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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND
BRIEF SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/352,607, filed on Mar. 13, 2019, which in turn is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/934,849, filed on Mar. 23, 2018 (now U.S. Pat. No. 10,255,027, issued Apr. 9, 2019), which in turn is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/031,953, filed on Apr. 25, 2016 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,933,989, issued Apr. 3, 2018), which is the U.S. national stage of International Patent Application No. PCT/US2014/062705 filed on Oct. 28, 2014, which in turn claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/898,365, filed on Oct. 31, 2013, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
One or more implementations relate generally to audio signal processing, and more specifically to binaural rendering of channel and object-based audio for headphone playback.
Virtual rendering of spatial audio over a pair of speakers commonly involves the creation of a stereo binaural signal that represents the desired sound arriving at the listener's left and right ears and is synthesized to simulate a particular audio scene in three-dimensional (3D) space, containing possibly a multitude of sources at different locations. For playback through headphones rather than speakers, binaural processing or rendering can be defined as a set of signal processing operations aimed at reproducing the intended 3D location of a sound source over headphones by emulating the natural spatial listening cues of human subjects. Typical core components of a binaural renderer are head-related filtering to reproduce direction dependent cues as well as distance cues processing, which may involve modeling the influence of a real or virtual listening room or environment. One example of a present binaural renderer processes each of the 5 or 7 channels of a 5.1 or 7.1 surround in a channel-based audio presentation to 5/7 virtual sound sources in 2D space around the listener. Binaural rendering is also commonly found in games or gaming audio hardware, in which case the processing can be applied to individual audio objects in the game based on their individual 3D position.
Traditionally, binaural rendering is a form of blind post-processing applied to multichannel or object-based audio content. Some of the processing involved in binaural rendering can have undesirable and negative effects on the timbre of the content, such as smoothing of transients or excessive reverberation added to dialog or some effects and music elements. With the growing importance of headphone listening and the additional flexibility brought by object-based content (such as the Dolby® Atmos™ system), there is greater opportunity and need to have the mixers create and encode specific binaural rendering metadata at content creation time, for instance instructing the renderer to process parts of the content with different algorithms or with different settings. Present systems do not feature this capability, nor do they allow such metadata to be transported as part of an additional specific headphone payload in the codecs.
Current systems are also not optimized at the playback end of the pipeline, insofar as content is not configured to be received on a device with additional metadata that can be provided live to the binaural renderer. While real-time head-tracking has been previously implemented and shown to improve binaural rendering, this generally prevents other features such as automated continuous head-size sensing and room sensing, and other customization features that improve the quality of the binaural rendering to be effectively and efficiently implemented in headphone-based playback systems.
What is needed, therefore, is a binaural renderer running on the playback device that combines authoring metadata with real-time locally generated metadata to provide the best possible experience to the end user when listening to channel and object-based audio through headphones. Furthermore, for channel-based content it is generally required that the artistic intent be retained by incorporating audio segmentation analysis.
The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.
Embodiments are described for systems and methods of virtual rendering object-based audio content and improved equalization in headphone-based playback systems. Embodiments include a method for rendering audio for playback through headphones comprising receiving digital audio content, receiving binaural rendering metadata generated by an authoring tool, processing the received digital audio content, receiving playback metadata generated by a playback device, and combining the binaural rendering metadata and playback metadata to optimize playback of the digital audio content through the headphones. The digital audio content may comprise channel-based audio and object-based audio including positional information for reproducing an intended location of a corresponding sound source in three-dimensional space relative to a listener. The method further comprises separating the digital audio content into one or more components based on content type, and wherein the content type is selected from the group consisting of: dialog, music, audio effects, transient signals, and ambient signals. The binaural rendering metadata controls a plurality of channel and object characteristics including: position, size, gain adjustment, and content dependent settings or processing presets; and the playback metadata controls a plurality of listener specific characteristics including head position, head orientation, head size, listening room noise levels, listening room properties, and playback device or screen position relative to the listener. The method may further include receiving one or more user input commands modifying the binaural rendering metadata, the user input commands controlling one or more characteristics including: elevation emphasis where elevated objects and channels could receive a gain boost, preferred 1D (one-dimensional) sound radius or 3D scaling factors for object or channel positioning, and processing mode enablement (e.g., to toggle between traditional stereo or full processing of content). The playback metadata may be generated in response to sensor data provided by an enabled headset housing a plurality of sensors, the enabled headset comprising part of the playback device. The method may further comprise separating the input audio into separate sub-signals, e.g. by content type or unmixing the input audio (channel-based and object-based) into constituent direct content and diffuse content, wherein the diffuse content comprises reverberated or reflected sound elements, and performing binaural rendering on the separate sub-signals independently.
Embodiments are also directed to a method for rendering audio for playback through headphones by receiving content dependent metadata dictating how content elements are rendered through the headphones, receiving sensor data from at least one of a playback device coupled to the headphones and an enabled headset including the headphones, and modifying the content dependent metadata with the sensor data to optimize the rendered audio with respect to one or more playback and user characteristics. The content dependent metadata may be generated by an authoring tool operated by a content creator, and wherein the content dependent metadata dictates the rendering of an audio signal containing audio channels and audio objects. The content dependent metadata controls a plurality of channel and object characteristics selected from the group consisting of: position, size, gain adjustment, elevation emphasis, stereo/full toggling, 3D scaling factors, content dependent settings, and other spatial and timbre properties of the rendered sound-field. The method may further comprise formatting the sensor data into a metadata format compatible with the content dependent metadata to produce playback metadata. The playback metadata controls a plurality of listener specific characteristics selected from the group consisting of: head position, head orientation, head size, listening room noise levels, listening room properties, and sound source device position. In an embodiment, the metadata format comprises a container including one or more payload packets conforming to a defined syntax and encoding digital audio definitions for corresponding audio content elements. The method further comprises encoding the combined playback metadata and the content dependent metadata with source audio content into a bitstream for processing in a rendering system; and decoding the encoded bitstream to extract one or more parameters derived from the content dependent metadata and the playback metadata to generate a control signal modifying the source audio content for playback through the headphones.
The method may further comprise performing one or more post-processing functions on the source audio content prior to playback through headphones; wherein the post-processing functions comprise at least one of: downmixing from a plurality of surround sound channels to one of a binaural mix or a stereo mix, level management, equalization, timbre correction, and noise cancellation.
Embodiments are further directed to systems and articles of manufacture that perform or embody processing commands that perform or implement the above-described method acts.
Each publication, patent, and/or patent application mentioned in this specification is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to the same extent as if each individual publication and/or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
Systems and methods are described for virtual rendering of object-based content over headphones, and a metadata delivery and processing system for such virtual rendering, though applications are not so limited. Aspects of the one or more embodiments described herein may be implemented in an audio or audio-visual system that processes source audio information in a mixing, rendering and playback system that includes one or more computers or processing devices executing software instructions. Any of the described embodiments may be used alone or together with one another in any combination. Although various embodiments may have been motivated by various deficiencies with the prior art, which may be discussed or alluded to in one or more places in the specification, the embodiments do not necessarily address any of these deficiencies. In other words, different embodiments may address different deficiencies that may be discussed in the specification. Some embodiments may only partially address some deficiencies or just one deficiency that may be discussed in the specification, and some embodiments may not address any of these deficiencies.
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Embodiments are directed to an audio content production and playback system that optimizes the rendering and playback of object and/or channel-based audio over headphones. illustrates an overall system that incorporates embodiments of a content creation, rendering and playback system, under some embodiments. As shown in system , an authoring tool is used by a creator to generate audio content for playback through one or more devices for a user to listen to through headphones or . The device is generally a portable audio or music player or small computer or mobile telecommunication device that runs applications that allow for the playback of audio content. Such a device may be a mobile phone or audio (e.g., MP3) player , a tablet computer (e.g., Apple iPad or similar device) , music console , a notebook computer , or any similar audio playback device. The audio may comprise music, dialog, effects, or any digital audio that may be desired to be listened to over headphones, and such audio may be streamed wirelessly from a content source, played back locally from storage media (e.g., disk, flash drive, etc.), or generated locally. In the following description, the term “headphone” usually refers specifically to a close-coupled playback device worn by the user directly over his or her ears or in-ear listening devices; it may also refer generally to at least some of the processing performed to render signals intended for playback on headphones as an alternative to the terms “headphone processing” or “headphone rendering.”
In an embodiment, the audio processed by the system may comprise channel-based audio, object-based audio or object and channel-based audio (e.g., hybrid or adaptive audio). The audio comprises or is associated with metadata that dictates how the audio is rendered for playback on specific endpoint devices and listening environments. Channel-based audio generally refers to an audio signal plus metadata in which the position is coded as a channel identifier, where the audio is formatted for playback through a pre-defined set of speaker zones with associated nominal surround-sound locations, e.g., 5.1, 7.1, and so on; and object-based means one or more audio channels with a parametric source description, such as apparent source position (e.g., 3D coordinates), apparent source width, etc. The term “adaptive audio” may be used to mean channel-based and/or object-based audio signals plus metadata that renders the audio signals based on the playback environment using an audio stream plus metadata in which the position is coded as a 3D position in space. In general, the listening environment may be any open, partially enclosed, or fully enclosed area, such as a room, but embodiments described herein are generally directed to playback through headphones or other close proximity endpoint devices. Audio objects can be considered as groups of sound elements that may be perceived to emanate from a particular physical location or locations in the environment, and such objects can be static or dynamic. The audio objects are controlled by metadata, which among other things, details the position of the sound at a given point in time, and upon playback they are rendered according to the positional metadata. In a hybrid audio system, channel-based content (e.g., ‘beds’) may be processed in addition to audio objects, where beds are effectively channel-based sub-mixes or stems. These can be delivered for final playback (rendering) and can be created in different channel-based configurations such as 5.1, 7.1.
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As shown in , the headphone utilized by the user may be a legacy or passive headphone that only includes non-powered transducers that simply recreate the audio signal, or it may be an enabled headphone that includes sensors and other components (powered or non-powered) that provide certain operational parameters back to the renderer for further processing and optimization of the audio content. Headphones or may be embodied in any appropriate close-ear device, such as open or closed headphones, over-ear or in-ear headphones, earbuds, earpads, noise-cancelling, isolation, or other type of headphone device. Such headphones may be wired or wireless with regard to its connection to the sound source or device .
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In an embodiment, the audio content from authoring tool includes stereo or channel based audio (e.g., 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound) in addition to object-based audio. For the embodiment of , a renderer receives the audio content from the authoring tool and provides certain functions that optimize the audio content for playback through device and headphones or . In an embodiment, the renderer includes a pre-processing stage , a binaural rendering stage , and a post-processing stage . The pre-processing stage generally performs certain segmentation operations on the input audio, such as segmenting the audio based on its content type, among other functions; the binaural rendering stage generally combines and processes the metadata associated with the channel and object components of the audio and generates a binaural stereo or multi-channel audio output with binaural stereo and additional low frequency outputs; and the post-processing component generally performs downmixing, equalization, gain/loudness/dynamic range control, and other functions prior to transmission of the audio signal to the device . It should be noted that while the renderer will likely generate two-channel signals in most cases, it could be configured to provide more than two channels of input to specific enabled headphones, for instance to deliver separate bass channels (similar to LFE .1 channel in traditional surround sound). The enabled headphone may have specific sets of drivers to reproduce bass components separately from the mid to higher frequency sound.
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It should be noted that the components of generally represent the main functional blocks of the audio generation, rendering, and playback systems, and that certain functions may be incorporated as part of one or more other components. For example, one or more portions of the renderer may be incorporated in part or in whole in the device . In this case, the audio player or tablet (or other device) may include a renderer component integrated within the device. Similarly, the enabled headphone may include at least some functions associated with the playback device and/or renderer. In such a case, a fully integrated headphone may include an integrated playback device (e.g., built-in content decoder , e.g. MP3 player) as well as an integrated rendering component. Additionally, one or more components of the renderer , such as the pre-processing component may be implemented at least in part in the authoring tool, or as part of a separate pre-processing component.
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is a block diagram of an authoring tool used in an object-based headphone rendering system, under an embodiment. As shown in , input audio from an audio source (e.g., live source, recording, etc.) is input to a digital audio workstation (DAW) for processing by a sound engineer. The input audio is typically in digital form, and if analog audio is used, an A/D (analog-to-digital) conversion step (not shown) is required. This audio typically comprises object and channel-based content, such as may be used in an adaptive audio system (e.g., Dolby Atmos), and often includes several different types of content. The input audio may be segmented through an (optional) audio segmentation pre-process, that separates (or segments) the audio based on its content type so that different types of audio may be rendered differently. For example, dialog may be rendered differently than transient signals or ambient signals. The DAW may be implemented as a workstation for editing and processing the segmented or unsegmented digital audio , and may include a mixing console, control surface, audio converter, data storage and other appropriate elements. In an embodiment, DAW is a processing platform that runs digital audio software that provides comprehensive editing functionality as well as an interface for one or more plug-in programs, such as a panner plug-in, among other functions, such as equalizers, synthesizers, effects, and so on. The panner plug-in shown in DAW performs a panning function configured to distribute each object signal to specific speaker pairs or locations in 2D/3D space in a manner that conveys the desired position of each respective object signal to the listener.
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In authoring tool the processed audio from DAW is input to a binaural rendering component . This component includes an audio processing function that produces binaural audio output as well as binaural rendering metadata and spatial media type metadata . The audio and metadata components and form a coded audio bitstream with binaural metadata payload . In general, the audio component comprises channel and object-based audio that is passed to the bitstream with the metadata components and ; however, it should be noted that the audio component may be standard multi-channel audio, binaurally rendered audio, or a combination of these two audio types. A binaural rendering component also includes a binaural metadata input function that directly produces a headphone output for direct connection to the headphones. For the embodiment of , the metadata for binaural rendering is generated at mixing time within the authoring tool In an alternative embodiment, the metadata may be generated at encoding time, as shown with reference to . As shown in , a mixer uses an application or tool to create audio data and the binaural and spatial metadata. The mixer provides inputs to the DAW . Alternatively, it may also provide inputs directly to the binaural rendering process . In an embodiment, the mixer receives the headphone audio output so that the mixer may monitor the effect of the audio and metadata input. This effectively constitutes a feedback loop in which the mixer receives the headphone rendered audio output through headphones to determine if any input changes are needed. The mixer may be a person operating equipment, such as a mixing console or computer, or it may be an automated process that is remotely controlled or pre-programmed.
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is a block diagram of an authoring tool used in an object-based headphone rendering system, under an alternative embodiment. In this embodiment, the metadata for binaural rendering is generated at encoding time, and the encoder runs a content classifier and metadata generator to generate additional metadata from legacy channel-based content. For the authoring tool of , legacy multichannel content , which does not include any audio objects, but channel-based audio only is input to an encoding tool and rendering headphone emulation component . The object-based content is separately input to this component as well. The channel-based legacy content may first be input to an optional audio segmentation pre-processor for separation of different content types for individual rendering. In authoring tool the binaural rendering component includes a headphone emulation function that produces binaural audio output as well as binaural rendering metadata and spatial media type metadata . The audio and metadata components and form a coded audio bitstream with binaural metadata payload . As stated above, the audio component usually comprises channel and object-based audio that is passed to the bitstream with the metadata components and ; however, it should be noted that the audio component may be standard multi-channel audio, binaurally rendered audio, or a combination of these two audio types. When legacy content is input, the output coded audio bitstream could contain explicitly separated sub-components audio data or metadata implicitly describing content type allowing the receiving endpoint to perform segmentation and process each sub-component appropriately. The binaural rendering component also includes a binaural metadata input function that directly produces a headphone output for direct connection to the headphones. As shown in , an optional mixer (person or process) may be included to monitor the headphone output to input and modify audio data and metadata inputs that may be provided directly to the rendering process .
With regard to content type and the operation of the content classifier, audio is generally classified into one of a number of defined content types, such as dialog, music, ambience, special effects, and so on. An object may change content type throughout its duration, but at any specific point in time it is generally only one type of content. In an embodiment, the content type is expressed as a probability that the object is a particular type of content at any point in time. Thus, for example, a constant dialog object would be expressed as a one-hundred percent probability dialog object, while an object that transforms from dialog to music may be expressed as fifty percent dialog/fifty percent music. Processing objects that have different content types could be performed by averaging their respective probabilities for each content type, selecting the content type probabilities for the most dominant object within a group of objects, or a single object over time, or some other logical combination of content type measures. The content type may also be expressed as an n-dimensional vector (where n is the total number of different content types, e.g., four, in the case of dialog/music/ambience/effects). The content type metadata may be embodied as a combined content type metadata definition, where a combination of content types reflects the probability distributions that are combined (e.g., a vector of probabilities of music, speech, and so on).
With regard to classification of audio, in an embodiment, the process operates on a per time-frame basis to analyze the signal, identify features of the signal and compare the identified features to features of known classes in order to determine how well the features of the object match the features of a particular class. Based on how well the features match a particular class, the classifier can identify a probability of an object belonging to a particular class. For example, if at time t=T the features of an object match very well with dialog features, then the object would be classified as dialog with a high probability. If, at time=T+N, the features of an object match very well with music features, the object would be classified as music with a high probability. Finally, if at time T=T+2N the features of an object do not match particularly well with either dialog or music, the object might be classified as 50% music and 50% dialog. Thus, in an embodiment, based on the content type probabilities, audio content can be separated into different sub-signals corresponding to the different content types. This is accomplished, for example, by sending some percentage of the original signal to each sub-signal (either on a wide-band basis or on a per frequency sub-band basis), in a proportion driven by the computed media type probabilities.
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With reference to , the output from authoring tool is input to renderer for rendering as audio output for playback through headphones or other endpoint devices. is a block diagram of a rendering component used in an object-based headphone rendering system, under an embodiment. illustrates the pre-processing , binaural rendering , and post-processing sub-components of renderer in greater detail. From the authoring tool , the metadata and audio are input into processing or pre-processing components in the form of a coded audio bitstream . The metadata is input to a metadata processing component , and the audio is input to an optional audio segmentation pro-processor . As shown with reference to , audio segmentation may be performed by the authoring tool through pre-processors or . If such audio segmentation is not performed by the authoring tool, the renderer may perform this task through pre-processor . The processed metadata and segmented audio is then input to a binaural rendering component . This component performs certain headphone specific rendering functions, such as 3D positioning, distance control, head size processing, and so on. The binaural rendered audio is then input to audio post-processor , which applies certain audio operations, such as level management, equalization, noise compensation or cancellation, and so on. The post-processed audio is then output for playback through headphones or . For an embodiment in which the headphones or playback device are fitted with sensors and/or microphones for feedback to the renderer, the microphone and sensor data is input back to at least one of the metadata processing component , the binaural rendering component or the audio post-processing component . For standard headphones that are not fitted with sensors, headtracking could be replaced by a simpler pseudo-randomly generated head ‘jitter’ that mimics continuously changing small head movements. This allows any relevant environmental or operational data at the point of playback to be used by the rendering system to further modify the audio to counteract or enhance certain playback conditions.
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As mentioned above, segmentation of the audio may be performed by the authoring tool or the renderer. For the embodiment in which the audio is pre-segmented, the renderer processes this audio directly. is a block diagram of a rendering component used in an object-based headphone rendering system, under this alternative embodiment. As shown for renderer coded audio bitstream from the authoring tool is provided in its constituent parts of metadata input to metadata processing component , and audio to binaural rendering component . For the embodiment of , the audio is pre-segmented by an audio pre-segmentation process or in the appropriate authoring tool. The binaural rendering component performs certain headphone specific rendering functions, such as 3D positioning, distance control, head size processing, and so on. The binaural rendered audio is then input to audio post-processor , which applies certain audio operations, such as level management, equalization, noise compensation or cancellation, and so on. The post-processed audio is then output for playback through headphones or . For an embodiment in which the headphones or playback device are fitted with sensors and/or microphones for feedback to the renderer, the microphone and sensor data is input back to at least one of the metadata processing component , the binaural rendering component or the audio post-processing component . The authoring and rendering systems of allow content authors to create and encode specific binaural rendering metadata at content creation time using authoring tool . This allows the audio data to be used to instruct the renderer to process parts of the audio content with different algorithms or with different settings. In an embodiment, authoring tool represents a workstation or computer application that allows a content creator (author) to select or create audio content for playback and define certain characteristics for each of the channels and/or objects that make up the audio content. The authoring tool may include a mixer type console interface or a graphical user interface (GUI) representation of a mixing console. illustrates an authoring tool GUI that may be used with embodiments of a headphone rendering system, under an embodiment. As can be seen in GUI display , a number of different characteristics are allowed to be set by the author such as gain levels, low frequency characteristics, equalization, panning, object position and density, delays, fades, and so on. For the embodiment shown, user input is facilitated by the use of virtual sliders for the author to specify setting values, though other virtualized or direct input means are also possible, such as direct text entry, potentiometer settings, rotary dials, and so on. At least some of the parameter settings entered by the user are encoded as metadata that is associated with the relevant channels or audio objects for transport with the audio content. In an embodiment, the metadata may be packaged as part of an additional specific headphone payload in the codec (coder/decoder) circuits in the audio system. Using enabled devices, real-time metadata that encodes certain operational and environmental conditions (e.g., head tracking, head-size sensing, room sensing, ambient conditions, noise levels, etc.) can be provided live to the binaural renderer. The binaural renderer combines the authored metadata content and the real-time locally generated metadata to provide an optimized listening experience for the user. In general, the object controls provided by the authoring tools and user input interfaces allow the user to control certain important headphone-specific parameters, such as binaural and stereo-bypass dynamic rendering modes, LFE (low-frequency element) gain and object gains, media intelligence and content-dependent controls. More specifically, rendering mode could be selected on a content-type basis or object basis between stereo (Lo/Ro), matrixed stereo (Lt/Rt), using a combination of interaural time delays and stereo amplitude or intensity panning, or full binaural rendering (i.e. combination of interaural time delays and levels as well as frequency dependent spectral cues). In addition, a frequency cross over point can be specified to revert to stereo processing below a given frequency. Low frequency gains can also be specified to attenuate low frequency components or LFE content. Low frequency content could also be transported separately to enabled headphones, as described in greater detail below. Other metadata can be specified on a per-content type or per-channel/object basis such as room model generally described by a direct/reverberant gain and a frequency dependent reverberation time and interaural target cross-correlation. It could also include other more detailed modeling of the room (e.g., early reflections positions, gains and late reverberation gain). It could also include directly specified filters modeling a particular room response. Other metadata includes warp to screen flags (that controls how objects are remapped to fit screen aspect ratio and viewing angle as function of distance). Finally a listener relative flag (i.e., to apply headtracking information or not), preferred scaling (specify a default size/aspect ratio of ‘virtual room’ for rendering the content used to scale the object positions as well as remap to screen (as a function of device screen size and distance to device)) as well as distance model exponent that controls distance attenuation law (e.g., 1/(1+r)) are also possible It is also possible to signal parameter groups or ‘presets’ that can be applied to different channels/objects or depending on content-type.
As shown with respect to the pre-segmentation components of the authoring tool and/or renderer, different types of content (e.g., dialog, music, effects, etc.) may be processed differently based on the intent of the author and the optimum rendering configuration. Separation of content based on type or other salient characteristic can be achieved a priori during authoring, e.g. by manually keeping dialog separated in their own set of tracks or objects, or a posteriori live prior to rendering in the receiving device. Additional media intelligence tools can be used during authoring to classify content according to different characteristics and generate additional channels or objects that may carry different sets of rendering metadata. For example, having knowledge of the stems (music, dialog, Foley, effects, etc.) and an associated surround (e.g., 5.1) mix, media classifiers could be trained for the content creation process to develop a model to identify different stem mix proportions. An associated source separation technique could be employed to extract the approximate stems using weighting functions derived from the media classifier. From the extracted stems, binaural parameters that would be encoded as metadata may be applied during authoring. In an embodiment, a mirrored process is applied in the end-user device whereby using the decoded metadata parameters would create a substantially similar experience as during content creation.
α
In an embodiment, extensions to existing studio authoring tools include binaural monitoring and metadata recording. Typical metadata captured at authoring time include: channel/object position/size information for each channel and audio object, channel/object gain adjustment, content dependent metadata (can vary based on content type), bypass flags to indicate settings, such as stereo/left/right rendering should be used instead of binaural, crossover points and levels indicating that bass frequency below cross over point must be bypassed and/or attenuated, and room model information to describe a direct/reverberant gain and a frequency dependent reverberation time or other characteristics, such as early reflections and late reverberation gain. Other content dependent metadata could provide warp to screen functionality that remaps images to fit screen aspect ratio or change the viewing angle as a function of distance. Head tracking information can be applied to provide a listener relative experience. Metadata could also be used that implements a distance model exponent that controls distance as a function of attenuation law (e.g., 1/(1+r). These represent only certain characteristics that may be encoded by the metadata, and other characteristics may also be encoded.
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is a block diagram that provides an overview of the dual-ended binaural rendering system, under an embodiment. In an embodiment, system provides content-dependent metadata and rendering settings that affect how different types of audio content are to be rendered. For example, the original audio content may comprise different audio elements, such as dialog, music, effects, ambient sounds, transients, and so on. Each of these elements may be optimally rendered in different ways, instead of limiting them to be rendered all in only one way. For the embodiment of system , audio input comprises a multi-channel signal, object-based channel or hybrid audio of channel plus objects. The audio is input to an encoder that adds or modifies metadata associated with the audio objects and channels. As shown in system , the audio is input to a headphone monitoring component that applies user adjustable parametric tools to control headphone processing, equalization, downmix, and other characteristics appropriate for headphone playback. The user-optimized parameter set (M) is then embedded as metadata or additional metadata by the encoder to form a bitstream that is transmitted to decoder . The decoder decodes the metadata and the parameter set M of the object and channel-based audio for controlling the headphone processing and downmix component , which produces headphone optimized and downmixed (e.g., 5.1 to stereo) audio output to the headphones. Although certain content dependent processing has been implemented in present systems and post-processing chains, it has generally not been applied to binaural rendering, such as illustrated in system of .
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As shown in , certain metadata may be provided by a headphone monitoring component that provides specific user adjustable parametric tools to control headphone-specific playback. Such a component may be configured to provide a user some degree of control over headphone rendering for legacy headphones that passively playback transmitted audio content. Alternatively, the endpoint device may be an enabled headphone that includes sensors and/or some degree of processing capability to generate metadata or signal data that can be encoded as compatible metadata to further modify the authored metadata to optimize the audio content for rendering over headphones. Thus, at the receiving end of the content, rendering is performed live and can account for locally generated sensor array data which can be generated either by a headset or an actual mobile device to which headsets are attached, and such hardware-generated metadata can be further combined with the metadata created by the content creator at authoring time to enhance the binaural rendering experience.
As stated above, in some embodiments, low frequency content may be transported separately to enabled headphones allowing more than stereo input (typically 3 or 4 audio inputs), or encoded and modulated into the higher frequencies of the main stereo waveforms carried to a headset with only stereo input. This would allow further low frequency processing to occur in the headphones (e.g. routing to specific drivers optimized for low frequencies). Such headphones may include low frequency specific drivers and/or filter plus crossover and amplification circuitry to optimize playback of low frequency signals.
406
FIG. 4
In an embodiment, a link from the headphones to the headphone processing component is provided on the playback side to enable manual identification of the headphones for automatic headphone preset loading or other configuration of the headphones. Such a link may be implemented as a wireless or wired link from the headphones to headphone process in , for example. The identification may be used to configure the target headphones or to send specific content or specifically rendered content to a specific set of headphones if multiple target headphones are being used. The headphone identifier may be embodied in any appropriate alphanumeric or binary code that is processed by the rendering process as either part of the metadata or a separate data processing operation.
FIG. 6
FIG. 6
FIG. 6
600
602
604
606
610
608
612
602
illustrates an enabled headphone that comprises one or more sensors that sense playback conditions for encoding as metadata used in a headphone rendering system, under an embodiment. The various sensors may be arranged in a sensor array that can be used to provide live metadata to the renderer at render time. For the example headphone of , the sensors include a range sensor (such as infrared IR or time-of-flight TOF camera) , tension/headsize sensor , gyroscopic sensor , external microphone (or pair) , ambient noise cancellation processor , internal microphone (or pair) , among other appropriate sensors. As shown in , the sensor array can comprise both audio sensors (i.e., microphones) as well as data sensors (e.g., orientation, size, tension/stress, and range sensors). Specifically for use with headphones, orientation data can be used to ‘lock’ or rotate the spatial audio object according to the listener's head motion, tension sensors or external microphones can be used to infer the size of the listener's head (e.g., by monitoring audio cross correlation at two external microphones located on the earcups) and adjust relevant binaural rendering parameters (e.g., interaural time delays, shoulder reflection timing, etc.). Range sensors can be used to evaluate distance to the display in case of a mobile A/V playback and correct the location of on-screen objects to account for the distance-dependent viewing angle (i.e. render objects wider as the screen is brought closer to the listener) or adjust global gain and room model to convey appropriate distance rendering. Such a sensor function is useful if the audio content is part of A/V content that is played back on devices that may range from small mobile phones (e.g., 2-4″ screen size) to tablets (e.g., 7-10″ screen size) to laptop computers (e.g., 15-17″ screen size). In addition sensors can also be used to automatically detect and set the routing of the left and right audio outputs to the correct transducers, not requiring a specific a priori orientation or explicit “Left/Right” markings on the headphones.
FIG. 1
116
118
104
104
104
As shown in , the audio or A/V content transmitted to the headphones or may be provided through a handheld or portable device . In an embodiment, the device itself may include one or more sensors. For example, if the device is a handheld game console or game controller, certain gyro sensors and accelerometers may be provided to track object movement and position. For this embodiment, the device to which the headset is connected can also provide additional sensor data such as orientation, head size, camera, etc., as device metadata.
FIG. 7
FIG. 7
104
702
700
600
701
702
702
704
706
For this embodiment, certain headphone-to-device communication means are implemented. For example, the headset can be connected to the device either through a wired or wireless digital link or an analog audio link (microphone input), in which case the metadata will be frequency modulated and added to the analog microphone input. illustrates the connection between a headphone and device including a headphone sensor processor , under an embodiment. As shown in system , headphone transmits certain sensor, audio and microphone data over a wired or wireless link to headphone sensor processor . The processed data from processor may comprise analog audio with metadata or spatial audio output . As shown in , each of the connections comprises a bi-directional link between the headphone, processor, and outputs. This allows sensor and microphone data to be transmitted to and from the headphones and device for creation or modification of appropriate metadata. In addition to hardware generated metadata, user controls can also be provided to complement or generate appropriate metadata if not available through hardware sensor arrays. Example user controls can include: elevation emphasis, binaural on/off switch, preferred sound radius or size, and other similar characteristics. Such user controls may be provided through hardware or software interface elements associated with the headphone processor component, playback device, and/or headphones.
FIG. 8
800
806
102
500
804
804
808
810
is a block diagram illustrating the different metadata components that may be used in a headphone rendering system, under an embodiment. As shown in diagram , the metadata processed by the headphone processor comprises authored metadata, such as that produced by authoring tool and mixing console , and hardware generated metadata . The hardware generated metadata may include user input metadata, device-side metadata provided by or generated from data sent from device , and/or headphone-side metadata provided by or generated from data sent from headphone .
802
804
114
112
116
118
900
902
904
904
906
910
910
910
904
908
912
912
FIG. 9
In an embodiment, the authored and/or hardware-generated metadata is processed in a binaural rendering component of renderer . The metadata provides control over specific audio channels and/or objects to optimize playback over headphones or . illustrates functional components of a binaural rendering component for headphone processing, under an embodiment. As shown in system , decoder outputs the multi-channel signal or the channel plus object tracks along with the decoded parameter set, M, for controlling the headphone processing performed by headphone processor . The headphone processor also receives certain spatial parameter updates from camera-based or sensor-based tracking device . Tracking device is a face-tracking or head-tracking device that measures certain angular and positional parameters (r, θ, ϕ) associated with the user's head. The spatial parameters may correspond to distance and certain orientation angles, such as yaw, pitch, and roll. An original set of spatial parameters, x, may be updated as the sensor data is processed. These spatial parameters updates Y are then passed to the headphone processor for further modification of the parameter set M. The processed audio data is then transmitted to a post-processing stage that performs certain audio processing such as timbre-correction, filtering, downmixing, and other relevant processes. The audio is then equalized by equalizer and transmitted to the headphones. In an embodiment, the equalizer may perform equalization with or without using a pressure-division-ratio (PDR) transform, as described in further detail in the description that follows.
FIG. 10
FIG. 10
1000
1002
1006
1008
1012
1004
1008
1010
illustrates a binaural rendering system for rendering audio objects in a headphone rendering system, under an embodiment. illustrates some of the signal components as they are processed through a binaural headphone processor. As shown in diagram , object audio components are input to an unmixer that separates direct and diffuse components (e.g., direct from reverb path) of the audio. The direct component is input to a downmix component that downmixes surround channels (e.g., 5.1 surround) to stereo with phase shift information. The direct component is also input to a direct content binaural renderer . Both two-channel components are then input to a dynamic timbre equalizer . For the object based audio input, the object position and user control signals are input to a virtualizer steerer component . This generates a scaled object position that is input to the binaural renderer along with the direct component. The diffuse component of the audio is input to a separate binaural renderer , and is combined with the rendered direct content by an adder circuit prior to output as two-channel output audio.
FIG. 11
FIG. 10
FIG. 11
FIG. 11
1100
1102
1118
1120
1116
1124
1122
1120
1100
1106
1108
1110
1112
116
104
1104
1102
1104
1120
illustrates a more detailed representation of the binaural rendering system of , under an embodiment. As shown in diagram of , the multi-channel and object-based audio is input to unmixer for separation into direct and diffuse components. The direct content is processed by direct binaural renderer , and the diffuse content is processed by diffuse binaural renderer . After downmixing and timbre equalization of the direct content the diffuse and direct audio components are then combined through an adder circuit for post-processing, such as by headphone equalizer , and other possible circuits. As shown in , certain user input and feedback data are used to modify the binaural rendering of the diffuse content in diffuse binaural renderer . For the embodiment of system , playback environment sensor provides data regarding listening room properties and noise estimation (ambient sound levels), head/face tracking sensor provides head position, orientation, and size data, device tracking sensor provides device position data, and user input provides playback radius data. This data may be provided by sensors located in the headphone and/or device . The various sensor data and user input data is combined with content metadata, which provides object position and room parameter information in a virtualizer steerer component . This component also receives direct and diffuse energy information from the unmixer . The virtualizer steerer outputs data including object position, head position/orientation/size, room parameters, and other relevant information to the diffuse content binaural renderer . In this manner, the diffuse content of the input audio is adjusted to accommodate sensor and user input data.
1102
1104
1120
While optimal performance of the virtualizer steerer is achieved when sensor data, user input data, and content metadata are received, it is possible to achieve beneficial performance of the virtualizer steerer even in the absence of one or more of these inputs. For example, when processing legacy content (e.g., encoded bitstreams which do not contain binaural rendering metadata) for playback over conventional headphones (e.g., headphones which do not include various sensors, microphones, etc.), a beneficial result may still be obtained by providing the direct energy and diffuse energy outputs of the unmixer to the virtualizer steerer to generate control information for the diffuse content binaural renderer , even in the absence of one or more other inputs to the virtualizer steerer.
1100
FIG. 11
In an embodiment, rendering system of allows the binaural headphone renderer to efficiently provide individualization based on interaural time difference (ITD) and interaural level difference (ILD) and sensing of head size. ILD and ITD are important cues for azimuth, which is the angle of an audio signal relative to the head when produced in the horizontal plane. ITD is defined as the difference in arrival time of a sound between two ears, and the ILD effect uses differences in sound level entering the ears to provide localization cues. It is generally accepted that ITDs are used to localize low frequency sound and ILDs are used to localize high frequency sounds, while both are used for content that contains both high and low frequencies.
1100
Rendering system also allows accommodation for source distance control and room model. It further allows for direct versus diffuse/reverb (dry/wet) content extraction and processing, optimization of room reflections, and timbral matching.
HRTF Model
100
1204
1202
1202
1204
1206
1208
FIG. 12
FIG. 12
In spatial audio reproduction, certain sound source cues are virtualized. For example, sounds intended to be heard from behind the listeners may be generated by speakers physically located behind them, and as such, all of the listeners perceive these sounds as coming from behind. With virtual spatial rendering over headphones, on the other hand, perception of audio from behind is controlled by head related transfer functions (HRTF) that are used to generate the binaural signal. In an embodiment, the metadata-based headphone processing system may include certain HRTF modeling mechanisms. The foundation of such a system generally builds upon the structural model of the head and torso. This approach allows algorithms to be built upon the core model in a modular approach. In this algorithm, the modular algorithms are referred to as ‘tools.’ In addition to providing ITD and ILD cues, the model approach provides a point of reference with respect to the position of the ears on the head, and more broadly to the tools that are built upon the model. The system could be tuned or modified according to anthropometric features of the user. Other benefits of the modular approach allow for accentuating certain features in order to amplify specific spatial cues. For instance, certain cues could be exaggerated beyond what an acoustic binaural filter would impart to an individual. is a system diagram showing the different tools used in an HRTF modeling system used in a headphone rendering system, under an embodiment. As shown in , certain inputs including azimuth, elevation, fs, and range are input to modeling stage , after at least some input components are filtered . In an embodiment, filter stage may comprise a snowman filter model that consists of a spherical head on top of a spherical body and accounts for the contributions of the torso as well as the head to the HRTF. Modeling stage computes the pinna and torso models and the left and right (l, r) components are post-processed for final output .
Metadata Structure
FIG. 13
FIG. 13
FIG. 13
1300
1304
1306
1302
As described above, the audio content processed by the headphone playback system comprises channels, objects and associated metadata that provides the spatial and processing cues necessary to optimize rendering of the audio through headphones. Such metadata can be generated as authored metadata from authoring tools as well as hardware generated metadata from one or more endpoint devices. illustrates a data structure that enables delivery of metadata for a headphone rendering system, under an embodiment. In an embodiment, the metadata structure of is configured to supplement the metadata delivered in other portions of a bitstream that may be packaged in accordance with a known channel-based audio format, such as Dolby digital AC-3 or Enhanced AC-3 bit stream syntax. As shown in , the data structure consists of a container that contains one or more data payloads . Each payload is identified in the container using a unique payload identifier value to provide an unambiguous indication of the type of data present in the payload. The order of payloads within the container is undefined. Payloads can be stored in any order, and a parser must be able to parse the entire container to extract relevant payloads, and ignore payloads that are either not relevant or are unsupported. Protection data follows the final payload in the container that can be used by a decoding device to verify that the container and the payloads within the container are error-free. A preliminary portion containing sync, version, and key-ID information precedes the first payload in the container.
The data structure supports extensibility through the use of versioning and identifiers for specific payload types. The metadata payloads may be used to describe the nature or configuration of the audio program being delivered in an AC-3 or Enhanced AC-3 (or other type) bit stream, or may be used to control audio processing algorithms that are designed to further process the output of the decoding process.
Containers may be defined using different programming structures, based on implementation preferences. The table below illustrates example syntax of a container, under an embodiment.
container( )
{
Version........................................................................................2
if (version == 3)
{
version += variable_bits(2).............................variable_bits(2)
}
key_id.........................................................................................3
if (key_id == 7)
{
key_id += variable_bits(3)............................variable_bits(3)
}
payload_id...................................................................................5
while (payload_id != 0x0)
{
if (payload_id == 0x1F)
{
payload_id += variable_bits(5) ................variable_bits(5)
}
payload_config( )
payload_size.......................variable_bits(8)
for (i = 0; i < payload_size; i++)
{
payload_bytes...............................................................8
}
}
protection( )
}
An example of possible syntax of the variable bits for the example container syntax provided above is shown in the following table:
Syntax
variable_bits (n_bits)
{
value = 0;
Do
{
value += read................................................................n_bits
read_more...........................................................................1
if (read_more)
{
value <<= n_bits;
value += (1<<n_bits);
}
}
while (read_more);
return value;
}
An example of possible syntax of the payload configuration for the example container syntax provided above is shown in the following table:
Syntax
No. of bits
payload_config( )
{
Smploffste...................................................................................1
if(smploffste) {smploffst}.........................................................11
Reserved.....................................................................................1
Duratione.....................................................................................1
if(duratione) {duration}.................................variable_bits(11)
Groupide.....................................................................................1
if (groupide) {groupid}...................................variable_bits(2)
Codecdatae.................................................................................1
if (codecdatae) {reserved}...........................................................8
discard_unknown_payload.......................................................1
if (discard_unknown_payload == 0)
{
if (smploffste == 0)
{
payload_frame_aligned.................................................1
if (payload_frame_aligned)
{
create_duplicate...................................................1
remove_duplicate.................................................1
}
}
if (smpoffste == 1 ∥ payload_frame_aligned == 1)
{
Priority...........................................................................5
proc allowed...................................................................2
}
}
}
FIG. 13
The above syntax definitions are provided as example implementations, and are not meant to be limiting as many other different program structures may be used. In an embodiment, a number of fields within the container structure and payload data are encoded using a method known as variable-bits. This method enables efficient coding of small field values with extensibility to be able to express arbitrarily large field values. When variable_bit coding is used, the field is consists of one or more groups of n-bits, with each group followed by a 1-bit read_more field. At a minimum, coding of n bits requires n+1 bits to be transmitted. All fields coded using variable_bits are interpreted as unsigned integers. Various other different coding aspects may be implemented according to practices and methods known to those of ordinary skill in the art. The above tables and illustrate an example metadata structure, format, and program content. It should be noted that these are intended to represent one example embodiment of a metadata representation, and other metadata definitions and content are also possible.
Headphone EQ and Correction
FIG. 1
FIG. 9
FIG. 14
115
112
912
As illustrated in , certain post-processing functions may be performed by the renderer . One such post-processing function comprises headphone equalization, as shown in element of . In an embodiment, equalization may be performed by obtaining blocked-ear canal impulse response measurements for different headphone placements for each ear. illustrates an example case of three impulse response measurements for each ear, in an embodiment of a headphone equalization process. The equalization post-process compute the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) of each response and performs an RMS (root-mean squared) averaging of the derived response. The responses may be variable, octave smoothed, ERB smoothed, etc. The process then computes the inversion, |F(ω)|, of the RMS average with constraints on the limits (+/−x dB) of the inversion magnitude response at mid- and high-frequencies. The process then determines the time-domain filter.
The post-process may also include a closed-to-open transform function. This pressure-division-ratio (PDR) method involves designing a transform to match the acoustical impedance between eardrum and free-field for closed-back headphones with modifications in terms of how the measurements are obtained for free-field sound transmission as a function of direction of arrival first-arriving sound. This indirectly enables matching the eardrum pressure signals between closed-back headphones and free-field equivalent conditions without requiring complicated eardrum measurements.
FIG. 15A
1500
1
1
1
illustrates a circuit for calculating the free-field sound transmission, under an embodiment. Circuit is based on a free-field acoustical impedance model. In this model, P(ω) is the Thevenin pressure measured at the entrance of the blocked ear canal with a loudspeaker at θ degrees about the median plane (e.g., about 30 degrees to the left and front of the listener) involving extraction of direct sound from the measured impulse response. Measurement P(ω) can be done at the entrance of the ear canal or at a certain distance inside (x mm) inside the ear canal (or at the eardrum) from the opening for the same loudspeaker at the same placement for measuring P(ω) involving extraction of direct sound from the measured impulse response.
2
1
For this model, the ratio of P(ω)/P(ω) is calculated as follows:
<math overflow="scroll"><mrow><mfrac><mrow><msub><mi>P</mi><mn>2</mn></msub><mo>⁡</mo><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>ω</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow><mrow><msub><mi>P</mi><mn>1</mn></msub><mo>⁡</mo><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>ω</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow></mfrac><mo>=</mo><mfrac><mrow><msub><mi>Z</mi><mi>eardrum</mi></msub><mo>⁡</mo><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>ω</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow><mrow><mrow><msub><mi>Z</mi><mi>eardrum</mi></msub><mo>⁡</mo><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>ω</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow><mo>+</mo><mrow><msub><mi>Z</mi><mi>radiation</mi></msub><mo>⁡</mo><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>ω</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow></mrow></mfrac></mrow></math>
FIG. 15B
1510
4
5
4
illustrates a circuit for calculating the headphone sound transmission, under an embodiment. Circuit is based on a headphone acoustical impedance analog model. In this model, Pis measured at the entrance of the blocked ear canal with headphone (RMS averaged) steady-state measurement, and measure P(ω) is made at the entrance to the ear canal or at a distance inside the ear canal (or at the eardrum) from the opening for the same headphone placement used for measuring P(ω).
5
4
For this model, the ratio of P(ω)/P(ω) is calculated as follows:
<math overflow="scroll"><mrow><mfrac><mrow><msub><mi>P</mi><mn>5</mn></msub><mo>⁡</mo><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>ω</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow><mrow><msub><mi>P</mi><mn>4</mn></msub><mo>⁡</mo><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>ω</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow></mfrac><mo>=</mo><mfrac><mrow><msub><mi>Z</mi><mi>eardrum</mi></msub><mo>⁡</mo><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>ω</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow><mrow><mrow><msub><mi>Z</mi><mi>eardrum</mi></msub><mo>⁡</mo><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>ω</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow><mo>+</mo><mrow><msub><mi>Z</mi><mi>headphone</mi></msub><mo>⁡</mo><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>ω</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow></mrow></mfrac></mrow></math>
The pressure-division-ratio (PDR) can then be calculated using the following formula:
<math overflow="scroll"><mrow><mrow><mi>PDR</mi><mo>⁡</mo><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>ω</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow><mo>=</mo><mrow><mfrac><mrow><msub><mi>P</mi><mn>2</mn></msub><mo>⁡</mo><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>ω</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow><mrow><msub><mi>P</mi><mn>1</mn></msub><mo>⁡</mo><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>ω</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow></mfrac><mo>÷</mo><mfrac><mrow><msub><mi>P</mi><mn>5</mn></msub><mo>⁡</mo><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>ω</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow><mrow><msub><mi>P</mi><mn>4</mn></msub><mo>⁡</mo><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>ω</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow></mfrac></mrow></mrow></math>
Aspects of the methods and systems described herein may be implemented in an appropriate computer-based sound processing network environment for processing digital or digitized audio files. Portions of the adaptive audio system may include one or more networks that comprise any desired number of individual machines, including one or more routers (not shown) that serve to buffer and route the data transmitted among the computers. Such a network may be built on various different network protocols, and may be the Internet, a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Local Area Network (LAN), or any combination thereof. In an embodiment in which the network comprises the Internet, one or more machines may be configured to access the Internet through web browser programs.
One or more of the components, blocks, processes or other functional components may be implemented through a computer program that controls execution of a processor-based computing device of the system. It should also be noted that the various functions disclosed herein may be described using any number of combinations of hardware, firmware, and/or as data and/or instructions embodied in various machine-readable or computer-readable media, in terms of their behavioral, register transfer, logic component, and/or other characteristics. Computer-readable media in which such formatted data and/or instructions may be embodied include, but are not limited to, physical (non-transitory), non-volatile storage media in various forms, such as optical, magnetic or semiconductor storage media.
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in a sense of “including, but not limited to.” Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,” “hereunder,” “above,” “below,” and words of similar import refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. When the word “or” is used in reference to a list of two or more items, that word covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list and any combination of the items in the list.
While one or more implementations have been described by way of example and in terms of the specific embodiments, it is to be understood that one or more implementations are not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements as would be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the following drawings like reference numbers are used to refer to like elements. Although the following figures depict various examples, the one or more implementations are not limited to the examples depicted in the figures.
FIG. 1
illustrates an overall system that incorporates embodiments of a content creation, rendering and playback system, under some embodiments.
FIG. 2A
is a block diagram of an authoring tool used in an object-based headphone rendering system, under an embodiment.
FIG. 2B
is a block diagram of an authoring tool used in an object-based headphone rendering system, under an alternative embodiment
FIG. 3A
is a block diagram of a rendering component used in an object-based headphone rendering system, under an embodiment.
FIG. 3B
is a block diagram of a rendering component used in an object-based headphone rendering system, under an alternative embodiment.
FIG. 4
is a block diagram that provides an overview of the dual-ended binaural rendering system, under an embodiment.
FIG. 5
illustrates an authoring tool GUI that may be used with embodiments of a headphone rendering system, under an embodiment.
FIG. 6
illustrates an enabled headphone that comprises one or more sensors that sense playback conditions for encoding as metadata used in a headphone rendering system, under an embodiment.
FIG. 7
illustrates the connection between a headphone and device including a headphone sensor processor, under an embodiment.
FIG. 8
is a block diagram illustrating the different metadata components that may be used in a headphone rendering system, under an embodiment.
FIG. 9
illustrates functional components of a binaural rendering component for headphone processing, under an embodiment.
FIG. 10
illustrates a binaural rendering system for rendering audio objects in a headphone rendering system, under an embodiment.
FIG. 11
FIG. 10
illustrates a more detailed representation of the binaural rendering system of , under an embodiment.
FIG. 12
is a system diagram showing the different tools used in an HRTF modeling system used in a headphone rendering system, under an embodiment.
FIG. 13
illustrates a data structure that enables delivery of metadata for a headphone rendering system, under an embodiment.
FIG. 14
illustrates an example case of three impulse response measurements for each ear, in an embodiment of a headphone equalization process.
FIG. 15A
illustrates a circuit for calculating the free-field sound transmission, under an embodiment.
FIG. 15B
illustrates a circuit for calculating the headphone sound transmission, under an embodiment. | |
Before we jump into things, let’s define exactly what overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) means. At the most basic level, overall equipment effectiveness is a metric used in manufacturing operations to see and understand how efficiently processes and equipment are being used.
It looks at facilities, time, materials, and the productivity of each of those discrete aspects of the manufacturing process. Given the budget constraints that all manufacturers face, it’s obvious that equipment effectiveness measures are so popular and necessary.
Key Performance Indicators for Overall Equipment Effectiveness
There are three major aspects that you must consider when it comes to setting key performance indicators (KPIs) for OEE.
- Availability: The amount of time that the equipment is ready and useful for operation
- Performance: How well the equipment works at maximum operating speed
- Quality: The percentage of ‘good’ parts that are produced (as opposed to parts that need to be scrapped)
Because each of these KPIs is quantifiable, there are calculations managers can use to benchmark their performance, thus allowing them to find places for improvement and then dial up the optimal outputs for their processes. The KPIs are fairly straightforward to calculate.
Availability is measured as the portion of time that a given machine is ready to operate. It is sometimes referred to as ‘uptime’, and is designated as a simple ratio of operating time over scheduled time, where operating time takes into account the actual measured time that the machine is used, and scheduled time would be, for example, the time that the machine is used on a shift.
Performance is measured as a ratio of the actual pace of the machine over the designed speed of the machine, and as such doesn’t consider either quality or availability. As an uncomplicated example, if a machine can travel at 100 MPH, and it’s only driven at 50 MPH, the performance would be shown as 50%.
Quality is measured as the ratio of good parts to the overall total of the parts output of the machine. This is also considered the yield.
Key Benefits of Using Overall Equipment Effectiveness
The old saying ‘you can’t manage what you can’t measure’ applies quite well to OEE. Having the ability to measure each of these KPIs means manufacturers that adopt OEE can better manage their processes.
Some of the benefits of using OEE as a tool for manufacturing include:
- Optimizing machine usage: Developing an understanding of a machine’s performance allows manufacturers to optimize that performance with subtle adjustments
- Improving process quality: Producing fewer defective products means less waste and better ROI
- Reducing repair costs: Knowing the expected machine efficiency means that proactive measures can be taken to repair prior to major breakdowns
Optimizing Overall Equipment Effectiveness with ML
From an OEE perspective, it’s a best practice to measure at the step in the process where there’s a bottleneck, or potential constraint. No matter what’s being manufactured, there’s always a point in the process that can become an obstacle. It’s at that point that OEE is critical to understand what’s happening, as it’s there that determines the overall performance.
In the past, measuring OEE and making adjustments based on those measures was something that happened largely manually, and was based on historical knowledge. But it shouldn’t come as any surprise that each of these is an ideal use case for machine learning. According to Accelerate Your Data-Driven Transformation, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of RapidMiner, 76% of manufacturers view increased operation efficiency as a very important or critical outcome of machine learning initiatives. As we describe in our blog post on predictive maintenance, the major driver for the Industry 4.0 Revolution is the rapid development of the Internet of Things (IoT).
As sensors become more embedded in machines, as well as integral to manufacturing, it becomes easier for manufacturers to automatically measure the necessary components to optimize their intricate operations. The data that is generated by the sensors can be used to ensure that the appropriate machine learning algorithms have enough data to be useful.
For the above-mentioned three major aspects of OEE (availability; performance; quality), here’s how machine learning can be leveraged:
- Availability: Machine learning algorithms can help lower the amount of time needed to setup or retool manufacturing lines, based on previous similar occurrences, helping to increase OEE
- Performance: The data gathered can help an ML algorithm identify roadblocks or slowdowns in production, and then leverage predictive maintenance to lessen or eliminate them
- Quality: ML algorithms can be applied to increase the usable manufacturing yields of a process
Final Thoughts
OEE is a valuable tool in almost every manufacturing operation and, by using the proper machine learning techniques, manufacturers can truly optimize their operational efficiencies, easily and automatically.
Curious to learn more about how AI and ML could improve your manufacturing operations? Follow our blueprint to digital manufacturing. | https://rapidminer.com/blog/overall-equipment-effectiveness/ |
The business world witnessed a plethora of unforeseen changes as an aftermath of the pandemic. Changes that aided organizations to sail through the concurrent fall of the economy and political divisiveness effectively. Even though the country is yet to return to normalcy, organizations must start looking at the future of work by incorporating the new normal, the transformations, and strategies undertaken during the pandemic. There’s no doubt that technology emerged as a redeemer for businesses. However, the leaders mustn’t forget the promptness of their employees and how swiftly they adapted to transformations and strategies to sustain revenue turnovers.
HR leaders must start accepting and classifying the new changes, the changing work scenario, and employee experiences to thrive in the future of work. If we recall the pandemic situation, leaders went through a series of damage control stages. First, they responded to potential chaos and made bold decisions to change and adapt. Following this, they reflected on missed opportunities and failures to draft new strategies and reboot. However, the economy continues to be dynamic today as the businesses recover and adapt through choppy waves of the pandemic. And it is about time the HR leaders address the elephant in the room: the future of work.
You might also be interested to read: The Future Of Work Is Here And Now: It’s Hybrid
What is the future of work? Is it technology and the inclusion of automation? Yes, indubitably, but the future of work is also about the people of the organization. The employees stood through the highs and lows of the organization despite feeling burnt out and isolated. The HR leaders must focus on the people as they’ll help the business thrive in the future of work, besides technology. Even though the pandemic loosened the white-collar norms by introducing a hybrid work model, new technologies, and digital transformation, the employees lost the sense of belongingness and motivation to bring their best to the table.
Once past the recovery phase and as the workforce begin to return to the cubicles, the HR leaders must reboot their strategies to support, train, and empower its people. Organizations should prioritize people over purpose. Invest in workshops and training to restore the synergy between teams and encourage employees with more team-building and brainstorming sessions. The more resilient the workforce will be, the more it’ll help the business thrive in the future of work.
Re-introduce the objectives of the business by adding a humanized perspective for your employees to connect and deliver. The team leaders should encourage people to think of creative solutions to problems or assigned projects rather than following the patented patterns pre-pandemic. Indirect motivation tends to work better sometimes than motivational workshops. The freedom to creative thinking and innovation will indubitably cement the feeling of responsibility towards their and the organization’s goals. Moreover, it will help them grab on to newer perspectives and possibilities that’ll aid the business to prosper.
And to shape this future of work successfully, the HR leaders can bring a shift in the organization by realigning the work, workforce, and workplace today. Here’s how:
Work: Post-pandemic, work needs a new meaning for people to relate, connect, and deliver. With technology, automation and digitalization evolving and establishing with rapidity- leaders must find a way to add more meaning to work. Although not immediate, the future of work will potentially be machine-powered. According to the World Economic Forum report in 2018, although 1 million people might lose jobs, 1.75 million might gain as these machines will augment the working experience rather than replacing manual work. In context to the future of work, the HR leaders must inculcate more technology and tools that will help employees elevate their skills and working patterns. The time-honored circle of humans revolving around work should be replaced with work revolving around humans. Despite technology revolutions, employees should be given the freedom to bring their talent, creativity, and perspectives to the table, thus adding more meaning to work.
Workforce: With the evolving technology and change in traditional work patterns, another sector is witnessing a rapid change: the workforce. Millennials are taking over managerial posts and making most of the workforce today. They want to go beyond the traditional working patterns and explore new opportunities. Organizations should explore their capabilities by helping them discover new skills. HRs must arrange reskilling and upskilling workshops, enable new technologies, job swaps, or cross-training to help employees explore new perspectives and talent that’ll be lucrative for the organization in the future. Besides this, HR leaders must open their workforce to gig workers. The gig economy witnessed a massive spike as several companies opted for freelance workers during the pandemic to sustain revenue turnovers and lessen the burden on internal teams. Moreover, hiring more gig workers will help the internal teams explore new and different opportunities in the organization.
Workplace: Pandemic brought about a plethora of changes. Some were uncalled for, while some embraced with glee. One of them was remote working or the hybrid working model. With the positive impact of remote working on both the employees and the organization, HR leaders must accept that the new normal is here to stay. Workplaces are no longer cubicles or office spaces! Going forward, a flexible working environment is here to stay, and HR must enable more digital capabilities and cultures to establish amicable synergy amongst the team. Furthermore, hybrid models focus more on an employee’s needs and preferences to allow a flexible working environment, which will inadvertently help employees deliver their best. However, since communication gaps, isolation, or burnout can be the aftermath, the organization must enable technologies and digital platforms to counter these hurdles effectively.
The future of work inadvertently depends upon the paths chosen by the leaders to help their business thrive. They can either include more technology and tools to augment the working conditions or take a more humanized strategy to encourage their employees to increase resilience and productivity. Although the business world is still sailing in the recovery phase, the HRs must start thinking about their next move, and it should be indisputably focused on the employees. Technology is the future, yes, but running them will affect the people of the organization. And people over purpose should be the next big move in the business world.
References:
- What is the future of work? | Deloitte | Jeff Schwartz, Steve Hatfield, Robin Jones, and Siri Anderson | April 1, 2019
- Thriving in the Future of Work Means Focusing on Your People | Harvard Business Review | April 28, 2021
- The Future of Jobs Report 2018 | World Economic Forum
You might also be interested to read: | https://indiaemployerforum.org/2021/06/29/the-future-of-work-workforce-workplace/ |
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif, July 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- California Life Sciences (CLS), the state’s most impactful life sciences membership organization, is now accepting nominations for the 2022 Pantheon Awards.
For the past 19 years, CLS has recognized excellence in the life sciences sector and celebrated the achievements of leading innovators in the state by hosting its annual Pantheon Awards celebration.
This year, CLS is introducing new award categories to celebrate the diverse contributions of scientists in the sector. The categories include:
- Academia & Research
- BioPharma
- Convergent Technologies: MedTech, Digital, & Diagnostics
- Elizabeth Schar Inspiring Future Leaders Award
- Emerging Innovation
- Leadership
- Synthetic & Ag Bio
This is the second year the Pantheon Award winners will be determined by a public voting campaign, and it’s the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that the award ceremony will take place in person.
“We are so pleased to cast a shining light on the leading companies, leaders, and initiatives within our ecosystem,” said Mike Guerra, CLS President and CEO. “We celebrate the innovative solutions and cutting-edge advancements being developed in laboratories, universities, and corporate and industry non-profits throughout our state. There is no better event for our sector to elevate and showcase those who are driving better patient outcomes.”
Mark your calendar for these important dates:
- July 13 | Nominations open
- August 1 | Registration opens
- August 2 | Nominations close
- September 26 | Public voting opens
- November 3 | The 19th Annual Pantheon Awards
Award winners will be announced at the Pantheon event taking place November 3 at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco. Members of the media are welcome and can RSVP to [email protected].
About the Pantheon Awards For the past 19 years, California Life Sciences (CLS) has recognized the state’s leaders from across the pharmaceutical, biotech and other allied industries to pay tribute to those making exceptional contributions to the life sciences industry. The Pantheon awards recognize excellence and celebrate the contributions and achievements of leading life sciences innovators representing therapeutic, diagnostic, medical device, and industrial biotechnology companies.
About California Life Sciences (CLS): California Life Sciences (CLS) is the state’s most influential and impactful life sciences membership organization, advocating for the sector and its diverse innovation pipeline. For more than 30 years, CLS has served the community by supporting companies of all sizes, from early-stage innovators and startups to established industry leaders in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medical technology. CLS also works closely with universities, academic and research institutions, the investment community, and other critical partners that promote this vibrant sector. With offices in South San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and Washington DC, CLS works to shape public policy, improve access to breakthrough technologies, educate lawmakers, and advance equity within our ecosystem by championing innovative solutions for some of the most pressing challenges of our times. In doing so, CLS fulfills its mission to protect and nurture California’s life sciences industry, empowering discoveries that lead to healthier lives around the world. | https://who13.com/business/press-releases/globenewswire/8599120/nominations-open-for-the-2022-california-life-sciences-pantheon-awards/ |
Study reveals fascinating insights into their ability to fly down thousands of kilometres
Study reveals fascinating insights into their ability to fly down thousands of kilometres
A Northern Shoveler, a medium sized bird, which flew down to Odisha’s Chilika Lake for wintering in February 2018 was spotted at Yazyavan in Uzbekistan in April 2021. Three years after a Terek Sandpiper was tagged at Gujarat’s Gulf of Kutch, it was spotted in Jandola in Pakistan’s Khyber in May.
Similarly, a Curlew Sandpiper spotted and tagged in March 2019 at Navi Mumbai was sighted in Tangu saltpans, China’s Tainjin in May.
The mysterious ability to fly down thousands of kilometres defying international boundaries was documented by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), one of India’s oldest wildlife research organisations, recently.
The BNHS, a veteran in ringing study, had initiated the study in 1927 and since 1959 it has carried out systematic and large scale studies.
Need for international collaboration
The recent study reveals fascinating insights into migratory birds. According to the BNHS, the Indian Skimmer is a striking black and white bird with a bright orange beak. “The known breeding population is in India, making India’s conservation efforts crucial for the survival of this species. Tagging of the Indian Skimmer revealed the movement between India and Bangladesh, highlighting the need for international collaboration,” it says.
Based on these recoveries, the breeding zones, migratory routes, and stopover sites of more than 40 species were well documented. The information obtained through these intensive studies was pivotal in delineating the boundaries of Central Asian Flyway (CAF) and the overlap of East-Asian, Australasian (EAAF) and African Eurasian flyways with the CAF, said the BNHS in a release.
“With increased interest in birds among the general public coupled with some of the highly popular citizen science programmes and wise use of social media, we expect to get more and more records of these tagged birds,” said Dr. Bivash Pandav, Director of the BNHS.
Dr. Pandav said the BNHS was looking forward to active involvement of its members in reporting more such tagged birds from different corners of India.
BNHS scientist Mrugank Prabhu and his team have been studying the birds and their routes through ringing and colour flagging in Mumbai since 2018 and have so far tagged 10,000 birds of 36 species.
The research organisation says bird ringing is a conventional study involving banding a bird with a light-weight metal ring, with a unique alpha-numeric code.
International flyway protocols
The BNHS also uses colour-flags, colour-bands and neck-collars on certain species. These colour combinations are in accordance with the international flyway protocols. Most tagged individuals are identified through high-resolution photographs.
Chilika is one of the oldest sites for ringing study where it has been going on for the past 30 years. India is the current President of the Convention on Migratory Species.
Each year, an estimated 50 billion birds undertake such migrations across the globe. It is fascinating to know the birds’ route, timing and ecology of migration. Bird ringing-recapture or resighting method is the robust way to study them, the BNHS says.
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Rich Kizer and Georganne Bender are consumer anthropologists, speakers, authors, and consultants who have helped businesses internationally in the retail, restaurant, healthcare, hospitality, collegiate, travel, tanning, beauty, funeral, tech, auto, sales and service industries since 1990.
They are contributors to MSNBC's Your Business. They made Meetings & Conventions Magazine's list of Meeting Planners Favorite Keynote Speakers and have been named two of Retailing's Most Influential People. As global retail thought leaders, KIZER & BENDER are listed among the Top 40 Omnichannel Retail Influencers, Top 100 Retail Influencers, and the Top Retail Industry Experts to Follow on Social Media. Their award-winning Retail Adventures Blog is consistently listed among important retail and small business blogs. KIZER & BENDER serve as BrainTrust panelists for RetailWire and are partners and emcees for the popular Independent Retailer Conference. | https://afci.dev.itswebs.com/Creativation/Speaker-Details/ArtMID/648/ArticleID/29/Bender-Georganne-Kizer-Rich |
Sep. 28 /CSRwire/ - EMERYVILLE, CA - September 28, 2007 - Formal proceedings to establish the first national standard for sustainable agriculture will be launched in late October. All interested stakeholders are invited to help shape this standard under a transparent, multi-stakeholder consensus-based process governed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
The draft standard for trial use recently published by ANSI, "Sustainable Agriculture Practice Standard for Food, Fiber and Biofuel Crop Producers and Agricultural Product Handlers and Processors" (SCS-001), will serve as the foundation for this effort. The draft standard was developed by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), a third-party certifier and developer of sustainability and food sector standards, in consultation with numerous stakeholders. The draft standard is already in use as the basis for certifying sustainably produced cut flowers and potted plants.
"With so many new sustainable agriculture initiatives now underway, the time has come to establish a non-proprietary national benchmark against which these initiatives can be assessed," said Linda Brown, SCS Executive Vice President. "Through the ANSI process, the collective wisdom of stakeholders representing many points of view can be brought together."
The Leonardo Academy, an ANSI-accredited standards development organization (SDO), will facilitate the ANSI stakeholder standard-setting process, starting with the initial stakeholder meeting to be held October 29-30 at the University of California, Berkeley. Industry representatives, trade associations, government regulators, environmental and labor NGOs, and academicians are invited and encouraged to participate.
"The ANSI Essential Requirements establish a balanced, transparent process for developing standards that are recognized nationally and internationally," said Michael Arny, President of Leonardo Academy. "The role of the ANSI-accredited SDO is to ensure that the SDO’s ANSI-approved process is properly executed, and to ensure that all interested stakeholders have a place at the table."
The standard addresses environmental, socioeconomic, and product quality issues and is intended to be applicable to all agricultural crops marketed in the U.S. Built from a life-cycle framework, the standard addresses both the product and its packaging, and includes measures such as the phase-out of dangerous agrochemicals, establishment of a path for transition to organic practices, and establishment of targets for energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emission reductions and soil carbon storage. The standard applies to the entire supply chain, including producers, distributors, brokers, and retailers.
A copy of the draft standard for trial use can be downloaded from http://www.scscertified.com/programs/SCS-001_SusAgStdFP_041307-LEO.pdf
Sustainable Agriculture Stakeholder Meeting Details
The opening stakeholder meeting to launch the ANSI process to finalize the standard will take place on October 29 - 30 at the International House, University of California, Berkeley. The agenda will include an orientation regarding the ANSI process, an overview of the Draft Standard for Trial Use, and the formation of working sub-committees to begin the work of refining the standard and developing agriculture-sector specific requirements. Interested stakeholders should contact Michael Arny at Leonardo Academy ([email protected]).
About Scientific Certification Systems (SCS)
SCS is an independent certifier of environmental, sustainability, food quality and food purity claims. Over two decades, SCS has developed internationally recognized standards and certification programs aimed at spurring the highest level of environmental improvements, social accountability and product performance. Its programs span a wide cross-section of the economy, recognizing accomplishments in agricultural production, food processing and handling, forestry, fisheries, floriculture products, energy, green building, consumer and business product manufacturing, and retail. SCS is an accredited certifier with the U.S. National Organic Program, the Forest Stewardship Council, and the Marine Stewardship Council. For more information about SCS, visit www.scscertified.com or call 510-452-8000.
About the Leonardo Academy
Leonardo Academy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1997 that is dedicated to advancing sustainability and putting the competitive market to work on improving the environment. Leonardo Academy is a Think and Do Tank. It develops and distributes strategies, guidance, metrics, standards, tools, education, and information for increasing sustainability. It helps companies, organizations, families, and individuals successfully promote, encourage, and implement sustainability. For more information about Leonardo Academy, visit www.leonardoacademy.org or call 608-280-0255.
For more information, please contact: | https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/17851-National-Sustainable-Agriculture-Standard-Setting-Process-to-be-Launched-This-Fall |
The RDQ’s governance structure is composed of three governing bodies:
- The General Assembly, consisting of all professional individual and corporate members;
- The Board of Directors, consisting of 13 directors: 10 of whom are elected by the General Assembly (five elected by and from among the individual professional members, the other five elected by and from among the corporate professional members), and three of whom are co-opted by the elected directors;
- The Executive Board, whose five members are appointed by the Board of Directors to the positions of Chair, Vice-Chairs, Secretary and Treasurer.
Commitees
In order to stimulate its reflection process, guide its actions and better respond to issues deemed crucial to the dance community, specifically in connection with cultural and political developments, the RQD has formed committees mandated to carry out work in line with its priorities. On these committees, some of which are reserved for the board of directors, RQD members are invited to share their opinions, put forward recommendations, and steer RQD advocacy efforts with government authorities.
2020-2021 COMMITEES
Inclusion and Living-Together Committee
The Inclusion and Living-Together Committee is mandated to identify means to fight discrimination in all forms and promote inclusivity in the professional dance community.
Committee on Dance Hubs and Centres
The Committee on Dance Hubs and Centres is dedicated to better promoting the development and visibility of dance outside Montreal and to discussing the current definition of hub.
STANDING COMMITTEES
BOARD COMMITTEES
Governance Committee
This board committee is mandated to develop a salary policy for RQD employees and to review it every two years, as with the RQD’s General Regulations and its labour policy. The Governance Committee is also tasked with conducting an annual evaluation of the executive director.
Mobilization and Consensus-building Committee
This board committee supports the executive director in developing mobilization and consensus-building strategies and prioritizing files.
Membership Committee
This board committee is tasked with helping review the RQD membership policy, and occasionally processing membership applications, as well as requests to change membership category or update membership criteria.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEES
Technical Classes Committee
The Technical Classes Committee is responsible for programming technical dance classes offered by the RQD, with the objective of offering regular, diversified and high-calibre training to dance professionals at an affordable cost. The committee identifies and selects dance teachers and musicians, establishes the class schedule, and ensures that the classes offered meet the needs of the dance community.
Chaired by Professional Development Coordinator Daniel Bastien, this committee is made up of the following member-performers: Joannie Douville, Karen Fennell, James Phillips, Anne-Flore de Rochambeau, Alexis Trépanier and Antoine Turmine. | https://www.quebecdanse.org/en/about/board-of-directors/ |
Neighborhood disadvantage has consistently been linked to increased rates of morbidity and mortality, but the mechanisms through which neighborhood environments may get "under the skin" remain largely unknown. Differential exposure to chronic environmental stressors has been identified as a potential pathway linking neighborhood disadvantage and poor health, particularly through the dysregulation of stress-related biological pathways such as cortisol secretion, but the majority of existing observational studies on stress and neuroendocrine functioning have focused exclusively on individual-level stressors and psychosocial characteristics. This paper aims to fill that gap by examining the association between features of the neighborhood environment and the diurnal cortisol patterns of 308 individuals from Chicago, Illinois, USA. We found that respondents in neighborhoods with high levels of perceived and observed stressors or low levels of social support experienced a flatter rate of cortisol decline throughout the day. In addition, overall mean cortisol levels were found to be lower in higher stress, lower support neighborhoods. This study adds to the growing evidence of hypocortisolism among chronically stressed adult populations and suggests hypocortisolism rather than hypercortisolism as a potential mechanism linking social disadvantage to poor health.Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. | http://docality.com/doctor/profile/1093127862/dr-rebecca-karb |
As November 2008 approaches, we’re hearing a lot of talk about increasing our energy independence and mitigating the effects of global warming. But a simple ‘tightening of the belt’ isn’t enough. We need unprecedented societal change.
We often discuss climate change in the future tense: “It will be warmer” or “Sea levels will rise.” But our climate has already changed and will continue to change. The Earth’s average temperature has increased about 1 degree Fahrenheit since 1980. In the Arctic, where a global rise in sea levels due to melting ice has been felt most strongly, ice has declined approximately 8.6 percent each year in the past decade.
Worse yet, more than 800 of the world’s scientists agree with 90 percent certainty that the changes we are seeing now are due to human influence. This is according to the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, a consensus of the top climate-change scientists from 130 countries. In the report, each scientist and his or her government representative have agreed to every statement listed.
There are compelling reasons for such a widely held agreement. Scientists have constructed detailed models of the Earth’s climate system that can closely replicate the temperature and carbon dioxide concentrations of the past 450,000 years. However, they have been unable to replicate recent temperature trends using natural variability in climate patterns from the past. The recent temperature changes can be reproduced only if the effects of human greenhouse gas emissions are included in the model.
According to the same models, the global temperature will rise an additional 2 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050. The tipping point for our ecosystems, water supplies, food production and human health is in the neighborhood of a 4-degree increase. Again, this increase is happening as a result of the carbon dioxide we have already emitted.
It is our choices, now, that will determine the state of the planet in 40 to 60 years and beyond. Yet, no matter how many environmental experts stress the urgency of global warming, our political rhetoric still suffers from a major time warp – a continual failure to make a connection between our actions now and the consequences later.
If we don’t act now, the changes in the second half of the century will be catastrophic, far past the tipping point for protecting many aspects of human and ecological welfare. As an estimated 200 million climate refugees seek cover from environmental disasters, our natural resources, public health, economy and political structures will suffer immeasurably.
Closer to home, we have observed a pattern of warmer winters, earlier springs (though not this year), earlier ice-out on our lakes, greater frequency of tropical dew point days and an increased number of heavy rainfall days. In the future, we’ll see a change in our forests and animal populations, as certain species move into our new climate and familiar ones move farther north. By the end of this century, the forests and coldwater fisheries of the North Shore will most likely become memories.
To prevent major disruption to our ecosystems and human society, we must start by reducing our greenhouse emissions 20 percent by 2020, and further reduce emissions 80 percent by 2050. The scale of this change is enormous. By mid-century, we’ll need carbon-free energy production that is equivalent to twice the amount of total energy produced today.
This requires completely transforming our transportation fuels and electricity generation systems. It requires sequestering carbon that is emitted and preventing additional carbon from being released through deforestation and land use practice. It also requires adaptation strategies. We cannot wait to reduce “all at once” someday. The impacts of the future are a result of carbon released today.
While two-thirds of Americans feel that climate change is an important issue that should be addressed, there has been little movement by our leaders toward developing a national or international action plan. Perhaps this is because the response time is long-term, longer than our lifetime. Generally speaking, people don’t take action until it affects their daily lives in a profound way.
The single most important step an individual can take is to elect leaders who understand the urgency of this issue, leaders who have made it a priority in their platforms to enact a tiered strategy for our nation, which will influence the international response.
Voters have a window of opportunity, right now, to do this. No matter what your political party or platform may be, demand that your candidates and elected officials put climate change at the forefront of their agendas. Seemingly forgotten among the other, more highly publicized issues of health care, the economy and the war in Iraq, climate change is equally urgent.
We can’t afford to wait until we see the catastrophe unfold. The future of our planet is now.
Deborah Swackhamer is a professor in environmental health sciences at the University of Minnesota and interim director of the Institute on the Environment. Her e-mail address is [email protected]. | https://www.twincities.com/2008/04/13/getting-warmer-and-little-steps-arent-enough/ |
Abolitionist Douglass’ walking stick added to South Carolina museum
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – The South Carolina State Museum is now home to a historical walking stick given to abolitionist Frederick Douglass when he visited Charleston in 1888.
Douglass, the most famous African American orator of the 19th century, escaped slavery before the Civil War and spent his life trying to abolish slavery. After the Civil War, he made speeches reminding people to never forget the horror of keeping people in bondage.
In early 1888, Douglass embarked on a speaking tour of South Carolina and Georgia, a journey not without peril. In early March 1888, Douglass arrived in Charleston, South Carolina where he delivered versions of his “Self-Made Men” and “European Travels” addresses at Mount Zion church, founded in 1883 and considered a “daughter church” of Mother Emanuel AME, the oldest African Methodist Episcopal church.
While in Charleston, Douglass was honored by an African American militia unit calling themselves the Douglass Light Infantry, the majority of whom were former slaves, the museum said in a statement.
According to a newspaper account, the infantry members serenaded Douglass at their armory. They also presented him with a walking stick, with a gold cap engraved “Hon. F. Douglass / From D.L.I. / Charleston, S.C. / Mar. 6th / 1888.” It is personally engraved for Douglass and decorated with engraved strawberries, symbolizing righteousness and spiritual merit.
“This walking stick is not only a notable object of national history, gifted to the preeminent abolitionist, writer, and lecturer Frederick Douglass, it is a significant and meaningful piece of South Carolina history,” said JoAnn Zeise, cultural history curator of the State Museum. “Adding this one-of-a-kind piece to our collection will help us continue to tell the wonderful stories of South Carolina for years to come.”
Click to visit the museum online.
________________
Auction Central News contributed to this report.
Copyright 2020 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This information may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | https://www.liveauctioneers.com/news/top-news/antiquities-and-cultures/abolitionist-douglass-walking-stick-added-to-south-carolina-museum/ |
Mitrovic, A.
Date1997
Permanent Linkhttp://hdl.handle.net/10092/2994
Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) are computer systems which provide students with learning environments adapted to their knowledge and learning capabilities. This paper presents SQL-Tutor, an ITS for SQL programming. SQL, the dominant database language, is a simple and highly structured language; yet, students have many difficulties learning it. SQL-Tutor is designed as a guided discovery learning environment which helps students in overcoming these difficulties. We present design issues and the current state in the implementation of the system, with special focus on individualization of instruction towards a particular student. | https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/handle/10092/2994 |
In our research, we mainly focus on the current and socially relevant aspects of digital communication and science communication from the perspective of media users.
We address questions like: What influence do the changing communication environments have on people's everyday lives? How do social media affect individual communication and perceptions, as well as social relationships?
We are particularly interested in the relationship between science and the public and (digital) science communication from the media users' perspective. Our goals are to reflect on society and to build awareness about the societal and social influence of innovation and digital media. We also aim to give new impulses for the discourse between science and the public. | https://www.tu-braunschweig.de/en/kmw |
CUI Jian (??) (born August 2, 1961) is a trumpet player, guitarist and composer, and a pioneer in Chinese Rock music.
As a child from an ethnically Korean family in Beijing, Cui Jian started playing the trumpet at the age of fourteen under the influence of his parents. In 1981, He joined Beijing Philharmonic Orchestra as a classical trumpet player. By that time Cui Yan was introduced to western rock singers by his friends, and began playing guitar.
In 1984, he formed a band, Seven-ply Board, with six other classically-trained musicians, playing their own works mainly in small restaurants and hotels in Beijing. The band was heavily influenced by the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Talking Heads. Cui Jian attracted the public attention in 1985, when he performed his self-composed song
Nothing to My Name in a televised talent show. In 1987 he released his first and best known album, Rock and Roll on the New Long March, in which he created a hybrid and experimental music mix that cut across different pop music genres like punk, dance and jazz. Cui's songs also drew on folk and traditional music types, such as the peasant songs of the Loess Plateau of Shaanxi. In the late 90s Cui began to experiment on digital avant-rock with elements of rap music. His other hits include Wild in the Snow, for which he won the MTV International Viewers’ Choice Award. | http://goldsen.library.cornell.edu/wen/cui_jian.php |
ITANAGAR, 19 Nov: The third and last day’s events under the ‘Arunachal Pradesh elite athlete development programme’ of the sports directorate and GoSports Foundation took place at Sangay Lhaden Sports Academy here on Friday.
Experts from GoSports Foundation conducted ‘functional movement screening’ for a few of the athletes, while a certain section of the athletes was screened by the sports physician and the physio on ground.
The strength- and power-based tests were conducted in the afternoon at the football fields for all the athletes, while a few of the athletes had their psychological sessions, as well.
In the second half of the day, the athletes were put through endurance assessment. The three-day athlete education workshop and assessment came to an end in the evening, and will be followed by athlete interviews, focused on need assessments and other relevant parameters. | https://arunachaltimes.in/index.php/2021/11/20/elite-athlete-development-prog-concludes/ |
Koalas starve as residents destroy trees to stop bushfires on Australian island
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Animal rescuers on an Australian island off the south coast say koalas are starving to death as residents cut down trees to prevent bushfires, destroying the native animal’s habitat and food source.
Wendy Hendriksen, a rescue shelter worker on Raymond Island, just off the coast of Victoria state, said the facility was admitting at least one starving koala per week.
“This is affecting koalas all over the state, not only here in Raymond Island,” said Hendriksen, who works on the 770 hectare (1,902 acres) island that is home to about 250 koalas and 470 people.
“It’s much more obvious here because we only have one shelter that gets all the koalas so we are able to see the problem in a deeper degree.”
Australia is currently experiencing extreme dry weather, although the most intense drought conditions are located further north in the state of New South Wales.
However, in trying to prevent uncontrolled fires, the clearing of land threatens koalas, which mostly survive off a diet of eucalyptus leaves.
Largely found near Australia’s coastline, the marsupials were introduced to locations like Raymond Island to help them survive after European settlers almost shot the animal to extinction and then traded their fur.
But introduced populations often outgrow their captive environments and risk starvation if there are inadequate reproduction controls, said Valentina Mella, a professor of life and environmental sciences at the University of Sydney.
“Bushfires, particularly in Victoria, have also been terrible for them,” Mella said.
Koalas are listed as a “vulnerable” species under an Australian conservation law and there are fewer than 90,000 of the animals left in the wild, perhaps even as few as 43,000, according to Australian Koala Foundation estimates. | |
AbstractWhile designing an image retrieval framework based on content based techniques, a critical aspect is that of transfer of visual data. It opens up the Pandoras box of data privacy issues as well as retrieval performance bottleneck due to added network data transfer latency. The approach suggested here, elaborates enhanced privacy protection scheme. Firstly, by conducting search based on robust hashed values of features extracted from images to prevent revealing original content; secondly, by omitting random bits (both of length and position) from the search client's query hash to increase ambiguity for the image database server. It also lessens the network latency by limiting the server-client data transfer to variable sized candidate image sets. The search algorithm is made effective by using a combination of both local and global color features. So that even the local spatial information is not lost. To lessen computational complexity during search fusion of fuzzy color histogram with block color moment has been utilized to decrease the color feature dimension. Here a basic Relevance Feedback module is incorporated to capture the users' feedback on retrieval results and in turn improve, return better results to users.
KeywordsImage Retrieval; Feature Extraction; Color Features; Fuzzy histogram; Relevance Feedback; Image Hashing; Color moment, Data Privacy.
-
INTRODUCTION
Multimedia technology and digital image databases are trending nowadays resulting in rapid growth in size of database, quality of images and variety of image obtaining sources. Hence for usage, there is an inherent demand for efficient image retrieval. There are two hurdles though, 1. the risk of privacy leakage and 2. computational complexity. Image retrieval should be secure and fast, i.e. relatively unaffected due to the network latency. These two aspects should be considered very carefully while designing any approach for Image retrieval. Here I am considering such retrieval based on the content of the images only, i.e. Content Based Image Retrieval or, in short CBIR. Three properties – color, shape and texture are said to be content of an image. Thereby, CBIR is a strategy of recovering similar images
w.r.t. the content of a supplied image. In system described in this paper. I have considered an environment, where the image database owner (remote storage), database user (search client/ query user) are different parties, not necessarily trusting each other. Hence, the privacy issues. The followings are the key players in this environment: a private database, a private query, a private CBIR technique. The common approach to
solve the privacy problem is designing a retrieval algorithm on an encrypted search domain after storing images in encrypted format. , As such an approach relies on complicated cryptographic computation, they are costly. My approach inclines toward SRR . Hence, can be used with large databases, has privacy cover and adjustable control for both privacy and computation cost. It is essentially an SRR with robust hashing as a key component.
The proposed CBIR technique uses robust hashing for privacy, using color feature from images. To begin with, image features after extraction are normalized and hashed into a binary vector. Users are allowed arbitrary bits omission of random length & positions. Thereby, query user has option to choose privacy Vs search speed trade-off. Once, the query is sent, image database calculates the possible candidate matches and returns them. The designed clients then trim down the final search result based of content similarity matching of a fusion of fuzzy feature , decreasing computational time. I also incorporated a Relevance Feedback module to capture the users' feedback on retrieval results and then re-sort, update and return them as final results to the users.
-
RELATED WORKS
Content based image retrieval is a much studied topic. Its importance is felt when one considers the impact it has of various fields like digital image processing, medical imaging, diagnostic radiology, defense monitoring etc. Most of the articles I reviewed are based on color and texture features. Analysis of some of them are discussed below:
-
On Color Features
Sharma, Rawat & Singh , 2011, discussed the importance of color histogram for image database indexing and retrieval. In this process, all image pixels are counted and the track of color distribution is kept by the association of each quantized color value with a specific bin. They advise to check similarity of images through comparing obtained histogram outputs by intersecting them. This image descriptor is both simple to describe and easy to compute.
The work performed by Mangijao & Hemachandran et al. , 2012, suggests improving the discriminative power of color histogram indexing techniques, by dividing image horizontally into three equal non-overlapping regions. Then extract first three color moment from each of these three regions, to store a 27 floating point numbers in the index of the image.
Stricker & Orengo et al. , 1995, long back provided the algorithm to calculate color moments, and proved that image's color distribution can then be interpreted as a probability value which characterizes its color moments.
-
On Outsourced Image Privacy Aspects
The Earlier approaches for the support of outsourced storage, search, and retrieval of images can be broadly divided into two classes: based on Searchable Symmetric Encryption (SSE) and based on Public-Key Partially-Homomorphic Encryption (PKHE).
Z. Xia et.al , 2015, SSE-based solutions. Clients encrypts data and create encrypted index, before outsourcing it. Both encrypted index and data are outsourced. This allows searching in an efficient and secure way. The limitations are the need to index and encrypts it locally, entailing additional computational power; transferring additional data to cloud (encrypted index) etc.
Zheng et al. , 2015, Other approach is PKHE, schemes such as ElGammal allowing additive and multiplicative freedom in encrypted domains. Clients does pixel by pixel processing of images with a PKHE schemed encryption and cloud indexes encrypted images. Issue with this is greater time and space complexities and limited scalability.
Li Weng, Laurent Amsaleg, April Morton and Stephane Merchand-Maillet , 2015, proposed a privacy protecting framework for large scale CBIR using robust hashing instead of encryption. My approach is built upon this very idea.
-
On Fuzzy Features
K. Konstantinidis, A. Gasteratos, I. Andreadis , 2005, Talked about replacing the classical color histogram creation with histogram linking. Reducing computationally expensive 3D histograms to one single-dimension histogram. Though it was based on the L*a*b* color space.
Mengzhe Li, Xiuhua Jiang , 2016, Talks about a highly effective image retrieval algorithm based on fusion of global fuzzy color feature algorithm and local color algorithm in low feature dimension.
-
-
PROPOSED SYSTEM & WORKING PRINCIPLE Here, a scalable CBIR system has been considered. There
are two primary entities: 1. Image data owner (search server) and 2. Search Client, or Query User.
-
System Model
Fig. 1 System Architecture
If elaboratd in a step by step fashion, this discussed paradigm has six parts:
-
Submit a partial query to the server (remove details to create ambiguity).
-
An extended query list is created on the supplied partial query (calculating all possible combinations for the missing binary bits).
-
The server performs a search with the extended query list, and sends back all matching items (it is called the Candidate list).
-
The client matching against received results using original query and the fuzzy features.
-
The client provides relevant feedback if he/she is not happy with the search performance.
-
Take account of the feedback while a similarity match check is performed again with modified parameters (here, I used a simple statistical measure
i.e. mean feature vector of original matches to further perform refined search for new matches)
In this approach, the server could narrow down search scope using partial query. Whereas it becomes difficult for the server to infer the original query. The framework makes sure
|Candidate Set| is large but also client should be able to find the final matches. Client is presented with the option to choose how much ambiguity to introduce through partial query. Hence, the size and the diversity of Candidate set can be controlled.
-
-
Attack Model
Thinking from the query clients perspective, server 1) should not know original query content, or 2) query category. Fulfilling the first ask is tougher. On the other hand, image server should be assured that client doesnt know too much information about its content, or hierarchy of indexing.
There are two steps where image server may derive something about the query: A. While receiving the query hash (denote clients privacy here as Pc1), B. While returning candidate set (denote clients privacy here as Pc2). Server privacy is represented as Pc3. If length of candidate set is |A|, then measures and inter-relations between privacy and |A| are as shown below:
Min. privacy requirements |A| power of client, |database|
|A| Pc2
|A| 1/Pc3
Pc1 Pc2,
Pc1 1/Pc3
Pc2 1/Pc3
-
For a good system all of Pc1, Pc2 and Pc3 should be sufficiently large. In the designed system, there is option for user to choose how many bits to omit from the original query hash. For each case, bits are omitted across various sub-hashes before concatenating it to create the final partial query hash. Options are 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13.
-
Also, it has been considered here following Weng et. Al. , that images of similar nature has similar hash values if generated with same features. CBIR generally not only targets exact matches during search, but nearest neighbors too. Hence, while generating candidate list comparisons have been performed for different hamming radius r. As per hashing theory if this r 1, then the process of search is called multi
probing. Which is what is being performed in the system discussed using r = 5 or 6 mostly.
A specific attack using majority voting has been considered here, where a curious server can and will try to predict the query category judging majority presence in candidate list. Details of the attack are listed in a later section.
-
-
Workflow
For easy understandings, workflow of the discussed framework is shown from the entity standpoint, as separate flow charts:
From query users end:
From image owners end:
-
Fuzzy Feature Creation
Within the pool of candidates from server (image owner), I am performing an optimized search. Color histogram (in HSV) and color moment (in RGB) have limitations. They ignore local spatial information, reducing precision of retrieval. Plus, HSV color histogram feature has a high dimension of 256, increasing complexity of similarity calculation. Hence, here I reused the improved algorithm introduced by Li, Jiangthat, to reduce the dimension of color feature and to combine comprehensive color information Steps for the fuzzy fused feature creation are,
-
Divide query & candidates into blocks of 40 × 40.
-
Transform all 1600 spaces from RGB color model to HSV (where S, V belongs to [0,255]).
-
Obtain average values of those spaces for all those images.
-
Apply fuzzy filtering of 10 bins through three HSV channel deriving 10-bin color histogram (black, grey, white, red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, magenta)
-
Strengthen acquired 10-bin histogram with further fuzzy filtering:
-
Each color (except black, grey, white) divided into three levels deep, medium, light on basis of S, V Channel
o Total bins = ((10-3) *3) + 3) = 24
-
-
Get a 24-D fuzzy color histogram (FCH).
-
Create closely related block color moment (BCM) with method of average division.
-
divide image to 3 × 3 sub-blocks
-
for each of such sub-blocks,
-
calculate first three order color moments
-
arrange color moments by the order
-
-
get an extended 81-D color moment
-
-
The problem of local color information loss, gets resolved.
-
Combine FCH with BCM to integrate HSV & RGB color model and generate comprehensive feature of dimension 105 (24+81).
-
Fig.2 Fuzzy feature creation
Note : Due to curse of high dimensionality this feature related operation in computationally expensive, hence is it only performed over the candidate set and not all whole image database.
-
-
IMPLEMENTATION & ALGORITHMS
Each algorithm details a particular sub-functionality provided in the paradigm,
-
Extract Features For Hashing
Input: Database of Images.
Output: A file storage filled with extracted feature vectors.
Begin:
For all images in the database provided –
Calculate color histograms for red channel as redHist.
Calculate color histograms for red channel as greenHist.
Calculate color histograms for red channel as blueHist.
Calculate feature vector f = [redHist greenHist blueHist]
End For
Save the feature vectors in a file storage. End.
-
Create Partial Query Hash
Input: Query Image Feature Output: Partial Query hash.
Begin:
Reduce dimensionality of the feature vector. Divide the residual feature vector into n groups. For each such group
For each feature bit
If value of the bit >= groups mean value Then Set value of the bit = 1
Else
Set value of the bit = 0
End If
End For End For
Append, binarized feat. vector groups together to generate binarized query vector.
Omit random multiple positions value and replace them with * to get partial query hash.
End.
-
Create Image DB Index
Input: Database of Images.
Output: Indexed Image Server Database.
Begin:
For all images in the database provided Reduce dimensionality of the feature vector.
Divide the residual feature vector into n groups. For each group
Compute hash value hi from the i-th group End For
Index of image in DB, H = h0|p|…|hn-1 End For.
End.
-
Image Server Candidate Search Input: Partial Query Hash. Output: Candidate Set A.
Begin:
Create Extended query(EQ) list, calculating all possible full query hash by filling up missing bits by all combinations of possible values (for n missing bits 2n values in EQ)
For one value in EQ list at a time
Match with each sub hash value in DB for nearest matches
For all sub-hashes
neighbors within r Hamming distance are picked Retrieved objects for all sub-hashes are put to list A
End For End For
Sort A by the hash distance from the value of uery-hash Return A to Query Client.
End.
-
Query Client Selective Searcharch
Input: Query Image (Iq), Candidate Set of Images (A) Output: Top 20 closest matches for Iq.
Begin:
For all images (A+Iq)
Extract 105D fused fuzzy features End For
Save the feature vectors in a file storage. Let feature vector of Iq be fq.
For all images Iv in A, let feature vector of Iv be fv Calculate Euclidean distance between (fv, fq)
End For
Sort all Iv – s in A, according ascending order of Euclidean distance.
Return first 20 Iv – s to user. End.
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Relevance Feedback Processing
Input: Actual matching images (Mq) as suggested by user, Candidate Set of Images (A)
Output: Top 20 closest matches updated for Iq (original query).
Begin:
Count number of images in Mq, say C. For all images in Mq,
take sum of all the feature vectors to create Fq.
End For
Calculate average Aq as Fq/C.
Consider Aq for an assumptive image Iav. (Iav has central tendency of all matches)
Call Query Client Selective Search (Iav, Candidate Set of Images (A))
Return output received from this call. End.
-
-
RESULTS
My primary goal of design was to create a functioning image retrieval scheme for –
-
Similarity retrieval.
-
Establish bias if any, between # of bits omitted from query and candidate set size.
-
Protect some privacy of image data. I have only focused on content confidentiality and not about non- detectability or unlinkability.
-
Provide search client option to submit feedback for better retrieval accuracy.
The below elaborated results are generated following experiments using Matlab R2018a on a machine having Intel
(R) Core i3-5005U CPU @ 2.00 GHz, 4 GB RAM, 64 bit, Microsoft Windows 10 OS. The paradigm has been tested on the Corel-1K image database , freely available on the Internet. It contains images of 10 categories, each with 100 images.
Samples of each category
Fig.3 Tested Image Categories
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Sample Result
First Search Respone
Fig.4 African People image search
Response after users feedback
Fig. 5 African People image search after feedback
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Retrieval Performance
To perform a quantitative analysis of retrieval, I used the following metrics:
Precision (Pr) – # of relevant images retrieved (A) divided by # of searched images (B) from the image DB.
Recall (Rc) – # of relevant images retrieved (A) divided by relevant images (C) present in the image DB.
F-score/F-measure (Fm) – A combined metric providing overall accuracy, as shown below.
So, mathematically,
Pr = A / B, Rc = A / C, Fm = ((2*Pr*Rc) / (Pr+Rc)).
The results are shown in a comparative fashion , , , , , , .
Table 1: Precision comparison with existing CBIR schemes (refer Table-5 here)
Table 2: Recall comparison with existing CBIR schemes (refer Table-5 here)
Table 3: F-Scorel comparison with existing CBIR schemes (refer Table-5 here)
Following points are clear from these three tables:
-
These performances are average in comparison to the existing schemes.
-
But, considering the fact of added ambiguity for privacy, then the trade-off seems fine.
-
The dinosaur images have provided the most satisfactory.
-
The mountains have the worst results.
-
There is the difference of structural contents among them.
-
This gives some idea about the future scope of this work.
As per time complexity is concerned, the average time taken by the major operations in this framework is listed in table-4. Figure
Table 4: Average time requirements for main CBIR operations
Database
Time in seconds
Feature Extraction
Query hash generation (avg.)
Candidate list generation (avg.)
Client search (avg.)
Corel-1K
17.73
0.035
8.63
0.39
Table-4 data seems a bit biased towards higher bit omission scenarios (viz. 11,13 and 15-bit omission). They significantly differ from those of less bit omission scenarios specially for the candidate list generation. Hence, a bar chart comparison of time, against varying bit omission length seems more suitable,
Fig. 6 Time Requirements
-
-
Privacy Performance
To focus on the search performance with regards to the varying degree of ambiguity in search query, privacy performance analysis has been done.
Table 5: Candidate set length with varying degree of ambiguity in query (bits)
Category
5
7
9
11
13
15
Max.
Africans
120
122
130
152
143
137
152
Beach
22
27
29
29
33
31
33
Monument
30
34
47
58
65
36
65
Bus
56
102
74
144
127
96
144
Dinosaur
195
195
225
231
233
210
233
Elephant
40
47
44
49
58
50
58
Rose/Flower
120
86
90
104
110
108
120
Horse
58
58
66
59
73
76
76
Mountain
22
26
25
29
33
30
33
Food
169
122
144
144
203
170
203
The Same data, when plotted in graph also verifies the fact that there is no apparent bias for different classes of images in between candidate set length and the number of bits omitted.
Fig. 7 Candidate set size Vs # of omitted bits
To do proper estimation of system settings, handing of curious server and client server communication costs, I have listed the details below: –
-
System settings: –
-
No. of distinct items (N) = 1000 (Corel-1K database):
-
No. of near duplicates per item (x) = 99.
-
Sub-hash size (l bits) = 32.
-
Groups of sub-hashes (n) = 3.
-
Meta data size (d bits) = 96.
o No. of omitted bits (b) [5,7,9,11,13,15].
-
-
Handing curious server: –
-
Wants to guess the query.
-
Has to generate 2b possible values in extended query list.
-
Use large 2b, candidate list generation cost too high.
-
Server would not do such costly operation.
-
Pc2 preserved, but Pc3 decreases with the numbers of omitted bits.
-
-
Client-server communication cost: –
-
These are calculated using the following equation , –
Cost =(Ni*(d+l*n)) for i = 1,2. Here N1, N2 are # of candidates returned for public query (with no omitted bits) and privte query with multi-probing respectively.
Table 6: Cost of client server communication
Category
N1
Cost (bits)
N2
Cost (bits)
Africans
143
27456
152
29184
Beach
33
6336
33
6336
Monuments
65
12480
65
12480
Bus
127
24384
144
27648
Dinosaur
233
44736
233
44736
Elephant
58
11136
58
11136
Rose
110
21120
120
23040
Horse
73
14016
76
14592
Mountain
33
6336
33
6336
Food
203
38976
203
38976
From Table 6, one can say the cost incurred for public and private database are mostly close enough. Or, we can say this privacy requirement doesnt cost much.
-
-
-
Majority Voting Attack
To measure resilience against majority voting attack, I am guessing the query category from candidate list result for some uses cases. I am intentionally choosing some cases where images have greater structural contents and other cases where they have lesser structural contents.
Table 7: Candidate list length and majority voting attack
See Table-7, that greater structural content fairs better in case of majority voting attack. If practical scenarios are considered, this should mostly be the case with modern high resolution, detailed image capture and processing apparatus.
-
Feedback performance
I have given an option for the user in the implemented model, to specify which returned images are proper to his/her query by clicking of a check box next to each returned images. I am gathering these user selections as relevant feedback (through human interactions) to try improving the search performance. The algorithm used to improve retrieval performance after feedback submission is already discussed in appropriate section. It is nothing revolutionary, just a simplified approach. Following the suggestion of statistical analysis of feedback in CBIR mentioned in a paper .
I have used a metric called ROC (Rate of Convergence) along with precision and recall here. To check if the proposed feedback at all improves retrieval performance. ROC is the defined, as the requisite numbers of iterations of feedbacks following which precision of a CBIR system remains constant or the other system parameters do not change considerably. It measures whether the most accurate results possible can be produced fast enough, another practical demand for modern CBIR systems.
Below are the results when only least ambiguous (5-bit omission) query is considered:
From the above table, it can be said that the relevant feedback algorithm is only effective in some specific cases. The performance of this algorithm is also upper bounded by the original matches present in candidate list. As in the case of mountain, the candidate list only contained two perfect matches. Hence feedback could not improve the performance any further. For Dinosaurs and Horses, the performance was already optimum. Hence, feedback was not utilized.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my advisor Dr. Arup Kumar Pal, Assistant Professor, Department of I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my advisor Dr. Arup Kumar Pal, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (ISM), Dhanbad for his continuous support and help in all time. I am also thankful for his motivation, enthusiasm, and immense knowledge. I could not have imagined having a better advisor and mentor.
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Z. Erkin et al., Protection and retrieval of encrypted multimedia content: When cryptography meets signal processing, EURASIP J. Inf.Secur., vol. 2007, p. 20, Dec. 2007.
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R. L. Lagendijk, Z. Erkin, and M. Barni, Encrypted signal processing for privacy protection: Conveying the utility of homomorphic encryption and multiparty computation, IEEE Signal Process. Mag., vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 82105, Jan. 2013.
Category
First Retrieval
After Feedback
ROC
Precision
Recall
Precision
Recall
Africans
50
10
95
19
3
Beach
70
14
70
14
NA
Monument
65
13
70
14
2
Bus
75
15
75
15
NA
Dinosaur
100
20
–
–
–
Elephant
55
11
55
11
NA
Rose
60
12
90
18
3
Horse
100
20
–
–
–
Mountain
10
2
10
2
NA
Food
60
12
60
12
NA
Category
First Retrieval
After Feedback
ROC
Precision
Recall
Precision
Recall
Africans
50
10
95
19
3
Beach
70
14
70
14
NA
Monument
65
13
70
14
2
Bus
75
15
75
15
NA
Dinosaur
100
20
–
–
–
Elephant
55
11
55
11
NA
Rose
60
12
90
18
3
Horse
100
20
–
–
–
Mountain
10
2
10
2
NA
Food
60
12
60
12
NA
-
Li Weng, Member, IEEE, Laurent Amsaleg, April Morton, and Stéphane Marchand-Maillet, "A Privacy-Preserving Framework for Large-Scale Content-Based Information Retrieval", IEEE Transactions On Information Forensics and Security, Vol. 10, No. 1, January 2015.
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Mengzhe Li, Xiuhua Jing, "An Improved Algorithm Based on Color Feature Extraction for Image Retrieval", 8th International Conference on Intelligent Human-Machine Systems and Cybernetics, 2016.
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Qin C, Zhang X, "Effective reversible data hiding in encrypted image with privacy protection for image content", J Vis Commun Image Represent, vol. 31, pg. 154-164, 2015.
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Konstantinidis, Gasteratos, Andreadis, "Image retrieval based on fuzzy color histogram processing", Optics Communications, vol. 248, pg. 357-386, 2005.
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Karthik, Jawahar, "Analysis of Relevance Feedback in Content Based Image Retrieval", 9th International Conference on Control, Automation, Robotics and Vision, 2006.
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Naushad Varish, Arup Kumar Pal, Content Based Image Retrieval using Statistical Features of Color Histogram",3rd ICSCN,2015. | https://www.ijert.org/a-fast-secure-efficient-image-retrieval-framework-with-user-feedback-support-based-on-color-features |
The Use Case Book is the central component of the Caribbean Handbook for Risk Information Management (CHARIM). The use case book contains a number of example applications of tasks of spatial planners, Engineers and Geo-Information specialist within the Caribbean countries that requires natural hazard and risk information. The use cases are related to general examples that illustrate the methodological process needed to conduct a range of activities that are common in the region, rather than detailed efforts to produce specific recommendations for action in specific applications.The use cases have been identified by a collaborative process with participating government ministries and other regional technical experts, during the workshops in the five target countries. The use cases indicate the requirements in terms of basic information depending on the scale of the work and the objectives of the use case.
By using the use cases the users will have an improved understanding of the way hazard and risk information is generated, and how it is used in risk assessment, early warning, design of risk reduction measures, spatial planning, and the management of critical infrastructure.
Main intended users
This book is intended for the following main users:
Engineers from the Public Works Departments
They require flood and landslide information to better identify the most vulnerable sections of the road network, plan for road clearance after the occurrence of triggering events, to plan remedial measures for impacted road sectors, and for planning new roads, and alternative routes. They would require digital information on the road network in the form of a road database, which stores information for each segment of the road network. These segments should be based on the specific characteristics of the road and the terrain through which the road passes.
Planners from the Physical Planning Departments
They need landslide information to better include unsuitable areas for development in national and local level land use plans. They also need to include this information in the building permit issuing and in land subdivision process. They need landslide and flood susceptibility maps for national scale planning, or hazard maps for the larger scales. These should be integrated with other natural hazard maps in a multi-hazard restriction map that should have a legal status and serves as base data for planning. After a landslide event has taken place, they need to know the characteristics of the affected area, in order to develop reconstruction plans.
Spatial Analysts from different government organizations.
There are relatively few experts on collecting and managing spatial data in the target countries. They need to work on the development of a geospatial framework, addressing data availability, challenges in use and interoperability, current use and collaborations, gaps and areas of improvements and the status of the national GeoNode. Whereas they are the main target users for the Data Management book, also they need to know how landslide and flood susceptibility, hazard and risk maps are made and what the data requirement are.
Staff of the National Emergency Management Organisations (NEMO) / Office of Disaster Management (ODM)
It is very important for the disaster response organisations to learn from past events, in order to better prepare for future ones. A good knowledge on the location of historical floods and landslides, and the characteristics related to blockage of roads, destruction of buildings, electricity networks, telecommunication facilities, and the number and type of casualties is very important. Specific emphasis should be given to hazard assessment of the shelters, and other critical facilities, and to shelter planning. Also Early Warning is an important issue. This requires good spatial information. As the NEMO's/ODM's are also playing the role of first responders (911 centers) they receive a lot of direct information on hazardous events
Staff from Forestry Department
Floods and landslides may impact forests substantially, and for forest management it is important to take into these into account, and how vegetation regrowth takes place in areas affected. It is also very important to rapidly map affected forested areas after a major triggering event, as the debrisflows and flashfloods that may follow from these events can have a large impact on downstream areas. From previous events, such as hurricane Tomas in Saint Lucia, we have also learned the importance to monitor the areas affected by landslides and floods during a large triggering event, as they may slowly recover, but could be reactivated if a new event occurs (e.g. the Christmas eve trough in 2013).
Water Resources department
For watershed management purposes it is very important to know the location of historical landslides, and to estimate the discharge, amount of sediments, and treetrunks that may be transported through the drainage channel in case of strong rainfall events. Similar data requirements as indicated for the forestry department can be outlined for the water resources department, although the interaction of landslides with the drainage network (e.g. in terms of sediment delivery but also in terms of potential blocking sites) is of large importance.
Typical questions that will be addressed
The main questions that will be addressed in this book are:
- How hazard information is used in spatial planning:
- National level development planning
- Local level physical planning
- Relocation planning
- Building control
- Land subdivision
- How hazard and risk information is used for critical infrastructure planning and management:
- Planning relocation of buildings, roads and other infrastructure
- Design guidelines for building, roads and other infrastructure
- Design of structural mitigation measures to protect buildings, roads and other infrastructure from floods and landslides
- Design of non-structural mitigation measures to protect buildings, roads and other infrastructure from floods and landslides
- How hazard and risk information is used in the analysis of different alternatives for planning and risk reduction?
- How hazard and risk information is used in the design of early warning systems, and shelter planning?
- How risk is assessed at national and local level for landslides and floods?
- How elements-at-risk and vulnerability are assessed?
- How hazard maps are generated at different scales and for different hazard?
- What basic information is used for generating hazard and risk maps?
- How spatial data is managed and shared? | https://cdema.org/virtuallibrary/index.php/charim-hbook/use-case-book/introduction-use-case/1-1-objective-of-this-book |
September 24, 2006 – we were scheduled to meet at Andheri, SV Road, near Ahura Bakery as usual at 6 am. Team size anticipated around 32 to 33. Team Nature Knights for Exploration Trek to Visapur Fort and Bhaja Caves was a mix of some old and new members. We started at around 6:30 am; picking-up members at Bandra, Sion, Chembur and finally last person after Mankrud bridge.
After picking up the last person we immediately started a theme based introduction; the theme was to brag about oneself and what was their fantasy for a dream one-day trek. The imagination for fantasy was stretched from dream one day trek to a full fledge expedition at Amazon Forest to an ambition to explore entire world going to the extend of scuba diving and flying a fighter jet; this was coupled with a brief about oneself.
As the introduction got over; we were almost at the express highway food mall. The breakfast was stretched from originally announced 15 min to 45 min; due to slow service at the restaurant. This at the cost of annoyance of few sincere members who strictly stuck to the agreed schedule landed up on time at the bus in 15 minutes. Killing time while waiting for other can be one of the most annoying times to pass.
We reached base of the Visapur hill; at Bhaja Village exiting express highway Lonavala near Walvan Dam, then taking left around 15 km further down on National Highway NH4 at cross road junction with one road going to Karla Caves and other to Malavli Village where we were heading.
A quick session on Dos and Don'ts; followed by a quicker script on Visapur / Lohgad background we started with our local boy-scout Vishal who was our route guide for rest of the day.
Our first major destination for the day Visapur stands tall at a height of 3567 feet; this fort is located next to another fascinating fort Lohagad. These two forts are separated by a small khind called Gaimukh. These forts were built during the period of Satavahana reign. After being under the control of Nizamshah and Adilshah, the forts were then conquered by Shivaji, Later in a treaty signed by Shivaji with Mirza Raje Jaisingh, he handed over twenty three forts to Aurangzeb. Subsequently he recaptured these forts; after his death the forts came under the rule of Mughals before Kanoji Angre won it back. During the time of the Peshwas these forts were used quite a lot. The last rulers of the fort were British.
My Philosophy of enjoying a trek, and few etiquettes
Important factor to enjoy trekking day after day and year after year is all about understanding one self (understand your physiological and technical capabilities); understand the environment and terrain; co-op as a team and understand the agenda for the day and/or trip. And most important enjoy your trek and company.
A trekking party; especially having 32 or more varying degrees of dynamics will have all kind of characters; There will he ones whose objective in life for a trek will be to reach the top as-fast-as possible; dig the flag post and then also start back ASAP. Then there will be other end of the contrast who will want to laze through the entire trek; for various reasons from being tiered due to lack of sleep and or fitness level at that time and date or simply don't want to rush through the things; nothing wrong with that but we also have a tentative time table to maintain. Most of the members (90%) will lie between the two extremes. And we will exclude the two extreme exceptions when we decide on ideal trekking etiquettes.
Visapur can be approached by two routes; one route is to climb the trail leading to Khind between Lohgad and Visapur; follow the trail to your left leading towards Bhedse hill; along this route you will find a path which steeply climbs through a arête ending up into the fort, this is not regular entrance; we took another route which starts from the stairs leading to Bhaja Caves; after climbing few steps you then take diversion to your left where a small trail climbs above the Bhaja Caves hill to takes you to a small plateau. From this plateau you can see the fort very clearly. You maintain your progress keep to the left hand side of the hill as you climb up along the walls till you come across a small waterfall and then from here a small trail leads you the start of stairs leading to the entrance of fort which has a Maruti Temple just few steps short of the entrance.
As we climbed our team was soon split into two as we huffed and puffed arrived over the first hump of the hill and let our bodies get acclimatize to the semi-hectic activity planned for the day.
Acclimatization is very important; there I various rules; I as an individual like to take my first break after 20 minutes to 45 minutes depending of the gradient of slope to be ascended upon; this allow my body to get ready for the activity planned. Thereafter we take small breaks of 5 minutes after every 30 to 40 minutes of walk.
The sun was smiling; breeze was having a swing with blooms of flowers all over the hill. There were colours everywhere yellow; blue; red; purple and shades of green below and on the top sky blue with fluffy whites.
Soon the two teams assemble on top of the first hump; from here we could very clearly see the express highway on the northeastern side of the hump and exactly the opposite was the hill on which the majestic Visapur fort stood; most of the fort walls looked unapproachable from all angles; the entrance our guide told has was behind the face of rock and in the arête formed by between two extending arms of the hill; As we climbed we came across a trickle of water fall; some of the last few steps were slippery with a temple of Maruti just short of around 50 to 70 steps before the entrance. There were also few natural caves and a few small accommodation chambers carved in the rock face. The first group reached the top; we were waiting for the remaining members to catch-up. There was a large cannon placed in a static mode to welcome the enemies approaching the main gate of the fort; the structure of the fort was such that remaining around 50 soldiers guarding the fort entrance could also join in welcome party by contributing stones; hot oil; arrows; spears; etc etc.
We found lot of water holes; tanks on the fort which seemed to be pretty large. Few buffaloes we enjoying their holiday in couple of such muddy water holes eyeing us suspiciously that we may disturb their territory and tranquility of holiday in a paradise which had plenty of green.
After some debate we decided to shift our venue for lunch banquet from sun basked courtyard of Shiva temple to a small watchtower located to the South of Visapur fort. The lunch as usual was nothing short of lavish with lots of cultural mix from parathas; theplas; bread; wada; vegetables; biscuits; honey; curd; our royal baked beans in tomato sauce; idli (rice cake); sweet lime; I lost count of the variety; the most out-going personalities enjoyed the most of it and those who felt shy may have lost to make most of the party.
Soon after lunch we decided to explore the other side of the fort; followed by a debate on which exit to take the original entrance or the more adventurous one climbing down from the arête on the west side of fort facing Pauna lake. From the west side of the fort we could very clearly see from from left to right starting from Bedse hill; Tikona Fort; Kathingad; Morvi Dongar, Jambuli and finally the majestic gates of Lohgad. The decision was made to explore the remaining fort and then descend from the original entrance, which is towards southeast side of the fort.
The walls on the North east side of the fort are still intact and in good shape; we spotted the large chakkis(mills) where lime and jaggary was once upon a time mixed for cementing the wall of fort and also the one used for grounding grains to flour for the habitants. We explored few more structures which were well preserved before starting our descend back towards Bhaja Village. Few new comers found descending the hill a bit more difficult due to few slippery steps and rocks. We reached entrance of Bhaja Caves around 5:45 pm; it was time to shut the doors for visitors at Bhaja Caves; we managed to negotiate with the caretaker to let us explore the caves for few minutes. We found three chambers of this caves very interesting; the first one near the main entrance; the main chaitya having a single large prayer dome at the end will the pillars supported by wooden frames; then there was this chaitya having around 16 prayer domes (Stupas). We tried humming OM in different locations and styles to get the feel of positive vibrations at this place. There also one very interesting chamber towards the end which has carvings of a prince or king riding a Chariot of 4 horses and also one where he is riding an elephant.
After cave exploration; we descended to the Bhaja Village for a round of fresh lime where we had our windup session; which is a feedback session. We had all kinds of suggestions; criticism for not being too tight on timetable; blessing; we could see the 32 degrees of dynamics playing. Overall the adventure was satisfactory except we were one hour behind schedule overall; but then I feel that is acceptable delay.
The final phase was in the return journey; we sang all the ways back till Andheri till we bade each other Phir Milegee. | https://www.natureknights.net/2010/12/vipur-fort-and-bhaja-caves.html |
Join the movement. Apply to be a Peer Leader.
Are you a high school student interested in becoming a part of The PEERS Project?
High School Students (grades 9-12)
The key to the success of The PEERS Project is to identify and train high school students who are positive role models for the middle school students because they “live up to” the same standard they teach.
As a PEER Leader you will receive:
- Training and health education to help you affirm and strengthen your decision to make healthy, positive choices
- Peer support from adult mentors and your classmates through informal meetings and social activities
- Development of communication and leadership skills as you prepare to present The PEERS Project program to middle school students.
As a PEER Leader your commitment is:
- Modeling and living a lifestyle that abstains from drugs, alcohol, tobacco and sex before marriage.
- Showing respect for myself and others by dressing modestly, speaking an behaving like a lady or gentleman.
- Maintaining a GPA of 3.5 of greater and using good behavior at school.
- Making good choices outside of school and representing PEERS in the community.
- Being present at practices and informing my team and coordinator when I have a conflict.
- Learning my part of the presentation and being prepared on presentation days. | https://peersproject.org/get-involved/peers-application/ |
The invention discloses a mobile application security defect abstract generation method based on deep learning. The method comprises the following steps: preprocessing original user comments obtained in a mobile application store; performing sentiment analysis on the preprocessed comment sentences, removing sentences with positive sentiment tendencies, and retaining sentences with neutral and negative sentiment tendencies; classifying the processed comment sentences, dividing the processed comment sentences into comments related to security defects and comments unrelated to the security defects by adopting a logistic regression algorithm, and constructing a comment data set related to the security defects; extracting result from the comments related to the security defects; aspect-viewpoint-bad behavior gt; and the triad forms a comment abstract related to the security defect. According to the method, the triple representing the security defect can be extracted from the unstructured user comments, the comment abstract generation model aiming at the security defect of the mobile application is constructed by using the deep learning technology, and key information of the security defect is provided for the mobile application to be tested. | |
We are passionate about meeting customers’ demands and our innovation in the security market is driven by their needs and expectations. We strive to be a market leader across all product lines and sectors. Our vast portfolio of products are customer-focused and enable instant access and remote management of tasks to help save time and expense on otherwise laborious tasks. We understand the issues our customers’ face and our solutions are designed to meet these needs.
We are agile. We respond quickly and flexibly to customer requirements and market pressures while keeping our decision-making process short and focused. We are adaptable. We refine our products and processes to meet the ever-changing needs of the customer and market requirements. We are dependable. We aim to be a partner our customers can rely on whose products are supported by localized customer service and technical support.
We are determined to innovate across all sectors. Our motivation will meet your goals, big or small. We are passionate about delivering the right solution for any project. We are ready for any challenge. | https://usa.vanderbiltindustries.com/about/innovation |
The State Party submitted a report on 1 February 2012 addressing the recommendations of the World Heritage Committee at the time of inscription, specifically that the State Party implement a programme of studies and training on traditional building conservation, crafts and materials, and in collaboration with local tertiary institutions, and implement a programme of measuring and documenting all the listed buildings within the property. The report also addresses the request of the World Heritage Committee for a report on the implementation of the Management Plan.
The report indicates that in November 2011 a conservator from the PonceMuseum in Puerto Rico was contracted to restore a statue, and also carried out an on-site training session for workers from the Ministry of Transport and Works and the National Conservation Commission responsible for the daily maintenance of statues. This expert has been requested by the Ministry of Family, Culture, Sports and Youth to submit a proposal to provide training on traditional building conservation in 2012. The Ministry is currently awaiting the submission of this proposal. It is also reported that the Ministry has started discussions with the Ministry of Transport and Works to extend this training to incorporate heritage building and restoration.
No details are provided on how this programme might involve collaboration with local tertiary training institutions.
The report mentions that other day to day actions have commenced and are carried out to ensure the proper protection of the property. Most of these actions are set out under Section 4 of the property’s Management Plan; however no specific activities are mentioned.
The report indicates that a consultant will be appointed to undertake a programme for measuring and documenting 21 of the 115 listed buildings, and provides some details of the tasks of the consultancy: detailed multi-media information to support the maintenance of the listed buildings; support to the development of a planning process with respect to listed buildings located within the property; and to contribute to the sustainable management of the inscribed property. The consultancy will be divided into two phases. Phase one is expected to last six months. An overall budget of USD 100,000 has been provided, however, it is not stated when this work is expected to start. In the Management Plan submitted with the nomination, it is stated that fifty-three percent of the listed buildings are owned by the Government of Barbados and its various agencies, the remainder of the buildings – twenty-seven percent owned by private commercial entities, seventeen percent by private individuals, and four percent by religious organizations. The World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies consider it important that public and private properties are taken into consideration in terms of conditions of authenticity and integrity in order to avoid threats from future development or interventions.
At the time of inscription, the Management Plan had not been adopted or implemented. The report does not specifically address whether the Management Plan has now been officially adopted and the status of its implementation. The report provides details of the development control process currently in place and the legal protection – both of which were acknowledged in the evaluation of the nomination.
The World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies note that arrangements are being planned for a training programme on traditional building conservation. They do, however, consider that such a programme should be led by an expert on traditional craftsmanship and building conservation in view of the concerns regarding the property’s integrity. They also consider that, as requested by the Committee, such a training programme should have links with local tertiary institutions, and that a national programme of studies and training in traditional crafts, material and conservation be developed in collaboration with local or regional universities and technical institutions.
The World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies also note the programme being planned to document listed buildings.
In terms of the Management Plan, the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies note that it is not clear if the Plan has been adopted and what is the status of its implementation. In the nomination dossier it was stated that the funds to implement the Management Plan will come through the annual budgets of the individual agencies involved, from the 2013-2015 Government budget, subject to approval, from the local private sector and from UNESCO international assistance. It is not stated whether these funds have been made available. The World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies consider that the adoption of the Management Plan, which was stated in the nomination as reflecting a paradigm shift in the Caribbean towards a more multi-disciplinary approach to management, is essential to ensuring that an adequate management entity for the property is in place, and that management is directed towards sustaining Outstanding Universal Value.
7. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2014, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session in 2014.
- Colombia: Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia. | https://whc.unesco.org/en/soc/271 |
DENR detects 142 'undiscovered' caves, sinkholes on Boracay Island.
'Previously, the DENR is only aware of five caves on the island, and only three of them have been assessed and classified so far, but we later learned that there may be more. The MGB discovered that [there are actually more than] 142 cave openings,' she said.
The forum was held in connection with the proposed creation Boracay Island Critical Habitat (BICH), which will cover a total area of 750.96 hectares composed of 119.85 hectares of land and 631.107 hectares of marine areas in barangays Yapak and Balabag.
Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu is expected to sign the Department Administrative Order for the BICH after property owners expressed no opposition to the proposal, which aims to protect and conserve bats and marine turtles and their known habitats.
Crown-of-thorns
AT the same stakeholders' forum, dive shop owners expressed fear that funding for their program to battle crown-of-thorns infestation around Boracay Island will run dry.
Crown-of-thorns is a large, multiple-armed starfish that usually preys on hard, or stony, coral polyps. It is named so because of its venomous thorn-like spines that cover its upper surface, resembling the biblical crown of thorns.
Addressing DENR officials during the open forum for the BICH, Michael A. Martillano, president of the Boracay Business Administration of Scuba Shops, warned that crown-of-thorns are fast spreading in coral-reef areas around Boracay and dive shop owners, from the group's own fund, conduct activities to take out crown-of-thorns out of Boracay's waters.
'Our concern is the underwater environment. As mentioned before, there is an infestation of crown-of-thorns. We want to know what will be the program of the government, while Boracay is closed. We are doing this underwater cleanup and crown-of-thorns collection on our own. Of course, right now, the reason why we can do this is that it is funded by the association's own fund with the help of members. With this closure happening very soon, we don't know what will happen,' Martillano said.
While the government is doing rehabilitation on Boracay's forest, rehabilitation underwater should also be done simultaneously, he added.
'If the island is closed, of course, there are still divers who can do what we normally do, but we fear that we will run out of funds,' Martillano said.
He, likewise, urged the government to make known its plan in addressing illegal fishing in the area.
Undiscovered ecosystems
AN old map of Boracay also revealed that there are 12 wetlands on the island. But the latest satellite images produced by the DENR revealed that only nine could be located.
The map also showed that there are several sinkholes on the island.
The discovery of new cave openings by MGB came as part of the DENR's assessment of the island's terrestrial and marine ecosystems, which also calls for the further assessment of these potentially important ecosystems, Lim said.
A cave is a unique ecosystem within an ecosystem, she added.
The DENR, particularly the BMB, is mandated by Republic Act 9072 or 'National Caves and Cave Resources Management and Protection Act' to conduct cave classification for purpose of conserving and protecting cave resources, including cave-dwelling species.
Most caves are inhabited by unique species, like insect bats, insects, snakes, lizards and other reptiles.
'With the recent study of MGB, we discovered that there are 142 cave openings. That is why we must be more careful because development may cause these caves to collapse. On Boracay, we have previously classified a number of caves. Apparently, however, there are more caves than we previously thought of,' Lim added.
During previous cave assessments, three of the five caves reveal an assortment of species-some are unique to the caves, like cave crabs, Lim said.
'Some of these species cannot survive outside the caves. There are also sea snakes that dwell in caves,' she added.
Cave-dwelling bats, which are insect bats because they feed mainly on insects like mosquitoes, are different from bats that hang and sleep in trees but they provide ecosystem functions, especially in controlling the spread of mosquitoes that carry virus-like dengue and malaria.
'We need to learn more about the interconnectivity of these caves,' she added.
According to Lim, Boracay is rich in biodiversity. The forests on the island alone are already diverse, she added.
'Boracay is composed of several forest types. Our findings revealed that there are three forest types on Boracay. Mangrove forest, forest over limestone which can be found in the Northern part of the island, and beach forests,' Lim said.
Some of the trees in the forest over limestones are 50 to 100 years old, she added. These trees are unique and need to be protected, she said.
The forest over limestones on the northern part of the island has been identified as roosting sites of three species of flying foxes.
'Flying foxes are actually [help in] expanding [forests]. They migrate to travel to the mainland to eat. They eat and spread seeds. They are natural seed dispersers and they are responsible for expanding the forest in mainland Panay,' she said.
According to Lim, it is important to limit development and tourism activities in areas inhabited by Boracay's unique wildlife like the fruit and insect bats.
'While there is proof that bats and humans can coexist, it is also important to adopt environmentally responsible practices,' she said. | https://www.thefreelibrary.com/DENR+detects+142+%27undiscovered%27+caves%2C+sinkholes+on+Boracay+Island-a0534522540 |
Real Sociedad were set up by their manager Imanol Alguacil into a 4-3-3 formation in which Adnan Januzaj, once of Manchester United, featured towards the right of their front three. United defended with a 4-2-3-1, and their attacking players willingly retreated to contribute as they defended, and adopted a narrow shape while working to cut passing lanes as their opponents sought to build possession.
During the early periods the hosts struggled to retain the ball, so they attempted to patiently build from defence, often via Asier Illarramendi withdrawing into central defence to create the option of combining with Mikel Merino and David Silva, featuring in front of him in central midfield. Merino created passing lines between them, and a shape was adopted with the intention of transitioning forwards into the space behind United’s press, but the double pivot formed by Fred and Scott McTominay and the angles they created also encouraged Socieded to play the ball wide, and made United difficult to play through.
Nacho Monreal regularly attempted to attack from left-back and to support in the final third, where he often moved ahead of Mikel Oyarzabal, who in turn withdrew into deeper territory to create two-on-ones against Aaron Wan-Bissaka, whose early yellow card meant the areas around him were increasingly targeted. On the opposite wing Januzaj took increasingly high and wide positions, occupying Alex Telles and making it difficult for him to scan for both the ball and his opponent.
Sociedad regardless found it challenging to break United’s defensive lines with penetrative passes. Silva’s footwork meant him driving forwards through the centre of the pitch and attempting to progress through the low block with which he was confronted, and his movements created space for his teammates, but the compactness and consistency among United’s defenders meant that their attempts to create were repeatedly negated.
A change was evident towards the start of the second half, when Sociedad attempted to combine through the middle via Merino’s creativity amid pressure behind him from McTominay, Silva moving deeper to take the ball, and Monreal consistently advancing, though at the risk of leaving them with a potentially vulnerable back three. As United’s lead increased Sociedad adopted a more offensive shape as they built possession; their central defenders remained withdrawn to support around their goalkeeper, but their full-backs advanced to create a line of four with Merino and Illarramendi.
Against that, Daniel James moved into deeper positions to support in midfield, and when the hosts succeeded in securing the ball for lengthier periods United adopted a mid-block that featured numbers behind the ball and in the central areas of the pitch. Even at 3-0 up, with United essentially inviting Sociedad to send players forwards so that they could attack into the spaces being vacated, the hosts struggled to continue to make an impression on United’s defence.
In pictures
When building from the back, Real Sociedad’s captain Asier Illarramendi dropped in to deep positions to support their defensive line
When out of possession, Real Sociedad left only Alexander Isak ahead of the ball; their narrow and compact shape forced Manchester United out into wide areas if they could not get between the lines
Nacho Monreal consistently moved forwards to support their attacking line; he interchanged positions with Mikel Oyarzabal with the aim of exploiting the space left by Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Mikel Merino was able to pull Scott McTominay out of position with movement into a deep position, unlocking space for Oyarzabal to move into
The partnership between Marcus Rashford and Alex Telles created two-on-ones for United when attacking down the left; Sociedad’s defence moved across the pitch to provide cover
United defended with a 4-2-3-1, and a double pivot of Fred and Scott McTominay in midfield; Daniel James also showed high levels of intensity to drop into midfield
The angle of United’s double pivot forced Sociedad to play in wide areas to progress forwards; the angle of their pivot changed to dictate play when out of possession
Bruno Fernandes drifted between Sociedad’s central defender and full-back when Rashford pulled wide; his change of tempo and direction made him difficult to defend against
In possession: Manchester United
Manchester United were organised by their manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer into a 4-2-3-1 formation led by Mason Greenwood. He had selected an attack-minded XI that was dynamic with the ball. Real Sociedad defended with a 4-5-1, and often a high line – via Adnan Januzaj and Mikel Oyarzabal withdrawing into midfield – challenging United to find space between the lines.
From very early United were determined to use their speed to capitalise on the spaces that existed behind their opponents’ defence. Greenwood and Marcus Rashford changed positions and, complemented by balls played in behind, regularly succeeded in turning their opponents’ body position.
Scott McTominay and Fred formed the double pivot at the base of midfield, and Alex Telles and Aaron Wan-Bissaka advanced from full-back to create two-on-ones with Rashford and Daniel James, restricting Sociedad to attempt to delay their attacks through the wide channels. When possession was being built in midfield, Rashford sought to adopt the most advanced possible position and to time his forwards runs in behind Sociedad’s defence.
Fast attacking transitions were also significant, and numbers were committed forwards before Sociedad could adopt their defensive positions – Rashford and Telles often drew their back four towards them, creating space towards the right. It was then a change of pace and a run to between a central defender and full-back from Bruno Fernandes that presented him with the opportunity from which he gave United the lead.
During the second half their lead was doubled after a counter started by Fred. They transitioned into an attack that created a four-on-four in which Rashford, James, Greenwood and Fernandes succeeded in combining in a way that Sociedad couldn’t delay them.
Their attempts to counter continued – James continued to offer a high and wide position when United took possession into midfield – and a combination of well-timed runs, penetrative passing and clinical finishing made them very difficult to stop. Harry Maguire increasingly occupied more advanced positions, contributing to their numerical advantages in midfield, and Anthony Martial’s introduction as a substitute meant Greenwood moving wide.
James scored United’s fourth when taking advantage of Nacho Monreal’s advanced starting position. After receiving possession in a deep area he succeeded in accelerating into space, and providing the finishing touch. | https://www.coachesvoice.com/real-sociedad-0-manchester-united-4-tactical-analysis/ |
Looking for amazing facts and informations about Athens? Below you can discover eleven curiosities that are real, even if they are weird or funny, so please make sure to vote what you think is interesting!
Discover interesting Athens facts
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Athens is a world center of archaeological research.
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According to Greek mythology, the olive tree was given to Athens by the goddess Athena, and Greece is now the world’s third leading producer of olives.
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Athens is one of the most sunny cities of the World, a place where sun shines about 270 days per year.
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Athens became European Capital of Culture for the first time in 1985.
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The origins of Athens date back to 3000BC, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. It has been continuously habited for at least 3,000 years.
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Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece.
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Athena served as a guardian of Athens, where the famous Parthenon served as her temple. The Greek capital is named after her.
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Ancient Greece's boys went to school at the age of 7 if they lived in Athens, or went to the barracks if they lived in Sparta.
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Athens is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Acropolis of Athens and the medieval Daphni Monastery.
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In July 1977 was recorded a temperature of 48.0 °C in Athens . It was the highest temperature ever being recorded in Europe.
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Athens is considered the cradle of Western civilisation, being the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy and literature, the Olympic Games, political science, major mathematical principles and theatre. | https://factsaz.com/athens-facts |
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) was established as a common reference point allowing comparable measures across different individuals and species. BMR is often regarded as a minimal rate of metabolism compatible with basic processes necessary to sustain life. One confusing aspect, however, is that BMR is highly variable, both within and between species. A potential explanation for this variability is that while individuals with high BMRs may suffer the disadvantage of having to feed for longer to cover the extra energy demands, this may be offset by advantages that accrue because of the high metabolic rate. One suggested advantage is that high levels of BMR are a consequence of maintaining a morphology that permits high rates of the maximal sustained rate of metabolism (SusMR) - the rate of metabolism that can be sustained for days or weeks. We have been studying the energetics of MF1 laboratory mice during peak lactation to investigate this idea. In this article, we review some of our work in connection with three particular predictions that derive from the hypothesised links among morphology, basal metabolism, and sustained metabolic rate. By comparing groups of individuals, for example, lactating and nonlactating individuals, the patterns that emerge are broadly consistent with the hypothesis that BMR and SusMR are linked by morphology. Lactating mice have bigger organs connected with energy acquisition and utilisation, greater resting metabolic rates in the thermoneutral zone, called RMRt ( approximately equivalent to BMR), and high sustainable rates of maximal energy intake. However, when attempts are made to establish these relationships across individuals within lactating mice, the associations that are anticipated are either absent or very weak and depend on shared variation due to body mass. At this level there is very little support for the suggestion that variation in RMRt ( and thus BMR) is sustained by associations with SusMR. | https://abdn.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/the-functional-significance-of-individual-variation-in-basal-meta |
For students with special needs, going back to school is far more complex than shopping for new backpacks and the hottest clothes.
Here are tips from parents, professionals and two kids to make the school year a success for kids with special challenges.
First, words of wisdom for teachers and parents from a boy diagnosed with autism: “Respect your students’ diverse routes to learning and their diverse styles of manifesting what they have learned.”
Having respect means walking on a two-way street, where each child’s different learning styles are understood, not squashed, says his mother, Morton Ann Gernsbacher, a psychology professor at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
“When my son was diagnosed as autistic in the spring of 1998, I was ignorant, prejudiced and afraid of autism,” she says. “I now know, thanks to the patience, persistence and power of my son, that autism can be a glorious difference, a beautiful way of experiencing the world.”
Some of the tips Gernsbacher has gleaned from her “lab and her lap” as a researcher and mother:
Follow your child’s lead. Look for the unconventional ways your child expresses himself, and make the most of his strengths.
Be a detective to uncover your child’s learning style.
Keep in mind that children take more pleasure in the activities they choose, not in being overdirected. Fight the tendency to take over.
Work toward enjoyment on both sides – between parent and child, between a typically developing child and a child with challenges, between a teacher and a student with special needs.
Gernsbacher’s research has included developing ways to understand how language is processed. She has found that some children diagnosed with autism observe and take in more than their parents, caregivers and teachers realize.
Other back-to-school tips from Karen Peterson of Dallas, a former teacher who has worked with preschool- and elementary-age children with special needs:
Make sure your child has realistic expectations about the day.
If possible, introduce your child to his new teacher before the first day of school.
If your child takes medications, let the teacher know. Talk to the teacher about how to recognize medication-related complications.
Avoid talking about your child’s special challenges in front of him or her.
Involve your child in preparations for school, such as choosing lunch items, buying supplies and selecting clothes.
Many parents create special-needs children by pushing them too hard and too fast, says Peterson, a mother of two adult boys. She recalls her first son’s first year in school was miserable because he was not ready. She decided to home-school him for a year. Her second son had delays related to language. He benefited from intense work early on with speech language therapists at home and in school.
Eve Becker-Doyle wrote a book with her teenage son, EVAN BRAIN! Adventures of a Delusional Kid Superhero (Becker Doyle and Associates Publishing, 2007). Her tips call for “extra flexibility and leeway for creative, unusual children who think outside the box,” including her son.
In the book, mother and son give their own versions of Evan’s antics with teachers, baby sitters and relatives. Mom is more realistic and includes copies of notes from distraught teachers. Evan, who illustrates the book with cartoons, gives fantasy accounts of the same episodes.
Becker-Doyle’s tips:
Allow kids who don’t fit the mold a little more leeway for individual expression.
Affirming these children is a great approach.
Accept children who are different, and don’t push them too hard when they don’t want to yield. She gives this example: “When Evan preferred to read only fantasy and comics, I tried to introduce him to other books, but he stubbornly stuck to his guns. I gave it up.”
Nonconformist children like Evan are best matched with a teacher who is not rigid.
A new tool to help parents talk with teachers is at
www.autismsupportsforyou.com. The Classroom Support Plan asks parents, caregivers and teachers about a child’s specific learning needs and then recommends individualized classroom supports to help children transition more easily, manage their emotions and make friends.
The plan is designed for children in preschool through fifth grade with autism spectrum disorders or with related communication, social, sensory or movement differences.
Parenting tip
For all kids, back-to-school can mean back to germs, says Kate Grossman of About.com. The most common infections kids give to each other are upper-respiratory infections and stomach viruses. Decrease the chances of picking up germs by careful hand-washing.
Betsy Flagler is a syndicated writer specializing in family issues. If you have tips, or questions of your own, call the toll-free Child Life hotline any time at 800-827-1092. Or write to Betsy Flagler, P.O. Box 4270, Davidson, N.C., 28036. E-mail can be sent to [email protected]. | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2007/09/04/school-tips-for-special-needs/ |
Iranian source: Syrian refugees in Lebanon live in bad conditions
The Syrian refugees who have left their home country to take shelter in camps inside neighboring Lebanon are living in dire conditions, Iranian Press TV reports.
The refugees are suffering from the lack of basic needs in the refugee camps in Lebanon, including the lack of proper medical treatment and assistance.
“You can see how our living conditions are like. Rain goes through the tents. The children are sick. My son has difficulty with breathing and we can’t take them to hospitals, unless it is an emergency,” said a refugee.
Among all Syria’s neighboring countries, Lebanon hosts the largest number of refugees with at least 260,000 people, which is equal to 6.5 percent of Lebanon’s total population.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has warned of the influx of the refugees from Syria to Lebanon, saying the increase in the number of the refugees requires four more camps.
UN refugee officials have appealed for more assistance, saying they have also drawn up contingency plans, which may have to be implemented as the number of the refugees continues to rise.
“If there is a sudden influx then we have to be prepared and this is why the camp component is included in our contingency planning,” a UNHCR spokeswoman, Dana Suleiman, said.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese government says it will spare no efforts to fulfill the needs of the refugees, including coordination with UN officials and regional countries.
“Upon the request of Lebanon, an extra ordinary Arab League meeting was held to discuss the refugees’ crisis. That meeting was followed by the summit in Kuwait, whereby 1.5 billion dollars of assistance was pledged. This assistance is now in the process of being distributed through various channels to provide aid for refugees,” Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour said.
Syrian clashes have started since March, 2011. | https://times.am/?p=18491&l=en |
Published at Friday, November 04th 2016, 07:56:46 AM by Struky Joe. Bathroom.
Furthermore it is also crucial to consider the size of the sink itself. The actual size of the sink should be ensured to match the available spot for the sink itself inside the bathroom. It will be a waste to buy the sink which is too big or too small for the space of the bathroom sink itself.
Bedroom. Published at Saturday, March 18th 2017, 20:54:57 PM by Boby Clown.
Bunk bed is perfect for small bedroom with limited space. When you’re going to buy a bunk bed, there are four different styles of bunk bed your’s must consider, including standard bunk bed, loft bed, trundle bed, and futon bed. Standard bunk bed comes in three different options, twin bed over a twin bed, full bed over a full bed, and twin bed over a full bed. For your kids’ room, twin up twin rubbish bed is perfect.
Interior. Published at Thursday, March 16th 2017, 18:23:18 PM by Struky Joe.
If you want an attic insulation that works, you should not use the attic as your storage. Cheapest and simplest way to insulate your attic is adding material to floor. If you covered your floor with plywood you need to pull up that flooring then layer the new insulation right on top. Now you must choose the material and type of attic insulation. If you’re going to do it yourself, there are two choices available, the loose fill and batt.
Kitchen. Published at Wednesday, March 15th 2017, 18:48:31 PM by Johannah Guan.
Pantry designs are basically available in three options: pull-out, reach-in, and walk-in. Each of them is unique and your choice will depend on various factors.
Kitchen. Published at Tuesday, March 14th 2017, 19:02:38 PM by Boby Clown.
Pantry cabinet alone is not enough for you to finally achieve the neat and organized kitchen storage unit. Furthermore, you need to organize your pantry, too.
Exterior. Published at Saturday, March 04th 2017, 17:55:02 PM by Johannah Guan.
Front stoop will not look special when you keep it just plain. Maybe, you want to add something such as giving it color or the accessories. So, what can make your front stoop more interesting and attracting for every eye? These are some recommendations for your front stoop. Let’s check them out!
Fireplace. Published at Tuesday, February 28th 2017, 22:50:42 PM by Boby Clown.
Fireplace screen is available in a wide variety of shapes, colors, finishes and sizes. You could buy them in order to complement the nearly any décor for your room. They will add so much fashion for your room. They are often employed and used as the focal point while they are not used. The functionality of the fireplace screens is very much important for some people.
Fireplace. Published at Sunday, February 26th 2017, 15:58:27 PM by Struky Joe.
When choosing the fireplace door, what material you choose? Doors of fireplace have some material such as wood, glass, etc. People believe that glass fireplace door is the choice they want. There are some key benefits about the benefits of iron fireplace doors. Here we go and check this out.
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All graphics and other visual elements as well as any sign reproduced on the display products reproduced on the Website belong to their respective owners and users and is provided AS IS for your personal information only. Copyright © 2004–2022 PromDressFashion. | https://www.promdressfashion.com/tag/bathroom-sink-miranda-lambert/ |
The impact of Covid-19 has affected each family differently. Those who have lost their jobs, seen profits from a business plummet, been on furlough or reduced pay have borne the economic brunt of the lockdown. There may be some silver lining, if a reduced income means that tax breaks and benefits for which the individual did not previously qualify are now available. Here is a quick guide to some of the income tax allowances and benefits.
Income Tax Breaks
Some income tax allowances are offered or withdrawn when income is below or above certain bands, so a lower income in one year can mean that tax allowances or other benefits become available.
Personal Allowance
Most UK taxpayers are not taxed on the first £12,500 of their taxable income. This personal allowance is withdrawn gradually once annual taxable income is over £100,000. For each £2 over, £1 of the allowance is withdrawn, so that once over £125,000 of taxable income there is no personal allowance left, costing the taxpayer up to £5,000 per year.
If income falls below £125,000 then the allowance is restored on sliding scale so that the full £12,500 is available once income is below £100,000.
Pension savings and gift aid donations also reduce income for the purpose of calculating the withdrawal of the personal allowance.
Savings Income
Taxpayers have a tax -free allowance for savings income of £1,000 if a basic rate taxpayer and £500 if a higher rate taxpayer (income between £50,001 and £150,000) *. Those with income over £150,001 get no allowance. If a lower income means that the taxable income for the year falls below these thresholds, the tax -free savings allowance increases.
Where earned and property income is below £12,500 an additional £5,000 of savings income can be received with no tax to pay. The £5, 000 savings income allowance is reduced pro rata where taxable earned and property income is between £12,500 and £17,500. A drop in income could enable more savings income to be received tax free and ownership of savings accounts may need adjustment within the family to take full advantage of this.
Married Couples & Civil Partners
Married couples and civil partners, where one has taxable income below £12,500 (or £17,500 including taxable savings income), and the other is between £12,500 and £50,000 may claim marriage allowance. This is worth up to £250 in the current year. Couples who were eligible for this allowance in the previous four tax years may also claim arrears of up to £1,188 in total.
Families with Children
Most families with children under age 16 or in full time education to age 19, get tax free child benefit, worth £21.05 per week for the eldest and £13.95 per week for each younger child. Where one adult in the family has income in excess of £50,099, they pay tax on this benefit. Once income reaches £60,000 it is all clawed back in tax. This has led many families to waive the benefit rather than pay tax on it. If the high earner’s income has fallen, they may wish to reinstate their claim to tax free child benefit.
Tax Free Childcare
Where both parents are working a minimum of 16 hours per week and earning at least the National Living Wage/ Minimum Wage, help with paying for childcare for under 12s is available from HMRC.
The Government has temporarily removed the minimum income requirement for those receiving Job Support or Self Employment Income Support. The taxpayer subsidy can be up to £2,000 per year per child when added to the savings in the Tax- Free Childcare Account at a rate of 25% of personal savings.
If one adult has taxable income of more than £100,000, they are ineligible. Where a high earner has seen a drop in income below this level, applying for Tax Free Childcare may become an option. As a temporary measure the Government has allowed key workers to earn above £100,000 and remain eligible for the taxpayer subsidy.
To explore how you may benefit from these and other money saving ideas please contact your usual adviser or [email protected]
Kay Ingram
Public Policy Director
October 2020
*England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Scottish resident taxpayers pay 41% tax on income between £43,430 and £150,000. | https://www.lebc-group.com/news-and-views/has-covid-19-hammered-your-income |
Malari village, 100 km north of Udaipur (Image: Google Maps).
On day four of our CERES Global Sustainable Development, Permanent Culture and Un-learning tour to India we visited a village called Malari, 100 km north of Udaipur. In a day of fascinating interactions, we learned about the local dairy and herding economies, got some hands-on experience with local farming practices, enjoyed warm impromptu hospitality from our village hosts, and shared in a transcendental experience of dance and music. We came away from our day in Malari contemplating both what we had come away with in knowledge and experiences, and what we had left in terms of our impact on the hearts, culture and economy of Malari residents.
Our first port of call on our morning walk into the village was the dairy, where we saw farmers bring in buckets of milk from the morning’s milking. The buckets were weighed and tested for purity to ensure the milk was not thinned out with water (the farmers are payed by weight/volume of milk they bring in). We saw the large cauldrons in which the milk is heated and curdled to separate the curd and whey of the milk, the curd being then used to produce paneer. A couple of hours later we returned to the dairy to taste the curd, which was softer and sweeter than the paneer that would later be produced from it.
Outside the dairy, we came across the busy scene of a house renovation. A group of men were attempting to pulley and lever a large iron door frame up to a first floor balcony. Some of my tour-mates and I helped to hoist the heavy frame to the balcony and put the frame in place in the balcony doorway. The host family showed their gratitude by inviting us to have chai and snacks in their house, which we gladly accepted. When offered hospitality in such situations, never say no!
I once heard on a TV documentary an Indian grandmother talk about sharing food as sharing love. After all, what could be a better expression of love for others than to share the stuff of life. The chai was fabulous and the home-made sweets and biscuits were delectable. Despite the obvious linguistic barrier, we nonetheless made friends with our hosts through sharing food and taking selfies with each other. Some of the females in our group tried on ceremonial sarees that were enthusiastically showed off by the young women of the house.
Helping hoist the iron frame. Photo: Ben Habib.
Posing for photos after hoisting the frame. Photo: Ben Habib.
The photo-bomb is universal. Photo: Ben Habib.
Freya models a saree. Photo: Ben Habib.
Trying on sarees. Photo: Sela Vai.
Freya posing for photos with one of the herders. Photo: Helen Bucknell.
Three generations of new friends in the house. Photo: Ben Habib.
Chris meeting some young men. Photo: Ben Habib.
Enjoying chai and snacks. Photo: Sela Vai.
Making friends with the matriarch of the house. Photo: Alex Tohovitis.
Smoking pipes. Photo: Helen Bucknell.
From chai sipping and selfie diplomacy, our group moved on to meet with a group of goat herders in another part of the village. In addition to explaining their role in the village economy, the herders shared their unique tobacco smoking pipes with members of our group. Not sure I mastered the smoking style with these particular pipes. I felt like I was oxygenating a fire with a blower like a miniature blacksmith, without inhaling much of anything. Nonetheless, successful inhalation of local tobacco was not the point; it was the inquisitive acceptance of a local custom that gave face to our hosts.
In the afternoon we split into two groups and spent some time working on the farm. The group I was part of weeded out a chickpea bed, while the other group irrigated a field by manipulating hand-dug canals to channel water into different parts of the field. In a style of irrigation that is common across the region, the field was divided into small squares by 15 centimetre-high dirt levees. Water is then pumped from a well into a central ditch, about half a metre wide. A temporary dirt dam is then pushed across the main ditch to channel water into a hole in one of the square plots. When that plot is filled with water, the levee around it is sealed and a new dam is pushed across the ditch to channel water into a hole in the next square plot. So on it goes until the whole field is irrigated. The system is labour-intensive but demonstrates how a large area can be irrigated efficiently without expensive large-scale mechanised irrigation infrastructure.
Also interesting was the practice we observed of creating field fencing from the fallen limbs of coppiced trees. The tree debris provides a physical barrier to intrusion from marauding herbivores as well as nutrient mass from the decaying leaf material.
Field divided into smaller parcels with dirt mounds to channel water.
The main irrigation ditch from the well to the field.
Water travelling to the field for irrigation..
Individual plots within the field filling with water.
Helen irrigating the field. Photo: Manish.
Helen and Chris cleaning up after irrigating the field. Photo: Manish.
Our embedded dance team—led by Freya List, with Sela Vai, Ellie Creevey, Debbie Keenan, Lucy Doherty, Pablo Lee, and video guru Sean Higgins—choreographed a beautiful dance routine to perform for residents of Malari during the evening. Everyone from the village was there to watch the dancers perform. Partway through the routine the portable speaker playing the song put a stop to the choreographed routine. However there was no need to despair, as the village drummer stepped up and pounded out beats for the next couple of hours. The locals were hesitant at first to join the dance. Our dance team encouraged some of the younger people to join in and from there, the whole village gradually got involved in the movement. The drumming was mesmerising, the dancing exhilarating and empowering.
Huge congratulation to Freya and her dance team for facilitating such a positive and uplifting experience for everyone involved.
Our wonderful dance team! Photo: Freya List.
This was my fifth mission as a facilitator on a tour organised by CERES Global, both with La Trobe University study tours and CERES Global independent tours. I have been involved in the great work done by Ben Walta and Sophie Edwards from CERES Global to develop engagements are designed to educate and engage participants on global cultural and environmental issues. The engagement are intended to encourage participants to learn about the challenges that host organisations face and by visiting local projects that empower local people to create culturally relevant and sustainable community-level change. The aim is to support genuine friendship-building between participants and the host communities through ongoing mutual exchange that results in capacity building for the local community.
Every tour participant has a role to play in fostering good tourism practice. We can influence things such as the products and services we select, making decisions based on knowledge gained from local information, and the way we choose to interact as a group with the environment and people we encounter.
Our interest as foreigners in the cultural customs and agricultural practices of the village provided validation of local knowledge, consistent with the decolonising philosophy of our host organisation Shikshantar who wish to recognise and preserve the wisdom of village knowledge systems. A monetary gift to the dairy and the herders was budgeted into our tour cost, providing some financial benefit to the village from our visit.
Less obvious is the impact of our visit on the culture of the village. The very act of contact inevitably leaves an imprint on both parties. Our different modes of dress, the technologies we brought with us, and the gender relations within our group, as observed by our hosts, all leave an imprint that could shape or challenge existing cultural norms. This was particularly evident during the dance performance evening. At the very least, the process of interaction humanised our respective groups across a significant cultural divide, bringing out the best in both. | https://drbenjaminhabib.com/2018/01/21/india-day-04-malari-village/ |
Congenital anomalies are important causes of childhood death, chronic illness and disability. They are also known as birth defects, congenital disorders or congenital malformations. Congenital anomalies can be defined as structural or functional anomalies that occur during intrauterine life.
Causes and risk factors
Although approximately 50% of all congenital anomalies cannot be linked to a specific cause. There are some known causes or risk factors that may include socioeconomic and demographic factors, genetic factors, infections, maternal nutritional status, environmental factors etc.
Maternal exposure to certain pesticides and other chemicals, as well as certain medications, alcohol, tobacco, psychoactive drugs and radiation during pregnancy, may increase the risk of having a child affected by congenital anomalies. Working or living near, or in, waste sites, smelters or mines may also be a risk factor, especially if the mother is exposed to other environmental risk factors or nutritional deficiencies.
Prevention
Preventive public health measures delivered through health services decrease the frequency of certain congenital anomalies. Primary prevention of congenital anomalies includes:
- improving the diet of women throughout their reproductive years, ensuring an adequate dietary intake of vitamins and minerals, and particularly folic acid, through daily oral supplements or fortification of staple foods such as wheat or maize flours;
- ensuring mothers abstain from, or restrict, their intake of harmful substances, particularly alcohol;
- controlling preconceptional and gestational diabetes, through counselling, weight management, diet and administration of insulin when needed;
- avoiding environmental exposure to hazardous substances (e.g. heavy metals, pesticides) during pregnancy;
- ensuring that any exposure of pregnant women to medications or medical radiation is justified, based on careful health risk–benefit analysis;
- improving vaccination coverage, especially against the rubella virus, for children and women. Rubella can be prevented through childhood vaccination;
- increasing and strengthening education of health staff and others involved in promoting prevention of congenital anomalies.
Detection
Health care before and around the time of conception includes basic reproductive health practices, as well as medical genetic screening and counselling. Screening can be conducted during the 3 periods listed next.
- Preconception screening includes obtaining family histories and carrier screening, and is particularly valuable in countries where consanguineous marriage is common.
- Peri-conception screening include screening for young or advanced maternal age, as well as screening for use of alcohol, tobacco or other psychoactive drugs. Ultrasound can be used to screen for Down syndrome during the first trimester, and for severe fetal anomalies during the second trimester.
- Neonatal screening includes clinical examination and screening for disorders of the blood, metabolism and hormone production. Screening for deafness and heart defects, as well as early detection of congenital anomalies, can facilitate life-saving treatments and prevent progression towards some physical, intellectual, visual or auditory disabilities. In some countries, babies are routinely screened for abnormalities of the thyroid or adrenal glands before discharge from the maternity unit.
Treatment and care
Many structural congenital anomalies can be corrected with paediatric surgery and early treatment can be administered to children with functional problems such as thalassaemia (inherited recessive blood disorders), sickle cell disorders and congenital hypothyroidism (reduced function of the thyroid). | https://www.thedailystar.net/health/disease/dealing-congenital-anomalies-82648 |
Sinus is an inflammation or swelling of the tissue lining the sinuses are filled with air. But when they become blocked and filled with fluid, germs can grow and cause an infection. Sinus can be acute or chronic, and it can be caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, allergies, or even an autoimmune reaction. Stuffy nose, headaches, coughing, and fever can knock off anyone and make a person feel lousy. But some people experience this due to abnormal tissue growth inside the nose, an uneven wall of tissue and other illnesses. Generally, people take over-the-counter drugs to get some relief from the sinus pain, but massage can also be an excellent alternative.
Massage Techniques:
Self-massage is easy to do by yourself. All it takes is just a few minutes of gently massaging and putting pressure on the appropriate parts of your face. The human body has four pairs of sinuses. Each one is named after the bones in which they’re found. Massaging these points can provide relief from sinus pain and congestion.
There are three massage points to get relief from sinus pain:
- Frontal Sinus Massage: The frontal sinuses are one of the four pairs of paranasal sinuses that are situated behind the brow ridges. Sinuses are mucosa-lined airspaces within the bones of the face and skull. The frontal sinus is found in the center of the forehead. The point is located just above the eyes near the nasal bridge.
How to massage:
- Start by rubbing your hands together to warm them up.
- Place your index and middle fingers on either side of the forehead, just above the eyebrows.
- Massage slowly in a circular outward motion, working your way outwards, towards the temples.
- Do this for about 30 seconds.
Check out the video of how to do massage to get relief from sinus pain
2. Maxillary Sinus Massage: The pyramid-shaped maxillary sinus is the largest of the paranasal sinuses, and drains into the middle meatus of the nose. It is the most significant air sinus in the body. The points can be found on either side of the nose below your cheekbones and above the jaws.
How to massage:
- Place your index and middle fingers on the area between the cheekbones and the upper jaw, on either side of the nose.
- Massage this area in a circular motion for about 30 seconds.
- For stronger pressure, use your thumbs instead of your index fingers.
3. Sphenoid/ethmoid Sinus Massage: The ethmoid sinus or ethmoid air cells of the ethmoid bone is one of the four paired paranasal sinuses. The ethmoid sinuses are located just behind the nose and between the eyes, while the ethmoid sinuses are located in the ethmoid bone that divided the nasal cavity from the brain.
How to massage:
- Place your index fingers on the bridge of your nose.
- Find the area between your nasal bone and the corner of the eyes.
- Hold a firm pressure in that spot with your fingers for about 15 seconds.
- Then, using your index fingers, stroke downward along the side of the bridge of your nose.
- Repeat the slow downward strokes for about 30 seconds.
Tip: You can repeat all of these massages several times until your sinuses feel relieved from congestion. You can also combine sinus massage with other home remedies like warm compresses or steam inhalation, for added relief. | https://www.uptobrain.com/few-massage-points-to-get-relief-from-sinus-pain/ |
May 28, 2019
If you are like most singers, you are your worst critic. In this episode we talk about easy techniques to use so that that you can stop judging yourself so harshly, choose songs that make your voice sound great, and walk out of the audition room or your next performance feeling confident and proud.
Need some advice...
May 21, 2019
In this episode we go through the process of taking a song and turning it into a performance. If you are worried about how to incorporate emotion into your performance, what to do with your hands, #allthethings. Phillis breaks it down and makes it so easy. You are totally going to want to take notes on this one!
Find...
May 16, 2019
Let's really go in depth and transform your singing performances inside this free, on-demand training.
Captivate Your Audience: 4 Steps To Giving Your Dream Singing Performance. | https://tvoicelessons.libsyn.com/2019/05 |
More than 70 million U.S. households have pets and these owners spend a tremendous amount of resources on the care and comfort of their pets. As more than half of all marriages end in divorce, many divorcing couples are faced with deciding who gets custody of the pet. While there is some disagreement under the law as to how pets should be considered, there are steps that you can take to evaluate what custody arrangement would be best for your pet and for making a strong argument for custody in a divorce hearing.
Steps
Part 1 Evaluating Legal Right to Pet
- 1Assessed as property. Under the law, pets are viewed as personal property that should be assigned to one party or the other. However, more and more courts are looking more closely at the issue of pet custody. While some courts refuse to enforce visitation agreements between divorced pet owners, other courts have asked divorcing couple to submit custody plans that would be in the best interest of the animal. Therefore, while pets are viewed as property, you may be able to negotiate a legally binding agreement as to custody.
- 2Determine purchaser. Since pets are considered property, if you can show that you purchased the animal prior to the marriage or used non-marital funds to buy the pet, you may have a better chance of keeping the pet in the divorce.
- However, if you did not provide primary care for the pet during marriage or pay for its care, you may be required to reimburse you spouse for the cost of care if you are awarded the pet.
- 3Maintain custody of pet. In determining ownership interest of the pet or where the pet should be placed in a division of assets, the spouse who maintains custody of the pet during the divorce proceeding may have an advantage over the other spouse. Having custody of the pet may be seen as evidence of the animal’s actual caretaker and the court may factor this into its decision about who should have custody of the pet.
- 4Evaluate prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. Since a pet is legally considered property, a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement may speak to pet ownership. For example, if you brought the pet into the relationship, listed the pet as your property in a prenuptial agreement, and your fiancée signed the agreement, you will most likely maintain custody of the pet.
- If you acquired the pet during your marriage and then you and your spouse sign postnuptial agreements, review the agreement to see whether you or your spouse agreed that the pet was one person’s personal property.
- Evaluate whether there is broad enough language in the postnuptial agreement to make an argument that the pet falls into a class of property that was agreed to be your personal property.
Part 2 Considering Best Interest of the Pet
- 1Pair pet custody with children. If you have children, in addition to a pet, it may be in the best interest of the children and the pet to keep them together. This generally means that the pet stays in the family home, in its familiar setting.
- If you have more than one pet and the pets have bonded, it is probably in the best interest of both pets to keep them together.
- If child custody is shared, you could also share pet custody on the same schedule. However, certain animals like dogs may be more suited to this arrangement.
- 2Evaluate spouses’ schedules and homes. If both parties are truly concerned about the well being of the pet, they should look at both spouses’ schedules and see whether one is better for providing the pet with a healthy environment. Factors to consider when determining whose schedule and housing may be best for a pet include:
- Does one person travel a lot for work?
- Who has a more predictable schedule?
- Who has a shorter workday?
- Are both people living in places where pets are allowed?
- Does one person have more outdoor space for the pet?
- Is one person more able to take care of the pet, because of work schedule?
- 3Think about the health of the pet. Just as people suffer from the stress of a divorce, pets also can experience stress and illness from the changes in surroundings and care. If the pet is living in a new environment or with the spouse that was not the primary caretaker, consider taking the pet to the veterinarian if you notice changes in its behavior, such as loss of appetite, self-biting or accidents in the home.
- You can ask the vet what type of environment would be best for the pet and how to maintain the pet’s health.
- You can also consider that it may best if the pet lives with the spouse who was the primary caretaker.
- 4Consider sharing custody. While pets tend to thrive in consistent environments with predictable schedules, if both you and your spouse agree that you can maintain a stable environment for the pet, you can set up a custody agreement.
- For the sake of the pet, it may be best not to exchange the pet on a weekly basis but rather a monthly or bi-monthly basis.
- If one person works from home, they may be better suited for custody during the week versus a spouse who has more time on the weekends.
- You should decide in advance who will be responsible for pet-related expenses, particularly for emergency or veterinary care.
- You should also consider that certain pets, like cats, thrive in familiar environments and may not be well suited for shared custody.
- 5Try mediation. You should consider hiring a mediator if you and your spouse are having difficulty negotiating pet custody or you do not want the judge in a divorce proceeding to decide. A mediator is an independent person who can help parties in a divorce negotiate the terms of pet custody. The mediator may also be able to help two people who equally love their pet determine what custody arrangement would be best for the animal.
- A mediator may suggest that whichever party agrees not to take custody of the pet, should then be given enough money to buy a pet of the same breed and type of the one they are giving up.
Part 3 Making a Legal Argument for Pet Custody
- 1Evaluate spouse’s motives. If you spouse never cared for the pet but is vehemently arguing for pet custody during the divorce, you and your attorney should evaluate your spouse’s motivations.
- Your spouse may be using the pet to get a more favorable division of property.
- Your spouse may be using the pet as a way to exert control over you.
- If you were the victim of domestic abuse, the abuser may want to use custody of the pet as a demonstration of power or even as an unstated threat against the animal.
- It is important for you and/or your attorney to carefully craft a legal argument and present evidence that shows the pet is being used for manipulation and that your spouse is not the best caretaker for the animal.
- 2Provide evidence of pet care. If the pet was purchased during the marriage with marital funds, then the pet will be seen as the property of you and your spouse. However, if you can demonstrate that you were the primary caretaker for the pet, this may provide you an advantage when the court decides who should get the pet in the divorce. Evidence of pet care may include:
- Letters from your pet’s veterinarian about the care that you provide and that you are the person who primarily brings the animal in for well visits.
- Letters from neighbors or people at the dog park who can attest to your care and treatment of the animal.
- Evidence that your schedule permits you to spend more time with the pet.
- 3Demonstrate custody. As discussed above, if you have maintained custody of the pet during the separation and divorce proceeding, you should present this as evidence for the judge. The court may find your current custody of the pet as evidence that you are truly the primary caretaker of the pet.
- 4Show financial ability to support pet. If your income is such that you can easily provide the pet with medical treatment, food, a dog walker or any other services for the pet, you should make this argument to the court. Since a pet is considered property, a court is not going to require a spouse to pay pet support to the other spouse. When gathering evidence for the court, you should include:
- Receipts for veterinary care, pet food and grooming supplies.
- A plan for pet care if you are hurt or sick.
- Your most recent pay stub; although the court will most likely have all of your financial information unless the pet is the only disagreement in the divorce.
- Any other documentation regarding the cost of care and maintenance of your pet.
Tips
- In gathering evidence to show the judge that you are the best person for caring for the pet, include: a letter from the vet; character references from family, friends and neighbors; and references from any pet services you use, such as dog grooming.
- Provide the judge a list of bills from services that you have arranged for your pet to have during the marriage
- Consider creating a photo collage of your relationship with your pet, with commentary about special events etc.
Things You'll Need
- Documented evidence of your close relationship with the pet and how the pet will suffer if separated from you.
- Ability to set aside your anger/distress and put the pet's needs first.
- A good lawyer, mediator or counselor; even the vet might be able to help! | http://75-3-247-200.lightspeed.sntcca.sbcglobal.net:81/en-wikihow/A/pages/decide-who-gets-the-pet-in-a-divorce.html |
A structure fire in Georgia has been linked to a known battery manufacturing defect in the 2019 Chevy Bolt EV.
According to the Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services Facebook page, a structure fire was reported Monday morning just after 9 a.m. local time in Canton. When firefighters arrived, they observed smoke coming from an adjoining garage, with the fire apparently originating from a 2019 Chevy Bolt EV. Firefighters pulled the vehicle from the garage, but it had already received extensive damage. A 2017 Dodge Ram pickup also parked in the garage had received smoke damage.
Firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading to the adjoining house. No injuries were reported.
As GM Authority reported in August, General Motors recently expanded an existing vehicle recall for the Chevy Bolt EV to include all model years, as well as the all-new Chevy Bolt EUV. The vehicles are said to have two manufacturing defects present in the same battery cell – a torn anode tab and folded separator. The defects could lead to a fire.
The defects were discovered following a GM investigation into the manufacturing process at LG Energy Solution, GM’s battery cell supplier. GM is pursuing reimbursement from LG.
In response to the defects, General Motors will replace defective battery modules on all Chevy Bolt EV and Chevy Bolt EUV models. The recall includes more than 73,000 units of the Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV sold in the U.S. and Canada. The recall is expected to cost over $1 billion.
Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV customers are advised to limit charging their vehicles to under 90-percent capacity using the Target Charge Level mode. Customers should also avoid frequent charging sessions, as well as depleting their battery below 70 miles of range. GM says to park vehicles outside immediately after charging, and not to charge their vehicle indoors overnight.
Subscribe to GM Authority for more GM safety news, GM electric vehicle news, Chevy Bolt news, Chevy news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
- Sweepstakes Of The Month: Win a 2022 Corvette C8.R IMSA GTLM Championship Edition. Details here. | https://gmauthority.com/blog/2021/09/chevy-bolt-ev-fire-reported-in-georgia/comment-page-2/ |
For many corporate managers, small-business owners, and other professionals, the question on their minds may very well be “Did I make my numbers?” Their point of reference, though, is not sales figures but rather passing grades.
Today’s highly competitive global economy demands employees be equipped with the latest knowledge and most thorough education, making continuous adult and professional learning an integral part of life. The Geneva region’s largest centre for professional and continuing education, IFAGE (Institut de formation des adultes de Genève), offers a wide range of courses for interested individuals and business professionals eager to add another dimension to their education and skills. Famous management and leadership gurus like Peter Drucker claim the enhancement of knowledge and skills is one the main challenges of business in the 21st century. Recognising the crucial role of information in modern society, Drucker states that “in no other way can developed countries hope to maintain their positions as top economies, let alone to maintain their leadership and their standards of living, without continuously honing people’s knowledge and productivity”.
As Drucker predicted, globalisation has created an environment of fierce competition among multinational and transnational companies in which new political powers and rising economies are taking their places on the world stage. As a result, the battle for talent has become the new rule of the day. For Jeremy Annen, Managing Director at IFAGE, professional life is no longer a lake of still waters. “Gone are the days when an entire career is spent working at one job in the same business enterprise,” he says. “Today, the fast-evolving workplace requires us to adjust and change jobs at least four times over the course of our careers,” he added.
In a land famous for its rail system, this train of thought is common. Switzerland has recently topped the list of the world’s most competitive economies once again. This accolade comes in no small part for the general recognition that the most important asset of any business is a staff of highly educated and skilled employees. Long before people- centred, knowledge-based management theories were branded like banner flags, Switzerland understood that its paucity of natural resources placed an increased importance on the resources it does have: human beings.
Switzerland’s dynamism is a reflection of its high standard of education at all levels. Swiss universities consistently figure among the top 100 in the world and the country’s vocational training system assures a pool of high-quality and innovative skilled workers exists in a variety of specific fields. However, a recent study by Dr Philipp Gonon of the University of Zurich on the challenges in the Swiss vocational education and training system reports that the apprenticeship market in crisis. He reports a dwindling number of enterprises involved in the program and the ensuing difficulty of would-be apprentices in finding placements. Also, some companies are now favouring apprentices with academic qualifications. According to the report, the future lies in a proper balance and integration of the different educational systems. For those who choose the apprenticeship path, the Swiss education matrix offers the option of earning a professional baccalaureate that guarantees eventual access to higher education. Others continue to learn and acquire new skills through various institutions—both public and private—offering adult learning programs.
However, maintaining economic competitiveness does not end with acquiring a diploma. Adult learning and continuing education play a vital role in keeping the country up to scratch. Eurostat files on lifelong learning showed in 2010 that 30% of Swiss in the 25-64 age bracket continue to take part in education and learning—one of the highest rates in Europe. The Swiss Federation for Adult Learning reports that over two million people participate in the country’s adult education program every year.
IFAGE was created through the 1998 merger of two educational institutions specialising in commerce and industry, namely the Cours Commerciaux de Genève and the Cours Industriels de Genève. A nonprofit foundation since 2000, IFAGE is now a leader in providing the Geneva/Vaud/French border region with a wide range of high standard study options in continuing adult and professional education. Now, twelve years after its founding, nearly 10,000 students a year take courses at IFAGE in classrooms and through inhouse training and distance-mode education.
such as Business English, French For Nurses, and German For Receptionists. IFAGE is an accredited centre for proficiency examinations for many languages and awards language diplomas recognised nationally and internationally.
such as computer science, accounting, business management, public relations, banking and finance, and business administration, among others. These courses are offered with flexibility regarding class hours and training so that working professionals and busy parents can attend night classes and business enterprises can opt for in-house employee training.
One of the strengths of IFAGE lies in study and training courses customised to the needs of junior executives and managers as well as to employees of both local and international business enterprises and organisations. Whether it is a desire for language perfection or a need to acquire specific knowledge and skills, IFAGE collaborates attentively with companies and their employees through participative evaluation and individual interviews in order to design and provide the most appropriate courses and training programs. These in-house programs, based on market and workplace realities, allow flexibility and give clear training objectives that respond to the needs of employees and their companies.
Whether senior manager, junior executive, nonworking parent, or simply someone who wants to broaden professional horizons, IFAGE offers a panoply of choices in adult education. | http://www.swissstyle.com/lifelong-learning/ |
How to Delete Recent Searches on the Webby Ian Moore
Whenever a search is performed on the Internet, it is recorded in the browser's history. This is beneficial if you want to check recent searches and websites that were viewed within the last week. However, if there are multiple users who access your computer, you may want to delete your search history. This protects your privacy by preventing other people from knowing the most recent content that you visited. This does mean, however, that you will not be able to use the history to find a website again if you forgot to bookmark it.
Step 1
Open your web browser. It is possible to delete recent searches in Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, and other browsers.
Step 2
View your web browser's options by clicking "Tools," then "Options" in Mozilla Firefox, "Tools," then "Internet Options" in Internet Explorer, or "History" in Safari. Other browsers will have similar wording.
Click the "Privacy" tab in Mozilla Firefox and select "Clear Recent History," then "Clear Now." In Internet Explorer, click "Delete" under "Browsing History." Click to place a check mark in the "History" box, click "Delete," then select "Clear Now" in the Safari "History" menu.
Tips
- You can choose to delete history within the last hour, two hours, three hours, four hours, or the entire day in some browsers.
- Press "Ctrl" and "H" to access Mozilla Firefox history easily. | https://itstillworks.com/delete-recent-searches-5948857.html |
Q:
How Do Perform Match-Replace-Match Next-Replace function in Excel?
I want to know what's the best approach/function/nested function to do the following:
I have 1 List with fixed data:
List items:
1001
1002
1003
1004
I have a table with contents:
Column A
Column B
Column A Title: Item Code
Column B Title: Description
Column A Content:
Row 1: 1001
Row 2: sc
Row 3: nc
Row 4: sc
Row 5: 1002
Row 6: nc
Row 7: vc
Row 8: fc
Row 9: 1003
Column B Content:
Travel to Miami
Food for Miami
Tickets to Miami Concert
Gas for Atlanta
Atlanta sight seeing
Atlanta EMT
Telephone bills
Telephone cell
What I want to do:
I want a formula that says 'take the first item code that appears in column A, match it with the list; if it is in the list then fill it in every cell going down UNTIL YOU FIND A DIFFERENT ITEM CODE that matches an item code in the list, then repeat that one until you find another one that matches any of the codes in the list.'
So, the end result would be:
In column A, the "sc" and "nc" after the 1001 would be replaced with "1001";
Then excel would detect '1002' next, and replace 'nc' and bc' that follows with '1003' until it finds '1003';
Then excel would detect '1004' and replace non-listed content with '1004' until it finds the next item that is in the list.
So far running an IFERROR formula only helps remove one content but does not detect the second number and automatically replace the second set of content with its respective number.
Is it possible to do that?
A:
If they're not necessarily in order, try this starting in C2:-
=IF(ISERROR(MATCH(A2,E$2:E$5,0)),C1,A2)
assuming the item codes start in row 2 of column A and the list is in E2:E5
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That looks incredible for SYP… I thought it was cherry or some exotic species from the pictures. I’d like to hear your finishing process. The wedged tenons and trestle construction look great too. Did you hand plane the tenons/grooves for the breadboard ends? Really nice job.
-- Allen, Colorado (Instagram @bobasaurus_woodworking)
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#2 posted 08-06-2013 10:20 PM
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Beautiful Trestle table Richard,nice work.
-- https://www.artisticwoodstudio.com/videos wood crafting & woodworking classes
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#3 posted 08-07-2013 04:01 AM
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Great dinning room set. Table and benches, awesome. Did you build the entire project without the use of any power tools? Cutting, sanding and fitting all done with elbow grease? I am impressed regardless, I have two benches just need a table.
-- If you believe you can or can not do a thing, you are correct.
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#4 posted 08-07-2013 08:33 AM
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What a great table and I’ll take a plate of noodles with some sauce pretty please…. :>)
-- Ken, "Everyday above ground is a good day!"
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#5 posted 08-07-2013 11:23 AM
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Thanks guys, Bob, the bread board ends the tenons I planed and cut with a bow saw, the mortise I used a chisel. they are fastened with white oak pegs. Geoff, Yes, I used no power tools in the building of this table and benches. My tool kit consisted of hand saws, hand planes, chisels, bit brace with auger bits, egg beater drill with drill bits, marking gauges, marking knives, awls, draw bore pins, and a bottle or two of beer just for flavor. I really enjoyed put this together like this and would go this route again. Don’t get me wrong I have no objections to power tools this was a choice to follow this discipline. Oh yeah, Bob, I would be glad to post the finish schedule but it’s little long so I’ll post it a little later. Thanks again.
-- Richard, North Carolina, http://graywolfwoodworks.wordpress.com/
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#6 posted 08-07-2013 02:54 PM
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Nice table…great story.
-- Max the "night janitor" at www.hardwoodclocks.com
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#7 posted 08-07-2013 04:03 PM
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That’s awesome. I’m going to favorite this one. This is exactly the kind of table and benches I want for my kitchen… only in walnut. Hope my husband can figure it out because I’m pretty sure it’s above my skill level.
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#8 posted 08-09-2013 04:48 PM
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Beautiful dining set! Like the great design, joinery and finish. I’m sure it will last long to be enjoyed by the whole family. Great work!
Have your say...
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You must be signed in to post the comments. | http://lumberjocks.com/projects/87962 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce vibration against vibration in the multiple directions of a structure by hanging a weight at the tip of a wire type body connected to the structure and regulating the length of the wire type body in compliance with a vibration period of the structure.
0
1
0
1
SOLUTION: In navigation of a ship body S, a computer 7 finds a rocking period T of a weight 3 on the basis of a data significant wave period T electrically transmitted from a measurement device 4 so as to compute a length (r), which is necessary for reducing a vibration, of a wire 2. Then, a winch 5 is driven by means of a controller 8 so that a length of the wire 2 is adjusted to the found length (r). When the periods T, T are close or substantially equal to each other, the weight 3 will stay there because of inertia, however, the weight 3 starts pendulum motion to the ship body S because of a dynamical theoretical balance as the weight 3 is hung by means of the wire 2. As a result, inertia reaction force due to the pendulum motion of the weight 3 and gravity due to gravity shift of the weight 3 are applied to the ship body S, and consequently, the vibration of the ship body S is reduced.
COPYRIGHT: (C)1999,JPO | |
Dundalk Institute Of Technology
Along with the development of science and technology, technological innovations grew together with it, resulting to the emergence of latest tools and devices. Rising development corporations place a premium on innovation in their very own companies, they usually count on the same from the companies they work with, together with their auditors. The technology can also be creating into completely different requirements equivalent to Dynamic Digital Depth which makes use of highly subtle software program to now enter the home and transfer normal, two dimensional video output into 3D pictures.
85 This definition’s emphasis on creativity avoids unbounded definitions that may mistakenly embrace cooking applied sciences,” however it additionally highlights the prominent role of people and subsequently their duties for the use of complicated technological programs.
As we spend extra time with our units, we emit more information to be analyzed. Many people all over the world take for instance students in schools and universities have taken the lead analyzing the connection between science and technology. Whereas a few of these applied sciences have existed for years, or decades in the case of radio frequency identification tags, the harnessing of the Internet to these applied sciences presents the potential for reworking supply-chain administration.
TIA is a national public entity that serves as the key institutional intervention to bridge the innovation chasm between analysis and growth from greater training establishments, science councils, public entities, and personal sector, and commercialisation.
Technology is usually considered too narrowly; in line with Hughes, “Technology is a artistic course of involving human ingenuity”. Register right this moment for IoT Converge 2018, an immersive experience leading innovation inside the IoT trade with some uncommon companions. | http://www.aldzsoft.com/dundalk-institute-of-technology.html |
ILSI Europe Concise Monograph
Until recently, health was mainly defined as the absence of disease. Over recent decades the definition has evolved to include physical as well as mental and psychological well-being. A major element in this new relationship to health is foods, which not only are required for body development, growth, and maintenance but also play a key role in the quality of life.
Functional food is a recent concept that originated in Japan and that is being further developed there and in the United States and Europe. This concept implies that foods and food components have the ability to beneficially influence body functions and help improve the state of well-being and health and reduce the risk of diseases.
In the 1990s, ILSI Europe coordinated a functional food project that was submitted as a European Commission (EC) Concerted Action known as FUFOSE (Functional Food Science in Europe). Initiated in 1995, it involved, over a period of three years, about 100 European experts in nutrition and medicine who critically assessed the state of the science in functional foods. They reviewed the scientific literature about foods and food components and their capacity to modulate body functions. These experts then worked on a concept of functional foods and elaborated, for the first time, a global framework that included a strategy for the identification and development of functional foods and for the scientific substantiation of their effects, with the objective of justifying health-related claims. In particular, the experts recommended the use of two types of claims to characterise functional foods: enhanced-function claims and reduction of disease risk claims, which are now under discussion in expert committees of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The Scientific Concepts of Functional Foods in Europe: Consensus Document evolved from this work.
This new concise monograph, based on the work and the documents produced by these experts, and especially the consensus document on Scientific Concepts of Functional Foods in Europe, was recently published. The concise monograph covers the definition of the concept, various physiological functions involved (such as early development, defence against oxidative stress, the cardiovascular system, etc.), the types of claims relevant to this area and their substantiation, several examples of functional foods, and includes a summary of relevant technological developments.
This concise monograph, published under the responsibility of the ILSI Europe Functional Food Task Force, is expected to help readers gain a short but clear overview of functional foods. It is hoped it will establish a sound scientific approach in this fast-evolving area of nutrition and food science.
This booklet is one of a series of ILSI Europe Concise Monographs. These monographs are written for those with a general background in the life sciences. However, the style and content of the concise monographs will also appeal to a wider audience who seek up-to-date and authoritative reviews on a viariety of important topics relating to nutrition, health and food safety. Concise monographs present an overview of a particular scientific topic. The text of each concise mongraph is peer-reviewed by academic scientists of high standing. The concise monographs make important results and conclusions widely available.
To download this publication, click here.
Download the Spanish translation here.
Hard copies can be ordered free of charge by sending an email to: [email protected]. | https://ilsi.eu/publication/concepts-of-functional-foods/ |
The construction of ADA, the first storage ring for an electron and a positron beam rotating in opposite directions on the same trajectory, was proposed in 1960 by Bruno Touschek (1921-1978) , who pointed out the extreme scientific interest of high energy collisions between particles and antiparticles, and the simplicity of realisation of such an accelerator.
The machine was conceived as a feasibility experiment to provide a sound basis for the realisation of electron-positron colliders of larger center of mass energy and luminosity. A first stored beam of few electrons was obtained at the end of May 1961, using the Frascati Electron Synchrotron as an injector.
In order to detect with reasonable statistics the interactions of counterrotating electrons and positrons, ADA was then shipped to France, at the "Laboratoire de l'Accelerateur Lineaire" of Orsay, near Paris, where a high intensity linear accelerator was available. With some 107 stored particles in both beams, the first electron-positron interactions were observed at the beginning of 1964.
ADA is essentially a large weak focusing bending magnet, capable of keeping particles up to 0.25 GeV on a circular orbit of 65 cm radius. A stainless steel vacuum vessel is inserted between the magnet poles, where the pressure was brought down to ~10-10 Torr. A radiofrequency cavity with a longitudinal field oscillating at 147 MHz with a peak voltage of 5 KV compensated the energy loss due to synchrotron radiation emission from the stored particles.
ADA pointed out some new aspects of accelerator physics, in particular those connected with the interactions between particles in the same beam. It was discovered that the beam lifetime decreased when the density of the stored particles was improved. Touschek was able to explain this phenomenon (today called "Touschek effect" or "intrabeam scattering") as due to transverse scattering of the particles inside the beam, with sufficient energy exchange to escape from the longitudinal acceptance.
This storage ring prototype was able to demonstrate not only the feasibility of electron and positron accumulation, but also the effectiveness of the crossings in terms of particle-antiparticle reactions. The only detectable reaction in ADA was the single photon production from an electron-positron interaction (single beam-beam bremsstrahlung): the rate of such events was found to be in agreement with the calculated cross section and storage ring parameters. | http://www.lnf.infn.it/acceleratori/ada/ |
A one-year, full-time preparation course for Higher Education study in music. It is designed to give students an opportunity to strengthen their experience in several important areas before embarking on a Higher Education course. These include ensemble playing and singing, solo instrumental/vocal technique, academic work and music theory. A solid background in these areas gives students the best chance of success in degree-level study.
Students wishing to focus on classical, traditional or jazz music should apply to our Sighthill campus. Those wishing to focus on popular music can apply to either Sighthill or Milton Road.
The programme sits at Level 6 within the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework – the level which is directly below the first year of Higher Education study. SCQF Level 6 also includes SQA Highers, and many of our Level 6 students already have Higher Music (and/or Advanced Higher) before they start the course. However, completing the NC Level 6 programme is very different to completing Higher or Advanced Higher Music: because it is a full-time course, we are able to provide a far broader and deeper curriculum than what can be delivered within music at school.
As well as regular one-to-one tuition in a first study instrument from an experienced specialist, students rehearse and perform extensively in supervised groups (bands, ensembles, choirs and orchestras as appropriate). Performances classes for students focusing on popular music involve two-three hours a week of rehearsing and performing in bands, typically involving a singer, two guitars, bass and drums, with regular input from a lecturer; there are also opportunities to rehearse independently. Students work through a wide range of different genres, and there are opportunities for individuals to take increasing ownership of their material as they progress through the years. Classes culminate in gigs in our excellent in-house spaces and in some of Edinburgh’s favourite music venues. Many students also take their learning into bands outside the college.
Performance classes for students focusing on classical music involve regular rehearsal sessions with an accompanist, and numerous opportunities to perform to lecturers and classmates. Many students work towards ABRSM or Trinity grade exams alongside their preparation for end-of-year recitals.
Students also acquire fluency in using various kinds of music software, develop composition and songwriting skills in dedicated classes, study a series of set works, learn how to research and write about music, work through an introduction to the industry, and complete a thorough course in music theory.
** Please read and follow the 'audition instructions' information in the 'interview requirements' section below when applying for this course **
What you will learn
- Instrumental/Vocal Skills
- Group Music Making
- Music Software
- Composition and Songwriting Skills
- Set Works
- Researching and Writing about Music
- An Introduction to the Industry
- Music Theory (including optional external exams)
How the course is assessed
- A variety of practical tasks, written assignments and timed assessments.
Number of days per week
- 3 days per week
Entry requirements
- Four qualifications at SQCF Level 5, including Music and English
- Basic knowledge of music theory
- Grade 4 standard instrument/voice
Information on Tests / Auditions / Interview Requirements
When you submit an application, please specify your first study instrument (or voice), and whether you wish to study classical or popular music, at the beginning of your personal statement
Audition Instructions February 2021
Please record a video in which you
a) introduce yourself and
b) play or sing two short contrasting pieces on your first instrument.
In your introduction:
- give your name and say where you are from
- say a little bit about your musical experience (including how long you have been playing or singing, and any experience of playing with other people in bands or ensembles)
- say which if any music exams you have done (within school and/or outside school)
- say which pieces you are going to play or sing, and (if you can) say why you chose them
In your playing or singing:
- please make every effort to use backing tracks/accompaniment where appropriate. If you can’t source backing tracks/accompaniment, please play or sing unaccompanied.
The video should be uploaded to YouTube as per instructions here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go_HDCANWf8
Please be careful to upload the video as ‘unlisted’ rather than ‘private’.
Please name the video in the following format:
your name – your chosen course and campus – your instrument, e.g.
Laurie Crump HND Music Sighthill recorder.
Please then put a link to the video within the personal statement section of your application.
Our staff will review your application and, in some cases, they will follow up by giving you a phone or video call. If you don't get a call, don't worry! It will be because the staff have got all the information they need from your video and the rest of your application.
If you can’t submit a video because you don't have an instrument at home (e.g. if you are a first study percussionist), or for any other reason, please let us know and we arrange an interview with you by phone or video call.
We also ask you to complete a short online music theory test which you can find at the link below:
https://www.classroomclipboard.com/871124/Test/C4F8C84B-E7AD-48E3-B805-1342B03BA283
The access code is 'ECM21'. You are allowed one attempt at the test. Please complete the test within a few days of completing your college application.
Please note: you may be offered a place on a course of a different level than the one you applied for. The staff team will place you on the course that they believe will best suit your needs and allow you to develop and progress within the department and beyond.
English Proficiency RequirementsIELTS 5.5
Progression and Articulation Routes
- Higher National Certificate/Diploma (Level 8) programme, which can lead to our Bachelor of Music Honours degree.
- We also support students to make applications to universities or other institutions during the course of the year, should they wish to.
Career options
- Performing musician
- Composer
- Songwriter
- Classroom teacher
- Instrumental or vocal teacher
- Community musician
Study Options
|Campus||Study mode||Start date||Duration|
|Sighthill Campus||Full time||30/08/21||41 Weeks|
|Milton Road Campus||Full time||30/08/21||41 Weeks|
Funding & Fees
When you are thinking about starting college, one of the most important things to consider is funding and how you intend to pay for some of the costs that come with being a student. | https://www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk/courses/browse/music-nc-level-6-cr1ncmuc21 |
in advance of the project due date.
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Announcement slide
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The UN’s top court ordered the United States Wednesday to lift sanctions on humanitarian goods for Iran in a stunning setback for US President Donald Trump.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague handed Iran a major victory, saying that the stinging economic sanctions put Iranian lives at risk.
The ruling is likely to rile Trump, who reimposed the sanctions in May after pulling out of Iran’s international nuclear deal to the dismay of his allies.
But it was unclear whether the judgment will be anything more than symbolic, because both Washington and Tehran have ignored them in the past.
The ICJ judges ruled that the sanctions on some goods breached a 1955 “Treaty of Amity” between Iran and the US that predates Iran’s Islamic Revolution.
Iran’s foreign ministry hailed the shock judgment as proof that Tehran was “in the right”.
Ahead of the decision, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the sanctions were a form of “psychological warfare” aimed at regime change.
Iran dragged the US to the ICJ in July, and during four days of hearings in late August, its lawyers accused Washington of “strangling” its economy.
In 1986 Washington disregarded the court’s finding that it had violated international law by supporting the pro-US Contra rebels in Nicaragua. Iran in turn ignored the ICJ’s ruling in 1980 to release hostages taken during the Iran hostage crisis.
There was no immediate reaction from the United States, but Trump has previously shown his disdain for overarching international organisations that limit US sovereignty, including the UN.
He recently heavily criticised the separate International Criminal Court in The Hague over a probe into alleged US abuses in Afghanistan.
But Trump argues that funds from the lifting of sanctions under the pact have been used to support terrorism and build nuclear-capable missiles.
Despite that, France alleged on Tuesday that the Iranian intelligence ministry was behind a foiled plot to bomb an exiled opposition group near Paris. | https://m.guardian.ng/news/un-court-tells-us-to-ease-iran-sanctions-in-blow-for-trump/ |
This Chinese cottage has been restored to its former glory by architects Christian Taeubert, and Sun Min. The small dwelling harks from an era of construction that employs traditional techniques.
Unfortunately, the use of traditional methods is diminishing. As the country’s population shifts towards the cities, rural communities and their historical buildings are being abandoned, as well as how to construct them.
Taeubert and Min sought to give an old building a new lease of life. The project has been dubbed “Studio Cottage” and is found in a suburb village of Beijing. The property is composed of an area measuring 807.29-square-feet (75-square-meters), with a large portion of that area being dedicated to a courtyard.
The restoration of Studio Cottage was completed back in 2016. The architects state the restoration was – in part – a catalyst for the restoration of the entire village: “our intention was to refurbish an unoccupied dwelling, which some might argue was not worth preserving, in order to rediscover the identity it could bring about in the context of its village setting.”
The completed home is a mix of old and new. The old is seen in the rustic roughly finished walls, and the dark and crooked timbers of the roof structure. The new starts with the concrete floor, and proceeds through to the fixtures and finishes. It’s quite a subtle distinction thanks to the use of rustic materials, like stone and chunky wooden furniture.
The plan of Studio Cottage is split into three main living spaces. The first and largest is a long and narrow room, dedicated to serving as a living area, dining area, kitchen and a bedroom. A second sleeping area can be found beyond this room, followed by the home’s bathroom.
Beyond the main living spaces, you’ll find an enclosed courtyard with a variety of seating arrangements suitable for accommodating both large and small groups of friends and family. From the architects: “The farmer who had originally built the house in the early seventies was a frequent visitor during the construction phase and we were happy to hear that he ‘approved’ of our interventions to the house being seemingly happy with the final outcome.”
For more small houses check out this Beijing Huton that gets a contemporary makeover by Chaoffice. Or, The Renovation of Ngamwong, which sees a living space transformed. See all small houses. | https://www.humble-homes.com/catalyst-cottage-how-the-restoration-of-a-single-dwelling-can-spur-on-a-village/ |
People who go on to read a novel after first seeing the screen adaptation frequently complain that the original (especially if it's a classic) is slower and 'heavier' than the film it inspired, and it usually is. Someone who first made acquaintance with Shakespeare through Baz Luhrmann's excellent, action-packed, streetwise but distinctly slimline version of Romeo and Juliet (1996) will most certainly find the Bard's script both wordier and slower-paced.
Conversely, people who read and love novels are wont to complain that screen adaptations (especially of classics) are superficial because they change or miss out key story-lines or visualize characters and locations differently. How could they not? Tolstoy's great novel War and Peace (1863-9) ran for nearly eight hours in Sergei Bondarchuk's brilliant 1968 adaptation. But the 1,500 pages of the book itself would take a fast reader at least 50 hours to get through. Even allowing for the greater visual economy of their medium, film adapters just have to make cuts.
So why bother making adaptations at all? And why should we watch them? And if we like watching them, why we should we bother with the book afterwards? Beginning to answer all that involves taking a quick glance at a 100-year-old relationship between film and prose fiction that is both complicated and symbiotic.
Many of the great nineteenth-century novels were serialized in magazines before they appeared as books. These novels are frequently adapted for screen. That's not a coincidence. If these writers wanted their readers to keep coming back they had to capture their interest at the beginning of every episode and leave them in suspense at the end. To do this they resorted to attention-grabbing tricks as old as story-telling, but developed them into a sophisticated narrative form that used the actions of protagonists in extreme or sensational situations not only to sustain interest, excite emotion, and create suspense but to explore character, social values, and moral choices.
A few decades later the first silent movie producers had to maintain a similarly massive output whilst inventing a medium from scratch, and they looked to earlier forms (principally stage melodramas, short stories, and novels) for lots of cheap, off-the-peg content. Between 1896 and 1915 for example, there were at least 56 adaptations of Dickens, 6 Jane Eyres, 10 Uncle Tom's Cabins, 9 Dr Jekylls and umpteen Thomas Hardys.
2 texts or inventing entirely new screenplays — developed it for a visual medium jg that could communicate action, emotion, and character more economically. JE They then used that medium, just as the novel did, to explore character, social ^ values, and moral choices, but for a world-wide audience of exploited urban workers who didn't have the leisure time for reading books.
At the same time cameramen and directors were remembering the great descriptive passages of prose fiction — for example that wonderful moving crane shot over the whole of London at the start of Dickens's Bleak House (1853), or the fast intercutting between two story-lines that adds pace and tension to the climax of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina (1873-7) or the tracking, panning, close-ups, flashbacks, and chaotic crowd scenes to be found in Thackeray, Zola, Hugo, and hundreds of lesser writers — and steadily transformed these into the basic vocabulary and grammar of film.
Then, as films became more culturally acceptable, and novelists employed as screenwriters used their ill-gotten gains to subsidize further novel writing, the techniques originally borrowed from the novel by film (but in it given greater pace and visual emphasis) were re-absorbed into prose fiction. So successfully and completely was this done that when (to take two examples more or less at random) Jean-Paul Sartre cuts rapidly back and forth between half-a-dozen developing narratives in The Reprieve (1945), or Roddy Doyle writes The Commitments (1988) almost entirely in racy idiomatic dialogue interspersed with the briefest of scene-setting, it is possible that neither is fully aware of the debt they owe to film, but no surprise that both books were remade into successful screen dramas. Conversely, when Hollywood guts classic novels on the grounds of slow pace or a lack of narrative hooks, they are obliviously (and ironically) applying rules derived ultimately from their authors.
None of this means, of course, that there aren't plenty of bad films made from great books. Fortunately, there are just as many great films made from bad books. David Lean's Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) takes a nasty xenophobic novel by Pierre Boulle and turns it into a visually stunning, moving satire on military honour and imperial pretensions. It would be impossible to even begin to list here the number of dime novels made into film westerns that have both moral dignity and visual grandeur, but start with John Ford's Stagecoach (1939).
Occasionally, a good book is turned into an even better film. C. S. Forester's g prose original of John Huston's The African Queen (1951) is a good enough % page-turner but it unfortunately lacks the on-screen chemistry of Humphrey gj Bogart, playing the drunken tug-captain, and Katharine Hepburn's teetotal, 5' sexually repressed missionary, learning to love each other whilst running the rapids and torpedoing a German warship.
Then again, good books often turn into equally good films. Visconti's Death in Venice (1971) captures exactly the mood of Thomas Mann's limpid, poignant novella about an ageing homosexual (played magnificently by Dirk Bogarde) obsessed with an angelically beautiful boy. And David Lean's Great Expectations (1946) might have cut a lot of the plot and half the characters from Dickens but it matched the original's brooding atmosphere, affecting sentimentality, and imaginative energy, and played it in public images twenty foot high.
This sheer scale, in combination with the shared immediacy of the cinema experience, can give a film adaptation a powerful edge, no matter how good the prose original. The violence in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971) is no worse than in Anthony Burgess's dystopian novel, and the amoral pleasure taken in it by the teenage protagonist no less. But it was Kubrick's version that provoked the moral panic that caused Kubrick to withdraw his film in this country during his lifetime, and it is his images that stay in the mind, not Burgess's prose.
A film adaptation doesn't have to include a single word of dialogue, scene, or location from the original but can still gain from and illuminate it. Coppola's great film Apocalypse Now (1979) shares only the names of two characters and its theme with Joseph Conrad's equally great novel Heart of Darkness (1899). One is set in Vietnam during the 1970s, the other in the Belgian Congo before the First World War. Conrad's protagonist goes up river into the jungle to rescue Kurtz. Coppola's CIA assassin travels to kill him. Both works of art create an atmosphere that is simultaneously dangerous and surreal. Both delve deep into the heart of chaos and evil. To suggest that one was better or worse than the other would be absurd.
At the other end of the spectrum, a romantic college movie like Ten Things I Hate about You (1999) demonstrates how to breathe life into a stale and entirely trivial film-genre with an intelligent script that wittily acknowledges its debt to a greater literary original, in this case Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.
Finally, there is the interesting case of films that do cheapen and simplify, that excise virtually all the ideas from their literary source, add hokey tunes, ^ stupid dancing animals, and sentimentalize everything beyond all recognition, and are so different from the original book you wouldn't recognize it, but still produce wonderful popular art. The Disney cartoon version of Kipling's The Jungle Book (1967) is my example of this strange phenomenon. You will no doubt have your own... | http://www.cherriedesignz.com/film-adaptations/ |
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---
abstract: 'In this paper a time dependent Stokes problem that is motivated by a standard sharp interface model for the fluid dynamics of two-phase flows is studied. This Stokes interface problem has discontinuous density and viscosity coefficients and a pressure solution that is discontinuous across an evolving interface. This strongly simplified two-phase Stokes equation is considered to be a good model problem for the development and analysis of finite element discretization methods for two-phase flow problems. In view of the *un*fitted finite element methods that are often used for two-phase flow simulations, we are particularly interested in a well-posed variational formulation of this Stokes interface problem in a Euclidean setting. Such well-posed weak formulations, which are not known in the literature, are the main results of this paper. Different variants are considered, namely one with suitable spaces of divergence free functions, a discrete-in-time version of it, and variants in which the divergence free constraint in the solution space is treated by a pressure Lagrange multiplier. The discrete-in-time variational formulation involving the pressure variable for the divergence free constraint is a natural starting point for a space-time finite element discretization. Such a method is introduced and results of numerical experiments with this method are presented.'
author:
- Igor Voulis
- 'Arnold Reusken[^1]'
bibliography:
- 'LitWP.bib'
title: 'A time dependent Stokes interface problem: well-posedness and space-time finite element discretization'
---
Introduction {#sec:introduction}
============
Let $\Omega \subset \Bbb{R}^d$ be an open bounded connected domain and $I:=(0,T)$ a time interval. On the space-time cylinder $\Omega \times I$ we consider the following standard sharp interface model (in strong formulation) for the fluid dynamics of a two-phase incompressible flow, cf. [@HoFAbels2016; @Pruss2016; @Reusken]: $$\begin{aligned}
\left\{
\begin{aligned}
\rho_i({\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}}{\partial t}}+({\mathbf u}\cdot\nabla){\mathbf u}) &= {\mathop{\rm div}}{\boldsymbol{\sigma}}_i + {\mathbf g}_i \\
{\mathop{\rm div}}{\mathbf u}&= 0
\end{aligned}
\right. & \qquad\text{in $\Omega_i(t) $,\quad $i=1,2$},
\label{eq:NSseparat} \\[2ex]
[{\boldsymbol{\sigma}}{\mathbf n}_\Gamma] = -\tau\kappa{\mathbf n}_\Gamma \quad \text{on}~~\Gamma(t), \label{coupl1} \\
[{\mathbf u}]= 0 \quad \text{on}~~\Gamma(t),
\label{coupl2} \\
V_\Gamma= {\mathbf u}\cdot{\mathbf n}_\Gamma \quad \text{on}~~\Gamma(t).
\label{eq:IMcond}\end{aligned}$$ Here $\Gamma(t)= \overline{\Omega_1(t)}\cap \overline{\Omega_2(t)}$ denotes the (sharp) interface, ${\boldsymbol{\sigma}}_i= - p {\mathbf I}+\mu_i \big( \nabla {\mathbf u}+ (\nabla {\mathbf u})^T \big)$ the Newtonian stress tensor and $V_\Gamma$ is the normal velocity of the interface. The density and viscosity, $\rho_i$ and $\mu_i, i=1,2,$ are assumed to be constant in each phase. The constant $\tau \geq 0$ is the surface tension coefficient and $\kappa$ is the mean curvature of $\Gamma$, i.e., $\kappa(x)={\mathop{\rm div}}{\mathbf n}_\Gamma(x)$ for $x \in \Gamma$. Unknowns are the velocity ${\mathbf u}= {\mathbf u}(x,t)$, the pressure $p = p(x,t)$ and the (evolving) interface $\Gamma(t)$. To make the problem well-posed one needs suitable initial and boundary conditions for ${\mathbf u}$ and $\Gamma$. Due to the coupling of the interface dynamics and the fluid dynamics in the two bulk phases, this is a highly nonlinear problem. There is extensive literature on existence of solutions and well-posedness of different formulations of this problem. Most publications on these topics study quite regular solutions (in Hölder spaces) and deal with well-posedness locally in time or global existence of solutions close to equilibrium states (e.g., [@Solonnikov1995; @Solonnikov2007; @Solonnikov2012; @Pruss2009; @Pruss2011]). Often simplifying assumptions are used, for example, ${\mathbf g}_i=0$, $\tau=0$ or constant density ($\rho_1=\rho_2$). In other studies weaker solution concepts are used, for example, in [@Nouri1995; @Nouri1997] the notion of renormalized solutions [@DiPernaLions] of transport equations is used to derive an existence result (for $\tau=0$) and in [@Abels2007] existence of so-called measure-valued varifold solutions is shown (for constant density). Here we do not give an overview of the extensive literature in this research field; for this we refer the interested reader to the literature discussion in the recent book [@Pruss2016].
We are interested in the development and analysis of finite element discretization methods for the two-phase flow problem given above. Finite element methods for this problem class can be found in, e.g., [@Reusken; @Bansch2001; @Croce2010; @BotheReusken]. We are not aware of any literature in which rigorous error analysis of such finite element methods is presented. Only very few partial results, e.g. on discrete stability as in [@Bansch2001], are known. This lack of analysis is clearly related to the strong nonlinearity of the problem -. We also note that approaches and results available in the mathematical literature on existence of solutions and well-posedness of this problem turn out not to be very useful for the analysis of finite element discretization methods. In view of this, we introduce and analyze a much simpler (linear) Stokes interface problem which, however, is motivated by and closely related to the two-phase flow problem given above. We now derive this Stokes interface problem. In almost all numerical simulation methods for - one uses an iterative decoupling technique in which the interface evolution is decoupled from the flow problems in the subdomains. For the interface representation and numerical propagation one can use, for example, the level set method and given an approximation of $\Gamma(t)$ for $t$ in a (small) time interval one then discretizes the coupled Navier-Stokes equations in the subdomains. These Navier-Stokes equations are usually linearized by inserting a known approximation of the velocity in the first argument of the quadratic term $({\mathbf u}\cdot\nabla){\mathbf u}$. These two subproblems (interface propagation and solution of flow problem in the subdomains) can be coupled by several different iterative methods. This decoupling and linearization procedure motivates the following simplifying assumptions. Firstly, we assume a *given* sufficiently smooth (specified below) flow field ${\mathbf w}={\mathbf w}(x,t) \in \Bbb{R}^d$ on $Q:= \Omega \times I$, with ${\mathop{\rm div}}{\mathbf w}=0 $ on $Q$, which transports the interface. Instead of the interface dynamics condition $V_\Gamma= {\mathbf u}\cdot{\mathbf n}_\Gamma$ we impose $V_\Gamma= {\mathbf w}\cdot{\mathbf n}_\Gamma$. This implies that the interface evolution is completely determined by ${\mathbf w}$ and the Navier-Stokes flow problem in the two subdomains $\Omega_i(t)$ is decoupled from the interface dynamics. Secondly, we use a linearization of the Navier-Stokes equation in which $({\mathbf u}\cdot\nabla){\mathbf u}$ is replaced by $ ({\mathbf w}\cdot\nabla){\mathbf u}$. Thus we obtain a time dependent (generalized) Stokes problem (also called Oseen problem) in each of the subdomains, with coupling conditions as in -. We introduce the usual notation for the material derivative along the flow field ${\mathbf w}$: $$\dot v := \frac{\partial v}{\partial t}+ {\mathbf w}\cdot \nabla v.$$ We also introduce the piecewise constant functions $\rho,\mu$ with $\rho(x,t):=\rho_i$, $\mu(x,t):=\mu_i$ in $\Omega_i(t)$ and the deformation tensor $D({\mathbf u}):=\nabla {\mathbf u}+ (\nabla {\mathbf u})^T$. Thus we obtain the following much simpler linear problem: determine ${\mathbf u}$ and $p$ such that $$\begin{aligned}
\left\{
\begin{aligned}
\rho \dot {\mathbf u}- {\mathop{\rm div}}(\mu D({\mathbf u})) +\nabla p & = {\mathbf g}_i \\
{\mathop{\rm div}}{\mathbf u}&= 0
\end{aligned}
\right. & \qquad\text{in $\Omega_i(t) $,\quad $i=1,2$},
\label{NSA} \\[2ex]
[(-p{\mathbf I}+ \mu D({\mathbf u})){\mathbf n}_\Gamma] = -\tau\kappa{\mathbf n}_\Gamma \quad \text{on}~~\Gamma(t), \label{coupl1A} \\
[{\mathbf u}]= 0 \quad \text{on}~~\Gamma(t),
\label{coupl2A} \end{aligned}$$ combined with suitable initial and boundary conditions for ${\mathbf u}$. We restrict to homogeneous Dirichlet boundary and initial conditions for ${\mathbf u}$: $${\mathbf u}(x,t)= 0\quad \text{for}~~(x,t)\in \big(\partial\Omega \times I\big) \cup \big(\Omega \times \{0\}\big).$$ Both for the analysis and numerical simulations it is very convenient to reformulate this simplified model in a *one-fluid Stokes interface model* that combines the flow equations in the subdomains and the interface conditions -. We consider this Stokes interface problem to be an interesting and relevant subproblem for the numerical simulation of the full two-phase flow problem -. For example, a finite element method that is stable and accurate for this Stokes interface problem can be expected to be an efficient discretization for the Navier-Stokes flow equations (with small Reynold’s numbers) in the full two-phase flow problem. The main contribution of this paper is the derivation of a well-posed space-time variational formulation of this Stokes interface model and, based on this, a (Galerkin) space-time finite element discretization.
We mention a few relevant properties of the interface Stokes problem -. The discontinuity of the coefficients $\rho_i,\mu_i$ across the interface and the interface force induced by the surface tension in lead, even if the data is otherwise smooth, to a discontinuity in the pressure $p$ and to a discontinuity in the derivative of the velocity ${\mathbf u}$ on the space-time interface $\mathcal{S}$, cf. [@Pruss2016]. Hence, we have to deal with moving discontinuities. Typically the interface is not constant in time and thus we do not have a tensor product structure. These properties make this interface Stokes problem significantly more difficult to solve numerically than a standard time-dependent Stokes equation. Even for this strongly simplified problem we are not aware of any rigorous (sharp) error bounds for finite element discretization methods.
As a first step towards such an error analysis we need a suitable well-posed variational formulation. Concerning this we distinguish two different approaches. Firstly, the formulation and corresponding analysis is based on Lagrangian techniques, in which a suitable (coordinate) transformation is used to transform the given problem into one with a tensor product structure (i.e., a stationary interface). Such an approach is used in e.g. [@Pruss2016] (various parabolic two-phase problems) or [@Saal] (free boundary Stokes problem). Such Lagrangian formulations are useful in the context of ALE (arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian) discretizations and fitted finite elements. For a class of parabolic interface problems error bounds for fitted finite element methods have been derived in the literature, e.g. [@Zou1998]. Alternatively, one can consider a formulation and analysis in an Eulerian setting (no coordinate transformations). Such formulations, which are standard for one-phase (Navier-)Stokes equations ([@ErnGuermond; @Temam; @Wloka]) are better suited for unfitted finite element techniques. Finite element methods for fluid-stucture interaction have analysed in this setting in [@Olshanskii2018; @Takahashi2009]. If in the original two-phase flow problem an interface capturing method such as the very popular level set method is used, this very often leads to the application of unfitted finite element discretization methods for the flow problem (meaning that the triangulations are not fitted to the evolving interface). This then requires special finite element spaces, for example an XFEM [@Fries2010; @Lehrenfeld2015], unfitted FEM with a Nitsche penalty term [@Hansbo2002; @Hansbo2009] or a CutFEM [@Burman2012; @Burman2015; @Hansbo2014]. In this paper we restrict to the Eulerian approach.
Hence, for the time dependent Stokes interface problem described above we are interested in a well-posed variational formulation in an Euclidean setting, similar to those for one-phase (Navier-)Stokes equations known in the literature ([@ErnGuermond; @Temam; @Wloka]). For one-phase (Navier-)Stokes equations new well-posed space-time formulations have been developed in the recent papers [@SchwabStevenson1; @SchwabStevenson2]. These formulations do not cover the Stokes interface model described above, due to the lack of a tensor product structure. It turns out that in particular the discontinuity in the mass density $\rho$ across the interface causes significant difficulties considering the analysis of well-posedness, as explained in Remark \[Remdifficulty\]. As a main contribution of this paper we develop an analysis resulting in a well-posed space-time variational formulation. Main results on well-posedness are given in Corollary \[corolmain\], Theorem \[mainthm1\] and Theorem \[thmequivalence\].
Our analysis is rather different from the analyses used in the derivation of a well-posed variational one-phase Stokes problems [@ErnGuermond; @Temam; @Wloka].
Based on this space-time variational formulation we propose an space-time unfitted finite element method. The method combines standard Discontinuous Galerkin time discretization [@Matthies; @Thomee; @Steinbach2018] with an XFEM or CutFEM approach [@Fries2010; @Lehrenfeld2015; @Burman2015; @Hansbo2014] to account for the jump in pressure across the space-time interface $\mathcal{S}.$ We present results of numerical experiments with this method. An error analysis of this method is a topic of current research and not considered in this paper.
The remainder of the paper is organized as follows. In Section \[sectweak\] we introduce a variational formulation of the Stokes interface problem - in an obvious space-time Sobolev space of divergence free functions. In Remark \[Remdifficulty\] we explain why the analysis of well-posedness of this formulation is problematic. This motivates the introduction of other (related) spaces, for which well-posedness of a variational formulation can be proved. This analysis is presented in Section \[sectmodvari\]. In Section \[sectbroken\] a standard discontinuous Galerkin approach is applied to derive a well-posed space-time variational formulation that allows a time stepping procedure. In Section \[sectpressure\] we study a space-time variational problem involving the pressure variable to satisfy the divergence free constraint. Based on this variational formulation we introduce an unfitted space-time finite element method in Section \[sectUnfittedFEM\] and give results of numerical experiments with this method. We finally give a summary and outlook in Section \[sectoutlook\].
Space-time variational formulation {#sectweak}
==================================
We start with an assumption concerning the required smoothness of the space-time interface $\mathcal{S}:=\bigcup_{t\in I}\Gamma(t)\times \{t\}$ and the given velocity field ${\mathbf w}$.
Throughout the paper we assume that $\mathcal{S}$ is a connected Lipschitz hypersurface in $\Bbb{R}^{d+1}$ and that the given velocity field ${\mathbf w}$ is divergence free and ${\mathbf w}\in C(\bar I;L^2(\Omega)^d)$. The latter guarantees that the material derivative $\dot v = \frac{\partial v}{\partial t} +{\mathbf w}\cdot \nabla v$ is well-defined in a weak sense as in [@DiPernaLions]. The piecewise constant density $\rho$ and the velocity field ${\mathbf w}$ are assumed to satisfy the compatibility condition $\dot \rho=0$.
Furthermore, we make the assumption ${\mathbf w}\in L^\infty(Q)^d$. This condition can be replaced by another (more natural) one which depends on the dimension $d$, cf. Remark \[RemSobInbed\].
\
As is usually done in the analysis of (Navier-)Stokes equations, we restrict to suitable subspaces of divergence free velocity fields and thus eliminate the pressure. We derive well-posedness of a suitable variational formulation in these subspaces. Therefore we introduce the spaces $$\label{defX}
{\mathcal{V}}:=\{\, v \in H_0^1(\Omega)^d~|~{\mathop{\rm div}}v=0\,\}, \quad X:= L^2(I;{\mathcal{V}}).$$ Assume that the strong formulation - has a sufficiently smooth solution ${\mathbf u}$. Multiplication by test function ${\mathbf v}\in X$ and partial integration then implies: $$\label{rt}
(\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v})_{L^2} + (\mu D({\mathbf u}),D({\mathbf v}))_{L^2} = (\rho {\mathbf g}, {\mathbf v})_{L^2}- \tau \int_0^T \int_{\Gamma(t)} \kappa {\mathbf n}_{\Gamma} \cdot {\mathbf v}\, ds \, dt ,$$ where $(\cdot,\cdot)_{L^2}$ denotes the (vector) $L^2$ scalar product over the space-time cylinder $Q$.
\[rmSurfaceForce\] Note that the second term in the right hand-side of corresponds to a force that acts only on the space-time interface $\mathcal{S}$. This induces a discontinuity in the pressure Lagrange multiplier. Below, instead of the specific right hand-side in we consider a generic $F \in X'$. If ${\mathbf g}\in L^2(Q)^d$ and $\kappa{\mathbf n}_\Gamma \in L^2(\mathcal{S})^d$ then the right hand-side satisfies $F \in X'$. In order to have the normal ${\mathbf n}_\Gamma$ and the curvature $\kappa$ in the classical (strong) sense, we need additional ($C^2$) smoothness of $\Gamma(t)$. The regularity of $\Gamma(t)$ depends on the regularity of $\Gamma(0)$ and ${\mathbf w}$ in the following way. The advection field ${\mathbf w}$ defines a Lagrangian flow $\Phi$ (see [@Crippa2009]): for a given $y \in \Omega$ the function $t \mapsto \Phi(y,t)$ is defined by the ODE system $$\label{flowPhi}
\begin{cases}
{\frac{\partial \Phi}{\partial t}}(y,t) = {\mathbf w}(\Phi(y,t),t), \quad t \in I,
\\
\Phi(y,0)=y.
\end{cases}$$ For ${\mathbf w}\in C^1(\bar I;C^2(\bar \Omega))^d$ this Lagrangian flow is uniquely defined and $\Phi \in C^2(\bar Q)^d$. This is known from classical Cauchy-Lipschitz theory, see [@Crippa2009 §1.3]. Since $\Gamma(t) = \Phi(\Gamma(0),t)$, we can conclude that $\Gamma(t)$ is $C^2$ if ${\mathbf w}\in C^1(\bar I;C^2(\bar \Omega)^d)$ and $\Gamma(0)$ is $C^2$.
Weaker notions of curvature have been developed for cases with less smoothness. This issue, however, is not relevant for the well-posedness results in the remainder of the paper.
\
A suitable weak material derivative can be defined in the standard distributional sense. For this we first introduce further notation. Elements ${\mathbf u}\in X$ have values ${\mathbf u}(x,t):={\mathbf u}(t)(x) \in \Bbb{R}^d$, $(x,t)\in Q$. Due to the zero boundary values on $\partial \Omega$, the norm $\|v\|_1=(\|v\|_{L^2(\Omega)}^2 +\|\nabla v\|_{L^2(\Omega)}^2)^\frac12 $ on $H_0^1(\Omega)$ is equivalent to $|v|_1:=\|\nabla v\|_{L^2(\Omega)}$. In the remainder we use the latter norm, with corresponding scalar product denoted by $( \cdot,\cdot )_{1,\Omega}$ on ${\mathcal{V}}$. The scalar product on $X$ is denoted by $$( {\mathbf u},{\mathbf v})_X:= \int_0^T \big( {\mathbf u}(t),{\mathbf v}(t)\big)_{1,\Omega} \, dt = \sum_{i=1}^d \int_0^T \int_\Omega \nabla u_i(t) \cdot \nabla v_i(t) \, dx \, dt = ( \nabla {\mathbf u}, \nabla {\mathbf v})_{L^2}.$$ Recall that $C_0^1(\Omega)^d \cap {\mathcal{V}}$ is dense in ${\mathcal{V}}$ and using the tensor product structure of $X$ we get that $$\begin{aligned}
\label{defD0}
{\mathcal D}_{0}:= \{\, \sum_{i=1}^n g_i {\boldsymbol{\phi}}_i~|~ n \in \Bbb{N}, \, g_i \in C_0^\infty(I),\, {\boldsymbol{\phi}}_i \in C_0^1(\Omega)^d \cap {\mathcal{V}}\, \} \subset C_0^1(Q)^d\end{aligned}$$ is dense in $X$, i.e., $\overline{{\mathcal D}_{0}}^{\|\cdot\|_X}=X$. For the case of an evolving interface and with the material derivative in it is natural to introduce the following weak *material derivative* for functions from $X$. For ${\mathbf v}\in X$ we define the functional $\rho \dot {\mathbf v}$ by $$\label{r1dot}
{\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf v}, {\boldsymbol{\phi}}{\right\rangle}= - ( \rho {\mathbf v}, \dot {\boldsymbol{\phi}})_{L^2} \quad \text{for}~~{\boldsymbol{\phi}}\in {\mathcal D}_0.$$ Note that in the $L^2$ scalar product we use a weighting with the strictly positive piecewise constant function $\rho$. We introduce the following analogon of the space $ \{{\mathbf v}\in X~|~{\frac{\partial {\mathbf v}}{\partial t}}\in X'\}$: $$W=\{\, {\mathbf v}\in X~|~ \rho \dot {\mathbf v}\in X' \, \}, \quad \|{\mathbf v}\|_W^2= \|{\mathbf v}\|_X^2 +\|\rho\dot {\mathbf v}\|_{X'}^2.$$ An important difference between $ \{{\mathbf v}\in X~|~{\frac{\partial {\mathbf v}}{\partial t}}\in X'\}$ and $W$ is that, if $\rho$ varies with $t$ (i.e., $\rho_1 \neq \rho_2$ and the interface is not stationary), the latter *does not have a tensor product structure*.
Inserting the definition of the material derivative we get $$(\rho {\mathbf v}, \dot {\boldsymbol{\phi}})_{L^2}= (\rho {\mathbf v}, \frac{\partial {\boldsymbol{\phi}}}{\partial t})_{L^2} + (\rho {\mathbf v},{\mathbf w}\cdot \nabla {\boldsymbol{\phi}})_{L^2}.$$ There is a constant $c$, which depends on $\|{\mathbf w}\|_{L^{\infty}(Q)}$, such that $|(\rho {\mathbf v},{\mathbf w}\cdot \nabla {\boldsymbol{\phi}})_{L^2}| \leq c \|{\mathbf v}\|_X \|{\boldsymbol{\phi}}\|_X $ for all ${\mathbf v}\in X$, ${\boldsymbol{\phi}}\in {\mathcal D}_0$. This implies that $\rho \dot {\mathbf v}\in X'$ iff $\frac{\partial (\rho {\mathbf v})}{\partial t} \in X' $, and $\|\rho \dot {\mathbf v}- \frac{\partial (\rho {\mathbf v})}{\partial t}\|_{X'}\leq c\|{\mathbf v}\|_X$. Therefore the norms $\|{\mathbf v}\|_{X}+\|\frac{\partial (\rho {\mathbf v})}{\partial t} \|_{X'}$ and $\|{\mathbf v}\|_{W}$ are equivalent.
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For smooth functions ${\mathbf v},{\boldsymbol{\phi}}\in C^1(\bar Q)^d \cap X$ we obtain, using [@DiPernaLions Theorem II.6] (applied to $\rho$ and ${\mathbf v}\cdot {\boldsymbol{\phi}}$) and ${\mathop{\rm div}}{\mathbf w}= 0$, the following partial integration identity: $$\begin{aligned}
& \int_0^T \int_\Omega \rho \dot {\mathbf v}\cdot {\boldsymbol{\phi}}+ \rho {\mathbf v}\cdot \dot {\boldsymbol{\phi}}= \int_0^T \int_\Omega \rho \dot{\overbrace{{\mathbf v}\cdot {\boldsymbol{\phi}}}} \nonumber
\\ &= \big(\rho(\cdot,T) {\mathbf v}(\cdot,T), {\boldsymbol{\phi}}(\cdot,T)\big)_{L^2(\Omega)}
-\big(\rho(\cdot,0) {\mathbf v}(\cdot,0), {\boldsymbol{\phi}}(\cdot,0)\big)_{L^2(\Omega)} .\label{fundid}\end{aligned}$$ For ${\boldsymbol{\phi}}\in {\mathcal D}_0$ the boundary terms vanish, and thus we get $$\label{id2} {\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf v}, {\boldsymbol{\phi}}{\right\rangle}= (\rho \dot {\mathbf v}, {\boldsymbol{\phi}})_{L^2} \quad \text{for}~~ {\mathbf v}\in C^1(\bar Q)^d \cap X,{\boldsymbol{\phi}}\in {\mathcal D}_0,$$ which means that the weak material derivative $\rho \dot {\mathbf v}$ can be identified with the function $\rho \dot {\mathbf v}$. By a continuity argument it follows that the result in also holds for all ${\boldsymbol{\phi}}\in X$.
A natural weak formulation of - is as follows, cf. . Given $F \in X'$, determine ${\mathbf u}\in W$ with ${\mathbf u}(0)=0$ and $$\label{weak1}
{\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}+ (\mu D({\mathbf u}),D({\mathbf v}))_{L^2} = F({\mathbf v}) \quad \text{for all}~~ {\mathbf v}\in X.$$
\[Remdifficulty\] As noted above, the spaces $X$ and $W$ are very natural ones. We are, however, not able to prove well-posedness of this formulation. The key difficulty is to show that smooth functions are dense in $W$. For the case that the mass density $\rho$ is constant or $\mathcal{S}$ does not depend on $t$ (stationary interface), density of smooth functions can be proved using mollification procedures in Bochner spaces as in e.g., [@Wloka Chapter 25]. For the general case, however, we do not have a tensor product structure and these techniques fail. We tried to develop a mollification technique in the full space-time cylinder $\Bbb{R}^{d+1}$. Such a mollification needs to satisfy a commutation property between mollification and distributional differentation (which involves the discontinuous function $\rho$) and furthermore must respect the divergence free property and the homogeneous Dirichlet boundary condition. We were not able to develop such a mollification technique. If we would have a density of smooth functions property of $W$, it can be shown that there is a bounded trace operator $W \to L^2(\Omega)^d$, ${\mathbf u}\to {\mathbf u}(\cdot, t)$, which ensures that ${\mathbf u}(0)$ is well-defined, and partial integration rules can be derived. Well-posedness of can then be derived using fairly standard arguments as in e.g. [@Wloka Chapter 26]. The density of smooth functions property, however, is an open problem.
\
In we consider a variational formulation in which a weak material derivative $\dot {\mathbf u}$ is scaled with $\rho$, as in . The scaling with $\rho$ (which does not have tensor product structure) causes significant difficultities in the theoretical analysis (Remark \[Remdifficulty\]). One might consider a rescaling of the momentum equation in that eliminates the $\rho$ term in front of the material derivative $\dot {\mathbf u}$. The two obvious possibilities are to introduce $\tilde p:= \rho^{-1} p$ or $\tilde {\mathbf u}:= \rho {\mathbf u}$. In both cases we rescale $\mu$, using $\tilde \mu:=\rho^{-1}\mu$. If we use $\tilde p$, then partial integration of the momentum equation (multiplied by a test function ${\mathbf v}$) over the domain $\Omega=\Omega_1(t)\cup \Omega_2(t)$ results is an interface term of the form $\int_{\Gamma(t)} [(-\tilde p{\mathbf I}+ \tilde \mu D({\mathbf u})){\mathbf n}_\Gamma] v\, ds$. This term can not be treated as a natural interface term, because in the interface condition we have the quantities $p, \, \
\mu$ instead of $\tilde p,\, \tilde \mu$. If we use $\tilde {\mathbf u}$, then the term $\int_{\Gamma(t)} [(- p{\mathbf I}+ \tilde \mu D(\tilde {\mathbf u})){\mathbf n}_\Gamma] v\, ds$ occurs, which can be handled as a natural interface condition, due to $\tilde \mu D(\tilde {\mathbf u})= \mu D({\mathbf u})$. However, from we now obtain the interface condtion $[\rho^{-1} \tilde {\mathbf u}]=0$, which implies that one has to use the space $H_0^1(\Omega_1(t)\cup \Omega_2(t))^d$ for $\tilde {\mathbf u}$ instead of the (much nicer) space $H_0^1(\Omega)^d$ for ${\mathbf u}$. Using these rescalings we are not able to derive a simpler analysis for well-posedness and therefore we keep the original formulation -, which is closer to physics.
Space-time variational formulation in modified spaces {#sectmodvari}
=====================================================
As explained in Remark \[Remdifficulty\], we encounter difficulties in the analysis of well-posedness of the variational formulation using the space $W$. In this section we study a variational formulation as in , *but with* $W$ *replaced by a (possibly) smaller space* $V$ (introduced below). The structure of the analysis is as follows. In Section \[SectspacesUV\] we introduce further spaces $U$ and $V$ and derive properties of these spaces. In Section \[SectweakU\] we study an intermediate weak formulation and derive a well-posedness result. In Section \[SectweakV\] we introduce and analyze the final desired weak formulation analogon of , with $W$ replaced by $V$. The main results are given in Corollary \[corolmain\] and Theorem \[mainthm1\].
Spaces $U \subset V \subset W$ {#SectspacesUV}
------------------------------
For ${\mathbf v}\in X= L^2(I;{\mathcal{V}})$ its weak derivative ${\frac{\partial {\mathbf v}}{\partial t}} \in {\mathcal D}'(I;{\mathcal{V}}')$ is defined in the usual distributional sense [@Wloka]. We define the spaces $$\begin{aligned}
U&:= \{\, {\mathbf v}\in X~|~ {\frac{\partial {\mathbf v}}{\partial t}} \in L^2(I; L^2(\Omega)^d)\,\}, ~~\text{with norm}~~\|{\mathbf v}\|_U^2 = \|{\mathbf v}\|_X^2+\| {\frac{\partial {\mathbf v}}{\partial t}}\|_{L^2}^2, \label{defU}\\
V &:= \overline{U}^{\|\cdot\|_W},\quad \text{with norm}~~\|{\mathbf v}\|_V=\|{\mathbf v}\|_W.\label{defV}\end{aligned}$$ These are Hilbert spaces with continuous embeddings $$U \rightarrow V \rightarrow W.$$ The norm $\|\cdot\|_U$ is equivalent to $\|\cdot\|_{H^1(Q)^d}$. The space $U$ has a tensor product structure and we can use standard arguments to show that smooth functions are dense in $U$. More precisely, let ${\mathcal D}({\mathcal{V}})$ be the space of all functions ${\mathbf v}: \Bbb{R} \to {\mathcal{V}}$ which are infinitely differentiable and have a compact support. Then, cf. Lemma 25.1 in [@Wloka], ${\mathcal D}({\mathcal{V}})_{|I}$ is dense in $U$. Using the density of $C_0^1(\Omega)^d \cap {\mathcal{V}}$ in ${\mathcal{V}}$ we obtain that the space of smooth functions ${\mathcal D}(C_0^1(\Omega)^d \cap {\mathcal{V}})_{|I}$ is dense in $U$. From the density of $U$ in $V$ we thus get the density of smooth functions in $V$: $$\label{density}
\overline{{\mathcal D}(C_0^1(\Omega)^d \cap {\mathcal{V}})_{|I}}^{\|\cdot\|_W}= V.$$
It seems reasonable (based on analogous results for the tensor product case) to claim that $\overline{{\mathcal D}(C_0^1(\Omega)^d \cap {\mathcal{V}})_{|I}}^{\|\cdot\|_W}=W$ holds, i.e., $V=W$. We are, however, not able to prove this claim, cf. Remark \[Remdifficulty\]. Note that the well-posedness result derived for $V$ in Corollary \[corolmain\] below implies that either $V \neq W$ or the well-posedness result holds for $W$.
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Using the density result important properties of $V$ are derived in the following lemma.
\[lem4\]
(i) For a.e. $t \in [0,T]$ the trace operator ${\mathbf u}\to {\mathbf u}(\cdot,t)= {\mathbf u}(t)$ can be extended to a bounded linear operator from $V$ into $L^2(\Omega)^d$. Moreover, the inequality $$\label{rrt}
\sup_{0 \leq t\leq T} \|{\mathbf u}(t)\|_{L^2(\Omega)} \leq c \|{\mathbf u}\|_V \quad \text{for all}~~ {\mathbf u}\in V,$$ holds with a constant $c$ independent of ${\mathbf u}$.
\(ii) For all ${\mathbf u},{\mathbf v}\in V$, the following integration by parts identity holds: $$\label{partint}
{\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u},{\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}+{\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf v}, {\mathbf u}{\right\rangle}= \big(\rho(T) {\mathbf v}(T), {\mathbf u}(T)\big)_{L^2(\Omega)} -\big(\rho(0) {\mathbf v}(0), {\mathbf u}(0)\big)_{L^2(\Omega)}.
$$
Take $t \in [0,\frac12 T]$ (the case $t\in [\frac12,T]$ can be treated with very similar arguments). Define $t_e:=t+\frac14 T$, $\tilde I:=(t,t_e)$, $\tilde Q:= \Omega \times \tilde I \subset Q$. It suffices to prove the result in for the dense subspace ${\mathcal D}:={\mathcal D}(C_0^1(\Omega)^d \cap {\mathcal{V}})_{|I}$ of smooth functions. Take ${\mathbf u}\in {\mathcal D}$. The partial integration identity on $\tilde Q$ yields $$\label{ppp}
\|\rho(t_e)^\frac12 {\mathbf u}(t_e)\|_{L^2(\Omega)}^2 -\|\rho(t)^\frac12 {\mathbf u}(t)\|_{L^2(\Omega)}^2 = 2 (\rho \dot {\mathbf u},{\mathbf u})_{L^2(\tilde Q)}.$$ Let $\sigma$ be a smooth decreasing scalar function with compact support and $\sigma(t)=1$, $\sigma(t_e)=0$. Note that $\sigma {\mathbf u}\in {\mathcal D}$ holds. If in we use $\sigma {\mathbf u}$, instead of ${\mathbf u}$, we get, with $\rho_{\min} :=\min\{\rho_1,\rho_2\}$: $$\begin{aligned}
\|{\mathbf u}(t)\|_{L^2(\Omega)}^2 & \leq \rho_{\min}^{-1}\|\rho(t)^\frac12 {\mathbf u}(t)\|_{L^2(\Omega)}^2 = 2 \rho_{\min}^{-1}|(\rho \dot{(\sigma {\mathbf u})},\sigma {\mathbf u})_{L^2(\tilde Q)}| \\
& \leq 2 \rho_{\min}^{-1} \big( |(\rho \sigma' \sigma {\mathbf u},{\mathbf u})_{L^2(\tilde Q)}| +|(\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, \sigma^2 {\mathbf u})_{L^2(\tilde Q)}| \big).\end{aligned}$$ Note that $|(\rho \sigma' \sigma {\mathbf u},{\mathbf u})_{L^2(\tilde Q)}| \leq c \|{\mathbf u}\|_{L^2(\tilde Q)}^2 \leq c \|{\mathbf u}\|_X^2 \leq c \|{\mathbf u}\|_V^2 $ holds. Furthermore, with $\tilde X:= L^2(\tilde I;{\mathcal{V}})$, and extending ${\mathbf v}\in \tilde X$ by zero outside $\tilde I$, we have: $$\begin{aligned}
|(\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, \sigma^2 {\mathbf u})_{L^2(\tilde Q)}| & \leq \sup_{{\mathbf v}\in \tilde X}\frac{(\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v})_{L^2(\tilde Q)}}{\|{\mathbf v}\|_{\tilde X}} \|\sigma^2 {\mathbf u}\|_{\tilde X} = \sup_{{\mathbf v}\in \tilde X}\frac{(\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v})_{L^2( Q)}}{\|{\mathbf v}\|_{X}} \|\sigma^2 {\mathbf u}\|_{\tilde X} \\ & \leq c \sup_{{\mathbf v}\in X}\frac{(\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v})_{L^2( Q)}}{\|{\mathbf v}\|_X} \| {\mathbf u}\|_X \leq c \|\rho \dot {\mathbf u}\|_{X'}\| {\mathbf u}\|_X \leq c \|{\mathbf u}\|_{V}^2.\end{aligned}$$ Thus we get $$\|{\mathbf u}(t)\|_{L^2(\Omega)} \leq c \|{\mathbf u}\|_{V},$$ with a constant (depending on $T$) that is independent of ${\mathbf u}\in {\mathcal D}$. Due to density of ${\mathcal D}$ this proves the result in , and thus (i).\
We consider (ii). Due to density and the continuity result in it suffices to prove for ${\mathbf u},{\mathbf v}\in {\mathcal D}$. The identity in holds for ${\boldsymbol{\phi}}\in X$ and thus for ${\mathbf u},{\mathbf v}\in {\mathcal D}$ it follows from that $${\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u},{\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}+{\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf v},{\mathbf u}{\right\rangle}=(\rho \dot {\mathbf u},{\mathbf v})_{L^2} + (\rho \dot {\mathbf v}, {\mathbf u})_{L^2}.$$ From this and the partial integration identity the result follows.
Well-posed space-time variational formulation in $U$ {#SectweakU}
----------------------------------------------------
We define $U_0:=\{\, {\mathbf u}\in U~|~{\mathbf u}(0)=0\,\}$, where ${\mathbf u}(0)$ is well-defined (in $L^2(\Omega)$ sense) due to . In the following theorem we treat a variational problem with a sufficiently smooth right hand-side ${\mathbf f}$ and a bilinear form $a(\cdot,\cdot)$ on ${\mathcal{V}}\times {\mathcal{V}}$ that is *in*dependent of $t$. These assumptions are such that we can apply a standard Galerkin procedure to show existence of a unique solution in $U_0$. This intermediate problem will be used in the next section to derive well-posedness of a weak formution as in , with $W$ replaced by the space $V \subset W$.
\[thm1\] Take ${\mathbf f}\in C(\overline{I};L^2(\Omega)^d)$ and let $a(\cdot,\cdot)$ be a continuous elliptic bilinear form on ${\mathcal{V}}\times {\mathcal{V}}$ (with norm $|\cdot|_1$) that does not depend on $t$. Then there exists a unique ${\mathbf u}\in U_0$ such that $$\label{Res1}
(\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v})_{L^2} + \int_0^T a({\mathbf u}(t),{\mathbf v}(t)) \, dt = \int_0^T ({\mathbf f}(t),{\mathbf v}(t))_{L^2(\Omega)} \, dt \quad \text{for all}~~{\mathbf v}\in X.$$ Furthermore $$\label{Res2}
\|{\mathbf u}\|_{U} \leq c \|{\mathbf f}\|_{L^2}$$ holds, with a constant $c$ independent of ${\mathbf f}$.
The proof is based on a standard Galerkin technique known in the literature, e.g. [@Evans]. Let $({\mathbf v}_k)_{k \geq 1}$ be a total orthonormal set in ${\mathcal{V}}$ and define ${\mathcal{V}}_m:={\rm span}\{{\mathbf v}_1, \ldots, {\mathbf v}_m\}$, $X_m:=L^2(I; {\mathcal{V}}_m)$. We consider the following problem: determine ${\mathbf u}_m \in X_m$ with ${\mathbf u}_m(0)=0$ and such that: $$\label{pp}
(\rho \dot {\mathbf u}_m,{\mathbf v})_{L^2} + \int_0^T a({\mathbf u}_m(t), {\mathbf v}(t)) \, dt = \int_0^T ({\mathbf f}(t),{\mathbf v}(t))_{L^2(\Omega)} \, dt \quad \text{for all}~~{\mathbf v}\in X_m.$$ Using the representation ${\mathbf u}_m(t)= \sum_{j=1}^m g_j(t) {\mathbf v}_j$ and with ${\mathbf g}_m(t):=(g_1(t),\ldots,g_m(t))^T$ this problem can be reformulated as a system of ODEs: $$\label{ODE}
\begin{split}
& M_m(t) {\frac{\partial {\mathbf g}_m(t)}{\partial t}} + B_m(t){\mathbf g}_m(t)= F_m(t) \\
& {\mathbf g}_m(0)=0,
\end{split}$$ with a symmetric positive definite matrix $M_m \in C(\bar{I};\Bbb{R}^{m\times m})$, $(M_m(t))_{i,j}=(\rho(t) {\mathbf v}_j,{\mathbf v}_i)_{L^2(\Omega)}$ and $B_m \in C(\bar{I};\Bbb{R}^{m\times m})$, $ (B_m(t))_{i,j}= ({\mathbf w}(\cdot,t)\cdot \nabla {\mathbf v}_j,{\mathbf v}_i)_{L^2(\Omega)} + a({\mathbf v}_j,{\mathbf v}_i)$ and $F_m\in C(\bar{I};\Bbb{R}^{m})$, $ (F_m(t))_{i}= ({\mathbf f}(t),{\mathbf v}_i)_{L^2(\Omega)}$. Standard theory for ODEs implies that has a unique solution ${\mathbf g}_m \in C^1(\bar{I})^m$, and thus has a unique solution ${\mathbf u}_m$. We take ${\mathbf v}={\mathbf u}_m$ in : $$(\rho \dot {\mathbf u}_m, {\mathbf u}_m)_{L^2} + \int_0^T a({\mathbf u}_m(t),{\mathbf u}_m(t)) \, dt = ({\mathbf f},{\mathbf u}_m)_{L^2} .$$ The ellipticity of $a(\cdot,\cdot)$ on ${\mathcal{V}}$ implies that $\int_0^T a({\mathbf u}_m(t),{\mathbf u}_m(t)) \, dt \geq \gamma \|{\mathbf u}_m\|_X^2$ for a $\gamma >0$ independent of ${\mathbf u}_m$. Combining this with partial integration, a Cauchy inequality and ${\mathbf u}_m(0)=0$ yields $$\|\rho^\frac12(T) {\mathbf u}_m(T)\|_{L^2(\Omega)}^2 + \gamma \|{\mathbf u}_m\|_X^2 \leq \|{\mathbf f}\|_{L^2} \|{\mathbf u}_m\|_X,$$ which implies a uniform bound $\|{\mathbf u}_m\|_X \leq \gamma^{-1} \|{\mathbf f}\|_{L^2}$.
We take ${\mathbf v}= {\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}_m}{\partial t}}= \sum_{j=1}^m g_j'(t) {\mathbf v}_j \in X_m$ in , and thus get: $$(\rho {\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}_m}{\partial t}},{\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}_m}{\partial t}})_{L^2} + \int_0^T a({\mathbf u}_m(t),{\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}_m}{\partial t}}(t) )\, dt = ({\mathbf f}, {\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}_m}{\partial t}})_{L^2} - (\rho {\mathbf w}\cdot \nabla {\mathbf u}_m,{\frac{\partial d{\mathbf u}_m}{\partial t}})_{L^2}.$$ From $a({\mathbf u}_m(t),{\mathbf u}_m(t))= {\mathbf g}_m(t)^T A {\mathbf g}_m(t)$, with $A_{i,j}=a({\mathbf v}_i,{\mathbf v}_j)$ and ${\mathbf g}_m(0)=0$ it follows that $ a({\mathbf u}_m(0),{\mathbf u}_m(0))=0$. Using this we get $$\label{lp}
\int_0^T a({\mathbf u}_m(t),{\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}_m}{\partial t}}(t) )\, dt = \frac12 \int_0^T {\frac{\partial }{\partial t}} a({\mathbf u}_m(t),{\mathbf u}_m(t))\, dt = \frac12 a({\mathbf u}_m(T),{\mathbf u}_m(T)) \geq 0.$$ Using Cauchy inequalities and the uniform bound $\|{\mathbf u}_m\|_X \leq \gamma^{-1} \|{\mathbf f}\|_{L^2}$ we obtain $\|{\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}_m}{\partial t}}\|_{L^2} \leq c \|{\mathbf f}\|_{L^2}$ with a constant $c$ which only depends on $\rho, \|{\mathbf w}\|_\infty$ and $\gamma$. Hence we have a uniform boundedness result $$\label{np} \|{\mathbf u}_m\|_U \leq c \|{\mathbf f}\|_{L^2}.$$ Hence there is a subsequence, which we also denote by $({\mathbf u}_m)_{m \geq 0}$, that weakly converges ${\mathbf u}_m \rightharpoonup {\mathbf u}\in U$, which implies ${\mathbf u}_m \rightharpoonup {\mathbf u}$ in $X$ and ${\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}_m}{\partial t}} \rightharpoonup {\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}}{\partial t}}$ in $L^2(Q)$. Passing to the limit and using continuity arguments we conclude that ${\mathbf u}\in U$ satisfies . We now show that ${\mathbf u}(0)=0$ holds, i.e., ${\mathbf u}\in U_0$. Take an arbitrary ${\mathbf v}\in C^1(\bar{I};{\mathcal{V}}_N) \subset X_N$ with ${\mathbf v}(T)=0$. From and partial integration we obtain $$\label{o1}
- (\rho {\mathbf u}, \dot {\mathbf v})_{L^2} + \int_0^T a({\mathbf u}(t),{\mathbf v}(t)) \, dt = \int_0^T ({\mathbf f}(t),{\mathbf v}(t))_{L^2(\Omega)} - (\rho(0){\mathbf u}(0),{\mathbf v}(0))_{L^2(\Omega)}.$$ We also get from , for $m \geq N$, and using ${\mathbf u}_m(0)=0$: $$\label{o2}
- (\rho {\mathbf u}_m, \dot{{\mathbf v}})_{L^2} + \int_0^T a({\mathbf u}_m(t),{\mathbf v}(t)) \, dt = \int_0^T ({\mathbf f}(t),{\mathbf v}(t))_{L^2(\Omega)}\,dt.$$ Comparing , and using ${\mathbf u}_m \rightharpoonup {\mathbf u}$ in $U$ it follows that $((\rho(0){\mathbf u}(0),{\mathbf v}(0))_{L^2(\Omega)}=0$ holds. This implies ${\mathbf u}(0)=0$ in $L^2(\Omega)$. To show the uniqueness of ${\mathbf u}$ we take ${\mathbf f}=0$ and ${\mathbf v}={\mathbf u}$ in : $$(\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf u})_{L^2} + \int_0^T a({\mathbf u}(t), {\mathbf u}(t))\, dt=0.$$ Using $(\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf u})_{L^2}= \frac12 \|\rho^\frac12(T) {\mathbf u}(T)\|_{L^2(\Omega)}^2$ and the ellipticity of $a(\cdot,\cdot)$ it follows that $\|{\mathbf u}\|_X=0$, hence we have uniqueness. The bound in follows from .
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The assumption that the bilinear form $a(\cdot,\cdot)$ is independent of $t$ is used for the derivation of a bound on $\|{\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}}{\partial t}}\|_{L^2}$, for which the estimate in is a key ingredient. Using a standard Gronwall argument in , one can derive a similar result if the bilinear form $a(t;\cdot,\cdot)$ is time dependent and differentiable with respect to time. Such arguments, however, fail when $a(t;\cdot,\cdot)$ is not differentiable, which is the case we consider. The extension to a time-dependent bilinear form $a(t;\cdot,\cdot)$, with a possibly nonsmooth dependence on $t$, is treated in Theorem \[mainprop1\].
\[RemSobInbed\] In the proof above we used the assumption ${\mathbf w}\in L^\infty(Q)^d$. This assumption can be replaced by a different (more natural) assumption by using alternative estimates for the trilinear form $(\rho {\mathbf w}\cdot \nabla {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v})$ which depend on the dimension $d$, see [@Temam Section 2.3]. The assumption ${\mathbf w}\in L^\infty(Q)$ can be replaced by ${\mathbf w}\in V$ for $d=2$. For $d=3$ we additionally need ${\mathbf w}\in L^4(I;H^1(\Omega)^3)$.
Using that $C(\overline{I};L^2(\Omega)^d)$ is dense in $L^2(I;L^2(\Omega)^d)$ one can now derive the following well-posedness result: for each ${\mathbf f}\in L^2(I;L^2(\Omega)^d)$ there exists a unique ${\mathbf u}\in U_0$ such that and hold.
Well-posed space-time variational formulation in $V$ {#SectweakV}
----------------------------------------------------
We define $V^0:=\{\, {\mathbf v}\in V~|~{\mathbf v}(0)=0\,\}$, where the trace is well-defined due to . As an easy consequence of the result obtained in Theorem \[thm1\] we obtain the following.
\[cor1\] Let $a(\cdot,\cdot)$ be a continuous elliptic bilinear form on ${\mathcal{V}}\times {\mathcal{V}}$ that does not depend on $t$. For every $F \in X'$ there exists a unique ${\mathbf u}\in V^0$ such that $$\label{Res1a}
{\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}+ \int_0^T a({\mathbf u}(t),{\mathbf v}(t)) \, dt = F({\mathbf v}) \quad \text{for all}~~{\mathbf v}\in X.$$ Furthermore $$\label{Res2a}
\|{\mathbf u}\|_{V} \leq c \|F\|_{X'}$$ holds, with a constant $c$ independent of $F$.
Take $F \in X'$. Due to the density of $C(\bar I;L^2(\Omega)^d)$ in $X'$ we can take a sequence ${\mathbf f}_n \in C(\bar I;L^2(\Omega)^d)$, $n \in \Bbb N$, with $\lim_{n \to \infty} {\mathbf f}_n =F $ in $X'$. Let ${\mathbf u}_n \in U_0$ be the unique solution of . As test function we take ${\mathbf v}={\mathbf u}_n$ in . Using partial integration, ${\mathbf u}_n(0)=0$ and ellipticity of $a(\cdot,\cdot)$ we get $\gamma \|{\mathbf u}_n\|_X^2 \leq \|{\mathbf f}_n\|_{X'} \|{\mathbf u}_n\|_X$, with ellipticity constant $\gamma >0$, and thus $\|{\mathbf u}_n\|_X \leq \gamma^{-1} \|{\mathbf f}_n\|_{X'}$. This implies that $({\mathbf u}_n)_{n \in \Bbb N}$ is a Cauchy sequence in $X$. Take ${\mathbf u}\in X$ such that $\lim_{n \to \infty} {\mathbf u}_n= {\mathbf u}$ in $X$. Note that $$\label{uu}
{\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}_n, {\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}= (\rho \dot {\mathbf u}_n, {\mathbf v})_{L^2}= - \int_0^T a({\mathbf u}_n(t),{\mathbf v}(t)) \, dt + \int_0^T ({\mathbf f}_n(t),{\mathbf v}(t))_{L^2(\Omega)} \, dt~~\forall~{\mathbf v}\in X.$$ Hence, $\|\rho \dot {\mathbf u}_n\|_{X'} \leq c (\|{\mathbf u}_n\|_X + \|{\mathbf f}_n\|_{X'})$. This implies that $(\rho \dot {\mathbf u}_n)_{n \in \Bbb N}$ is a Cauchy sequence in $X'$. Therefore $({\mathbf u}_n)_{n \in \Bbb N}$ is a Cauchy sequence in $V$ and $\lim_{n \to \infty} \rho {\mathbf u}_n = \rho \dot {\mathbf u}$ in $X'$ holds. Thus we get $\lim_{n \to \infty} {\mathbf u}_n = {\mathbf u}$ in $V$. From this and the trace inequality we get ${\mathbf u}(0)=0$, hence ${\mathbf u}\in V^0$. If in we take $n \to \infty$ it follows that ${\mathbf u}$ satisfies . Uniqueness of ${\mathbf u}$ follows by taking $F=0$ and ${\mathbf v}={\mathbf u}$ in , partial integration identity and elliptcity of $a(\cdot,\cdot)$. From the estimates above we get $\|{\mathbf u}_n\|_X + \|\rho \dot {\mathbf u}_n\|_{X'} \leq c \|{\mathbf f}_n\|_{X'}$. Taking $n \to \infty$ we obtain the result in .
\
If the (diffusion) coefficient $\mu$ in would be constant, i.e., $\mu_1=\mu_2$ the result in Corollary \[cor1\] yields a well-posed weak formulation. In view of our applications, however, the case $\mu_1 \neq \mu_2$ is highly relevant. Therefore, in the remainder of this section we present an analysis that can handle the latter case. In that analysis the result derived in Corollary \[cor1\] will play an important role. \
For $F \in X'$ we consider the following generalization of the problem in . Determine ${\mathbf u}\in V^0$ such that $$\label{defproblem}
b({\mathbf u},{\mathbf v}):= {\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u},{\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}+ \int_0^T a(t;{\mathbf u}(t),{\mathbf v}(t)) \,dt = F({\mathbf v}) \quad \text{for all}~~{\mathbf v}\in X.$$ In the remainder of this section we assume that the (possibly) $t$-dependent bilinear form $a(t;\cdot,\cdot)$ has the following properties: $$\begin{aligned}
\exists \, \gamma>0:\quad a(t;{\mathbf v}, {\mathbf v}) & \geq \gamma |{\mathbf v}|_{1,\Omega}^2 \quad \text{for all}~~{\mathbf v}\in {\mathcal{V}}, ~t \in I, \label{Cond1} \\
\exists \, \Gamma >0:\quad a(t;{\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v}) & \leq \Gamma |{\mathbf u}|_{1,\Omega} |{\mathbf v}|_{1,\Omega} \quad \text{for all}~~{\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v}\in {\mathcal{V}}, ~t \in I. \label{Cond2}\end{aligned}$$ In the remainder we prove well-posedness of the variational problem in . For this we first use the framework of the BNB-conditions, cf. [@ErnGuermond], to prove well-posedness under the additional assumption that the bilinear form $a(t;\cdot,\cdot)$ is symmetric. We then extend the well-posedness result to $a(t;\cdot,\cdot)$ that may be nonsymmetric.
From $ |\int_0^T a(t;{\mathbf u}(t),{\mathbf v}(t)) \, dt| \leq \Gamma \int_0^T |{\mathbf u}(t) |_{1,\Omega} |{\mathbf v}(t) |_{1,\Omega}\, dt \leq \Gamma \|{\mathbf u}\|_X \|{\mathbf v}\|_X$ for all ${\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v}\in X$ it follows that $$|b({\mathbf u},{\mathbf v})| \leq \sqrt{2} \max \{\Gamma,1\} \|{\mathbf u}\|_V \|{\mathbf v}\|_X \quad \text{for all}~~{\mathbf u}\in V, {\mathbf v}\in X.$$ Hence $b(\cdot,\cdot)$ is continuous on $V^0 \times X$.
\[la:infsup\] The inf-sup inequality $$\label{infsup}
\inf_{0\neq {\mathbf u}\in V^0}~\sup_{ 0\neq {\mathbf v}\in \overset{\phantom{.}}{X}} \frac{b({\mathbf u},{\mathbf v})}{\|{\mathbf u}\|_V\|{\mathbf v}\|_X} \geq c_s$$ holds with $c_s= \frac{\sqrt{2}\, \gamma}{2(1+\Gamma^2)}$.
Take ${\mathbf u}\in V^0$. From the uniform ellipticity of $a(t;\cdot,\cdot)$ and the partial integration result , combined with ${\mathbf u}(0)=0$, we get $$\label{eq:proofinfsup1}
b({\mathbf u},{\mathbf u})= {\left\langle}\rho \dot{{\mathbf u}},{\mathbf u}{\right\rangle}+ \int_0^T a(t;{\mathbf u},{\mathbf u}) \ge \gamma \|{\mathbf u}\|_X^2.$$ This establishes the control of $\|{\mathbf u}\|_X$. We also need control of $\|\rho \dot {\mathbf u}\|_{X'}$ to bound the full norm $\|{\mathbf u}\|_V$. This is achieved by using a duality argument between the Hilbert spaces $X$ and $X'$. By Riesz’ representation theorem, there is a unique ${\mathbf z}\in X$ such that ${\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u},{\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}= ({\mathbf z}, {\mathbf v})_X$ for all ${\mathbf v}\in X$, and $\|{\mathbf z}\|_X = \|\rho \dot{{\mathbf u}}\|_{X'}$ holds. Thus we obtain $${\left\langle}\rho \dot{{\mathbf u}},{\mathbf z}{\right\rangle}= ({\mathbf z},{\mathbf z})_X = \|\rho \dot{{\mathbf u}}\|_{X'}^2.$$ Therefore, using the uniform continuity of $a(t;\cdot,\cdot)$, we get $$\label{eq:proofinfsup2}
\begin{split}
b({\mathbf u},{\mathbf z}) &= {\left\langle}\rho \dot{{\mathbf u}},{\mathbf z}{\right\rangle}+ \int_0^T a(t;{\mathbf u}(t), {\mathbf z}(t))\, dt = \|{\mathbf z}\|_X^2 + \int_0^T a(t;{\mathbf u}(t),{\mathbf z}(t))\, dt \\ & \ge \|{\mathbf z}\|_X^2 - \frac12 {\Gamma^2} \|{\mathbf u}\|_X^2 - \frac12\|{\mathbf z}\|_X^2
= \frac12\|\rho\dot{{\mathbf u}}\|_{X'}^2 - \frac12 {\Gamma^2} \|{\mathbf u}\|_X^2.
\end{split}$$ This establishes control of $\|\rho \dot{{\mathbf u}}\|_{X'}$ at the expense of the $X$-norm, which is controlled in . Therefore, we make the ansatz ${\mathbf v}= {\mathbf z}+ \delta {\mathbf u}\in X$ for some sufficiently large parameter $\delta \geq 1$. We have the estimate $$\label{aux20}
\|{\mathbf v}\|_X\le \|{\mathbf z}\|_X + \delta \|{\mathbf u}\|_X \le \delta \|\rho \dot {\mathbf u}\|_{X'} + \delta\|{\mathbf u}\|_X\le \delta \sqrt{2} \|{\mathbf u}\|_V.$$ From and we conclude $$b({\mathbf u},{\mathbf v}) \ge \frac12\|\rho \dot{{\mathbf u}}\|_{X'}^2 +(\delta \gamma - \frac12 \Gamma^2)\|{\mathbf u}\|_X ^2.$$ Taking $\delta:=\frac{1}{2\gamma} (1+\Gamma^2) \geq 1$, we get $$b({\mathbf u},{\mathbf v}) \ge \frac12\|{\mathbf u}\|_V^2 \ge \frac{\sqrt{2}}{4} \delta^{-1}\|{\mathbf u}\|_V\|{\mathbf v}\|_X.$$ This completes the proof.
\
\[la:leminj\] Assume that for all $t \in I$ the bilinear form $a(t;\cdot,\cdot)$ is symmetric on $X$. If $b({\mathbf u},{\mathbf v})=0$ holds for all ${\mathbf u}\in V^0$, then ${\mathbf v}=0$.
Take ${\mathbf v}\in X$ such that $$\label{ll}
b({\mathbf u},{\mathbf v})= {\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u},{\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}+ \int_0^T a(t;{\mathbf u}(t),{\mathbf v}(t)) \,dt = 0 \quad \text{for all}~{\mathbf u}\in V^0.$$ From Corollary \[cor1\] with $F({\mathbf w}):= \int_0^T \Gamma ({\mathbf v}(t),{\mathbf w}(t))_{1,\Omega} \, dt$, ${\mathbf w}\in X$, it follows that there exists a unique ${\mathbf z}\in V^0$ such that $$\label{hh}
{\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf z}, {\mathbf w}{\right\rangle}+ \int_0^T \Gamma ({\mathbf z}(t),{\mathbf w}(t))_{1,\Omega} \, dt = \int_0^T \Gamma ({\mathbf v}(t),{\mathbf w}(t))_{1,\Omega} \, dt \quad \text{for all}~~{\mathbf w}\in X.$$ We take ${\mathbf w}={\mathbf z}$ in , and use , ${\mathbf z}(0)=0$. We get $$\Gamma \|{\mathbf z}\|_{X}^2 \leq \int_0^T \Gamma ({\mathbf v}(t),{\mathbf z}(t))_{1,\Omega}\, dt \leq \Gamma \int_0^T ({\mathbf v}(t),{\mathbf v}(t))^\frac12_{1,\Omega} ({\mathbf z}(t),{\mathbf z}(t))^\frac12_{1,\Omega} \, dt \leq \Gamma \|{\mathbf v}\|_{X} \|{\mathbf z}\|_{X}.$$ Hence, $\|{\mathbf z}\|_{X} \leq \|{\mathbf v}\|_{X}$ holds. Using and taking ${\mathbf w}={\mathbf v}$ in we obtain: $$\begin{split}
\Gamma\|{\mathbf v}\|_{X}^2 & = {\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf z}, {\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}+ \int_0^T \Gamma ({\mathbf z}(t),{\mathbf v}(t))_{1,\Omega} \, dt \\ & = \int_0^T \Gamma({\mathbf z}(t),{\mathbf v}(t))_{1,\Omega} - a(t; {\mathbf z}(t), {\mathbf v}(t))\, dt \label{zandv}.
\end{split}$$ We define $$S:=\{t\in I~|~ {\mathbf v}(t)\neq 0~\text{and}~{\mathbf z}(t)\neq 0 \}.$$ If $S$ has measure 0, then shows that ${\mathbf v}=0$. Thus it suffices to prove that $|S|>0$ leads to a contradiction. Assume that $|S|>0$ holds. We apply, for $t \in S$, the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality to the symmetric positive semi-definite bilinear form $\Gamma (\cdot,\cdot)_{1,\Omega}-a(t,\cdot,\cdot)$ and use the ellipticity property : $$\begin{split}
\Gamma\|{\mathbf v}\|_{X}^2 & = \int_S \Gamma ({\mathbf z}(t),{\mathbf v}(t))_{1,\Omega} - a(t; {\mathbf z}(t), {\mathbf v}(t))\, dt
\\ &\leq \int_S \big(\Gamma |{\mathbf z}(t)|_{1,\Omega}^2 - a(t; {\mathbf z}(t), {\mathbf z}(t))\big)^\frac12 \big(\Gamma |{\mathbf v}(t)|_{1,\Omega}^2 - a(t; {\mathbf v}(t), {\mathbf v}(t))\big)^\frac12 \, dt
\\ & \leq \int_S (\Gamma- \gamma)|{\mathbf z}(t)|_{1,\Omega} |{\mathbf v}(t)|_{1,\Omega}\, dt < \Gamma \|{\mathbf z}\|_{X} \|{\mathbf v}\|_{X} \leq \Gamma \|{\mathbf v}\|_{X}^2,
\end{split}$$ which results in a contradiction. Hence ${\mathbf v}=0$ must hold.
As a direct consequence of the preceding two lemmas and the continuity of $b(\cdot,\cdot)$ on $V^0 \times X$ we obtain the following main well-posedness result.
\[mainprop1\] Assume that $a(t;\cdot,\cdot)$ satisfies - and is symmetric. For any $F\in X'$, the problem has a unique solution ${\mathbf u}\in V^0$. This solution satisfies the a-priori estimate $$\label{b0prop}
\|{\mathbf u}\|_V \le c_s^{-1} \|F\|_{X'}, \quad \text{with}~~c_s=\frac{\sqrt{2}\, \gamma}{2(1+\Gamma^2)}.$$
\
We can apply this result to the time dependent bilinear form used in the weak formulation of our original problem, cf. . Hence, we obtain the following result, which *shows well-posedness of the problem with $W$ replaced by the (possibly) smaller subspace $V$*.
\[corolmain\] For $F \in X'$ there exists a unique ${\mathbf u}\in V^0$ such that $${\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}+ (\mu D({\mathbf u}),D({\mathbf v}))_{L^2} = F({\mathbf v}) \quad \text{for all}~~ {\mathbf v}\in X.$$ Furthermore $\|{\mathbf u}\|_V \le c \|F\|_{X'}$ holds with a constant $c$ independent of $F$.
\
We derive a generalization of Theorem \[mainprop1\] in which the condition that $a(t;\cdot,\cdot)$ is symmetric is not needed.
\[mainthm1\] Assume that $a(t;\cdot,\cdot)$ satisfies -. For any $F\in X'$, the problem has a unique solution ${\mathbf u}\in V^0$. This solution satisfies the a-priori estimate $$\label{b0}
\|{\mathbf u}\|_V \le c_s^{-1} \|F\|_{X'}, \quad \text{with}~~c_s=\frac{\sqrt{2}\, \gamma}{2(1+\Gamma^2)}.$$
Recall the Neumann series result, that if $A \in \mathcal{L}(X,X)$ for some Banach space $X$ and $\|A\|_{\mathcal{L}(X,X)}<1$, then $I+A$ is an isomorphism on $X$ and $(I+A)^{-1}\in \mathcal{L}(X,X)$ (see [@Alt2016 §5.7]). We introduce some notation. Define the anti-symmetric part of $a(t;\cdot,\cdot)$: $$c(t;{\mathbf u},{\mathbf v}) := \frac12 a(t;{\mathbf u},{\mathbf v}) - \frac12 a(t;{\mathbf v},{\mathbf u}), \quad {\mathbf u},{\mathbf v}\in X.$$ We split the problem into a problem that we have treated in Theorem \[mainprop1\]: $B{\mathbf u}= b({\mathbf u},\cdot)-\int_0^T c(t;{\mathbf u},\cdot)\in X'$ and a anti-symmetric part $C{\mathbf u}= \int_0^T c(t;{\mathbf u},\cdot) \in X'$, hence has the operator representation $(B+C){\mathbf u}=F$. For $k\in \mathbb{N}$ we set $C_k:=\frac{1}{k}C$. Take $N\in \mathbb{N}$ sufficiently large such that $\|C_N\|_{\mathcal{L}(X,X')}\leq \frac{\gamma}{2}$ holds. We prove the following statement by induction: for $k\in \mathbb{N}$ the operator $B+kC_N\in \mathcal{L}(V^0,X')$ is an isomorphism and $\|(B+kC_N)^{-1}\|_{ \mathcal{L}(X',X) } \leq \frac{1}{\gamma}$ holds.\
For $k=0$ we can apply Theorem \[mainprop1\], because the symmetric part of $a(t;\cdot,\cdot)$ also satisfies -. Hence $B \in \mathcal{L}(V^0,X')$ is an isomorphism. The estimate $\|B^{-1}\|_{\mathcal{L}(X',X)} \leq \frac{1}{\gamma}$ follows from . We now treat the induction step. Assume that for given $k$ the statement holds. This implies $$\|C_N(B+kC_N)^{-1} \|_{\mathcal{L}(X',X')} \leq \|C_N\|_{\mathcal{L}(X,X')} \|(B+kC_N)^{-1} )\|_{\mathcal{L}(X',X)}\leq \frac{1}{2}$$ and thus by the Neumann series result we get that $I+C_N(B+kC_N)^{-1} \in \mathcal{L}(X',X')$ is an isomorphism on $X'$. Using this, the induction hypothesis and the relation $$B+(k+1)C_N=\big(I+ C_N(B+kC_N)^{-1}\big) (B+k C_N)$$ it follows that $B+(k+1)C_N \in \mathcal{L}(V^0,X')$ is an isomorphism. Using the antisymmetry property of $C$, i.e., ${\left\langle}C_N{\mathbf u},{\mathbf u}{\right\rangle}=0$ and the ellipticity of $B$, cf. , we get for arbitrary ${\mathbf u}\in V^0$: $$\gamma \|{\mathbf u}\|_X^2 \leq {\left\langle}B{\mathbf u},{\mathbf u}{\right\rangle}= {\left\langle}(B+(k+1)C_N){\mathbf u},{\mathbf u}{\right\rangle}\leq \|(B+(k+1)C_N){\mathbf u}\|_{X'}\|{\mathbf u}\|_X,$$ hence, $\|(B+(k+1)C_N)^{-1}\|_{\mathcal{L}(X',X)} \leq \frac{1}{\gamma}$, which completes the induction. Taking $k=N$ we obtain that $B+C \in \mathcal{L}(V^0,X')$ is an isomorphism. From and $b({\mathbf u},\cdot)=F$ we get $$c_s \|{\mathbf u}\|_V \leq \sup_{0\neq {\mathbf v}\in X} \frac{b({\mathbf u},{\mathbf v})}{\|{\mathbf v}\|_X} =\|F\|_{X'},$$ which completes the proof.
Space-time variational formulation in a broken space {#sectbroken}
====================================================
In view of the fact that we want to use a DG method in time, we will now study a time-discontinuous weak formulation. Let $N\in {\mathbb{N}}$, let $0=t_0<\dots<t_N=T$ and let $I_n=(t_{n-1},t_n)$ for $n=1,\dots,N$. For ${\mathbf v}\in X$ we define ${\mathbf v}_n:={\mathbf v}|_{I_n} \in X_n:=L^2(I_n;{\mathcal{V}}) \subset X$, $1 \leq n \leq N$. Furthermore $$V_n := \{ {\mathbf v}_n~|~ {\mathbf v}\in V \}, \quad 1 \leq n \leq N, ~~V^b:=\bigoplus_{n=1}^N V_n \subset X.$$ We define jumps at $t_n$ in the usual way. For ${\mathbf u}\in V^b$: $$[{\mathbf u}]^n := {\mathbf u}(t_n+) - {\mathbf u}(t_n-)=: {\mathbf u}_+^n- {\mathbf u}_-^n, \quad 0 \leq n \leq N-1, ~~ {\mathbf u}_-^{0}:=0.$$ Note that the superscript $n$ denotes an evaluation at $t=t_n$, whereas ${\mathbf v}_n$ denotes the restriction of ${\mathbf v}$ to $I_n$. Note that $$\label{V0V}
V^0=\{\, {\mathbf v}\in V^b~|~[{\mathbf v}]^n=0, \quad 0 \leq n \leq N-1\,\}.$$ For ${\mathbf u}_n \in V_n$ we define $${\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}_n, {\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}_n:= {\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v}_n {\right\rangle}\quad \text{for all} ~~{\mathbf v}\in X.$$ Hence $\rho \dot {\mathbf u}_n \in X_n'$.
On $Q_n:=I_n \times \Omega$ we can define a set of smooth functions analogous to by $$\begin{aligned}
\label{defD00}
{\mathcal D}_{0}^n:= \{\, \sum_{i=1}^m g_i {\boldsymbol{\phi}}_i~|~ m \in \Bbb{N}, \, g_i \in C_0^\infty(I_n),\, {\boldsymbol{\phi}}_i \in C_0^1(\Omega)^d \cap {\mathcal{V}}\, \} \subset C_0^1(Q_n)^d\end{aligned}$$ which is dense in $X_n$. Thus we get $${\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}_n, {\boldsymbol{\phi}}{\right\rangle}_n = - \int_{I_n} (\rho {\mathbf u}_n(t), \dot {\boldsymbol{\phi}}(t))_{L^2} \, dt \quad \text{for all} ~~{\boldsymbol{\phi}}\in {\mathcal D}_{0}^n.$$ Hence $\rho \dot {\mathbf u}_n$ is the same weak material derivative as in Section \[sectweak\], with $I$ replaced by $I_n$. Thus we have analogous results, e.g. as in . In particular, for ${\mathbf u}_n \in C^1(\bar{Q}_n)^d \cap X$ we have $$\label{res5}
{\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}_n, {\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}= \int_{I_n} (\rho \dot {\mathbf u}_n(t),{\mathbf v}(t))_{L^2} \, dt \quad \text{for all}~~{\mathbf v}\in X.$$ We also have $${\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}= \sum_{n=1}^N {\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u},{\mathbf v}_n {\right\rangle}= \sum_{n=1}^N {\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}_n,{\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}_n \quad \text{for all}~~{\mathbf u}\in V, ~{\mathbf v}\in X.$$ Using $X'=L^2(I;{\mathcal{V}}')= \oplus_{n=1}^N L^2(I_n;{\mathcal{V}}')$ we get $$\label{idf}
\|\rho \dot {\mathbf u}\|_{X'}^2 = \int_{I} \|\rho \dot {\mathbf u}(t)\|_{{\mathcal{V}}'}^2\,dt = \sum_{n=1}^N\int_{I_n} \|\rho \dot {\mathbf u}(t)\|_{{\mathcal{V}}'}^2\,dt = \sum_{n=1}^N\|\rho \dot {\mathbf u}(t)\|_{X_n'}^2 \quad \text{for}~{\mathbf u}\in V.$$
\
A broken weak time derivative is defined in the canonical way: $${\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}_b:= \sum_{n=1}^N {\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}_n, {\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}_n, \quad {\mathbf u}\in V^b,~ {\mathbf v}\in X.$$ Hence, $$\label{eqder}
{\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}_b= {\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}\quad \text{for all}~~{\mathbf u}\in V,~{\mathbf v}\in X.$$
For controlling the jumps at the interval end points we introduce the usual discontinuous Galerkin bilinear form $$d({\mathbf u},{\mathbf z}):= \sum_{n=0}^{N-1} ([{\mathbf u}]^n, {\mathbf z}^n)_{L^2}, \quad {\mathbf u}\in V^b, {\mathbf z}^n \in L^2(\Omega)^d,$$ with ${\mathbf z}=({\mathbf z}^0, \ldots, {\mathbf z}^{N-1}) \in (L^2(\Omega)^d)^N$.
As test space in the weak formulation below we use $Y:=X \times H^N= \oplus_{n=1}^N (X_n\times H)$, where $H:=\overline{{\mathcal V}}^{L^2}$. We consider the following weak formulation: given $F \in X', G\in H'$ determine ${\mathbf u}\in V^b$ such that $$\label{brokenproblem}
\begin{split}
B({\mathbf u},({\mathbf v},{\mathbf z})) & = F({\mathbf v})+ G({\mathbf z})\quad \text{for all} ~~({\mathbf v},{\mathbf z}) \in Y, \\
\text{with}~~B({\mathbf u},({\mathbf v},{\mathbf z})) & := {\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}_b + d({\mathbf u},{\mathbf z})+ \int_0^T a(t;{\mathbf u}(t),{\mathbf v}(t))\, dt .
\end{split}$$ Note that with $b(\cdot,\cdot)$ as in we have $$\label{ppA}
B({\mathbf u},({\mathbf v},{\mathbf z}))= b({\mathbf u},{\mathbf v}) \quad \text{for all}~~{\mathbf u}\in V, ~({\mathbf v},{\mathbf z}) \in Y.$$ In the next theorem we derive equivalence results between different variational formulations.
\[thmequivalence\] Let the assumptions as in Theorem \[mainthm1\] be satisfied. For $F \in X'$ let ${\mathbf u}\in V^0$ be the unique solution of . Then ${\mathbf u}$ is also the unique solution of each of the following variational problems:\
1. The problem with $G=0$.\
2. Determine ${\mathbf u}\in V^b$ such that $$\label{vari2}
{\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}_b + d({\mathbf u},\rho {\mathbf v}_+)+ \int_0^T a(t;{\mathbf u}(t),{\mathbf v}(t))\, dt = F({\mathbf v}) \quad \text{for all} ~{\mathbf v}\in V^b ,$$ with $\rho {\mathbf v}_+:=(\rho(t_0){\mathbf v}_+^0,\ldots, \rho(t_{N-1}) {\mathbf v}_+^{N-1})$.
Let ${\mathbf u}\in V^0$ be the unique solution of . Then $d({\mathbf u},{\mathbf z})=0$ for all ${\mathbf z}\in H^N$ and, cf. , ${\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}_b= {\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}$. Hence, ${\mathbf u}\in V^0\subset V^b$ solves with $G=0$. Let ${\mathbf u}\in V^b$ be a solution of with $G=0$. Taking ${\mathbf v}=0$ we get $d({\mathbf u},{\mathbf z})=0$ for all ${\mathbf z}\in H^N$. This implies $[{\mathbf u}]^n=0,~ 0 \leq n \leq N-1,$ and thus, cf. , ${\mathbf u}\in V^0$. Take ${\mathbf z}=0$ and using ${\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}_b= {\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}$ we conclude that ${\mathbf u}$ solves . Hence, the unique solution ${\mathbf u}\in V^0$ of is also the unique solution of with $G=0$.\
Let ${\mathbf u}\in V^0$ be the unique solution of , which is also the unique solution of with $G=0$. Taking arbitrary ${\mathbf v}\in V^b \subset X$ and ${\mathbf z}\in H^N$ such that $d(\cdot, {\mathbf z})= d(\cdot, \rho {\mathbf v}_+ )\in (H^N)'$ in it follows that ${\mathbf u}$ is a solution of . Let ${\mathbf u}\in V^b$ be a solution of . The space $\{\, ({\mathbf v}, d(\cdot, \rho{\mathbf v}_+) )~|~ {\mathbf v}\in V^b\,\}$ is dense in $X \times (H^N)'$. Note that ${\mathbf v}\to {\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}_b$, ${\mathbf v}\to \int_0^T a(t;{\mathbf u}(t),{\mathbf v}(t))\, dt$ are continuous functionals on $X$ and ${\mathbf z}\to d({\mathbf u},{\mathbf z})$ is continuous on $H^N$. Using a density argument it follows that ${\mathbf u}$ solves with $G=0$. Hence, the unique solution ${\mathbf u}\in V^0$ of is also the unique solution of .
\
The factor $\rho$ in the coupling term $d(\cdot,\cdot)$ in is not essential. It is introduced to obtain a natural scaling, namely one that corresponds to the scaling with $\rho$ in the weak time derivative. Note that in the initial condition ${\mathbf u}(0)=0$ is treated in a weak sense (applies also to ${\mathbf u}(0)={\mathbf u}^0 \neq 0$).\
In Theorem \[thmequivalence\] we (only) show that the problem with $G=0$ has a unique solution. For the variational problem a more general well-posedness result can be derived, namely that the bilinear form $B(\cdot,\cdot)$ defines a homeomorphism $V^b \to Y'$, with norms $$\begin{aligned}
\|{\mathbf u}\|_{V^b}^2 & :=\|{\mathbf u}\|_X^2 +\sum_{n=1}^N \|\rho \dot {\mathbf u}_n\|_{X_n'}^2+\big(\sum_{n=0}^{N-1}\|[{\mathbf u}]^n\|_{L^2}\big)^2, \\
\|({\mathbf v},{\mathbf z})\|_Y^2 & =\|{\mathbf v}\|_X^2+\big( \max_{0\leq n \leq N-1}\|{\mathbf z}^n\|_{L^2}\big)^2.\end{aligned}$$ Note that $(V^b,\|\cdot\|_{V^b})$ and $(Y,\|\cdot\|_Y)$ are Banach spaces. Continuity of the bilinear form $B(\cdot,\cdot)$ on $V^b \times Y$ is easy to show. Furthermore, provided $a(t;\cdot,\cdot)$ satisfies -, it can be shown that the BNB infsup conditions are satisfied. We do not include a proof in this paper. Given these results one obtains that under the above assumptions on $a(t;\cdot,\cdot)$, for any $F\in X$, $G \in (H^N)'$ the problem has a unique solution ${\mathbf u}\in V^b$ and the estimate $$\|{\mathbf u}\|_{V^b} \le c (\|F\|_{X'}^2+\|G\|_{(H^N)'}^2)^\frac12,$$ holds with a constant $c$ depending only on $\gamma,\, \Gamma$ from -.
\
From the results above it follows that if the assumptions as in Theorem \[mainthm1\] are satisfied, then the weak formulation is a well-posed variational formulation of the original Stokes problem . This variational formulation, in which the same trial and test space $V^b$ is used, can be reformulated using a time stepping procedure. The unique solution ${\mathbf u}\in V^b$ of can be decomposed as ${\mathbf u}=({\mathbf u}_1,\ldots,{\mathbf u}_N)$, with ${\mathbf u}_n \in V_n$, and the solution of is also the unique solution of the problem: for $n=1,\ldots,N$, determine ${\mathbf u}_n \in V_n$ such that $$\label{timestepA} \begin{split}
& {\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}_n,{\mathbf v}_n {\right\rangle}_n +(\rho(t_{n-1}) {\mathbf u}_n(t_{n-1}),{\mathbf v}_+^{n-1} )_{L^2} + \int_{I_n} a(t;{\mathbf u}_n(t),{\mathbf v}_n(t))\, dt \\ & = (\rho(t_{n-1}){\mathbf u}_{n-1}(t_{n-1}), {\mathbf v}_+^{n-1})_{L^2} + F({\mathbf v}_n) \quad \text{for all}~~ {\mathbf v}_n \in V_n.
\end{split}$$ This is the usual form of a discontinuous Galerkin method for parabolic PDEs, cf. [@Thomee]. If ${\mathbf u}_n$ has sufficient smoothness, e.g. ${\mathbf u}_n \in C^1(\bar Q_n)\cap V_n$, the weak material derivative reduces to the usual strong one: ${\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}_n,{\mathbf v}_n {\right\rangle}_n= \int_{I_n} (\rho \dot {\mathbf u}_n(t),{\mathbf v}_n(t))_{L^2} \, dt$. This formulation is a reasonable starting point for a Galerkin finite element discretization in which the space $V^b$ is replaced by a (space-time) finite element subspace. This, however, requires exactly divergence free finite element functions. Recently, such divergence free finite element methods have been further developed using techniques from finite element exterior calculus, e.g. [@Falk]. Most finite element methods, however, treat the divergence constraint by means of a pressure Lagrange multiplier, see [@John]. Therefore, in Section \[sectpressure\] we introduce a variant of the weak formulation that involves the pressure Lagrange multiplier to satisfy the divergence free constraint.
\
Existence of a pressure Lagrange multiplier in $L^2(Q)$ {#sectpressure}
=======================================================
In this section we reconsider the problem , for which a well-posedness result is given in Theorem \[mainthm1\]. In the variational problem , both in the solution space $V^0$ and test space $X$ we restrict to functions ${\mathbf v}$ which satisfy ${\mathop{\rm div}}{\mathbf v}=0$ on $\Omega$. In this section we derive a formulation in which we eliminate this condition from the trial and test space and instead introduce the pressure Lagrange multiplier for satisfying the divergence free constraint. For this one typically needs additional regularity properties of the solution ${\mathbf u}$ of , cf. Section 6.2.1 in [@ErnGuermond]. The regularity property that we require in Theorem \[thmwithp\] below will be discussed in Remark \[remregularity\]. We use an analysis along the same lines as given for a time dependent Stokes problem with constant coefficients (density and viscosity) in [@ErnGuermond].
We first introduce a space-time variant of de Rham’s theorem. Let $\nabla: \, L_0^2(\Omega) \to H^{-1}(\Omega)^d$ be the weak gradient. A standard application of de Rham’s theorem, e.g., Corollary 2.4. in [@Reusken], yields: $$\label{DeRham}
\nabla : L^2_0(\Omega) \rightarrow {\mathcal V}^0 := \{f \in H^{-1}(\Omega)^d: f|_{\mathcal V}=0\} \quad \text{is an isomorphism},$$ where $ L^2_0(\Omega) =\{\,p\in L^2(\Omega)~|~ \int_\Omega p=0\, \}$. We define $\nabla_\otimes = {\rm id} \otimes \nabla:\, L^2(I;L_0^2(\Omega))= L^2(I)\otimes L_0^2(\Omega) \rightarrow L^2(I;H^{-1}(\Omega)^d) = L^2(I) \otimes H^{-1}(\Omega)^d$ in the usual way, i.e., for $g \in L^2(I;L_0^2(\Omega))$, $g(t)=\sum_{i=0}^\infty \alpha_i(t) \phi_i$ with $\alpha_i \in L^2(I)$, $\phi_i \in L_0^2(\Omega)$ we define $(\nabla_\otimes g)(t):= \sum_{i=1}^\infty\alpha_i(t) \nabla \phi_i \in H^{-1}(\Omega)^d$. From it follows that $$\label{DeRham1}
\nabla_\otimes : L^2(I;L^2_0(\Omega)) \rightarrow L^2(I;{\mathcal V}^0) \quad \text{is an isomorphism}.$$ Furthermore, for $ g \in L^2(I;L^2_0(\Omega)), \, {\mathbf v}\in L^2(I;H_0^1(\Omega)^d)$ we have $$\label{partint2}
{\left\langle}\nabla_\otimes g, {\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}= \int_0^T {\left\langle}\nabla_\otimes g(t), {\mathbf v}(t){\right\rangle}_{H^{-1}(\Omega)} \,dt= - \int_0^T (g(t),{\mathop{\rm div}}{\mathbf v}(t))_{L^2(\Omega)} \, dt.$$ We introduce notation for spaces. Recall $U=\{\, {\mathbf v}\in X~|~{\frac{\partial {\mathbf v}}{\partial t}} \in L^2(I;L^2(\Omega)^d)\, \}$, cf. . We define $$\tilde U:=\{\, {\mathbf v}\in L^2(I;H_0^1(\Omega)^d)~|~{\frac{\partial {\mathbf v}}{\partial t}} \in L^2(I;L^2(\Omega)^d)\, \}.$$ Hence, $U=\{\, {\mathbf v}\in \tilde U~|~{\mathop{\rm div}}{\mathbf v}(t)=0\quad \text{a.e. for}~t \in I\,\}$. Clearly, opposite to $U$ and $V=\overline{U}^{\|\cdot\|_W}$, the space $\tilde U$ does not involve the divergence free constraint. Below we use this space as trial space and $L^2(I;H_0^1(\Omega)^d)$ (instead of $X$) as test space for the velocity. In order to do this we assume that the bilinear from $a(t;\cdot,\cdot)$ is not only defined on ${\mathcal{V}}\times {\mathcal{V}}$ but on ${\mathcal{V}}\times H^1_0(\Omega)^d$ and satisfies $$\begin{aligned}
a(t;{\mathbf v}, \tilde{\mathbf v}) & \leq \tilde \Gamma |{\mathbf v}|_{1,\Omega} |\tilde {\mathbf v}|_{1,\Omega} \quad \text{for all}~~({\mathbf v}, \tilde {\mathbf v}) \in {\mathcal{V}}\times H^1_0(\Omega)^d, ~t \in I\label{condBnew}
\end{aligned}$$ for a positive constant $\tilde \Gamma$, independent of ${\mathbf v},\tilde {\mathbf v}$.
\[thmwithp\] Let the assumptions of Theorem \[mainthm1\] hold and assume that, for given $F \in L^2(I;H^{-1}(\Omega)^d) \subset X'$, the unique solution ${\mathbf u}$ of has smoothness ${\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}}{\partial t}}
\in L^2(I;L^2(\Omega)^d)$, i.e., ${\mathbf u}\in U$. Assume that the bilinear form $a(t;\cdot,\cdot)$ is defined on ${\mathcal{V}}\times H^1_0(\Omega)^d$ and satisfies . Consider the following problem: determine ${\mathbf u}\in \tilde U$, $p \in L^2(I;L_0^2(\Omega))$ such that $$\begin{aligned}
(\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v})_{L^2} +\int_0^T a(t;{\mathbf u}(t),{\mathbf v}(t))\, d t - \int_0^T (p(t),{\mathop{\rm div}}{\mathbf v}(t))_{L^2(\Omega)} \, dt & =F({\mathbf v}), \label{E1}\\
\int_0^T (q(t),{\mathop{\rm div}}{\mathbf u}(t))_{L^2(\Omega)} \, dt &=0, \label{E2}\end{aligned}$$ for all ${\mathbf v}\in L^2(I;H_0^1(\Omega)^d)$, $q \in L^2(I;L^2_0(\Omega))$. This problem has a unique solution $({\mathbf u},p)$ and ${\mathbf u}$ equals the unique solution of .
Let ${\mathbf u}$ be the unique solution of , which by assumption has smoothness ${\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}}{\partial t}} \in L^2(I;L^2(\Omega)^d)$. Hence, ${\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u},{\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}= (\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v})_{L^2}$ for all ${\mathbf v}\in X$ and holds for all ${\mathbf v}\in X$. Define $$l({\mathbf v}):= F({\mathbf v})- (\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v})_{L^2}-\int_0^T a(t;{\mathbf u}(t),{\mathbf v}(t))\, d t, \quad {\mathbf v}\in L^2(I;H_0^1(\Omega)^d).$$ Then $l \in L^2(I;{\mathcal V}^0)$. From it follows that there exists a unique $p \in L^2(I;L_0^2(\Omega))$ such that $${\left\langle}\nabla_\otimes p,{\mathbf v}{\right\rangle}= l({\mathbf v}) \quad \text{for all}~ {\mathbf v}\in L^2(I;H_0^1(\Omega)^d).$$ Combining this with we conclude that $({\mathbf u},p)$ satisfies for all ${\mathbf v}\in L^2(I;H_0^1(\Omega)^d)$. Furthermore, ${\mathbf u}$ trivially satisfies , due to ${\mathop{\rm div}}{\mathbf u}(t)=0$. Hence, the unique solution ${\mathbf u}$ of and the corresponding unique $p \in L^2(I;L_0^2(\Omega))$ solve - for all ${\mathbf v}\in L^2(I;H_0^1(\Omega)^d)$, $q \in L^2(I;L^2_0(\Omega))$.
We now consider the other direction. Let $({\mathbf u},p)\in \tilde U \times L^2(I;L_0^2(\Omega))$ solve - for all ${\mathbf v}\in L^2(I;H_0^1(\Omega)^d)$, $q \in L^2(I;L^2_0(\Omega))$. From it then follows that ${\mathop{\rm div}}{\mathbf u}(t)=0$ a.e. for $t \in I$ and a.e. on $\Omega$. Hence, ${\mathbf u}\in U$ holds. Taking ${\mathbf v}\in X$ in it follows that ${\mathbf u}$ must be equal to the unique solution of .
\
Since the unique solution of is also the unique solution of one can derive the following *time-discontinuous* variant of the space-time saddle point problem -. Define $\tilde U_n:=\tilde U_{|I_n}$, $\tilde U^b:= \oplus_{n=1}^N \tilde U_n$. The unique solution of - is also the unique solution of the following problem: determine $({\mathbf u}, p) \in \tilde U^b \times L^2(I;L_0^2(\Omega))$ such that $$\begin{aligned}
& ( \rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v})_{L^2} + d({\mathbf u},\rho {\mathbf v}_+)+ \int_0^T a(t;{\mathbf u}(t),{\mathbf v}(t))\, dt - \int_0^T (p(t),{\mathop{\rm div}}{\mathbf v}(t))_{L^2(\Omega)} \, dt \nonumber \\ & =F({\mathbf v}) \quad \text{for all}~{\mathbf v}\in \tilde U^b, \label{vari2a}\\
& \int_0^T (q(t),{\mathop{\rm div}}{\mathbf u}(t))_{L^2(\Omega)} \, dt =0 \quad \text{for all}~q \in L^2(I;L_0^2(\Omega)).\label{vari2b}\end{aligned}$$ This allows a time stepping procedure, similar to . The formulation -, which allows a time-stepping procedure and treats the divergence free constraint by means of the pressure Lagrange multiplier, is a natural starting point for a *Galerkin space-time finite element discretization*, which will be treated in the next section.\
\[remregularity\] We briefly comment on the regularity assumption ${\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}}{\partial t}} \in L^2(I;L^2(\Omega)^d)$ for the solution ${\mathbf u}$ of , which is used in Theorem \[thmwithp\]. One can derive (reasonable) regularity conditions on the right hand-side functional $F \in X'$ and on the given flow field ${\mathbf w}$ that are sufficient for the solution ${\mathbf u}$ of to have the required smoothness ${\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}}{\partial t}} \in L^2(I;L^2(\Omega)^d)$. For the derivation of such conditions one might consider to substitute ${\mathbf v}=\dot {\mathbf u}$ (or a smooth approximation of it) in and then use properties of $a(t;\cdot,\cdot)$ and smoothness assumptions on $F$ to derive a suitable bound for ${\left\langle}\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, \dot {\mathbf u}{\right\rangle}$ from which then $\dot {\mathbf u}\in L^2(I;L^2(\Omega)^d)$ can be concluded. This approach, however, does not work, because we need test functions ${\mathbf v}$ which are divergence free. The material derivative $\dot {\mathbf u}$ of a divergence free function ${\mathbf u}\in V$, however, is in general not divergence free. To circumvent this problem one can use a suitable Piola transformation or a Hanzawa transform as used in [@Pruss2016 Section 1.3]. We outline a result that can be derived using the Piola transformation. Details of the analysis are given in Appendix \[AppendixReg\].
Let $a(t;\cdot,\cdot)$ be as in Theorem \[mainthm1\], hence it satisfies -. We furthermore assume that this bilinear form is defined on ${\mathcal{V}}\times H^1_0(\Omega)^d$, satisfies and $$\begin{aligned}
\label{condA}
\int_0^T a(t;{\mathbf v}(t),\dot{{\mathbf v}}(t)) & \geq - M \|{\mathbf v}\|_{X}^2 \quad \text{for all}~~{\mathbf v}\in U_0\cap H^2(Q)^d,
\end{aligned}$$ for a positive constant $M$, independent of ${\mathbf v}$ (recall that $U_0=\{\, {\mathbf u}\in U~|~{\mathbf u}(0)=0\,\}$). Then the unique solution ${\mathbf u}\in V^0$ from Theorem \[mainthm1\] has the (desired) smoothness property ${\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}}{\partial t}} \in L^2(I;L^2(\Omega)^d)$, if $F'\in L^2(I;H)'$. This result can be derived (using a Piola transformation) as follows.
We take a flow field with ${\mathbf w}|_{\partial \Omega} = 0$. We assume that ${\mathbf w}\in C^1(\bar I; C^2(\bar \Omega)^d)$ and consider the corresponding Lagrange flow $\Phi: \Omega \times I \to \Omega $ as defined in , which has smoothness $\Phi \in C^2(\bar Q)^d$ (see Remark \[rmSurfaceForce\]). The Lagrangian flow $\Phi$ defines a Piola transform $P_{\mathcal F}$ of (time dependent) vector fields on $\Omega$. Both $P_{\mathcal F}$ and its inverse $P_{\mathcal F}^{-1}$ map (by construction of the Piola transform) divergence free functions to divergence free functions. Since $P_{\mathcal F}$ is based on $\Phi$, it maps the divergence free velocity field ${\mathbf u}$ in Eulerian coordinates to a divergence free velocity field $P_{\mathcal F}{\mathbf u}$ in material coordinates. This allows us to define the following variant of the material time derivative ${\mathbf u}' := P_{\mathcal F}^{-1} {\frac{\partial P_{\mathcal F}{\mathbf u}}{\partial t}}$ which has the property that ${\mathbf u}'$ is divergence free. One can verify that $$\label{Pbounds}
\|{\mathbf u}' - \dot {\mathbf u}\|_X \leq C \| {\mathbf u}\|_X, \text{ and }\|{\mathbf u}' - \dot {\mathbf u}\|_{L^2} \leq C \| {\mathbf u}\|_{L^2},$$ for some $C$ which is independent of ${\mathbf u}$. Formally using ${\mathbf u}'$ as a test function in we obtain $$\begin{aligned}
F({\mathbf u}')& =& \langle \rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf u}' \rangle + \int_0^T a({\mathbf u}(t),{\mathbf u}'(t))dt
\\& =& \| \sqrt{ \rho} \dot {\mathbf u}\|_{L^2}^2 +\langle \rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf u}' - \dot {\mathbf u}\rangle + \int_0^T a({\mathbf u}(t),\dot {\mathbf u}(t))dt
+ \int_0^T a({\mathbf u}(t),{\mathbf u}'(t) - \dot {\mathbf u}(t))dt.\end{aligned}$$ From this one obtains, using , and , the estimate $ \| \dot {\mathbf u}\|_{L^2}^2\leq c \|F\|_{L^2(I;H)'}^2 +c\| {\mathbf u}\|_{X}^2 $, which yields the desired smoothness result for ${\mathbf u}$. In order to justify the formal use of ${\mathbf u}'$ as a test function in one can construct a suitable sequence of sufficiently smooth functions that converge to ${\mathbf u}$ (cf. Appendix \[AppendixReg\]).
It is not difficult to show that the conditions in and are satisfied for the bilinear form $a(t;{\mathbf u},{\mathbf v})= \int_\Omega \mu D({\mathbf u}):D({\mathbf v})\, dx$. The latter condition is verified using $\dot \mu =0$, $D(\dot {\mathbf v}) = \dot{\overbrace{D({\mathbf v})}} + \nabla {\mathbf w}\nabla {\mathbf v}+( \nabla {\mathbf w}\nabla {\mathbf v})^T$ and (a variant of) the integration by parts identity .
An unfitted space-time finite element method {#sectUnfittedFEM}
============================================
In this section we introduce a Galerkin discretization scheme for -. In this scheme we use a standard space-time finite element space for the velocity approximation and a space-time cut finite element space for approximation of the pressure. The latter space is the same as the one used for a parabolic problem with a moving discontinuity in [@LRSINUM2013]. A similar cut finite element spaces is used for stationary Stokes interface problems in [@HansboStokes]. We explain the method and then present results of numerical experiments with this method.
Discretization Scheme
---------------------
We wish to determine both the velocity and the pressure in -. We use the weak formulation - to formulate a space-time finite element discretization. We therefore take a pair of finite element spaces $U_h^b \subset \tilde U^b$, $Q_h \subset L^2(I;L_0^2(\Omega))$. These spaces are derived from standard space-time tensor finite element spaces. For this we assume a family of shape regular simplicial triangulations $\{{\mathcal T}_h\}_{h >0}$ of the (polygonal) spatial domain $\Omega$. The tensor product mesh on the space-time domain is then given by $${\mathcal M}_{h,N} = \{ I_n \times {\mathbf T}~ |~ n=1,\dots, N, {\mathbf T}\in {\mathcal T}_h\}.$$ Standard space-time finite element spaces are: $$\begin{aligned}
Q_{h} &=& \{p \in L^2(I;H^1(\Omega)\cap L^2_0(\Omega)) ~|~ p|_{I_n\times {\mathbf T}} \in {\mathcal P}_q(I_n;{\mathcal P}_{r-1}({\mathbf T}))~~\forall~ I_n\times {\mathbf T}\in M_{h,N} \},
\\
U_{h}^b &=& \{{\mathbf u}\in \tilde U^b~|~ {\mathbf u}|_{I_n\times {\mathbf T}} \in {\mathcal P}_q(I_n;{\mathcal P}_r({\mathbf T})^d)~~\forall~ I_n\times {\mathbf T}\in M_{h,N},\},\end{aligned}$$ with integers $q \geq 0$, $r \geq 2$. In both finite element spaces we use the same polynomial degree $q$ with respect to time. On each time-slab $ I_n\times \Omega $ the finite element functions in both spaces are continuous on the entire slab. Note that in the space variable we have the ${\mathcal P}_{r-1}-{\mathcal P}_r$ Hood-Taylor pair. Clearly, using these spaces we can not expect an accurate approximation of the jump in pressure. The large approximation errors in the pressure will induce large spurious velocities. This can be remedied by using a suitable cut finite element variant of the pressure finite element space. Such spaces are well-known (in particular for stationary interface problems) in the literature and closely related to the extended finite element method (XFEM), cf. [@LRSINUM2013; @Burman2015]. This leads to the following definition of an extension of $Q_h$: $$Q^X_h:= \mathcal{R}_1 Q_h \oplus \mathcal{R}_2 Q_h \subset L^2(I;L_0^2(\Omega)),$$ where $ \mathcal{R}_i:q\mapsto q \chi_{Q_i}$ is the restriction operator to the subdomain $Q_i:=\{ (x,t) \in \Omega\times I_n~|~x \in \Omega_i(t)\,\}$, $i=1,2$. A similar extension of the velocity space $U^b_h$ could be considered. This, however, yields additional difficulties, because the continuity of the velocity across the interface has to be enforced weakly by a Nitsche method as in e.g. [@LRSINUM2013; @Burman2015]. We will not do this here and leave this topic for future research (cf. Section \[sectoutlook\]).
A Galerkin discretization of the variational formulation - leads to the following problem: determine ${\mathbf u}_h \in U_h^b$, $p_h\in Q_h^X$ such that $$\begin{aligned}
(\rho \dot {\mathbf u}_h, {\mathbf v}_h)_{L^2}+d({\mathbf u}_h,\rho ({\mathbf v}_h)_+) +\int_0^T a(t;{\mathbf u}_h(t),{\mathbf v}_h(t))\, d t
\\ - \int_0^T (p_h(t),{\mathop{\rm div}}{\mathbf v}_h(t))_{L^2(\Omega)} \, dt
& =F({\mathbf v}_h), \label{E1h}\\
\int_0^T (q_h(t),{\mathop{\rm div}}{\mathbf u}_h(t))_{L^2(\Omega)} \, dt &=0, \label{E2h}\end{aligned}$$ for all ${\mathbf v}_h \in U_h^b$, $q_h \in Q_h^X$. This global in time problem can be solved sequentially by solving for each $n=1,\dots,N$, cf. : determine ${\mathbf u}_{n,h} \in U_{h}^b|_{I_n}$, $p_{h,n}\in (Q_h^X)|_{I_n}$ such that $$\label{timestepAh}
\begin{split}
& ( \rho \dot {\mathbf u}_{h,n},{\mathbf v}_{h,n} )_{L^2(Q_n)} +(\rho(t_{n-1}) {\mathbf u}_{h,n}(t_{n-1}),({\mathbf v}_{h,n})_+^{n-1} )_{L^2(\Omega)} + \int_{I_n} a(t;{\mathbf u}_{h,n}(t),{\mathbf v}_{h,n}(t))\, dt
\\ & - \int_0^T (p_{h,n}(t),{\mathop{\rm div}}{\mathbf v}_{h,n}(t))_{L^2(\Omega)} \, dt = (\rho(t_{n-1}){\mathbf u}_{h,n-1}(t_{n-1}), ({\mathbf v}_{h,n})_+^{n-1})_{L^2} + F({\mathbf v}_{h,n})
\\ & \int_0^T (q_{n,h}(t),{\mathop{\rm div}}{\mathbf u}_{n,h}(t))_{L^2(\Omega)} \, dt =0,
\end{split}$$ for all ${\mathbf v}_{h,n} \in U^b_h|_{I_n}$, $q_{n,h} \in Q_h|_{I_n}$, where ${\mathbf u}_{n,h}={\mathbf u}_h|_{I_n}, p_{h,n}=q_h|_{I_n}$.
Due to the fact that the triangulation is not fitted to the interface, special space-time quadrature is needed on the prisms that are cut by the interface $\mathcal{S}$. Moreover, the geometry of these cut elements has to be (approximately) determined. One typically uses a piecewise polygonal approximation of $\mathcal{S}$ for which the cut elements and corresponding quadrature rules can then be determined efficiently. Such an approach for the space-time setting is treated in [@Lehrenfeld2015]. These methods are used in the numerical experiments below.
Numerical experiments
---------------------
We consider a problem with a prescribed smooth moving interface. We take the space-time domain $I\times \Omega=(0,1)\times (-1,1)\times (-1,1) \times (-\frac{3}{4},\frac{7}{4} )$. We take a sphere which moves linearly in time, characterized as the zero level of the level set function $$\phi = x^2+y^2+(z-t)^2 - 1/2.$$ The density and viscosity coefficients $\rho$ and $\mu$ are taken as follows: $$\rho = \begin{cases}
1 & \phi > 0\\
10 & \phi < 0
\end{cases}, \quad
\mu = \begin{cases}
1 & \phi > 0\\
25 & \phi < 0
\end{cases},$$ and for the surface tension coefficient we take the value $\tau=2$. The pressure solution is chosen to be smooth in the subdomains $Q_i$ and has a jump across $\mathcal{S}$ $$p = \begin{cases}
0 & \phi > 0\\
\frac{96}{5}\sin(2t)xy +2\sqrt{2} & \phi < 0
\end{cases}.$$ The velocty solution ${\mathbf u}$ is chosen to be smooth in the entire domain: $${\mathbf u}= \sin(2t) \begin{pmatrix}
\frac{1}{5} \, {\left(x^{2} + 5 \, y^{2} - 10 \, t z + 5 \, z^{2}\right)} y
\\
\frac{1}{5} \, {\left(10 \, t^{2} + 5 \, x^{2} + y^{2} - 10 \, t z + 5 \, z^{2} - 8\right)} x
\\
\frac{4}{5} \, {\left(t - z\right)} x y
\end{pmatrix}.$$ In this first experiment we use a smooth velocity field because in the unfitted space-time finite element method introduced above for the velocity variable we restrict to the standard finite element spaces (no CutFEM). We drop the advection term in - and take the bilinear forms as in the original problem. This corresponds to taking $$a(t,{\mathbf u},{\mathbf v}) = (\mu(t) D({\mathbf u}) : D({\mathbf v}) )_{L^2(\Omega)} - (\rho(t) {\mathbf w}(t)\cdot\nabla {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v})_{L^2(\Omega)}$$ in -. The obtained differential equation does no longer depend explicitly on ${\mathbf w}$. The resulting PDE is defined by the position of the interface, which is given by $\phi(x,y,z,t)$.
Note that this bilinear form is not elliptic, however, it does satisfy $$a(t,{\mathbf u},{\mathbf u}) \geq \gamma |{\mathbf u}|_{1}^2 - k_0 \|{\mathbf u}\|_{L^2}^2$$ for some $\gamma,k_0>0$ which depend on $\mu,\|{\mathbf w}\|_{L^\infty}$. The standard transformation ${\mathbf u}(t) \mapsto \exp(-\lambda_0 t) {\mathbf u}(t)$, cf. [@Wloka p. 397] can be used in order to apply Theorem \[mainthm1\].
\
The right hand-side $\mathbf{g}$ is adjusted to the prescribed solution and the surface tension force. We divide the interval $I$ into $N$ segments of length $k=\frac{1}{N}$. For the discretization in space we construct a tetrahedral triangulation of $\Omega$. For this the domain $\Omega$ is divided into cubes with side length $h:=\frac{1}{N_S}$ and each of the cubes is divided into six tetrahedra. We use the finite element spaces $U_h,Q_h,Q_h^X$ which were introduced in the previous section. For the implementation of the surface tension forces and the pressure space $Q_h^X$ one needs an approximation of the interface. For this the level set function is interpolated by a piecewise bilinear function is space-time and the zero level of this interpolation is used as approximation for the interface. Further details concerning the space-time quadrature are given in [@Lehrenfeld2015]. Clearly this interface approximation limits the accuracy to second order. Therefore, in the finite element spaces we take $q=1$ (linears in time) and $r=2$ (linears for pressure, quadratics for velocity).
Let ${\mathbf u}_h,p_h$ be the solution of - in the spaces $U_h^b$ and $Q_h$ and ${\mathbf u}_h^X,p_h^X$ the solution of - in the spaces $U_h^b$ and $Q_h^X$. We determine errors in the $L^2\otimes H^1$ and the $L^2\otimes L^2$ norm. In Table \[TableH1L2\] we show the error $\|{\mathbf u}- {\mathbf u}_h\|_{L^2\otimes H^1}$.
$N_S$\\$N$ 4 8 16 32 64 128 $EOC_S$
------------ --------- --------- --------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------
4 0.32167 0.25902 0.25045 0.24888 0.24852 0.24844
8 0.21797 0.13582 0.12703 0.12597 0.12577 0.12573 0.98264
16 0.18799 0.09090 0.08163 0.08095 0.08088 0.08086 0.63669
32 0.17626 0.06511 0.05425 0.05450 0.05466 0.05469 0.56423
$EOC_T$ 1.43670 0.26328 -0.00674 -0.00421 -0.00068
: \[TableH1L2\] Error $\|{\mathbf u}- {\mathbf u}_h\|_{L^2\otimes H^1}$ for finite element spaces $U_h^b$ and $Q_h$. The estimated temporal (spatial) order of convergence $EOC_T$ ($EOC_S$) is computed using the last row (column).
As expected, we observe poor convergence with a rate that is much lower than second order. In Table \[TableH1L2X\] we see the error $\|{\mathbf u}- {\mathbf u}_h^X\|_{L^2\otimes H^1}$.
$N_S$\\$N$ 4 8 16 32 64 128 $EOC_S$
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
4 0.29649 0.20900 0.19753 0.19552 0.19510 0.19507
8 0.18572 0.06802 0.04699 0.04390 0.04332 0.04318 2.17546
16 0.17339 0.04718 0.01736 0.01154 0.01064 0.01047 2.04410
32 0.17604 0.04423 0.01326 0.00525 0.00306 0.00267 1.97412
$EOC_T$ 1.99289 1.73737 1.33761 0.77615 0.20161
: \[TableH1L2X\] Error $\|{\mathbf u}- {\mathbf u}_h^X\|_{L^2\otimes H^1}$ for finite element spaces $U_h^b$ and $Q_h^X$. The estimated temporal (spatial) order of convergence $EOC_T$ ($EOC_S$) is computed using the last row (column).
The error is roughly of optimal order ${\mathcal O}(k^2+h^2)$. Note that the spatial error dominates after a few temporal refinements. We see that in absolute values the error significantly improves if we use the extended finite element space $Q_h^X$ for the pressure. In Tables \[TablePL2L2\] and \[TablePL2L2X\] we give $L^2\otimes L^2$ norms of the pressure errors.
$N_S$\\$N$ 4 8 16 32 64 128 $EOC_S$
------------ --------- --------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------
4 2.30681 2.22456 2.20904 2.20538 2.20451 2.20431
8 1.58330 1.57570 1.57848 1.57931 1.57950 1.57956 0.48080
16 1.18787 1.15924 1.17049 1.17305 1.17346 1.17348 0.42873
32 0.93573 0.83261 0.83562 0.84323 0.84483 0.84507 0.47365
$EOC_T$ 0.16845 -0.00521 -0.01308 -0.00273 -0.00041
: \[TablePL2L2\] Error $\|p - p_h\|_{L^2\otimes L^2}$ for finite element spaces $U_h^b$ and $Q_h$. The estimated temporal (spatial) order of convergence $EOC_T$ ($EOC_S$) is computed using the last row (column).
$N_S$\\$N$ 4 8 16 32 64 128 $EOC_S$
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
4 1.81460 1.11767 0.99726 0.96497 0.97083 0.98616
8 0.60974 0.26134 0.17501 0.16322 0.16244 0.16315 2.59559
16 0.72751 0.27060 0.10682 0.04883 0.04331 0.04355 1.90560
32 1.79975 0.40515 0.17825 0.07309 0.02646 0.01895 1.20034
$EOC_T$ 2.15127 1.18458 1.28605 1.46568 0.48186
: \[TablePL2L2X\] Error $\|p - p_h^X\|_{L^2\otimes L^2}$ for finite element spaces $U_h^b$ and $Q_h^X$. The estimated temporal (spatial) order of convergence $EOC_T$ ($EOC_S$) is computed using the last row (column).
We observe that for the space $Q_h$ the error $\|p-p_h\|_{L^2}$ has a poor spatial order ${\mathcal O}(h^{\frac{1}{2}})$. This is known from the stationary case, cf. [@Reusken Section 7.10]. This spatial error dominates and we therefore see no temporal convergence order. If we use the space $Q_h^X$, then we see a significant improvement (Table \[TablePL2L2X\]), however we do not see an optimal convergence rate ${\mathcal O}(k^2+h^2)$. It is unclear what the temporal convergence rate is. The observed spatial convergence rate is consistent with results from stationary simulations, e.g. [@Reusken Table 7.17]. The spatial convergence order ${\mathcal O}(h^{1.5})$ is probably caused by a dominating error in the approximation of the surface tension. In [@Grande2015] it is shown that the surface tension approximation method that we use induces a discretization error of order ${\mathcal O}(h^{1.5})$. Additionally, since the finite element pair $U_h^b$-$Q_h^X$ is not (necessarily) LBB-stable, a stabilization term would be beneficial, see [@HansboStokes; @Kirchhart2016]. Such methods are a topic of ongoing research.
We consider a second experiment with a non-smooth velocity. We take the same $Q_i$, ${\mathcal S}$ and $\phi$ as in the previous example. The density and viscosity coefficients are taken as follows: $$\rho = \begin{cases}
1 & \phi > 0\\
5 & \phi < 0
\end{cases}, \quad
\mu = \begin{cases}
1 & \phi > 0\\
2 & \phi < 0
\end{cases},$$ and for the surface tension coefficient we take the value $\tau=2$. The pressure solution and the velocity solution is chosen to be smooth in the subdomains $Q_i$ $$p = \begin{cases}
0 & \phi > 0\\
2\sqrt{2} & \phi < 0,
\end{cases}
\quad
{\mathbf u}= \sin(2t) \begin{pmatrix}
-y
\\
x
\\
0
\end{pmatrix}\cdot
\begin{cases}
\frac{1}{2} \, e^{-{\left(t - z\right)}^{2} - x^{2} - y^{2}} & \phi > 0\\
-\frac{1}{2} \, e^{-\frac{1}{2}} + e^{-{\left(t - z\right)}^{2} - x^{2} - y^{2}}& \phi < 0.
\end{cases}$$
$N_S$\\$N$ 4 8 16 32 64 128 $EOC_S$
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
4 0.13430 0.04973 0.04391 0.04261 0.04213 0.04199
8 0.07766 0.02683 0.01856 0.01771 0.01757 0.01758 1.25641
16 0.08380 0.02728 0.01185 0.00828 0.00787 0.00784 1.16538
32 0.11604 0.03314 0.01404 0.00696 0.00492 0.00473 0.72833
$EOC_T$ 1.80811 1.23931 1.01213 0.50098 0.05590
: \[ConvReview\] Error $\|{\mathbf u}- {\mathbf u}_h^X\|_{L^2\otimes H^1}$ for finite element spaces $U_h^b$ and $Q_h^X$. The estimated temporal (spatial) order of convergence $EOC_T$ ($EOC_S$) is computed using the last row (column).
In Table \[ConvReview\] we see that the space-time convergence order for the velocity is initially between 1 and $1.5$ and eventually it degrades towards the asymptotic order $0.5$. Similar behaviour has been observed in the stationary case, see [@Kirchhart2016; @Fries2010]. As expected, the method would benefit from the use of a CutFEM space for the velocity unknown, see [@LRSINUM2013; @Burman2015]. This a topic for future research.
Summary and outlook {#sectoutlook}
===================
We have studied a time dependent Stokes problem that is motivated by a standard sharp interface model for the fluid dynamics of two-phase flows. This Stokes interface problem has discontinuous density and viscosity coefficients and a pressure solution that is discontinuous across the evolving interface. We consider this strongly simplified two-phase Stokes equation to be a good model problem for the development and analysis of finite element discretization methods for two-phase flow problems. Well-posedness results for this Stokes interface problem are not known in the literature. We introduce (natural) space-time variational formulations in a Euclidean setting and derive well-posedness results for these formulations. Different variants are considered, namely one with suitable spaces of divergence free functions, a discrete in time version of it, and variants in which the divergence free constraint in the solution space is treated by a pressure Lagrange multiplier. Although techniques known from the literature are used, the approach applied in the analysis of well-posedness is significantly different from known analyses of well-posedness of time-dependent (Navier-)Stokes problems. The reason for this is explained in Remark \[Remdifficulty\]. The discrete-in-time variational formulation involving the pressure variable for the divergence free constraint is a very natural starting point for a space-time finite element discretization. Such a method, based on a standard DG time-stepping scheme and a special space-time extended finite element space (XFEM) for the pressure, is explained and results of numerical experiments with this method are presented.
In forthcoming work the following topics could be addressed. A modified analysis of well-posedness may be possible which needs weaker regularity requirements on ${\mathbf w}$. This then leads to a smaller gap between regularity of ${\mathbf w}$ and the regularity of the solution ${\mathbf u}$. This is especially challenging for the regularity of ${\mathbf u}$ and ${\mathbf w}$ which is required to solve the full problem involving the pressure unknown. The finite element method can (and should) be combined with further methods which are already used in a stationary setting. For example, a stabilization term can be introduced for the pressure unknown to improve the conditioning of the stiffness matrix. Furthermore, a Nitsche-XFEM method can be developed to treat problems in which the velocity is nonsmooth across the interface (which is typically the case). Another topic which we consider to be highly interesting for future research is an error analysis of the finite element method.\
A regularity result {#AppendixReg}
===================
In this section we address the regularity assumption ${\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}}{\partial t}} \in L^2(I;L^2(\Omega)^d)$ for the solution ${\mathbf u}$ of , which is discussed in Remark \[remregularity\]. We will show that assumption , , together with the regularity assumptions $F \in L^2(I;H)'$ and ${\mathbf w}\in C^1(\bar I;C^2(\bar \Omega)) \cap X$ imply the required smoothness ${\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}}{\partial t}} \in L^2(I;L^2(\Omega)^d)$. Let $\Phi $ be the Lagrangian flow of ${\mathbf w}$ as in . We will denote $\Phi(\cdot,t)$ by $\Phi_t$. The corresponding inverse mapping is given by $\Phi_t^{-1}(x)=y$, $x \in \Omega$. Note that the mapping $(x,t) \to \Phi_t^{-1}(x)$ has smoothness $ C^2(\bar Q)$. The Lagrangian mapping $\Phi_t$ induces a bijective $C^2$ diffeomorphism $${\mathcal F}:\, \bar Q=\bar \Omega \times \bar I \rightarrow \bar Q,\quad {\mathcal F}(y,t):=(\Phi_t(y),t)=(x,t).$$ By construction we have for any differentiable function $g$ on $Q$ that $\dot g = {\frac{\partial (g \circ {\mathcal F})}{\partial t}}\circ {\mathcal F}^{-1}$, which expresses that $\dot g$ is the material derivative corresponding to the flow field ${\mathbf w}$. As outlined in Remark \[remregularity\], while transforming coordinates based on the mapping ${\mathcal F}$ we want to conserve the divergence free property of a vector function. For this we recall the Piola transformation. For a given vector field ${\mathbf z}\in H^1(\Omega)^d$ and a given diffeomorphism $\Psi: \, \Omega \rightarrow \Omega$, the Piola mapping $P_\Psi$ is given by: $$(P_\Psi {\mathbf z})(y):= \frac{1}{\det J\Psi(x)}J\Psi(x){\mathbf z}(x), \quad x \in \Omega,~~y := \Psi(x),$$ where $J\Psi$ denotes the Jacobian of $\Psi$. This mapping has the property $${\mathop{\rm div}}(P_\Psi {\mathbf z})(y)= \frac{1}{\det J\Psi(x) } {\mathop{\rm div}}{\mathbf z}(x), \quad x\in \Omega.$$ We introduce an isomorphism $P_{\mathcal F}: \, L^2(I;L^2(\Omega)^d) \rightarrow L^2(I;L^2(\Omega)^d)$, which is the application, for each $t \in I$, of the Piola transformation with $\Psi= \Phi_t^{-1}$: $$(P_{\mathcal F}{\mathbf u})(y,t)= \frac{1}{\det J\Phi_t^{-1}(x)} J\Phi_t^{-1}(x){\mathbf u}(x,t)=: A(x,t){\mathbf u}(x,t) ,$$ with $y=\Phi_t^{-1}(x)$, $A(x,t)= \frac{1}{\det J\Phi_t^{-1}(x)} J\Phi_t^{-1}(x)$. More compactly, we can write $P_{\mathcal F}{\mathbf u}= (A{\mathbf u})\circ {\mathcal F}$. Its inverse is given by $P_{\mathcal F}^{-1}{\mathbf u}=A^{-1}{\mathbf u}\circ {\mathcal F}^{-1}$. Note that if ${\mathop{\rm div}}{\mathbf u}(x,t)=0$ then ${\mathop{\rm div}}(P_{\mathcal F}{\mathbf u})(y,t)=0$. For ${\mathbf u}\in U_0$, we define $${\mathbf u}':= P_{\mathcal F}^{-1}(\frac{\partial }{\partial t} P_{\mathcal F}{\mathbf u})= A^{-1} \dot A {\mathbf u}+\dot {\mathbf u}=: R {\mathbf u}+\dot {\mathbf u}.$$ An important point to note is that if ${\mathbf u}$ is divergence free then ${\mathbf u}'$ is also divergence free, i.e., ${\mathbf u}' \in L^2(I;H)$ if ${\mathbf u}\in U_0$. We also note that ${\mathbf w}|_{\partial \Omega} = {\mathbf u}|_{\partial \Omega}=0$ implies that ${\mathbf u}'|_{\partial \Omega}=0$, if the latter is defined. Concerning the regularity of $R=A^{-1} \dot A$, we note that $A^{-1}\dot A \in C^1(\bar Q)^{d\times d}$, which can be concluded from the following. Since ${\mathcal F},{\mathcal F}^{-1}$ are $C^2$ diffeomorphisms, we obtain that $A^{-1}, A \in C^1(\bar Q)^{d\times d}$. Hence, it suffices to verify that $\dot{\overbrace{J\Phi_t^{-1}(x)}} \in C^1(\bar Q)^{d \times d}$. Note that $\dot{\overbrace{\Phi_t^{-1}(x)}} = 0$ and for any $i=1,\dots, d$ $$0= {\frac{\partial }{\partial x_i}} \dot{\overbrace{\Phi_t^{-1}(x)}} = \dot{\overbrace{{\frac{\partial }{\partial x_i}} \Phi_t^{-1}(x)}} + {\frac{\partial }{\partial x_i}} {\mathbf w}(x,t) \cdot \nabla \Phi_t^{-1}(x).$$ Using that ${\mathbf w}\in C^1(\bar I; C^2(\bar \Omega)^d)$, we can conclude that $\dot{\overbrace{J\Phi_t^{-1}(x)}} \in C^1(\bar Q)^{d \times d}$.
Using these preliminaries we can derive the following theorem.\
\[thmregularity\] Let the assumptions of Theorem \[mainthm1\] hold and let ${\mathbf u}\in V^0$ be the unique solution of . Assume that the bilinear form $a(t;\cdot,\cdot)$ is defined on ${\mathcal{V}}\times H^1_0(\Omega)^d$ and satisfies , . Furtermore, assume that $F \in L^2(I;H)'$, ${\mathbf w}\in C^1(\bar I;C^2(\bar \Omega)) \cap X$ . Then ${\mathbf u}$ has the smoothness property ${\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}}{\partial t}} \in L^2(I;L^2(\Omega)^d)$.
Define $H_{\{0\}}^1(I):= \{\, g\in H^1(I)~|~ g(0)=0\, \}$ and, for a parameter $\delta >0$, the operator $\tilde L_\delta:
\, H_{\{0\}}^1(I) \rightarrow L^2(I)$ by $\tilde L_\delta:= {\frac{\partial g}{\partial t}} +\delta g$. One easily checks that $\tilde L_\delta$ is an isomorphism. Hence $\tilde L_{\delta,\otimes}:=\tilde L_\delta \otimes {\rm id}:\, H^1_{\{0\}}(I)\otimes {\mathcal V}\rightarrow L^2(I) \otimes {\mathcal V}= X$ is an isomorphism. Furthermore, since $A\in C^1(\bar Q)^{d\times d}, {\mathcal F}\in C^2(\bar Q)^{d+1}$, the isomorphism $P_{\mathcal F}:X\rightarrow X$ is also an isomorphism on the space $H^1_{\{0\}}(I)\otimes {\mathcal V}= \{\, {\mathbf v}\in H^1(I;H^1_0(\Omega)^d)~|~{\textrm{div}\ \!}{\mathbf v}=0,~~{\mathbf v}(x,0)=0\, \}$. From these observations we conclude that for $L_\delta := P_{\mathcal F}^{-1} \circ \tilde L_{\delta, \otimes} \circ P_{\mathcal F}$ we have $$\label{isom}
L_\delta\,:\,H^1_{\{0\}}(I)\otimes {\mathcal V}\rightarrow X, \quad L_\delta {\mathbf u}= {\mathbf u}' + \delta {\mathbf u}\quad \text{is an isomorphism.}$$ In the Hilbert space $U_0 =H^1_{\{0\}}(I)\otimes {\mathcal V}$ with the norm $\|{\mathbf u}\|_U^2=\|\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}}{\partial t}\|_{L^2}^2+\|{\mathbf u}\|_X^2$, we take a total (orthonormal) set denoted by $({\mathbf v}_k)_{k \geq 1}$, and define $Z_m:={\rm span}\{{\mathbf v}_1, \ldots, {\mathbf v}_m\}$. Since smooth functions are dense in $U_0$, we can assume that ${\mathbf v}_m \in H^2(Q)^d$. We consider the following problem: determine ${\mathbf u}_m \in Z_m$ such that: $$\label{AA}
(\rho \dot {\mathbf u}_m,L_{\delta} {\mathbf v})_{L^2} + \int_0^T a(t;{\mathbf u}_m(t), L_{\delta}{\mathbf v}(t) ) \, dt =F(L_{\delta}{\mathbf v}) \quad \forall~{\mathbf v}\in Z_m.$$ For the bilinear form on the left hand-side we introduce the notation $B({\mathbf u},{\mathbf v}):=(\rho \dot {\mathbf u},L_{\delta} {\mathbf v})_{L^2} + \int_0^T a(t;{\mathbf u}(t), L_{\delta}{\mathbf v}(t) ) \, dt $. Recall that ${\mathbf u}'=R{\mathbf u}+\dot {\mathbf u}$ and note that $$\|R{\mathbf u}\|_{L^2(I;H_0^1(\Omega)^d)} \leq C \|{\mathbf u}\|_X,~~\|R {\mathbf u}\|_{L^2} \leq C\|{\mathbf u}\|_{L^2}.$$ Using this, the assumptions - and $(\rho \dot {\mathbf u},{\mathbf u})_{L^2} \geq 0$ for ${\mathbf u}\in Z_m$, we get: $$\begin{aligned}
B({\mathbf u},{\mathbf u}) =& (\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf u}')_{L^2} +\delta (\rho \dot {\mathbf u},{\mathbf u})_{L^2} + \int_0^T a(t;{\mathbf u},{\mathbf u}'+\delta {\mathbf u})\, dt \\
\geq & \rho_{\min}\|\dot {\mathbf u}\|_{L^2}^2 +\gamma \delta\|{\mathbf u}\|_X^2 - \rho_{\max}\|\dot {\mathbf u}\|_{L^2}\|R {\mathbf u}\|_{L^2}
\\ & - \tilde \Gamma \|R {\mathbf u}\|_{L^2(I;H_0^1(\Omega)^d)} \|{\mathbf u}\|_X - M\|{\mathbf u}\|_X^2\\
\geq &\frac12\rho_{\min} \|\dot {\mathbf u}\|_{L^2}^2 +\gamma \delta\|{\mathbf u}\|_X^2 - c \|{\mathbf u}\|_{X}^2 ,
\\
\geq &\frac14\rho_{\min} \|\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}}{\partial t}\|_{L^2}^2 +\gamma \delta\|{\mathbf u}\|_X^2 - \rho_{min}\|{\mathbf w}\|_{L^{\infty}}^2\|{\mathbf u}\|_X^2 - c \|{\mathbf u}\|_{X}^2 ,\quad \text{for all}~{\mathbf u}\in Z_m,\end{aligned}$$ with a constant $c$ independent of ${\mathbf u}$ and $\delta$. Now we take $\delta >0$, sufficiently large, such that $$B({\mathbf u},{\mathbf u}) \geq \frac14\rho_{\min}\|{\mathbf u}\|_U^2 \quad \text{for all}~{\mathbf u}\in Z_m$$ holds. Hence the problem has a unique solution ${\mathbf u}_m \in Z_m$ and $$\|{\mathbf u}_m\|_{U}^2 \leq 4 \rho_{\min}^{-1} \|F\|_{L^2(I;H)'}(\|\dot {\mathbf u}\|_{L^2}+\|R{\mathbf u}\|_{L^2} +\delta \|{\mathbf u}\|_{L^2}) \leq c' \|F\|_{L^2(I;H)'}\|{\mathbf u}_m\|_{U}$$ holds for some $c'>0$, which depends on $\rho_{min},\delta,\|{\mathbf w}\|_{L^{\infty}}$ and $C$. Hence, $({\mathbf u}_m)_{m \geq 1} \subset U_0 $ has a subsequence, also denoted by $({\mathbf u}_m)_{m \geq 1}$, which weakly converges to some ${\mathbf u}\in U_0$: $${\mathbf u}_m \rightharpoonup {\mathbf u}\quad \text{in}~~X, \quad {\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}_m}{\partial t}} \rightharpoonup {\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}}{\partial t}} \quad \text{in}~~L^2(Q).$$ We conclude that ${\mathbf u}\in X$ has smoothness $ {\frac{\partial {\mathbf u}}{\partial t}} \in L^2(I;L^2(\Omega)^d)$, and taking the weak limit in and using continuity it follows that ${\mathbf u}$ satisfies $$\label{AAA}
(\rho \dot {\mathbf u},L_{\delta} {\mathbf v})_{L^2} + \int_0^T a(t;{\mathbf u}(t), L_{\delta}{\mathbf v}(t) ) \, dt =F(L_{\delta}{\mathbf v}) \quad \forall~{\mathbf v}\in U_0.$$ Using the isomorphism property we finally conclude that ${\mathbf u}$ satisfies $$(\rho \dot {\mathbf u}, {\mathbf v})_{L^2} + \int_0^T a(t;{\mathbf u}(t), {\mathbf v}(t) ) \, dt = F({\mathbf v}) \quad \forall~{\mathbf v}\in X,$$ and thus coincides with the unique solution of .
[^1]: Institut für Geometrie und Praktische Mathematik, RWTH-Aachen University, D-52056 Aachen, Germany ([email protected],[email protected]).
| |
Well this post has gone up a little later than planned! Obviously a post like this should probably go up a bit closer to the start of the year, but I’m nothing if not slightly behind the curve.
For the past few years. I haven’t made New Year’s Resolutions as such. I’ve gone with the idea of cultural challenges; days out, reading books, and seeing films. Now a couple of those days out have migrated over to my vastly superior birthday list (34 Before 34 this year), and I’m left wondering what to with my New Year list.
I still want to set myself a goal for books and films, but in all honesty, the days out never work out. I see live music every year anyway, but the comedy gig, stately home and theme park have never been ticked off in all the time I’ve been doing this. So they are gone, and it’s time to have a rethink.
Beyond the books and films goals, I’m just going to have a couple of more vague goals – things that can’t be ticked off a list, but if I can get to the end of the year, and think “Yeah, I’ve definitely done more of that” then I’ll be happy.
Read 75 books
Having failed so spectacularly with this number in 2015, I deliberated over reducing it (or losing it completely) in 2016. But I’m just going to stick with it, and try harder this year.
Watch 150 new-to-me films
It seems a shame to say goodbye to the ‘52 Films in 52 Weeks’ challenge, because it just fits nicely. But with a Cineworld card, and a subscription to Netflix and Amazon Video, 52 is a stupidly small number. So I’m going big, and hoping to best 2015’s total by 10.
Watch 52 films at the cinema
Within that 150, I want at least 52 of the to be at the cinema. Obviously this works out as one a week, which is totally doable, and the exact number I saw in 2015.
Do more for others
I hate how much I moan about the little things, without taking time out to realise that I’m spectacularly lucky. So I’m going to spend some time this year doing good deeds.
Write more
I’m going to fill 2016 with words. On my blog, in my diaries and journals, on social media; just everywhere.
Make more memories
When I get to the end of a year, I love looking back at the things I’ve done. These are the things I remember, rather than the things I’ve bought. So I’m aiming to make more memories this year. | http://isthatyoudarling.co.uk/2016/01/06/what-to-do-in-2016/ |
Athena Appoints New Executive Director, Board Members
SAN DIEGO – March 2, 2016 — Athena San Diego has appointed Cheryl K. Goodman as Executive Director effective March 1, 2016. Goodman, a former Qualcomm executive and serial founder/co-founder, has been an active member of Athena since 2008, co-chairing and moderating Athena’s flagship program, Signature Series.
“We are delighted to have someone of Cheryl’s caliber and experience as Athena’s new Executive Director. Cheryl is well-known and respected for her contributions in the technology and mobile areas,” said Karen Fisher, President of Athena San Diego, and VP of Investor Relations / Compliance, One Roof Technology. “Moreover, Cheryl is in lock-step with the technology and biotech sectors we serve – she knows Athena’s ‘DNA’ and is keenly aware of the positive impact Athena has within the business community. We look forward to expanding on our mission with a leader such as Cheryl at the helm.”
Athena’s Board of Directors is also pleased to announce its addition of five new Board members: Jennifer Brown (Ernst & Young LLP), Judy Müller-Cohn (Biomatrica), Michele Comtois (Barney & Barney LLP), and Maggie Lowe (Qualcomm), and Dawn Saunders (Mintz Levin).
Jennifer Brown has 30 years of accounting and auditing experience in both public accounting and private industry, the last 21 years with Ernst & Young. Since transferring to EY’s San Diego office in 2000, Jennifer has been focused on serving private clients in the early stages of venture-backed life sciences practice. Jennifer also has experience serving SEC clients and has been involved in numerous initial public offerings undertaken by her life science clients over the past 15 years.
Judy Müller-Cohn, Ph.D., is co-founder of Biomatrica® and served as its Chief Executive Officer. Judy managed the strategic direction of Biomatrica, including finance, operations and product commercialization, and has more than 13 years’ experience bringing life science products to market. Previously, Judy was Director of Business Development at Digital Gene Technologies. Preceding her experience at Digital Gene Technologies, Judy was a scientist at Mycogen/Dow AgroSciences.
Michele Comtois is a Principal at Barney & Barney LLC. Michele has over 12 years of experience in the insurance industry and has served as a member of Barney & Barney’s Executive Liability Practice since 2005, where she provides strategic guidance and counsel in the areas of public company Directors & Officers liability. Michele has been involved with Athena since 2009. She is passionate about giving back and serves on several committees and boards.
Maggie Lowe is Staff Manager of IT at Qualcomm, where she has provided overall strategy and programs at a global level since 2003. She is co-founder and President of QFINITY (Qualcomm Females Influencing Information Technology) and is on the advisory board for Hoover High School’s Academy of Information Technology. She also serves as Athena’s Technology Special Interest Group (TSIG) Co-Chair. Maggie has been an Athena member since 2010.
Dawn Saunders is a Member at Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo PC. Her practice is focused on complex commercial leasing and purchase and sale transactions. Dawn is a frequent speaker on issues relating to commercial leasing and diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, including numerous FrameWorks seminars sponsored by UCSD Connect. Currently she is Chair of Mintz Levin’s West Coast Women’s Initiative. She has been an Athena member since 2006.
“We are delighted to welcome these new members,” said Karen Fisher. “The Athena Board is a robust partnership of exceptional women, and these five are an excellent fit. I look forward to what we will do together.”
About Athena San Diego
Athena San Diego instituted the annual Pinnacle Awards to recognize leaders who champion women in STEM fields. Nominations for the 2016 Pinnacle Awards are being accepted until March 4. Please visit the Athenasd.org website for instructions on how to nominate a deserving individual. Sponsorships and tables are also available for the 18th Annual Pinnacle Awards. To find out more, visit http://athenasd.org/event/2016-pinnacle-awards/ or follow @AthenaSD #PinnacleAwards2016.
Athena San Diego is a 501(c)6 professional development association serving women executives and rising managers in science and technology. Athena is a community of dynamic women that provides inspiration, education, networking and leadership programs that empower women to realize their true potential. For more information about membership and to learn more, visit athenasd.org.
About Athena San Diego Foundation
Athena San Diego Foundation is a 501(c)3 established to support and oversee the Pinnacle Scholarship Fund. It is represented by an active Board of Directors committed to nurturing and supporting the next generation of women leaders in science, math and technology. | https://www.athenasd.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&view=entry&year=2016&month=03&day=01&id=5:athena-appoints-new-executive-director-board-members |
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Yes.
For a request for intervention to protect young people in case of a violation of rights, parents do not have to sign or be informed in order for the Commission to intervene. We encourage young people to contact us directly to find out about their rights.
Learn more on requesting intervention
For complaints of discrimination or harassment, however, it is preferable that at least one parent sign. The Commission cannot initiate any legal proceedings without the parents’ signature. | https://www.cdpdj.qc.ca/en/frequently-asked-questions/complaints |
How cool is it that Craig chose ‘sunrise at Stonehenge’ for his tourist attraction? After all, whichever way you look at it, it’s a pretty amazing place. Even Vanessa was impressed!
Like most other things, researching Stonehenge can give vastly different outcomes that depend on what you are looking for.
Do you see the world as a place of wonder, beyond the way most of us live our lives?
OR
Do you simply accept nothing until it’s ‘proved?’
If you are within the second group, things become a little circular, because our current mainstream version of science is often too narrow to prove or understand the miracles in our world.
We can’t really explain gravity, nor why a plant can push through concrete, so why would you accept the mainstream view that there are no miracles incorporated into Stonehenge; just because we can’t understand them?
As you will see, Stonehenge is aligned with the heavens, and with many other ancient sites across the United Kingdom.
We at It’s Our Earth Too, choose to accept the wonder that many very smart ‘independent’ people have discovered within Stonehenge and other such sites. To us, it is an impossible coincidence that these sites use Universal codes and harmonics and we think there is much more to them than meets the eye.
Like Harry Jensen in The Gathering, we are in awe of whoever built Stonehenge.
Imagine moving such large stones so long ago?
There seems to have been some ‘magic’ involved; but don’t expect everyone to believe this or see it, and really, we hope you don’t need that in order to see for yourself.
After all, there are people who actually still say that the laser accurate construction of the massive Great Pyramid in Egypt, was done by farmers using primitive methods.
That’s hilarious!
Imagine a pharaoh using his whole labour force over his whole life to build his burial place, not to mention that the pharaohs were all buried in the Valley of the Kings, anyway.
How gullible do they think we are? Really?
People will believe what they want to, it all depends on their frequency and also, they may have ulterior motives such as greed (more on that later).
Please read below for a discussion of the astrological alignments, the special nature of the stones used, and the harmonic mathematics of Stonehenge.
The Astrological Alignments
In The Gathering, Harry spoke of an Astronomy Professor from a big American University, who studied Stonehenge in detail and found a great many astrological alignments. It was virtually impossible, statistically, that these alignments were not deliberate. This Professor was based on a man named Gerald Hawkins.
The work and findings of Mr Hawkins are discussed in the following site, a paragraph from which is extracted below:
http://www.tivas.org.uk/stonehenge/stone_ast.html
“Gerald Hawkins, an American astronomer, published the results of an intense study of Stonehenge’s astronomical alignments in Nature in 1963. In the article he described how he had used a computer to prove that alignments between Stonehenge and 12 major solar and lunar events was extremely unlikely to have been a coincidence (Castleden, 1993). His book, Stonehenge Decoded, containing the fully developed theory, appeared in Britain in 1966. He described how he had found astronomical alignments among 165 points of Stonehenge associated purely with the Sun and the Moon, and not with any stars or the five naked-eye planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn). He discovered that lunar eclipses could be predicted through a system of moving stones around the circle of Aubrey Holes.”
Preparing an intense study of those Astrological alignments and having it published in the prestigious Nature Journal, is hardly something a Professor would do if not convinced that the alignments were real and deliberate, and clearly,
it is miraculous that people of that age could even construct Stonehenge, let alone do so with such precision and awareness of the cosmos.
Gerald Hawkins Riddle
Mr Hawkins was obviously well aware of sceptics, because he set a very interesting riddle to prove that superior intelligence was behind one of his discoveries. Nobody was able to disprove this; this is discussed in one of the later reference links.
Below are some further discussions of Mr Hawkin’s work
“Meanwhile, Gerald Hawkins studied Stonehenge much later, in 1965, using computer programs. He found multiple solar and lunar alignments that correlated with the location of Stonehenge. He set his data so that the positions of the stars and planets would match where they were in 1500 B.C., when he believed it was built, and found that 13 solar correlations and 11 lunar correlations matched up with the megalithic stages. In other words, he believed Stonehenge was used to predict astronomical events. He also believed that it was built to align with the position of the summer and winter solstices.”
Source
http://osr.org/articles/stonehenge-an-astronomical-calculator/
And what about Stonehenge’s Mysterious Stones discussed briefly in this extract from Earth Magazine?
Stonehenge’s ruins at dawn. The bluestones at Stonehenge include many from the Preseli Hills in Wales, almost 250 kilometers away.
http://www.earthmagazine.org/article/stonehenges-mysterious-stones
“The stones are discussed in the flowing paragraphs, from the above site:
“The remains of the monument include two primary stone types: bluestone and sarsen sandstone. The stones that form the external wall of the Stonehenge circle are sarsen sandstone, a hard, 60-million-year-old silicified sandstone similar to that of the Marlborough Downs, about 30 kilometers to the north.
The outer circle’s vertical sarsens are connected by sarsen lintels — the horizontal rock beams that give the monument its unique character. Within the circle is a horseshoe of even larger sarsens and lintels called trilithons — these are the famous “pi”-shaped structures. The mass of the largest sarsen is estimated at 40 tons — the equivalent of a fully loaded cement truck. About 50 sarsen stones remain, but originally there may have been many more.
The smaller Stonehenge stones, the bluestones, carry the most mystery because they are foreign to southern England. These four-ton bluestones, which take on a vaguely gray-blue color when wet, are for the most part igneous rocks. They are mostly diabase — chemically similar to basalt but intruded into other rocks at shallow depth rather than erupting — but also rhyolite and several types of pyroclastic volcanic rock.
The bluestones were arranged in a circle inside the sarsen circle. They were also set into a horseshoe arrangement within the sarsen trilithon horseshoe. However, there were many changes in the stone settings prior to the arrangement that we see today, and archaeologists have found traces that indicate that the bluestones may originally have been set in a double circle. Regardless, only 43 of these foreign bluestones have been identified in these smaller stone settings at Stonehenge. Of these, 16 are still standing; the others are either leaning, lying on the ground or traceable only through buried stumps. No one knows how many bluestones might have been there originally.”
It seems to us that somebody went to a lot of trouble to choose very particular stones and align them in a very particular construction. Perhaps the stones were chosen for their unique resonant properties, that is, because they vibrate differently to other stones that may have been more easily available.
This brings us to the Harmonic Mathematics of Bruce Cathie,
the man on which Harry’s chap from New Zealand was based. An airline pilot who spent over forty years researching UFOs, mathematics, geometry and ancient sites, Mr Cathie discovered what he called a ‘secret mathematics’ and an energetic World Grid.
He also discovered that ancient sites like the Great Pyramid and Stonehenge were sitting upon this grid, so he studied these sites in great detail.
As a result of this detailed analysis, he found these harmonic patterns in those various sites.
At 3 minutes, in the clip below, Mr. Cathie explains the implications of the science he believes is currently being hidden from humanity
“in one great surge of progress, the whole world can be turned into a material wonderland with planet for all.”
Shouldn’t more people be paying attention?
Specifically, Mr. Cathie says the evidence he has pieced together over the years, strongly suggests that modern-day scientists have discovered:
- the secrets of anti-gravity and travel in space-time, which he notes “makes possible journeys to the most distant stars,”
- the geometric structure of water and anti-matter,
- the tapping of energy from the Earth at no cost,
- transmutation of the elements, and
- disintegration of matter by the use of light beams.
We hope his important work gets the respect and support it deserves. Certainly, he gets some attention.
Mr. Cathie started getting visits from guys in black suits and told plenty of people about this when he visited Australia to attend the Nexus Conference. As you would expect, these people, who like to keep things secret, have put comments on various sites saying that Mr. Cathie’s maths has been disproved, but they don’t give any details of this. They don’t explain why people from Washington D.C. were watching him so closely.
In relation to Stonehenge, just like Harry said, Mr. Cathie found that the radius of the Aubrey Circle harmonically corresponded to the speed of light; while the radius of the Saracen Circle corresponded to the square of the reciprocal of the speed of light.
This created some kind of canceling effect and along with the special resonant properties of the stones, meant that Stonehenge did operate as a vibrational amplifier of light and the interrelationship between the circles created all sorts of opportunities such as time travel.
We don’t understand all the implications of Mr. Cathie’s discoveries but based on his books and his words in film clips such as the one following below, we strongly believe he was genuine and that his is a path that should be explored for the benefit of humanity and not just a few secretive dudes in Washington D.C.
We are delighted to have found this amazing information from this dedicated humble man and we know that someone will one day take it to its next step.
He seemed like a really nice chap too, just like Harry said. Bruce Cathie we at ‘It’s Our Earth Too’ salute you for your humility and dedication. | https://itsourearthtoo.com.au/stonehenge/ |
I was in the car with a friend recently when she pulled up to a stoplight, picked up her phone and replied to a text. I gave her the side eye. What? she glared back. “I only use my phone when we’re stopped.”
“OK, fine,” I said. But, I wondered, is it?
We all know that it’s dangerous to text while driving, but our phones have become overlords that demand our constant attention. In the car, I limit my phone use to things I can do hands-free — talking and listening to preloaded playlists — and assumed this made me safer. But I may be fooling myself. Research has found that when it comes to distracted driving, what your eyes and hands are doing is only part of the issue — what your mind is doing is at least as crucial. Before you can reduce the risks of cellphone use while driving, you need to understand the nature of distraction itself.
You can think of driving’s demands as a three-legged stool, requiring eyes on the road, hands on the wheel (not to mention feet on the pedals), and mind on the task. Anything less than all three, and you’re driving impaired.
Most attempts to mitigate the risk of cellphone use while driving have focused on the first two legs. Texting while driving is banned in 47 states, and 16 states prohibit drivers from handheld phone use. But legislative approaches like these don’t address the third leg of the distraction stool. “You can’t do a drug test for cognitive impairment,” said Kyle Mathewson, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Alberta.
Anything that takes the eyes off the road or hands off the wheel is clearly dangerous. A 2009 study funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation examined data on the behavior of more than 200 commercial motor vehicle operators and found that the riskiest tasks were those that drew drivers’ eyes away from the road. Texting was the worst. Truckers who texted while driving were 23.2 times more likely to have a crash, near-miss, unintentional lane deviation or other safety issue compared with when they weren’t texting. Texting was also the thing that drew eyes off the road for the longest time — 4.6 seconds in a 6-second interval, or the equivalent of driving the length of a football field at 55 mph.
But putting down the phone and talking only via a hands-free system in the car doesn’t necessarily solve the distraction problem, said David Strayer, a psychologist at the University of Utah. Strayer’s research has found that drivers can get a sort of “tunnel vision” when their minds are focused elsewhere. People can enter this state during a phone conversation, whether or not they’re holding a phone, Strayer said. “There’s something like 35 studies now trying to compare handheld to hands-free, and they find that you’re impaired with both,” he said. “There really isn’t a safety advantage to one over the other.” Strayer’s research testing volunteers in a driving simulator found that people drove more sluggishly and had delayed reaction times when talking on the phone. Although they were different from the impairments experienced by people in the study who drove in the simulator while legally drunk, they were just as dangerous.
But studies that test people in simulators seem to find greater risks from talking on the phone than studies based on real driving patterns using video cameras and recorders, said Brian Johnston, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington and former editor-in-chief of the journal Injury Prevention. For instance, the Transportation Department study of real-life trucker data found that talking or listening on a handheld phone didn’t increase the likelihood of being in a crash or having a serious safety issue.
Interestingly, talking seems to become less risky if the other person knows what’s going on in the car. Mathewson and his colleagues did an experiment with volunteers that compared four situations, all of which involved a simulator: someone driving alone, driving while talking on a hands-free phone system, driving while talking with a passenger who is also in the simulator, and driving while talking on the phone with a person who could view what the driver was seeing. When a conversation took place in an environment where both parties could see what was happening on the road, the speakers naturally adapted their conversations to the driving — initiating discussions about traffic conditions and naturally pausing the conversation at moments when the driver needed to pay extra attention to the road.
Today’s cars present their own menu of interruptions by putting an array of “electronics on steroids” at a driver’s fingertips, Strayer said. He recently examined a car that had 112 buttons for 117 different functions, and that didn’t include the touch screen. “Many features and functions enabled in a car while driving are too complex and mentally taxing,” he said. Voice-enabled apps can become a dangerous frustration when they bungle commands. Automations like cruise control, auto braking and blind-spot detection might seem like safety features, Mathewson said, but they can actually increase danger by making a driver less attentive and engaged.
So how to proceed in this age of distraction? “I think that it’s kind of unreasonable to say you can’t use technology,” Strayer said. Some diversions appear to be more dangerous than others. “We’re not too worried about listening to the radio or a book on tape or a podcast,” Strayer said. On long, monotonous drives, a little bit of mental engagement may even prevent your mind from wandering off the driving task.
Before you start rolling, prepare yourself to drive safely, said Lisa Robinson, a senior program manager for the National Safety Council, a nonprofit advocacy group. Adjust the mirrors and seat and set the radio dials and navigation system. Never attempt to enter navigation while moving, she said. Even if you’re entering information hands-free, the amount of cognitive focus required will steal too much attention from your driving. If you need to scroll or type on your device, pull over.
And for the life of the people around you (and yourself), turn off your phone notifications. “We know that when that ping comes, you will want to answer that phone,” Robinson said. The best way to resist the temptation is to prevent it. Both iPhones and Android devices have modes that will turn off notifications while you’re driving. (They’ll also notify senders that you are driving and provide instructions on how to override the setting in an emergency.)
The seriousness of device distractions shouldn’t be overlooked. Strayer’s research has shown what he calls a “technology hangover.” After hanging up the phone, “it takes up to 27 seconds to regain what you lost while interacting with the technology,” he said. “It was an eye-opener.”
Which brings us back to my friend’s rule about texting only at stoplights. Sure, that’s safer than texting while in motion, but it’s still an impaired way to operate. Consider: While your eyes and hands are on the phone, you’re missing the changes happening in your surroundings — the pedestrian who just entered the crosswalk, the cyclist who pulled up next to you. If you look up and the light has changed, you don’t have time to fully update your situational awareness. Putting the car in motion in that state is like shooting a gun before being sure of your target, and the results can be just as deadly.
“Driving is the most likely way we’ll kill someone else,” Mathewson said. “But we’re not treating cars like the dangerous things that they are.”
Read more: “How To Break Your Phone Addiction”
| |
The Macomb girls are already playing competitive golf this season, having opened at the Prep Tour last week. The Bombers have high expectations, returning five of their top six from a year ago, as well as what was a deep junior varsity roster.
Knowing the potential was there, coach Mary Quigle put the summer in the hands of her players, letting them decide where this team is going to go.
“I left it up to my two seniors to push the girls this summer, I left it up to Emma (Thorman) and Karlie (Wisslead) to push the girls and they did,” Quigle said. “They were getting together twice a week, playing golf, talking about things and doing things, which is what they need to do.”
Macomb opened on Friday at the Prep Tour Tournament last week shooting a 352. Thorman led the way, carding a 69. Laine Torrance shot an 88, Wisslead a 94 and Lily Vardaman a 101.
“What I saw on Friday is Emma is Emma,” Quigle said. “She was on her game, Laine and Karlie need to pick it up a little more, but this was our first outing. “They were playing against elite players and I think that’s intimidating, but that’s why I wanted that, I wanted them to play against those elite players.” E
llen Meixner (104) and Trinity Christensen (105) also dressed varsity in the opener, but Quigle has no problem using her deep, talented squad this fall.
“Lily and Trinity and Ellen, Ellen was pretty relaxed, but the others were a little intimidated by the ones they were playing against but they came through with some scores in the hundreds,” Quigle said. “If I can get them in the 90s and get Karlie and Laine in the 80s, I would be happy with where we’re at. “Their goal is to make it to state again and to do that, they have to put in the time. We can work out the kinks on the driving range but they have to put in the time and the effort.”
And for Quigle, with her squad, it’s not so much about the physical skills, but staying in the right frame of mind that may determine where this team finishes this fall.
“One, they have a bad hole, they have to forget about it,” she said. “It’s a mind game, big time. They have to get refocused and the big thing is to get refocused and play. “If they just play one over every hole, they’re at 90 so they have to understand it’s OK to be one or two over, then par a hole, but they have to focus on that part and not try to outdo the player they’re playing with, they have to play their game.”
And it’s staying calm and competing that Quigle is stressing. While she feels confident in Thorman, Torrance and Wisslead at the top, the coach has no problem letting players know there is going to be a constant fight for a few varsity spots.
“I put that out there to everyone, that four, five and six spot is open, the one, two, three is pretty set but that four, five and six is open and they’re out here competing for it,” she said. “We got rained out Monday last week, we did play Tuesday and Wednesday, but I still had to make out the lineup for the prep tour, so I had to decide on two days of scores, but I want that competition, they have to use each other and not give up because I probably will rotate that fifth and sixth spot, giving them a shot play because when you play with good players it makes you better.”
And playing with better players is what Quigle hopes can settle her top spots. With Thorman doing her thing, the Macomb coach hopes Torrance and Wisslead can prove to be steady factors for the Bombers.
“It’s a head game, Laine had an 88, she can shoot better, she could have been in the 70s easily, she was just a little off,” Quigle said. “I need to rely on those three, Emma will be Emma, a bad day could be 73 for but Karlie and Laine, we have to have them be anchors and steady all the time
“Karlie can get intimidated some times and Laine too, so they just have to relax and have some fun.”
And while she is sorting out the back half of the varsity, Quigle did see one player settle in and make a move to assert herself. | https://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/sports/20190819/macomb-golf-with-high-aspirations-for-fall |
A traditional family run country pub near the Ridgeway path and racehorse trainers' stables. Inside there are horse related pictures and memorabilia. Outside the sloping beer garden overlooks West Ilsley village cricket ground. The blackboard menu includes lunchtime baguettes. There is a separate evening menu.
Regular Beers
This pub serves 2 regular beers.
- Greene King IPA
- Morland Old Golden Hen
Changing Beers
This pub serves 1 changing beer.
Features
- Real Ale Available
Facilities
- Lunchtime Meals
- Evening Meals
- Pub Garden
- Parking
- Restaurant Area
View on Larger Map
Harrow
Main Street
West Ilsley
RG20 7AR
Sat Nav Reference
Transport
- Close to Bus Routes
Submit Pub Feedback to CAMRA
We welcome the help of all users to contribute to this important campaigning project. Please use the form below to submit feedback or updates directly to the West Berkshire CAMRA branch for consideration.
Please note that any changes mentioned WILL NOT have an immediate effect on whatpub.com but will instead be emailed directly to the West Berkshire CAMRA branch Pubs Officer for consideration. If you provide your name and/or email address this information will also be visible to the Pubs Officer, who may use this information to follow up your feedback. IF YOU WISH TO CONTACT THE PUB DIRECT, PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS FORM. | https://whatpub.com/pubs/BEW/132/harrow-west-ilsley |
The preclinical data was presented by Beam Therapeutics, Monday at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 22nd Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.
Preclinical data from Beam Therapeutics' base editing platform demonstrate how technology could open new treatment options for patients with cancer and other immune-mediated diseases who might benefit from advanced cellular therapies requiring a large number of simultaneous edits.
According to Beam Therapeutics, a biotechnology company that develops precision genetic medicines through base editing, the fourth-generation base editor (BE4) demonstrated high-efficiency multiplex base editing of 3 cell surface targets in primary human T cells (TRAC, B2M, and PD-1), knocking out expression of each gene in 95%, 95% and 88% of cells, respectively, in a single electroporation, during the study.
Editing each of these genes has the potential to be useful in the creation of CAR-T cell therapies with improved therapeutic properties, according to a statement.
Each of the genes was silenced by a single targeted base change (C to T) without the creation of double strand breaks. As a result, the BE4-treated cells also did not have any measurable translocations (large-scale genomic rearrangements), whereas cells receiving the same 3 edits with a nuclease did show detectable genomic rearrangements.
The data underscore an exciting emerging application of base editing technology, according to John Evans, chief executive of Beam.
This application allows multiplex editing of CAR-T cells without genomic rearrangements.
“Beam is actively applying base editing across a wide range of serious genetic diseases using both ex vivo and in vivo delivery approaches, and we are pleased to begin sharing some of the research progress in our therapeutic programs,” Evanssaid in a statement.
Beam Therapeutics presented the preclinical data Monday at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 22nd Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.
Reference
Beam Therapeutics presents data on multiplex base editing for engineered CAR-T cells at American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy 22nd Annual Meeting [news release]. Cambridge, MA; April 29, 2019: Beam Therapeutics. businesswire.com/news/home/20190429005709/en. Accessed April 30, 2019. | https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/base-editing-technology-shows-potential-use-in-creating-car-t-cell-therapies |
- Performing Data Analysis: includes pulling data from various parties, sources (like Business Objects, Data warehouses, and other required data-stores), data consolidation, data formatting, data validation, reporting, and most importantly real-time/batch data analytics.
- Develop, construct, test, and maintain tools for data analysis purposes.
- Design, implement and maintain high-performance big data infrastructure/systems, and big data processing pipelines scaling to structured and unstructured business requirements
- Create web services / API-based interfaces to modularize capabilities using standard tools and libraries.
- Developing prototypes and proof of concepts for the selected solutions, and implementing complex big data projects
- Conduct timely and effective research in response to specific requests (e.g. data collection, analysis, Tools available for various purposes and Data pipelines)
- Adapting and learning new technologies and building PoC applications based on those.
- Work with business domain experts, data scientists and application developers to identify data relevant for analysis and to develop the overall solution.
- Proficient in writing code for data ingestion workflow from multiple heterogeneous sources such as files, streams, and databases, process the data with standard tools – proficiency in one or more of Hadoop, Spark, Flink, Storm is highly desirable.
- Write clean and testable code for these purposes mainly in Python.
Skills
- Minimum 2+ years of experience in Data Analytics/Data Engineering workflows.
- Proficient in Python, experience in one or more other languages will be considered as a strong plus point.
- Strong experience in Relational DBMS suites like PostgreSQL/MySQL, NoSQL databases like MongoDB/CouchBase.
- Experience in running applications on Cloud, preferably AWS or GCP.
- Experience in tools: Apache Hadoop, Apache Spark, Apache Kafka
- Experience in scraping libraries like scrappy, and web application automation tools like Selenium, Puppeteer.
- Experience in any ETL tools/ ETL workflows.
- Experience in version controller tools like GitHub/GitLab
- Good communication skills. | https://tiltlabs.io/data-engineer-software-engineer-data-analytics/ |
The Good Resolution
#### Enjoy this wonderful eBook from All You Can Books audiobooks and ebooks service.
#### Visit us at AllYouCanBooks.com for more great titles you can enjoy anytime, anywhere.
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# THE GOOD RESOLUTION.
REVISED BY D.P. KIDDER.
---
THE
GOOD RESOLUTION.
REVISED BY D.P. KIDDER
---
New York
PUBLISHED BY LANE & SCOTT,
FOR THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 200
MULBERRY-STREET.
JOSEPH LONGKING, PRINTER. 1831.
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## THE GOOD RESOLUTION.
"Why am I so unhappy to-day?" said Isabella Gardner, as she opened her
eyes on the morning of her fourteenth birth-day. "Is it because the sun
is not bright enough, or the flowers are not sweet enough?" she added,
as she looked on the glorious sunshine that lay upon the rose-bushes
surrounding her window.
Isabella arose, and dressed herself, and tried to drive away her
uncomfortable feelings, by thinking of the pleasures of the afternoon,
when some of her young friends were to assemble to keep her birth-day.
But she could not do it; and, sad and restless, she walked in her
father's garden, and seated herself on a little bench beneath a shady
tree. Everything around was pleasant; the flowers seemed to send up
their gratitude to Heaven in sweetness, and the little birds in songs of
joy. All spoke peace and love, and Isabella could find nothing there
like discontent or sorrow. The cause of her present troubled feelings
was to be found within.
Isabella Gardner was in the habit of indulging in a fretful and peevish
temper. She was often "hasty in her spirit to be angry;" forgetting that
the wise Solomon says, "Anger resteth in the bosom of fools;" and that a
greater than Solomon had commanded her to forgive, as she would be
forgiven.
Her disrespect and ill-humor toward her parents had caused her many
unhappy days and sleepless nights; and often had the day closed on
faults unrepented of, and sins unforgiven. It was but the afternoon
before that she had spoken in a high angry tone to her eldest sister,
Mary, and parted in displeasure from her brother Edward, because he
would not leave his studies to go into the garden with her. Thus had the
"sun gone down upon her wrath;" and we cannot be surprised that when it
rose in the morning she was unhappy.
Isabella had a generous temper; and after she had been unkind or unjust,
she was frequently sorry, and determined to be so no more; but her
regret was forgotten as soon as she was again tempted; and at the age
of thirteen she had gained no victory over the sinful habit of indulging
in an angry temper.
Isabella had kind and indulgent parents;—parents who looked with
thankfulness upon the virtues, and with sorrow upon the faults, of their
children, and prayed that the former might be strengthened, and the
latter corrected. Mrs. Gardner had long seen with deep anxiety the
growing defect in Isabella's temper, and it was now brought more
painfully home to her feelings, as she reflected how much an added year
increased the responsibility of her child.
She had risen early, and had been long engaged in prayer to Him who can
alone regulate the unruly dispositions, wills, and passions of sinful
men. She prayed for knowledge of her duty to her child, and for
strength to perform it: she prayed for Isabella, that God would convince
her of the error of her way; that his Holy Spirit might renew her in the
spirit of her mind, that she might become a child and follower of the
Lord Jesus Christ.
Long and anxiously the pious mother continued her supplications at the
throne of grace; and after taking her Bible, and reading the blessed
assurance, "I can do all things through Christ strengthening me," she
went into the garden to meet Isabella. She found her there, sitting as
we have described, alone and sorrowful. "What is the matter, Isabella,"
said Mrs. Gardner, in a kind tone: "why are you so sad on the morning of
your birth-day?"
"I don't know, mother," replied Isabella; "I believe it is because
nobody loves me."
"Isabella," said Mrs. Gardner, "I am afraid nobody will love you long if
you go on as you have done lately, giving way to angry feelings whenever
anything opposes your wishes; and, what is much worse, you will offend
your heavenly Father, if you thus continue to break his holy commands."
"I can't help being displeased, mother, when people show me that they
don't like me, and try to vex me."
"Seldom does any one vex us on purpose, Isabella. It is the bad state of
our own hearts that makes us think we are not liked; and, besides, Jesus
Christ has forbidden us to be angry even when there are real faults. He
tells us to forgive others, as he has forgiven us; and do you think you
have obeyed him?"
"No, mother; but people must be angry when they are treated unfairly;
and the girls at school are often very unkind and unjust to me; and I am
sure I ought to show them that I don't like it."
"Such is not the gospel rule, Isabella; and that alone should be your
guide. There you are directed to love those who treat you unkindly, to
do good to those that hate you, and to 'pray for those who despitefully
use you.' The recollection of your own need of forgiveness from God,
ought to make you patient toward the faults of others."
"Very often, mother, when I try to do my best, I am misunderstood, and
reproved; and then I am sure even the best persons would be displeased."
"Not if they are disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, Isabella. Was he
not holy and undefiled, pure, spotless, and without sin? and was he not
persecuted, falsely accused, and scourged? reviled and rejected by men,
betrayed by one disciple, and forsaken by all the rest? Yet no word of
evil passion was ever heard from him. He opened not his mouth, nor would
he suffer another to resent any of the insults offered to him. 'The
disciple is not above his Master;' and if we profess to follow Jesus
Christ, we must learn to bear all things, and try 'to be perfect, as our
Father in heaven is perfect.'
"Forgiveness of injuries is a high duty, and patiently to bear injustice
is one of the greatest Christian excellences. God alone can give us the
right temper of mind, but we must ourselves try to attain it. Perhaps
you may recollect what Peter says about suffering patiently for
well-doing. To be sure, those to whom he was preaching were suffering in
a great cause; but the conquest of our faults is a great cause to us;
and we may all apply his words to our own cases. He was preaching to the
Christians at Pontus, who were enduring persecution in the cause of
Christ,—'For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults,
ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it,
ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.'" 1 Pet. ii, 20.
Isabella, as usual, acknowledged her error, and said she would try to
correct it.
"Do you know, Isabella," said Mrs. Gardner, "that you have promised me
this a great many times before?"
"Yes, mother."
"And do you know that, by thus repeatedly breaking your promises, you
add to the sins already committed?"
"Yes, mother."
"And do you know, my child, the reason why you cannot keep your
promises?"
"No, mother; I am sure I try to keep them; but before I think I get
angry."
"We are all weak and sinful creatures," said Mrs. Gardner; "and without
help from God we can do no good thing. Even the apostle Paul found that
when he would do good, evil was present with him: so that the best
persons require aid from above, to enable them to keep in the right
path. You must be convinced of your own weakness, Isabella, before you
will feel the need of this assistance; and I should think your failures
in your efforts to regulate your temper would be enough of it.
"This is the commencement of your new year. On this day you begin
another term of duty. Think of all your faults; think particularly of
that which now troubles you so much: then go to God, and humbly confess
to him your wickedness; seek the influence of the Holy Spirit; promise
from this day to try and govern your temper, and promise it in his
presence. Ask God to help you to keep this resolution; pray that you may
be gentle, kind, and forgiving; humble, and willing to be reproved; and
that the beginning of your new year may be the beginning of a new life
with you.
"I now leave you to think of these things, and commit you to Him who
can alone make you perfect in every good work, with the earnest prayer
that he may cleanse and purify your heart, and lead you into the path of
life."
Isabella turned to her mother, and large tears rolled down her cheeks as
she said, "Mother, I feel the truth of what you say; I feel that I have
been an ungrateful child; I have neglected my duty to you, to my father,
sister, brothers, and friends; and I now see, for the first time, how
greatly I have been offending God. From him I will first seek
forgiveness, through the atonement of Christ, and before him I will make
a solemn resolution to try, from this day, to subdue my sinful temper. I
say, I will promise to try; I dare not promise to do it: I fear I shall
fall back many times; and perhaps before this day closes I shall have
to repent of angry words and wicked feelings."
My young readers, if any of you are conscious of having the same fault
that Isabella determined to endeavor to correct, make with her now a
resolution to pray, and strive against it, and go to your heavenly
Father, and ask his assistance. Plead earnestly in the name of Christ
for the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Mrs. Gardner heard with gratitude the determination of her child, and
left her with an affectionate wish that her birth-day might pass
happily. When Isabella returned to her chamber she found upon her table
a large Bible. It was a birth-day gift from her parents, and beneath
Isabella's name were written the words which stand on the title-page of
this book,—"He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he
that ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh a city." Prov. xvi, 32.
Isabella had two brothers, Edward and George: they were both younger
than herself. Mary, her only sister, was seventeen years old, and was a
lovely example of gentleness and piety. She was not so quick as
Isabella; but she had "the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit," which
is far more beautiful in the sight of God than the most brilliant
worldly accomplishments. Her faults were controlled by Christian
principle and self-denial; and an affectionate interest in the happiness
of others marked her conduct.
On the morning of Isabella's birthday, Mary was busily employed in
arranging fresh flowers in the little parlor, and in trying to make
everything look pleasant for her sister. The recollection of Isabella's
unkindness to her the day before, while it grieved her kind heart, only
made her the more anxious to add to her happiness.
This was like many other summer days. Though it opened in sunshine, it
closed in clouds. At about twelve o'clock the bright light was darkened,
and soon the heavy rain began to fall.
"How cross Isabella will be this afternoon!" said Edward to his sister
Mary. "I am sure I don't want to see her; she will be so angry because
it rains."
"That is a very unkind remark, Edward," replied Mary, "and shows a
wrong state of feeling. I have not heard Isabella speak an angry word
to-day; and instead of wishing to be out of her way, you ought to try to
do all that you can to make up to her for the disappointment she will
feel at not seeing her young friends."
"You are right, sister Mary," said Edward: "in judging Isabella I was
committing the same sin myself; and I thank you for correcting me. I
will try to make my sister happy; but I do hope that as she grows older
she will become more amiable, and do to others as she would have them do
to her."
At this moment Isabella entered the room. There was no blue sky to be
seen, nor any prospect of fair weather.
"I am sorry that your friends will not be able to come this afternoon,
Isabella," said Mary; "but we will all try to make the evening of your
birth-day pass pleasantly; and when our father comes home, I am sure he
will read to us in any book you wish."
Isabella thanked her sister, and said she thought she deserved the
disappointment.
After tea Mr. Gardner read a very interesting book to his children. They
listened with pleasure, and had a happy evening; and when they knelt in
family devotion, Isabella deeply felt her father's petition, that as his
children grew in years, they might, like their divine Master, "grow in
favor with God and man." She went to bed that night with a cheerful
heart, rejoicing that she had been able to keep her resolution for one
day. "I give God thanks," said she, "that his grace has been sufficient
for this purpose."
One afternoon Isabella asked her sister Mary to go with her to see their
cousins, who lived about half a mile from their father's house. Mary
told her that she would be glad to go with her on any other day, but
that she was engaged that afternoon, to visit her Sunday-school
children. Mary had been a Sunday-school teacher but a short time, and
she was deeply interested in the sacred work. Isabella had set her heart
upon going to see her cousins, and doubted not that Mary would have been
ready to go with her. She was disappointed; and, forgetting herself,
she told Mary that she thought she was very unkind, and that she had
better oblige her sister, than go and see children that did not care
anything about her. Isabella spoke angrily, and looked displeased. One
moment after she remembered her resolution; but she was then too proud
to confess her fault.
Mary made no reply, but soon went out upon her errand of love. The faces
of the little children brightened with pleasure as she entered their
doors. "Dear Miss Mary," said one little blue-eyed girl, "I have learned
my verse in the Bible every morning, as you said I must; and to-morrow I
shall say to you seven verses out of the second chapter of Matthew,
about the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem, of Judea."
"And I," said her little sister, "have learned my hymn, about 'little
children, love each other;' and I have tried to love brother John, and
to be kind to sister Susan, as you said was right."
"Does no one but I say that you must love your brothers and sisters,
Nancy?" said Mary.
"O yes," said Nancy; "our Lord Jesus Christ says so; and he says we
cannot be his children unless we love one another. I think of that
sometimes, but sister Susan thinks of it much oftener than I do; and
when John and I get angry in our play, or speak cross to any one at
school, she will come, and say so sweetly, 'Little children, love each
other.'"
Mary told Nancy to remember her hymn at all times, and to be early at
Sunday school the next morning, to say it to her.
Mary found one of her scholars sick,—a little girl, named Sarah, who on
the Sunday before was as bright and as well as any child in school. Now
her hands were burning with fever, and her large dark eyes were dim with
disease. Once they brightened a little when Mary spoke to her of her
class, but she soon turned over her little head, and sunk into an uneasy
sleep. Her Testament was by her bedside, and her mother said that her
last effort, before she was taken ill, was to learn her Sunday lesson.
Mary watched by her all the afternoon: she lifted her aching head, and
spread under it the cool pillows: she bathed her burning temples, and
gently fanned her; and when, she gave the medicine, she silently prayed
that the means used for her recovery might be blessed. Sarah did not
speak, but when she opened her eyes she looked pleased that Mary was
beside her. She remained with the little sufferer until her brother came
for her in the evening, and promised to return the next day.
Isabella had gone to her room before Mary got home. She did not like to
meet her; for the unpleasant feelings had not left her bosom, though she
sincerely regretted her impatience. Pride now prevented her
acknowledging her fault. When alone, she took her Bible, and sat down to
read our Saviour's sermon on the mount. As the sacred precepts, one
after another, met her eye, she felt serious and humble. When she came
to the verse, "If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there
rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy
gift before the altar, and go thy way: first be reconciled to thy
brother, and then come and offer thy gift;" she felt that Jesus Christ
had spoken these words directly to her. She had often read them before,
but never until this moment had they reached her heart.
"What gift have I to lay upon God's altar?" she said to herself: "prayer
is my only offering; one that I am now about to present. Will God accept
it while I am angry with my sister? O no! I will go this moment to her,
and confess my fault, and ask her forgiveness. I will first be
reconciled, and then come and offer my gift."
She went to Mary's room, and putting her arms around her neck, she said,
"Dear sister, I cannot ask God to forgive me my trespasses this night
until I have told you how sorry I am that I treated you so unkindly this
afternoon. You are a good, affectionate sister to me, and I am very
ungrateful. Will you forgive me? I will try to check my impatient
feelings in future, and I hope to try in better strength than my own."
"I am quite ready to forgive you," said Mary, affectionately: "the
offense to me is but a trifle; it is not that I regret. It is the sin we
commit against God, when we give way to improper feelings of any kind,
we should mourn over. He has commanded us to be patient and forgiving;
and it makes me sad to think how often we grieve his Holy Spirit by
doing what we know is wrong."
"It is a source of daily sorrow to me," replied Isabella, "that I cannot
cultivate the temper of mind which is pleasing to God and man."
"I have rejoiced lately, dear Isabella, to see you bear many little
disappointments patiently; and until yesterday I have scarcely heard a
hasty word from you for some time. I hope you will persevere, and that
we shall both of us grow better as we grow older."
"Yes," said Isabella, "I have endeavored lately to subdue my evil
temper, which is the source of so much trouble to me, I had hoped that I
had in some degree succeeded, for many a time when I have felt an angry
passion rising, I have tried to lift up my heart to God, and to say,
'Lord, give me strength to resist this temptation;' but to-day I have
gone very far back, and how can I be forgiven for thus breaking the
solemn resolution I made on my birth-day?"
"Do not say so, Isabella. Humbly confess your fault before God: he will
forgive you according to his promise through Christ Jesus, and encourage
you in your renewed efforts. God seeth not as man seeth: he knows how
frail and weak we are, and he sees every penitent tear, and rejoices
over every effort we make to overcome besetting sins. Our Lord Jesus
Christ should be our example of forbearance. No angry words were ever
heard from him, and he is not willing to hear them from those who call
themselves his followers. Let us pray, my dear sister, 'that the same
mind may be in us that was also in Christ Jesus.'"
"I hear kind instructive words from you, my dear sister, and from my
parents, teachers, and other friends, and I hope they will not be lost
upon me. The Bible is much dearer to me now than it once was, and I find
there simple directions for every duty. Formerly when I read my
Saviour's words, if I applied them at all, it was to somebody else
rather than myself; but now I begin to feel that I need his blessed
counsels more than anybody."
"I am thankful, Isabella, to hear you speak so of the Bible. May it be a
lamp unto the feet and a light unto the path, of us both; then our
footsteps will not slip, and we shall be faithful children, sisters, and
friends. Jesus Christ came to this world to save us from the power as
well as the punishment of sin; and his gospel must purify our hearts,
and correct our daily faults, or it will do us no good."
Isabella listened attentively to her sister's words. She felt their
value, for she saw how faithfully Mary practiced what she taught.
"Good night, dear sister," said Isabella: "may the humbling recollection
of to-day's failure strengthen me in my efforts to keep my resolution."
As week after week passed by, Isabella Gardner met new difficulties to
oppose her resolution; but though often cast down, she gained strength
every day.
Her trials at her day-school were very great, for her school-fellows did
not know how she was endeavoring to correct her great fault; and they
would often avoid her company in their walks and amusements, knowing how
she formerly made them unhappy by her caprices. She bore all this
patiently, and would leave her companions immediately when anything was
said or done that displeased her; and by going away by herself she was
prevented from making a hasty reply, and had time to reflect and gather
strength for future trials.
It was hard for Isabella to "cease to do evil," and harder still for her
to "learn to do well;" and it would fill a much larger book than this,
were I to tell you of all the difficulties she met with in trying to
"put on the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit."
But God was near. He saw her efforts and her failures, and he saw that
his correcting hand must be stretched forth to finish the good work
which he had begun. He sent sickness upon her, and the lately blooming
Isabella was laid low upon the bed of pain. It was then she was called
upon to "let patience have its perfect work."
When Isabella heard her physician say that she would probably be ill for
a long time, she thought of her resolution, and feared that she would be
unable to keep it when there was so much pain to bear, and so much
medicine to be taken. Then the solemn thought came that death might be
very near, and that she might have but a little time left to correct her
fault; and she determined to pray for patience, and to be particularly
watchful over herself.
"I have indulged my old habit of fretfulness a good deal to-day,
mother," she said, as Mrs. Gardner sat down by her side, after making
everything ready for the night. "I fear I shall never correct it; but I
did not think of this sick bed when I made my resolution."
"Has not God promised to be 'about your bed, and about your path,' my
dear child?" said Mrs. Gardner.
"Yes, mother; and could I but remember his presence, I should not so
often grieve you by my impatience."
"You must not talk any more tonight, Isabella," said her mother
affectionately; "but try to go to sleep, and remember that God is always
near you, and that his Holy Spirit is more grieved than even your mother
by any disobedience to his commands. I love you, and forgive you. Now go
to sleep, and may you awake refreshed in body and soul."
Mary nursed her sister night and day, and never left her except when
Mrs. Gardner insisted upon her going away to rest herself. Isabella was
often impatient toward her, but Mary quietly went on treating her with
more and more tenderness. She scarcely spoke, but humbly and silently
went on doing everything a sister's love could suggest.
"I wish you would speak cross to me sometimes," said Isabella to her
one day, "and then I should not feel so sorry after I had been unkind
to you; but you are so patient and good, that it makes me quite ashamed
of my fretfulness."
"I will do anything for you but that, Isabella," said Mary; "but it is
my constant prayer that my Saviour may grant me the temper of mind that
becometh his disciple, and that I may 'sin not with my lips' against
him."
Isabella became rapidly worse, and the sorrowful countenance of her
father, and the anxious tenderness of her mother, showed how dear their
erring child was to their hearts.
Edward would come home early from school to know how his sister was, and
to see if there was anything he could do for her; and the merry voice of
little George was still, and no one heard the sound of his ball or top.
It was a house of sadness, but of composure,—a house of Christian
sorrow! Trouble had entered it; but its inmates felt that the trouble
came from a Father's hand, and that they should have no more than He who
knew them best, and loved them best, saw was for their good. They felt
their Saviour's presence, and rested upon his words, "My grace is
sufficient for thee."
But this sickness was not unto death: God raised Isabella from her bed
of pain to glorify him by the holy obedience of her life. To the eye of
man there was much yet to be done; but her heart was humbled, and her
pride subdued; and He who knew all her weakness, saw that she would
persevere, and that his chastisement had answered the purpose for which
it had been sent.
As Isabella began to recover, the confinement to her room, and her
extreme weakness, were rather more difficult to bear than her sickness.
She was, however, mild and very thoughtful, and she would sit sometimes
for an hour in the easy chair, with her face covered with her hands.
One evening she asked her mother if she had seen her show a wrong spirit
during the day.
"I have not," said Mrs. Gardner.
"I am glad of it," said Isabella: "I have been trying to be faithful to
myself, and I rejoice that one day has passed at the close of which my
mother can give me a smile of approbation. I have been looking back upon
this long sickness, and I fear I have not improved as I ought: I must
begin in earnest now, relying upon divine assistance."
It was a happy morning in Mr. Gardner's family when Isabella once more
took her usual seat at the breakfast table. She was pale and thin: the
glow of health had left her cheeks; but there was an expression there
that showed the better health of the soul. The grateful child joined the
family group at breakfast with a prayer that she might never again
disturb its harmony.
But little time had passed before her school companions found that she
was "renewed in the spirit of her mind." They found her ready to forgive
those who injured her, willing to oblige others, and to be pleased
herself. They soon began to love her much; for her bright, active mind,
made her a delightful companion; and it was not long before Isabella
Gardner was one of the most pleasing and best-esteemed girls in school.
The beautiful summer had passed, and the solemn autumn. The green fields
had given their rich crops to the farmers, making glad their hearts with
an abundance of good things. In short, winter had come, and was nearly
gone.
At the close of a cold day the family of Mr. Gardner were sitting by
their comfortable fire. "I have been thinking," said little George, as
he looked into the bright fire, "how good sister Isabella has grown
lately. She has not spoken a cross word to me since I can remember; and
cousin Emily Gray says she would rather come to see her than anybody,
now that she is so kind and obliging."
Mr. Gardner tried, by a serious look and shake of the head, to make
little George understand that he did not like his remarks; but George
did not see him, and went on to say that he should like to know how
Isabella had managed to grow so good.
"I see your kindness, dear father," said Isabella, "in wishing George to
be silent lest he should hurt my feelings; but you need not shake your
head at him, for I am quite willing that he should say what he thinks. I
have noticed how carefully you and mother have avoided speaking of my
faults; but I have known by your silent kindness that you have seen and
approved of my efforts to overcome them. I have done but little; but I
hope by perseverance to become more worthy to be your child.
"You say, George, that I have grown better, and wonder what has made me
so. I will tell you, my dear brother. My mother's counsels and prayers
first directed me to the source of all strength,—to God, and his holy
word. I had neglected her wishes, and showed disrespect to her
authority; and in sorrow, but in much love, she committed me to the care
of my heavenly Parent. She led me to Jesus, who was meek and lowly in
heart. From him I have sought dayly, hourly help, and to him let all the
praise be given, if I have succeeded at all in subduing my unruly
temper. My long sickness, last autumn, brought me to feel my great
weakness and entire dependence upon God, and gave me time for
reflection. The patient kindness of my friends humbled me also; for I
felt how little I deserved it; and I resolved anew, that if my life was
spared, I would be a better child in future. But I have much yet to do,
and the constant effort that I am obliged to make, to conquer this one
fault, is enough to keep me humble."
"I don't quite understand all that you have said, Isabella," replied
George; "but I know it is much like what father and mother have often
told me, that when I don't know exactly how to do right, I must go to
God, and he will always direct me."
"I can scarcely tell you, George, how much happier I am now than I used
to be. I wish I could tell you and every friend I have. My disrespect to
my father and mother caused me many a bitter tear, while my unkindness
to my brothers and sisters made my dayly life unhappy; and after my
angry disputes with my school-fellows, I was left in a troubled state of
mind, vexed with myself and them. Now, with all my strivings and
failures, I have much peace; and I believe every one will have it just
in proportion as he or she obeys the commandment of the Lord Jesus
Christ, 'Love one another.'"
Mr. Gardner embraced his child, and when again they knelt in evening
devotion, he prayed that love to God and man might reign in the bosom of
each of his family, that when they were called from this world of trial
and temptation, they might all meet in those blessed regions where all
is love, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
---
"Why am I so happy this morning?" said Isabella Gardner, as she arose
from her bed, just one year after the day on which this little history
of her trials commenced: "because, through the grace of God, I have, in
some degree, subdued my sinful and unruly temper."
## YOUTHFUL TEMPTATIONS.
Many a snare and temptation, young friend,
Will often obtrude in your way,
And constantly every footstep attend,
And threaten to lead you astray.
Perhaps you'll be tempted to hazard a lie,
Some trivial fault to conceal;
But remember that God, the all-seeing, is nigh,
And will one day the falsehood reveal.
You'll be tempted to cheat your companions at play,
For the sake of a marble or top;
But they who once enter dishonesty's way,
Will find it not easy to stop.
You'll be tempted, perhaps, holy friends to despise,
And follow the godless and vain;
But ever remember to walk with the wise
If heaven you seek to attain.
Another temptation will lie in your road,—
To think that religion is sad;
But none are so happy as those who love God,
And none are so dull as the bad.
Beware, too, of slighting the day of the Lord,
And never its duties neglect;
But meet with his people, and rev'rence his word,
If you would his blessing expect.
But though such temptations your path will attend,
The Lord will still make you his care,—
Will be, if you seek him, your guide and your friend,
'Mid every temptation and snare.
---
## HEAVEN.
Far beyond the furthest sky,
Never seen by mortal eye,
Heaven in dazzling beauty lies,—
An unfading paradise.
Evening dim, and gloomy night,
Never veil that world of light;
Winter never sojourns there,
Summer reigns throughout the year.
In one bright unclouded day
Endless ages roll away;
There, beneath the unsetting sun,
Years of ceaseless pleasure run.
There the good, in concord sweet,
Worship at Jehovah's feet,—
Raise the song, with joy unknown,
Circling round his holy throne.
Works of love, and songs of joy,
All the happy hours employ;
Sickness, trouble, want, and pain,
Seek admittance there in vain.
There shall He who, laugh'd to scorn,
Wore the piercing crown of thorn,
Hear his praise in sweetest chords,
King of kings, and Lord of lords.
O may I, when life is pass'd,
Join that happy throng at last;
Through the great Redeemer's blood,
Sing with them, and dwell with God.
---
## IMPROVEMENT.
How many poor children I see every day
Who have no one to guide them aright!
No wonder in vice they should wander astray,
And in all that is evil delight.
But I, who have got a good Bible to read,
And parents so anxious and kind,
Shall prove myself vile and ungrateful indeed
If I still am perversely inclined.
These blessings will rise at God's terrible bar,
If I do not grow better by them;
And my Bible, neglected, will also be there,
And my friends and my teachers condemn.
Then let me attend, and make haste to improve,
With every fresh season that's given,
And pray to the Lord of all mercy and love
To train me for virtue and heaven.
---
## BOOKS PUBLISHED FOR THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
---
NAPOLEON BONAPARTE:
SKETCHES FROM HIS HISTORY. WRITTEN FOR THE YOUNG.
No person, young or old, that takes up this book will wish to put it
down before it is finished; and no reader will fail to be profited by
its perusal. We doubt whether in the same space there can anywhere be
found a better summary of the history of that wonderful man, or a
clearer picture of the folly of his extravagant ambition, or the
cruelties it led him to perpetrate, and of the downfall in which it
terminated. False views of the character of warriors and conquerors have
ruined thousands. Need any other fact be stated to show the importance
of giving the young, especially, timely and correct views of these
characters?
If there is one class to whom more than another this book is
particularly commended, it is to that large class of boys, between the
ages of five and fifteen years, who often think, and sometimes say, "I
would like to be a soldier." | |
6th Annual Stroke Symposium for Health Care Professionals (RP1611C)
This program is designed to provide attendees with the latest updates in the management of acute stroke. A special focus will be given on the hot topics of Stroke in Pregnancy and Wake up Stroke. Evidence-based updates will include the latest FDA approved indications for acute ischemic stroke treatment and reversal agents for novel anticoagulants. We will discuss a new foreman ovale closure device for secondary stroke prevention that has recently received patent approval by the FDA. We will also review medication administration pitfalls in stroke care and disparity of care in women with stroke. The attendees will gain a better understanding of the latest treatment options for stroke as it is applicable to their scope of practice.
CLICK HERE FOR BROCHURE
Target Audience
Physicians, Physician Assistants, Advance Practice Nurses, Registered Nurses, Pharmacists, Stroke Coordinators, Social Workers, Therapists, Allied Health Professionals, Stroke Rehabilitation Professionals
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:
- Improve the comfort of administration of IV TPA
- Identify and treat more acute stroke patients by examination of the wake up stroke patient through imaging modalities
- Integrate the known risk of stroke in pregnanacy with understanding of rapid treatment
- Illustrate practices of writing scholarship for successful publishing
- Report on new FDA novel treatments for secondary stroke prevention and explain research finding of recent trials affecting acute treatment including early mobilization
Directions
for directions CLICK HERE
Course Director:
Mark Alberts, MD
Professor, Vice-Chair of Clinical Affairs
Department of Neurology & Neurotherapeutics
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, TX
Co-Course Director:
Amanda Dirickson, APRN, SCRN
Adult Nurse Practitioner
Department of Neurology & Neurotherapeutics
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, Texas
Accreditation Statement
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Registration
To register:
- Create an account in EthosCE, online learning management system, by selecting the "create an account" link at the bottom of the page or "log-in" to your existing account.
- Return to this course page, select the designated fee and click on "add to cart" at the bottom of the page.
- In the following "checkout" pages you will verify and process your payment.
- After registration is completed, a confirmation will be sent by email. | https://cme.utsouthwestern.edu/rp1611c |
Memes are ideas, behaviors, or personality that spread from one man to another in a civilization. A meme acts as a unit for carrying out cultural notions, symbols, or practices, which can be transmitted via one head to the other through writing, address, gestures, rituals, or alternative imitable happenings using a mimicked theme. Supporters of this concept regard memes as cultural analogues to enzymes so they self-replicate, mutate, and react to both discerning pressures.
Me me theory explains that memes evolve by way of pure selection (comparable into the fundamentals of evolutionary biology that’s clarified from the adherents of Darwinism) throughout the procedure for variant, mutation, contest, along with ethnic heritage which have an impact on reproductive success in every person. Hence, the meme disperse inside the shape of thoughts of course if no luck then it will perish, while others are going to live, disperse, and (because of its purpose of worse) mutate. “Scientists have the opinion that memetika me me that’s the very best resistance will disperse together with successful and influencing the thing (a person).
Background of societal evolution, and also a similar word (from Greek mneme, meaning “memory”) first voiced in 1904 by the scientist literary Science Germany named Richard Semon titled pass away Mnemischen Empfindungen in ihren Beziehungen zu den Originalempfindungen.
Thanks for visiting my blog, article above(Best Friend Love Meme) published by nanoict at February, 11 2019.
Related Post "Best Friend Love Meme" | http://nanoict.org/best-friend-love-meme/ |
AUVs:
USES
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are unsure of what an 'AUV' is, this section probably won't make much sense. Luckily, you can find this information by visiting MARINE VEHICLES.
WHY USE AUVs?
Before the advent of AUVs, researchers used ships and submarines to explore the ocean. So why use AUVs? Perhaps one of the best reasons is in the answer to this question posed by Henry Stommel (who else?) in 1989:
"With a necessarily small fleet of research ships, how could numerous widely dispersed measurements throughout all depths of the ocean be observed on a routine basis?”
There are many specific advantages that AUVs provide, so only the main benefits are provided here. Following this discussion, we'll talk about some limitations (coming soon!).
STRENGTHS
a (relatively) cheap, efficient, and safe approach
Ships and other manned vehicles are costly to operate. By comparison, AUVs have much lower operating costs; the annual cost of operating an AUV is a fraction of the cost of operating a ship for one day. Additionally, the construction cost of an AUV is roughly equivalent to the cost of a few days of ship operation. Thus, ships are often now used as AUV launching points. While the AUV is deployed, a ship may be used for other purposes as it does not need to remain with the AUV. Geographical independence also immensely reduces risk, as human operators are not required in the AUV mission area. Deployment of multiple AUVs greatly increases the amount of data collected over a single research vessel operating on its own while expanding possible areas of ocean exploration and eliminating dangers faced by manned vehicles.
a rapid and accurate method of creating 3D maps
One chief advantage of AUVs is their ability to travel both horizontally and vertically underwater, which allows a 3D map of an area to be created. Although modern satellites provide comprehensive imagery of the ocean, they are limited to 2D images and may take over a month to complete an entire scan. While many AUVs are capable of changing their path mid-mission (e.g. to avoid collision or to follow a desired phenomenon), satellites travel a predetermined path. Thus, they must be placed higher if continuous surveillance is desired; however, the price is lower image resolution and limited coverage of the higher latitudes. Since AUVs can travel less than five metres above the seafloor, they can produce very high resolution maps of the seabed.
a low-impact option for surveying vast areas
As AUVs are entirely reliant on onboard power supply, which is often provided by batteries, every aspect of the vehicle – from the hull to the propulsion to the sensor payload – is designed with a strong emphasis on energy efficiency. Long range AUVs, such as the National Oceanography Centre's (NOC) Autosub Long Range , can travel for up to six months between charges, collecting data over thousands of kilometres. Unlike ships, which are much larger and have engines, AUVs have a minimal impact on the environment. Even semi-submersible AUVs, which use diesel engines, create much less pollution than large, seagoing vessels.
a 'choose your own adventure' of data collection
Whereas the first AUVs were only capable of executing simple missions, such as travelling between two points, current AUVs have decision-making abilities that allow deviation from a pre-planned mission if necessary. For example, AUVs can avoid collisions with sensed objects in their path (e.g. iceberg, submarine volcano, or another vessel) without prior knowledge of their existence. Decision-making abilities are extremely important as most of the ocean remains relatively unknown and experiences constantly variable conditions. Regardless of how much prior knowledge is available concerning the mission, no mission can plan for every eventuality. This creates significant challenges for an AUV, which must be able to independently process inputs from an alien environment and adjust its goal(s) based on how to best fulfill the objectives set by its human operators. This is difficult even for humans (as those of you who, like me, are well-aware of from repeated failures of those 'Choose Your Own Adventure' kids' books from the 1980s-1990s). However, successful demonstrations of AUV autonomy often provide data that would be difficult, if not impossible, to capture by other means - like animal behaviour. For a really neat example of this - an AUV following sharks - see BIOGEOCHEM-GINEERING (coming soon!).
... in summary... | https://www.adozenautomobilesandkites.com/uses |
Q:
Solving Simple Partial Differential Equation
I can't solve this partial differential equation.
$$x\frac{\partial \phi}{\partial x}+y\frac{\partial \phi}{\partial y}+ (\alpha+1-x)\phi =0$$
The short answer in the book which i read from it ,
after solving the system $$ \frac{dx}{x}=\frac{dy}{y}=\frac{d\phi}{(x-\alpha-1)\phi} $$
is $$ \sigma ( xy^{-1},\frac{e^{x}}{x^{\alpha+1}\phi}) $$
then the author choose the special case
$$ (xy^{-1})\frac{e^{x}}{x^{\alpha+1}\phi}-1=0 $$
and he obtain finally $$ \phi=x^{-\alpha} y^{-1} e^{x} $$
Please, can anyone help me?
Thanks
A:
First, we search one particular solution easy to find, on the form $\Phi_p(x)$ : $$x\frac{d\Phi_p}{dx}+(\alpha+1-x)\Phi_p(x)=0$$ $$\Phi_p(x)\: e^x x^{-\alpha-1}$$ Then we change of function : $\Phi(x,y)= F(x,y)\Phi_p(x)= F(x,y)e^x x^{-\alpha-1}$
$\frac{\partial \Phi}{\partial x} =\frac{\partial F}{\partial x}e^x x^{-\alpha-1}+F(x,y)e^x x^{-\alpha-1}-(\alpha+1)F(x,y)e^x x^{-\alpha-2}$
$\frac{\partial \Phi}{\partial y}= \frac{\partial F}{\partial y}e^x x^{-\alpha-1}$
We put $\Phi$ , $\frac{\partial \Phi}{\partial y}$ and $\frac{\partial \Phi}{\partial y}$ into : $$x\frac{d\Phi}{dx}+y\frac{d\Phi}{dy}+(\alpha+1-x)\Phi=0$$ and simplify :
$$\frac{\partial F}{\partial x}e^x x^{-\alpha} +y\frac{\partial F}{\partial y}e^x x^{-\alpha-1} =0$$
$$x\frac{\partial F}{\partial x} +y\frac{\partial F}{\partial y} =0$$
This PDE is easy to solve (change $x=e^X$ and $y=e^Y$)
$$\frac{\partial F}{\partial X} +\frac{\partial F}{\partial Y} =0$$
which wellknown general solution is $F(X,Y)=F(X-Y)$ any derivable function $F$.
$$\Phi(x,y)=e^x x^{-\alpha-1}F(\ln|x|-\ln|y|)=e^x x^{-\alpha-1}f \left(\frac{x}{y}\right)$$
any derivable function $f$
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The Effects of Land Use Characteristics and Resident Population on Passenger Ridership of Metro in FuZhou
Growing challenges in urban mobility hinder urbanization and threaten China’s ambitions of becoming a sustainable and inclusive high-income nation. Ineffective public transportation, including limited coverage, lack of integration between public transit modes, and other supporting facilities, and lack of integration between planners and rail-based public transportation systems have only worsened traffic congestion and environmental degradation. A field survey collected data on land use density and diversity within a 900 m radius around 42 selected metro stations. The passenger volume count method and the residential population and working population density were calculated by cell phone signaling data to count the passenger ridership on weekdays during a 12-h period covering peak and off-peak hours at the 42 selected stations. Content analysis and descriptive analysis were applied, and results were mixed. To increase the use of public transport, other main components such as park and ride facilities and feeder bus services must be considered.
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Supplemental Notes:
- © 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Corporate Authors:
American Society of Civil Engineers1801 Alexander Bell Drive
Reston, VA United States 20191-4400
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Authors:
- Huang, Shan
- Lu, Jun Xian
- Cui, Wei
- Zhao, Lei
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Conference: | https://trid.trb.org/view/1756738 |
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Sept. 20, 2016Print | PDF
Sept. 20, 2016
For Immediate Release
WATERLOO – Byron Williston, associate professor in Wilfrid Laurier University’s Philosophy program, will speak on his newly released book, The Anthropocene Project, at Laurier’s Waterloo campus Sept 29. The book attempts to make philosophical sense of the grave threat posed by climate change to civilization.
The Anthropocene Project positions climate change as a crisis of values. Williston argues that Enlightenment values like truthfulness, hope and justice are vital in helping us to address the crisis. Only if humans are guided by these values in the process of formulating climate policies can climate-induced disaster be avoided, according to Williston.
“For decades, scientific studies reported environmental degradation at unprecedented rates caused by human activities, but prominent scientists realized that mere discussions of cause and effect and more scientific data are not enough to address questions related to the core values that define human's relationship with nature,” said Hind Al-Abadleh, associate professor in Laurier’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and organizer of the lecture. “Dr. Williston's book helps us navigate the moral dimension of the environmental crisis in the era of climate change. The book also offers a positive outlook based on the universal virtues of justice, truthfulness, and hope. These virtues – if embraced and consciously acted upon by our generation – will hopefully mitigate some of the negative impacts of climate change for a more livable planet for future generations.”
Williston will also participate in a discussion after the lecture with Simon Dalby, Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) chair in the Political Economy of Climate Change and professor in Laurier’s Geography and Environmental Studies program. Dalby will bring his perspective on the security aspect of climate change. A question and answer period will follow the discussion.
The lecture will take place on Sept. 29 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Senate and Board Chamber on Laurier’s Waterloo campus.
The event is free and open to the public. The event is organized Al-Abadleh, Laurier’s Sustainability Office and the Laurier Bookstore.
– 30 –
MEDIA CONTACTS: | https://wlu.ca/news/news-releases/2016/sept/laurier-philosophy-professor-to-speak-on-climate-change-and-the-anthropocene-epoch.html |
The incorporation of brominated flame retardants into industrial and household appliances has increased their occurrence in the environment, resulting in deleterious effects on wildlife. With the increasing restraints on available compounds, there has been a shift to using brominated flame retardants that has seen the production of alternative brominated flame retardants such as 1,2-dibromo-4-(1,2 dibromoethyl) cyclohexane (TBECH), which has been detected in the environment. In previous in silico and in vitro studies the authors have shown that TBECH can activate both the human androgen receptor (hAR) and the zebrafish AR (zAR) suggesting that it is a potential endocrine disruptor. The present study was aimed at determining the interaction of TBECH with the chicken AR (cAR). In the present study, TBECH bound to cAR, but in vitro activation assay studies using the chicken LMH cell line showed it had a potency of only 15% compared with testosterone. Sequence difference between ARs from different species may contribute to the different responses to TBECH. Further quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that TBECH interacted with and altered the expression of both thyroid receptors and estrogen receptors. In addition, the qRT-PCR analysis showed that TBECH altered the transcription pattern of genes involved in inflammatory, apoptotic, proliferative, DNA methylation, and drug-metabolizing pathways. This demonstrates that TBECH, apart from activating cAR, can also influence multiple biological pathways in the chicken.
In this study, we examined 31 samples of varying chemical composition, including samples of soils from gasworks, coke production sites, and sites where wood preservatives were heavily used; ash and soot from municipal solid waste incinerators; antiskid sand; and dust from areas with heavy road traffic. The samples were comprehensively chemically characterized, especially their polycyclic aromatic compound contents, using gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry, whereas their biological effects were assessed using dehydrogenase activity, root growth (Hordeum vulgare), reproduction of springtails (Folsomia candida), algal growth (Desmodesmus subspicatus), germinability (Sinapis alba), Vibrio fischeri, DR-CALUX, and Ames Salmonella assays. The number of compounds detected in the samples ranged from 123 to 527. Using the multivariate regression technique of partial-least-squares projections to latent structures, it was possible to find individual compounds that exhibited strong correlations with the different biological responses. Some of the results, however, indicate that a broader chemical characterization may be needed to identify all the compounds that may cause the measured biological responses.
Municipal wastewater treatment plants have been associated with the release of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, which consequently lead to alterations of reproductive function in aquatic organisms. The three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) has quantifiable biomarkers for assessment of both estrogen (vitellogenin) and androgen (spiggin) activity, which makes this species very valuable in the research of endocrine disruption. The estrogenic and androgenic biomarkers were used for evaluating exposure effects of municipal wastewater effluent. We evaluated the effects of 17alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2), 17alpha-methyltestosterone (MT), and wastewater effluents on induction of vitellogenin and spiggin production, gonadosomatic index, hepatosomatic index, nephrosomatic index, plasma steroid levels, and histopathology. Adult female and male sticklebacks were exposed to 20 ng/L of EE2, 10 microg/L of MT, and wastewater effluent (10, 50, and 80% of original concentration) in a flow-through system for an exposure of one week and an extended exposure of four weeks. Chemical analyses of the steroids were done for verification of exposure concentrations and presence in the used wastewater. Our results show that municipal wastewater effluent exerts estrogenic action on three-spined stickleback as observed by elevated vitellogenin levels in exposed fish, corresponding to the effect seen in fish exposed to EE2. Furthermore, wastewater and EE2 exerted similar histopathological effects on testis of exposed fish. Although domestic effluent is suspected to have a high content of natural androgens, no obvious androgenic effect of wastewater was observed in the present study.
A technique for studying 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) induction in chick embryo liver in vitro was developed. Livers from 8-d-old embryos were cultured in rotating vials at 37 degrees C for 48 h in a medium to which DMSO-dissolved test compounds had been added. This bioassay proved to be highly sensitive to dioxin-like compounds, and its usefulness for assessing the toxic potency of such compounds in environmental samples was demonstrated. Concentration-response curves were determined for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), 3,3',4,4',5-penlachlorobiphenyl (PCB IUPAC no. 126), 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB 77), 2,3,3',4,4'-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 105), and benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF). TCDD induced EROD in a concentration-dependent manner, having an EC50 of 5.0 x 10(-12) M. The cultured embryo livers were extremely sensitive to TCDD, and about 30 fg of this compound per liver (2 x 10(-13) M) was enough to significantly induce EROD. The EC50 values obtained for PCBs 126, 77, 105, and BkF were 4,4 x 10(-11) M, 9.2 x 10(-9) M, 1.6 x 10(-8) M, and 6.2 x 10(-7) M, respectively. The maximal induction levels obtained for three different preparations of polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) were less than those of the other compounds tested. When the technical PCN mixture Halowax 1014 was coadministered with TCDD, the induction was lower than that caused by TCDD alone. An organic extract of fly ash from a municipal waste combustion plant was very potent. Considering its contents of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans, expressed as TCDD equivalents, the EC50 obtained was close to that for TCDD.
Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and brominated dioxins are emerging persistent organic pollutants that are ubiquitous in the environment and can be accumulated by wildlife and humans. These chemicals can disturb endocrine function. Recent studies have demonstrated that one of the mechanisms of endocrine disruption by chemicals is modulation of steroidogenic gene expression or enzyme activities. In this study, an in vitro assay based on the H295R human adrenocortical carcinoma cell line, which possesses most key genes or enzymes involved in steroidogenesis, was used to examine the effects of five bromophenols, two polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs 77 and 169), 2,3,7,8-tetrabromodibenzo-p-dioxin, and 2,3,7,8-tetrabromodibenzofuran on the expression of 10 key steroidogenic genes. The H295R cells were exposed to various BFR concentrations for 48 h, and the expression of specific genes - cytochrome P450 (CYP11A, CYP11B2, CYP17, CYP19, and CYP21), 3β- hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3βHSD2), 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17βHSD1 and 17βHSD4), steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) - was quantitatively measured using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Cell viability was not affected at the doses tested. Most of the genes were either up- or down-regulated, to some extent, by BFR exposure. Among the genes tested, 3βHSD2 was the most markedly up-regulated, with a range of magnitude from 1.6- to 20-fold. The results demonstrate that bromophenol, bromobiphenyls, and bromodibenzo-p-dioxin/furan are able to modulate steroidogenic gene expression, which may lead to endocrine disruption.
Extracts of bottom sediment and settling particulate matter (SPM) samples collected in the recipient water body of a bleached pulp mill effluent were separated into three fractions: monoaromatic/aliphatic compounds, diaromatic compounds (e.g., polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, and polychlorinated dibenzofurans), and polyaromatic compounds assessment of dioxinlike potency were an in vitro assay, based on the induction of 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) in chicken embryo livers, a test for EROD induction in ovo using chicken embryos, and an immunotoxicity test measuring inhibition of lymphoid cell development in cultured fetal mouse thymuses. The samples collected closest to the mill were the most potent. There was a time-dependent decrease in dioxinlike potency in the SPM samples collected near the mill, which coincided with the cessation of chlorine gas bleaching at the mill. The bioassays in general, and the in vitro chicken embryo liver bioassay in particular, proved useful in the assessment of dioxinlike compounds in the sediment and SPM samples. The polyaromatic fractions of the samples were generally more potent than the diaromatic fractions. Only a small part of the effects caused by the polyaromatic fractions could be explained by 15 analyzed PAHs, indicating the presence of unquantified polyaromatic compounds with dioxinlike effects. This investigation indicates that the cessation of chlorine bleaching in the pulp mill resulted in a reduced load of diaromatic dioxinlike compounds in the recipient water body.
Sediments and settling particulate matter (SPM) were sampled in a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated lake, Lake Jarnsjon, and in lakes located up-/and downstream from Lake Jarnsjon. The 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD)-inducing potencies of lipophilic extracts from sediment and SPM were investigated in organ cultures of chicken embryo livers (denoted in vitro chicken embryo liver bioassay). The extract from sediments collected in Lake Jarnsjon had the greatest EROD-inducing potency of the extracts studied, and it also contained the highest concentrations of PCBs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated dibenzodioxins/furans (PCDDs/Fs). The non-ortho-chlorinated PCBs in the extracts were probably major contributors to the EROD induction noted. The EROD-inducing potency of sediment extract from the lake downstream Lake Jarnsjon was higher than that of extract from the upstream lake. This indicates that EROD-inducing substances were transported from Lake Jarnsjon sediment to the lake downstream. The extracts from Lake Jarnsjon sediment and SPM were separated into three fractions containing aliphatic/monoaromatic, diaromatic, and polyaromatic compounds, respectively, which were tested in the in vitro chicken embryo Liver bioassay. In all extracts, the aliphatic/monoaromatic fractions were low in EROD-inducing potency, while the polyaromatic fractions from SPM were more potent than their corresponding diaromatic fractions, indicating that they contained high concentrations of aromatic hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor ligands. Only a small part of the EROD induction caused by the polyaromatic fractions could be attributed to the 15 analyzed PAHs in the samples. The EROD-inducing potencies of the diaromatic fractions correlated quite well with their concentrations of PCDDs/Fs and PCBs. The in vitro chicken embryo liver bioassay detected low concentrations of EROD inducers in the extracts and therefore proved useful for estimating the contents of Ah receptor ligands in environmental samples.
Twenty-six polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs; including native polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs], hydroxylated PAHs, alkylated and oxygenated PAHs, and [alkylated] heterocyclic compounds) were investigated for their aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-mediated potencies in the H4IIE-luc bioassay. Potential degradabilities of PACs were investigated by use of various durations of exposure (24, 48, or 72 h), and various mixtures of PACs including PAHs, alkylated and oxygenated PAHs, and heterocyclic compounds were tested for their joint AhR-mediated potency. Additive behaviors of PACs in mixtures were studied by comparing observed mixture potencies with mixture potencies predicted by use of the concentration addition model. Methylated derivatives were more potent than their parent compounds in the H4IIE-luc assay. A time-dependent decrease in relative potency was observed for all AhR-active compounds, which may be indicative of in vitro biotransformation. Monomethylated compounds seemed to be more rapidly transformed than analogous unsubstituted compounds. In addition, the results showed that the predictive power of the concentration addition model increased with the number of compounds, suggesting additivity in multicomponent mixtures. Due to the greater potency of methylated derivatives and their ubiquitous occurrence, there is a need for further research on the toxicity and mixture behavior of these environmentally and toxicologically relevant compounds.
In the present study 42 polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) were investigated for their estrogenic potential using the VM7Luc4E2 transactivation assay. Relative potencies were determined for mass-balance analysis. In addition, compounds were tested in combination with the estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist vertical bar C vertical bar 182,780 (vertical bar C vertical bar) and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor antagonist/CYP1A1 inhibitor a-naphthoflavone. Luciferase induction and CYP1A1-dependent ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity were measured to assess whether the estrogenic activity was elicited by the compound itself and/or by its metabolites. Relative potencies ranged between 10(-7) and 10(-4). The ability of ICI to decrease luciferase activity stimulated by all compounds indicated that the induction responses were ER-dependent. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor antagonist/CYP1A1 inhibitor a-naphthoflavone decreased luciferase induction and EROD activity by several compounds, including the methylated chrysenes, suggesting that metabolites of these chemicals contributed to ER activation. Several PACs, such as acridine and its derivatives, appear to directly activate the ER. Furthermore, extracts of soils from industrial areas were examined using this bioassay, and estrogenic activity was detected in all soil samples. Mass-balance analysis using a combination of relative potencies and chemical analysis of the samples suggested that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and alkylated PAHs, such as 1-and 3-methylchrysene, are important contributors to the overall estrogenic activity. However, these results revealed that a considerable proportion of the estrogenic activity in the soil remained unexplained, indicating the presence of other significant estrogenic compounds.
The H4IIE-luc transactivation bioassay for aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists was used to investigate the relative potency factors (REPs) of 22 individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their oxygenated-, methylated-, and N-containing derivatives (azaarenes), which are often present in PAH-contaminated soils. Naphthacene and dibenz[ah]acridine exhibited greater AhR-mediated potency, whereas lesser molecular-weight azaarenes were less potent AhR agonists. Six oxygenated PAHs had calculable REPs, but their potencies were less than their parent PAHs. Unlike the parent, unsubstituted PAHs, oxidation of methylated PAHs seemed to increase the AhR-mediated potency of the compounds, with 2-methylanthracene-9,10-dione being almost 2 times more potent than 2-methylanthracene. Both bioassay and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis were used to examine the exposure time-dependent effects on the REPs at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h of exposure in the H4IIE-luc transactivation bioassay. Changes in concentrations of 5 compounds including the model reference 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in the cell culture wells were measured, and the amounts in the cell medium, in the cells, and adsorbed to the wells was determined and the influence on the REPs was studied. Declining REP values with increased duration of exposure were shown for all compounds, which we concluded were a consequence of the metabolism of PAHs and PAH derivatives in H4IIe-luc cells. The present study provides new knowledge regarding the degradation and distribution of compounds in the wells during exposure. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014;33:943-953. (c) 2014 SETAC
In the present study, relative potency factors (REPs) of 16 individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated using the H4IIE-luc bioassay. Exposure time-dependent effects on the REPs were examined using 24, 48, and 72?h of exposure. Seven different mixtures of PAHs were tested for additivity at an exposure time of 24?h. Three of the PAH mixtures were also studied at 48 and 72?h of exposure. The mixture toxicities were predicted using the REP concept and the concentration addition (CA) model. Relative potency factor values investigated in the present study were similar to those reported in earlier studies. Declining REPs with an increasing exposure time were shown for all PAHs, indicating that this bioassay approach could be developed to assess the persistency of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonistic PAHs and in the risk assessment of complex PAH mixtures. The results from the mixture studies indicated that additive interactions of PAHs are time dependent. Generally, 48- and 72-h exposures resulted in biological effects that were similar to the CA and REP model predictions, while these models tended to underestimate the effect, to some extent, in the 24-h exposure, at least for the mixtures containing two to four PAHs. Thus, it cannot be ruled out that in the 24-h exposures, the tested PAH mixtures had slight synergistic effects. Further research is needed to identify and test additional AhR activating PAHs and investigate whether the effects in the H4IIE-luc bioassay are additive for more complex samples containing both PAHs and other AhR-activating contaminants. Also, the observed superinduction of luciferase by PAH-mixes warrants studies of whether this also can occur for relevant AhR-mediated endpoints in vivo.
As a consequence of ubiquitous use of brominated organic chemicals, there is a concern for persistent or increasing environmental levels of polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PBDD/Fs) and mixed polychlorinated and polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PXDD/Fs). Hence, there is a need to broaden the toxicological and environmental knowledge about these compounds, as a basis for risk assessment. In the study presented here, the relative potencies (REPs) for 18 PBDD/F and PXDD/ F congeners were determined in four dioxin-specific bioassays from different species: dioxin receptor chemically activated luciferase expression assay (DR-CALUX, rat hepatoma cells), TV101L (human hepatoma cells), and GPC.2D (guinea pig adenoma cells), as well as ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase induction in the fish cell line RTL-W1 (rainbow trout liver cells). The bioassay specific REP factors presented here enable the assessment of the contribution from PBDD/Fs and PXDD/Fs to total 2,3,7,8-tetrachl orodibenzop-dioxin (TCDD) equivalents (TEQs: toxic equivalents), using bioassay analysis. The PBDD/Fs were found to be equally potent as their chlorinated analogues in the three mammalian assays, whereas the PXDD/Fs showed relatively higher potencies. Of special concern were the 2,3,7,8-substituted penta- and tetrahalogenated congeners, for which mean REPs were >= 1. The 2-B-1,3,7,8-CDD (2-bromo-1,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin) was up to three times more potent than TCDD in individual experiments (on weight basis). The RTL-W1 was less sensitive to the tested compounds with overall 10-fold lower REPs than the mammalian cell lines. Although the REP factors exhibited species-specific differences, overall resembling rank orders of dioxin-like potency were obtained.
The fate of chiral organochlorine compounds (OCs) and selected metabolites in exposed Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) was investigated. The contaminants alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane (alpha-HCH), cis-chlordane, 13C4-heptachlor, o,p'-DDT, and the atropisomeric chlorinated biphenyls (CBs) 95, 132, 136, 149, and 174 were solved in peanut oil and injected into the peritoneal cavity. The exposed fish were sampled three times during a five-week period, and the OC residues and detected metabolites (heptachlorexo-epoxide) were quantified in muscle and liver tissues by chiral and achiral gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-electron-capture detection. Peak concentrations were reached after one to two weeks, and thereafter, the levels declined. At the end of the experiment, liver concentrations had decreased 76 to 92% relative to peak concentrations, whereas muscle concentrations showed a moderate decline (5-38%), with the exception of alpha-HCH (91%). Hydrophobicity and steric hindrance were shown to influence the assimilation process, and a significant linear relationship between the product of the steric hindrance coefficients and the inverse of the octanol-water partition coefficients (Kow) versus peak concentration was found for the CBs (r2 = 0.86, p = 0.02). The assimilation of the contaminants into muscle and liver tissues generally resulted in racemic mixtures, whereas elimination was enantioselective for alpha-HCH, cis-chlordane, o,p'-DDT, CB-132, and CB-136. The chiral heptachlor metabolite 13C4-heptachlor-exo-epoxide was formed in the fish. The enantiomeric composition of the formed metabolite indicated racemic formation, whereas the elimination process appeared to be enantioselective.
Blubber tissue of one subadult and eight male adult killer whales was sampled in Northern Norway in order to assess the degree and type of contaminant exposure and transfer in the herring-killer whale link of the marine food web. A comprehensive selection of contaminants was targeted, with special attention to toxaphenes and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). In addition to assessing exposure and food chain transfer, selective accumulation and metabolism issues also were addressed. Average total polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and pesticide levels were similar, approximately 25 microg/g lipid, and PBDEs were approximately 0.5 microg/g. This makes killer whales one of the most polluted arctic animals, with levels exceeding those in polar bears. Comparing the contamination of the killer whale's diet with the diet of high-arctic species such as white whales reveals six to more than 20 times higher levels in the killer whale diet. The difference in contaminant pattern between killer whales and their prey and the metabolic index calculated suggested that these cetaceans have a relatively high capacity to metabolize contaminants. Polychlorinated biphenyls, chlordanes, and dichlorodiphenyldichloro-ethylene (DDE) accumulate to some degree in killer whales, although toxaphenes and PBDEs might be partly broken down. | http://oru.diva-portal.org/smash/resultList.jsf?af=%5B%5D&aq=%5B%5B%7B%22journalId%22%3A%222821%22%7D%5D%5D&aqe=%5B%5D&aq2=%5B%5B%5D%5D&language=en&query= |
Climate Change Adaptation in the Metropolitan Washington Region: Draft Transportation Sector Vulnerabilities
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) Transportation Vulnerability Assessment was developed as part of a broader climate change adaptation initiative. This preliminary vulnerability assessment for the transportation sector identifies the possible climate impacts to the transportation sector, including roads and bridges, rail, facilities and buildings, bicycle and pedestrian buildings, and airports.
The vulnerability assessment was not based upon downscaled climate data; instead, the assessment uses historical climate data, spatial data, and issues identified in other climate adaptation plans in the region. These plans include: the Virginia Governor’s Commission on Climate Change Final Report; the Northern Virginia Regional Commission’s Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan; the State of Maryland’s Climate Action Plan; the National Capital Planning Commission’s Report on Flooding and Stormwater in Washington, DC; and the District’s climate change resilience plan, which is under development. The assessment also relies on adaptation guides from the U.S. DOT and Maryland State Highway Administration for sector-specific information.
The assessment examines climate-related changes in heat, precipitation variability, severe storms, and sea level rise. Across these changes, the assessment identifies a range of possible impacts. Identified impacts reflect trends that have already been observed and are projected with medium or high confidence to continue in a 50-year timeframe based upon climate change scenarios. According to the assessment, all transportation infrastructure in the Metropolitan Washington Region will be impacted by: more frequent travel disruptions as a result of downed trees and power outages; increased need for landscape maintenance activities due to drought, invasive species, and severe weather events; changes in infrastructure maintenance needs; and possible increased brush fires and wildfires. Roads and bridges are projected to be impacted by: potential increased road surface damage; increased frequency of street tree replacement and maintenance; increased erosion around roads and bridge footings; and decreased clearance levels under bridges. The region’s rail sector is expected to experience: buckling and expansion damage to infrastructure; increased delays in delivery of goods; and heavier use of pumps due to precipitation and sea level rise. Facilities, buildings, and airports are all projected to require changes and increase in maintenance due to all climate-related impacts.
This preliminary assessment is limited to the identification of climate-related risks, and does not prioritize particular infrastructure or community assets, or identify particular hazard areas. Economic costs of climate change impacts are also not considered. The draft report indicates that additional data is required before hazard prioritization or cost analyses can be conducted.
This transportation sector vulnerability assessment was combined with vulnerability assessments conducted for the buildings, land use, and water sectors into a climate adaptation guidebook to assist stakeholders and local decision-makers in the National Capital Region. That report, the Summary of Potential Climate Change Impacts, Vulnerabilities, and Adaptation Strategies in the Metropolitan Washington Region, was released on July 1, 2013. The project was funded through a grant from the EPA Sustainable Communities program.
This Adaptation Clearinghouse entry was prepared with support from the Federal Highway Administration. This entry was last updated on December 23, 2014.
Publication Date: August 2011
Related Organizations:
Sectors:
Resource Category:
Resource Types:
- Assessment
States Affected:
Impacts: | https://www.adaptationclearinghouse.org/resources/climate-change-adaptation-in-the-metropolitan-washington-region-draft-transportation-sector-vulnerabilities.html |
Find the Metrics for Success: How to Evaluate Your Employee Volunteer Program
In honor of VM Summit 16, which is all about corporate/ nonprofit collaboration, this series of volunteerism-related blog posts will take one topic and explain how it’s relevant to both groups. Today’s topic? Metrics for success. Check out our other blog, Engaging Volunteers, for the same topic from the perspective of corporate volunteer program managers.
Last fall, we published a blog post discussing the importance of using both quantitative and qualitative reporting when it comes to evaluating your employee’s volunteer work.
Now, in honor of VM Summit 16, we’re diving a little deeper to help you assess all facets of your employee volunteer program. Why? To ensure that it’s built for success and allows your company to create real community impact.
If there’s one key takeaway from this post it’s this: evaluating your employee volunteer program begins by asking questions. I’m not referring to the questions you ask your employees — although that’s important, too. But rather, I’m referring to the questions you ask yourself. If you’ve ever asked, “How do I evaluate my employee volunteer program?,” here’s what you should do.
Determine Existing Metrics
The first question you should ask yourself is, “What components of my employee volunteer program am I currently measuring?” Commonly used key performance indicators (KPIs) for employee volunteer programs include (but are not limited to):
- Number of employees that participate,
- Hours volunteered per employee,
- Total hours volunteered,
- And employee engagement levels.
If you aren’t doing so already, a great way to evaluate success is to benchmark these quantitative metrics against the overall cost of running your employee volunteer program. According to Realized Worth, social return on investment (SROI) is a useful baseline from which to begin an analysis of your program’s success. If expenses are lower than your impact or desired outcome, then your program is more likely to be retentive and successful.
Look for Missed Opportunities
Once you’ve determined what you currently measure, start brainstorming for the things you can begin measuring. Look for any opportunities you might be missing. In this step, ask yourself, “What could I measure?”
With input from corporate social responsibility (CSR) professionals and employee volunteer program managers over the years, we customized over 30 different pre-built reports on our volunteer management platform, YourMatch™, that help you determine:
- Popular causes at your company to help align your CSR vision,
- Employee skills utilized in volunteering,
- Employee volunteers by department and title,
- And more!
Curious how YourMatch™ can help track your volunteer program’s impact? Get in touch with us today!
Get really granular and determine which metrics are associated with the actual value of your employee’s volunteer work. You can always assess the broad “employee engagement”, but it’s critical to move beyond solely measuring engagement and assess other points of impact. For example, does volunteering increase your employee’ health, sense of contribution, and/ or place in the community?
Reflect on Metric Objectives
It’s equally important to ask yourself, “Why is what I’m measuring important in the first place?”
The information you gather should be able to tell a story. Knowing the number of backpacks full of school supplies your company prepared is great. What’s even better? Knowing the increase in school participation rates because students had the supplies they needed to excel (and wouldn’t have otherwise had access to).
Sometimes these numbers will be obvious, and can be simply reframed. For example, rather than recording the number of meals your company served at a soup kitchen, you could record the number of people who received a meal thanks to your employees. Other times, it may take a bit of follow up or research. To revisit the previous example, you’ll have to do a bit of digging to report that school attendance rates went up after your school supplies-initiative.
Remember: you’ll want to define your audience for the story. Whether it’s your senior leadership, nonprofit partners, employees, customers or all the above, it’s good to have an idea in mind of who will be reading this information, and how they’ll be reading it. You may even want to tailor the metrics you decide to share based on who you’re talking to.
It’s also important to reflect on if the system you set up is actually working. After establishing your initial employee volunteer program evaluation strategy, revisit your plan in 4-6 months and assess whether it’s still working for you. If not, don’t be afraid to implement any necessary program changes.
Execute Your Evaluation Strategy
Once you’ve determined your final set of benchmarks, you’ll need to figure out how to best obtain that information. A simple way to do so is by sending your employees a feedback survey or including relevant volunteer program feedback questions in your employee engagement survey. Create your own survey based on the benchmarks you’ve weighed as being important in assessing your program.
Not sure where to begin? Here’s how one organization successfully leverages a survey to solicit employee feedback.
You may also choose to ask your employees questions through a pulse survey before, during, and after their volunteer shift. Tip: brainstorm possible responses of what your employees might say so that you can be more prepared to hear them.
It’s equally as important to put your ear to the ground and listen to what your employees are saying about your volunteer program, as well as your community. Hold focus groups, conduct one-on-one interviews, and listen through the grapevine to determine qualitative feedback about your program.
Leverage YourMatch™ to help you calculate the number of hours your employees volunteer and the amount of money your company spends on your employee volunteering program, then benchmark those numbers against your company’s SROI and employee engagement rate.
And at VM Summit 16 this October, collaborate face-to-face with other like-minded corporate and nonprofit professionals on best practices for evaluating your employee volunteer program.
Ready to attend VM Summit 16? Purchase your ticket(s) here. | http://justmeans.com/blog/find-the-metrics-for-success-how-to-evaluate-your-employee-volunteer-program |
This report presents an assessment of the relationship between sea ice area and extent measurements in the Southern Ocean, in order to scrutinise the significance of the reported trend of increasing Antarctic sea ice over the past 40 years. Two key research questions are addressed: How are Antarctic sea ice extent and area values calculated and what information (and to what accuracy) are they actually telling us about sea ice mass balance? How do measurements of sea ice extent and area compare between that derived from low resolution and high-resolution data? The methods undertaken include a close examination of the NSIDC sea ice concentration, area and extent data trends from 1978-2016, and a case study analysis in the Weddell Sea that compares sea ice concentration, extent and area data derived from low resolution passive microwave radiometers (SSM/IS and AMS2) and higher resolution SAR. The findings reveal that the average trend conceals a large amount of spatial and seasonal variability and that there are several extreme months throughout the record where extent anomalies significantly exceed area anomalies. It is suggested that this could be a reflection of either physical processes (e.g. wind behaviour) that may vary between regions, or instrumental errors. However, the fact that measures of sea ice thickness are not incorporated into record of sea ice cover, points to the conclusion that the reported rising trend in Antarctic sea ice cover in the past few decades is highly incomplete and cannot be used to interpret sea ice mass balance changes. | https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/handle/10092/18578 |
Sport and the United Nations’ System started their dialogue – along with various forms of collaboration – a long time ago. As early as 1978, UNESCO described sport and physical education as a “fundamental right for all”. Since then, they have progressively got closer and involved each other – more and more – into their respective fields of expertise: on the one hand the UN Specialized Agencies have reached out for support within sectors of civil society engaged in sport, while on the other International/National Federations and Olympic Committees have committed themselves to a broader mandate which includes social/humanitarian actions.
Historically, one of the very first manifestations of collaboration between these two worlds can be found in 1982, when FIFA transformed its already famous FIFA World Stars Games into the FIFA Charity Matches for UNICEF (the United Nations Children’s Fund) and continued to organize them for more than a decade.
Ten years later, in 1992, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) pursued and obtained several Agreements of Collaboration with the most renowned – at the time – United Nations Specialized Agencies. These agreements envisaged the involvement of sport towards the solution of the world’s greatest problems, from diseases to migratory processes, from hunger to education. Furthermore, every two years the United Nations General Assembly has passed and approved a Resolution reviving the ancient tradition of the Olympic Truce, which asks all conflicts to cease during the winter and the summer Games. At times, as in the case of 1996 Atlanta Olympic Aid, this resolution proved to be more than just an appeal and produced positive improvements in several war-torn countries.
These Agreements of Collaboration also generated a series of international projects on the occasion of the most important sport events such as FIFA World Cups and Olympic Games which showed the world the interconnection between global sport and the aspirations of every human being to improve his/her condition. Furthermore, the financial growth and implications related to the implementation of worldwide sport events – and the reported economic successes of the corporate sports world – called, naturally and spontaneously, for a social and human responsibility of sport towards the rest of the world.
By the new millennium, the birth and growth of many NGOs active in this field, and the close collaboration between the UN Agencies and International, Regional and National Federations and Clubs, suggested to the UN System the necessity of a specialized body tasked with coordinating this populated environment. Thus the United Nations Office for Sport Development and Peace was created, and since its inception it has dealt with matters related to the interconnection between sport and human condition and its improvement toward the Millennium Development Goals.
During the last ten years, sport and the right to play have been universally recognized as human rights, and have been utilized by almost all UN Agencies in projects of sport for development. They have been extremely useful – due to their low-cost and high-impact – as tools in humanitarian, development and peace-building efforts. Their aims have been different, depending on the necessities of the country at stake and the problem being targeted. From communication to health, from education to gender equality, from community services to normalization in areas affected by disasters, sport has helped in the solution of many problems, and- progressively – a growing responsibility has been posed on its shoulders.
This has also been underscored by the gathering of so many sociological, economic, humanitarian workshops and conferences inspired by the newly born sector “sport for development”. Consequently, the right of access to sport and play has been recognized in a number of international conventions.
The world of sport has also offered their best and most-renowned athletes as testimonials for the most profound problems of the planet; they have served under the flag of many UN Agencies and NGOs, offering to the most forgotten people a beacon of hope, and often a way of providing additional funds to life saving/improving activities.
At the same time, globalization, technology and financial growth have started to change sport – for better and for worse – and brought new issues and challenges in this arena which did not exist at the time of the first collaborations between the UN System and the Sports World. Transnational organized crime has begun to see and find in the world of sport, a target and a field to conduct many illegal operations.
The current era of instant communication, brought – among others, but extremely pertinent in its relevance for human rights – a huge problematic in sport out into the open: the abuse of young athletes. In every sport discipline and everywhere in the world, more and more cases of misconduct – sometimes life-threatening – have been identified and reported. These abuses are physical, sexual, and psychological. Furthermore, even the organization of major sporting events, besides bringing many benefits to the host countries, can be exploited by organized crime in terms of child exploitation, trafficking and prostitution.
Sport results manipulation is another plague, with no borders. Everyone within the organizational chain of a sport competition is a potential target for these illegal operations. The phenomenon of sport result manipulation, which is increasing worldwide, threatens sport’s values and risks transforming sport into a vehicle of illicit activities, spoiling its important role in peace, socio-economic development and international dialogue. Sport results manipulation is not only a threat to the regular development of sport competitions; it is a threat for humanity since it jeopardizes the innocence of those, particularly youth, who are looking at sport as something clean and meritocratic.
The Permanent Mission of Italy and the Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations and International Organizations in Geneva, in partnership with the Group of Friends on Sport for Development, the International Centre for Sport Security and Lega Pro agreed that the time had come to consult simultaneously on these two issues, namely sport results manipulation and child abuses in the sport context, and discuss the issue at the United Nations in Geneva, the international capital of human rights.
Despite the very different nature of these two threats, they both place at risk the future of sport, the innocence of youth, their dreams and therefore their fundamental rights.
Both the abuse of human beings and other illicit activities such as corruption in sport are by themselves a crime, but to perpetrate these within a context which should be playful, joyful and meaningful is a wrongdoing that deserves particular attention from different sectors.
The conference “Sport Integrity: A Right for Youth” was initiated in order to address these fundamental concerns, in pursuit of these aims, including raising awareness within the Geneva-based internationally community on the threats to sport integrity such as sport results manipulation and child protection issues around sport; showcasing initiatives developed by international and regional organizations, as well as the sport movement, for the defense of sport values and involvement of youth; presenting concrete efforts undertaken to use sport as a tool for education and preserve the integrity of sport by relevant sport bodies and civil society organizations, such as the Save the Dream programme; encouraging the adoption of best practice and the highest child protection standards in sport and to protect the belief in sport’s values; promoting an interdisciplinary involvement of the various Offices and Agencies within the United Nations system and other relevant international and regional entities; identifying ways to strengthen synergies among different stakeholders, including civil society organizations, identified initiatives and existing platforms; and sharing information on relevant programs adopted by Member States in this field and promoting their implementation, when appropriate, in other contexts. | http://savethedream.org/2013/10/06/sport-integrity-a-right-for-youth-conference-report/ |
- Why does the tilt of the Earth’s axis relative to its orbit cause the seasons as the Earth revolves around the Sun? Draw a diagram to illustrate your answer.
Earth's seasons are the result of the tilt of the Earth's axis. Since the axis is tilted, different parts of the globe are oriented towards the Sun at different times of the year. Summer in the Northern Hemisphere is warmer than winter as the Sun's rays hit the Earth at a comparatively more direct angle for larger portions of the day, producing more heat and vice versa. Due to this very same tilt, when the Sun crosses the Equator it causes the equinoxes.
- Where do you have to be on the Earth to see the Sun at your zenith? If you stay at one such location for a full year, on how many days will the Sun pass through the zenith?
To see the Sun at its Zenith a person can be at a place between 23.5o N (The Tropic of Cancer) and 23.5o S (The Tropic of Capricorn). The sun passes it Zenith twice between these two latitudes twice a year and once every year on these latitudes.
- What are the synodic and sidereal periods of a planet?
Sidereal time is the time taken by a planet to orbit round the sun and is measured by the relative position of the planet with the focal star in accordance with stars in the background. Synodic time is the time between successive sun earth planet alignments known as superior junctions (UNL).
- Why does an astronaut have to exert a force on a weightless object to move it?
An astronaut needs to exert force on a weightless body because movement depends upon the momentum of the body and its inertia, which is decided by its inertial mass and not its gravitational mass. To bring a body into motion force must be applied, which changes its inertia from rest to motion
- What are the three major functions of a telescope?
- Increase the total amount of gathered light energy so as to make objects visibly brighter and clearer
- Increase angular resolution of the observed object
- Magnify the image of the object
- Compare an optical reflecting telescope to a radio telescope. What do they have in common? How are they different?
The similarity between these two telescopes is that both use Electro-magnetic radiations for observation and curved reflecting surfaces to focus incident radiations. The difference between is that optical reflecting telescope operates at visible light range and uses a thin reflective coating and a smaller diameter of receiving surface while Radio frequencies are used for the operation of Radio telescope which employs larger metal dishes as reflecting surfaces.
- Using Wien’s law and the Stefan-Boltzmann law, explain the changes in color and intensity that are observed as the temperature of a hot, glowing object increases.
Wien’s law says that as light emitting objects get hotter, their dominant wavelength decreases from Infrared to red and the rest of the visible spectrum. Stefan-Boltzmann law propounds that more the temperature of the object higher is the intensity of radiations, presuming that the visual diameter remains constant. This means that larger illuminating objects may appear brighter even when they are cooler than their smaller counter parts.
- Why do different elements have different patterns of lines in their spectra?
Different elements have different number of electrons (subatomic particles) orbiting at different energy levels. Patterns of absorption or emission spectra of photons for different elements are determined different transition energy levels of these electronic orbits. This means that all elements would produce photons of frequency and wavelengths unique to them, creating unique spectrum for each element.
Works Cited
Panebieanco, D. Wiens Law and Stefan-Boltzmann law. 2007. Independent Research. | https://www.wowessays.com/free-samples/example-of-course-work-on-functions-of-a-telescope/ |
Territorial Commanders Visit Salvation Army Hurricane Laura Relief Sites
Lake Charles, LA (September 4, 2020) – As relief efforts for Hurricane Laura continue, Territorial Commanders of The Salvation Army Southern Territory, Commissioners Willis and Barbara Howell visited portions of Texas and south Louisiana this week.
The Commissioners toured The Salvation Army Hurricane Laura Command Center in Lake Charles to visit and pray with canteen workers and command staff. They offered words of encouragement and praised the efforts of the men and women on the ground giving their all. They also toured the living quarters and corps buildings for the Lake Charles Corps, both of which sustained significant damage.
The following morning, the Commissioners toured surrounding areas to view storm damage and pray with residents struggling to process so much devastation. They were quick to jump in with canteen crews and aid with distributing meals and water to residents in Lake Charles as well as pray for residents struggling to process what has happened around them. They stressed the fact that The Salvation Army will still be present in this community long after the initial recovery period is over.
Major Robert Lyle, the Emotional and Spiritual Care Officer for the Hurricane Laura Command Team said, “It was great to have our territorial leadership by our side. As an officer, I appreciate seeing them lead by example.”
About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army annually helps more than 23 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction, and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at 7,600 centers of operation around the country. In the first-ever listing of “America’s Favorite Charities” by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Salvation Army ranked as the country’s largest privately funded, direct-service nonprofit. For more information, visit www.SalvationArmyUSA.org. Follow us on Twitter @SalvationArmyUS and #DoingTheMostGood. | https://salvationarmyalm.org/tag/louisiana/page/3/ |
For inquiries, contact:
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Aliases & Classifications for Graves' Disease
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MalaCards integrated aliases for Graves' Disease:
Classifications:
MalaCards categories:
Global: Rare diseases Cancer diseases
Anatomical: Endocrine diseases Immune diseases
ICD10: 31
Summaries for Graves' Disease
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MedlinePlus Genetics: 42 Graves disease is a condition that affects the function of the thyroid, which is a butterfly-shaped gland in the lower neck. The thyroid makes hormones that help regulate a wide variety of critical body functions. For example, thyroid hormones influence growth and development, body temperature, heart rate, menstrual cycles, and weight. In people with Graves disease, the thyroid is overactive and makes more hormones than the body needs. The condition usually appears in mid-adulthood, although it may occur at any age.Excess thyroid hormones can cause a variety of signs and symptoms. These include nervousness or anxiety, extreme tiredness (fatigue), a rapid and irregular heartbeat, hand tremors, frequent bowel movements or diarrhea, increased sweating and difficulty tolerating hot conditions, trouble sleeping, and weight loss in spite of an increased appetite. Affected women may have menstrual irregularities, such as an unusually light menstrual flow and infrequent periods. Some people with Graves disease develop an enlargement of the thyroid called a goiter. Depending on its size, the enlarged thyroid can cause the neck to look swollen and may interfere with breathing and swallowing.Between 25 and 50 percent of people with Graves disease have eye abnormalities, which are known as Graves ophthalmopathy. These eye problems can include swelling and inflammation, redness, dryness, puffy eyelids, and a gritty sensation like having sand or dirt in the eyes. Some people develop bulging of the eyes caused by inflammation of tissues behind the eyeball and "pulling back" (retraction) of the eyelids. Rarely, affected individuals have more serious eye problems, such as pain, double vision, and pinching (compression) of the optic nerve connecting the eye and the brain, which can cause vision loss.A small percentage of people with Graves disease develop a skin abnormality called pretibial myxedema or Graves dermopathy. This abnormality causes the skin on the front of the lower legs and the tops of the feet to become thick, lumpy, and red. It is not usually painful.
MalaCards based summary: Graves' Disease, also known as graves disease, is related to graves disease 1 and exophthalmos. An important gene associated with Graves' Disease is GRD2 (Graves Disease, Susceptibility To, 2), and among its related pathways/superpathways are Cytokine Signaling in Immune system and NF-kappaB Signaling. The drugs Methimazole and Prednisolone phosphate have been mentioned in the context of this disorder. Affiliated tissues include thyroid gland, thyroid and eye, and related phenotypes are endocrine/exocrine gland and immune system
GARD: 19 Graves' disease is an autoimmune disorder that leads to overactivity of the thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism). It is caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking the thyroid gland, causing the gland to produce too much thyroid hormone. Graves disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism and occurs most often in women over age 20. However, the disorder may occur at any age and can affect males as well. More common signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease include irritability, a fast and irregular heartbeat, hand tremors, diarrhea, increased sweating, trouble sleeping, and weight loss. Some people develop abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland (goiter). Women with Graves' disease may have irregular menstrual periods. In some cases, Graves' disease causes other problems such as Graves' dermopathy (a condition marked by red, swollen skin), various eye abnormalities (such as bulging eyes, vision problems, pain, or swelling), emotional or behavioral changes, heart-related complications, or bone problems (such as osteoporosis).
Disease Ontology: 11 An autoimmune disease of endocrine system that involves production of excessive amount of thyroid hormones, located in thyroid gland.
Wikipedia: 75 Graves' disease (German: Morbus Basedow), also known as toxic diffuse goiter, is an autoimmune disease... more...
Related Diseases for Graves' Disease
Symptoms & Phenotypes for Graves' Disease
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MGI Mouse Phenotypes related to Graves' Disease:45 (showing 5, show less)
Drugs & Therapeutics for Graves' Disease
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Drugs for Graves' Disease (from DrugBank, HMDB, Dgidb, PharmGKB, IUPHAR, NovoSeek, BitterDB):(showing 104, show less)
Interventional clinical trials:(showing 90, show less)
Cochrane evidence based reviews: graves disease
Genetic Tests for Graves' Disease
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Genetic tests related to Graves' Disease:
Anatomical Context for Graves' Disease
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Organs/tissues related to Graves' Disease: | https://www.malacards.org/card/graves_disease?showAll=True |
The findings, published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, suggest labor among early human societies in the Americas was shared relatively evenly by men and women.
Authors of the new study suggest their analysis undermines the long-held "man-the-hunter" hypothesis, which posited that, from the beginning, men hunted and women gathered.
"We believe that these findings are particularly timely in light of contemporary conversations surrounding gendered labor practices and inequality," lead study author Randy Haas said in a news release.
"Labor practices among recent hunter-gatherer societies are highly gendered, which might lead some to believe that sexist inequalities in things like pay or rank are somehow 'natural.' But it's now clear that sexual division of labor was fundamentally different -- likely more equitable -- in our species' deep hunter-gatherer past," said Haas, an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of California, Davis.
The survey of ancient hunter-gatherer burial data showed the Wilamaya Patjxa female wasn't an anomaly -- and that between 30 to 50 percent of hunters in late Pleistocene and early Holocene societies were female.
Over time, hunting became increasingly gendered, researchers said. Among later hunter-gatherer societies, as well as farming and capitalist societies, hunting was predominantly a male activity. | |
When you start seeds indoors in a vegetable garden, it can be difficult getting your schedule down to ensure that start your vegetable seeds with enough lead time that they are mature enough to venture outside but also not so large they take over your growing area.
Personally this has been a difficult part for me where I am really good getting the early vegetables started on time (onions, peppers, tomatoes) but when it comes to the later plants and/or second/third plantings is where I begin to get forgetful. Over the years I have come across a couple of great tools to make this easier that I thought I would share.
No matter which option you choose to start garden seeds indoors you will need to determine an important date, your last frost date. There are many sites/tables out there that will give an estimate I actually have a couple posts on the subject but at the moment my favorite site that makes this very easy is WeatherSpark, it uses historical data with great visuals to easily determine when the best probability of picking the right date. Here you can take a look at this historical data and make your call of what date you think will be safe.
1. Create a garden schedule. Just by figuring out your last frost date and doing a little math (Excel works great for this) you can determine the optimal seed starting dates and even get a general idea of when your plants should be ready for transplanting. What I love about this technique is you can tweak it each year as things worked well (or not so well) in previous years to get the schedule finely tuned to your particular garden and the micro-climates within it.
In addition knowing an estimate of when these plants will be venturing out in the wild can assist in your space planning for your seeding area as well as having a reality check if you see your peppers will be ready to be transplanted in March when it doesn’t get above freezing until mid-June.
Here is my schedule for starting seeds indoors my area and estimated last frost date (April 20th), though sure everyone that is reading this will not have the same date as mine so thanks to my infinite nerdiness I made the following table so you can adjust the “Last Frost Date” to yours and see how my schedule would look in your area.
|Last Frost Date:|
|Vegetable Name||Seed Start Date||Estimated
|
Transplant
Date
|Estimated
|
Harvest
Date
|Celery||1/19/2013||3/18/2013||4/24/2013|
|Onion||1/19/2013||3/25/2013||5/24/2013|
|Leeks||1/19/2013||3/21/2013||6/3/2013|
|Kale||1/26/2013||3/7/2013||3/22/2013|
|Artichoke||1/31/2013||4/27/2013||6/20/2013|
|Kohlrabi||2/9/2013||3/15/2013||4/5/2013|
|Pak Choi||2/9/2013||3/6/2013||4/10/2013|
|Parsley||2/8/2013||4/6/2013||4/24/2013|
|Lettuce||2/9/2013||3/6/2013||4/5/2013|
|Broccoli||2/9/2013||3/15/2013||4/20/2013|
|Pepper – Jalapeno||2/9/2013||4/28/2013||4/25/2013|
|Pepper – Bell||2/9/2013||5/4/2013||4/25/2013|
|Swiss Chard||2/16/2013||3/20/2013||4/7/2013|
|Cabbage||2/16/2013||3/31/2013||5/7/2013|
|Brussel Sprouts||2/22/2013||3/31/2013||5/23/2013|
|Collards||3/2/2013||3/24/2013||5/1/2013|
|Tomato||3/2/2013||5/4/2013||5/21/2013|
|Spinach||3/9/2013||4/23/2013|
|Peas||3/9/2013||5/13/2013|
|Turnips||3/9/2013||5/8/2013|
|Watermelon||3/16/2013||5/27/2013||6/14/2013|
|Basil||3/24/2013||5/14/2013||6/22/2013|
|Potatoes||3/30/2013||7/8/2013|
|Radish||3/31/2013||5/5/2013|
|Beets||3/31/2013||6/4/2013|
|Carrots||4/9/2013||6/23/2013|
|Corn||4/9/2013||5/7/2013||6/28/2013|
|Cucumber||4/9/2013||5/16/2013||6/8/2013|
|Okra||4/9/2013||5/11/2013||6/13/2013|
|Pumpkin||4/9/2013||5/7/2013||7/28/2013|
|Summer Squash – Sunburst||4/9/2013||5/16/2013||6/3/2013|
|Winter Squash – Hunter||4/9/2013||5/16/2013||7/3/2013|
|Zucchini||4/9/2013||5/16/2013||6/3/2013|
|Lettuce||4/13/2013||6/7/2013|
|Beans||5/4/2013||7/13/2013|
|Dill||5/11/2013||7/15/2013|
|Carrots||5/27/2013||8/10/2013|
|Broccoli||6/22/2013||8/2/2013||8/31/2013|
|Cabbage||6/22/2013||8/2/2013||9/10/2013|
|Kale||6/22/2013||7/22/2013||8/16/2013|
|Kohlrabi||6/22/2013||7/29/2013||8/16/2013|
|Cabbage – Napa||7/24/2013||8/21/2013||10/7/2013|
|Pak Choi||7/24/2013||8/21/2013||9/22/2013|
|Onion – Bunching||7/24/2013||10/2/2013|
|Turnip||7/24/2013||9/22/2013|
|Lettuce||8/3/2013||9/27/2013|
|Spinach||8/10/2013||9/24/2013|
|Corn Salad||8/10/2013||9/29/2013|
|Garlic||10/12/2013||2/14/2014|
|Pak Choi||12/14/2013||1/26/2014||2/12/2014|
* N/A because vegetables should be sown directly in the ground.
2. Create a garden plan online and get reminders. My favorite online vegetable gardening software is GrowVeg. It is very easy to use and provides some great visuals when to specifically plant seeds and transplant your seedlings outdoors, which you can see below.
In addition you also can recreate a virtual copy of your garden and plan exactly where you want to plant your vegetables, to ensure your ambitions for growing a huge crop this year does not exceed the reality of the limited space you have to actually grow. It also remembers where you planted vegetables in previous years to help enforce crop rotation to ensure pests/diseases will be forced to remain in check.
Though one of my favorite features is the weekly reminders, once a week you get a simple email letting you know what plants you should be starting/transplanting that week. This was very helpful later in the season where I probably would have completely forgotten about my carrots without this helpful reminder.
3. Buy a garden planning book. If you want something that you can really get your hands on you might want to check out the Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook helps with this problem by providing weekly reminders of what vegetables you should be order/planting and what preparations you should be doing in your garden. This can be a very helpful tool in getting a little more organized in your vegetable garden.
Already falling behind on your seed planting here are a few great options to get a great selection of seeds without spending a lot of money:
- One of my favorites is Burpee Seeds, they have been around since 1876 and definitely know their stuff. The actually have a seed sale going on now where you get $15 off on order of $75 (just use code AFFB4A35) expires on 1/15.
- The name is not too exciting but Generic Seeds offers no thrills packaging with quality seeds and very reasonable prices and if you spend $20 or more shipping is on them.
Starting some onion seeds
3.1 years ago indoor growbox, indoor seed starting, onions, seeds
My three year old was really excited to start planting some seeds so we planted some red onions and put them in the grow box. This is a little ahead of my usual planting schedule but only by about a week.
Though the grow box does have automated watering my daughter insisted on watering them herself with her favorite yellow elephant watering can. If all goes well should have some decent sprouts by Valentines day. Plan on starting leeks next weekend and possible try growing celery for the first time this year.
What’s your garden plan this year?
How to save tomato seeds
3.6 years ago seed saving, seed storing, seeds, tomato
It is really easy to save tomato seeds is a little more difficult that other vegetables seeds, but with a little patience and the right technique you can save your seeds with very little effort.
Step 1: Get the seeds. The easiest way to get to your seeds it do cut the tomato across the hemisphere as shown below.
This will give you easy access to the seeds, though if you are slicing your tomatoes at a different angle you can easily pull out some seeds with a prong of a fork or spoon. The cutting board will normally hold more than enough seeds than I will need for the following year.
Step 2: Get the junk off the seeds. The seeds have a gel-like substance that surrounds the seeds along with some pieces of flesh that you did not take the time to pick out. There are a couple of techniques to do this:
- Add some water to the seed mixture, cover with plastic and let them ferment for a few days.
- Mix tomato seed mix with equal amount of powdered disinfectant cleanser and let sit for 30 minutes
Given the fermentation methods can stink up your kitchen and the powdered disinfectant methods doesn’t exactly sounds organic I went with my own method I call the soak and rinse technique.
Drop the seeds in a small bowl with some water and let soak for a couple hours. Pour off anything floating to the top (seeds too they won’t germinate) into your sink
Pour what remains into a strainer and give a quick rinse with water.
Repeat the soak and rinse process twice a day and notice the amount of gel decreasing.
Once the seeds look like the ones below (about 2-2.5 days) they are ready to be dried.
Step 3: Drying the seeds. I do this by spreading the seeds on a labeled coffee filter trying best to keep seeds from touching. Once they dry (couple days to a week) store them with your other seeds.
With very little effort and a few days of waiting you can collect seeds to use/share/trade for next season.
Free Vegetable Seeds
5.1 years ago cheap, free, seed exchange, seed saving, seeds
Free Vegetable Seeds
- Ask your coworkers: Are any of your coworkers gardeners? Setup a seed swap at lunch and/or see if they want to go in on a seed order and split up some seed packets for varieties you only need a few seeds.
- Harvest your own seeds: I typically grow at least one or two cilantro and pea plants to collect seeds from for the next year . Notice your neighbor has some neglected plants going to seed? Ask if you can get some they may even look at this as free weeding (important part is to ask though)
- Get seeds from the grocery store: Before putting those vegetables in the compost bin, set the seeds aside to let them dry and you got some free seeds. The riper the fruit/vegetable the better results you may have on fertility here so shortest time between picking at getting up for sale will yield the best results. So look for local fruits and vegetables or even better visit your local farmers market.
- Get free vegetable seeds from the US Government: Have a little experiment or study you want to conduct and report the results on your blog? Check out the National Plant Germplasm System from the US Department of Agriculture. Within a database of over 10,000 species of plants you are sure to find some vegetables for your experiments. Even shipping is included though can be time consuming to find what you are looking for.
- Check your spice rack: In many cases you can plant seeds from your spice rack. Just look for words like “raw” anything that has been “roasted” will probably not yield positive results. Some ideas, mustard seed, dill seed, coriander, poppy seed, celery seed. If your spice rack is lacking you can pay a few cents buy a teaspoon of organic spices in bulk, last time I bought dill seeds got about 100 seeds for $0.05 which is a significant saving over paying $2-3 for an envelope of seeds.
- Seed swap web sites: Below I have listed a few links where you can share seeds with others. This is a great way to find some heirloom seeds you might not be able to find in stores/seed catalogs. In many cases people will offer seeds for free by just sending a SASE (Self Addressed Stamped Envelope) Just remember to pay it forward when you come into a plethora of seeds yourself after this years harvest.
If this is all seems like too much effort you can just buy some very inexpensive seeds online where you can check out some of my personal favorites in my “Cheap vegetable seeds” post
Plan your garden with Sprout Robot
6 years ago gardening software, indoor seed starting, robot, seeds, sprouting
I came across Sprout Robot in the past week, you simply create an account and provide your zip code and it will give you a complete calendar of planting dates as well as follow ups when to expect sprouts to form, when to bring out, harvest etc.
When a new event is coming up you will get an email similar to the one below letting you know what is new to plant that week.
When you connect to the site you then can “Check-In” and check off the tasks you have completed which get updated with next event for that plant.
They also have an option where they will even send out organic seeds just in time for planting in your area starting at $19.99 a year, though personally I have plenty of seeds saved for at a couple of years in my refrigerator.
When to bring your vegetables outside?
6.9 years ago garlic bulbs, onions, peppers, seeds, spinach, summer, tomato
Every time I have a discussion with a beginner gardener, this is the most common question. Typically the answer involves figuring out your last frost date then doing some backwards math when to start your seeds or purchase your plants from your local nursery. The problem with this is there is an assumption of the rate at which temperatures will increase after this no frost date. It doesn’t really matter how many weeks after the last frost when you bring out your tomatoes but the fact that it is over 65° F
This is good for estimation but ultimately it comes down to what temperatures various vegetables can survive and thrive at. This is ultimately when you should decide to start bringing those fragile plants outside. For reference the table below shows these temperatures for various vegetables.
|Vegetables||Thriving Temp
|
Range
|Surviving Temp
|
Range
|Hot Vegetables
|
eggplants, sweet potatoes, peppers, watermelons, okra, tomatoes
|70° F – 85° F
|
21° C – 30° C
|65° F – 90° F
|
18° C – 32° C
|Warm Vegetables
|
beans, black-eyed peas, cucumbers, melons, sweet corn, squashes
|65° F – 75° F
|
18° C – 24° C
|50° F – 90° F
|
10° C – 32° C
|Cold/Warm Vegetables
|
artichokes, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, collards, endives, fava beans, fennel, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, parsnips, peas, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, spinach, turnips
|60° F – 65° F
|
16° C – 18° C
|40° F – 75° F
|
4° C – 24° C
|Cold Vegetables
|
garlic, leeks, onions, shallots
|55° F – 75° F
|
13° C – 24° C
|45° F — 85° F
|
7° C – 30° C
Now that you know what temperatures your veggies grow best in, unless you can find a news station with a 2-3 month forecast this doesn’t help you too much. Fortunately we have been saving weather data for some time now and with some simple statistics you can make a more logical prediction of when this may occur (compared to last freeze date)
One site that makes this very easy is WeatherSpark, it uses historical data with great visuals to easily determine when the best probability of picking the right date to plan on your veggies going out into the great unknown.
As you can see in my area we rarely stay in the thriving temperature zone during a 24 hour period which is the reason why I personally keep my tomatoes and peppers in my automated grow box as long as I can.
Hopefully WeatherSpark can give you some incites about predicting the best times to bring those veggies out for a successful crop this year. | http://www.cheapvegetablegardener.com/category/seeds/ |
Q:
How is a transaction verified in a micropayment channel?
Let's say Alice opens a micropayment channel with Bob and sends $10 into the multi sig transaction.
How do we know that Alice has those $10? Or are we taking the risk of her double spending it?
A:
In the process of opening a micropayment channel, the two parties put funds into a lock-box of sorts that requires both parties to sign off any any withdrawals from that lockbox. In the blockchain, this is essentially putting some funds into a 2-of-2 multisig output, where the 2 keys are Alice and Bob's keys. If only Bob is going to be transferring money to Alice or vice versa (unidirectional), then only one person need put funds into the 2-of-2 lock box.
Then, when it comes time for Bob to pay Alice, Bob gives Alice a transaction that spends the contents of the lock box, giving Alice some amount of the lock box funds and using a change output that puts the change back into the lockbox. Since withdrawing from the lock box requires both Alice and Bob to sign off, Alice can confirm when Bob has signed off to give her funds.
Notice that it has to be this way, requiring both Alice and Bob to transfer funds through the channel, because if it just required the sender of the funds, you run into the exact problem you mentioned: the sender could be trying to double spend those funds and you wouldn't know.
| |
[wiki slug=’mutual-fund’ /] are funds wherein investor invests money and owns part of assets owned by mutual fund that corresponds to his/her share in the fund. Besides return on buying and selling of the Mutual Fund units hold by investor, an investor derives three types of income from owning such mutual fund units.
- Cash Dividend
- Capital Gains Disbursements
- Change in the fund’s Net Asset Value (NAV) per unit (Unrealised Capital Gains)
For an investor who holds a mutual fund for say 1 year, the one-year holding period return is given by
Return = Dividend + Realised Capital Gains + Unrealised Capital Gains/Base Net Asset Value
I.e., R = D1 + CG1 + (NAV1 – NAV0) / NAV0 x 100
Where,
D1 = Dividend
CG1 = Realised Capital Gains
NAV1 – NAV0 = Unrealised Capital Gains
NAV0 = Base Net Asset Value
Illustration 1
A mutual fund, that had a net asset value of ₹10 at the beginning of the month, made income and capital gain distribution of ₹0.15 and ₹0.04per unit respectively during the month and then ended the month with a net asset value of ₹10.15. Compute the monthly return.
Here, D1 = 0.15, CG1 = 0.04, Unrealised Capital Gains =NAV1 – NAV0 = 10.15 – 10.00 = ₹0.15
Monthly Return = (0.15 + 0.04 + 0.15)/10 x 100 = 3.4%
Illustration 2
A mutual fund raised ₹200 lakhs on April 1, by issue of 20 lakh units at ₹10 per unit. It used ₹190 lakhs to invest in several capital market instruments. Its initial expenses were ₹8 lakhs and during the month of April, it sold certain securities costing ₹60 lakhs for ₹90 lakhs. It also purchased in same month, other securities for ₹70 lakhs. Expenses for fund manager was ₹10 lakhs of which ₹1 lakh is in arrears. 80% of the realised earnings were distributed. Dividend earned was ₹6 lakhs. The Market value of the investment hold by mutual fund on 30th April was ₹180 lakhs.
Now suppose, an investor subscribed to 1 unit on April 1 and disposed it off at closing NAV on 30th April. What will his annual rate of earning.
Here, lets calculate closing NAV first,
Amount in ₹ lakhs
Amount in ₹ lakhs
Amount in ₹ lakhs
|Opening Bank (200-190-8) (initial receipts – investment made – expenses pertaining to initial receipts)|
2
|Add: Proceeds from sale of securities|
90
|Add: Dividend received|
6
98
|Cost of securities purchased|
60
|Fund Management Expenses paid (10-1)|
9
|Capital gain distributed = 80% of (90-60)|
24
|Dividend Distributed = 90% of 6|
4.8
97.8
|Closing Bank|
.2
|Closing Market value of investments|
180
180.2
|Less: Arears of Expenses|
1
|Closing Net Assets|
179.2
|Number of Units (Lakhs)|
20
|Closing NAV per unit|
8.96
Now, let’s calculate rate of earning,
Amount
Income received (24 + 4.8)/20
1.44
Loss: Loss on disposal (10 – 8.96)
1.04
Net Earning
0.4
Initial Investment
10
Rate of earning monthly
4%
Rate if earning (Annual)
48%
A better way to describe performance of mutual fund return can be described from following three sources –
- Dividend Earned
- Capital Gain Distribution/Earned
- Change in price or NAV
In case investment is held for a period less than 1 year, then pay offs can be easily converted into returns by using Holding Period Return (HPR) formula, which is as follows –
In order to assess the performance of Mutual Funds, often ratios are used. [wiki slug=’sharpe-ratio’ /] and [wiki slug=’treynor-ratio’ /] are two of such ratios. Both Sharpe Ratio and Treynor ratio measure risk adjusted returns. While Sharpe ratio measures total risk (as the degree of volatility in returns captures all elements of risk – systematic as well as unsystemic), the Treynor ratio captures only systematic risk in its computation. It is therefore, when one has to evaluate the funds which are sector specific, Sharpe ratio would be more meaningful. This is due to the fact that unsystematic risk would be present in sector specific funds. Hence, a truer measure of evaluation would be to judge the returns based on the total risk. On the contrary, if we consider diversified equity funds, the element of unsystematic risk would be very negligible as these funds are expected to be well diversified by virtue of their nature. Hence, Treynor ratio would be more apt here. However, usually both ratios give similar rankings. [wiki slug=’jensens-alpha’ /] and [wiki slug=’expense-ratio’ /] are other two such ratios that are used to analyse performance of the mutual fund. | https://indiantaxstudy.com/knowledge-base/financial-management/computation-of-returns-from-mutual-funds/ |
One of the questions asked was where did everyone come from? Well, this little bar chart should make it clear! The farthest travelled to attend goes to norfolkbirder from the United Kingdom, followed by 3 from Arizona, 5 from Nova Scotia, and 4 from Quebec. As for closest, we counted at least 6 (including muggles) from Rosthern itself that signed the official log book.
The original onsite count was 633, but a meticulous re-count of the log book has confirmed 625 unique people, which is still a most impressive number for Saskatchewan’s first MEGA!
We scanned in the official log book for posterity, and you can view it yourself at the link below. | http://www.livingskies2014.ca/where-did-everyone-come-from/ |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to data security and more particularly to a method and system for data authentication using plural electronic keys.
It is increasingly common to exchange digital data, such as for instance digital documents and forms, via a communications network. More specifically, digital data is exchanged for purposes relating to commerce, (i.e. on-line shopping and on-line banking, etc.), upgrading or updating firmware or software of computers or other electronic devices, and communicating (i.e. e-mail). Typically, the communications network is not secure and so it is necessary to use some form of encryption or a digital signature, or a combination of these, in order to reduce the risk of private and/or confidential information being intercepted by a party other than the intended recipient. Most often, the communications network is the Internet.
Encryption and digital signing processes both involve encoding digital data in some way using a secure electronic key, otherwise known as a cryptographic key or a cryptokey. Prior to transmitting the digital data via the communications network, a sender uses a secure electronic key to digitally sign and/or encrypt the digital data. The encoded digital data is then transmitted via the communications network, and is received by a recipient. The recipient subsequently uses a cryptographic key to verify the digital signature of the sender and/or decrypt the encrypted digital data. Different types of cryptography schemes are known, including symmetric and asymmetric schemes. In a symmetric cryptography scheme the sender and the recipient are both in possession of identical secure electronic keys, whereas asymmetric cryptography schemes make use of private/public key pairs.
A digital signature or digital signature scheme is typically a type of asymmetric cryptography, which is used to simulate the security properties of a handwritten signature on paper. Digital signatures mainly provide authentication of a “message”. In practice, however, this type of signature is not used directly, but rather the message to be signed is first hashed to produce a short digest that is then signed. Accordingly, when it is desired to digitally sign a message for transmission via a communications network a one-way mathematical process is performed on the digital data that comprises the message, in order to generate the digest. The generated digest can be verified to be from the digital data that comprises the message, and typically it is a small amount of data relative to the original data to which it relates. The sender then digitally signs the digest using a secure electronic key, and the digitally signed digest is transmitted along with the message to a recipient. Upon receiving the digitally signed message, the recipient uses a signature verifying process, which given a message, a public key and a signature, either accepts the signature as being authentic or rejects the signature. In general, a digital signature scheme must satisfy two main criteria. First, a digital signature that is generated from a fixed message and fixed private key must verify on that message and the corresponding public key. Secondly, it must be computationally infeasible for a party who does not possess the private key to generate a valid signature reliably within a short time frame.
When using symmetric cryptokeys—a same key for encrypting and decrypting of data, digital signatures function similarly though the verification of the signature is only performable by systems having or having access to the symmetric cryptokey. For example, when a same organization wants to verify communications between different offices, each office is provided with a copy of a same cryptokey and symmetric encryption processes are then usable therebetween for ciphering or for digitally signing of data.
A problem arises when the private key is compromised. For instance, the private key is compromised when an unauthorized party obtains access to or knowledge of the private key. In this scenario, the unauthorized party may decrypt a message that is intended for the recipient and/or may use the compromised private key to digitally sign electronic documents. Accordingly, when the private key is compromised it becomes necessary to generate a new private/public key pair and to remove the compromised key from use such that documents digitally signed with the compromised key are no longer accepted. A simple way to do this is to expire the compromised key and then to require physical attendance at a secured location to receive a new key. In another example, this is done using a master key, which is used only to communicate new keys and is not used for encoding other data for transmission via the communications network. Unfortunately, in the unlikely event that the master key is compromised then all security devices that are associated with that master key become worthless. In particular, the compromised master key can continue to be used by an unauthorized entity to generate valid keys that are not authorized for exchanging data between such devices. For this reason, master keys are protected typically using tamper resistant modules and/or secure physical storage. The high level of security that is necessary to prevent the master key from being compromised also limits the ability of an authorized user to utilize the master key at different geographic locations, since security must be provided to transfer the key from place to place and the destination system must be secure and adapted to interface with the master key module.
A number of variations of the basic digital signature scheme are known. For instance, two or more different sending entities may each digitally sign the same digital data in the fashion that is outlined above. However, in this case each entity merely uses their own private key to sign a digest of the same digital data. This is analogous to each sending entity applying their own handwritten signature to a paper document, as evidence that each sending entity assents to the contents of the message that is being transmitted. If the secure electronic key of one of the sending entities is compromised, then it may continue to be used by an unauthorized party in order to fraudulently sign messages as originating from that sending entity. If both sending entities are required to sign every message prior to the message being transmitted then the effects of one of the keys being compromised may be quite limited. However, in the event that one of the sending entities obtains the secure electronic key of the other sending entity, then that sending entity becomes able to apply both of the required digital signatures to any message they wish. Furthermore, an unauthorized party that is in possession of a compromised key associated with one of the sending entities may digitally sign any message requiring only that sending entity's digital signature or cosign messages that the other entity has already signed. This is particularly problematic when the cryptokey is compromised by the other cosigner. Of course, it is still necessary to use physical security to replace the compromised key.
There is a need for a method and system that overcomes at least some of the disadvantages of the prior art.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention there is provided a method comprising: providing digital data for being transmitted to a recipient system via a communications network; digitally signing the digital data using N cryptographic keys, each of the N cryptographic keys associated with a same sender of the digital data, and N>1; and, transmitting the digitally signed digital data to the recipient system via the communications network.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention there is provided a method comprising: providing digital data for being transmitted to a recipient system via a communications network; digitally signing the digital data, comprising hashing the digital data and signing the hash using a first cryptographic key and using a second cryptographic key, each of the first cryptographic key and the second cryptographic key being associated with a same sender of the digital data; and, transmitting the digitally signed digital data to the recipient system via the communications network.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention there is provided a method comprising: receiving digital data comprising a first digital signature and a second digital signature, the first digital signature generated using a first cryptographic key associated with a trusted sender and the second digital signature generated using a second cryptographic key associated with the same trusted sender, verifying the first digital signature; verifying the second digital signature; accepting the digital data as authentic, in dependence upon verifying the first digital signature and verifying the second digital signature; and, providing the digital data to a recipient associated with the recipient system in dependence upon accepting the digital data as authentic.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention there is provided a method comprising: transmitting to a recipient via a communications network a message, the message digitally signed using a first cryptographic key and a second cryptographic key; receiving from the recipient an indication that the first cryptographic key is compromised; generating a new first cryptographic key; encrypting the new first cryptographic key using the second cryptographic key; and, transmitting the encrypted new first cryptographic key to the recipient.
The following description is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and is provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements. Various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.
FIG. 1
100
102
104
106
108
Referring to , shown is a simplified flow diagram of a method according to an embodiment of the instant invention. At a sender digitally signs a message using a first cryptographic key and digitally signs the same message using a second cryptographic key. Both the first cryptographic key and the second cryptographic key are associated with the same sender. Accordingly, the sender digitally signs the same message two times, once using the first cryptographic key and once using the second cryptographic key. At the digitally signed message is transmitted to a recipient via a communications network, such as for instance the Internet. At the recipient verifies the digital signatures based on each one of the first cryptographic key and the second cryptographic key. If both digital signatures are verified, then at the digitally signed message is accepted as being authentic. However, if one of the digital signatures is not verified, then the digitally signed message is rejected at .
FIG. 1
The method of optionally uses either a symmetric or an asymmetric cryptographic scheme. When symmetric cryptography is used, both the sender and the recipient are in possession of the same two cryptographic keys. Thus, the sender uses the first and second cryptographic keys to digitally sign the message and the recipient uses the same first and second cryptographic keys to verify the digital signatures. Alternatively, when asymmetric cryptography is used, the sender is in possession of private keys and the recipient is in possession of public keys associated with the private keys. Alternatively, the public keys are publicly available as they are not usable for generating the digital signature. Thus, the sender uses first and second private keys to digitally sign the message and the recipient uses first and second public keys to verify the digital signatures.
FIG. 2
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Referring now to , shown is a simplified flow diagram of a method according to an embodiment of the instant invention. The method of is discussed in terms of an asymmetric cryptography scheme, but optionally symmetric cryptography is used instead. At a sender provides an electronic document or message, which comprises digital data, for transmission to a recipient via a communications network. At a system that is associated with the sender performs a hashing routine to generate a digest of the electronic document. Optionally, the hashing routine is performed within a security module comprising a secure processor. The digest is signed at using a first private key associated with the sender, so as to generate a first signed digest. The digest is also signed at using a second private key associated with the sender, so as to generate a second signed digest. Optionally, a different digest is generated by repeating step using different hashing routine prior to step , and the different digest is then signed at using the second private key associated with the sender. At the first signed digest and the second signed digest are transmitted, with the electronic document or message, to the recipient via the communications network. At the recipient verifies the digital signatures based on each one of the first private key and the second private key. If both digital signatures are verified, then at the digitally signed message is accepted as being authentic. However, if one of the digital signatures is not verified, then the digitally signed message is rejected at .
[SA1]
[A2]
In the event that one of the first and second private keys becomes compromised, then the other of the first and second private keys still provides substantial security. Thus, even in the event that an unauthorized entity compromises one of the first and second private keys, that entity is unable to digitally sign data for being provided to the recipient, since it will be apparent to the recipient that the data is not authentic when it is digitally signed using only one of the two private keys. In fact, upon receiving a message that has been digitally signed using only one of the two private keys, the recipient optionally automatically provides a notification to the actual owner of the first and second keys that one of the two private keys is compromised. A replacement private key is then generated and distributed in a private/public key system, for example, such that the compromised private key is removed from devices and taken out of usage. For example, the uncompromised key is used to secure a replacement key for replacing the compromised key.
FIGS. 1 and 2
Optionally, a number of private keys other than two are employed. In general, the methods that are described with reference to are executed using N keys, where N≧2. Increasing the number of keys results in improved security since every key must be compromised in order to digitally sign fraudulent data. Compromise of all keys at the same time likely would be the result only of an “inside job.”
By way of a specific and non-limiting example, a method according to at least one embodiment of the instant invention may be applied to data transfer involving portable security modules. Portable security modules connect to computers and other electronic devices via an interface, such as for instance a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface. The security modules include a memory element, typically flash memory, and a processor. A set of cryptographic keys is stored in a secure portion of the module. When digital data that is encoded using a plurality of cryptographic keys is provided to the module, the module retrieves a plurality of corresponding keys from a set of keys that is stored in the secure portion of the module, and uses the retrieved plurality of corresponding keys to verify the digital signatures associated with the digital data. For instance, when the digital data comprises a firmware upgrade for the module, then it can be determined that the firmware originates from a trusted source by confirming that the digital data is digitally signed using each of the plurality of cryptographic keys, the plurality of cryptographic keys being verifiable as belonging to the trusted entity. The firmware upgrade is installed if, and only if, it is determined that the digital data comprising the firmware upgrade has been signed using each of the plurality of cryptographic keys. Otherwise, the portable security module does not install the firmware upgrade. Of course, where asymmetric encryption is used, the public keys are optionally retrievable from a public key store instead of being stored within the receiving device.
The above process may be applied more generally to a number of different types of devices that connect to a computer system via an interface, and that require updates/upgrades via a communications network. For instance, a company produces devices that are distributed to various computer systems associated with customers of the company. The company provides a set of symmetric keys within an inaccessible portion of each device and maintains an identical set of the symmetric keys within a cryptographic processor that is operated by the company. When the company wishes to provide an update or upgrade to the devices, the update or upgrade is packaged and digitally signed with N symmetric keys of the set of symmetric keys. The packaged and signed update or upgrade is transmitted via the communications network to the devices. Each device verifies the digital signature(s) using the same N symmetric keys of the set of symmetric keys. If the digital signature(s) based on the N symmetric keys is verified, then the update or upgrade is accepted and installed on the device. If the digital signature(s) based on even one of the N symmetric keys is not verified, then the update or upgrade is rejected and a message is sent to the company to indicate a key compromise.
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In a specific example in which first and second symmetric keys are used to digitally sign a message, and the first symmetric key becomes compromised, then replacement of the first symmetric key proceeds, for example, as shown in . At the device provides a message to the cryptographic processor indicating that the first symmetric key is compromised. The cryptographic processor generates a new first symmetric key at and encrypts the new first symmetric key using the uncompromised second symmetric key at . At the encrypted new first symmetric key is transmitted to the device via the communications network. Upon receipt, at the device decrypts the new first symmetric key using the uncompromised second symmetric key. The new first symmetric key is stored at . Next, at the cryptographic processor generates a new second symmetric key, encrypts the new second symmetric key using the previously generated new first symmetric key at , and transmits the new second symmetric key to the device via the communications network at . Upon receipt, at the device decrypts the new second symmetric key using the new first symmetric key. The new second symmetric key is stored at . In this way, the new first symmetric key and the new second symmetric key are stored as part of the set of symmetric keys, replacing the old first symmetric key and the old second symmetric key. The device generates a key replacement confirmation message, digitally signs the message using both the new first symmetric key and the new second symmetric key, and transmits the digitally signed message to the cryptographic processor of the company at . At the cryptographic processor of the company verifies the digital signatures based on the new first symmetric key and the new second symmetric key. If the digital signatures are verified, then at the key update is successful. If the digital signatures are not verified, then at the devices are disabled. Alternatively, only the compromised cryptokey is replaced.
Numerous other embodiments may be envisaged without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:
FIG. 1
shows a simplified flow diagram of a method according to an embodiment of the instant invention;
FIG. 2
shows a simplified flow diagram of a method according to an embodiment of the instant invention; and,
FIG. 3
shows a simplified flow diagram of a method of replacing compromised keys according to an embodiment of the instant invention. | |
The civic body's push for recycling the city's plastic and dry waste has hit a roadblock. Despite getting responses from six companies for setting up three material recovery centres to collect, segregate and recycle dry waste, the BMC has received only one bid leaving the two other plants with no takers.
Currently, NGOs, roped in the BMC, collect the city's dry waste which is then taken to segregation centres where the waste is sorted. Civic officials from the Solid Waste Management department said that the NGO workers are not able to collect all the dry waste generated by the city. "Around 250 metric tonnes of plastic and dry waste is collected every day while the city produces around 800-1,000 metric tonnes of dry waste. Once we have contractors on board, we hope to increase the collection up to 500 metric tonnes," said Ashok Khaire, deputy municipal commissioner.
When the BMC had invited proposals for the project last month, it had received responses from six companies. After the bidding process on August 7 though, only a single bid was received. "We are planning to give the contract to the single bidder and will put up a fresh tender for the two other plants. We will take the commissioner's approval first," said Khaire. The plants are expected to come up on plots in the island city (Colaba), western (Malvani) and eastern suburbs (Deonar).
Instead of selling different types of plastic and dry waste to individual vendors, the BMC hopes that bringing in contractors will help process dry waste on a large scale. "It'll be a commercial model and an assembly plant will be created where the dry waste will be sorted and baled. The contractors that have shown an interest in the project have connections with other companies that manufacture cement and dry waste can be used as fuel," said another SWM official. He added that the tender mentions that regardless of the calorific value, the contractor appointed for the project will have to recycle all of the dry waste. | https://www.mid-day.com/articles/bmcs-recycling-for-plastic-bid-gets-dry-response/21539195 |
When I saw this recipe in my pack of Recipes for Joy, I knew without question that it was a must try. Deliciously chocolatey, with cream cheese and raspberry jam, these cookies are really yummy. I think I'd like to try them drizzled with chocolate to take them over the top. After I baked them, I noticed they seemed a little lighter than in the picture so I looked the recipe over once more and my mouth fell open-they were supposed to have UNsweetened chocolate, and I had used SEMI-sweet. Oops. I'm sure with the unsweetened they are even better. Yummy!
Remember, go to Kraft Recipes for Joy to send your friends an e-card packed with recipes, and Kraft will donate $2 to Food Banks Canada. You have until December 31st 2010!
Re-printed with permission from Kraft
What you need:
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4 squares Baker's unsweetened Chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 package (250 g) Philadelphia Brick Cream Cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup Kraft Pure Red Raspberry Jam
Make it:
Heat oven to 375 F.
Mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Microwave chopped chocolate and butter in large bowl on medium 2 min; stir until chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in cream cheese. Add 1 cup sugar, egg and vanilla; mi well. Stir in flour mixture. Refrigerate 15 min.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls; coat with remaining sugar. Place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets. Press your thumb into center of each ball; fill each indentation with abut 1/4 tsp jam.
Bake 8-10 min, or until lightly browned. Cool 1 min on baking sheet; transfer to wire racks. Cool completely. | http://www.chasingtomatoes.ca/2010/12/kraft-recipes-for-joy-chocolate.html |
What are the 4 types of data in statistics?
The data is classified into majorly four categories:
- Nominal data.
- Ordinal data.
- Discrete data.
- Continuous data.
What data type is Fahrenheit?
Interval data is like ordinal except we can say the intervals between each value are equally split. The most common example is temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.
What is data in statistics with example?
data are individual pieces of factual information recorded and used for the purpose of analysis. It is the raw information from which statistics are created. Statistics are the results of data analysis – its interpretation and presentation.
Is temperature in Fahrenheit discrete or continuous?
continuous variable
Temperature is continuous variable as it does have fractional value too.
What data type is temperature?
Interval data is fun (and useful) because it’s concerned with both the order and difference between your variables. This allows you to measure standard deviation and central tendency. Everyone’s favorite example of interval data is temperatures in degrees celsius.
What is data type give example?
A string, for example, is a data type that is used to classify text and an integer is a data type used to classify whole numbers. Data Type.
What type of variable is temperature in Fahrenheit?
Why are Celsius and Fahrenheit temperature variables called interval variables? They are called interval variables because the intervals between the numbers represent something real. This is not the case with ordinal variables.
Is temperature in Fahrenheit quantitative or qualitative?
Since temperatures are expressed in numbers, they are quantitative variables.
What data type is Celsius?
While interval and ratio data can both be categorized, ranked, and have equal spacing between adjacent values, only ratio scales have a true zero. For example, temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit is at an interval scale because zero is not the lowest possible temperature.
Is time ordinal or nominal?
Time is an interval scale because there’s no meaningful zero. Can you say when time started? Duration is a ratio scale because there’s a meaningful zero and a starting point can be defined.
What are the examples of data?
The main examples of data are weights, prices, costs, numbers of items sold, employee names, product names, addresses, tax codes, registration marks etc. Images, sounds, multimedia and animated data as shown. Information: Information is data that has been converted into a more useful or intelligible form.
What are common data types?
Common data types
- Integer (int) It is the most common numeric data type used to store numbers without a fractional component (-707, 0, 707).
- Floating Point (float)
- Character (char)
- String (str or text)
- Boolean (bool)
- Enumerated type (enum)
- Array.
- Date.
What are data types in statistics?
Data Types are an important concept of statistics, which needs to be understood, to correctly apply statistical measurements to your data and therefore to correctly conclude certain assumptions about it.
Which of the following is an example of numerical data?
Some examples of numerical data are height, length, size, weight, and so on. The quantitative data can be classified into two different types based on the data sets. The two different classifications of numerical data are discrete data and continuous data. Discrete data can take only discrete values.
What is an example of a data type in programming?
Programmers can include individual dates, ranges or differences in their code. Some examples might be: Long data types are whole numbers, both positive and negative, that have many place values. Examples include: Short data types can be up to several integers, but they are always less than long data.
What are the different classifications of quantitative data?
The quantitative data can be classified into two different types based on the data sets. The two different classifications of numerical data are discrete data and continuous data. | https://www.fdotstokes.com/2022/09/20/what-are-the-4-types-of-data-in-statistics/ |
Lord Justice Jackson published the “Review of Civil Litigation Costs: Final Report” in January 2010. The report made various proposals for the reform of the costs regime in UK litigation. One of his key proposals was to end the recoverability of success fees and after-the-event insurance premiums under conditional fee agreements. In July 2010 the government announced that it would consult on how to implement this proposal. The consultation will also gather opinion on the report’s other recommendations on funding arrangements, particularly the recommendation that lawyers be permitted to enter into contingency fee agreements. In a conditional fee agreement a success fee is an amount paid to lawyers when a certain event arises – usually, the client winning the case. This amount is additional to the amount that would normally be payable if there were no conditional fee agreement, often referred to as the ‘base cost’ of the law firm. (1) A success fee is expressed as a percentage uplift on the base cost, the maximum uplift being 100%. Both the base cost and the success fee are recoverable from the other side if the client wins the proceedings. A success fee is calculated by taking into account (i) the risk element (i.e. the risk of losing the litigation) and (ii) the postponement element (i.e. the cost of not being paid the fee until the outcome of the litigation is known).
Often, a party relying on a success fee also enters into after-the-event insurance in order to cover the opponent’s legal costs should the case be lost.
A contingency fee arrangement provides that a client does not pay its own lawyer’s fees if the case is lost. However, where the client wins or settles favourably, the client’s lawyer receives the fee from the damages that the claimant recovers (in contract to a success fee, where a client’s legal fees are recoverable directly from the opponent).
Report
The report noted that the rationale for introducing conditional fee agreements was to make legal action more attractive to those unable to qualify for legal aid after the threshold for entitlement had been lowered. Under a conditional fee agreement the burden of litigation funding was shifted from the taxpayer (as in the case of legal aid) to the opposing party. However, it was noted that where the opposing party is a public body – for example the National Health Service (NHS) – the cost of funding the litigation is still effectively met by the taxpayer, and that millions of pounds are spent each year defending claims against tax-funded entities.
The report also attacks conditional fee agreements on the grounds that they often result in the creation of ‘super-claimants’ who enjoy a package of conditional fee agreement, after-the-event cover and third-party funding, and thus assume minimal risk. The burden of costs is transferred to the opponent and claimants with conditional fee agreements often have little interest in controlling the costs being incurred on their behalf. The report also states that conditional fee agreements allow claimant solicitors to cherry-pick cases which they see as being likely to win in order to maximise their fees.
The report’s main recommendation was that success fees and after-the-event premiums cease to be recoverable from unsuccessful opponents where the client wins the case. Conditions fee agreements would remain available, but success fees would be capped at 25% of damages and would be borne by the claimant. In practice, this would mean that a success fee would be paid out of any award of damages. However, in order to ensure that successful claimants are properly compensated, the report recommends increasing the level of general damages for personal injuries, nuisance and other civil wrongs by 10%. It was also recommended that the reward for a successful Part 36 offer made the claimant be enhanced, as this would help claimants to meet the success fee in the limited cases that proceed to trial. A further proposal would allow contingency fees or damages-based agreements, which would enable lawyers to take a share of their client’s damages. Such arrangements are not permitted under UK law.
Consultation
The consultation is likely to be thorough and wide ranging. Earlier in 2010 the Conditional Fee Agreement (Amendment) Order 2010, which proposed a cap for the maximum success fee in defamation cases at 10%, had a difficult passage through Parliament due to concerns that there had not been adequate consultation – the consultation period had been four weeks, rather than the usual 12. However, the fact that this order was expedited shows a willingness to implement legislative change in this area.
Reforms arising from the consultation with regard to the recoverability of success fees and after-the-event premiums are likely to require primary legislation. Perhaps a more decisive factor in implementation and legislative change will be the cost to local and central government. If the proposed changes fit the government’s cost-cutting agenda – and the cost of litigation to the NHS suggests that there are savings to be made – then new legislation may be more likely.
The short term effect is likely to be increased awareness within the legal profession and the judiciary of the importance of controlling costs. The current consultation may be focused on recoverability, but the overarching theme of Jackson’s recommendations is to identify and tackle the causes of excessive costs. In this respect the consultation is relevant to all litigators, not just those instructed under conditional fee agreements. | https://www.thejudgeglobal.com/conditional-fee-agreements-after-jackson-consultation-and-next-steps/ |
DEFINITION of ‘Equity ‘
Equity is the value of an asset less the value of all liabilities on that asset.
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BREAKING DOWN ‘Equity ‘
Generally speaking, the definition of equity can be represented with the accounting equation:
Equity = Assets – Liabilities
Yet, because of the variety of types of assets that exist, this simple definition can have somewhat different meanings when referring to different kinds of assets. The following are more specific definitions for the various forms of equity:
1. A stock or any other security representing an ownership interest. This may be in a private company (not publicly traded), in which case it is called private equity.
2. On a company’s balance sheet, the amount of the funds contributed by the owners (the stockholders) plus the retained earnings (or losses). Also referred to as shareholders’ equity.
3. In the context of margin trading, the value of securities in a margin account minus what has been borrowed from the brokerage.
4. In the context of real estate, the difference between the current fair market value of the property and the amount the owner still owes on the mortgage. It is the amount that the owner would receive after selling a property and paying off the mortgage. Also referred to as “real property value.”
5. In terms of investment strategies, equity (stocks) is one of the principal asset classes. The other two are fixed-income (bonds) and cash/cash-equivalents. These are used in asset allocation planning to structure a desired risk and return profile for an investor’s portfolio.
6. When a business goes bankrupt and has to liquidate, the amount of money remaining (if any) after the business repays its creditors. This is most often called “ownership equity” but is also referred to as risk capital or “liable capital.”
The term’s meaning depends very much on the context. In finance in general, you can think of equity as one’s ownership in any asset after all debts associated with that asset are paid off. For example, a car or house with no outstanding debt is considered entirely the owner’s equity because he or she can readily sell the item for cash, with no debt standing between the owner and the sale. Stocks are equity because they represent ownership in a company, though ownership of shares in a publicly traded company generally does not come with accompanying liabilities.
Yet, in spite of what seems like substantial differences, these variants of equity all share the common thread that equity is the value of an asset after deducting the value of liabilities. One could determine the equity of a business by determining its value (factoring in any owned land, buildings, capital goods, inventory and earnings) and deducting liabilities (including debts and overhead).
Example of Deriving Equity
For example, suppose that Jeff owns and operates a factory that manufactures car parts and that he wants to determine the equity of his business. He estimates that the value of the property itself is $4 million, the total value of his factory equipment is $2 million, the current value of his inventory and supplies (processed and unprocessed) is $1 million and the value of his accounts receivable is $1 million. He also knows that he owes $1 million for loans he took out to finance the factory, that he owes his workers $500,000 in wages and that he owes his parts supplier $500,000 for parts he has already received. To calculate his business’s equity, Jeff would subtract his total liabilities from the total value of his business in the following way:
Total value – total liability = ($4M + $2M + $1M + $1M) – ($1M + $0.5M + $0.5M) = $8M – $2M = $6 million
Jeff’s manufacturing company, then, is worth $6 million. It is also possible for equity to be negative, which occurs when the value of an asset is less than the value of liabilities on that asset. The book value of a company’s equity may often change, and for a variety of reasons. Causes of change in equity include a shift in the value of assets relative to the value of liabilities, depreciation and share repurchasing.
Equity is important because it represents the real value of one’s stake in an investment. Investors who hold stock in a company are usually interested in their own personal equity in the company, represented by their shares. Yet, this kind of personal equity is a function of the total equity of the company itself, so a shareholder concerned for their own earnings will necessarily be concerned for the company itself. Owning stock in a company over time will ideally yield capital gains for the shareholder, and potentially dividends as well. It also often bestows upon the shareholder the right to vote in Board of Directors elections, and all of these benefits further promote a shareholder’s concern for the company, both through continued involvement and through personal gain.
Home equity is also very important, although for different reasons. Equity on a property or home stems from payments made against a mortgage (including a down payment) and from increases in the value of the property. The reason home equity is a concern for many is that it is often an individual’s greatest source of collateral, and thus can be used in financing for a home-equity loan (often called a “second mortgage”) or a home equity line of credit.
When attempting to determine the value of assets in calculating equity, particularly for larger corporations, it is important to note that these assets may include both tangible assets like property, as well as intangible assets, like the company’s reputation and brand identity. Through years of advertising and development of a customer base, a company’s brand itself can come to bear an inherent value. This concept is often referred to as “brand equity,” which measures the value of a brand relative to a generic or store brand version of a product. For example, many people will reach for a Coca-Cola (KO) or Pepsi (PEP) before buying a store brand cola because they are more familiar with the flavor or prefer it. If a 2-liter bottle of store brand cola costs $1 and a 2-liter bottle of Coca-Cola costs $2, then in this case coke has a brand equity of $1. Just as equity can be negative, so can brand equity, if people are willing to pay more for a generic or store brand product than for a particular brand. Negative brand equity is rare, and generally only occurs because of bad publicity, such as in the event of a product recall or disaster. | https://economic-consultants.com/funding/sources-of-funding/equity/ |
The influences of different cultures
What cultural differences can reveal about the way we work how cultural differences affect our work, and interactions in the office [image: flickr user. All people become hungry, but the formulas for stimulating and satisfying appetite vary considerably across cultures, said joan ferrante, author of sociology: a global perspective in her book, ferrante explained how one indicator of a culture's influence is how people define only a portion of the potential food available to them as edible. Communicating across cultures is challenging each culture has set rules that its members take for granted few of us are aware of our own cultural biases because cultural imprinting is begun at a very early age and while some of a culture's knowledge, rules, beliefs, values, phobias, and anxieties are taught explicitly, most of the. Culture & religion for a sustainable future introduction activity 1 activity 2 activity 3 activity 4 reflection introduction culture shapes the way we see. Culture and language are undeniably intertwined learn why kids from diverse backgrounds can have trouble in school in this discussion of culture and language.
Spanish is spoken in many parts of the continent, yet in brazil, portuguese is the language spoken, helping to contribute to a different mode of culture between brazil and other parts of the continent religion and spirituality can also influence the development of culture essentially, the shared mode of communication and valences of. Culture is not a word or a thing that is simply defined, but it is worth discussing in a broad sense before students explore factors that can change or influence communities. Which cultures have influenced art throughout history art is a very important aspect of the society history can clearly prove that art is more than what is recognizable by the senses but it is also a reflection of how colorful a culture is. Family cultures vary greatly in their tolerance of differences some demand total allegiance to the values of the culture and regard any divergence from the norm as threatening to the well-being of the family some even go as far as to cut off all contact with family members who embrace different philosophies or styles of living. The philippines: culture and tradition february 20, 2015 filipino people are known as settlers in many parts of the world they are like the chameleon who easily.
Does culture influence our consumer behavior if so, how by dr ahmad chaudhry review of subject: culture is the fundamental determinant of a person's wants and behavior. How does music influence culture a: tend to learn something more easily and indelibly if it’s set to a rhyme or song, a fact exploited by a myriad of.
The ideas outlined above (about cultural-personal factors, conceptual factors, and thought styles) are explained more thoroughly in part 2 of culture and science: cultural influences and effects it will help you begin to understand the effects of cultural-personal factors in science and society, produced by the complex interplay of factors that are. New cognitive research suggests that language profoundly influences the way people see the world a different sense of blame in japanese and spanish new cognitive. Religious beliefs influence culture in a variety of ways certainly before societies were as civilized as ours, religious beliefs and culture were much more effectively mixed. Culture, values and the impact at work pdj september 27 , 2012 pdj 1 culture 9 values 1 webexclusive 36 webonly 38 “the world is getting smaller,” we say we.
The influences of different cultures
Culture is not just race, nationality or any particular social category--culture is experience the distinction between east asia and the west is only one of many cultural distinctions that separate different ways of thinking about intelligence robert serpell, phd, who is returning this year to the university of zambia after 13 years at the. How culture influences health beliefs all cultures have systems of health beliefs to explain what causes illness, how it can be cured or treated, and who should be.
- Influential beats: the cultural impact of music written by heavy metal’s lyrics also can seem a different language and be unintelligible to most, yet its.
- Social and cultural aspects of drinking key findings one of the problems facing those concerned with the development of policies and legislation on alcohol issues is the sheer volume of research and publications on this subject.
- Culture shaping our perception culture can shape our view of the world it sounds way to obvious to even be an argument many studies have shown that people from different cultures see and perceive things differently and that is probably due to how their culture shaped the way they view the world.
- And organisational behavior along with components that shape a culture are discussed below followed by analysis of impact of culture on international business.
Also, the best copy of this paper on cultural differences may be found as a pdf (appendix i) under my new book, party-directed mediation: helping others. Immigrants have enriched american culture and enhanced our influence in the world by daniel griswold this article appeared in insight on february 18, 2002. I cultural influences -on facial expressions of emotion david matsumoto research demotlstrates that facial expressions of emotion ate both universal and cul. Transcript of cultural influences on language development cultural influences on language development first of all what is language language: a. Culture refers to the characteristics of a particular group of people, including their language, cuisine, social habits, religion, music and arts it is a people’s way of life different groups of people have their own ways of doing things. | http://cfpapergfbb.gnomes-inc.info/the-influences-of-different-cultures.html |
Q:
agonizing over the Unix epoch
I am having some trouble understanding what exactly 00:00:00 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), 1 January 1970 means.
Below are two possible ways to interpret 00:00:00 according to my understanding, or rather, according to my confusion:
a point in time of zero duration, functioning as a divider between days. Under such a definition, being a divider, it belongs to no day, falls on no day in particular, and is rather defined not by a single day but rather by the two days it divides, so 00:00:00 1 January 1970 doesn't make sense. What would make sense under this definition would be to say 00:00:00 between 31 December 1969 and 1 January 1970, or simply (since that's redundant) the point in time between 31 December 1969 and 1 January 1970.
an interval in time having a duration of 1 second starting from the beginning of 1 January 1970 and ending 1 second later. Under the second definition 00:00:00 1 January 1970 makes sense but then the concept of seconds elapsed since 00:00:00 UTC, 1 January 1970 doesn't make sense as you can't measure distance from an interval but only from a point. Unless what we really mean (under this definition) is seconds elapsed since the beginning of 00:00:00 UTC, 1 January 1970 I.e. since the beginning of the interval denoted by 00:00:00 UTC, 1 January 1970.
UPDATE
Based on the answers I received I think the correct way to view it is a point in time of zero duration that by convention indicates the earliest point in time in the day next to which it appears. Yet I am not fully convinced that this is a rigorous definition. It's like defining 1 to be the lowest number in the set [1, 2). It's a circular definition as the duration of the day is itself defined using the 00:00:00 point in time. Maybe I am indeed reading too much into it.
A:
I'm probably missing something here, but I think it's most useful to think of the epoch as a reference. It is instantaneous (somewhat along the lines of your first bullet point when you say zero duration) and is only useful in terms of other dates/times. E.G. 00:00:01 - 00:00:00 = 1 second since epoch.
Think of time as a number line and we choose to place zero at a certain point, since we need a global reference. All points are then relative to this point. Normally, we think of zero in terms of number of things (e.g. "I have zero apples" means "I have no apples"). However, it is common to place zero in a convenient place (think about grid coordinates or energy scales).
The problem you are expressing is far more general than the unix epoch and relates to e.g. 0 AD/BC (CE/BCE).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epoch_(reference_date)
A:
You're reading way too much into it.
The epoch is the first moment of time during January 1st 1970 GMT. As one entire second has not yet passed, the time is 00:00:00 .
| |
By Tim Saunders on
Carmen Electra went to the dogs for charity last Saturday.
The 36-year-old model and actress co-hosted the Bark for The Cure Fun Run/Walk in Los Angeles’ Griffiths Park to raise money for canine cancer research and the Los Angeles Parks Foundation.
The event was organized by the Fresh Pet Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping our closest companions lead long, healthy and disease-free lives, whose aim is to support canine nutritional research in the areas of prevention, care and treatment of diseases in dogs. Electra – a self-confessed animal lover – joined co-hosts Tamar Geller and Candy Spelling for the 5 kilometer run around the park and the canine celebration that followed.
Electra – whose mother died of a brain tumor in 1998 – is well known for her charity work, especially her work with Head To Hollywood, which brings people suffering from brain cancer to Hollywood for a red carpet experience. | https://www.looktothestars.org/news/1340-every-dog-has-its-day-with-carmen-electra |
In the presence of a black hole, light sources connect to observers along multiple paths. As a result, observed brightness fluctuations must be correlated across different times and positions in black hole images. Photons that execute multiple orbits around the black hole appear near a critical curve in the observer sky, giving rise to the photon ring. In the talk I will describe the structure of a Kerr black hole's photon ring. I will then discuss a novel observable we have recently proposed: the two-point correlation function of intensity fluctuations on the ring. This two-point function exhibits a universal, self-similar pattern consisting of multiple peaks of identical shape: while the profile of each peak encodes statistical properties of fluctuations in the source, the locations and heights of the peaks are determined purely by the black hole parameters. Measuring these peaks would demonstrate the existence of the photon ring without resolving its thickness, and would provide estimates of black hole mass and spin. With regular monitoring over sufficiently long timescales, this measurement could be possible via interferometric imaging with modest improvements to the Event Horizon Telescope. | https://phys.technion.ac.il/en/events/event/2306 |
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About Marsilea quadrifolia
Water clover is a deciduous, aquatic fern, bearing 4 parted leaf resembling 4-leaf clover. Producing clumps of leaves up to 15 to 20 cm tall at intervals, creeping, much-branched rhizome. Leaves floating in deep water or erect in shallow water or on land.Each stalk bearing a single shamrock-like leaf with four wedge-shaped leaflets. The plant forms dense stands or has a random growing pattern. Sporocarp ellipsoid, long, dark brown. The plant has been harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is often cultivated as an ornamental in aquaria and garden ponds.
Plant Specifications
Marsilea quadrifolia care
Marsilea quadrifolia uses
Reviews
Friday, 25 October 2019
?What if i keep this plant in the office where it is AC? Will it survive there? | https://nurserylive.com/en/plants/by-features-uses/medicinal-plants/marsilea-quadrifolia-plants-in-india |
PRIORITY CLAIM
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In accordance with 37 C.F.R. § 1.76, a claim of priority is included in an Application Data Sheet filed concurrently herewith. Accordingly, the present invention claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/582,660, entitled “DUAL CODE AUTHENTICATION PROCESS”, filed Nov. 7, 2017. The contents of which the above referenced application is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates generally to the field of document authenticity and, in particular, to the selective use of light sources having light emission and absorption characteristics in certain corresponding spectral bands that can be placed on a label and verified by a reader device.
Authenticity of documents can be performed by many techniques. What is lacking in the art is the protection of labels using matching and mismatching illumination sources for absorption in certain bands, spectrally matched (or mismatched) pigments to assume a distinctly different appearance based upon the illumination source used. Prior art patents by the Applicant related to secure printing matters include U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,483,576; 6,672,718; 6,813,011; 7,939,239; 8,841,063; 9,183,688 and 9,159,016, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Disclosed is a process combining dual codes; a visible code assigned to an invisible code for use in document authenticity. In an exemplary example, a label is printed with a visible QR code and an invisible printed randomly generated code which can be alpha, numeric, symbol or image that can only be read with a reading device. A data generation engine is used to create the randomly generated code, which is assigned to the QR code and stored in a cloud based database. The QR code is visibly secured to a document, and the randomly generated code is invisibly secured to the document. The QR code is decodable by a handheld reading device which communicates with the cloud based database, releasing the generated code to the reading device. A reader decodes the invisible printed code, wherein a user can compare the printed code read by the reading device and the code stored on the cloud based database to determine authenticity of the label.
An objective of the invention is tandem printing of a visible QR code (or other symbol bar code) and an invisible randomly generated code (number, bar code, or image) assigned to the QR Code on a label or the like document for subsequent verification.
Another objective of the invention is to disclose a process wherein a user scans a visible QR code with a special application, or “app”, on a smart phone or tablet, and a text, email, and or phone call goes back to the smartphone/tablet computer that performed the scan and tells them what the hidden code, image, or number stored in the cloud at the time of printing is.
Still another objective of the invention is to provide a process wherein a user can scan a QR code which will send geolocation to a secure cloud database; wherein inspectors will have a special app which will allow them to see a secure code to confirm it is correct, which will also be logged with the database.
Yet another objective of the invention is to employ a QR code that directs a user to a website to obtain a number hidden on a document associated with the QR code using a password.
Another objective of the invention is to employ a process for producing a visual distinction in the appearance of a code or the like image when the code is illuminated by different broadband or broadband-simulative light sources.
Still another objective of the invention is to provide a device that creates a light source having an emission spectrum for illuminating invisible code, wherein the spectrum contains concentrated light energy in a narrow band in the visible spectrum. The pigmentation of invisible code is selected such that the material used to implant the code is strongly absorptive at that limited wavelength band. In this way, the code has a distinctly different color appearance under the respective illumination spectra of the two sources.
Yet still another objective of the invention is to provide two light sources used for comparison, wherein one light source has a broad and continuous spectrum, and the other light source is used to test for the presence of the pigment used to write the code; the pigment? having a strong and exclusive narrow peak emission band, preferably functioning as a primary color component of a summed wavelength set for simulating daylight or white light, and which corresponds very closely to the peak in the absorption spectrum of the pigmented code.
Another objective of the invention is to mask a normally visible code in a background of a similar hue, wherein the invention is used to cause the background or foreground to change hue so as to develop a contrast revealing the particular code. In these and other similar situations, the existence or content of the code is concealed until a particular illumination source is applied.
Still another objective of the invention is to disclose a reading device (light source) that allows a user to check the authentication of a document by reading a hidden number to determine if the hidden number matches a text, email, or phone call information they received by scanning the QR code.
A benefit of the invention is that, if the reading device reveals that the hidden image on a document matches a text, email, or phone call number, then the document is authentic. If the hidden number is different or hidden, the document is a fake.
Other objectives and further advantages and benefits associated with this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description, examples and claims which follow.
A detailed embodiment of the instant invention is disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific functional and structural details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representation basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.
Disclosed in Assignee's U.S. Pat. No. 8,551,683, incorporated herein by reference, is a combination light source and subject. The light source has an illumination spectrum characterized by a distinctively stronger narrow band emission peak that has a predetermined wavelength within a spectrum compared to other wavelengths; and, the subject has a pigment applied thereto, wherein the pigment has a reflection spectrum characterized by one of a distinctively stronger reflection peak at the predetermined wavelength compared to said other wavelengths, and a distinctively weaker reflection gap at the predetermined wavelength compared to said other wavelengths. The pigment gives the subject a distinct appearance when illuminated by the light source due to a color shift from the emission peak matching one of the reflection peak and the reflection gap, as compared to a nominal appearance when illuminated by an alternate light source which does not include the distinctively stronger emission peak at the predetermined wavelength as compared to said other wavelengths.
Assignee has adapted this technology in a process for marking and detecting labels with spectral band authentication features. The process includes the step of a user scanning and reading a VISIBLE QR code, (typically done by using an APP on a smart phone) which goes up to the cloud and obtains a randomly generated alpha, numeric, symbol, image or combination thereof. This code is then sent back to the user that scanned the QR code by way of a text message, email, or even a phone call, so the user can see if it matches the INVISIBLE code on the label. If the presented code matches the INVISIBLE code, the label is deemed genuine. If the code is different, or no code at all comes back, the label is a fake, counterfeit, etc.
The steps consist of: Activating a data generation engine that creates a QR code (or other symbol bar code) and a randomly generated code (number, bar code, or image) that is assigned to the QR Code. Inserting the QR code and randomly generated code into a secure cloud based database for future reference. The only known relationship between the QR code and the randomly generated code is in the secure database. Ripping the QR code and randomly generated code one image. Transmitting said image securely to a user (label printing company, etc.). The transmitting of the QR code and randomly generated code as one image is very important to ensure the two elements never become out of sync during the printing process. Printing the QR code in a format visible to the human eye. Printing the randomly generated number, bar code or image invisibly in accordance with the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 8,551,683 or another invisible ink. Decoding the QR code by a handheld reading device, in the case with GPAS, a mobile phone. Communicating of the reading device back to the secure database. Writing a geolocation data to the database along with any other relevant data and returns to the hand held reading device the invisible randomly generated code that was printed INVISIBLY with the QR Code. This return of the randomly generated code could on the screen of a reading device, a text message on a smart phone, email, or phone call based on user's preference. In one embodiment, if the information the consumer is looking at is GPAS information on a phone, then the phone is the likely device to display the randomly generated code. Illuminating the invisible information using the reading device and comparing it to the information displayed the same or another reading device, such as a handheld device (mobile phone) to determine it is in fact a genuine article. The reading device can be a modified camera, a modified smart phone, or a reader that is made special for the decoding process having an illumination wavelength and a viewing window to see the decoded print. A handheld device can accompany the reader for receiving a communication regarding the stored code email, a text or a telephone call.
The detection of the hidden number is accomplished by a device having a specific visible light source with a distinct emission spectra characterized by narrow peaks and gaps, together with a pigment that is selectively responsive at the wavelengths of specific peaks and/or unresponsive at the gaps in the spectrum. In one embodiment, an illumination source has narrow spectral band peaks, exemplified by certain types of fluorescent lamps. In such a source, a combination of narrow wavelength bands (typically three primary color wavelengths) when added normally simulate illumination from a broadband source such as sunlight, having a given color temperature. According to an inventive aspect, an illumination source as described is applied to a wavelength absorptive pigment that is matched to at least one narrow band in the source, by virtue of a band at which the pigment is strongly absorptive. The preferably narrow absorptive band of the pigment is at least partly complementary to one of the color peaks emitted from the lamp.
An exemplary narrow band illumination source for use according to the invention may have discrete spectral peaks at particular wavelengths at visible blue, green and red wavelength bands. When these spectral peaks are added at appropriate relative amplitudes, the illumination is perceived by the eye as substantially white broadband light. A blue peak at 440 nm.+−0.15 nm, a green peak at 544 nm.+−0.15 nm and a red peak at 611 nm.+−0.15 nm are provided. Preferably, the bands are added at energy levels that cause the sum of the three sources to appear as a nominal color, for example the white of sunlight.
A particular pigment having a nominal color when illuminated with a true broadband source is specifically matched to the narrow band illumination source as described. Preferably the pigment has an absorptive peak (i.e., a reflective spectral gap) that is sufficiently strong and sufficiently matched to the wavelength band of one of the illumination source peaks that the overall color or hue, from the summed proportions of reflected colors from the pigment, shifts substantially and noticeably based on whether the particular narrow band keying peak wavelength is present in the illumination source.
All patents mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, and are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiments, methods, procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments, are intended to be exemplary and are not intended as limitations on the scope. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims.
The use of the word “a” or “an” when used in conjunction with the term “comprising” in the claims and/or the specification may mean “one,” but it is also consistent with the meaning of “one or more” or “at least one.” The use of the term “or” in the claims is used to mean “and/or” unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives only or the alternative are mutually exclusive, although the disclosure supports a definition that refers to only alternatives and “and/or.” The terms “comprise” (and any form of comprise, such as “comprises” and “comprising”), “have” (and any form of have, such as “has” and “having”), “include” (and any form of include, such as “includes” and “including”) and “contain” (and any form of contain, such as “contains” and “containing”) are open-ended linking verbs. As a result, a method or device that “comprises,” “has,” “includes” or “contains” one or more steps or elements, possesses those one or more steps or elements, but is not limited to possessing only those one or more elements. Likewise, a step of a method or an element of a device that “comprises,” “has,” “includes” or “contains” one or more features, possesses those one or more features, but is not limited to possessing only those one or more features. Furthermore, a device or structure that is configured in a certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also be configured in ways that are not listed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
FIG. 1
is a flow diagram of the inventive process. | |
Organisation management refers to managing of people to achieve goals and objective of the company using available resources efficiently and effectively. Basically, management comprises of planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Figure 1 - Four Functions of Management Planning to generate plans for action in future. Organizing of workers with the optimum usage of available resources to successfully carry out scheduled plans. Controlling and monitoring work done by workers and to lead workers in situational environment.
When individuals in a position, such as managers use their ability to show enthusiasm, and motivation it helps to encourage individuals to work harder toward meeting their goals. The structure help define the roles and responsibilities of the department, work groups and organization. Organizational structure is a system of tasks and policies that give members and group direction. Having a good organizational structure will lead to a good decision by businesses, for its long term investment goal. Although, it will allow people or groups to work effectively together while developing hard work ethics and attitudes.
This is done by developing the knowledge and skills of their employees, also referred to as the human capital pool. The quality of a company’s human resource management team could affect their ability to adapt to changes, which in turn determines their competitiveness. Competitiveness in the business world could be defined as a company’s ability to maintain current market share and eventually work towards gaining market share in its industry field (De Cieri). There are numerous critical factors that an organization must take into careful consideration when being involved in human resources. First off, profitability used to satisfy shareholders must be ensured, while at the same time the need to be providing quality products or services to customers.
Organizing is to determine what tasks should be done, arrange jobs to subordinates, controlling the budgeting and divided tasks to individuals or teams. Leading is to motivate staffs to work, maintaining the progress of activities and good relationship and to ensure to work done effective and efficient. Controlling is to measure work performance, assess whether goals have been met, compare the set targets, and make corrections when it is needed Organization performance is the performance effectiveness and the performance efficiency. The performance effectiveness is the measure of the task or goal accomplishment, it would be to what degree of a goal achieve. Managers who chose the right goals and achieve it can be say performance effectiveness.
HRM’s main role is to zoom into how employees can be utilized strategically and impact the business with measurable. HRM focuses on strategic direction and HRM metrics and measurable to demonstrate value. Effective HRM enables employees to contribute to the overall company direction, goals and objectives in an effective and productive fashion. In this assignment, we should look into the major changes that HRM had undergone in terms how its functions, objectives and delivery, from Personnel Management (PM) to its current form. Personnel Management (PM) vs Human Resource Management (HRM) HRM derives its origin from the practices of the earlier PM, which assisted in the management of people in an organization setup.
Essentially, the structure helps in ensuring the operations are undertaken efficiently and effective manner. The aspects that firms consider during operations have to directly cover the status of employees. There is need of engaging with the staffs for their views. Through the study, direct observations are made from their conduct in places of work (Auer & Antončič, 2011). It helps in identification of their needs and satisfaction level considering the organization structure.
The organising process identifies plans that is needed for an organisation, by assigning tasks to employees and group of individuals in the company, with the help of planning ,the organization’s objectives can be easily achieved. In other words, organizing can be referred as the ideas of changing plans into actions. In a larger picture, organizing can be seen as the bridge that connects the conceptual thoughts created in making and arranging to the particular implies for fulfilling these thoughts. Organizing involves in the following activities : (a) Identify the activities needed to achieve the objectives and and execution of plans. (b) Gathering activities to create independent jobs.
The human resource management concept leads to improvement on a whole basis. Human resource management is a wide and significant concept that allows organizations to execute business procedures to be at its best. It is necessary that proper balance be formed in order to allow organization to grow and expand at a continuous manner. This means a lot from the perspective of seeing to it that the control is likely to be formed upon one or the other relevant areas as well. Primarily, human resource management aims upon raising the effectiveness and involvement of employees just as to make goals and objectives achievable and attainable.
Also, such data can be used as an input for SWOT analysis which includes the assessment of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that the organization sustains with. • Mission, Vision and Value Alignment- Alignment is one of the most critical concepts of business planning. Every organization must have a clear picture of its stated mission and vision. It is also necessary for its owners to have an idea of why the business exists, what services it provides and who its clients are. With these in place and with the help of business planning, goals and objectives are aligned with the mission, vision and values of an organization.
The Importance of Metrics Abstract Establishing metrics is crucial to any organization, especially in technology related company projects. Metrics permit organizations to measure its performance against industry sectors to determine how well the company is doing. Furthermore, metrics allow organizations to evaluate and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of its processes. Metrics are designated in different categories. The categories identified in this document include output, in-process, and people. | https://www.123helpme.com/essay/Operations-Management-Essay-549193 |
Fire hits residential house in Mandaue City
A residential house was damaged by fire at San Vicente village in Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City at past 11 a.m. on Thursday (August 30).
The Mandaue City Fire Station immediately deployed fire trucks and was able to control the fire at around 12:17 noon.
No one was hurt based on the initial report.
SFO1 Edson Dapal, the assigned fire investigator, is conducting further investigation to determine the cause of the fire and the cost of damage.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards. | |
Physical devices can be modeled using dynamic geometry. A vital tool for moving objects around in the model are the isometries, or distance-preserving transformations. This model of a Ferris wheel provides a good example.
Begin with a circle and a template for the chair.
- Start a new sketch and draw a circle; then add point C as a Point on Object that slides around the circle.
- Also, create a chair-shaped blob as a Polygon Interior.
An animation button for C.
- We wish to animate C so that it runs around its circle. Select the point C and also the circle (by shift-clicking).
- Now we choose an item on a submenu. Press the mouse button down on the Action Button Item of the Edit menu and then slide the mouse to the right and down to choose Animation....
- You will get a dialog box with some choices. This time just click on the button that says Animate.
- An animation button appears in the sketch. Double-click on the button to send the point C running around the circle.
- To stop the animation, click with the mouse anywhere in the sketch (you may have to hold down the button a while to get the animation to stop).
- Add a segment. Construct the radial segment AC and double-click the animation button again. What happens to the segment?
Attach a chair at point C using a translation.
- We will mark a vector from a vertex of the blob to point C. Select one on the vertices of the blob and then point C. Now choose Mark Vector .
- Translate the blob by the marked vector. Where does the blob move? What happens when you drag point C. Why?
- Now double-click the animation button again. What happens? Why? In the figure, can you tell which vertex on the blob was selected when marking the vector?
Adding more seats.
This Ferris wheel has just one seat. Let's add more seats. We will do this by constructing 3 more points on the circle to which we will attach the seats. These points, along with C, will make four points, equally spaced 90 degrees apart around the circle.
- Construct these points by constructing the line AC and then the line through A perpendicular to line AC. The points of intersection of these lines with the circle are the four equally spaced points.
- Run the animation again to see how the four points move in unison. Hide the two lines for esthetic reasons.
- Now in turn mark the vector from the same vertex of the blob as before to each of these three new points. Each time you mark a vector, translate the blob by this vector.
- Now double-click the animation button again to see your Ferris wheel.
Refinements and Extensions.
- Adjustable seats. Since this construction is dynamic, we can make changes. Drag some vertices of the original blob to reshape the "seat." Can you make the seats face the opposite way as before?
- A three-seater. Make another Ferris wheel with three seats. | http://mathforum.org/dynamic/jrk/ferris_dir/ |
I have updated the graphs for the latest week. There is a change in direction of both the New Case Slope and the Days to Double graphs. This may be a Holiday week effect like the weekend effect where fewer cases are reported. Hopefully, this change is a start of decline in the number of new infections because new restrictions are working.volvolugnut wrote: ↑Sun Nov 22, 2020 12:14 pmNew COVID-19 cases are growing in the US. Nearly every week brings new highs in the number of cases. The growth rates which I have tracked for months are rising again to levels similar to July or even April.volvolugnut wrote: ↑Sat Nov 14, 2020 11:30 am More statistics on US states and COVID-19 growth rates. My raw information is from Worldometer. Any errors or misrepresentations are my own.
To give some context to these changes, I have calculated the average growth rate for each week back to April. The growth rate is calculated as the number of new cases each day divided by the number of active cases for the previous day. There is a typical weekly pattern of rising cases each week and falling case numbers on the weekends. I have calculated the 7 day average of the growth rate for Saturday to Friday of each week.
Using the 7 day growth rate, a calculation can be made of the number of days for the new cases to double. This calculation uses (1+Growth Rate) to the exponential of 1/X and solved for when this equation equals 2 (doubling of new cases). Variable X is the number of days to double the new cases count. I have made this calculation using 14 day and 21 day growth rate averages as well.
A graph using the average for 7, 14, and 21 days and showing the days to double new case counts for April to middle of November is below. Another graph shows the 7 day average new virus cases counts for the same period.
Inspection of the graphs show that when the line for days to double becomes flat, there may soon be a decline or increase to the count of new cases. This has happened three times since April. When the slope of the line for doubling is steep, either going up or down, there is unlikely to be a change soon in the growth or decline in new cases.
The current lines for case doubling now shows some indication of going flat soon. I expect we will see the number of new virus cases continue to increase, but we may have a change of direction starting. Perhaps the changing recommendations for controlling the virus are beginning to have an impact.
There was an error in my original logic posted on November 14. During the upward slope periods of the Days to Double graph, the actual number of daily cases are declining. I reconsidered how to resolve this contradiction in logic.
I have added a new graph with a calculation of the slope of the new case numbers (current case count minus past case count divided by the number of days). The slope of a curve is the rate of change of the plotted line. If we were plotting velocity, the slope would be the acceleration. The slope is a better representation of the virus growth because the slope goes negative when the trend in cases starts going down.
volvolugnut
Stay safe out there. | https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=93274&start=950 |
Many security systems are designed and deployed to meet specific business requirements: The protection of life, business and personal property and to provide peace of mind to customers and employees.
Corporate investments in to these systems require taking the time to build out a robust integrated security program, by creating a foundation that can dynamically support your needs as they grow and change. When done right, integrated managed solutions can improve operational efficiencies, complement processes or compliance, and provide enhanced customer and employee experiences.
Solution management begins with preventative maintenance, but solution optimization encourages continued needs analysis exercises that uncover additional features and benefits that are often already available in most software platforms.
Here are 7 tactics you can use to optimize your security systems:
1. Add photos to access control credentials
2. Establish door access rules, such as manager first in
3. Automate arm/disarm schedules
4. Set up email notifications for critical events for alerts
5. Utilize active directory to manage permissions
6. Implement Remote Management
7. Integrate systems to set up event linking and tracking
If you like the ideas we’ve discussed today, give us a call and we can help you take the appropriate measures to protect your staff, equipment, and customers, providing you with peace of mind. | https://www.hsisecurity.com/post/7-tactics-to-optimize-your-security-systems |
An underwater vision measurement device based on light refraction tracking comprises a sealed cabin body, a signal transmission cable, and a camera, a line laser and an electric translation stage which are installed in the sealed cabin body, the line laser is installed on a slide block of the electric translation stage, the electric translation stage is fixed on the bottom surface of the sealed cabin body, and the signal transmission cable is arranged on the sealed cabin body. A camera bracket is also fixed on the bottom surface, and the camera is fixed on the camera bracket; one end of the signal transmission cable is connected with the camera, the line laser and the electric translation stage, and the other end is connected with an external computer. According to the method, a vision measurement model which considers the thickness of the refracting surface and does not need underwater calibration is established. The influence of multiple refraction on a vision measurement model is fully considered, the actual propagation path of light in underwater measurement is accurately described, and the measurement precision of the system is improved; through vertical projection geometric analysis, constraint conditions for avoiding underwater calibration are determined, and the calibration process of the underwater measurement system is simplified. |
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