 years old. I found out I was expecting during my first semester as an undergrad and I gave birth in Spring 2017. I did have to take the remainder of that semester off; however, I returned in Fall 2017. What has your experience been in college? How has having your son impacted your experience? As an undergraduate it was difficult. I felt invisible on campus, and the emotions I felt motivated me to become a passionate advocate for pregnant and parenting students. My experience at CSUMB has improved over the years; however, there is always room for improvement. My son has changed my life; parenting is scary but the most rewarding journey I could have asked for. Because of him, I found strengths I never knew I had: my voice, and my passion for advocacy. He is my daily reminder of why parenting students like myself pursue higher education. I recognize that to be a better person and a better parent, I will have to work hard to live the life we deserve. I have made it my goal to demonstrate the importance of education and to lead by example when it comes to my son. What is the most challenging part of being a student parent? What have you heard from other student parents about the challenges they face? The most challenging part about being a student parent is initially the no sense of belonging, as we often have to wonder if we are allowed to bring our children to campus events. Also, the increased financial demands while pursuing higher education leaves parenting students feeling like they have to choose between being a parent or a student. What are a few accomplishments you’ve helped lead on CSUMB’s campus to best support pregnant and parenting students? - Baby changing stations - Lactation rooms - Family friendly club - Currently working towards the CCAMPIS (Childcare Access Means Parents in School) grant - Let’s Talk Parent Wellness support group - Family Friendly Affinity Graduation You can read more about Bianca’s accomplishments in the Monterey Herald and find more information about these resources on CSUMB’s website. What accomplishment was the most important to you personally, and why? It is difficult to pick one. I would say the baby changing stations and the Family Friendly Library. The baby changing stations project was the moment I got out of my comfort zone; I found my voice and the power that comes with speaking up. The Family-Friendly Study Room is another example of me getting out of my comfort zone and grabbing an opportunity. It started as an idea for a grant proposal assignment and while my proposal was used as a template, I am very grateful for the family-friendly advisors and librarians who took this idea and made it happen. What would you say are the ‘top three’ challenges facing student parents on CSU-MB’s campus and what are your recommendations for solving those challenges? - Data Collection: Collecting data on student parents is important because it visually highlights the need and it also helps the university provide adequate resources and support. - Basic Needs Policy: Amending the ‘basic needs’ policy on CSUMB’s campus would support expanding resources to the dependents of parenting students. It would also build a sense of belonging by including family-friendly events. - Student Parent Center: There is no designated location for parenting students to inquire about resources such as a one-stop Student Parent Center. This [would be] an important resource because it provides a sense of community and support and is a designated safe place where children are welcomed while parents learn about resources available to them on campus. In addition it would be helpful to have off-campus connection outreach (for example, a representative for CalWORKs, Women Infant Children (WIC), and other agencies). What is the best part about working with other student parents on your campus? The best part about connecting with other parenting students on campus is building, promoting, and strengthening an inclusive community which includes growing relationships and support systems. If you could give one piece of advice to student parents on advocating for change on campus, what would it be? What do you wish you knew when you were first starting this work? Don’t be afraid to speak up! Your voice matters. The right person will listen. When you come across that person hold on to them and continue to build connections. Tell us about your long-term vision for CSUMB’s campus and its student parents. My long-term vision for the CSUMB’s campus is to continue to recognize parenting students and promote a family-friendly campus. I also want to partner with other organizations in Monterey Bay to ensure student parents have access to support and resources both on- and off-campus. What’s next for you? What are your goals post-graduation? I want to continue working with parenting students as an off-campus connection and explore programs and resources around maternal mental health. My ultimate goal is to someday open a non-profit where resources will be available to parents who would like to pursue higher education. I am not sure what it would look like exactly but my vision is to help as many parents reach their goals! If you could speak directly to other student parents who are facing challenges getting their degree, what would you tell them? I know it’s hard, and I know sometimes quitting doesn’t sound so bad, but I am here to tell you my secret: when I feel just like you must be feeling now, I look at my son, I hug my son, and when he tells me he loves me I remember my WHY. My son deserves a future he can be proud of. Kids are smart, talk to them about why you go to school, why you stay up doing homework late, talk to them about why you have so many meetings. Including your kids in the process doesn’t take away the challenges, but it does create memories and motivation. Go, Bianca! The Pregnant Scholar Team is rooting for you! Are you a pregnant or parenting scholar who wants to share their story? Reach out and let us know here.	https://thepregnantscholar.org/profiles-bianca-estrada/
A competitive score on the Medical College Admission Test is a crucial part of the application process for medical school applicants. This four-hour long multiple-choice standardized exam assesses the knowledge and critical thinking skills necessary in the medical field. The three current sections are Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences and Verbal Reasoning, since the Writing section was removed in 2013. The right classes and ample preparation time will be invaluable for obtaining a good MCAT score. Math There is no math section on the MCAT, but many of the questions involve a background in math through pre-calculus, including college algebra, statistics and trigonometry. Calculus is still recommended, however, both because a large number of medical schools do require calculus for admission. These courses will be helpful in advanced science classes as well, as they study the use of formulas and the collection and analysis of data. Biology The Biological Sciences portion of the MCAT requires at least two semesters of general biology complete with labs. The 52 multiple-choice questions in this section assess cognitive skills and knowledge of biological concepts in disciplines like anatomy, genetics, physiology, molecular biology and evolution. More advanced coursework like microbiology, molecular biology, anatomy, physiology, genetics and immunology is recommended once the introductory sequence is complete. Physics One year of general physics with labs is necessary to prepare for a portion of the Physical Sciences section. This 70-minute, 52-question segment tests students' knowledge of concepts in energy and matter like momentum, gravity and electromagnetism. General and Organic Chemistry The MCAT requires at least one year of general chemistry for the Physical Sciences section as well as one year of organic chemistry for the Biological Sciences section. Additionally, these courses are generally required for admission into any medical school in the United States. MCAT content taught in general chemistry classes includes the periodic table, electrochemistry, phases of matter, acids and bases and electronic structure. Organic chemistry deals with the chemical processes of living things, and therefore is crucial for the MCAT and for medical school. Critical Thinking Courses The Verbal Reasoning section of the exam assesses critical thinking, analysis and problem-solving skills. Courses like philosophy, literature and composition, psychology or sociology that prepare students in the comprehension, evaluation and application of new information will be helpful for this section.	http://classroom.synonym.com/classes-prepare-mcat-3276.html
The Printania loyalty card does not have an expiration date. You can therefore use it as you like in Printemps stores that offer the Printania programme. If you chose the Printania Plus card, it has a validity of 3 years. Its expiration date is printed on the back of your card. Printania card is not available for our Qatarian customers.	https://support.printemps.com/hc/en-gb/articles/8141527330065-What-is-the-validity-of-Printania-Printania-Plus-card-
Counseling and Interviewing in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology includes an overview of the role of counseling and the skills and techniques specific to counseling and interviewing. It provides a solutions-focused approach, integrating counseling and treatment using advanced communication skills to better understand and coach the patient. This unique guide uses original models and inventive techniques to impart the most helpful approaches to counseling as part of the therapy process in speech-language pathology and audiology. Filled with strategically positioned real life scenarios, each chapter delves into a key aspect of counseling, simplifying and clarifying the concepts and methods clinicians will find practical and comprehensive. KEY FEATURES • Videos with commentary illustrate fundamental counseling techniques as well as errors that can be made in counseling • Solutions-focused framework assures that clinicians and their clients remain committed to achieving well crafted, disorder-specific goals while they engage in sound and varied counseling methodologies • Embedded scenarios and case studies derived from real-life clinical settings exemplify a wide variety of speech, communication, swallowing, and hearing disorders along with relevant counseling techniques • Key concepts are reinforced through Practical Exercises, Journal Assignments, and Class Activities STUDENT RESOURCES Each new print copy includes Navigate 2 Advantage Access that unlocks a comprehensive and interactive eBook, online video segments, student practice activities and assessments, a full suite of instructor resources, and learning analytics reporting tools. APPLICABLE COURSES ?Courses such as Counseling and Interviewing or Treatment Methods offered in graduate or undergraduate speech/language/hearing programs. This is also an ideal resource for practicing clinicians.	https://booksrun.com/textbooks/9781284074987-counseling-and-interviewing-in-speech-language-pathology-and-audiology-pap-psc-edition
In a bid to broaden and enhance the efficacy of the Federal Government’s whistleblower policy, there should be an expansion of the scope of the current framework to include issues of public safety, security, gross mismanagement of the rights of people, and waste of resources, among others, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN. The Vice President stated this Tuesday in a keynote address delivered virtually at the National Conference on Whistleblower Policy. The Federal Government Whistleblower Policy was developed as a tool for the exposure of corruption and corrupt actors in Government and to validate controls and ensuring compliance with public finance management principles. According to the Vice President, “It is clear that under the current whistleblowing policy, it is only with respect to acts of corruption that whistleblowing is considered lawful. However, there are a whole range of issues that may not endanger public finance directly but may constitute public safety or security risks. Reporting such may save lives and or property. “The scope may then cover such matters as a violation of law, gross mismanagement of the rights of people and waste of public resources, or acts inimical to public health or safety.” Speaking on the need to enhance the whistleblower policy, the Vice President said “although, some progress have been achieved through this policy, especially at the Federal Level – with recoveries, prosecutions, and convictions; it is essential that the policy operates widely in States and Local Governments as the tiers closest to the people and overseers of about half of the nation’s revenues.” He said: “Exposing corruption is for the good of our nation. Our goal in this regard is to harness the huge potential of the people to deliver on their moral obligation to report cases of corruption within their immediate environments.” Continuing, Prof. Osinbajo said, “as we deliberate on the finer details of implementation of this policy, we must consistently remind ourselves of the importance of the task at hand notwithstanding the difficulties.” Calling for a legislative backing for the policy, Prof. Osinbajo said an Act of the National Assembly to back the policy is a necessity. “Such a law should also provide for comprehensive protection of whistleblowers, including against reprisals from their employers and those whose activities they expose. These may include witness protection type provisions and this will give the whistleblower some protection where they may have to appear in court,” the Vice President explained. Underscoring the importance of his proposal for adjustments in the policy, the Vice President said ‘‘certainty and clarity of the reporting processes and adequate protection of the whistleblowers would improve confidence in the initiative. “Similarly, enhanced transparency and accountability in the implementation of the policy will result in more discoveries and recoveries,” Prof. Osinbajo added. The conference was organized by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning in collaboration with agencies and departments involved in the anti-corruption battle.	https://techandbiz.com.ng/2020/10/02/whistleblowing-should-include-issues-of-public-safety-violation-of-individual-rights-security-waste-of-resources-says-osinbajo/
CRIME is one of the major problems encountered in any society and universities together with other higher institutions of learning are not exceptions. Thus, there is an urgent need for security agents and agencies to battle and eradicate crime. The Directorate of Students and Services Development (DSSD) are responsible for investigating and detecting criminals of any crime committed within the Redeemer’s University. DSSD faces major challenges when it comes to detecting the real perpetrators of several crimes. An improvement in their strategy can produce positive results and high success rates, which is the basic objective of this project. Several methods have been applied to solve similar problems in the literature but none was tailored to solving the problem in Redeemer’s University and other universities. This work therefore applied classification rule mining method to develop a system for detecting crimes in universities. Past data for both crimes and criminals were collected from DSSD. In order to develop and test the proposed model, the data was pre-processed to get clean and accurate data. The Iterative Dichotomiser 3 (ID3) decision tree algorithm obtained from WEKA mining software was used to analyze and train the data. The model obtained was then used to develop a system that showed the hidden relationships between the crime-related data, in form of decision trees. This result was then used as a knowledge base for the development of the crime prediction system. The developed system could effectively predict a list of possible suspects by simply analyzing data retrieved from the crime scene with already existing data in the database. This system has all the potentials of helping the students’ affairs department and security apparatus of any university and other institutions to quickly detect either the real or possible perpetrators of crimes in the system. Keywords Crime, Classification Rules, Data Mining, Decision Trees, ID3, Prediction, University To cite this article Adewale Opeoluwa Ogunde, Gabriel Opeyemi Ogunleye, Oluwaleke Oreoluwa, A Decision Tree Algorithm Based System for Predicting Crime in the University, Machine Learning Research. Vol. 2, No. 1, 2017, pp. 26-34. doi: 10.11648/j.mlr.20170201.14 Copyright Copyright © 2017 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Reference Barnadas M. V. (2016), Machine Learning Applied to Crime Prediction, A Degree Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Escola Tècnica d'Enginyeria de Telecomunicació de Barcelona, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Berry, M. and Linoff, G. (1997). Data mining techniques: For marketing, sales and support. New York. John Wiley and Sons. Inc. Cowell, R. G., Dawid, A. P., Lauritzen, S. L. and Spiegelhalter, D. J., (1999). Probabilistic Networks and Expert Systems, Springer-Verlag. Dilek S., Çakır H. and Aydın M. (2015), Applications of Artificial Intelligence Techniques to Combating Cyber Crimes: a Review, International Journal of Artificial Intelligence & Applications (IJAIA), Vol. 6, No. 1, pp 21-39. Jenson, F. V. (1996). An Introduction to Bayesian Networks. UCL Press. Marcus, S., Moy, M. & Coffman, T. (2007), Social Network Analysis, in Diane J. Cook and Lawrence B. Holder, ‘Mining Graph Data’, John Wiley & Sons. McClendon L. and Meghanathan N. (2015). Using Machine Learning Algorithms to Analyze Crime Data, Machine Learning and Applications: An International Journal (MLAIJ) Vol. 2, No. 1, Pp 1-12. Megaputer Intelligence, Inc. (2012). Crime Pattern Analysis: Megaputer Case Study. http://www.elon.edu/facstaff/mconklin/cis230/cases/crime_pattern_case.pdf. Oatley G. C., Ewart B. W and Zeleznikow J., (2004). Decision Support Systems for Police: Lessons from the Application of Data Mining Techniques to ‘Soft’ Forensic Evidence. Expert Systems with Applications. Pearl, J. (2000). Casualty: Models, Reasoning, and Inference. Cambridge University Press, UK. Ramasubbareddy, B., Govardhan, A., & Ramamohanreddy, A. (2011). Classification Based on Positive and Negative Association Rules. International Journal of Data Engineering (IJDE) Volume (2) Issue (2), Pp 84. Seifert, J. (2007). Data Mining: An overview. CRS Report for Congress. Surjeet Kumar Y., Saurabh P. (2012), “Data Mining Application in Enrollment Management: A Case Study “International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887), Volume 41–No. 5. Samrat S. & Vikesh K. (2012) “Classification of Student’s data Using Data Mining Techniques for Training & Placement Department in Technical Education” International Journal of Computer Science and Network (IJCSN) Volume 1, Issue 4. Thearling, K. (2003). Understanding Data Mining: It’s all in the Interaction. Available at www.thearling.com. Ye, F. (2011). Investigating the effects of sample size, model misspecification, and underreporting in crash data on three commonly used traffic crash severity models. Ph. D. Dissertation. Texas A&M University, UMI Number: 3471262. Tesfaye, H. (2002). Predictive Modeling Using Data Mining Techniques In Support to Insurance Risk Assessment. Masters Thesis Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa. Witten I. H., & Frank E., (2000). Data Mining: Practical Machine Learning Tools and Techniques with Java Implementation. Morgan Kaufmann, October 2000, ISBN 1-55860-552-5.	http://mlrjournal.org/article/604/10.11648.j.mlr.20170201.14
I just uploaded a new video: Alpha and Beta Errors. And previously, I had uploaded a video on Statistical Errors -- Types, Uses, and Interrelationships. See the Videos page on this site for a list of my videos previously uploaded. All other things being equal, an increase in Sample Size (n) reduces all types of Sampling Errors, including Alpha and Beta Errors and the Margin of Error. A Sampling "Error" is not a mistake. It is simply the reduction in accuracy to be expected when one makes an estimate based on a portion – a Sample – of the data in Population or Process. There are several types of Sampling Error. Two types of Sampling Errors are described in terms of their Probabilities: All three types of Sampling Error are reduced when the Sample Size is increased. This makes intuitive sense, because a very small Sample is more likely to not be a good representative of the properties of the larger Population or Process. But, the values of Statistics calculated from a much larger Sample are likely to be much closer to the values of the corresponding Population or Process Parameters For more on the statistical concepts mentioned here (p, β, MOE, Confidence Intervals, Statistical Errors, Samples and Sampling), please see my book or my YouTube channel -- both are titled Statistics from A to Z -- Confusing Concepts Clarified. All processes have variation. A process can be said to be "under control", "stable", or "predictable" if the variation is Such Variation is called Common Cause Variation; it is like random "noise" within an under-control process. Variation which is not Common Cause is called Special Cause Variation. It is a signal that factors outside the process are affecting it. Any Special Cause Variation must be eliminated before one can attempt to narrow the range of Common Cause Variation. Until we eliminate Special Cause Variation, we don't have a process that we can improve. There are factors outside the process which affect it, and that changes the actual process that is happening in ways that we don't know. Once we know that we have Special Cause Variation, we can use various Root Cause Analysis methods to identify the Special Cause, so that we can eliminate it. Only then can we use process/ quality improvement methods like Lean Six Sigma to try to reduce the Common Cause Variation. Here are some examples of Special Causes of Variation: Here is an example of a Control Chart. Each point is the Mean of a small Sample of data. The Upper Control Limit (UCL) and the Lower Control Limit (LCL) are usually set at 3 Standard Deviations from the Center Line. We see that there is one anomalous Sample Mean outside the Control Limits. This is due to Special Cause Variation. So, we need to do some root cause analysis to determine what caused that. And we need to make changes to eliminate it, before we can try to narrow the range of the Control Limits. In addition to being within Control Chart limits, the data must be random. There are a number of Run Rules which describe patterns which are not random. Some patterns are not always easy to spot by eyeballing charts. Fortunately, the same software which produces Control Charts will usually also identify patterns described by the Run Rules. Here are some common patterns which indicate non-random (Special Cause) Variation. A Sigma is a Standard Deviation. Reproduced by permission of John Wiley and Sons, Inc. from the book, Statistics from A to Z – Confusing Concepts Clarified New and Recent Videos 2/29/2020 I just uploaded a new video: And, oops, it looks like I missed announcing on this blog the two videos before that: A larger Test Statistic value (such as that for z, t, F, or Chi-Square) results in a smaller p-value. The p-value is the Probability of an Alpha (False Positive) Error. And conversely, a smaller Test Statistic value results in a larger value for p. Here's how it works: In the close-ups of the right tail, zero is not visible. It is the center of the bell-shaped t curve, and it is out of the picture to the left. So, a larger value of the Test Statistic, t, would be farther to the right. And, the hatched area under the curve representing the p-value would be smaller. This is illustrated in the middle column of the table above. Conversely, if the Test Statistic is smaller, then it's value is plotted more to the left, closer to zero. And so, the hatched area under the curve representing p would be larger. This is shown in the rightmost column of the table. Statistics Tip: In a 1-tailed test, the Alternative Hypothesis points in the direction of the tail 1/2/2020 In the previous Tip, , we showed how to state the Null Hypothesis as an equation (e.g. H0: μΑ = μΒ). And the Alternative Hypothesis would be the opposite of that (HA: μA ≠ μB). These would work for a 2-tailed (2-sided) tests, when we only want to know whether there is a (Statistically Significant) difference between the two Means, not which one may be bigger than the other. But what about when we do care about the direction of the difference? This would be a 1-tailed (1-sided) test. And the Alternative Hypothesis will tell us whether it's right-tailed or left-tailed. (We need to specify the tail for our statistical calculator or software.) How does this work? First of all, it's helpful to know that the Alternative Hypothesis is also known as the "Maintained Hypothesis". The Alternative Hypothesis is the Hypothesis which we are maintaining and would like to prove. For example, We maintain that the Mean lifetime of the lightbulbs we manufacture is more than 1,300 hours. That is, we maintain that µ > 1,300. This, then becomes our Alternative Hypothesis. HA: µ > 1,300 Note that the comparison symbol of HA points to the right. So, this test is right-tailed. If, on the other hand, we maintained that the Mean defect rate of a new process is less than the Mean defect rate of the old process, our Maintained/ Alternative Hypothesis would be HA: µ New < µ Old and the test would be left-tailed. The concept of Null Hypotheses can be confusing, because it is about nothingness. And the human mind is wired to understand things that exist, not things that don't exist. I've found that it helps to state the Null Hypothesis as either So, if we are comparing the Means of Populations A and B, we could say: Null Hypothesis (H0) "There is no difference between the Mean of Population A and the Mean of Population B." But, it can be stated even more clearly and succinctly as an equation: And the Alternative Hypothesis would be the opposite of this: This is for a 2-tailed test: It gets more complicated when we get into 1-tailed tests. In those tests, we'd have either But that would be the subject of another Statistics Tip. I just uploaded a new video to the the book's channel on YouTube. It's the 3rd of 3 in a playlist on Samples and Sampling. It's called Sample Size Part 2 (of 2) – for Measurements/Continuous Data. https://youtu.be/mxR-Lsc3ikc For a complete list of videos based on this book that are completed and next in line, please see the videos page of this website. I just uploaded a new video, Sample Size Part 1 – Proportions of Count Data This was uploaded to my YouTube channel Statistics From A to Z, Confusing Concepts Clarified. It will be part of a playlist on Samples and Sampling. See the Videos page of this website for the latest status of my statistics videos completed and planned Confusing language and terminology is a big part of what makes statistics confusing. Each Binomial Trial -- also known as a Bernoulli Trial -- is a random experiment with only 2 possible outcomes, called "success" and "failure". The Probability of success is the same every time the experiment is conducted. A coin flip illustrates this perfectly. You either get "heads" or "tails", and the Probability of each coin flip (Binomial Trial) is always 50% heads (or 50% tails). In a Binomial Trial, each trial is counted as either a success or failure. And a success is defined as what we want to count. Let's say we are performing quality control in a manufacturing process. We are counting defects. Every time we find a defect, we add 1 to the count of "successes". I always found that confusing, so in the book, instead of saying "success" or "failure", I suggest saying "yes" or "no". \| \| Author Andrew A. (Andy) Jawlik is the author of the book, Statistics from A to Z -- Confusing Concepts Clarified, published by Wiley.	https://www.statisticsfromatoz.com/blog/previous/2
San Luis Obispo County will allow the reopening of four major businesses and activity types, Public Health Officer Penny Borenstein announced Wednesday, April 22. The four areas include houses of worship, janitorial and housekeeping, fabric stores and drive-in theaters. All openings will have precautionary measures taken to adhere to local and statewide shelter-in-place orders. Religious congregations will be allowed to gather as long as they stay in cars and follow the county policy on social distancing. “We strongly recommend that during those religious services that no material be passed between people,” Borenstein said. “No objects, plates or food.” Janitorial and housekeeping businesses have been found important to maintain “proper health and hygiene,” according to Borenstein. She added that janitorial services have been needed in large health facilities and essential services. Housekeeping services are especially necessary for those being asked to remain in their homes such as elderly people, Borenstein said. “There are a number of elderly people that can’t change their sheets,” Borenstein said. “They may not need in-home healthcare, but [they] don’t have the physical strength to do that kind of activity.” The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department recommends social distancing while providing housekeeping or janitorial services. County Public Health also recognizes fabric stores as an essential service, as they can provide resources for protective devices such as masks. “We believe fabric stores can provide [essential] services and the reason we want them to do so is we understand there is a shortage of raw materials,” Borenstein said. Drive-in theaters will also resume business. “Similar to religious gatherings, we ask people to remain in their cars,” Borenstein added. Food will be allowed for purchase at concession stands, but physical distancing must be maintained. County Public Health will begin to observe the opportunities to open businesses in small increments, according to Borenstein. “Opening places in small increments and then continuing to watch what the disease is doing is going to be our best approach, rather than let everything open up at the same time,” said Borenstein. The announcement came after the county called for the reopening of recreational fishing, pet grooming services, elective surgeries and outpatient practices on Monday, April 20.	https://mustangnews.net/slo-county-allows-four-more-business-areas-to-reopen-despite-statewide-stay-at-home-order/
Consider second-order Peano Arithmetic Z2, i.e. the two-sorted first-order theory with induction and comprehension. Remove the assumption about the totality of the successor relationship (the Successor Axiom), i.e. the assumption that every number is successored by a number. Call this theory FPA. FPA has as models the standard model (if it exists) and all the initial segments. FPA is "downward": if a natural number exists, it can prove all numbers less than that number exists, but none that are greater. So it cannot prove the infinity of the primes, but then this assertion isn't even true in all its models, e.g. {0,1,2,3} has two primes, and 2 is a member of the set, so the set of primes is finite in this model. FPA can, however, prove Bertrand's Postulate. Are there any simple mathematical examples of assertions true in all models of FPA, provable in Z2, but not provable in FPA? EDIT: On François' advice, I am adding here some clarifications which appear in comments. Full comprehension is used. Successoring is considered to be a 2-ary relationship, addition and multiplication to be 3-ary relationships. The usual axioms can be easily restated in these terms. The logic is supposed to include variable n-ary relationships, for n = 1 but also for n > 1, which can be quantified over and whose existence can be proved using comprehension. So for instance, FPA is able to define size equivalence in the straightfoward fashion: A ~ B if and only if (there exists R)(R is a 1-1 function from A onto B). (In fact, given this apparatus, addition and multiplication can be defined from successoring, so one doesn't even need axioms about addition and multiplication, although this is a detail which should not affect the question asked.) If you are really talking about a (two-sorted) first order theory, please don't call it "second order". This is confusing. (To me. Perhaps also to you.) And when you mention "comprehension", do you mean full comprehension, with quantifiers over both sorts allowed? – GoldsternJan 26 '13 at 10:25 Yes, full comprehension. I'm not trying to be confusing, but I don't see why it is. Simpson uses this terminology all the time: "the language of second-order arithemtic is a two-sorted language," "the axioms of second-order arithmetic," "by second oder arithmetic we mean the formal system...," – aboJan 26 '13 at 10:40 3 Answers 3 As I already mentioned in another thread for a slightly different theory, it is possible to give a complete description of models of FPA (I mean all models, giving a complete semantics for the many-sorted first-order theory, not just proper second-order models, which abo lists in the question and which I will henceforth call “standard”) in terms of more familiar theories: Models where successor is total are exactly the models of $Z_2$. Models where successor is not total. If $M\models I\Delta_0+\Omega_1$ and $0< a\in M$ is such that $M\models{}$ “$2^a$ exists”, we can form the following model $A_{M,a}$: its “first-order” sort consists of the submodel $[0,a)_M$ of $M$ (where successor, addition, and multiplication are considered as relations, not functions), and for every $n$, its “second-order” universe of $n$ary relations consists of $[0,2^{a^n})_M$, where $r< 2^{a^n}$ represents the relation $$\{\langle u_0,\dots,u_{n-1}\rangle\in[0,a)^n:M\models\mathrm{bit}(r,a^{n-1}u_{n-1}+\dots+au_1+u_0)=1\},$$ where $\mathrm{bit}(x,u)$ is the $u$th bit in the binary representation of $x$. (Note that the existence of $2^a$ implies the existence of $2^{a^n}$ by $\Omega_1$.) Then $A_{M,a}\models\mathrm{FPA}$: the main thing is that the validity of any (second-order) formula in $A_{M,a}$ translates to a formula in $M$ whose all quantifiers are bounded by some $2^{a^n}$, and $I\Delta_0+\Omega_1$ proves bit-comprehension for $\Delta_0$-definable subsets of logarithmically small intervals, which implies full comprehension in $A_{M,a}$. Conversely, every model $A\models\mathrm{FPA}$ where successor is not total is isomorphic to $A_{M,a}$ for some $M,a$ as above. I will sketch the argument below. FPA proves that $A$ has a largest element, and satisfies full first-order induction; this first-order theory is called $\mathrm{PA^{top}}$, and it is well-known that every its model $A$ can be extended into a model $B$ of $I\Delta_0$ so that $A$ is its submodel of the form $[0,a)$, and the standard powers $\{a^n:n\in\omega\}$ are cofinal in $B$ (unless $a=1$). The construction works as follows: for every $n$, elements of the interval $[0,a^n)$ in $B$ can be represented by $n$tuples of elements of $A$; one can define in $\mathrm{PA^{top}}$ the arithmetic operations on such $n$tuples in such a way that these $[0,a^n)$ form an increasing chain of models whose union is taken as $B$. In our case, we also have the second-order universes of $n$-ary relations, and these can be used to represent exponentially larger numbers: an $n$-ary relation from $A$ (i.e., a subset of $[0,a^n)$) will represent a number below $2^{a^n}$ in binary. In this way, we can extend $B$ into a model $M$ such that $B=\{x\in M:M\models2^x\text{ exists}\}$. Since any bounded formula in $M$ translates into a second-order formula in $A$, $M$ will satisfy $\Delta_0$ induction up to logarithmically small numbers (this is called length induction), which implies $I\Delta_0$. $M\models\Omega_1$ follow from the fact that $\{2^{a^n}:n\in\omega\}$ is cofinal in $M$. By the construction, $A\simeq A_{M,a}$. (The second part of the argument, viz. a correspondence of “second-order” models of arithmetic with bounded sets to “first-order” models with exponentially larger numbers is known as the RSUV isomorphism.) This gives a characterization of provability in FPA: for any (second-order) sentence $\phi$, the construction above implicitly gives a first-order formula $\phi^$ such that Note that $\phi^$ is a $\Pi^0_1$-sentence; conversely, every $\Pi^0_1$-sentence is equivalent to one of this form. Note that the standard models of FPA with non-total successor are $A_{\mathbb N,n}$ for some $n\in\mathbb N$, hence the question reduces to: find sentence $\phi$ such that $Z_2\vdash\phi$, $\mathbb N\models\phi^$, but $I\Delta_0+\Omega_1\nvdash\phi^$. An example of such a statement is $\mathrm{Con}_Q$ (the formal consistency of Robinson arithmetic), formulated as a $\Pi^0_1$-formula of the form $\forall x\\,\theta(x)$, where $\theta(x)$ is a formula whose all quantifiers are bounded to $x$, and atomic formulas are reformulated in such a way that they do not refer to any numbers above $x$. The translation $\phi^*$ is then essentially equivalent to $\forall x\\,\theta(\|x\|)$, where $\|x\|$ is the length function, that is, the statement that $Q$ has no logarithmically short proofs of contradiction. This is not provable in $I\Delta_0+\Omega_1$. Thus, $\mathrm{Con}_Q$ is not provable in FPA, but it holds in all its standard models, and it is provable in $Z_2$. Independent $\Pi^0_1$ statements (for weak or strong arithmetic) in the literature are mostly variants of consistency statements. While this is not a precise question, it is a sort of an open problem to find natural combinatorial $\Pi^0_1$ statements independent of particular fragments of arithmetic. Let me mention two principles which are conjectured to be unprovable in $I\Delta_0+\Omega_1$, and therefore would give the wanted example for FPA: $\Delta_0$-$\mathrm{PHP}$: the pigeonhole principle. In the language of FPA, it is the following schema: for every formula $\phi(u,X,Y)$ (possibly with other parameters not shown), $$\begin{align}\forall u\\,\neg[&\forall X\subseteq[0,u]\\,\exists Y\subsetneq[0,u]\\,\phi(u,X,Y)\\\\&{}\land\forall X_0,X_1,Y\subseteq[0,u]\\,\neg(\phi(u,X_0,Y)\land\phi(u,X_1,Y))].\end{align}$$ (I.e., $\phi$ does not define an injective (multi-)function from $\mathcal P([0,u])$ into itself minus one set.) $\mathrm{Count}_2(\Delta_0)$: the counting principle modulo $2$. In the language of FPA, it is the schema $$\begin{align}\forall u\\,\neg[&\forall X\subsetneq[0,u]\\,\exists!Y\subsetneq[0,u]\\,\phi(u,X,Y)\\\\&{}\land\forall X,Y\subsetneq[0,u]\\,(\phi(u,X,Y)\to X\ne Y\land\phi(u,Y,X))]\end{align}$$ for every formula $\phi(u,X,Y)$. (I.e., $\phi$ does not define a fixpoint-free involution on $\mathcal P([0,u])$ minus one set. In general, the mod $k$ counting principle would state that some canonical class of finite cardinality not divisible by $k$ cannot be partitioned into $k$-element subclasses, but it’s easier to state it just for $k=2$.) I should have also mentioned that the weak pigeonhole principle, which is obtained from the pigeonhole principle by replacing $Y\subsetneq[0,u]$ with $Y\subseteq[0,u)$, is provable in FPA, since $I\Delta_0+\Omega_1\vdash\Delta_0$-WPHP. – Emil JeřábekJan 28 '13 at 15:20 Very nice, Emil. Thanks very much. I once went through a paper that proved the Prime Number Theorem in I\Delta_0+exp and it seemed to me the proof went through in FPA. Would this be in error? Also, I would like to ask another question about provability in FPA. If I were to describe the system as x + y, where y is just the list of the Peano axioms which FPA uses, what is the shortest x which is clear? Following Goldstern: a many-sorted first order theory with one "lowercase" sort (for numbers) and infinitely many "upper-case sorts" (the nth sort being n-ary relations)? – aboJan 28 '13 at 19:30 By the way, I can't upvote you because I'm not registered. Sorry. – aboJan 28 '13 at 19:31 I’m sorry, but I don’t follow the x+y bit. As for PNT: this sounds plausible. While provability in FPA corresponds to $I\Delta_1+\Omega_1$, the numbers in the latter theory correspond to sets in the former. “First-order” consequences of FPA correspond to statements that are provable in $I\Delta_0+\Omega_1$ for logarithmically small numbers, which allows for a limited use of exponentiation. It quite often happens that statements provable in $I\Delta_0+\exp$ are provable for logarithmically small numbers in $I\Delta_0+\Omega_1$. (In fact, by a simple compactness argument, if $I\Delta_0+\exp$ ... – Emil JeřábekJan 29 '13 at 14:36 ... proves $\forall x\,\phi(x)$ where $\phi$ is $\Sigma^0_1$, then $I\Delta_0\vdash\forall x\,(2^x_n\text{ exists}\to\phi(x))$ for some constant $n$, where $2^x_n$ is $n$-times iterated exponential of $x$.) I never looked in detail at the Cornaros and Dimitracopoulos paper, but Phuong Nguyen claims in cs.toronto.edu/~pnguyen/studies/prime.pdf that their proof works in $I\Delta_0(\mathrm{count})$, which holds for small numbers in $I\Delta_0+\Omega_1$, and a fortiori in the first-order part of FPA. (He only states it for a weaker form of PNT, but it is not clear to me whether ... – Emil JeřábekJan 29 '13 at 14:41 If $FPA$ is a truly second-order theory, what do you mean by "proved?" I.e., what proof system are you using for $FPA$? – Noah SchweberJan 27 '13 at 0:14 I mean proved in a theory with small and big letters, with full comprehension and induction as stated now in the question. Deductively, this can be considered a first-order theory with many sorts. But semantically, it can be considered a second-order theory. (I hope that makes sense!) – aboJan 27 '13 at 6:46 This is not an answer, just an attempt at explicitly writing down my interpretation of the question. Too long for a comment. Z2 and FPA are many-sorted FIRST ORDER theories, with one "lowercase" sort (for numbers) and infinitely many "uppercase" sorts (the n-th sort is for n-ary relations. There are predicates $Succ(x,y)$, $Add(x,y,z)$, $Mult(x,y,z)$ and $Element_n(x_1,\ldots, x_n,Y)$ (one for each $n$). However, we write $S(x)\sim y$ instead of $Succ(x,y)$; similarly $x+y\sim z$ instead of $Add(x,y,z)$, etc. Also we write $Y(x_1,\ldots, x_n)$ instead of $Element_n(x_1,\ldots, x_n,y)$. There is also a relation $\le$. There are several groups of axioms. The first group says that successor, addition and multiplication are partial functions. The second group says that they satisfy the usual properties from Peano arithmetic whenever defined, e.g. if $x+y\sim z$ and $S(z)\sim z'$ and $S(y)\sim y'$, then $x+y'\sim z'$. I am not sure about the axioms for $\le$: Perhaps $0\le x$, and $S(y)\sim y' \to (x\le y' \leftrightarrow x\le y \vee x=y')$? Perhaps an axiom demanding that $\le$ is a total order? A discrete total order? (Feel free to edit.) And: "the domain of $S$ is downward closed". In addition, Z2 (but not FPA) says that all functions are total. The third group are the comprehension axioms: For every formula $\varphi(x_1,\ldots, x_n,\bar p)$ (where the parameters $\bar p$ may use come from all sorts), the universal quantification of $$\exists Y \ \forall x_1,\ldots, x_n \ [ Y(x_1,\ldots, x_n) \leftrightarrow \varphi(x_1,\ldots, x_n,\bar p)]$$ Yes, to your question, except I'll make it into two. Are there any? Is there a simple, mathematical one (i.e. no fair talking about consistencies of theories and so on)? The axiom set itself that you are talking about is getting too complicated. There's a simpler way of writing the axioms which I'll state here. – aboJan 27 '13 at 14:45 @Carl. I am a little nervous about the example of G(FPA). FPA can consider the same one-element model and prove that it itself is consistent (using the Godel formula for consistency). This does not contradict the Second Incompleteness Theorem, because FPA is not "sufficiently strong". Why then is Z2 able to prove G(FPA) but not FPA? I guess you're asserting that Z2 can prove Cons(FPA) => G(FPA) while FPA cannot, but where exactly does the proof go wrong? – aboJan 28 '13 at 6:25
Joint Programming is a process whereby the participating Member States (MS) voluntarily engage in defining, developing and implementing a common Strategic Research Agenda based on a common vision about major societal challenges that not can tackled by individual MS only. The Joint Programming Initiative ‘A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life’ (JPI HDHL) is an European network initiative between 20 MS, 3 associated EU countries and 3 third countries outside Europe that focuses on common scientific research and networking concerning the influence of food on public health. The objective of the JPI HDHL currently running its’ second CSA 2.0, is to support the implementation of the JPI HDHL initiative and the creation of a more sustainable cooperation between the member states, the EC and related international organisations. Research approach This CSA 2.0 focusses on increasing the alignment and harmonisation of European research and on influencing the research and innovation policy and the research programmes of the individual MS. Other important objectives are the development of a sustainable support of this JPI, an increased cooperation with and between important stakeholders, and research concerning the impact of this JPI on food and health in the different member states. An important task for ILVO is to stimulate the networking between important stakeholders by creating a stakeholder forum. Very important is the contact with industrial partners, by which the needs and obstacles/difficulties for cooperation between academics and industry will be identified. ILVO is also involved in external communication, via updating and re-evaluating the communication strategy, via the web-based communication platform, via social media management, and via the production of promotion material and the organisation of international conferences. Relevance/Valorization The public health is an important theme in many European countries and maintaining or even improving public health requires a lot of financial resources. The interest in the potential impact of nutrition on health is therefore becoming increasingly important and a healthy diet is becoming more socially promoted. Due to the support of this 2nd CSA, the visibility of the JPI HDHL initiative will be enhanced and the impact of the initiative will increase in the different participating Member States. This includes the involvement of an European vision in the (future) scientific research and research programmes. It is also expected that research output will be valorized as innovation more often towards industry and policy.	https://ilvo.vlaanderen.be/en/research-projects/the-second-coordination-and-support-action-for-the-jpi-healthy-diet-for-a-healthy-life
Great interior lot in the best part of Crestwood. Remodel existing home or build your new home on this lot. Current home has lots of natural light and pretty hardwood floors. Needs updating and repairs. Lot is over 12,000 sq. ft. Buyer to verify all information herein. Broker : Property Consultants Agent : Michael McDonald All information is from sources believed to be reliable and is subject to change of price, rental, commission or other conditions, prior sale, lease or financing or withdrawal without notice. No representation is made as to the accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footage are approximate and all information should be confirmed by customer.	http://www.hbfortworth.com/property-page/?l=13574606&a=3813-crestwood-ter
A series of genome-scale algorithms and high-performance implementations is described and shown to be useful in the genetic analysis of gene transcription. With them it is possible to address common questions such as: “are the sets of genes co-expressed under one type of conditions the same as those sets co-expressed under another?” A new noise-adaptive graph algorithm, dubbed “paraclique,” is introduced and analyzed for use in biological hypotheses testing. A notion of vertex coverage is also devised, based on vertex-disjoint paths within correlation graphs, and used to determine the identity, proportion and number of transcripts connected to individual phenotypes and quantitative trait loci (QTL) regulatory models. A major goal is to identify which, among a set of candidate genes, are the most likely regulators of trait variation. These methods are applied in an effort to identify multiple-QTL regulatory models for large groups of genetically co-expressed genes, and to extrapolate the consequences of this genetic variation on phenotypes observed across levels of biological scale through the evaluation of vertex coverage. This approach is furthermore applied to definitions of homology-based gene sets, and the incorporation of categorical data such as known gene pathways. In all these tasks discrete mathematics and combinatorial algorithms form organizing principles upon which methods and implementations are based. KeywordsMicroarray Analysis Putative Co-Regulation Quantitative Trait Loci Regulatory Models Preview Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.	https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-540-48540-7_13
The distinction in between Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and Cloud Computing is one of numerous continuously asked concerns. This subsection attempts to remove this uncertainty by explicitly discussing the partnership in between both standards. The open team specified SOA as a building design that supports service orientation, where "Solution positioning is a means of thinking in regards to solutions, and also service-based development and the end result of services". According to the previous interpretations, Cloud Computing sustains service orientation. Service orientation gives foundations for Cloud Computer that make it possible for global access, and convenience of incorporating various solutions and sources at run time, independent of the programs language used to execute the service. As in SOA, cloud solutions take advantage of network-based software program through standards-based interfaces. Cloud Computing solutions must additionally support scalability and also guarantee Top quality of Service (QoS). As we explained earlier in, SOA is an umbrella that describes any type of type of solution. A Cloud Computer service is a SOA solution; nonetheless, a SOA solution is not always a Cloud Computing service. A Cloud Computer service have to please all the Cloud Computer attributes as specified in the NIST meaning, which are optional in the instance of common SOA services. While SOA solutions need to execute all cloud characteristics from scrape if needed, Cloud Computing atmospheres offer all of the tools needed for developing and also automatically handling and also releasing services that stick by default to the Cloud Computing qualities. The service programmer should not fret about service scalability, warranty of service, on-demand solution provisioning, or cost optimization - מצלמות אבטחה בפתח תקווה. Nonetheless, cloud architecture addresses numerous technical information that are atmosphere details, making it more technical version. Cloud Computing is one awareness of SOA. The connection in between Cloud Computing and SOA is similar to the relationship between Web-Services and also SOA: Both are technologies that apply service orientation; nevertheless, Cloud Computing is extra challenging than Web-Services. Acknowledging the relationship in between SOA and also Cloud Computer is essential for reusing the best techniques and also experience gained in the domain name of SOA in the past years. For instance, instead of building a cloud ontology or modeling language from scrape, existing SOA modeling languages (e. g., SOAML) and also ontologies can be utilized. Such reuse can help in focusing on cloud worries as opposed to addressing all cross-cutting interest in SOA. Similarly, Cloud Computing can recycle the most up to date SOA technologies pertaining to Web-Services and also Web 2. 0 (e. g., abundant Internet applications, mashups, AJAX, RSS), so as to specify, discover, as well as apply cloud solutions. Main TERM C A cloud solution is any kind of solution made readily available to customers as needed via the Web from a cloud computer provider's web servers as opposed to being offered from a business's own on-premises servers. Cloud solutions are developed to give easy, scalable accessibility to applications, resources and solutions, and are totally managed by a cloud companies. Examples of cloud solutions include on the internet data storage space as well as back-up services, Web-based e-mail services, hosted office suites and paper cooperation solutions, data source handling, handled technical assistance services and more. Webopedia's Keep up to day on the most recent growths in Net terms with a complimentary e-newsletter from Webopedia. 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For instance, you can collaborate with a public cloud, a personal cloud or a hybrid of both. You can make use of the cloud for framework as a solution (IaaS), System as a solution (Paas), Software program as a service (Saas) and/or serverless computing. COMPUTER can give customized IT cloud solutions to fit the certain requirements of your organization. If you haven't set up your cloud yet, we can aid you figure out which shadow services will be most helpful to your company and also how to acquire them. When you have a cloud in location, we can monitor your cloud computing solutions to make certain they're working for you as you expect, assist you make changes when required as well as also let you recognize when it might be time to make modifications to your cloud arrangement. We have greater than 100 IT professionals at our disposal, so we will have not a problem supplying you with devoted cloud computing experts who can manage your demands. You absolutely should take into consideration entering into cloud computer to provide your company the optimum opportunity for growth. But if you do so without having the ideal IT cloud assistance business in your corner, you might be asking for difficulty. Contact COMPUTER as soon as possible for a quote on high quality Cloud IT support to begin on your personalized cloud computer services solution. Cloud computer is taking the globe by tornado. Actually, 94% of workloads and also calculate instances will be refined through cloud data centers by 2021, compared to only 6% by typical data centers, according to study by Cisco. The concept of the cloud isn't brand-new, yet as increasingly more companies as well as companies change to cloud-based services, it's essential to comprehend the subtleties of cloud computer terms as well as concepts.	https://optical-cable-layout-tel-aviv-4.dogsbydale.com/all/find-computer-support-ramat-gan-38lbMmQSX0K1
The warmer-than-normal winter has some people wondering if trees might bud prematurely and then be damaged by colder temperatures. According to the article, “Warm weather can put trees in a bind” all dediduous trees require a “chilling period” before they “break bud” This chilling period will keep trees in dormancy until temperatures consistently reach warmer temperatures in the upper 60’s. This winter, the temperatures have approached this plateau, but hopefully we will not see such drastic turns in the temperatures. I know some neighboors are already seeing some of their plants start to bloom with the warmer temperatures. Keep an eye on those plants and make sure you have insulated them with extra soil and mulch. Some other items to keep in mind that are mentioned in the article, “Warm weather can put trees in a bind” are: - Water your plants as long as the ground is not frozen. With the lack of precipitation this winter, the ground is very hard and dry. - Add a little mulch as a precaution and insulation to your plants. - Remember snow cover will help insulate the ground once it comes. - As far as a bumper crop of insects, Donald Lewis, an entomologist at Iowa State indicates that midwestern insects have for the most part laid their eggs for next year’s brood. I would just add a few more to this list: - Get a soil test from your lawn or garden area. Now is a great time to check the nutrients when the soil is in a dry state. We are seeing a huge increase in soil testing this winter. - Purchase a soil thermometer. Keep an eye on the soil temperature to help you determine when the best time for planting will be this spring and to gauge the current temperature this winter. - Consider adding a compost mixture to your garden or trees to help insulate the ground this winter and add valuable nutrients to the soil. Enjoy the mild winter in the midwest and keep an eye on your plants, trees and gardens this winter.	https://midwestlabs.com/2012/01/17/warm-winter-and-trees-budding/
Software Developers at IBM are the backbone of our strategic initiatives to design, code, test, and provide industry-leading solutions that make the world run today - planes and trains take off on time, bank transactions complete in the blink of an eye and the world remains safe because of the work our software developers do. Whether you are working on projects internally or for a client, software development is critical to the success of IBM and our clients worldwide. At IBM, you will use the latest software development tools, techniques and approaches and work with leading minds in the industry to build solutions you can be proud of. Your Role and Responsibilities Do you have a passion for learning and applying modern software engineering practices? Are you excited to use these practices to deliver and manage mission critical services at scale? Are you a strategic thinker, a visionary? If so, please read on. Do you love to solve business problems with systems and integrations? Do you want every day to be a bit different and allow you to work with individuals across the spectrum of the organization? Above all, we are looking for applicants who will thrive in an open, vibrant, flexible, fun-spirited, collaborative environment and desire creative freedom and an opportunity to work on high performing teams! Do you love to solve business problems with systems and integrations? Do you want every day to be a bit different and allow you to work with individuals across the spectrum of the organization? Job Duties: As an IBM Information Management System, Software Engineer, you will use the latest tools and technologies available to deliver state-of-the-art software solutions for the Information Management Systems product. You will be responsible for ensuring that software components are expertly designed, tested, debugged, verified, and ready for integration into IBM's world class hierarchical database solutions, helping organizations improve their business outcomes in the global marketplace. This role executes the tasks required to develop or test the Information Management Systems product to ensure it functions according to specifications and client requirements and meets the business needs. Development and testing activities cover all aspects of the product/system including function/component, system, performance and regression. Successful candidates will have a strong desire to work as software engineers through all phases of the software development lifecycle. A foundational understanding of software development principles and testing methodologies such as the Agile Software Development Lifecycle, with a high degree of adaptability, drive, and willingness to accept new challenges is a must. Strong candidates will also demonstrate fundamental knowledge in one or more of the following domains: Mainframe computing in areas such as: zSeries/Operating System (z/OS) system-level programming technology, zSeries/Operating System (z/OS) software design and development techniques, assembler, (PL/X), Job Control Language (JCL), database concepts, development and automation frameworks. Be essential and join our team. Required Technical and Professional Expertise Preferred Technical and Professional Expertise Location:Silicon Valley, San Jose CA ( Preferred ) OR Raleigh, North Carolina OR Poughkeepsie, New York. About Business UnitIBM Systems helps IT leaders think differently about their infrastructure. IBM servers and storage are no longer inanimate - they can understand, reason, and learn so our clients can innovate while avoiding IT issues. Our systems power the world’s most important industries and our clients are the architects of the future. Join us to help build our leading-edge technology portfolio designed for cognitive business and optimized for cloud computing. Your Life @ IBMWhat matters to you when you’re looking for your next career challenge? Maybe you want to get involved in work that really changes the world? What about somewhere with incredible and diverse career and development opportunities – where you can truly discover your passion? Are you looking for a culture of openness, collaboration and trust – where everyone has a voice? What about all of these? If so, then IBM could be your next career challenge. Join us, not to do something better, but to attempt things you never thought possible. Impact. Inclusion. Infinite Experiences. Do your best work ever. About IBMIBM’s greatest invention is the IBMer. We believe that through the application of intelligence, reason and science, we can improve business, society and the human condition, bringing the power of an open hybrid cloud and AI strategy to life for our clients and partners around the world.Restlessly reinventing since 1911, we are not only one of the largest corporate organizations in the world, we’re also one of the biggest technology and consulting employers, with many of the Fortune 50 companies relying on the IBM Cloud to run their business. At IBM, we pride ourselves on being an early adopter of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and blockchain. Now it’s time for you to join us on our journey to being a responsible technology innovator and a force for good in the world. Location StatementIBM offers a wide range of resources for eligible IBMers to thrive both inside and outside of work. In addition to a competitive benefits program consisting of medical and life insurance, retirement plans, and time off, eligible employees may also have access to: We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable law. Being You @ IBMIBM is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, pregnancy, disability, age, veteran status, or other characteristics. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.	https://kickstartcareers.com/jobs/software-engineer-15
Always Write Your Research Papers From An Outline Some experts recommend students write their papers with an outline. There are multiple benefits to using one for academic writing. You can break up your assignment into smaller parts to help you understand your topic better. It can help use your time wisely since you gain more insight on how much research you may need to complete. An outline can help you sort, organize, and structure your paper based on parts required based on assignment guidelines. Outlines Help You Understand What Your Paper Needs Your paper may need certain pieces of information and you may already know what it is. The problem is you may not know what it should appear. Your outline can help you with this problem. Your outline can help you understand what your paper needs based on points you may include when you use the outline. Your paper is broken up into sections that will make up your research paper. Each section has a purpose with points you need to mention. Your data will help you provide the evidence necessary. You Can Choose Which Areas to Work on First When you break the assignment into smaller parts you may find you can work on certain parts first. This can make the assignment easier for you when you are able to get things out of the way to focus on more challenging areas. This can help you manage your time more efficiently and allow you to gather necessary information to ensure each section fulfills its purpose. Some like the idea of being able to work on their paper out of order since your content will still be in logic order in the end. Your Topic Gets the Attention to Details It Needs You are less likely to overlook something when you have an outline. You can take time to focus on a certain part and not have to worry you will leave something out or forget to complete something. When you have an outline you can fill in details based on research. You can go back over your outline to make sure you have enough details to help you write your paper. This makes it easier for you to note sections that may need more details to help support something else in your project. An outline is like a bookmark for your paper as you start filing in information to use.	http://www.neindiaresearch.org/developing-a-research-paper-from-an-elaborate-outline
The scholars and academicians during the daylong seminar were given detailed briefing on use of 3D printing in various sectors including engineering, architecture, industrial designing and construction. It was the part of the university’s new initiatives that aimed at bringing innovations in the teachings and learning system. A student of electrical engineering in Case Western Reserve University, USA Badar Jahangir Kiani was the resource person at the seminar, arranged by the office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC). He gave basic review on the new technology and explained 3D printing process in academic pursuits. The event was presided over by the University’s Registrar Dr. Muhammad Zaigham Qadeer who underlined the need of inducing new technology in the contents ‘delivery system. He assured that the university will facilitate its students to understand and implement the D-3 Printing in their academic programs. Other speakers including Dr. Naghama Nashid, Director ORIC spoke about the importance of 3D printing in modern era and its relevance to innovation, particularly in the context of new academic needs for ensuring quality education.
DHAKA, Sept 14, 2018 (BSS) – The youth camp with participation of 150 students from Bangladesh ended in Kungmin, China today after two weeks vowing stronger Dhaka-Beijing relationship through increasing people to people contact and exchange of cultural programmes. The camp was organised in line with one of the MoUs signed between the two countries during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Dhaka in 2016, according to a message received here. Under the MoU, Chinese government has decided to invite 600 Bangladeshi students to visit China in four years from 2017 to 2020. Deputy Director of International Cooperation and Exchange of Yunnan University Shen Bin declared end of the camp at a closing ceremony at the campus of Yunannan University, the largest education institute in the Kungmin, major south western city of China. He said the university is honored to host the camp that will further increase the understanding between the youths of two friendly country. Members of the Bangladesh delegation are from various educational institutions, including Dhaka University, North South and other universities, colleges and schools from different parts of the country. At the ceremony, some students including Nafisa Nawrin Labonno, Tasnim Hossain, Ulrmi Roy and Maria Sultana Limu shared their experiences of the camp while Bangladesh and Chinese students staged colourful cultural show performing traditional songs and dance of the both countries. During the camp, the Bangladeshi students have taken lessons of Chinese language and joined different session of Chinese cultural activities including singing, kungfu dancing and craft makings. The Bangladeshi students also visited important cultural and historical sites, educational institutions of Yunnan Province during the camp. After the first camp of its kind in 2017, this is the second time the youth camp was organised by Yunnan University and Confucius Institute at North South University (NSU), also co-organised by Confucius Institute at University of Dhaka and China Radio International and Shanto-Mariam Foundation (CRI-SMF) Confucius Classroom in Dhaka. Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh and Confucius Institute Headquarters are funding the youth camp.	http://www.bssnews.net/?p=87003
Historic north-east attractions to reopen next month as covid restrictions ease North-east landmarks are among those set to reopen next month. North-east landmarks are among those set to reopen next month. They were the buildings which were supposed to help Aberdeen residents advance into a bright new future. Castles, cathedrals, and museums are due to reopen at the end of April as visitors return to Scotland’s historic sites. Residents of eight listed Aberdeen high rises have, for the first time, had it spelled out to them what they now can and cannot do to their own homes. Aberdeen City Council has agreed to seek advice on appealing the decision to award eight multi-storey buildings in the city Grade A listed status. Council officers have warned a decision to give listed building status to eight high-rises in Aberdeen might place additional pressures on both staff and finances. A group of politicians were to meet the boss of a heritage body over the controversial decision to list eight of Aberdeen’s high-rise buildings. It was a piece of news which had some people querying whether April Fool's Day had arrived a few months early. An A-listed theatre and a steam railway are among more than 40 groups who will share nearly £2 million in funding from Historic Environment Scotland (HES). Local authorities throughout the land have been grinding them into rubble for years. Heritage chiefs have been urged to think again about the decision to award eight high-rise blocks in Aberdeen the same protected status as the city’s most iconic buildings. Heritage bosses have awarded eight Aberdeen high rises the same protected status as iconic buildings like Marischal College and the Music Hall. A rail station and former school building are among those which have been given a new lease of life after being place on the 'at risk' register. Listed building status for an Aberdeen department store has not been given - due to future development proposals. Heritage bosses are still mulling over a move to award eight blocks of Aberdeen flats listed status with a decision expected in January. Two north-east projects are set to benefit from funding as part of Scotland’s Year of Coast and Waters. A north-east building which has been categorised as 'at risk' is to be sold at an auction. National heritage body Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has revealed its plans for reopening sites, including a number in the north-east, following the easing of lockdown restrictions. On September 7 1940, the calm Saturday evening of Stonehaven was shattered by the urgent pealing of church bells… the Nazi invasion feared since Dunkirk had started on Scotland’s north-east coast. An Aberdeen trust has announced it will now accept applications for building repair grants across a larger part of Aberdeen city centre. Several iconic buildings in the north-east that have fallen into disrepair are to be restored. A historic disused north-east building is in line for a revamp that would breathe new life into it. An appeal to remove the listed building status on a former Aberdeen school has been lodged with the Scottish Government. Organistations in the north-east can apply for funding for community projects which help protect coasts and waterways across the region. Conservation bosses have been accused of “interference” by city council leaders after moving to grant listed building status to eight city high-rises. They have guided sailors and captains into Aberdeen Harbour for more than 150 years and have proved to be a staple on the waterfront. Eight high-rises in Aberdeen have been tipped for category A-listed status. Professor Miles Glendinning contacted Historic Environment Scotland (HES), which confirmed it received a request to consider the listing of the concrete towers, originally built as council houses in the 1960s Several buildings at a historic Aberdeen hospital have been deemed “at risk” following a recent inspection. More than 300 buildings in the north-east are currently “at risk”, according to the latest figures.	https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/tag/historic-environment-scotland/
A recent post on workplaceinsight, an online publication on the design and management of workplaces, which featured the new workplace design of management consultants BCG, got us thinking about the role of science in the workplace. The article was subtitled “Pushing the art and science of workplace design”. It featured attractive pictures of the new office, and talked about the fact that the physical workspace is becoming recognised by business leaders as “a tool in business performance and competitive advantage”. It also referenced the Leesman survey which was used to assess views of staff on the pre-occupancy workplace, something that the client, BCG, was apparently keen to listen to. In fact, Leesman CEO Tim Oldman is quoted in the article as saying: “The office layout proves that BCG is more concerned about people working effectively together, rather than achieving the highest occupational density.” So far, so good. The view that the physical design and layout of a workplace should not just be considered as cost factor, but as a lever to improve staff satisfaction, increase retention, foster collaboration and ultimately productivity is gaining traction. The recently published Stoddart Review is arguing for exactly that and publications such as ‘Don’t Worry About the Rent‘ are speaking the same language. So where is the science that the article promises? The fact that business leaders are recognising a new hot topic is not science. The fact that a business is engaged in a workplace staff survey is data collection, but we would argue not science per se. The fact that it is big data, that can be benchmarked against 200,000+ other employees who have also completed the survey, in our view doesn’t make it science either. So what is science, and how does it apply to the world of workplace? A simple google search brought up the following definition, which is a useful starting point: Therefore, science is systematic. It aims to understand the world. And it does so through some sort of methods (‘observation and experiment’). This definition didn’t quite feel all encompassing enough to usefully distinguish science from other forms of intellectual activity (e.g. a good survey, or an intelligent consultancy offer). After digging a bit deeper, we’ve found the following definition of science from the good people at the Science Council. Here it goes: Science is the pursuit and application of knowledge and understanding of the natural and social world following a systematic methodology based on evidence. They go on to define what scientific methodology entails and list the following characteristics: - Objective observation: Measurement and data (possibly although not necessarily using mathematics as a tool) - Evidence - Experiment and/or observation as benchmarks for testing hypotheses - Induction: reasoning to establish general rules or conclusions drawn from facts or examples - Repetition - Critical analysis - Verification and testing: critical exposure to scrutiny, peer review and assessment By this definition there is a lot more to science than just data although data is a fundamental part of it. The BCG case study therefore seems to fall short of being scientific in a number of ways: although data is generated (through the Leesman Index), no attempts seem to have been made to ‘establish general rules’. No hypotheses seem to have been tested. Instead the value of the workplace to the business was assumed from the start and the data collected did not appear to contribute to that line of reasoning. Repetition could be argued to be covered by the fact that the Leesman questions are repeatedly used in different scenarios, but generally speaking, they measure employee satisfaction. Verification and testing does not seem to be part of the process. Critical analysis is possibly the criterion where science and applied research in consultancy differ most. Typically, these types of surveys are used to underline a certain proposition, but not envisaged as something that is allowed to be falsified or critiqued. The point on peer review and assessment is also a crucial one, since science needs sharing and making results public. Having your own views challenged is part of the scientific process and often improves thinking and understanding. Don’t get this wrong – Leesman and other consultancy tools have their place. And of course the article we have seen may well not be telling the whole story of what really went on in this project. What we are challenging though, is the labelling of anything that simply includes data as ‘science’. Gathering data does not of itself mean a better outcome – it is a whole process of matching research questions to data collection to analysis and interpretation in order to further real understanding of the complex effects of workplace design. This is what we would call science. So in summary, scientific thinking in workplace design is crucial to real understanding. In a field where pseudo-science is rife and some consultants promise immediate gratification as a panacea to all workplace related woes, we find it important to ask critical questions, to keep an open mind, to remain curious, to welcome the unexpected and to challenge the status quo. Scientific rigour is hard work, but we believe it pays off.	https://brainybirdz.net/2017/02/02/science-in-the-workplace/
Last year in the UK over 60,000 cancer patients enrolled on clinical trials aimed at improving cancer treatments and making them available to all. A study looking at why some cancers are diagnosed after an emergency admission to hospital Cancer type: Status: Phase: This study was done to learn more about how and why cancer is sometimes diagnosed after people are admitted to hospital as an emergency. More about this trial The number of people diagnosed in A&E is particularly high in London and researchers wanted to understand more about why this happens. In this small study, they interviewed people who had been diagnosed with cancer after going into hospital as an emergency. They wanted to find out more about their experiences leading up to their diagnosis and if they had seen their GP. The researchers hoped that the information they collected could help to develop cancer services in the future. Summary of results The study team found that most people diagnosed at hospital as an emergency had already visited their GP several times with symptoms. The researchers interviewed 27 people. They had been diagnosed with a number of different cancer types such as bowel cancer or lung cancer. Their ages ranged from 18 to 92. The researchers asked what had led them to go to hospital as an emergency and about their healthcare experiences. Of the 27 people - 4 had worrying symptoms such as confusion or a swollen leg - 2 were sent by the GP to hospital straight away and 2 were taken by ambulance - 23 had been to see their GP several times about their symptoms – they went to hospital as an emergency because they suddenly felt unwell or they were sent by the GP or another health care professional The study team looked at these 23 people to find out more about their experiences. The main findings were that: - 15 had symptoms, that to begin with, did not meet the criteria for an urgent referral or test - 11 had symptoms that possibly did fit the criteria for an urgent referral or test yet were missed - some delays might have been prevented if people had gone straight to GP when their symptoms first got worse rather than waiting before seeing them again –sometimes people didn’t know if they should see the GP straight away if they had already had their symptoms diagnosed as another condition - some people thought going to hospital as an emergency was a quick way to get tests done - some GP’s or health care professionals told people to go straight to hospital as they were very worried and wanted tests done quickly – but sometimes the tests weren’t done Based on the above, the study team made some recommendations to help prevent possible delays in diagnosis. These include: - improving quick access to tests - GP’s need to be able to communicate directly with the hospital if they refer someone - encouraging patients to return to their GP as soon as possible if symptoms suddenly get worse or they are worried about their symptoms - doctors must make sure that if they are uncertain about what is causing the symptoms the patient understands this and so knows the importance of not ignoring the symptoms or assuming that because they have seen a doctor they’re ok. The study team concluded that the experiences of people being diagnosed at hospital as an emergency were quite different to the usual way people with cancer are diagnosed. We have based this summary on information from the research team. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists ( Recruitment start: Recruitment end: How to join a clinical trial Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.	http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/find-a-clinical-trial/a-study-looking-at-why-some-cancers-are-diagnosed-after-an-emergency-admission-to-hospital

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