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Introduction to the Near East
The Near East describes the land stretching from Northern Africa to the Middle East. Mesopotamia, is a specific a region within the Near East, encompassed the fertile land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The map below depicts the geography of the ancient Near East.
Mesopotamian religion followed a pantheon of gods and goddesses that reflected the forces of nature. Important deities included Ishtar (Inanna), the goddess of war, love, fertility, and lust. The importance of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent was represented by fertility gods/goddesses. Temple priestess and sacred prostitutes were emblematic of these deities.
Temple Prostitutes
Temple prostitution, or sacred prostitution, refers to ritual sex used for religious purposes. Temple prostitution was common in the Near East. Both male and female prostitutes were active participants of ritual sex. High priestesses were believed to be the physical manifest of Ishtar, the Mesopotamian fertility goddess. Sacred prostitutes engaging in fertility rites encouraged the agricultural prosperity of the land, as they had the blessing of Ishtar. Payment for ritual sex was ceremonial, and complementary to the intercourse.
Read more: Lesson Plan: The Epic of Gilgamesh
A notable record of temple prostitution is the Epic of Gilgamesh. The holy prostitute, Shamhat, is sent by the god Shamash to seduce the wild man Enkidu. The priestess’s intercourse with Enkidu is an effort to civilize him.
Take a priestess, child of pleasure –
When he goes to the wells
He will embrace the priestess
And the wild beasts will reject him.
(Tablet One, The Epic of Gilgamesh)
The Sacred Marriage
“Sacred marriage” refers to the ritual union of the gods, with human participants symbolizing deities. Historians believe that sexual intercourse was involved in sacred marriages in the Near East. Kings, representing the might and justice of Mesopotamian gods, coupled with high priestesses. Often, these high-ranking priestesses were symbols of Inanna, the Sumerian goddess of love, war, fertility, and lust. Kings could validate their rule by solidifying their bond with the physical representation of the fertility goddess. These sacred marriages sought the blessing and appeasement of Inanna. Ritual sex was believed to bring agricultural prosperity to the reigning king’s city.
Stone carvings of Inanna show a naked goddess with curved hips and breasts. The roundness of her body suggests fertility, and the ability to conceive.
Semitic people of the Near East engaged in ritual sex to appease Ba’al, the god of fertility, weather, seasons, and wind. Both male and female prostitutes were engaged in ritual sex to encourage Ba’al to ensure favorable weather conditions necessary for agriculture.
In the stone relief above, the Ba’al is shown with horns and holds a plant. The horns show the importance of the domesticity of animals, like cattle and goats. The propensity of agriculture is mirrored in the plant held in his hand. Mesopotamian people would have been eager to please a god they believed was dynamic to farming.
Human Sexuality Today
In today’s Western civilization, sex is overshadowed by negative stigmas and stereotypes. In particular, the concept of women and sex are frowned upon. Women are shamed for promiscuity, despite the prevalence of intercourse in popular media and advertising. Though the access to pornography, sexual education, and suggestive ads has increased with the advent of the internet, human sexuality is not often addressed in modern Western civilization. Today, sex workers and prostitutes are not guaranteed safety or workers’ rights by the law.
In recent years, sex workers’ rights groups, like Amnesty International, The World Health Organization, and the Global Alliance in Trafficking Against Women, have fought to ensure the basic human rights of disadvantaged sex workers. Prostitutes and adult entertainers are often victims of abuse and human trafficking. These interest groups seek the decriminalization of prostitution, in the effort to guarantee sex workers’ protection under the law, property rights, and health care. Too often, the negative connotations associated with sex jeopardize the welfare and health of women around the world. Modern society can learn from the ancient worship and acceptance of intercourse as a natural aspect of life.
- “Baalbek Temple Prostitutes and the Holy Prostitution for Baal.” Ancient Destructions. Last modified July 19, 2012. www.ancientdestruction.com/baalbek-temple-prostitutes-holy-prostitution-baal
- Barker, Melissa. “The Sacred Marriage Ritual of the Sumerians and the Kings that Practiced it.” Third Year Study, University of South Africa, 2013. www.academia.edu/6101327/Sacred_Marriage_ritual
- Black, Jeremy, and Anthony Green. An Illustrated Dictionary: Gods, Demons, and symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia. Texas: Eighth University of Texas Press, 1992. | https://jisforjourney.com/student-series-sacred-prostitution/ |
Customize the user interface of your iOS and Mac Catalyst apps by using views and controls in UIKit.
SDKs
- iOS 13.0+
- Xcode 11.1+
- Mac Catalyst 13.0+
Framework
- UIKit
Overview
This sample guides you through several types of customizations that you can apply in your iOS and Mac Catalyst apps. The sample uses a split view controller architecture for navigating UIKit views and controls. The primary view controller (
Master) shows the available views and controls. Selecting one shows the secondary view controller associated with it.
The name of each secondary view controller reflects its target item. For example, the
Alert class shows how to use a
UIAlert object. The only exceptions to this rule are
UISearch and
UIToolbar; the sample demonstrates these APIs in multiple view controllers to explain how their controls function and how to customize them. To demonstrate how to manage the complexity of your storyboards, all view controllers are hosted in a separate storyboard and loaded when needed.
This sample demonstrates the following views and controls (several of which are referenced in the sections below):
Add Accessibility Support to Your Views
VoiceOver and other system accessibility technologies use the information provided by your views and controls to help all users navigate your content. UIKit views include default accessibility support, but you can improve the user experience by providing custom accessibility information.
In this UIKitCatalog sample, several view controllers configure the
accessibility and
accessibility properties of their associated view. Picker view columns don’t have labels, so the picker view asks its delegate for the corresponding accessibility information:
Display a Custom Alert
Alert demonstrates several techniques for displaying modal alerts and action sheets from your interface. The configuration process is similar for all alerts:
Determine the message you want to display in the alert.
Create and configure a
UIAlertobject.
Controller
Add handlers for actions that the user may take.
Present the alert controller.
The
show function uses the
NSLocalized function to retrieve the alert messages in the user’s preferred language. This function uses those strings to create and configure the
UIAlert object. Although the button in the alert has the title OK, the sample uses a cancel action to ensure that the alert controller applies the proper styling to the button:
Customize the Appearance of Sliders
This sample demonstrates different ways to display a
UISlider, a control used to select a single value from a continuous range of values. You customize the appearance of a slider by assigning stretchable images for left-side tracking, right-side tracking, and the thumb. In this example, the track image is stretchable and is one pixel wide. Make the track images wider to provide rounded corners, but be sure to set these images’
cap property to allow room for the corners.
The
configure function sets up a custom slider:
Add a Search Bar to Your Interface
Use a
UISearch for receiving search-related information from the user. There are various ways to customize the look of the search bar:
Add a cancel button.
Add a bookmark button.
Set the bookmark image, both normal and highlighted states.
Change the tint color that applies to key elements in the search bar.
Set the search bar’s background image.
The
configure function sets up a custom search bar:
Customize the Appearance of Toolbars
This sample shows how to customize a
UIToolbar, a specialized view that displays one or more buttons along the bottom edge of your interface. Customize a toolbar by determining its bar style (black or default), translucency, tint color, and background color.
The following
view function in
Custom sets up a tinted tool bar:
Custom demonstrates further customization by changing the toolbar’s background image:
Add a Page Control Interface
Use a
UIPage to structure your app’s user interface. A page control is a specialized control that displays a horizontal series of dots, each of which corresponds to a page in the app’s document or other data-model entity. You customize a page control by setting its tint color for all the page indicator dots, and for the current page indicator dot.
The
configure function sets up a customized page control: | https://developer.apple.com/documentation/uikit/mac_catalyst/uikit_catalog_creating_and_customizing_views_and_controls?changes=_5 |
Soil carbon dynamics under young tropical secondary forests on former pastures-A case study from Panama (2011)
Secondary forests are gaining increased importance in tropical landscapes and have recently been reported to act as potential belowground carbon sinks. While economic interest in the management of secondary forests to mitigate carbon emissions is rising, the dynamics of soil carbon stocks under these ecosystems remain poorly understood. Recent studies report conflicting results concerning soil carbon trends as well as multiple confounding factors (e.g. soil type, topography and land-use history) affecting these trends. In this study, organic carbon stocks were measured in the mineral soil up to 20 cm depth of at 24 active pastures, 5-8-year-old, and 12-15-year-old secondary forest sites on former pastures. Additionally, we estimated carbon stocks under a 100-year-old secondary forest and compared them to those of nearby mature forests. Abiotic conditions in the study area were homogenous, enabling us to isolate the effect of land-use change on soil organic carbon stocks. Contrary to our expectations, soil carbon stocks in the top 10 cm did not change with young secondary forest development. Pasture soils stored 24.8 +/- 2.9 Mg ha(-1) carbon (mean +/- standard error) in the top 10 cm, and no accumulation of soil carbon was apparent during the first 15 years of secondary succession. Soil carbon stocks under 100-year-old secondary forests, averaging 43.0 +/- 7.9 Mg ha(-1) (mean +/- standard error), were clearly higher than those recorded at younger sites and approached levels of soil carbon stocks under mature forests. These data indicate that soil carbon stocks in this region of Panama are not affected by the land-use transition from pasture to young secondary regrowth. However, an increase of soil carbon storage might be possible over a longer period of time. Our results support trends observed in other tropical areas and highlight the importance of environmental conditions such as soil properties rather than land-use transitions on soil carbon dynamics. While our understanding of organic carbon dynamics in tropical soils remains limited, these results underscore the challenges of undertaking short-term reforestation projects with the expectation of increasing soil carbon sequestration.
Soil hydraulic response to land-use change associated with the recent soybean expansion at the Amazon agricultural frontier (2011)
Clearing for large-scale soy production and the displacement of cattle-breeding by soybeans are major features of land-use change in the lowland Amazon that can alter hydrologic properties of soils and the runoff generation over large areas. We measured infiltrability and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) under natural forest, pasture, and soybeans on Oxisols in a region of rapid soybean expansion in Mato Grosso, Brazil. The forest-pasture conversion reduced infiltrability from 1258 to 100 mm/h and Ksat at all depths. The pasture-soy conversion increased infiltrability from 100 to 469 mm/h (attributed to shallow disking), did not affect Ksat at 12.5 cm, but decreased Ksat at 30 cm from 122 to 80 mm/h, suggesting that soybean cultivation enhances subsoil compaction. Permeability decreased markedly with depth under forest, did not change under pasture, and averaged out at one fourth the forest value under soybeans with a similar pattern of anisotropy. Comparisons of permeability with rainfall intensities indicated that land-use change did not alter the predominantly vertical water movement within the soil. We conclude that this landscape is well buffered against land-use changes regarding near-surface hydrology, even though short-lived ponding and perched water tables may occur locally during high-intensity rainfall on pastures and under soybeans. | https://publishup.uni-potsdam.de/solrsearch/index/search/searchtype/all/rows/20/has_fulltextfq/false/facetNumber_year/all/start/0/facetNumber_subject/all/subjectfq/Pasture |
Petrology of Metamorphic Rock book.
Petrology of Metamorphic Rock book.
Petrology: The Study of Igneous Sedimentary Metamorphic Rocks/Book and Disk.
Metamorphic Petrology. This text provides an introduction to the subject of metamorphic rock formation. Select Format: Paperback. ISBN13:9780697236906. Release Date:November 1994.
Petrology: The Study of Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic Rocks. I use this book for self-study of petrology in Hokkaido University. 5 people found this helpful.
that produce igneous and metamorphic rocks. This concise textbook, written specifically for one-semester. Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology. Principles of Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology. 31 MB·1,083 Downloads·New! For a combined, one-semester, junior/senior-level course in Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology. 22 MB·43 Downloads·New!
Metamorphic Rock Textures and Structures 22 Metamorphic Conditions, Classifications, Mineralogies, Protoliths, Facies, and Facies Series 23 Metamorphic Phase Diagrams 24 Contact Metamorphism 25 Regional Metamorphism Under Low to Medium P/T Conditions: Buchan and Barrovian Facies Series 26 High P/T Metamorphism: Franciscan and Sanbagawa Facies Series and the Origin of Blueschists 27 Eclogites 28 Dynamic Metamorphism 29 Alpine Ultramafic Rocks and the.
Classification of melanges. Taconian metamorphism of mafic rocks in the Ashe Metamorphic Suite can be characterized by reference to an isograd corresponding to the reaction bio + epi hbl + gar, which separates rocks into tw. More). 1. View via Publisher. 4. Petrology : the study of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. The Ashe Metamorphic Suite, Northwest North Carolina; metamorphism and observations on geologic history.
Subject(s): Petrology Minerals DDC classification: 552 Online resources: Publisher description Table of contents. Tags from this library: No tags from this library for this title.
No matter what rock type you teach, this petrology textbook is sure to fit your course. Whether you use one book or any combination of the three smaller books, you and your students will benefit.
Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock types, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". The original rock (protolith) is subjected to heat (temperatures greater than 150 to 200 °C) and pressure (100 megapascals (1,000 bar) or more), causing profound physical or chemical change. The protolith may be a sedimentary, igneous, or existing metamorphic rock. | https://www.quartonews.it/math-and-science/earth-sciences/34591-petrology-of-metamorphic-rock-loren-a-raymond-download-djvu.html |
But the IT revolution has altered the lay of the intellectual land. … The data sets used in empirical economics today are enormous, with observations running into the millions. Some of this work is admittedly self-indulgent… But now it is on the empirical side where the capacity to do high-quality research is expanding most dramatically… And, revealingly, it is now empirically oriented graduate students who are the hot property when top doctoral programs seek to hire new faculty.
Not surprisingly, the best students have responded. The top young economists are, increasingly, empirically oriented. … To the extent that their work is rooted concretely in observation of the real world, it is less likely to sway with the latest fad and fashion. Or so one hopes.
The … twenty-first century will be the age of inductive economics, when empiricists hold sway and advice is grounded in concrete observation of markets and their inhabitants. Work in economics, including the abstract model building in which theorists engage, will be guided more powerfully by this real-world observation. It is about time.
Should this reassure us that we can avoid another crisis? Alas, there is no such certainty. … [entire article]
Originally published at the Economist’s View and reproduced here with the author’s permission.
So says Barry Eichengreen: | http://archive.economonitor.com/blog/2009/04/the-twenty-first-century-will-be-the-age-of-inductive-economics/ |
1. Canada is always cold. Although Canada does cover part of the Arctic and we do have polar bears, all the large Canadian cities are located between 44 and 55 degrees latitude which means we have four distinct seasons including a cold winter and a hot summer. … But the winters are indeed cold.
Is Canada cold all year round?
Canada is the second largest country in the world so it has a variety of climates. The northern part of Canada is extremely cold, with summer lasting less than two months, but almost all Canadians live near the southern border where the weather is warmer. … High temperatures in summer are around 79°F and in winter 32°F.
How cold does it get in Canada?
Temperature in Canada varies widely from region to region. Winters can be harsh in many parts of the country, particularly in the interior and Prairie provinces, which experience a continental climate, where daily average temperatures are near −15 °C (5 °F), but can drop below −40 °C (−40 °F) with severe wind chills.
Is Canada is a cold or hot country?
The northern two-thirds of the country has a climate similar to that of northern Scandinavia, with very cold winters and short, cool summers. The central southern area of the interior plains has a typical continental climate—very cold winters, hot summers, and relatively sparse precipitation.
Is Canada colder than USA?
Most of the United States is located in the mid-latitudes, where the climates are moderate. Canada is colder because so much of it lies far north in the higher latitudes.
Is Canada a boring country?
Peaceful, prosperous, reasonable Canada has long suffered from the reputation of being one of the most boring countries in the world.
Is it expensive to live in Canada?
The estimated monthly cost, excluding rent, for a family of four to live in Canada is 4,032 C$ and the cost for a single person is $1,125 C$.
…
3. What are the general living expenses in Canada?
|Average Living Expenses in Canada|
|Transportation (Public – one-way)||3.25 C$|
|Transportation (Public – monthly)||91 C$|
Is Canada colder than Russia?
1. As far as countries go, Canada is pretty much the coolest — literally. It vies with Russia for first place as the coldest nation in the world, with an average daily annual temperature of —5.6ºC.
Is Canada a good place to live?
Yes, Absolutely. Canada has a great reputation for being a friendly and safe place to live and raise a family. It’s one of the top 3 most popular countries globally and is ranked #1 for quality of life. Canada is the second-largest country in the world in its size, and its population is around 35 million people.
Is Canada the coldest country in the world?
1. Canada. Home to some of the world’s coldest cities and a huge area of territory which freezes over for half of the year, it’s no great surprise that Canada ranks as the world’s coldest country.
Is UK colder than Canada?
Originally Answered: Which country is colder, Canada or the UK? Thanks for the A2A. Canada is about ten times larger than the UK, with several very different climatic zones. But it is safer to say that most, if not all, of Canada is colder than the UK.
Which is hottest city in Canada?
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria – the capital of British Columbia – has the distinct honor of being Canada’s warmest city.
How long is Canadian winter?
The Canadian winter lasts from mid-December to mid-March. It is a great time to enjoy exciting winter activities like snowmobiling and dog sledding. The holiday season (December 20 to January 3) is a very busy time of year because of all the Christmas and New Year’s festivities.
How do people survive the cold in Canada?
Starting with thermals or innerwear, followed by regular wear, a sweater/jumper/hoody of choice, a well-insulated jacket, muffler/scarf, cap, gloves and snowshoes – I could go on and on! But trust me, layering is the only way you can survive in popular wintry cities like Toronto, Montreal regions during winters.
Why Canada is so cold?
Because of its location north of the Equator, it does experience cold weather. However, because of its size, it has many different climates. Just imagine, its southern border lies in the same latitude as sunny northern California, while its northern border is near the frigid arctic.
Which city is coldest in world?
Oymyakon, Russia is widely believed to be the coldest inhabited place on the planet. The town is home to 500 people, who withstand an average winter temperature of minus 58 degrees (minus 50 Celsius). | https://frenchfortcove.com/traveling-in-canada/does-it-stay-cold-in-canada.html |
Address: 543 Lutwyche Road, Brisbane City QLD 4000
Melbourne Private Schools introduces Department Of Education Science And Training in Brisbane City, for all your education and learning needs.
DEST supports the Australian Government’s efforts to respond in an integrated and balanced way to the education and training needs of all Australians. It established a national policy framework for school level education, post compulsory education and the training between education and work. It improves access to education for disadvantaged groups including Indigenous Australians and isolated students. The Australian Government takes a strong strategic approach to science by providing support for both basic research and the creation of world class centres of excellence.
Welcome to Department Of Education Science And Training one of the popular educators in your Brisbane City area. Our aim is help you in your learning journey.
We endeavour to celebrate each other’s uniqueness by providing opportunity for all and to develop a culture that identifies that the journey towards excellence is often paved with trial and error, risk taking, learning from mistakes, flexibility and adaptability. We believe that encouraging students to take ownership of the learning is critical in achieving the best learning outcomes and that implicit in this concept is that students learn their own areas of strength and areas of development, through useful and explicit feedback. | https://www.melbourneprivateschools.com/education/schools/qld/brisbane-city/department-of-education-science-and-training/2829 |
These pages contain the key passages of the book that changed perceptions of women forever. Available in store and online.
Tag: Simone de Beauvoir
Born on 9 January 1908, French writer, intellectual, existentialist philosopher, political activist, feminist and social theorist, Simone de Beauvoir. Of all the writing that emerged from the existentialist movement, Simone de Beauvoir’s groundbreaking study of women will probably have the most extensive and enduring impact. It is at once a work of anthropology and sociology, of biology and psychoanalysis, from the pen of a writer and novelist of penetrating imaginative power. | https://printedmatterhastings.com/tag/simone-de-beauvoir/ |
As new trends, technologies and challenges emerge, we are committed to equipping civil servants with the tools and knowledge they need to perform at a higher level.
By encouraging ongoing learning and development, the Fijian Civil Service will ensure a culture of continuous improvement, efficiency and quality service delivery to the Fijian people.
We acknowledge that workplace learning can happen anywhere, at any time and can be a combination of:
Employees are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning and development needs and for transferring new knowledge into their workplace. Managers lead by example, demonstrating continuous self-development and supporting their teams in their continuous improvement and in knowledge transfer.
The Ministry of Civil Service coordinates a wide range of learning and development courses locally and internationally to meet the identified core skill needs of the Civil Service.
|Local and International Courses|
|Course Title||Donor Agency||Training/ Scholarship||Training Dates||Due Date||MCS Application Form||Donor Application Form||Donor Guide for Online Applications Link|
|Gender Inclusive Governance for Policy Makers||Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy Administration||Training||17-18 February 2021||27.01.2021||MCS TNSA Form final.doc; LCP(8).doc||Download Form|
The Fijian Civil Service is shifting to new dimensions of learning. The ‘Moodle’ is an online learning platform that will give civil servants greater access, flexibility and continued support so that learning is a rich and meaningful experience.
In the first stages of roll out, Moodle will be used for induction training of newly appointed civil servants, offering reading materials, course materials and quizzes. | https://www.mcs.gov.fj/learndevelop.php |
Glenview is an inclusive organisation who works with a diverse section of the community, which may include; people who are culturally and linguistically diverse, people living with a disability, people from the LGBTI populations and veterans. We are looking for committed employees who can work with a diverse range of people with a diverse range of gardening requests.
Gardening Officer
Full Time
Our new gardening officer will interact closely with:
- Home Care and NDIS clients who live in the community
- Rostering and case management staff to ensure services delivered meet the needs of clients
- Work collaboratively with the broader Glenview garden and maintenance staff as required.
This position requires travel across Southern Tasmania and the ability to work independently
About the Successful Candidate
- Ensure high quality of gardening services at all times
- Ability to work with limited supervision
- Sound knowledge and understanding of safe work practices and procedures
Essential criteria includes excellent communication skills, prior experience and knowledge of gardening and the use of power tools, a full manual driver’s license, current satisfactory national police certificate and flu vaccination.
To enquire about the above position please contact the People and Culture Team on 6277 8800.
To express your interest in the above position please upload your resume and cover letter via our website http://glenview.org.au/careers/
Applications close: Sunday 30th of May 2021.When applying for any Vacancies / Jobs please use: Internet Explorer 9 and above, Firefox, Chrome, Safari or Opera.
Please do not use Internet Explorer 8 or earlier versions. | https://www.jobsintasmania.com.au/job/15722530/gardening-officer |
In this article, we will address the first point “Is there still an interest in managing your knowledge? ». A way to do this will be proposed in a future article.
1 – An evolving context
The need for a company or organization to manage its knowledge in the best possible way in order to ensure efficiency, sustainability, etc. is well known. Knowledge Management, as a profession, is still something quite new. The emergence of standards is a phenomenon that generally accompanies any activity that reaches a certain level of maturity. This is what is happening today for Knowledge Management.
The ISO9001 Standard already included requirements for Knowledge Management activities. The ISO30401 Standard, published very recently, is entirely dedicated to the Knowledge Management activity. It is a topical event that may lead a larger number of stakeholders to ask themselves the question of the state of Knowledge Management in their organizations or companies and their ability to meet the requirements of these Standards.
2 – Some reflections
Before going into more detail on how to improve Knowledge Management in an organization, it is useful to clarify what we are talking about and to make some comments on the impact of Big Data and A.I.
Indeed, with the continuous production of an ever-increasing amount of data through connected objects, with the development of artificial intelligence, which increases the capacity of machines to exploit this data, we can ask ourselves the question of the need for us as humans to continue to be concerned about the management of our knowledge. Will the A.I. learn it for us?
2 – 1 When can we start talking about Knowledge?
A first approach consists of identifying three levels: Data; Information; Knowledge.
A temperature of 28° is a given. To say that it is 28° in Marseille, or to say that it is 28° in Marseille and Lyon, is news. Knowledge appears with context information when the question “why?” is answered. For example, “it’s summer in June”. The answer to others “why?” will enrich the knowledge with explanations of physical and meteorological phenomena. It is in this way that young children acquire their first knowledge of the world around them through the famous “Why?”…” Why?”… etc.
Note: KM (Knowledge Management) is often used to refer to “Knowledge Management”. Knowledge” is a set of information and data, which is given meaning and validity in its explained context.
2 – 2 Thanks to big data, is it enough to accumulate and process data in tools to generate knowledge?
The starting point of Big Data is the automatic collection of data produced during a growing number of our activities. These become accessible due to the development of connected objects, an essential aspect of digital transformation. This data is stored, thanks to the almost infinite storage possibilities, at least perceived as such today. They are then processed by increasingly powerful algorithms to identify data, make correlations, classifications and turn them into information.
At this point can we really talk about “Knowledge”? Can an automatic assembly of information constitute knowledge?
Let us take the case of historical knowledge. Extracting, categorizing, assembling the major dates in history, the main events, the names of the more or less illustrious protagonists, cross-checking and correlating them is easy with the “new” digital tools. This provides a factual description of what happened. As it stands and without an explanation of the context that prevailed at the time, it is difficult for us to understand why things are happening and it would be dangerous to make a judgment on these events.
The explanation of the context (cultural, political, beliefs, etc.) in which these events took place, the reasons for their occurrence and their consequences are provided by the historian through a cognitive activity of analysis and synthesis. A process in which he also uses his intuition and perception to guide him through the mass of information at his disposal.
It is this combination of “the description of the events themselves, the explanations of the context, the perspective, the affiliation with other events…” that constitutes knowledge on the subject or event concerned.
It is therefore not only a matter of collecting and then processing information automatically, but also the result of cognitive work based on the possibilities and power of digital tools. Big Data is, therefore, a powerful tool to help create knowledge.
2 – 3 When the A.I. exempt us from learning and will the robots do it for us?
A robot is a formidable machine for processing information from its increasingly sophisticated sensors. Thanks to rules and the power of its recognition algorithms, a robot is able to learn from situations “experienced” by itself. Does this mean that it will replace the human being, that it will acquire knowledge and implement it autonomously?
Microsoft’s experience with Tay is quite significant. He was a chatbot supposed to chat with teenagers on social networks. It had been programmed to learn by interacting with Internet users. From these interactions, the robot “learned” and independently evolved its answers to the questions asked. Not having the historical and cultural background of a human being of our time, his answers got out of control and he had to be silenced after only 8 hours.
Let’s make the analogy with ourselves as humans. Our learning from an early age is guided, I would even say framed by an educational system. The application of our knowledge through our actions, our writings, and our words is constrained by society: by rules, laws and tacit practices. Not everything is formalized. In some cases, it is our intuition that guides us, a notion that is difficult to ” instill ” in a robot.
The learning of robots and the consequences that will result in their behavior will have to be controlled. This will require from us a level of knowledge that allows us to master the actions of these robots in all circumstances and to answer questions such as: is what has been learned valid, what consequences, why…)
Can we, for example, imagine an A.I. robot pilot who would change his ways of doing things on his own initiative according to his learning? obviously not.
Humans will continue to need to learn and manage their knowledge, including that acquired with the help of the A.I.
The Knowledge Management Club brings together companies and organizations from all sectors to develop knowledge management (KM) attitudes, culture, and actions. The relationship between A.I. and Knowledge Management is one of the themes addressed by the Club. | https://www.vedalis.com/is-there-still-an-interest-in-managing-your-knowledge/?lang=en |
Champion The Shift Towards A Collaborative Data Culture
I still remember the first time I signed up for Facebook. My friends and I wanted to share photos of a recent week-long trip we had taken and decided to share them through Facebook. Someone created an album of photos and we were all able to comment, share and like the photos that we had individually taken. This was the first time I remember being mesmerized by the power of a collaborative product.
The shift towards a collaborative enterprise
Over the next decade, many similar consumer products emerged and became the expectation. On top of these consumer products, a new trend of similar products had begun to take over the enterprise. People like myself, who grew up with these social products, began adopting similar products in the enterprise. Today, tools like Dropbox, Slack, Notion, Github, Jira, Figma have become the norm when working across departments.
In my last role in business operations, I spent the majority of my day jumping in between these tools to work with different team members to make decisions. And as the pandemic hit, the amount of time that I spent on these tools only increased as they became a source of truth for decision making, a social hub for different tasks and a team-oriented way to work together.
Different types of team-oriented decision-making require different levels of coordination and information sharing.
Below is a graph outlining how to think about collaboration and what tools are commonly used:
Of the tools presented in the graph above graph, our team used the following:
- Notion (Asynchronous, function agnostic tool): We used Notion to document most decisions. Notion became our hub for product roadmaps, memos, how-to’s etc. Teams would write docs in Notion and ask for asynchronous feedback on the decisions.
- Slack (Synchronous, function agnostic tool): Slack was used to centralize information in an ad hoc way. We had dedicated channels for communicating about different departments or projects.
- Figma (Asynchronous, design specific tool): Figma was the tool we used to make decisions about website changes and product design. Teams would comment asynchronously after the designer put the work on paper.
- Mode (Asynchronous, data visualization specific tool): Mode was a place to view dashboards created by the data team. These dashboards were built to measure performance or to answer a question that needed validation. More on this later.
A functional collaboration tools should give all employees who need access to information an easy way to find and understand that information.
The role of analytics in the upcoming decade
It’s generally common knowledge that enterprises are collecting more data than ever before. This is true of even small companies that have hundreds of tables and visualizations stored in data warehouses and visualization tools. Most businesses have started to attempt to derive business insights from their proprietary data sources. Product, marketing, and operations teams are expected to make data-driven decisions that demonstrate business value. This expectation will only increase as the amount of data collected grows and the cost of analyzing data decreases.
To create these insights, organizations rely on employees that can understand the data and extract value from the data using SQL. Some organizations consist of one core team of analysts and data scientists who are the driving force for how analytics will be run throughout the rest of the organization.
An alternative to the centralized approach, more teams are now adopting a decentralized data team. In these organizations, each department unit delivers its projects and functions and is supported by analytics throughout the process. Data analysis is not limited to the responsibility of a single data team. Instead, anyone can self serve their information to get the specific answers needed.
Data teams have adapted to the requests for decentralized analysis and self-service by building solutions depending on the technical aptitude of the requester. Below are the types of persona’s that are found in organizations:
- Level 1: This type of employee is completely competent in their ability to analyze data through SQL and just needs access to the right information.
- Level 2: This type of employee is confident in their data analysis abilities on basic queries, but could use some help with more complex queries.
- Level 3: This employee is not confident with their SQL skills. But they know how to use excel to analyze data
- Level 4: This type of employee is not confident with their data analysis skills and just wants to see graphs with final results.
In the upcoming decade, more teams will adapt towards a decentralized approach to speed up the time it takes teams to access information about the business.
How do teams collaborate with analytics today?
The amount of collaboration of data depends on the amount of competency and literacy that different employees have using data.
- Level 1: These employees will store old SQL queries in Git / Github or their data visualization tool, document their work in Confluence or ad hoc conversations on Slack and view different tables in data grip or Jupiter.
- Level 2: This type of employee will use DataGrip or Jupyter Notebook to write basic queries. They will ask the data team for information about tables on Slack or in Zoom meetings and will visualize their work in their data visualization tool.
- Level 3: This employee will use the data visualization tool to search for different tables and Slack to ask questions about tables or specific numbers. Sometimes, this employee will ask for a way to download a spreadsheet of the data to run their analysis on Google sheets or use a tool like Google Analytics.
- Level 4: This employee will use the data visualization tool to search for different tables and Slack to ask questions about tables or specific numbers.
The modern data collaboration stack is scattered across different warehouses, BI tools, SQL queries and reports that live in completely different tools. Additionally, the modern data stack relies heavily on context about tables or visualizations shared through slack or zoom meetings. This context is traditionally difficult to find months down the line, which usually causes similar questions to surface.
For example, imagine you’re an employee categorized by Level 2 data competency. Below are the steps you would take to get to a data-driven answer:
The collaborative part of the process described above is traditionally happening through Slack, Zoom and Confluence. These tools weren't built for data collaboration in mind. Because the data documentation, data visualization and data discovery and collaboration processes are all conducted in separate tools, information is lost and teams spend weeks collaborating over one single metric. According to a McKinsey report, employees spend 1.8 hours every day searching and gathering information. On average, that’s 9.3 hours per week!
Some tools, like Looker, have made portions of this process a little more efficient through their extensive LookML layer. That being said, there is often still confusion around table names, definitions, common queries or the relevance of different information in these data visualization tools. The confluence document and ad hoc Slack conversations were not built to be Function specific for data understanding and analysis. These tools create missing or outdated information about tables, visualizations and queries around the organization and create data debt.
What’s missing from the traditional data collaboration stack?
The one missing piece from today’s analytics stack is a social way for everyone to easily search and understand data. We believe that this tool should contain a repository of all the tables, visualizations, pipelines, raw data and queries across the organization. The ideal interface would make these resources easily searchable through text. Tools like Amundsen and internal data tools at Shopify, Uber, Facebook and Airbnb have all taken a similar approach to data discovery to make data context available through one central place. We believe these data discovery tools are the missing link in the modern data discovery stack.
We also believe that a good data discovery tool should be a collaboration tool. This would mean that each table can have the social context that replaces the confluence docs and Slack conversations. Today, some data discovery tools have commenting, notifications and tagging features, but haven't embraced the collaborative features that tools like Notion and Figma have built.
We are building Secoda to be a novel automated and collaborative data discovery platform. Employees will be able to use the following features in our tools to create one central knowledge base for all company analytics.
- Granular Threads: Rather than chatting about a table on slack, each data resource will have its thread that allows employees to keep an organized repository of shared information about a table.
- Resource tagging: Employees will be able to tag tables with specific tags that are searchable through a text-based interface.
- Employee tagging: Employees will be able to @ other employees who might know the answer to a specific question related to a table
- Data dictionary tagging: Admins will be able to highlight and tag plain text to add a data definition to the text that will be viewable whenever someone hovers over the text
- Columns comments: each column will get its comment section that can help clarify any information about the column
- Team Spaces: Each team can create a space of commonly used tables and team members. This way, new employees can easily explore the commonly used tables for their roles.
- SQL verifier: Employees will be able to submit SQL queries in the data discovery tool for checking by a “verified” admin.
- Submit a request: Employees will be able to submit a data request to their data team through a single space. Once the question is answered, it will become searchable to all employees.
- Owned by sections: Easy employees will get a profile with their commonly used tables, owned tables, commonly used dashboards and owned dashboards. Employees who leave the company will keep their profile so other employees can see who they should contact to get the information needed about a data asset
- Verified tables: Admins will be able to verify tables to increase truth worthiness.
- Favourited tables: All employees can favourite tables and dashboards that appeal to them.
- Slack Integration: Employees will be able to add comments to tables without ever leaving their Slack workspace.
How To Champion A Shift Towards A Collaborative Data Culture
Shifting towards a collaborative data-driven culture requires teams to evaluate how their existing tools give every employee the confidence they need to analyze data. Below are some steps teams should take if they are interested in shifting towards a more collaborative data-driven culture.
- Evaluate your existing tools: figure out how many employees can use the existing tools to drive insights. What kind of insights can these employees generate?
- Break down data silos: give employees the confidence to find what they are looking for by adopting good tools for data visualization. Our recommendation is Looker for its functional self-service LookML layer.
- Capture conversations and answers: Capture important documentation about data and conversations around decisions making. This could be through a data discovery tool or a confluence doc. It depends on how much work you want to do.
- Understand where employees are getting stuck. When Airbnb ran this survey, they found that they consistently scored really poorly on the question, “The information I need to do my job is easy to find.” Data was often siloed inaccessible and lacking context. They adopted a data discovery tool to solve this problem.
- Hold workshops and answer questions: Create open spaces for people to ask their questions and adopt a culture of “no dumb questions” to make sure that every employee can ask their questions, no matter how minuscule or simple they seem.
- Empower data champions: No one can do it alone. Bringing on people to champion data for different departments can help take the load off the data team.
- Manage privacy for datasets through a centralized platform: using a tool to manage permissions can help you make certain data available easily.
- Encourage teammates to learn SQL: Teach teammates to use SQL and work with them to figure out how to query certain tables. Store the common queries in a central place that makes it easy to onboard and explore.
What now?
We believe that a centralized, asynchronous, function agnostic data discovery tool can help all employees collaborate on data in a way that hasn’t been achieved by the existing tools. A tool like Secoda is built to break down data silos through collaboration. Our team is excited to welcome any team interested in trying out this new collaboration tool by signing up for our beta at Secoda.co. | https://www.secoda.co/blog/how-to-champion-the-shift-towards-a-collaborative-data-culture |
It seems one of the more modern buzzwords is chronic, referring to diseases – that is to say, "ongoing and incurable." However, we can take a different perspective and recognize that, although the body may have been traumatized and injured, healing should always be viewed in the realm of possibility.
New Opportunities for DCs
For decades, the model chiropractic practice has been the single-doctor practice. Recent surveys have found that approximately two-thirds of U.S. doctors of chiropractic still practice this way, with another 20 percent practicing in multiple-chiropractor practices.
Paving the Way to Integrative Health & Wellness
Jared Polis (D-Colorado) and Mike Coffman (R-Colorado) launched the integrative health and wellness (IHW) caucus in October, 2018.
Missed Causes of LBP: It's the Syndrome, Not the Subluxation
When I read the chart notes of other chiropractors, I am usually disappointed. They list what vertebrae are fixated or misaligned. They may describe the involved fascia and muscles.
Better With Chiropractic
While chiropractic care is receiving high levels of exposure these days, most pain patients who consult with a health provider still do so with their primary-care MD. And of course, that means in most cases, they're receiving standard medical care, not chiropractic.
Reducing Allostatic Load & Stress Through Heightened Awareness
Your contemporary mental health and psychotherapy colleagues may often approach the treatment of allostatic load as a mental health condition and use prescription psycho-pharmaceutical medicine to affect general and specific central nervous system (CNS) pathways and brain neuro-chemistry medicine to alleviate the associated symptoms.
News in Brief
Parker University Launches New Open-Access Research Journal for Chiropractic; Western States, Cleveland-KC Name New Deans of Chiropractic Colleges; Sherman College Goes Tobacco-Free; Life University Wins 11 Awards.
Chiropractic's Next Frontier: Adjusting the Microbiome
Restoring a healthy microbiome to help treat disease may be the next frontier in chiropractic offices around the country.
Multi-Dimensional Acupuncture: 3D, 4D & 5D
Maggie is an intuitive healer and workshop leader who I met on a recent hike. While we were talking she told me how she had to take it easy because of her knees. She said that her doctor told her that she has the early signs of arthritis.
Spring Allergies & The Spleen: Looking at Pattern Differentiation
As the season of Spring fades away and we shift into the warm summer months, many patients suffer from chronic allergies. This is by far one of the most common issues I see in the clinic as well as often mistreated and misdiagnosed.
Official NCCAOM Practice Tests
The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) is excited to announce the launch of the new NCCAOM Exam Preparation Center.
The Acupuncturist and the Opioid Crisis: Conquering Pain & Addiction in the U.S.
The current opioid epidemic dominates the discussion among national health leaders, recovery advocates and families nationwide. Opioids include heroin as well as prescription pain relievers such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, fentanyl, and others.
Transforming Exam Delivery
The NBCE Board of Directors has never wavered on its promise to deliver an excellent, on-campus computerized testing experience to students. Likewise, there has never been a compromise to the delivery of fair, valid and legally defensible exams.
Cyber Threat Checklist: Defend Your Business With These 10 Steps
Living in an internet connected society brings many conveniences and benefits. The power of the internet to connect us with customers, store data, and find information has opened the door for many small business owners to grow and flourish.
TCM Codes for the World
I just received an email concerning the ICD-TM11 codes. The World Health Organization (WHO) will be presenting the new ICD-11 codes to World Health Assembly very soon.
Catch the Workplace Wellness Wave
Do you offer workplace wellness services to local businesses? If not, you might want to consider this lucrative channel for expanding your practice. Workplace wellness programs and wellness-related benefits have grown in popularity over the past several decades.
Dropping Insurance: 4 Steps
My office manager just got off the phone with the secretary of a long-standing patient. I have treated this woman and 10 members of her family for more than a decade. She has, as have all of my patients, paid my fee at the time of service since I dropped insurance in 1997.
Acupuncture's Standard of Care
Both a concern and critique of acupuncture, frequently espoused by the bio-medical community is, "there is no standard of care in acupuncture." The following is why I believe this statement is disingenuous at best.
A Novel Way to Prevent Elderly Falls: Toe Strength
In any given year, nearly 40 percent of senior citizens ages 70 and older will fall at least once. Each fall significantly increases the risk of not only sprains, strains and contusions, but also fractures.
First World Spine Care Graduate: Hildah Molate
Hildah Molate, the first World Spine Care (WSC) scholarship student, graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic earlier this year and is now working at the WSC community spine clinic in Shoshong, Botswana.
NBCE to Reinstitute Computer-Based Exams
The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) has announced it will reinstate computer-based testing in January 2019 courtesy of a partnership with testing and assessment solutions provider Prometric.
Bastyr University: On the Front Lines of the Pain Epidemic
At University of Washington's Harborview Medical Center, the Seattle region's only Level I Trauma and Burn Center, the demands for in-patient care are dramatically different from a private clinic environment.
Old Trend, New Risks: Heavy Weight Training
With more opportunities to exercise than ever, a greater selection of exercise options, and the subsequent opinions supporting and challenging their merits, it's easy to be confused as to which approach is best.
Diagnosing & Treating Aggressive Energy
Recently, there has been an article, and subsequent discussion, about the subject of Aggressive Energy (AKA "AE"), including ways to detect its presence and an alternative method of treating it.
Prompting Memory: How to Stimulate Cognition
Recently I gave a talk titled, The Art of Memoir – Tapping the Past to Sharpen the Present at a senior lunch event in Austin, Texas.
Regenerative Medicine: How to Do It by the Books
The "lay of the land" for regenerative therapies, including but certainly not limited to adult stem-cell treatments, seems to change almost daily.
Prevention: Stop Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections
The recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of those nuisance conditions that can play havoc with quality of life, and this particular infection is much more common than most people realize.
Practice Pearls: There's More to ROM Than Meets the Eye
As part of my neuromusculoskeletal examination, I perform range-of-motion (ROM) evaluations. I can "eyeball" the range and measure, I can use a goniometer and measure, I can use my phone app and measure, or I can use various other instruments to help determine degrees of motion.
State by State: Chiropractic Leads Changes in Health Care
Monumental legislative bills in support of the chiropractic profession were passed recently in Washington, West Virginia and Oregon. Here is a review of this important legislation, state by state...
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November, 2015, Vol. 15, Issue 11
Tai Chi: A Way to Find Balance
By Sharon Puszko, PhD, LMT
I have reviewed many aspects of health by researching topics for the self-care articles that I contribute to Massage Today. From the importance of sleep, to how our brains benefit from being active, I feel like I now have a more balanced approach to wellness.Thinking about the concept of balance led me to re-visit what I have learned about tai chi, especially because several clients of mine have been talking about it lately.
I have previously written about the benefits of yoga, and while tai chi is similar, it is more accessible than yoga as it is a little less demanding on the body. While both yoga and tai chi integrate breathing with body postures and focus on aligning the body and mind, there are significant differences between them. Yoga originated in India, includes schools that are very vigorous, and originally included a spiritual component to the practice. Tai chi is a form of martial art that originated in China, focuses on aligning the body and mind, and uses solely low-impact movements. While traveling through China, many times I witnessed people in parks practicing tai chi, as well as men in business suits starting our their work day by practicing tai chi in their office.
Dr. Paul Lam is a world authority in the field of tai chi practice and instruction. He is a physician in Australia and has trained more than 10,000 instructors across the globe through his Tai Chi for Health program. I had the pleasure of meeting him several years ago, and was able to interview him about tai chi. I was amazed by its many benefits, not only for massage therapists, but also for our clients, especially those that suffer from arthritis. Below are some excerpts of my interview with him.
SP: How would you describe tai chi to the layperson?
PL: Tai Chi originated in ancient China where it is considered a martial art. There is much more to tai chi than one can see, but basically, tai chi consists of slow, continuous whole-body movements, strung together in a form. Like dance, the movements are learned and follow one after the other. The essential principles of tai chi include integrating the mind with the body, fluid movements, controlled breathing and mental concentration. The central focus is to enable the qi (pronounced chee), or life force, to flow smoothly and powerfully throughout the body. Total harmony of the inner and outer self comes from the integration of the mind and body. This can be achieved through regular practice.
SP: We know there are many benefits to practicing Tai Chi. When thinking about massage therapists and the work they do, what do you think are the most beneficial aspects of tai chi for them?
PL: Treating patients can be emotionally and physically draining for massage therapists. Tai chi can strengthen your mental balance and improve your physical energy as well as your internal strength. It is an excellent way to help therapists revitalize themselves. Once a therapist learns tai chi, he/she can then apply the tai chi principle as they treat their patients. These principles enable the therapist to work with better posture, using more internal energy and causing less muscular strain. This increases the therapeutic effect and minimizes the chance of injury. The therapist can use tai chi principles to regenerate their internal energy so they will not feel as tired as they usually do.
SP: Is it more beneficial for massage therapists to practice tai chi before or after giving a massage?
PL: Practicing tai chi is always beneficial at any time, especially before and after a session with a client. Practicing tai chi prior to seeing clients only takes a short period of time and helps to warm up and stretch the body. After a session, it can help one wind down by restoring physical and mental energy.
SP: Are there different routines to do in the morning and in the evening?
PL: There are many forms of tai chi, and one should choose a form based on individual preference. You can learn many different sets of tai chi or focus on one simple set. Whether one practices the same set or different sets in the morning or evening does not matter. The benefit of practicing tai chi and the key to improving in it is to adhere to the essential principles, which remain the same regardless of which style or set one chooses.
SP: If someone wants to begin tai chi for the first time, are there any DVD series or books you would recommend? Do you think it would be more beneficial to start practicing with an instructor in a class?
PL: I believe going to a good teacher, one that is suitable for your needs, is the best way to begin the practice of tai chi. Our instructors for the Tai Chi for Health programs are taught how to teach the program safely and effectively and can be an excellent place to start. A list of instructors can be found in my website. Actually, massage therapists are one of the professional groups qualified to learn to teach in our Tai Chi for Health program within a relatively short period of time, so you might already know a colleague who teaches tai chi, and just didn't realize it! Sometimes that may not be possible and a DVD can substitute for a teacher, as well as compliment a good one. Learning tai chi from a DVD may be easier and more effective than a book if a suitable teacher is not accessible. A good DVD to start with is my two-disk set, Tai Chi for Arthritis: 12 Lessons with Dr. Paul Lam. There are 12 different sessions and viewers feel as though they are having private lessons with me. If one prefers reading, my book Tai Chi for Beginners and the 24 Forms is suitable for beginners as well as intermediate practitioners interested in learning more about the practice.
Dr. Lam recommended I start practicing tai chi, as it is a great way to relax and take a break from the physical rigors of massage. I have been practicing for several years now, and I must say that I do find it is very helpful to me as a massage therapist. I highly recommend learning tai chi, and hope you find it as beneficial as I have.
Author's Note: Dr. Paul Lam, a family physician and lecturer of the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia since 1976, is a world leader in the field of tai chi for health improvement. He is recognized as one of the most sought after tai chi teachers since the 80's. Dr Lam has participated in research on the subject of tai chi's effect on health. He has authored and co-authored numerous papers and articles in peer review medical journals and lay magazines, as well as several books and has presented at many international conferences and meetings. For more information, please visit www.drpaullam.com.
Click here for more information about Sharon Puszko, PhD, LMT.
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Krystian Filip is a Polish multimedia artist working mainly in the field of painting and sculpture. He graduated from the Costume for Performance - University of the Arts London in 2019. Author of spatial projects and realizations, theatre costumes and performative actions.
His works depict subjective and emotional perspectives on people, places, and the environment. His artistic practice focuses primarily on the expression of personal, intimate feelings that are transferred into a broader psychological context. By using a canvas as a personal journal, he creates paintings that blur the border between figurative and abstract images. Words, tags, and naive childish symbols work as a guide through anxiety and social fears. The most common themes of his works are: past experiences, relationships and successes and failures of human existence. | https://www.scopebln.org/krystianfilip |
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Quiz
iOS
Android
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Explain various denaturation/renaturation processes associated w/ DNA
Molecular hybridization
: renaturing two DNAs or DNA:RNA from different sources
Fluorescent in situ Hybridization (FISH)
: fluorescent ssDNA or RNA is used as a probe to identify specific chromosomal locations of genetic information
Reassociation Kinetics and repetitive DNA
: DNA is fragmented and dissociated, then allowed to reassociate. Can show/explain various levels of repetitive DNA in a genome. (more pieces [more repeats]= faster reassociation)
Define hyperchromatic shift, melting temperature
Hyperchromatic shift
: the increase in the UV absorption as DNA denatures from ds to ss
Melting temperature
: the point at which 50% of the DNA strands are unwound or denatured for a given piece of DNA
Describe the three distinct classes of RNA sequences that make up eukaryotic organisms
rRNA
: structure components of ribosomes
mRNA
: carry genetic information from DNA to ribosome
tRNA
: carries amino acids to ribsome during translation
Author:
victimsofadown
ID:
186018
Card Set:
GeneticsCh10pt2
Updated:
2012-11-29T09:17:53Z
Folders:
Description:
GeneticsTest3
Show Answers: | https://www.freezingblue.com/flashcards/print_preview.cgi?cardsetID=186018 |
Kozar, Joy M.; Hiller Connell, Kim Y.
Utilizing a sample of undergraduate students and survey research methods, this study examined knowledge on issues of social responsibility within the apparel and textiles industry, comparing the sophistication among upper- versus lower-classmen. The study also investigated the differences between students in their socially responsible apparel purchasing behavior. Findings revealed that approximately half of the sample indicated being knowledgeable about socially responsible clothing businesses. Participants were also generally informed of environmental issues related to apparel production. Overall, upper-classmen were more informed about labor issues and tended to be more engaged in socially responsible apparel purchasing behavior. The findings of this study are useful to educators in creating effective curriculum to encourage greater socially responsible purchasing behavior.
Rights: Permission granted by the editor, April 1, 2011. | https://krex.k-state.edu/dspace/handle/2097/8376 |
Piping Dimensions. Flange dimension 150# class 300# class 400# class 600# class 900# class 1500# class 2500# class Is pex safe for drinking water?
The schedule numbers encompass all pipe dimensions beginning at nps 1/8” up nps 36”. A completely description for steel pipe dimension includes outer diameter (od), wall thickness (wt), pipe length (normally 20 ft 6 meter, or 40 ft 12 meters). Nominal pipe size is a north american set of standard sizes for pipes used for high or low pressures and temperatures.
The Schedule Numbers Encompass All Pipe Dimensions Beginning At Nps 1/8” Up Nps 36”.
Browse the standard pipe chart below to select the pipe dimensions and weights that meet your requirements. Of flange bolt circle no. Standard dimensions for welded and seamless wrought steel pipe for high or low temperatures and pressures are described in asme b36.10.
The Size Represented The Approximate Inside Diameter Of The Pipe In Inches.
Or sch.) for wall thickness. Equal tee centre dimension erd. The pressure capacities are governed by the pressure classes such as 150, 300, 600, 2500 and by the pn6, up to pn64 pressure classes etc.
A Completely Description For Steel Pipe Dimension Includes Outer Diameter (Od), Wall Thickness (Wt), Pipe Length (Normally 20 Ft 6 Meter, Or 40 Ft 12 Meters).
Long radius elbow centre 45° degree dimension tee. Nominal pipe size (abbreviated nps) is a north american standard for identifying pipe sizes. Looking for steel pipe size charts?
A Nominal Pipe Size (Nps) For Diameter Based On Inches, And A Schedule (Sched.
Nominal dimensions of pipe revised 24/01/2012 www.atlassteels.com.au page 1 of 1 nominal wall thickness (mm) pipe size stainless steel carbon steel dn nps outside diameter (mm) sch 5s sch 10s sch 40s sch 80s sch 10 sch 20 sch 30 sch 40 std sch 60 sch 80 xs sch 100 sch 120 sch 140 sch 160 xxs 6 ⅛ 10.3 1.24 1.73 2.41 1.24 1.45 1.73 1.73 2.41 2.41 The pressure classes help to determine which grade and dimensions of pipes are to be applied in specific applications. To begin, each pipe size was produced to have one thickness, which later was termed as standard (std) or standard weight (std.wt.).
Short Radius Elbow Centre 90° Degree Dimension Lr.
Standard dimensions for end caps. For working steam pressure 50 ibs upto 100 ibs per sq. Standard dimensions for 45 degree elbows. | https://shell4.net/piping-dimensions |
Have you ever wanted to travel into space with your friends? What do you think you would do? Land on a planet, the moon, or try and risk it all and land on an asteroid? How well would you be able to handle gravity? But if there were a list of commands that had to be followed, do you think you all could work together to make sure the mission you were on was a complete success, or would you somehow blame the person next to you if you knew it would be your last moments in space? It’s quite interesting when you think about it with all the different calculations that would go into a mission like that. So when I heard that developer Cooperative Innovations was bringing their game, Spaceteam VR to PlayStation VR, I had to learn more. So I reached out and the Community Manager, Kevin, gave us a closer look into the game as well as talking about Virtual Reality.
_____________________________________
Interview with Kevin, the Community Manager of Cooperative Innovations
_____________________________________
Welcome to THE VR DIMENSION. Would you please introduce yourself and what you do at Cooperative Innovations?
“Hi, I’m Kevin. I’m the Community Manager here at Cooperative Innovations – though as a small indie team, I’m also involved with marketing, PR, testing and anywhere else I am needed. Everyone on our team has a diversity of skills and we all need to wear many hats.“
For those that may not be aware what games or projects have you been a part of and what do you feel was that one VR moment that really sparked that interest for you?
Your latest game, Spaceteam VR has been out for a little while on Oculus Quest/Quest 2, Steam, and Viveport and is coming to PlayStation VR. What can you tell us about the game?
“Spaceteam originated as a mobile game where players would be given instructions to operate certain controls within a time limit. The added twists are that sometimes you don’t have the control you’re asked to operate, one of your team does – and sometimes, you have the control that your teammate has the instructions for. It’s a simple concept, but it can soon become chaotic fun. The mobile game was very popular and won multiple design awards.
With Spaceteam VR, we’ve brought that concept into an immersive setting. You can see and emote to your team while shouting instructions – but we also have elements of the environment that can be interacted with. As an example, pressing the wrong controls will cause them to break, requiring you to use the repair hammer to knock them back into shape. Multiple wrong inputs can even start a fire, so grab your extinguisher and put it out. There’s also a trusty ray gun to ward off any unexpected invaders!”
So everyone really needs to follow the commands in order to make it to the next sector? What can you tell us about some of the commands players will have to follow?
“The instructions are procedurally generated, so every game is going to be different. All of the instructions and controls are incoherent technobabble. Some of them can be difficult to read and even more difficult to say, especially under pressure. This is even more important if there are several controls in play with similar-sounding names. Players need to keep their cool, read instructions carefully, and relay them to their team clearly – but also quickly, while everyone else is shouting! We also have a symbols mode, which will replace verbal instructions with emjois just to spice things up!”
The game can be played with up to six players in full VR multiplayer. Since each sector makes it more difficult to control your ship, if a certain INDIEvidual were to not follow instructions, everyone could essentially just blame them in every comical way possible as everyone meets their fate?
“Games with more players tend to be more chaotic, and therefore more difficult. Everyone is panicking and trying to get their instructions across to the rest of the team while also listening for instructions they need to carry out themselves. Every missed instruction or incorrectly entered instruction brings the team one step closer to disaster. However, every correctly entered instruction helps the team’s ship outrun the supernova. In a team of 6, it’s not so bad if one member of the crew is sat crying softly in the corner if the other five are still hitting all of their instructions. Spaceteam VR does offer multiple difficulty settings for teams of different sizes and players of different skill levels.”
What can you tell us about the tool kit that will be used?
“There are a number of interactive tools which teams can use to help them through each sector. Giving a broken control a good smacking or two with the repair hammer will put it back in order. On the rare and unexpected occasions where a fire breaks out aboard the ship, everyone has an extinguisher which they can use – not only on your own controls, but the people standing next to you, if you’re close enough. Beware though, these extinguishers have been known to malfunction from time to time. A sponge is provided to clean up any spills and goo – and talking of goo……. sometimes you have to deal with some unwelcome guests – there’s a raygun to help in those situations. Besides that, there’s a whole bunch of random debris which can shake loose onboard a spaceship while trying to outrun a supernova. Who hasn’t wanted to throw a piece of toast at their friend, or play tennis with two stuffed whales and a mug?”
So for those that may be in a room and not enough headsets for everyone to play in VR, the non-VR players can use their mobile devices. Can you explain a little about this function and how it works?
“We understand that many households with VR are unlikely to own a headset per person – though this is now starting to change with competitively priced standalone VR hardware. Our “Face to Face” mode allows multiple players to join into a game using their phone, tablet, and even desktop or laptop via a browser. There are limitations though. This mode is designed for local play, so there is no in-game voice communication as it’s expected for everyone to be in the same room. The mode also disables the anomaly sectors and some of the interactivity as it wouldn’t be possible for the players on mobile to deal with them. For the players on mobile devices, they’re playing a game much like the original mobile app. The players in VR can see the mobile players represented as our lovable maintenance robots. Using this mode is as simple as the host of the game selecting “face to face” mode in the menu, then the other players visit a URL in their browser on their mobile device. They then enter the four-character game code provided by the host, just like in a regular VR game.
We do have some more good news here. We’re getting ready to launch a non-VR version of Spaceteam VR (which I understand might seem confusing), so we’ve called it “Spaceteam: The Second Dimension”. The Second Dimension will be a desktop version of Spaceteam VR with all of the same functionality of the VR game, except you’ll be able to use a mouse or controller, and play on one of those 21st century flat monitors. It will still feature crossplay with the VR versions, including Steam VR, Oculus, and PSVR, so everyone will be able to play together, no matter what hardware they’re using.”
Are there different cosmetics for your character in the game?
“We have a number of different cosmetics to customize your characters. Along with the ability to select your gender body type, you can also select from a number of different appearances, species (yes, we have aliens), and a wide range of different uniforms. We also have accessories such as glasses and silly hats. From time to time we run special events around holidays, such as Christmas and Halloween. We add new cosmetic options, some time-limited, and some to keep. We’ll keep adding new cosmetic options throughout the life of Spaceteam VR. We’ve just recently added a “fish head” alien species to the game to mark our 1 year anniversary since release.”
I see that there are UFOs and slim to have to deal with in Spaceteam VR. How much does this distract the players from trying to complete the tasks at hand?
“I mentioned before that Face 2 Face mode disables anomaly sectors, and these are exactly what you’re talking about. There are a wide variety of anomalies that will give the players an extra challenge. Sometimes it’s having to deal with things onboard the ship which shouldn’t be there, that need dealing with quickly. Other times it’s something more subtle that may interfere with the controls or player displays. It’s up to players to decide how to best deal with these situations as multitasking becomes pivotal. Players will soon learn which threats need an immediate response – but they should always expect the unexpected.”
When you have added social interaction to the game, how important was it to make sure voice communication was a top priority?
“Communication is the key to making Spaceteam VR work. Without it, it just simply wouldn’t be possible. Spaceteam VR uses our own voice communications system, which allows us to fine-tune it for the best performance. The two most important elements are latency and clarity. As players are against the clock, instructions between players need to be delivered quickly with minimal latency. We also needed to keep the quality high, to try and filter out background noise and make sure players’ voices were clear and crisp. We use the same voice communication technology across many of our projects including our virtual museum platform “Curatours”, which we’re currently working on.“
Was there anything graphically that was more difficult to implement than expected?
“We went for a clear but visually pleasing style with the game with some great-looking characters, as they are the focus of your attention a lot of the time. We have to optimise the game for the worst-case scenario in terms of graphical resource needed which is generally a 6 player game, with robots and slimes flying around, fires on every console, and everyone shooting their rayguns. To help achieve this we dynamically scale the VFX budget depending on the power of your device to ensure we make the best use of the GPU while delivering a great visual experience.”
Where do you see VR 5 or 10 years from now?
“The adoption of platforms such as Oculus Quest 2 and PSVR has been great to see both in terms of numbers and the variety of the audience buying and enjoying experiences available. As a company, we want to see the hardware continue to evolve in terms of clarity, comfort, performance but also balance that with price and accessibility. We’ll start to see a wide range of devices capable of both AR and VR in the coming years which will help to spread VR further both in enterprise and home usage. This is very exciting for us as a company.”
Are there any plans to add additional content to Spaceteam VR for the PlayStation VR release and do we have an official date when it’s coming?
“Not specifically for PSVR, though that will include PSN features such as trophies and PSN leaderboards. We do have some additional content coming, which will be a sort of version 1.5 of Spaceteam VR, and this will be across all platforms including PlayStation. There will be some quality of life improvements, such as a looking-for-game feature, allowing players to flag themselves as wanting to play an online game with a group. This will allow them to play in the single-player practice mode while waiting, and inform them when a game is ready to join. We’re also adding a number of activities to the lobby so that players waiting for a game to start can have some fun while waiting for other players to join. We also have some new in-game anomalies coming.
There’s no official release date for the PSVR version yet – but we are getting close. We’re expecting to see it this summer if all goes well!”
If you walked through the VR dimension and was teleported onto a ship in space and 5 other individuals were there from any time period, who would you hope it would be, how well do you think you could all work together, and how long do you think you would survive for?
“That’s an interesting question. As it’s the VR dimension, are we talking factual or fictional? I’ve always been a huge fan of SciFi, and with great space-faring shows that I grew up with such as Star Trek, Babylon 5, Stargate SG1, Farscape, and a whole bunch of others, there would be a pretty big list of characters who I’d be happy to have by my side in a space-based emergency – but I’m not even sure I could narrow it down to 5. I think I’d at least have to have Captain Picard there. I mean, while Picard himself is French, Sir Patrick is a Yorkshireman – the home of Cooperative Innovations. I also think he’d keep his cool under pressure. He’s also got a lovely voice – so there’d be no problem understanding his instructions.”
With VR content continuing to grow, what would you say to someone as to why they should experience Spaceteam VR?
“Spaceteam VR is one of those experiences where people make moments together. The game itself provides a great platform for people to have fun and work together – but it’s the immersiveness and expressiveness of being in a virtual environment and really getting the feeling that those other players are right there with you. The events of every game are unexpected enough, but add in the random element of humans and you’ll come away with some truly memorable moments.”
I really want to thank Kevin for taking the time away from his schedule to give us a closer look at Spaceteam VR and for talking about Virtual Reality.
Spaceteam VR is out now for the Oculus Rift/Rift S and Oculus Quest/Quest 2 on the Oculus Store, Steam, and Viveport, and will be coming to PlayStation VR.
To learn more about how you can be part of the Space Team, please visit the site, like them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter. To learn more about Cooperative Innovations, please visit their site, like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, and subscribe to their YouTube channel.
In case you missed the trailer, please enjoy. | https://thevrdimension.com/spaceteam-vr-the-interview/06/20/2021/ |
People use the phrase “mind, body, spirit” all the time. We acknowledge that an equilibrium of these three dimensions is foundational for our thriving and wellness, and yet we give very little attention to the spirit. Our energies are poured into exercise, nutrition, mindfulness, meditation, and even therapy, but tending to the spirit feels unfamiliar and intangible, especially in the many hours spent living beyond the walls of religious institutions.
The idea that spiritual wellness is tied exclusively to places and rituals of formal religious groups is a notion that keeps many people afraid of diving deeper into spiritual exploration. There are an overwhelming number of people who have experienced some form of church abuse or disillusionment, and who cast aside their spiritual needs thinking that if they are unchurched or unsure of their religious affiliations that spiritual wellness is something unattainable or irrelevant, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth.
I’m one of the lucky ones. I was raised in a healthy religious community by parents who gave me a stable foundation but also allowed me the freedom to think critically and explore my own beliefs. For this reason, I’ve felt comfortable contemplating what spiritual wellness means to me within the context of my own faith while also considering its importance and application to people from diverse backgrounds.
These are some questions I’ve sat with over the years and that have guided my journey for clearer answers:
Is spiritual wellness the same for people from different spiritual belief systems?
Does spiritual wellness require identifying with a specific religion or is a person still able to pursue it if they’re temporarily (or permanently) disaffiliated from a formal place of worship?
Is spiritual wellness attained by adhering to specific daily practices or is there flexibility to engage in different aspects of spirituality depending on the circumstances?
Is spiritual wellness best achieved alone or in community? In quiet meditation or group worship and prayer?
How and why is spiritual wellness relevant for atheists and non-religious individuals?
The answers I have found are not elitist or exclusive. They come from many years spent studying wellness and striving to better understand and educate others about it. In the simple diagram below you will see the various main components of spiritual wellness including morals & values, prayer, community, compassion, beliefs, meditation, private contemplation, and service.
Each of these eight aspects of spiritual wellness are important for a person’s well-being; however, each person will find that they gravitate towards certain expressions of spiritual wellness more than others. For example, an atheist might be more drawn to compassion or service over prayer. A Christian might pour more energy into prayer and community than meditation. A Buddhist might practice meditation and private contemplation more than community. A Hindu devoted to practicing Ashtanga is potentially and uniquely engaged in all of the components of spiritual wellness, or is at least encouraged to pursue them.
It’s okay to spend more energy in one area of spiritual wellness over another, and what we focus on or need is likely to ebb and flow throughout life. The important thing is to recognize that ALL of these eight components are fulfilling to humans and aid us in spiritual meaning and growth. Also, despite some beliefs to the contrary, each of these components is applicable across religious and non-religious belief systems.
There are some Christians who believe meditation is sinful because it allows the mind to wander and be tempted by “the evil one,” but meditation can be practiced in a Christ-honoring way, focusing the mind on the Cosmic Christ’s love, peace and light within. Similarly, atheists might feel that prayer is ridiculous because they don’t believe in a higher power, but prayer can come in the form of communicating with creation (“Dear Universe”), privately and intentionally confessing one’s overwhelm or needs, or saying a prayer directed towards expressing love and learning from one’s ancestors or hope and healing for future generations. In this way, you begin to see how each component is important even if a bit unfamiliar or uncomfortable.
I want you to consider how the components of spiritual wellness work within your own life. I invite you to ponder which areas could use more growth, which ones intimidate you (and why), and which ones feel most organic for how you desire to live with purpose.
Lastly, I encourage you to lean gently in the direction of what puts you out of your comfort zone. I believe wholeheartedly this is where we are invited to grow the most in unexpected and beautiful ways that foster greater spiritual wellness and mind/body/spirit health.
I hope that putting spiritual wellness into a tangible framework and terms helps you focus on it in more meaningful and holistic ways. All of our souls are thirsty, but they can be quenched and live life to the fullest.
The world is in dire need of more people who recognize and recommit to living a spiritual life. Will you be one of them?
Yours in health and wellness, | https://wellnesswinz.com/category/spirituality/ |
City governments need to be given more power to fight climate change since the world's cities are responsible for a majority of greenhouse gas emissions and that is where the battle will be won or lost, a grouping of mayors said Thursday.
A declaration signed by leaders from more than 70 cities gathered in Seoul for the third C40 Large Cities Climate Summit said the burden of implementing climate change policy often falls on local government so cities should have more say in setting policies and be given more resources.
Toronto Mayor David Miller, who chaired the three-day meeting, said cities bear significant responsibility for addressing climate change because they cover only about 2 percent of the Earth's surface but are responsible for some 80 percent of greenhouse gases.
"The fight against climate change and against greenhouse gas emissions will be won or lost in cities," he said at a news conference. "It is essential therefore that national governments engage, empower and resource the cities of the world if they wish to fight climate change and succeed." | https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Cities-around-the-world-call-for-more-power-in-climate-change-fight |
What does Maths look like at Sheringdale?
Mathematics at Sheringdale encourages each child to have a positive attitude towards and show confidence in their ability to deal with mathematics. Every child is taught to think logically and independently to solve problems by using the appropriate skills, concepts and knowledge. They are provided with rich and enjoyable experiences in Mathematics through a creative curriculum and daily maths lessons following the National Curriculum requirements. Children are encouraged to communicate their ideas, experiences and questions to adults and peers in a clear and fluent way, using appropriate mathematical language and reasoning skills.
To uphold this statement and maintain excellent teaching and learning, maths is taught using the following:
- Regular mental maths and arithmetic practise – times tables, basic number facts and written methods appropriate to age group and ability.
- Active starters, kinaesthetic learning and games.
- Problem-solving opportunities and engaging investigations.
- Open-ended questions integrated into daily lessons.
- Formative assessment is used to inform teaching and learning and pupil progress.
- Use of rich and varied maths vocabulary in everyday lessons (displayed).
- Consolidating of learning through plenaries and opportunities for reflection.
- In-depth coverage of maths topics across the term/academic year through carefully planned, differentiated lessons and knowledge of year group objectives and children’s abilities.
- self-assessment by children of their own learning and teacher – pupil dialogue about their understanding and progress. | http://www.sheringdale.org/page/?title=Maths&pid=71 |
Professor Albert Weale FBA (UCL) writes about the challenges of knowledge democratisation
Issues like the funding of highly expensive pharmaceutical interventions, new forms of animal breeding, dispersed chemicals in the environment, the genetic modification of plants or the choice among different forms of energy production make for hard public policy decisions. They are highly technical, involving evidence about complex chains of causality, relative costs and benefits, the assessment of statistical and other models and a judgement as to how far unforeseeable circumstances will change the picture. Yet, they all inevitably involve consideration of social values like: respect for life, justice among potential beneficiaries, prudence in the setting of standards, the responsible stewardship of nature and the obligations that this generation owe to future generations.
As if this were not enough, they all attract high levels of capital funding, often in the form of venture capital, where there are large rewards to be secured from the widespread uptake of the technology, so calling into play the reputations and careers of research scientists who are themselves often reliant on private capital. They can all be the focus of campaigns, not always scrupulous campaigns, by social movements and non-governmental groups. They are the subject of international regulation and control. Finally, they all require some policy response – even if that response is laisser-faire – in a context in which there is intense public concern. So, inevitably they all raise the issue of the public acceptability of technologies and the policies.
Over the last fifteen years or so, the issue of public acceptability has been approached through the use of techniques involving minipublics, selected groups of citizens invited to give their opinion on policy questions after exposure to evidence and argument. Such minipublics have included citizens’ juries, deliberative polls, permanent group like NICE’s Citizens Council, or sometimes just focus groups. These participatory techniques are important, but they are not a panacea. Deliberation in minipublics does not always produce consensus, and, even when it does, there is the unresolved question of the status of the minipublic’s deliberations. What force, after all, might their conclusions have for the wider public?
In this context, there is a powerful case for looking again at how public accountability in such matters can be improved within representative democracies. Too often, for example, we neglect the role of parliamentary committees, including committees like the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, who are in a unique position to scrutinise policy. They can call witnesses, draw upon expert support, question decision premises and produce reports that have a real affect on how governments frame their policies.
Secondly, a well functioning democracy needs effective and well-functioning systems of public consultation on proposals for policy. The House of Lords Committee on Secondary Legislation was rightly critical of the coalition government’s the proposal to move away from a standard presumption of thirteen weeks consultation in their July 2012 statement of Principles of Public Consultation, a document that noted that 12 weeks might be needed for a consultation on nuclear energy!
Will the present commitment to open policy making help? The intention to open up the policy-making process to new voices is to be welcomed. Sometimes crowd-sourcing is the right way to make policy: think for example about the identification of cycling accident hotspots. But the wider the range of inputs into policy – not just of actors but also the type of evidence and information they supply – the harder becomes the task of combining those inputs into a meaningful chain of reasoning. Here again the norms of due process – recording the evidence, providing traceability of argument and making sure that there is no undue influence – become central.
Transparency is a hard discipline on matters of public policy involving science. Transparency and accountability are not enough for true democratic decision making. But in a representative democracy they are essential. | https://www.skape.ed.ac.uk/can-we-democratise-decisions-on-complex-issues/ |
The Guidance provides a single suggestion as to how an adviser can avoid inadvertent custody. However, the suggestion is likely to be administratively difficult and, perhaps, impossible, for an adviser to complete with reasonable certainty. The Guidance also contains some language that could be read to imply that an adviser has custody of client funds and securities when it initiates transactions that do not traditionally settle on a deliver-versus-payment (“DVP”) basis.
The Problem Highlighted by the Guidance
The Guidance states that the SEC staff has observed instances in which the terms of a custody agreement between a client and qualified custodian could be interpreted as permitting the client’s adviser to instruct the custodian to transfer funds or securities. The Guidance provides three examples of such custody agreement provisions that may give rise to inadvertent custody:
- A custody agreement that gives the client’s adviser the right to “receive money, securities, and property of every kind and dispose of same.”
- A custody agreement under which a custodian “may rely on [adviser’s] instructions without any direction from you. You hereby ratify and confirm any and all transactions with [the custodian] made by [adviser] for your account.”
- A custody agreement that provides authorization for the client’s adviser to “instruct us to disburse cash from your cash account for any purpose . . . .”
The Guidance also states that an adviser may have custody if the provisions in a custody agreement conflict with provisions in a related advisory agreement regarding the scope of an adviser’s authority to transfer client funds or securities upon instruction to the custodian. As an example, the Guidance states that an adviser has custody if the custody agreement authorizes the adviser to transfer client funds or securities, despite a provision in the related advisory agreement to the contrary. The issue here is that a custodian would be unaware of any provisions in an advisory agreement that limit an adviser’s authority, and, therefore, from the perspective of the custodian, an adviser may appear authorized to instruct the custodian to transfer a client’s funds and securities.
After describing the ways in which an adviser may have inadvertent custody, the Guidance cautions advisers to take steps to assure the adviser’s compliance with the Custody Rule. The Guidance then states:
One way for an adviser to avoid such inadvertent custody would be to draft a letter (or other form of document) addressed to the custodian that limits the adviser’s authority to “delivery versus payment,” notwithstanding the wording of the custodial agreement, and to have the client and custodian provide written consent to acknowledge the new arrangement.
Discussion
Viability of the Guidance’s Solution. According to the Guidance, inadvertent custody is a real problem for investment advisers. The Custody Rule’s definition of “custody” includes “having any authority to obtain possession of” client funds or securities and any “arrangement . . . under which [an adviser is] authorized or permitted to withdraw client funds or securities maintained with a custodian upon [the adviser’s] instruction to the custodian.” However, the proposed remedial action in the Guidance – having every client and custodian acknowledge in a new document a limit on the adviser’s authority – fails to take into account that an adviser is likely to have a large number of clients and a significant number of custodians are likely to be involved.
- There is no incentive for a custodian to acknowledge in writing the new documentation because, from a custodian’s perspective, inadvertent custody is the adviser’s problem. Thus, obtaining the acknowledgements from each custodian is likely to be administratively burdensome and time consuming and may end up incomplete.
- Moreover, there is a disincentive for the custodian to provide an acknowledgement to a requesting adviser. Once the custodian acknowledges the new documentation, which has the effect of amending the custodian’s existing agreements, the custodian would be obligated to exercise greater oversight and a higher degree of care with respect to transactions initiated by an adviser. With expanded obligations, the cost to the custodian to satisfy its contractual obligations, as well as its potential liability if it fails to satisfy those obligations, increase. Therefore, acknowledgements from custodians are unlikely to be quickly provided to the adviser and, in some cases, may not be provided.
- Many custodians will not send an adviser the custodian agreement upon request and, therefore, in many cases, an adviser is unlikely to know whether the custody agreement contains any problematic provisions, unless the adviser obtains the custodian agreements from its clients. In addition to raising client-relationship concerns, it is possible that some clients will not respond or not respond in a timely manner.
Prior SEC Guidance – Custody and Authorized Trading. Separately, the Guidance contains language that could be read to eliminate the “authorized trading” exemption to the Custody Rule with respect to securities that do not trade on a DVP basis (such as swaps and bank loans). While the Guidance is unclear on this point, such a reading would require an adviser to treat a separately managed account as subject to the Custody Rule if the account holds such non-DVP assets, regardless of the terms of the custody agreement or advisory agreement.
The Guidance’s Endnote 2 states:
An adviser’s authority to issue instructions to a broker-dealer or a custodian to effect or to settle trades does not constitute “custody.” Clients’ custodians are generally under instructions to transfer funds (or securities) out of a client’s account only upon corresponding transfer of securities (or funds) into the account. This “delivery versus payment” arrangement minimizes the risk that an adviser could withdraw or misappropriate the funds or securities in its client’s custodial account. This guidance update contemplates custody arising from authority that goes beyond such arrangements. (Emphasis added).
Action Items. We are aware of several trade organizations that are likely to seek guidance from the SEC staff on the two issues described above. However, the timing of such clarification, if any, is uncertain. In the meantime, advisers should consider whether the Guidance applies to them and, if so, the steps they will take in response.
Separately, on February 21, 2017, the SEC staff issued a no-action letter (the “Letter”) in which the staff concluded that a registered investment adviser has custody of a client’s assets if the adviser acts pursuant to a standing letter of instruction or other similar asset transfer authorization arrangement that a client has established with a qualified custodian (a “SLOA”). However, the Letter provided requested no-action assurance with respect to the Custody Rule’s surprise examination requirements, provided certain conditions are satisfied.
Rule 206(4)-2 under the Advisers Act (the “Custody Rule”) provides that an adviser has “custody” of client assets when it “holds, directly or indirectly, client funds or securities, or has any authority to obtain possession of them” in connection with the advisory services it provides to its clients. Custody by an adviser also includes “[a]ny arrangement (including a general power of attorney) under which [the adviser is] authorized or permitted to withdraw client funds or securities maintained with a custodian upon [the adviser’s] instruction to the custodian.”
The Letter noted that it is a common practice for an adviser’s client to grant the adviser limited authority in a SLOA to disburse the client’s funds to one or more third parties, as specifically designated by the client. In connection with the SLOA, a client gives written instructions to its custodian to accept the adviser’s directions to transfer funds to the accounts of the third parties designated in the SLOA.
In the underlying incoming letter, the applicant asserted that an investment adviser that follows a client’s instructions to transfer assets pursuant to the limited authority provided by a SLOA, and the adviser’s related directions to the custodian, does not result in an investment adviser “holding” client funds, give the adviser “authority to obtain possession” of the client’s funds, or authorize the adviser to “withdraw client funds” for any purpose, as contemplated by the Custody Rule. The Letter expressly rejected these arguments.
The Letter stated that “[a]n investment adviser with power to dispose of client funds or securities for any purpose other than authorized trading has access to the client’s assets.” For this reason, a SLOA is an arrangement under which an investment adviser is authorized to transfer client funds from a custodian upon the adviser’s instruction, and falls within the definition of “custody.” Therefore, an investment adviser that enters into a SLOA is required to comply with the requirements of the Custody Rule. Nonetheless, the Letter stated that the staff would not recommend enforcement action against an investment adviser if the adviser does not obtain a surprise examination, as the Custody Rule would otherwise require, where the adviser acts pursuant to an arrangement that satisfies the following conditions:
- The client provides written instruction to the custodian that includes the client’s signature, the third party’s name, and either the third party’s address or account number at a custodian to which the transfer should be directed.
- The client gives written authorization to the investment adviser, either on the custodian’s form or separately, to direct transfers to the third party either on a specified schedule or from time to time.
- The client’s custodian performs appropriate verification of the instruction (e.g., signature review or other method to verify the client’s authorization) and promptly provides a transfer of funds notice to the client after each transfer.
- The client has the ability to terminate or change the instruction to the client’s custodian.
- The investment adviser has no authority or ability to designate or change the identity of the third party, the address, or any other information about the third party contained in the client’s instruction.
- The investment adviser maintains records showing that the third party is not a related party, or located at the same address, as the investment adviser.
- The client’s custodian sends the client an initial written notice confirming the instruction and an annual notice reconfirming the instruction.
Separately, the Letter noted that, with respect to an investment adviser’s next annual updating amendment after October 1, 2017, the adviser should include client assets that are subject to a SLOA resulting in custody in its response to Form ADV Item 9.
Discussion. To put an arrangement in place that satisfies the Letter’s conditions will require the agreement of the client’s custodian (in particular, conditions 3 and 7), including providing evidence to the adviser that the custody arrangement with the client now satisfies those conditions. Therefore, difficulties similar to those that are likely to arise in implementing the Guidance (as described above) may arise in satisfying the Letter’s conditions.
If you would like to learn more about the issues in this Alert, please contact your usual Ropes & Gray attorney.
1 The Custody Rule does not apply to the custody accounts of registered investment companies. Section 17(f) of the 1940 Act and rules thereunder contain the custody requirements for such companies. Advisers to private funds are likely to have “custody” of private fund assets in any event. | https://www.ropesgray.com/en/newsroom/alerts/2017/04/Separately-Managed-Accounts-SEC-Provides-Guidance-on-Inadvertent-Custody-and-Reliance-on-Standing |
A new study from SFEI assessing the ability of rain gardens to remove contaminants from urban stormwater has shown that nature-based filtration may also be a solution for microplastic pollution. This solution and others will be featured in a symposium on microplastics for scientists, policy makers, and change leaders in Berkeley on October 2nd.
The multiyear water quality performance study of a bioretention rain garden located along a major urban transit corridor evaluated the ability of these rain gardens to remove multiple pollutants. Based on data collected between 2012 and 2017, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and suspended sediment were reduced by over 90%, whereas total mercury, methylmercury, and copper were moderately captured.
Novel analyses of microplastics and other tiny, man-made particles also showed over 90% of these materials in urban stormwater were retained by the bioretention rain garden. Findings from a comprehensive scientific study of microplastics in the San Francisco Bay will be presented at the symposium on October 2nd.
Implementation of rain gardens and other green stormwater infrastructure is underway in the Bay Area, often designed and built to reduce contamination from regulated pollutants like PCBs and mercury. Further evaluation of the co-benefits provided by these nature-based stormwater treatments for removing microplastics is needed to inform potential solutions for this emerging contaminant.
Funding for the study was provided by the Association of Bay Area Governments, the California State Water Board, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Department of Water Resources via Proposition 84. Additional support was provided by the San Francisco Estuary Partnership, Geosyntec Consultants, and Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies Association.
Associated Staff:
Programs and Focus Areas: | https://www.sfei.org/news/newly-published-study-shows-rain-gardens-can-filter-pcbs-metals-%E2%80%94-and-microplastics |
In evolving and next generation wireless networks, an uplink grant-less random access (RA) scheme can be employed to reduce signaling overhead and support traffic and applications with stringent latency requirements. For example, for applications such as gaming, or real time video streaming, real-time streams require very low latency and reliable transmissions. For the random access scheme in uplink, sparse-code-multiple access (SCMA) technology can be used for overloading traffic where multiple users can share the same radio resources simultaneously. A fixed modulation and coding scheme (MCS) such as Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QSPK) is also used in order to achieve more reliable communications. In many conventional Radio Access Networks (RANs), a random access channel is used by a terminal to request a scheduled transmission slot. As a result, communications over the random access channel tend to be very short, and use of a robust MCS is favored to afford a maximum likelihood of transmission success. There has been increased interest in the use of the random access channels for data transmissions. However, the use of a very robust MCS may not always be necessary, and when it is not necessary it contributes to a reduction in the efficient use of the spectrum. At present, there is no mechanism to allow for increased efficiency in the random access data communication. To support more users, more aggressive modulation and coding schemes (MCSs) may be beneficial for user equipment (UE) such as when the UE has proper channel conditions or location/geometry in the network. Therefore, there is a need for a link adaptation (LA) scheme for uplink grant-less RA according to such conditions.
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Technical Project Manager - Salesforce and Analytics teams
SpringML’s mission is to help customers accelerate time to derive insight and make an impact using data. We offer applications and services that solve key business problems for data intensive industries. We have successfully helped over 100 customers with their AI journey, including many of the Fortune 1000. Our Channel partners are Salesforce and Google.
We are a tight knit, friendly team of passionate and driven people who are dedicated to learning, get excited to solve tough problems and like seeing results, fast.
You will be the bridge between the customers and our Salesforce and Analytics teams, bringing the talents and ideas of our Analytics and Salesforce Consultants and Developers to the businesses and vice versa.
Responsibilities:
- Self-starter with strong creative problem solving, great communication, time-management, and teamwork skills
- Skilled in discussing technical details with engineers & product design while also clearly communicating with leadership and non-technical customers
- Analytics Roadmap: Lead efforts to define, build and communicate a unified analytics roadmap (metrics and ML models), priorities, experiments, and decisions clearly across a wide spectrum of audiences from internal customers (operations, product, engineering) to executives
- Drive Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly business reviews and follow-up on action items
- Project Management: Initiate, drive, and deliver effective programs in partnership with cross-functional teams to ensure all aspects of the programs are communicated, supported and delivered to the highest standards, within the defined Financial budgets.
- Manage project plans and schedule commitments, ensure plans are integrated and aligned to overall organizational and business strategy
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- Balance the business needs with technical constraints by building deep subject matter expertise for your area
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Qualifications: | https://springml.applytojob.com/apply/wo1yQpuGn1/Technical-Project-Manager-Salesforce-And-Analytics-Teams |
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abstract: 'Most visual recognition methods implicitly assume the data distribution remains unchanged from training to testing. However, in practice *domain shift* often exists, where real-world factors such as lighting and sensor type change between train and test, and classifiers do not generalise from source to target domains. It is impractical to train separate models for all possible situations because collecting and labelling the data is expensive. Domain adaptation algorithms aim to ameliorate domain shift, allowing a model trained on a source to perform well on a different target domain. However, even for the setting of unsupervised domain adaptation, where the target domain is unlabelled, collecting data for every possible target domain is still costly. In this paper, we propose a new domain adaptation method that has no need to access either data or labels of the target domain when it can be described by a parametrised vector and there exits several related source domains within the same parametric space. It greatly reduces the burden of data collection and annotation, and our experiments show some promising results.'
bibliography:
- '../../Library.bib'
title: 'Zero-Shot Domain Adaptation via Kernel Regression on the Grassmannian'
---
=1
Introduction
============
Supervised learning usually assumes that the training and testing data are drawn from the same underlying distribution. This assumption is easily violated in many real-world problems. For example, our classifier might be trained with high-quality images captured by a HD camera in an ideal environment, while the trained model may be applied to images captured in poor lighting condition where the camera is not held still, so the image is blurred and dark. In this scenario, directly using the pre-trained model leads to poor performance.
The pervasiveness of this domain shift issue has motivated extensive research in domain adaptation [@saenko2010adapting; @Gopalan11; @gong2012geodesicFlowDA; @qui2012domainAdaptDict]. Domain adaptation (DA) aims to undo this distribution shift between the source domain (where the model is trained) and target domain (where the model is applied). DA has two main settings: supervised DA where the target domain has labels but its data volume is very small, and unsupervised DA where the target domain is completely unlabelled. In this paper, we will focus on unsupervised DA – and eventually a new problem setting of zero-shot domain adaptation – as they are more practically useful.
In most DA studies, ‘domain’ is often equivalent to ‘dataset’ for benchmarking convenience. In the classic Office dataset [@saenko2010adapting], images are split into three discrete domains/datasets based on their capture device. However, it is commonly overlooked by the DA community that in many cases *domains are not determined by a single categorical variable, but rather a vector of continuous variables*. For example, consider visual surveillance cameras for person or event recognition: the camera angle $\alpha$ affects the poses of people that it captures, and time of day $\tau$ describes the illumination. In this case domains vary smoothly on a continuous manifold, and $[\alpha,\tau]$ describes a specific domain. Given that both $\alpha$ and $\tau$ are continuous variables, we have, in fact, an infinite number of domains; and each parameter will have a certain degree of variation that prevents models trained one one domain from working well on another. Discretizing each factor allows conventional DA to be applied; but this inevitably leads to information loss, and to a large number of domains. We refer to the parameters such as $\alpha$ as domain factors, and the vectors like $[\alpha,\tau]$ as domain descriptors.
With this perspective it is clear that even unsupervised domain adaptation does not scale – since the number of datasets to collect grows exponentially in the number of domain factors. This motivates our search for a method that can learn from a few domains and then generalise well to an arbitrary parametrised domain *without collecting the data from it*. We refer to this scenario as zero-shot domain adaptation (ZSDA), distinct to supervised and unsupervised domain adaptation. ZSDA is possible if we can predict some pattern (e.g., the subspace that supports the data) of the target domain from the abstract description of the domain descriptor. We formulate this task as a problem of manifold-valued data regression.
ZSDA aims to enable the attractive use case where a model can consistently and instantaneously perform well on a varying test data distribution, by being automatically ‘calibrated’ on the fly by domain descriptor metadata. This would have important applications in a numerous areas including object [@saenko2010adapting], person [@qui2012domainAdaptDict] and audio [@yang15] recognition. To this end, our contributions are three-fold: (i) We propose the novel problem of zero-shot domain adaptation, for domains parametrised by continuous vectors, (ii) We provide a solution to the proposed problem by designing a novel multivariate regression model for the Grassmannian, (iii) We show promising early results demonstrating the efficacy of our ZSDA.
Related Work
============
Zero-Shot Learning
------------------
Zero-Shot Learning (ZSL) has received extensive attention in the computer vision community, such as character [@larochelle2008zerodata], object [@lampert2009learning; @fu2014embedding], and action [@liu2011action_attrib] recognition. Instead of building a map (classifier) directly from the image to label space, ZSL studies [@larochelle2008zerodata; @Palatucci_2009_6459] propose an intermediate representation. This representation may take the form of ‘attributes’, or more generally, a semantically meaningful descriptor. The motivation is that, assuming the mapping from image to attributes is sufficiently universal, it can be learned from a large amount of data [@socher2013zslCrossModal; @yang15]. The mapping can then be used to build recognisers on-the-fly by giving the semantic descriptor for a new object. For example by assigning the attributes \[‘black’, ‘white’, ‘stripes’\] to the new object ‘zebra’.
Inspired by ZSL, we aim to achieve a similar on-the-fly capability for domain adaptation. In the same way that semantic representations such as attributes enable ZSL, we aim to exploit the often freely available domain-metadata to adapt a trained model to any target domain given only its descriptor. The closest work in this area is [@yang15], which first mentioned the problem of zero-shot domain adaptation. However it has the drawback that the domain descriptor is limited to a vector of categorical factors only. We do not have this restriction.
Domain Adaptation
-----------------
Domain Adaptation (DA) techniques reduce the divergence between source and target domains such that a model trained on the source performs well on the target. We focus on unsupervised domain adaptation here, as it is more practically valuable. However, it is challenging because we have zero knowledge of the conditional distribution of the target domain $P(Y|X_\mathcal{T})$ thus a discriminative model trained on the source domain $P(Y|X_\mathcal{S})$ can not be leveraged. The remaining option is to exploit the marginal distributions $P(X_\mathcal{T})$ and $P(X_\mathcal{S})$.
There are two main approaches in this area, data and subspace centric. **Data:** This approach seeks a unified transformation $\phi(\cdot)$ that projects two domains’ data into a new space that reduces the discrepancy between the transformed target $\phi(X_\mathcal{T})$ and source data $\phi(X_\mathcal{S})$. A typical pipeline is to perform PCA [@long2013transfer] or sparse coding [@long13tsc] on the union of the domains with an additional objective that minimises maximum mean discrepancy (MMD) of the new representations of two domains in a reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS) $\mathcal{H}$, i.e., $\lVert\mathbb{E}[\phi(X_\mathcal{T})]-\mathbb{E}[\phi(X_\mathcal{S})]\rVert_\mathcal{H}^2$, where $\mathbb{E}[\cdot]$ is the expectation operator. **Subspace:** This approach does not manipulate the data directly, instead it tries to make use of subspaces of two domains. Here, subspace refers to a $D$-by-$K$ matrix of the first $K$ eigenvectors induced by PCA on the original $D$-dimensional data. We denote $P_\mathcal{S}$ and $P_\mathcal{T}$ as the subspaces of source and target domain learned by two separate PCAs. Subspace Alignment (SA) [@fernando2013SA] learns a linear map $M$ for $P_\mathcal{S}$ that minimise the Bregman matrix divergence $||P_\mathcal{S}M-P_\mathcal{T}||_F^2$. [@Gopalan11] samples several intermediate subspaces $P_1, P_2, \dots, P_N$ from $P_\mathcal{S}$ to $P_\mathcal{T}$. That is achieved by thinking of $P_\mathcal{S}$ and $P_\mathcal{T}$ as two points on the Grassmann manifold (Grassmannian) $\mathbb{G}(K,D)$ and finding a geodesic (shortest path on manifold) between them, then the points along the geodesic are meaningful subspaces. Then all subspaces are concatenated to form a richer linear operator $[P_\mathcal{S},P_1, P_2, \dots, P_N,P_\mathcal{T}]$ that projects two domains into a common space, where the source classifier generalises better to the target domain. A weakness of [@Gopalan11] is that the number of intermediate points is a hard-to-determine hyper-parameter. An elegant solution to this, [@gong2012geodesicFlowDA] samples all the intermediate points. Although this produces infinitely long feature vectors, excluding conventional linear classifiers, their dot-product is still defined, and thus any kernelised classifier can be used. A recent study [@hoffman2014continuousDA] considered the case where domains are associated with a *single* continuous variable (time) using a sequential PCA and subspace-based DA method. However, it does not extend to a vector domain descriptor, nor to ZSDA.
Reviewing these DA studies, one could easily conclude that target data are compulsory. It initially seems to be impossible to achieve DA without any data in the target domain. However, if we take a deeper look at the subspace approach, the key is the subspace rather than data. If each observed subspace (domain) is associated with an independent vector variable $\mathbf{z}$ (domain descriptor), it is possible to predict a new subspace $P^*$ given its corresponding $\mathbf{z}^*$ via a regression model $\mathbf{z}\rightarrow P$. This is sometimes called manifold-valued data regression problem, where the output space is a manifold (e.g., the Grassmannian) and the input is in Euclidean space.
Manifold-valued Data Regression
-------------------------------
There exists several studies addressing regression in the setting that the independent variable is a point in Euclidean space and the dependent variable is a point in non-flat manifold space such as Riemann and Grassmann manifolds. Based on their methodology, we can group these studies into three categories: (i) Parametric approaches like [@Hong2014; @journals/ijcv/Fletcher13; @conf/cdc/Rentmeesters11; @SILVALEITE2013; @DBLP:conf/eccv/HinkleMFJ12; @Gallivan2003] usually try to find a formulation for the geodesic and then provide a numerical solution for its estimation. (ii) Semi-parametric approach, e.g., [@Shi+Styner+Lieberman+Ibrahim+Lin+Zhu2009] uses a link function to map from Euclidean to Riemannian space. (ii) Non-parametric approaches such as [@Davis+Fletcher+Bullitt+Joshi2007; @Davis+Lazebnik2008] adapt kernel regression to the manifold case by observing that they are all essentially about searching for a point for which the sum of its (reweighed) distances with all training points is minimised.
Note that for most parametric solutions, the independent variable is assumed to be a scalar (univariate regression). This is because: (i) In applications where these methods are popular, e.g., medical imaging, one usually wants to find a pattern against a single factor (e.g., age) and (ii) it is technically challenging to extend the method to multivariate case [@DBLP:conf/cvpr/KimBACCJDS14], because the prediction no longer corresponds to a single geodesic curve, which makes the gradient derivation problematic.
We therefore aim to find a solution based on a non-parametric method since the kernel function usually does not make assumptions on whether the input is a scalar or a vector.
Methodology
===========
Kernel Regression on Grassmannian {#sec:KRG}
---------------------------------
\[krg\] Our goal is to build a regression model that takes an $M$-dimensional vector of independent variables as the input and predicts a point on Grassmannian (represented by a matrix with orthonormal columns). The output constraint means it can not be treated as conventional Euclidean regression. Therefore, we design a regression model for the Grassmannian.
### Kernel Regresison Review
We first review kernel regression. Assume we are given a set of (data, label) pairs,
$$\{(\mathbf{z}_1,P_1), (\mathbf{z}_2,P_2), \dots, (\mathbf{z}_N,P_N)\}$$
where $\mathbf{z} \in \mathbb{R}^M$ and $P \in \mathbb{R}^1$; and a kernel function $k(\mathbf{z}_1,\mathbf{z}_2)$ that measures the similarity between $\mathbf{z}_1$ and $\mathbf{z}_2$. The kernel regression prediction of a test point $\mathbf{z}$ is then estimated by,
$$\label{eqkr}
P = \frac{\sum_{i=1}^{N} k(\mathbf{z},\mathbf{z}_i)P_i}{\sum_{i=1}^{N} k(\mathbf{z},\mathbf{z}_i) }.$$
### From Euclidean to Grassmannian regression
When $P \in \mathcal{M}$ where $\mathcal{M}$ is a non-flat manifold and $P$ is no longer a scalar, Eq. \[eqkr\] can be invalid. For example, suppose $\mathcal{M}$ is a Grassmannian $\mathbb{G}(K,D)$ so its members are now matrices $P\in\mathbb{R}^{D\times K}$ with constrains that $P^TP = I_K$. Eq. \[eqkr\] can be applied and matrices $P_i$ added, but this is meaningless because adding two points on the Grassmann manifold does not necessarily give another point on Grassmann manifold.
Inspired by [@Davis+Fletcher+Bullitt+Joshi2007], we propose to think of kernel regression as the solution of the following optimisation problem:
$$\operatorname*{arg\,min}_{P\in\mathbb{R}^1} \sum_{i=1}^{N} w_i(P-P_i)^2$$
where $w_i=\frac{k(\mathbf{z},\mathbf{z}_i)}{\sum_{i=1}^{N} k(\mathbf{z},\mathbf{z}_i) }$. More generally, we have
$$\operatorname*{arg\,min}_{P} \sum_{i=1}^{N} w_i \operatorname{d}^2(P,P_i)\label{eq:generalOpt}$$
where $\operatorname{d}^2(\cdot,\cdot)$ is a metric (distance function). $P$ is the Fréchet mean if the minimizer is unique (or Karcher mean when it is a local minimum). Note that the Fréchet mean is defined in general metric space, thus it provides a way to work with manifold-valued data as long as we can find a well defined distance function for the points on the manifold.
#### Grassmann Manifold Background
We first review some basic concepts about the Grassmannian. Many distances on the Grassmannian are defined based on a key concept called ‘principal angle’, which can be calculated by SVD. E.g., for two points $P_1$ and $P_2$ on $\mathbb{G}(K,D)$,
$$P_1^TP_2 = USV^T$$
where $S = \operatorname{diag}(\cos(\theta_1), \cos(\theta_2), \dots, \cos(\theta_K))$. The angle $\theta_k = \cos^{-1}(S_{k,k})$ is the $k$th principal angle. Table \[tab:dg\] lists some frequently used distance functions on the Grassmannian. The details on deriving these functions and their comparison are beyond the scope of this paper. Readers who are interested in this topic should see [@DBLP:conf/icml/HamL08] and [@2014arXiv1407.0900Y] for a good reference.
Principal angles Orthonormal bases
----------------------- ------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Binet–Cauchy distance $1 - \prod\nolimits_{k=1}^K\cos^2\theta_k$ $1 - (\det( P_1^\mathsf{T} P_2))^2$
Chordal distance $\sum\nolimits_{k=1}^K\sin^2 \theta_k$ $\frac{1}{2}\lVert P_1P_1^\mathsf{T} - P_2P_2^\mathsf{T} \rVert_F^2$
Martin distance $\log \prod\nolimits_{k=1}^K (\cos^2 \theta_k)^{-1}$ $-2 \log(\det(P_1^\mathsf{T} P_2))$
Procrustes distance $ 4\sum\nolimits_{k=1}^K\sin^2\frac{\theta_k}{2}$ $\lVert P_1U - P_2V \rVert_F^2$
: Distances $\operatorname{d}^2(P_1,P_2)$ on $\mathbb{G}(K,D)$ in terms of principal angles and orthonormal bases[]{data-label="tab:dg"}
#### Manifold-valued data regression with vector input
For our manifold-valued data regression task, we choose Binet–Cauchy (BC) distance, because of its favourable sensitivity properties [@DBLP:conf/icml/HamL08], and because it is amenable to deriving gradients. Substituting the BC distance into Eq. \[eq:generalOpt\], we obtain the following objective function to optimise:
$$\operatorname*{arg\,min}_{P\in\mathbb{R}^{D\times K}} 1-\sum_{i=1}^{N} w_i (\det(P^TP_i))^2,\label{eq:bcOpt}$$
which is subject to constraint $P^T P = I_K$. The gradient with respect to $P$ is,
$$\nabla_P = \sum_{i=1}^{N} - w_i(\det(P^TP_i))^2 P_i (P^TP_i)^{-1}.$$
Vanilla gradient descent is not applicable because of the orthogonality constraints. It is a non-trivial optimisation problem as the constraints lead to non-convexity. A simple solution is to do gradient descent as usual and re-orthogonalise the matrix after each step, but it is numerically very expensive. There are some studies on this topic, such as [@1998quantph6030T], [@MarkD04], and [@2014arXiv1407.5965S]. We adopt the solution from [@OptM-Wen-Yin-2010]. It applies a Crank-Nicolson-like update scheme that preserves the constraints.
Given a feasible point $P$ and the gradient $G=\nabla_P$, a skew-symmetric matrix $A$ is defined as,
$$A := GP^T - PG^T.$$
The new trial point is determined by the Crank-Nicolson-like scheme,
$$P^{\text{Update}}(\eta) = P - \frac{\eta}{2}A(P+AP^{\text{Update}}(\eta))$$
where $\eta$ is the learning rate, and $P^{\text{Update}}(\eta)$ is given by the closed form,
$$P^{\text{Update}}(\eta) = QP
\quad\text{where}\quad
Q = (I+\frac{\eta}{2}A)^{-1}(I-\frac{\eta}{2}A).$$
The details of deriving equations (8) – (10) can be found in [@OptM-Wen-Yin-2010].
Zero-Shot Domain Adaptation
---------------------------
Using the methodology developed in Sec. \[krg\], our ultimate goal of zero-shot domain adaptation becomes possible. Assuming that we have $N$ observed domains given by
$$\{(X_1, [\mathbf{y}_1], \mathbf{z}_1),(X_2, [\mathbf{y}_2], \mathbf{z}_2),\dots,(X_N, [\mathbf{y}_N], \mathbf{z}_N)\},$$
where $X_i$ is the feature matrix, from which we can learn a subspace $P_i$ by PCA. $\mathbf{z}_i$ and $\mathbf{y}_i$ are the domain descriptor and label vector respectively for domain $i$. $[\mathbf{y}_i]$ indicates that we do not assume all observed domains have been labelled.
For an unseen domain with descriptor $\mathbf{z}^*$, we can predict its subspace $P^*$ based on the proposed method (Eq. \[eq:bcOpt\]) and the training data
$$\{(\mathbf{z}_1, P_1),(\mathbf{z}_2, P_2),\dots,(\mathbf{z}_N, P_N)\}.$$
Once $P_*$ is obtained, any subspace-based DA method (e.g., [@fernando2013SA; @Gopalan11; @gong2012geodesicFlowDA]) can be applied to align the unseen (target) domain to any labelled source domain where a classifier was trained.
Experiments
===========
**Dataset:**To test our algorithm, we need a dataset which exhibits a range of continuously parametrised domains (Sec. \[sec:KRG\]). However, most existing DA and more general vision datasets are grouped into discrete domains/datasets. We therefore alter an existing dataset for our purposes. We use the Office Dataset [@saenko2010adapting], which collects the images of office supplies from three sources: *Amazon*, *webcam* and *DSLR*. It is a classic dataset to evaluate domain adaptation algorithms. The typical experimental design for this dataset is to evaluate recognition performance when a model is trained on one domain (e.g., Amazon) and tested on another (e.g., webcam). To test our algorithm, we create a new dataset based on Office.
**Settings:**We use all the Amazon images, which contain 31 categories and with an average of 90 images each. Then, we simulate a range of continuously parametrised domains by degrading each image by two means: lowering the resolution and reducing the brightness. Specifically, we apply a Gaussian filter for simulating low resolution and divide every pixel value by a factor for simulating poor lighting. The size of Gaussian filter and the darkening factor provide two factors of the domain descriptor. In this experiment, we generate nine distinct domains by three levels of degradation for each parameter as shown in Table \[ninedomain\]. An example of each domain along with the original image is shown in Fig. \[demoimages\]. For each domain, we split the training and testing set equally, and the assignment of train versus test set is consistent for all domains. This guarantees that when an image appears in training set, its other versions of degradation will not appear in the testing set.
---------------------- ----- --- --- ----- ---- ---- ----- ---- ----
Domain Index 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Gaussian Filter Size 5 5 5 10 10 10 15 15 15
Brightness Factor 1.5 2 3 1.5 2 3 1.5 2 3
---------------------- ----- --- --- ----- ---- ---- ----- ---- ----
: Nine domains generated by the degradation of Office/Amazon.[]{data-label="ninedomain"}
{width="0.7\linewidth"}
\[demoimages\]
**Features:**We use the state-of-the-art Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model VGG-full [@Chatfield14] as the feature extractor. The image is first preprocessed: rescaled into 224$\times$224 and mean subtracted. Then it is fed into the CNN, where the value in the penultimate layer (4096 neurons) is used as the feature vector for further experiments.
Demonstrating the Domain Shift Challenge
----------------------------------------
In the first experiment, we demonstrate how domain shift effects recognition performance, and to what degree domain adaptation methods can alleviate it. A linear SVM classifier is trained on the original domain’s training data and we evaluate the performance of the classifier measured by accuracy ($\frac{\textbf{Num. of Correctly Classified Examples}}{\textbf{Num. of All Examples}}$) in the nine degraded domains’ test data. Then we apply a popular domain adaptation algorithm – Geodesic Flow Kernel (GFK) [@gong2012geodesicFlowDA] that aims to manipulate the target subspace so that domain shift is reduced.
As we can see in Fig. \[res1\], the CNN feature is very discriminative. The accuracy in the original domain’s test data is 81.68% (blue horizontal line in Fig. \[res1\]). However, the performance inevitably drops when the quality of images gets lower. For the last domain, domain\_9, the accuracy has declined to 24.29%. Nevertheless, unsupervised domain adaptation by GFK does reduce the performance drop. It improves the recognition rate by 7.42% on average.
From these results we conclude that: (i) state of the art features do not eliminate the domain-shift problem (contrary to some claims [@Donahue_ICML2014]), and (ii) domain adaptation methods still play an important role in the era of deep learning.
![Recognition rate in Office/Amazon. The domain shift problem is significant despite the use of state of the art CNN features. []{data-label="res1"}](res1){width="1.01\linewidth"}
Zero-Shot Domain Adaptation
---------------------------
In the second experiment, we validate the proposed algorithm’s ability to undo domain shift given only a target domain descriptor.
**Target domain performance for different sources of labels:**The fifth domain, domain\_5, is chosen to be the target domain, and the evaluation is run on its testing data. Unlike traditional domain adaptation approaches [@gong2012geodesicFlowDA], *none of the data (either feature or label) in target domain is given*. All the known information about the target domain is the descriptor of domain\_5, i.e., $\mathbf{z}_5=[10, 2]$. Besides this, we assume all the training data from the other domains as well as their domain descriptors are given, from which we can learn 8 subspaces via PCA (the reduced dimension is $K=512$). Then the subspace of domain\_5 is predicted by the proposed algorithm so that the subspace based domain adaptation [@gong2012geodesicFlowDA] can be applied. Note that we rescale each factor in $\mathbf{z}$ to $[0,1]$ to reduce the effect of different ranges of factors, and RBF kernel with $\sigma=0.1$ is chosen to be $k(\cdot,\cdot)$.
‘Source ID’ indicates *which one* of the source domains is used to train the classifier. ‘No DA’ means applying the trained model directly to the target domain. ‘ZSDA$\to$GFK’ is the proposed method: the subspace of the target domain is predicted by *all* source domains, and the domain adaptation is conducted by GFK from each source domain in turn to the target domain.
The results are summarised in Table \[resfin\]. These are generated by predicting the subspace $P_5$ of the unseen domain (domain\_5) based *all* the remaining eight source domains and testing the classifier (with or without DA) trained from the labeled data of *each* source domain in turn (i.e., single source domain to target). The source ID indicates which source domain is used to train the classifier and optionally apply DA. Note the distinction between source of unlabelled data for subspace learning, and source of labeled data for classifier learning.
In every case, the proposed ZSDA method generates a useful subspace which allows domain adaptation to improve the performance. It is as expected that using ‘closer’ domains (measured by distance between $\mathbf{z}$’s) such as domain\_2, \_4, \_6, and \_8 to learn the classifier should lead to better performance compared to source domains that are ‘far-away’ from the target. This is indeed the case: if we focus on the nearby domains\_$\{2,4,6,8\}$, then the average accuracy in Table \[resfin\] is 71.59%. Given that the accuracy obtained within domain\_5 only (i.e. training and testing on domain\_5) is 72.94%, and the average accuracy of those sources without DA is 69.37%, this is a very encouraging result: *we have reduced the cross-domain performance drop by over half without relying on any target domain data*.
**Performance for each target domain:** The previous analysis fixed domain\_5 as the target. We next extend this analysis and consider each domain in turn as the target. In each case we use the proposed algorithm to infer the subspace of the target domain given the eight sources, and we evaluate the recognition accuracies with and without DA. For conciseness, we just report the average accuracy over all possible label sources for each target (cf. the last column in Table \[resfin\]).
Table \[resfin2\] summarises the result and it demonstrates the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method. It shows performance improvements on all choices of target domains, and on average, it boosts the accuracy by a factor of 4.75%.
Conclusion
==========
We proposed the problem of continuously-parametrised zero-shot domain adaptation and developed a solution based on manifold-valued data regression. This allows us to predict the subspace to use at test-time and thus align a source classifier to a test-domain in advance of seeing any data. Preliminary results demonstrate the value of our approach. This approach is highly promising for its potential impact on a variety of areas where it would be useful to be able to ‘calibrate’ a recognition model on the fly based on metadata.
There are numerous areas for future work. A more thorough evaluation that also covers a wider range of applications is clearly needed. Our current kernel regression-based method is weak in domain extrapolation in contrast to interpolation. This is important for some kinds of subspace prediction, e.g., predicting future subspaces when one domain factor is time. Thus a generalisation for extrapolation is of interest. While the proposed method can and must use a set of available source domains to learn the subspace regressor, it can only exploit a single source domain’s labels. A useful extension would therefore be to exploit multiple source domains worth of labels. Besides, it is interesting is to see if the predicted subspace can act as a regulariser so that it still helps when the target data are available but limited. Finally, a key assumption of this paper (in common with most other domain adaptation work) is that the domain descriptor is always observed and accurate. To relax this assumption and enable the model to deal with missing or noisy descriptors is also an interesting direction.
| |
Emphasis on Finding Regional Common Ground
With the aim of further expanding its regional activities following the historic Abraham Accords, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will have a significant presence at IDEX 2021 in Abu Dhabi, 21-25 February, focusing on solutions for a comprehensive spectrum of operational conditions, covering ‘systems of systems’ for a wide range of uses in the air, sea, land, space and cyber domains.
Throughout the exhibition, IAI will focus on promoting communication and cooperation with local government agencies, defence forces, industries and academic institutions. “Israel Aerospace Industries applauds the agreements signed by the two countries, agreements that open a window for extended cooperation, sharing of knowledge, promoting investment, development and localisation of joint technology. IAI sees our activities in the region as an opportunity to promote cooperation within the regional eco-system and is open to promoting defence as well as civilian endeavours on a range of topics, such as space and satellites, air defence and rocketry, intelligence, robotics, UAVs, cyber etc. This exhibition is a harbinger of long-term activity in the UAE and in the region as a whole,” observed IAI President & CEO, Boaz Levy. | https://monch.com/idex-2021-preview-iai-to-exhibit-in-a-historic-first/ |
TARDISes have a chameleon circuit, which changes their shape to blend in with their surroundings wherever they land. ("The Time Meddler", "Logopolis") When the Doctor landed in 1960s London, a police box was a very good disguise.
According to early producer Peter Bryant, the show originally planned to have the TARDIS disguise itself in each story, but they quickly realized that would be too costly. If you want to set a story in Regency London, the BBC already has all the props, costumes, and sets you need, for free—but if you want the piano to have a door in it that the characters can comfortably step through, you have to design and build it. | http://doctorwho.answers.wikia.com/wiki/Why_is_the_TARDIS_a_blue_police_box |
I've been patiently waiting for the general markets to stabilize and have been very carefully picking my spots over the past several weeks. Despite the fact that I have been trading less frequently, I do continue to add potential longs to my watchlist. The general indexes are at an interesting spot here as the S&P500 pauses near its declining 50-day moving average. I can see multiple scenarios happening from here and remain open minded to all of them.
As many of my regular readers know, I prefer to look for stocks that are showing relative strength and the following two stocks have held up very well through the recent correction. While I think the markets could use a little rest here, these stocks are far enough along in their bases that they could be ready to breakout soon.
Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Limited (ADR) (Public, NYSE:RDY) is one stock that I have been stalking since June. I have been waiting for it to base a little and the recent price action near the 20-day moving average looks positive to me. It is trading in a triangle and is close to testing the upper trendline. RDY is a little thin, so traders should be careful with it.Finisar Corporation (Public, NASDAQ:FNSR) is another stock I've been stalking for weeks. FNSR had fantastic rally earlier this year as the Network group caught fire. It has been consolidating since April and could be ready to emerge from its base. It looks like $16.50 would be the first level to watch just above, and a strong move above this price should help propel it to new highs.I'm still leaning towards the general markets heading lower before a meaningful rally can emerge, but I am also seeing a lot of traders sharing those negative thoughts. This could set the stage for continued strength when no one is expecting it, which is why I continue to prepare for both long and short plays. If the market rallies further, then these two should breakout.
Good Trading,
Joey
Two Stocks I am Stalking
I've been patiently waiting for the general markets to stabilize and have been very carefully picking my spots over the past several weeks. Despite the fact that I have been trading less frequently, I do continue to add potential longs to my watchlist. The general indexes are at an interesting spot here as the S&P500 pauses near its declining 50-day moving average. I can see multiple scenarios happening from here and remain open minded to all of them.
As many of my regular readers know, I prefer to look for stocks that are showing relative strength and the following two stocks have held up very well through the recent correction. While I think the markets could use a little rest here, these stocks are far enough along in their bases that they could be ready to breakout soon.
Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Limited (ADR) (Public, NYSE:RDY) is one stock that I have been stalking since June. I have been waiting for it to base a little and the recent price action near the 20-day moving average looks positive to me. It is trading in a triangle and is close to testing the upper trendline. RDY is a little thin, so traders should be careful with it.Finisar Corporation (Public, NASDAQ:FNSR) is another stock I've been stalking for weeks. FNSR had fantastic rally earlier this year as the Network group caught fire. It has been consolidating since April and could be ready to emerge from its base. It looks like $16.50 would be the first level to watch just above, and a strong move above this price should help propel it to new highs.I'm still leaning towards the general markets heading lower before a meaningful rally can emerge, but I am also seeing a lot of traders sharing those negative thoughts. This could set the stage for continued strength when no one is expecting it, which is why I continue to prepare for both long and short plays. If the market rallies further, then these two should breakout.
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DISCLAIMER: This site does not offer investment advice. All opinions in this blog are intended for educational purposes only and none of us are liable for any potential damages that may be incurred from this information. Please excercise discretion and due diligence in making your investment decisions.
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First of all, you need to know what keyframe is.
Brief explanation: Keyframe is the distance between "keyframes" in your broadcast, which means how frequently the "perfect frame" appears, the frame which your broadcaster will fully calculate. All other frames (not keyframes) are only calculated for the pixel difference and not entirely full frame.
So setting the keyframe interval too wide may result in decreasing the quality of your stream.
So the keyframe interval of 2 seconds is recommended (but not crucial most of the time) by the vast majority of streaming services, for some it's even mandatory.
The problem appear that keyframe can have various names in the settings so let's have a few examples:
Keyframe every 'number' of seconds - is the most common, here we just need to set it to 2 seconds (common option for OBS studio);
Keyframe every 'number' of frames - this one can be found in Wirecast, for example, and some other broadcasters. To set this property for 2 seconds you need to set your keyframe for every FPS of your stream x2, which means, for example, if you have a 30 fps stream you will need to have a 'keyframe every 60 seconds' this way keyframe appears every 2 seconds;
GOP (or can be also used fully as a Group of picture) - this is basically keyframe every 'number' of frames, so just set it 60 for your 30 fps stream, 120 for your 60 fps stream, and so on to get a 2 seconds keyframe interval.
Tip: If you still struggle to find the option or change your keyframe interval just contact our live chat support.
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Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)
On the 25th May 2011, the Analytical Department of BLIRT received a GLP certificate, issued by the Bureau of Chemical Substances. This certificate is a confirmation of Good Laboratory Practice quality standards.
Good Laboratory Practice is an integrated system of quality preclinical safety studies to human health and the environment. Implemented principles of Good Laboratory Practice complement of integrated Quality Assurance in BLIRT.
Developed and implemented procedures and the preparation of the facility in terms of working environment, personnel, and equipment ensure prompt and proper conduction of the study confirm proper preparation of BLIRT research facility to act in accordance with GLP criteria.
Implemented principles of Good Laboratory Practice as:
- system of documentation (Standard Operating Procedures),
- relevant qualification of employees,
- implementation of the study according to previously developed, verified for compliance with the criteria GLP study plan ensures the separate identification of each test,
- monitoring and supervision of the Study Director and the Head of the Laboratory over the course of the study,
- control the course of the study on behalf of the Quality Assurance Unit,
- keeping records, at any stage of the study, allowing full restoration of its course,
- implementation of the research using equipment subject to ongoing supervision,
- use of providers selected on the basis of established criteria of quality,
- retaining produced documents and records.
These principles are the proof of BLIRT operation in accordance with the guidelines of Good Laboratory Practice, and thereby guarantees the reliability of the results obtained from their planning, to the proper storage of raw data and the resulting records including reports, so that they can be traced and retested. | https://blirt.eu/about-blirt/quality-assurance/good-laboratory-practice-glp/ |
Hamblet helps fuel Bentley hockey
The Bentley Falcons surged through a month and a half of hockey, earning points in 11 straight games and rattling off seven wins in a row in January/February, and Hopkinton’s Brendan Hamblet has become...
HHS baseball wins sectional final, state championship game next
The Josh Fischer Express kept chugging along Monday, as the senior left-hander led the Hopkinton High School baseball team to a 2-0 victory over host Milton in Monday’s Division 2 South sectional final. Hopkinton will...
Hillers earn TVL honors for spring season, led by girls track MVP Tolson
The Tri-Valley League recently handed out awards for the spring season, and a number of Hopkinton athletes, coaches and teams were recognized. Hailey Tolson was named MVP for girls track and field. Sarah Furlong, Shelby...
List: Hopkinton organizations with fundraising runners in 2020 Boston Marathon
Below is a list of Hopkinton organizations that have individuals running in the 2020 Boston Marathon to raise money on their behalf. For a list of Hopkinton residents running in the 2020 Boston Marathon, click...
Sports Roundup: Honors for HHS coach, athletes
HHS golf coach Dick Bliss was recently named MIAA Coach of the Year. Bliss guided the Hillers to their second straight Division 2 state championship in the fall. Bliss, who golfed collegiately at the University...
HHS girls XC prepares for unusual 2020 season
In a normal year, the Hopkinton High School girls cross country team already would have started by the middle of September and would spend the fall gearing up for the big meets at the...
HHS pitcher Fischer verbally commits to Fairfield
Hopkinton High School baseball standout Joshua Fischer, who just completed his junior year, announced that he plans to play collegiate baseball at Division 1 Fairfield University. Fischer, a left-handed pitcher, helped the Hillers go 16-6...
Photos: 6 HHS senior athletes announce college plans
Hopkinton High School held a ceremony Wednesday for six senior athletes who have committed to a college program for next year.
Sports Roundup: HHS track sweeps TVL titles
HHS track sweeps TVL titles The Hopkinton High School track teams continue to stand out in the Tri-Valley League, again winning TVL Large School Division titles this winter. Both teams clinched with victories over Norwood...
HHS sports roundup: Boys ski team records program’s first victory
The Hopkinton High School boys alpine ski team made history Thursday by posting the program’s first victory in a Central Massachusetts Conference Ski League race at Ski Ward in Shrewsbury. Senior Jackson Schlussel led the... | https://hopkintonindependent.com/category/sports/?filter_by=random_posts |
SUMMARY: Under the supervision of the Director of Education, the Kanien’kéha Language Program Manager is responsible for the planning, development, implementation, continuation, monitoring and supervision of the various Mohawk Language Programs. The Program Manager will develop program goals to create a full immersion environment with the goal of developing functional speakers.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following:
- Develop, manage and supervise the Kanien’kéha Language Programs.
- Maintain, improve and supervise a Kanien’kéha Community Language Program; this includes scheduling community classes to meet the needs of the community and supervision of the contracted instructors, class registrations and location coordination.
- Work in collaboration with the teaching staff on curriculum development and implementation.
- Ensure measures are in place to assess fluency and progress of language students.
- Prepare financial documents, reports, or budgets as they relate to the Mohawk Language Program for federal agencies or Education Division Director.
- Develop annual and long term plans and goals for the program.
- Manage grant responsibilities including but not limited to financial, statistical, narrative and operational reports.
- Search and apply for grants for future program growth and sustainability. Work towards enhancing language program offerings for community.
- Develop annual funding budgets, monitor budgets and manage expenses for the program.
- Develop a social media and outreach campaign that highlights the efforts of the program.
- Work in collaboration with teachers and/or consultants on administering the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) to assess the participant’s ability to use language effectively and appropriately in real-life situations.
- Provide monthly, quarterly or annual reports utilizing data collection from tests, interviews or other forms of assessments.
- Ensure all required monthly, quarterly and annual reports are completed on time.
- Handle concerns and complaints expeditiously and effectively.
- Exhibit a friendly and courteous manner when dealing with employees, fellow associates and community members.
- Will assist in maintaining a safe working place in the office environment.
- Promote a positive image of the Mohawk Language Program through healthy relationships with the staff, specialists and participants served by the program.
- Implements Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal policies related to staff and program.
- Responsible for the hiring, orientation, evaluation and disciplinary action of program staff.
- Directs, coordinates, assigns and supervises the activities led by the program staff and Language Specialists.
- Prepare work schedules, deadlines, and duty assignments for all staff and students.
· Coordinates activities (along with program staff) that support participant learning and outcomes.
· Other related duties as assigned
PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: Program Manager shall carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable Tribal rules. Responsibilities also include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; addressing complaints and resolving problems within the Program.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative
of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE: Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) from four-year College or University in Education, Human Services, Language or related degree or 5 years relevant experience and/or training. Supervisory experience preferred. Mohawk Language fluency preferred.
OTHER SKILLS and ABILITIES: Strong oral and written communication skills required. Must have excellent computer skills including word, excel, and experience with varying databases.
- Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources. Personnel and Human resources – knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation and personnel information systems.
- Active listening – Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Coordination – adjusting actions in relation to others actions.
- Monitoring – monitoring/assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Speaking – talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Critical thinking – using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents Time management – managing one’s own time and the time of others.
REASONING ABILITY: Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of situations. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
Possession of a valid State Driver License in accordance with Fleet Policy.
The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe strives to be an equal opportunity employer dedicated to the policy of nondiscrimination based on race, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, physical disability, veteran status or any other non-job related factor.
The successful candidate must pass a test for illegal substances prior to employment being confirmed. | https://www.srmt-nsn.gov/employment/kanienk%C3%A9ha-language-program-manager |
We all familiar with the pendulum of centralization and decentralization. We see it not just in the organizations, but also in technologies and other aspects of life. This pendulum is an effort to keep stability. When one of the above systems is being too extreme, it’s balanced by moving in the opposite direction. That is a known cycle that helps us predict (in high level) where we will be.
Complexity and simplicity are the same. We start with a state where the environment looks understandable and simple. Overtime the environment becomes more complex until it looks too complex to us. Everything is relative. When variety around us keeps growing, suddenly the previous complexity looks simple (compared to the emerging new complexity). Complexity-simplicity pair is not creating a pendulum behavior. It’s more of a staircase that the step below looks simpler and the step above us looks complex.
There is a correlation between these two pairs. Simplicity provides a better condition for centralization to develop. Complexity is a better soil for growing decentralization. As I mentioned before, extreme centralization or decentralization will have a negative impact. Therefore, although we will always go up in the stairs of complexity, someone needs to keep the balance between centralization and decentralization.
It doesn’t matter if we are talking about a group of five people or five thousand people. Someone in that group needs to measure the level of complexity and simplicity and validate if the pendulum needs to swing in the other direction. Swinging the pendulum to the other direction required effort and energy. Usually, the change from centralization to decentralization and vice versa will not take place by itself.
The monitoring and investment of energy to keep the group in an optimal state is the role of a leader. It doesn’t matter if someone assigned the leader or she grew naturally. Part of the daily tasks of a leader is to gauge complexity and centralization, to realize if a change is needed, and to spend energy on finding out how to move the pendulum. Once we know how to change the pendulum direction, we need to take daily actions to change the pendulum direction.
It’s not enough to understand the pendulum and to use it for predictions. If you see yourself as a leader of any group of people you need to be responsible to change the pendulum before the current direction will cause too much damage. Believe me, it will make damage if it won’t swing the other direction.
The obvious question is how can I know that the pendulum needs to swing the other direction? Regretfully there aren’t any simple answers. The best way that I found so far depends on the group purpose (if you have one).
If you can define a combination of datasets (metrics) and people’s feedback that can give you a sign about the group progress toward achieving its purpose, you can use this data. When you see a negative change of 10% compared to the previous progress, that’s a good sign that the pendulum needs to be change direction.
All the other ways that I’m familiar with are based on experience and intuition. I can say with full confidence that experience and intuition are based on what happened in the past. The problem is that you are trying to understand what is the future direction. The future will be a deviation of the past, never an accurate replication of past events. It’s not a good method to understand how the future will fold based on the past.
There’re some ways to know when the pendulum needs to change direction, but they are a fit for certain industries, companies, or groups. You will find them after several cycles. Watching complexity, simplicity, centralization, and decentralization, is a daily task any leader should allocate time for. | https://galaxiez.com/2019/10/14/leadership-complexity-decentralization-pendulum/ |
@mutualaid_nyu is a student-run Instagram account created as a response to NYU’s poor administrative response to the pandemic. The network — which laid out its goals on Monday, April 27 — aims to facilitate shared resources and support within the NYU community, including safe housing, groceries, deliveries, cleaning supplies and monetary aid. (Via Instagram @mutualaid_nyu)
Citing NYU’s poor administrative response to the pandemic, students have created a mutual aid network via Instagram to assist those most affected by the pandemic.
The network — which laid out its goals on Sunday, April 26 — aims to facilitate the sharing of resources and support within the NYU community, including safe housing, groceries, deliveries, cleaning supplies and monetary aid. The mutual aid network has 11 volunteers to date, a majority of whom reside in New York City, Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
The network was conceived following the Monday, March 16 email sent by President Andrew Hamilton, in which students were told to evacuate university housing by Sunday, March 22, a decision that left many students scrambling to find a place to stay for the duration of the semester.
After being inspired by multiple petitions and individual aid offers, CAS junior Zoya Ghazi wanted to create an organized space where the NYU community could request aid or be volunteers. This led to the formation of a Google form to fulfill Ghazi’s aim.
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“For the amount of students being displaced who would perhaps not receive an exception from NYU to remain in student housing, there is a similar amount of vacancies from students leaving New York for homes they can safely return to,” the Google form reads. “The goal here is to match up resources so that people have one place to go where they can both offer what they have and find what they need.”
While lots of networks are operating at a local or regional level, Ghazi wanted a more sustainable and accessible network for students attending NYU.
“I started with the help of some close friends, but it’s all reliant on people sharing with their friends and those friends sharing it with theirs, and so on,” Ghazi said. “Other institutions have met student demands, and the NYU administration should be taking notes.”
The first post on the network’s Instagram features a Twitter screenshot that highlights how Emory University provided $1,000 for every low-income student with the Student Support Stipend. Additionally, the Emory Together Fund of $5 million is being allocated for students and faculty most hit by COVID-19.
Like Ghazi, Tisch senior Kay Scinto said she feels NYU needs to follow examples set by universities such as Emory to better aid students. She’s offering to help with groceries and deliveries in Connecticut and provide resources such as toilet paper, kitchen rolls and first aid supplies.
“My biggest motivation to volunteer was feeling like not enough was being done by NYU,” Scinto said. “So since the administration wasn’t being there for us, it feels like it’s our duty as a community to try to be there for each other at least.”
CAS junior Avery Peterson has also volunteered for Mutual Aid for NYU Students. Located in the New York City area, she’s offering to help people pick up groceries and make deliveries.
“The mutual aid network is able to connect students in need of support to students wanting to do more to help across the country,” Peterson said. “Volunteers can elect different services to specialize in that they are most comfortable with. Support [is] tailored to the skill sets of the volunteers so that the volunteers can do the greatest good that they are able to.”
Volunteers have been remotely responding to requests as well.
“Some volunteers have even offered to help find legal recourse due to the racial violence existing in this crisis,” Peterson said. “[They] have offered to help write professional emails to help fight for the rights of our student community.”
The mutual aid network stands in solidarity with other organizations attempting to bring structural change to this pandemic, such as NYU Students Demanding Care, NYU COVID Coalition and NYU Student Labor Action Movement.
With NYU’s students looking for ways to share their wealth of resources, Ghazi believes that the mutual aid network provides the right forum to do so.
“Our aim is to also promote individual action so that there aren’t any students left in the lurch and struggling to survive, let alone study, especially during a global pandemic,” Ghazi said. “It’s been abundantly clear over the years that this is something NYU has failed to address appropriately.” | |
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When faced with high stakes, such as whether or not the participant will mate, the better strategy – evolutionarily speaking – there is less risk to go with “Mr./Ms. Right Now” than waiting for “Mr./Ms. Right” rather than risk never finding that person. Researchers at Michigan State University discovered it is in human nature to make the safe choice of “Mr./Ms. Okay” rather than hold out for “Mr./Ms. Perfect.”
The study focused on risk life-changing choices was conducted by Chris Adami, professor of microbiology and molecular genetics and Arend Hintze, Ph.D., a research associate and both from MSU. Together they co-authored a paper on their findings. Adami and Hintze used a computational model to track risk-taking behaviors through generations of evolution.
They used digital organisms which were programmed to make choices in life-changing situations that natural organisms would make, such as the choice of a mate. A variety of variables were tried that affect risk-taking behavior and determined that there are conditions that affect the decision-making process. One such condition for this study was that the decision must be a life-changing event, such as choosing a mate. The pay-off being having offspring by choosing early or gamble to not have offspring by choosing to wait.
The size of the group a subject was associated with affected the amount of risk an individual was willing to take. If the group was 150 or smaller, the less likely they were to gamble compared to those in larger groups. Perhaps that is because there is a smaller pool from which to choose. Another factor could be the pressure that any action taken has high visibility within a small group.
In humanity’s early history people lived in small groups and the choice of a mate limited. Still in more modern times, the group does not necessarily pertain to population. Within a population, there can be any number of groups and the influence of the group can affect the members.
Choosing a mate early insures being involved in the evolutionary process when offspring arrive. Waiting for the perfect mate involves the risk of being completely left out of evolution. The early choice, going with “Mr./Ms. Right Now” is a better or at least there is less risk than waiting for “Mr./Ms. Right.” Choosing early was often the choice made by humans in less modern times.
The study also revealed that evolution does not have only one way of dealing with the gambles in life. Some people are less inclined to gamble while some more inclined to do so, and that there are instances where the higher risks actually contribute to evolution.
In today’s world, the question remains, Is choosing “Mr./Ms. Right Now” less of a risk than waiting for “Mr./Ms. Right?” With a larger population worldwide and even groups within a given population larger than some villages used to be, the choice remains a gamble. If children are part of the decision, perhaps “Mr./Ms. Right Now” is the choice to make as this study suggests. If not, perhaps waiting for “Mr./Ms. Right” is a better choice. | https://guardianlv.com/2015/02/risk-less-choosing-mrms-right-now-rather-than-waiting-for-mrms-right/ |
The women of country music are a force to be reckoned with. When they hear rumors about themselves, they have no problem addressing them head-on.
This time, the rumors are coming at Miranda Lambert. The country songstress quietly married NYPD officer Brendan McLoughlin in January after dating for just two and a half months. The two met in November when Miranda performed with her band, Pistol Annies, on Good Morning America. Brendan was working in Times Square, where the performance was filmed.
Their whirlwind love story seems like a happy ending after the difficult split between Miranda and ex-husband Blake Shelton.
That hasn’t stopped rumors of a split from already plaguing the newlyweds. Trolls have come out and said that Miranda and Brendan are heading for a divorce. Miranda decided to tackle the rumors directly. Miranda’s rep released a statement shutting down the rumors, confirming that Miranda and Brendan are very much happy and in love. | https://www.littlethings.com/miranda-lambert-rumors-brendan-mcloughlin/ |
Whether you’re looking for a snack, appetizer or side dish, these crispy cauliflower cakes will wow your taste buds—leaving you wanting more. Riced cauliflower is bound together with eggs and coconut flour, giving you a moist, inner cake with a crunchy, outer layer. The garlic powder and chopped chives give a delicious and satisfying flavor. Serve by themselves or with sliced avocado and lemon.
Note: Original recipe is from http://ultimatepaleoguide.com/recipe/crispy-cauliflower-cakes/ —Ultimate Paleo Guide
See what other Food52ers are saying. | https://food52.com/recipes/39553-paleo-friendly-crispy-cauliflower-cakes |
Newark - The New Jersey Bureau of Securities, represented by the Division of Law, has suspended the broker-dealer agent registration of Darnell Deans, of Jersey City, finding that Deans improperly borrowed money from two customers of a securities firm while it employed him, and repeatedly failed to disclose to the Bureau those loans, as well as state and federal tax liens that were entered against him.
"New Jersey's laws hold broker-dealer agents to high standards of transparency and integrity in order to protect investors," Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman said. "Borrowing money from clients and failing to report tax liens are prohibited by the law, and will result in disciplinary action, because it is our job to make this a fair and credible playing field."
This week, the Bureau of Securities entered into a Consent Order with Deans for the suspension of his registration, as well as a civil penalty of $37,500. This action resolves the litigation regarding the Bureau's June 2013 summary revocation and penalty ordered issued against Deans.
"The Bureau of Securities took the right action in holding Darnell Deans, a broker-dealer agent, accountable for his allegedly dishonest and unethical practices," Division of Consumer Affairs Acting Director Steve Lee said.
Bureau of Securities Chief Laura Posner said, "Investors rely on the accuracy and completeness of the financial disclosures provided by agents to the Bureau. By enforcing these laws, we are helping to provide a transparent marketplace for all investors."
According to the Consent Order, in 2011 Deans borrowed at least $210,000 from one individual and $25,000 from another individual, both of whom were Deans' clients at the broker-dealer firm at which he was employed.
When Deans' firm initially discovered during a 2011 internal branch inspection that he borrowed money from the first customer, Deans stated that the loans were personal loans. However, Deans later claimed the borrowed money represented business loans to assist him in expanding expand the Wall Street branch he owns and manages. Deans failed to report the existence of these loans to his firm or the Bureau.
Additionally, between June 2004 and August 2012, Deans failed to report the existence of federal and New York State tax liens entered against him. In June 2004, New York State entered a state tax lien/judgment in the amount of $6,473 against Deans, which he later satisfied in May 2006. In June 2007, the IRS entered a federal tax lien against Deans in the amount of $122,638; that lien has not been released.
By borrowing money from clients and failing to report the federal and New York State tax liens, Deans engaged in dishonest or unethical practices in violation of New Jersey's Uniform Securities Law and regulations.
Under the Consent Order that suspends his registration, Deans is prohibited from re-applying to the Bureau of Securities for registration until two and a half years from the entry of the June 2013 summary order. He also is required to pay a civil penalty of $37,500. Should Deans apply for registration after the 30-month suspension period and the Bureau grant his registration, the registration will be subject to a Heightened Supervision Agreement (HSA) and other conditions.
Bureau of Securities Investigators Stephen Bouchard and Rosemary Gonzalez conducted this investigation on behalf of the Bureau.
Deputy Attorneys General Paul Minnefor and Emmanuel Asmar of the Securities Fraud Prosecution Section in the Division of Law represented the Bureau in this matter.
The Bureau of Securities can assist investors in determining whether those selling securities, as well as securities offered for sale, are registered or are exempt from registration. The Bureau can be contacted toll-free within New Jersey at
1-866-I-INVEST (1-866-446-8378) or from outside New Jersey at
973-504-3600. The Bureau's website is
www.njcsecurities.gov.
Follow the Division of Consumer Affairs on
Facebook, and check our online calendar of upcoming
Consumer Outreach events.
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Sign up for New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs RSS feeds to get the latest information. You can select any category that you are interested in, and any time the website is updated you will receive a notification.
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Copyright © 2017 State of New Jersey. | https://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/News/Pages/09042014.aspx |
Community Health Centers (CHCs) provide family-oriented healthcare services for people living in rural and urban medically underserved communities; they are an important part of the government's plan to make healthcare more affordable. An optimization model is developed to determine the best location and number of new CHCs in a geographical network, as well as what services each CHC should offer at which capacity level. The weighted demand coverage of the needy population is maximized subject to budget and capacity constraints, where costs are fixed and variable. Statistical methods are applied to national health databases to determine important predictors of healthcare need and disease weights, and these methods are applied to census data to obtain county-based estimates of demand. Using several performance metrics such as the number of encounters, service of uninsured persons, and coverage of rural counties, the results of the system approach to location are analyzed using the state of Georgia as a prototype. It is demonstrated that optimizing the overall network can result in improvements of 20% in several measures. The proposed model is used to analyze policy questions such as how to serve the uninsured.
Journal Title
IIE Transactions
Journal ISSN
1545-8830
Volume
40
Issue
9
First Page
880
Last Page
892
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1080/07408170802165864
Recommended Citation
Griffin, Paul M.; Scherrer, Christina R.; and Swann, Julie L., "Optimization of Community Health Center Locations and Service Offerings with Statistical Need Estimation" (2008). Faculty Publications. 3643. | https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/facpubs/3643/ |
Salted Caramel Sauce made with Coconut Sugar!
Yes, I get the occasional craving for a sweet treat too! But just because I want something soothing and sweet, doesn’t mean that I abandon my convictions regarding food choices! We planted several tiny apple trees nearly 10 years ago when we bought our house and they are finally producing beautiful apples!! And who doesn’t love Caramel and Apples?!?! I know I have always loved caramel apples – I remember my grandmother buying me those 3 packs of caramel apples in the grocery store…. But the challenge is we don’t eat “sugar” or “corn syrup” – that makes it tough to make a carmel…. Coconut Sugar – Have you ever had it? I encourage you to seek some out and I’m sure it will become a staple of your pantry. But I must caution, just because it’s better than refined sugar options, it’s still a sweetener and you still must use self-control! Coconut sugar has similar properties to sugarcane sugar, but lower Glycemic Index and a more complex flavor similar to brown sugar. (click HERE to learn more about coconut sugar and why I love it)
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons Water, filtered
- 1 teaspoon Ghee or butter
- 1/2 cup Organic Coconut Cream (canned) or heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
Instructions
- Combine Coconut Sugar and water in small pot and bring to a simmer over medium high heat for 5 minutes.
- Once it starts to boil/simmer DO NOT STIR! You can lightly swirl the pan or using water on a pastry brush- wipe the sides of the pot to wash any melted carmel down. I keep a candy thermometer in mine, but have not be focusing on a specific temperature as a stopping point but just the 5 minutes - which seems to be around 250 degrees.
- Remove your pot from the stove and gently whisk in (will bubble up) ghee, coconut cream, vanilla and sea salt.
Notes
I started using Ghee (clarified butter) as opposed to just butter to eliminate the dairy milk solids – to make it a pure fat. I’ve been reducing my dairy intake as Ghee is a great way to keep the taste without “diary” – for those following Paleo or dairy-free diets some consume Ghee but not butter. To learn how to make Ghee in a CrockPot, click HERE. | https://healthstartsinthekitchen.com/salted-carmel-sauce-made-with-coconut-sugar/ |
More than 40 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke to the Medical Committee for Human Rights, saying, "Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane." This committee formed out of a need to support more than 100 northern doctors, nurses and other health care workers who traveled to Mississippi during Freedom Summer to provide emergency care for victims of police and Klan violence, and to maintain a medical presence for the black community -- many of whom had never seen a doctor as a result of a segregated system of health care.
Last year, African Americans across the country united with progressive organizations, civil rights, labor and health care activists to pass a national health care reform law that begins to address health care inequities born out of an unequal system of care that often works for the wealthy and healthy, not for the poor and sick. Today, the historic health care legislation that Congress passed is already making a difference for millions of African Americans, who are far more likely to experience health care disparities and die from preventable diseases because of lack of access to secure, affordable, quality care.
On January 19, the U.S. House of Representatives voted on legislation that would repeal the benefits of the Affordable Care Act, simply because opponents of health reform law want to see it fail. Now is not the time to take away the foundation for better care and services that could make an enormous difference in reducing barriers within so many underserved communities. As a family doctor, an African American woman, and Chair of SEIU Healthcare, I see Dr. King's vision for health care equality reborn in the new law.
Taking Strides To Reduce Racial Health Disparities: We Can't Stop Now
Today, just under one in five African Americans are uninsured, compared to only one in eight white Americans who lack health coverage, according to "Health Disparities: A Case for Closing the Gap," a 2009 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This lack of coverage has real consequences: the death rate for African Americans is two times higher than whites for heart disease, stroke, cancer, influenza and pneumonia, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act moves toward eliminating the glaring disparities in healthcare coverage and access that disproportionately impact communities of color across the U.S. and Territories such as the Virgin Islands. Thanks to the law, insurance companies can no longer deny care to individuals due to a pre-existing condition like hypertension, cancer, or diabetes--diseases that have a firm foothold in our families. Beginning this year, the health reform law will appropriate $11 billion to community health care centers typically located in underserved communities and used by nearly 30 percent of African Americans. The law will also fund programs to support health care professionals who serve communities of color, ultimately enhancing culturally appropriate care.
The law does more for African Americans who have lived with barriers to care that can significantly impact us as we age. As of January 1, 2011, seniors on Medicare can get free medical check-ups. Screenings for deadly diseases like colorectal cancer and preventive services like mammograms and bone mass measurements are now free. And, seniors who couldn't afford their prescriptions and whose drug costs put them in the Medicare Park D "doughnut hole" will now get a 50 percent discount on the price of brand name drugs and additional discounts on generic drugs, lowering out-of-pocket costs for so many of our seniors living on fixed incomes.
For African Americans, the benefits of health care reform cannot come soon enough. No one recognizes this more than our country's physicians like the Committee of Interns and Residents of SEIU Healthcare and the non-profit advocacy group, Doctors for America, who have joined forces to call on members of Congress to support the Affordable Care Act. Like the health care professionals with the Medical Committee for Human Rights who united during Freedom Summer, the physicians of SEIU and Doctors for America often work in communities where barriers to care are all too evident.
As we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the path he began down so many years ago to recognize health care as a human right, we must call upon members of Congress to honor his vision of a health care system that works for everyone. Our members of Congress can do that by embracing that vision as it lives on today in the Affordable Care Act. | https://www.huffpost.com/entry/honoring-a-dream-for-heal_b_811600 |
When a planeload of Syrian refugees landed in Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greeted them with a smile and winter coats. It was a symbolic moment. Canada has promised to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees by February 2016, but with more than 12 million people affected by the Syrian civil war, governments across the world will need to open their borders to provide safe haven to the waves of displaced individuals.
Countries surrounding Syria have shouldered most of the burden, notwithstanding domestic controversy over how to approach the crisis. Turkey and Lebanon have taken on the majority of refugees, accepting 1.9 million and 1.1 million respectively. European countries have also shown readiness in accepting a large number of Syrian refugees. According to statistics for October from the German Federal Department for Migration and Refugees, Germany alone has provided refugee status to more than 57,000 Syrians so far this year.
But Asia is notably missing in the discussion of refugee settlement. China and India, Asia’s emerging economic powers, have not settled a single Syrian refugee to date, although China did offer US$16 million last year in humanitarian assistance to the refugees. In South Korea, only three Syrians have been granted refugee status since 2014. Malaysia is the only country in Asia to make a substantial commitment to take in refugees, recently pledging to accept 3,000 Syrian asylum seekers over the next three years.
Conspicuously absent from current global resettlement plans for displaced Syrians is Japan, a country with the resources and experience to accept refugees. The resettlement of Syrian refugees is an opportunity for Japan to not only demonstrate leadership on this issue in Asia, but also address some of its own future demographic challenges.
Japan’s policy response to the refugee crisis has focused on an “open wallet, closed door” approach. As the second-largest donor to the United Nations’ refugee agency, the UNHCR, Japan announced this September that it would provide US$810 million to support refugees escaping Syria and Iraq. Yet from 2011 to September this year, only three out of 63 Syrians who applied for asylum in Japan successfully received refugee status. According to the Migration Policy Institute, one of the reasons for this low acceptance rate is the controversial refugee recognition system in Japan, which is considered rigid and restrictive because of its narrow definition of what constitutes a refugee and the concentration of power within a single governmental bureau over refugee-status determination.
Japan has some experience in economic migrants coming from the Middle East. In the early 1990s, 50,000 Iranians arrived in Japan to find work at the end of the Iran-Iraq war. While many left Japan in the late ‘90s because of changes in Japanese immigration legislation and the economic recession, more than 5,000 Iranians still remain in Japan. Lessons learned from the experience of resettling Iranians could be used to improve settlement of Syrian refugees into Japan this time around.
A more recent example is Japan’s participation in the pilot UNHCR Refugee Resettlement Program (RRP) that welcomed Karen refugees from Myanmar-Thai border refugee camps between 2010 and 2015. The pilot was successful in providing initial resettlement services, such as language training, survival courses, and job assignments, and the Japanese government this year decided to turn it into a full-fledged RRP. The RRP model could be a suitable program for Japan to begin accepting Syrian refugees, as it bypasses the limitations of Japan’s own refugee recognition system.
While Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has argued that Japan must prioritize internal demographic issues over foreign ones, accepting skilled Syrian refugees could help the country ameliorate its demographic challenges. First, bringing in Syrian refugees could help with Japan’s decreasing birth rate and aging population. United Nations’ demographic data shows that Japan’s elderly (aged 65 and over) currently represent more than 25 per cent of Japan’s population and this number is forecasted to reach 36 per cent by 2050. European countries that are facing similar aging issues have accepted migrants in order to grow their workforces. By July 2015, half of the migrants arriving in Germany were younger than 25. Just like Germany, Japan can select Syrian families and young married couples to help increase the dwindling birth rate and reduce the widening gap between youth and elderly. Second, President Abe has been promoting women empowerment in the workforce. Data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reveals that female participation in the Japanese labour force is 66 per cent, far lower than in some other developed countries, such as Sweden, which is close to 80 per cent. When selecting Syrian refugees through the RRP, Japan can choose more highly skilled female professionals in an effort to increase the percentage of females in the workforce.
However, welcoming refugees never comes without consequences. Proper integration and acceptance into Japanese society will be a key obstacle to overcome. If Japan were to accept a greater number of Syrian refugees, it would need to adopt programs and policies that would help address any resulting social tensions from using scarce government resources to assist newcomers through resettlement services and programs, including Japanese language classes, housing and employment agencies, and loans and other financial assistance.
Opening Japan’s borders to Syrian refugees and implementing an RRP could help to alleviate the demographic crisis that Japan is facing, while providing a safe haven for Syrian refugees. If done properly, Japan’s RRP for Syrian refugees would bring more opportunities than risks. However, it remains to be seen if Japan will capitalize on this opportunity.
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNESA), 2015. Percentage total population (both sexes combined) by broad age group, major area, region and country, 1950-2100.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 2014. Labour force statistics by sex and age, 2000-2014. | https://www.asiapacific.ca/blog/opening-japans-doors-syrian-refugees |
Informing child welfare caseworkers about effective therapies and practice seems like common sense. But while a US training programme successfully raised awareness of evidence-based practices, caseworkers did not make significantly more referrals to them than untrained colleagues. Does that mean it was a bad idea?
Children and young people in foster care are much more likely to have mental health problems than youth in the general population. So equipping child welfare caseworkers with better information about the use and availability of effective therapies and practice would seem like common sense.
But while a bespoke training and consultation programme for caseworkers in Washington State successfully increased their awareness of evidence-based practices (EBPs), it did not lead them to make significantly more referrals to them than other caseworkers. Does that mean it was bad idea?
Shannon Dorsey and colleagues at the University of Washington developed and evaluated the training programme – known as Project Focus – as a contribution towards improving foster children’s emotional and behavioural outcomes by better connecting them to EBPs. Their idea was to train child welfare caseworkers as “brokers” so that they could correctly identify children’s mental health needs, identify appropriate evidence-based treatments and help children gain access to them.
Writing in the journal Child Maltreatment, the researchers note that rates of clinically significant mental health problems among children in foster care are between double and four times greater than those for children generally. Mental health services are a common element of service plans for youth in out-of-home care, yet recommendations are often nonspecific or formulaic. Particular types of service are rarely identified or requested.
Caseworkers, who are expected to fulfil wide-ranging responsibilities, receive limited training in the identification of mental health needs and in EBPs. But even when aware of mental health needs and appropriate referral options they often face systemic barriers, including limited services, restricted access and waitlists.
Focusing on training
According to the Washington research team, a child welfare caseworker acting as a mental health services broker should:• be able to identify emotional or behavioural problems that require intervention• know about EBPs• understand which EBPs are available locally and how to access them• ask the right questions when assessing provider appropriateness• maintain contact during treatment to ensure progress towards agreed goals• identify supports and incentives, where needed, to encourage children and young people’s engagement and participation in treatment.
To develop these skills, Project Focus trained caseworkers in Washington State in understanding the mental health needs of foster children, screening strategies and the theory and practice of evidence-based treatment approaches. These included the use of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for depression and other internalizing disorders, parenting programmes for disruptive behaviour and psycho-pharmological and behaviour therapy for attention deficit problems.
The training also covered specific “brands” of EBP that were available locally – includingParent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and the “Triple P” parenting programme. Training took the form of lectures, small group activities, vignettes, short modelling and video demonstrations of EBPs.
For practical reinforcement, caseworkers were given access to four months of biweekly, one hour, case-specific consultations with experts. They were encouraged to review screening data on children, discuss appropriate treatment options and construct action plans.
As a way of increasing the local availability of EBPs, the research team also provided training and consultation for community clinicians in a manualised programme for youth aged 8 to 14 known as the Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma or Conduct (MATCH-ADTC).
The evaluation of Project Focus was conducted as a small-scale trial where four child welfare offices in a mix of rural and urban areas were randomly allocated to either take part in the training programme (24 caseworkers) or a waitlist control group (27 caseworkers). Results showed that awareness of EBPs improved significantly among programme participants while remaining much the same among caseworkers in the control offices. Participants were also more knowledgeable than the control group about appropriate referrals.
However, though the number of referrals to EBPs by caseworkers who took part in Project Focus doubled, it also grew by 50 per cent among the control group – resulting in a difference that was not large enough to be statistically significant.
Bad timing?
Dorsey and her colleagues describe their results as “disheartening”. Among possible explanations, they highlight the small sample size, which restricted the study’s power to detect significant differences. Another possible reason they advance for the lack of behaviour change amongst caseworkers is simply bad timing.
The trial took place in 2008 when Washington was confronting one of the worst state budget deficits in America. It was also implementing a new state-wide data programme that required child welfare staff to take part in training. Both of these factors placed additional demands on caseworkers to a point where less than half the participants in Project Focus attended all sessions. Those who missed training days were asked to watch a video - but it was not possible for the researchers to verify that this was done.
Accepting that this may help explain the disappointing findings, the researchers argue that behaviour change might have been achieved by increasing the intervention “dose” of training for caseworks, while simultaneously intervening to make supportive structural or organisational changes at systems level. | https://investinginchildren.eu/features/can-training-help-child-welfare-workers-to-broker-better-services |
The Arenal Volcano National Park has an area of 33 square kilometers, and its landscape has two distinct areas: one side is of the volcano is covered with lush vegetation and a variety of wildlife where visitors can see a wide array of orchids, ferns and palms and the other, a rugged zone with lava tracts and sand. The volcano offers daytime and nighttime viewing opportunities of its perfect conical shape, unliked any other volcano in Costa Rica. Those who visit this protected area should not miss, in addition, the lava flows that fell in 1992, the impressive ceiba tree with more than 400 years old and the trails along an extensive and authentic rain forest, where you can appreciate the wildlife and resources that the Park protects.
The summit of the Arenal Volcano, rising 1,633 meters above sea level, towers far above the Arenal Volcano National Park and northern plains overlooking a wind-swept lake and pristine cloud forests reserves. An incredibly diverse population of wildlife and a myriad of adventure activities awaits you in this part of Costa Rica. In addition, this area is known for its hot springs, which provide a unique relaxing environment surrounded by local nature. Nature-loving visitors can enjoy the region’s many riches of protected areas, lakes, lagoons, volcanoes, rivers and waterfalls. Thanks to frequent rains, the Northern Zone features wet and evergreen forests as well as fertile plains—natural environments that serve as sanctuaries for water birds, reptiles, mammals, and important sites of interest for wildlife-lovers. Adventure activities such as white-water rafting and nature-watching may be enjoyed on the region’s rivers—Peñas Blancas, San Carlos, Toro, Balsa and Sarapiquí—some of which are important navigational routes. The ideal way to visit this region is by ground transportation since the landscapes you’ll see as you drive along these twisting roads make for incredible photographs. 600 of the 850 bird species identified in Costa Rica are permanent residents of this region so don't forget the binoculars!! Driving along winding roads from San Jose, you climb higher into the surrounding mountains, where temperatures drop to a refreshing 70-75 degrees F. In the distance you’ll be able to observe the dark green and blue silhouettes of the Guanacaste and Tilaran mountain ranges.
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Hotels in Arenal
Tours in Arenal
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Travel Tips
How to get there
Climate
Lake Arenal is located in a tropical zone on the Atlantic slope at 400 meters above sea level. The weather here tends to characterize itself with warm daytime temperatures (low to mid 80's) and relatively high humidity. Rainy season occurs from mid April through December but wet weather can often occur during the dry months as well.
There are intermittent rain showers that usually pass quickly and from late February until early May, the rain lessens in frequency which allows for fantastic skyscapes during sunrise and sunset.
What to bring
As in other areas, rain gear, and comfortable hiking shoes. Binoculars are highly recommended since there is excellent birdwatching. | https://www.rainforesttours.com/arenal-northzone.html |
Beginning immediately, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office Administrative Division is moving to online application and appointment scheduling. This new business model is a byproduct of infrastructure modifications that were made due to COVID-19 and will maintain newfound efficiencies.
Anyone needing to schedule an appointment with the Records Section just needs to go to the Washoe County Sheriff's Office website. All requests for licenses, registrations, or permits (such as work permits or CCW permits) can be found under the Records tab of the website's top menu bar. Community members need to complete the appropriate application for their specific needs, and once submitted they will be directed to make an appointment.
The only exceptions are for felon/sex offender registrations. Those needing to schedule such appointments may call the WCSO main number at (775) 328-3023.
All customers will be screened upon entering the Sheriff's Office at 911 Parr Blvd. Applicants must have their temperature taken, and must also wear a face mask. If a person does not have a face mask, one will be provided to them as long as supplies are available.
Only those requiring services should enter the Sheriff's Office. Visitors are asked to refrain from bringing family members or friends.
Once an applicant has checked in with the front lobby, the customer will be asked to wait in their vehicle until they are called on their mobile phone to return inside for processing. If the applicant does not have a vehicle or cell phone they may sit in the main entrance hall of the Sheriff's Office. The Records Section lobby will remain closed in order to maintain health and safety measures and mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
The Washoe County Sheriff's Office is dedicated to preserving a safe and secure community with professionalism, respect, integrity and the highest commitment to equality. Sheriff Darin Balaam is the 27th person elected to serve as the Sheriff of Washoe County since the Office was created in 1861. The Washoe County Sheriff's Office strives to ensure public safety by building trust and creating partnerships within the diverse communities in which we serve. We will promote the dignity of all people supported by our words and actions through open communication while fostering an environment of professionalism, integrity and mutual respect. | https://www.washoesheriff.com/outreach/archive/2000071.php |
Washington D.C. [USA], Sept 9 (ANI): Priyanka Chopra who attended the Toronto International Film Festival for the premiere of her upcoming film 'The Sky is Pink' gave insights into her character and what the role meant to her.
The 37-year old who is essaying the role of Aisha's mother, explained her character's connection with her daughter and said, "I think it's that relationship of what happens when you first fall in love, to when you get married, and then when you have children, and then if you have a child who's sick, you become caretakers, and what happens to a relationship, and how you have to nourish a relationship, take care of it when it's broken, because it will be, what loss and grief does to you."
The film is narrated from Aisha's viewpoint which Priyanka believes makes it more special.
"The moments of joy, moments of tragedy--all of that together from the perspective of this teenager. I just think the juxtaposition of the movie--telling the story about a dying young girl, but showing the celebration of her life, instead of the mourning of her death--was so clever," Deadline quoted the actor as saying during the Festival.
The idea of the movie struck director Shonali Bose when she first met the parents of late child activist Aisha Chaudhary, who is the main character in the story.
But more than that, Sonali shares a more personal connect to the film.
"Death is something universal. I lost my son, and was able to embrace that pain of that and accept it, and come to peace with it, and actually find almost a beauty and joy in it," said the filmmaker.
"I celebrate his death days as much as I celebrate his birthdays, or anybody's birthdays," Shonali added.
The forthcoming film slated to open on October 11 this year also stars Farhan Akhtar and Zaira Wasim.
The film is based on the life of Aisha, who became a motivational speaker after being diagnosed with an immune deficiency order at the age of 13. It also sheds light on the love story of her parents. | https://www.sify.com/movies/-the-sky-is-pink--entails--joy----tragedy---priyanka-chopra-news-bollywood-tjjcsGdbechbc.html |
I wish to welcome you all in the HCT 25th anniversary celebrations as we celebrate its prestigious status as a national educational institution renowned for its clear vision, determination, and commitment to innovation and service of the country.
We are honored with the presence of HH Sheikh Mohamad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister, Ruler of Dubai. We express our profound gratitude for his highness’s generous presence despite his commitments and responsibilities. We take pride in this honorable presence which reflects his highness’s recognition of the role of the Higher Colleges of Technology in the development process of the UAE. Thank you your highness for honoring our event with your generous presence and wise vision and conviction that education is the safest way to a better future. We take pride in your highness’s keenness to support education, knowledge and innovation that pave the way for a prosperous present and bright future where the UAE will assume a leading role in the world order and contribute effectively to the achievements worldwide in all fields.
Allow me your highness at the beginning of this ceremony to mention with all due pride and gratitude the role of the founding father of this nation and late leader Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may his soul rest in peace. The Higher Colleges of Technology started their journey and progressed under his directives and guidance. Our allegiance to his beautiful memory motivates us to revive our vow to our leaders and citizens to continue on the path of national commitment to excellence and dedicated service. It will forever be an exemplary institution.
The HCT 25th anniversary is a golden opportunity to mention with great pride and appreciation the support of the UAE leaders and institutions for the Higher Colleges of Technology. I am honored today to express, on behalf of the HCT family, great allegiance and heartfelt gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE President, for his continued support, which made the HCT an advanced institution reflecting the aspirations of the community and achieving high ranking in the region and worldwide.
I also wish to express my utmost appreciation to His Highness Sheikh Mohamad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister, Ruler of Dubai, and their Highnesses the members of the UAE Federal Supreme Council, the rulers of the emirates, thanking them on behalf of the HCT family for their keenness to support these colleges and their generous contributions which enable them to fulfill their role in meeting the needs of national citizens.
I further wish to hail the great efforts and support of HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, Deputy Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, which empower our colleges to maintain their positive desired role in the development process.
On this happy occasion it is worthy to mention the close ties between HCT and the institutions in the community which have a positive effect on the prosperity and remarkable achievements of the colleges. Their joint efforts serve the country.
I also thank the efforts and contributions of the HCT faculty and staff, as well as the sister colleges and universities that ensure cooperation with the HCT, hoping that these fruitful relations would flourish and endure.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We thank God the almighty for the development and success of the Higher Colleges of Technology. There are now 17 colleges across the UAE with 20,000 male and female students and 60,000 male and female graduates who have found promising employment in all sectors of the UAE. The HCT keeps abreast of all areas of scientific, knowledge and technological development worldwide.
The endeavors are never ending. The HCT will always be committed to the progress and prosperity of the nation. Its graduates will be empowered to meet the needs of the labour market. The HCT will continue to offer continuing education programs and contribute to the development of human resources in the UAE, promoting innovation in the community, encouraging initiatives and establishing ventures in accordance with the international performance criteria. The main purpose is to rank alongside prestigious colleges around the world.
The future will be more promising than the present as the HCT continues to achieve its goals and objectives with the support of the UAE leadership and God’s blessings.
The launching of the world student conference “Education Without Borders 2013” coincides with the HCT 25th anniversary, which is held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE President. Attended by students from 60 countries, this conference aims to bring students together across the borders to form a joint stance among youth in addressing key issues and challenges facing the world. I welcome all the participating students and extend to them the greetings of H.H the UAE president and conference patron and his great appreciation for the conference’s endeavors to develop students’ leadership qualities. H.H. the UAE President affirms to us that a student is the tool for progress in society and it is our collective duty to provide students with every opportunity to have a dialogue and listen to the views of others with respect, to expand their horizons, raise their awareness and encourage them to serve their community, country and the world.
The youth in this conference have a golden opportunity to contribute to shaping the nature of life on this planet and determining the desired future for this world. You have to benefit from your intelligence and competence and all God’s endowments in order to build your societies. I wish you success and hope that this conference will be a starting point for strengthening cooperation between you all.
I greet and welcome your highness again and express our pride in your honorable presence, and I wish to affirm on behalf of the HCT family that the HCT will always be a pioneering community hub that embodies the vision of H.H the UAE president. The colleges will develop the skills of nationals and help them to reach their full potential.
Thank you your highness for your care for the Higher Colleges of Technology and support of the Education Without Borders conference. We wish you and the UAE continued progress. | http://25.hct.ac.ae/events/opening-address-gala-ceremony/ |
1. SPIRITUAL FOCUS - Adventist schools focus on preparing students not just for success in this life, but for eternity. The ultimate goal of each teacher is to see each student in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
2. LOW STUDENT-TEACHER RATIOS - This allows for more individualized attention and instruction. The benefits of smaller classes extend beyond test scores and student engagement. In addition to the longer-term positive attributes of small class sizes in the early grades, benefits include continued academic and life success.
3. ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT - CognitiveGenesis, a four year study of 30,000 students enrolled in Adventist schools across North America found that students in our schools achieve an average of half a grade above predicted ability in all subjects.
4. TAILORED CURRICULUM - Adventist schools benefit from a curriculum especially designed for single and multigrade classrooms. The North American Division Office of Education has developed excellent, high-quality, standards-based materials for all classrooms. The curriculum is designed so that students are constantly connected with Christ and the possibilities He has for each life.
5. FAMILY ATMOSPHERE - Our schools have a family atmosphere that is similar to what students encounter in the real world outside the classroom. The range of social relationships students build in a multilevel classroom more closely reflects the social situations individuals encounter in workplaces, communities, and families.
6. INVOLVED PARENTS - Parents appreciate the stable learning community of Adventist schools and the stronger relationships they are able to develop with their child’s teacher. There are more opportunities for parents to be involved whether it is volunteering in the classroom, assisting with a field trip, or serving on the local school board.
7. PEER TUTORING - The benefits of having older students offer assistance to younger students are supported by research. Studies show that both the student being tutored and the student doing the tutoring improve academically.
8. COMMUNITY SERVICE - Students in our schools are encouraged to become active members of the local community through various community service projects. From putting on a musical program at the nursing home to raking leaves for an elderly person in the school neighborhood, they are actively engaged in sharing God’s love to the world.
9. HIGHER EDUCATION - Students who attend Adventist schools are more likely to attend college. Over 85% of graduates from Adventist high schools attend college and over 80% of them complete college degrees. This is compared to 66% and 14% of public high school students respectively.
10. REMEDIATION & ENRICHEMENT - In single and multigrade classrooms, reversing environmental damage and enrichment activities can be more discreetly arranged than in traditional classrooms. | https://www.mountainroadchristianacademy.com/about |
Alzheimer’s Disease may be accompanied by other types of dementia. Multi-Infarct Dementia (MID) is a common cause of memory loss in the elderly between 55-75 years of age. MID is caused by multiple strokes, disrupting blood flow to the brain, leading to irreversible tissue damage. Often improve for short periods of time, then decline after more strokes. With this type of dementia, knowing the warning signs, risk factors, symptoms, and possible preventions helps you or your loved one find ways to live well with the disease. It’s important to keep your primary care physician updated if you notice any of the early signs, especially if you have any of the risk factors.
Brain Attack; Spot signs of a Stroke, FAST Acronym:
• Face drooping or numbness
• Arm weakness or numbness
• Speech difficulty or slurred
• Time to call 911
• Symptoms often last less than 20 minutes
Risk Factors:
• #1 High Blood Pressure (untreated)
• Diabetes
• High Cholesterol
• Cardiovascular Disease
Common MID Symptoms:
• Confusion or short term memory problems
• Wandering, getting lost in familiar places
• Walking rapid or shuffling steps
• Loss of bowel/bladder control
• Difficulty following instructions
• Laughing/crying inappropriately
• Problems handling money or monetary transactions
Early Prevention is Best Treatment: | https://www.seniorreview.com/post/multi-infarct-dementia-mid-common-cause-of-memory-loss |
The Field Supervisor (FS) oversees the execution of all IMAP team visits for their assigned teams, and assists in all technical matters related to the IMAP contract, according to their technical background and expertise. This includes communicating with all technicians on assigned teams regarding any questions or issues encountered during each visit, communicating with the COR regarding SOW issues or adjustments, and communicating with the Operations and Logistics groups to resolve any scheduling or logistical issues. The position requires extensive knowledge and experience with technical work, equipment maintenance, regulations, and safety.
Job Description:
Role and Responsibilities
Assist Maintenance Engineer (ME) and Senior Field Managers (SFM) in developing, refining, and enforcing requirements for all contractual SOWs, SOPs, and safety procedures
Assist Operations Team in resolving all conflicts or issues that arise while scheduling and coordinating visits for all assigned IMAP teams
Responsible for the performance of assigned IMAP teams during each visit, ensuring that the SOW is completed in accordance with the contract, and in a professional manner
Communicate regularly with assigned IMAP technicians to share feedback, expectations, program updates, and program best practices
Ensure that assigned IMAP Technicians have all necessary documents and information before arrival to Posts (such as previous TCRs and details of any corrective maintenance work requested prior to the visit)
Prepare cost and labor estimates for corrective maintenance work by working with Government representatives, IMAP Technicians, Post personnel, and any available proposals, blueprints, technical specifications, and related documents
Propose Preventative and Corrective Maintenance SOW changes for each visit, as identified by assigned IMAP teams, for Government approval
Review and edit Trip Completion Reports (TCR) for each visit completed by assigned IMAP teams, to verify accuracy, clarity, and completeness of all information
Review completed equipment PM checklists for each visit completed by assigned IMAP teams to ensure they are detailed, legible, complete, and that all information about work completed is included in the associated visit's TCR
Edit and clarify Bills of Material (BOM) included in TCR for each visit completed by assigned IMAP teams
Coordinate with the IMAP Logistics team to identify and procure parts and materials related to assigned team visits or emergency response visits requested by OBO
Coordinate with the Logistics Manager to ensure that all deployed technicians have required tools, equipment, and PPE required to complete their assigned SOW
Review and approve Deltek Timesheets for all technicians on assigned IMAP Teams
Work with ME and SFMs to advise OBO, Facility Managers, and deployed IMAP technicians in all matters pertaining to SOW for assigned IMAP teams
Review technical data, SOW updates, and summaries from assigned IMAP teams for accuracy and clarity.
Travel to overseas work locations periodically for the purposes of Quality Assurance (QA) oversight over all assigned IMAP teams
Complete necessary inspection reports and documentation required to support findings during QA Visits
Work with ME and SFMs to create and update standardized maintenance checklists and procedures for assigned IMAP teams, as necessary
Identify unsatisfactory trends or repetitive discrepancies and present clear, concise, and appropriate recommendations to improve workflow or techniques that will enhance efficiency, quality, and safety
Manage and give feedback to technicians on assigned IMAP teams to improve performance and quality of field work, including administering discipline, when necessary
Maintain working knowledge of latest applicable technical codes and regulations, to ensure work completed by all assigned IMAP teams is in compliance
Work with ME and SFS to interview and vet all prospective technicians for assigned IMAP teams identified by IMAP Recruiters
Qualifications and Education Requirements
Active Secret Clearance; TS Clearance preferred.
For HVAC Field Supervisor
Must have Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from an accredited college or university; AND a minimum of 3 years' experience in mechanical design, renovation, or HVAC/BAS maintenance;
OR
A Master's HVAC license; AND 7 years' experience in mechanical design, renovation, or HVAC/BAS maintenance.
For Electrical Field Supervisor
Have Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from an accredited college or university AND a minimum of 3 years' experience in electrical design or renovation;
OR
A Master Electrician's license; AND 15+ years' experience in electrical design or renovation
For Generator Field Supervisor
Be a graduate of a state approved/accredited or military program that provides formal training in electrical generating and power transfer equipment AND have 10 years' experience (to have been completed in the last 15 years).
Preferred Skills
Must have experience with Microsoft Office Suite
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Experience with handling multiple concurrent workflows and meet competing deadlines that may require quick turnaround.
Must have the physical ability to periodically travel overseas
Must be able to work on ladders, access rooftops and other hard to reach areas, and be able to lift and carry materials and tools in excess of 25 lbs
Must be familiar with the requirements outlined by organizations associated with assigned IMAP teams, such as ASHRAE, ISA (111), OSHA, NFPA 70 (E), NEMA, OSHA and other safety regulations.
Required Skills
Deliverables: | https://jobs.livecareer.com/l/field-supervisor-4859183-alutiiq-llc-47d64bc38953f969b589cabd7cff3542 |
Gefertec and Linde AG have started a joint research project to investigate the influence of the process gas and the oxygen percentage on Gefertec’s 3DMP 3D printing process. Along with the two companies, MT Aerospace AG is joining the partnership and will perform the mechanical tests of the produced parts. The actual 3D printing will take place at the additive manufacturing laboratory of Fraunhofer IGCV—the fourth cooperation partner, and where Gefertec will install the 3D printing system. According to the collaboration, the final goal of the project is the high-speed production of larger parts made of the titanium alloy Ti6Al4V, which meets the quality requirements of the aerospace industry.
The Gefertec 3DMP printing technology uses electric arc welding and wire material to create a near-net-shape part formed by welding layer by layer. After 3D printing the part can be further machined by conventional milling. For larger parts, this technology is said to be faster and more cost-effective compared to other methods based on powder as original material. The result of the arc welding process depends heavily on various parameters—especially from the process gas.
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Thermwood’s large-scale additive manufacturing (LSAM) technology enabled the fabrication of a 3,000-lb plug for a boat hull mold. The project illustrates how 3D printing could help reduce fabrication costs for marine composites.
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The additive process that grew out of ultrasonic welding provides an efficient way to produce complex work, including parts with embedded components and even parts made from dissimilar metals. | https://www.additivemanufacturing.media/news/gefertec-linde-partner-on-additive-3dmp-research |
Job Description:
The Leidos Government Health & Safety Solutions group is currently recruiting a Scientific Data and Analytics Architect to support our expanding business.
This position is contingent upon contract award.
Data science is an interdisciplinary field about processes and systems to extract knowledge or insights from data in various forms, either structured or unstructured, which is a continuation of some of the data analysis fields such as statistics, machine learning, data mining, and predictive analytics, similar to Knowledge Discovery in Databases. Primary job responsibilities involve preparing data for analytical or operational uses. The specific tasks handled can vary between engagements but typically include building data pipelines to pull together information from different source systems; integrating, consolidating and cleansing data; and structuring it for use in individual analytics applications for center and agency specific needs.
Primary Responsibilities
Facilitates development of overall data architecture strategy, framework, and roadmap, aligning to the broader enterprise architecture (application, process, technology, security, etc.).
Ensures that business needs are or will be met by the long-term architecture solution.
Provides standards and guidelines for usage of the architecture.
Develops and implements governance for the architecture.
Evaluates the reusability of current data for additional analyses and conducts data cleansing to rid the system of old, unused or duplicate data.
Develop and implement procedures for effective data management.
Create rules, procedures and technology to enhance interoperability and promote data sharing.
Assess system performance and make recommendations for software, hardware, and data storage improvements.
Assist with recognizing and upholding digital security systems to protect delicate information.
Participates in evaluation of hardware and software platforms and integrating systems as they relate to the data architecture. Participates in selection of application packages, agency services, and technology/infrastructure capabilities to ensure alignment to data architecture.
Performs data modeling, data design, and metadata and repository creation. Reviews object and data models and the metadata repository to structure the data for better management and quicker access.
Ensure adherence to legal and agency regulations on data usage and management
Basic Qualifications
- BS degree, similar technical field of study or equivalent practical experience and at least 8 years of experience
- BS degree and 10 years of prior relevant experience or Masters with 8 years of prior relevant experience.
- Strong technical background in data repository technologies such as SQL Server, Oracle, MongoDB, Hadoop, and blockchain.
- Strong understanding of interoperability concepts, techniques, and technologies
- Experience working with Electronic Health Record and HL7 standards
- Experience development and/or managing ETL process
- Exceptional soft skills including teamwork, collaboration, facilitation, and negotiation.
- Excellent analytical, technical skills, planning, and organizational skills.
- Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Previous experience leading data architectural and management activities at CDC or another federal agency
- Solid understanding of federal IT security standards, HL7, and/or Electronic Health Record
- Experience in architecting, developing and implementing microservices centric solutions
- Experience in building data analytic solution using latest technologies and techniques
- Experience in applying AI/ML in data management
- Experience working with private or hybrid cloud based data lake
- Any relevant technical and/or security certifications
External Referral Bonus:Ineligible
Potential for Telework:No
Clearance Level Required:NACI
Travel:No
Scheduled Weekly Hours:40
Shift:Day
Requisition Category:Professional
Job Family:Software Engineering
Leidos
Leidos is a Fortune 500® information technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, homeland security, civil, and health markets. The company's 33,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $10.19 billion for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2018. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.
Pay and Benefits
Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available here.
Securing Your Data
Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information at any part of the employment application process. And Leidos will communicate with you only through emails that are sent from a Leidos.com email address. If you receive an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information, please report the email to [email protected].
Commitment to Diversity
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws. | https://careers.leidos.com/jobs/5336764-scientific-data-and-analytics-architect |
In cooperation with Indian Institute of Management Calcutta Flagship Journal Decision (springer Nature), IIM Calcutta is pleased to announce the 1st Conference of Decision on “Dealing with Online and Blended Education in Modern Challenging Times”.
The one-day online conference offers a global venue to discuss issues, challenges, and impacts of online teaching-learning alongside the consequences of using hybrid education systems in a pandemic-affected world. The conference shall focus on themes related to multiple stakeholders and educational outcomes across all levels of education: pre-schooling, primary and secondary schooling, vocational and technical education, and tertiary education and engage in debates around education for practitioner scholars.
The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 has challenged the education system across the world and forced the educators to shift to an online mode of teaching. The main question that arises is whether online learning and, in recent times, hybrid as well as blended learning acts as a panacea during the COVID-19 crisis or not? Both the initiatives of blended and hybrid learning are similar educational approaches, but they differ in the sense that blended learning involves a ratio and combination of both offline and online learning whereas hybrid learning focuses on seeking an individual’s preference of participation either online or in person, thus promoting the best experience for the learner and maintaining a flexible balance as per the learner needs. The challenge is greater in times of crises, as it becomes crucial to simultaneously address students’ learning gaps, as well as their socio-emotional needs with the help of holistic approaches in education. According to the Education at a Glance Report (2020), policies and programs that cater to the needs of vulnerable students during school closures and re-openings must be ensured so that the pandemic does not hinder student equity and inclusion. Teachers have also faced myriad challenges during their adaptation to the digital mode of teaching, new pedagogical concepts, and their requirement to come up with innovative ways of meeting student learning needs. The issues related to teachers have compounded where they do not have proper access to digital learning resources or have not received adequate training and support to shift to online or hybrid models. Overall, if educational institutions are unable to return to their pre-pandemic levels of performances, then the slower growth from the loss of skills in students will have a proportionately higher impact on future economic growth.
The webinar will start with a keynote Speech and end with Panel Discussion on: Educational challenges faced in a pandemic-ridden world, role of Online and Blended Education, and essential policies/programs used to curb them.
Selected Papers will be published on the special Issue of our Journal “Decision” June 2022 Issue (Springer Nature). Authors of the accepted papers will get the invitation form to express their wish to publish it in Decision, Special June issue in quick mode.
Important Dates: Submission Deadline: 31st January 2022
Information on Final Decision: 15th February, 2022.
Conference: 5th March, Saturday.
Revised paper submission for publication: 30th April.
Best Paper award will be announced after the conference. | https://inomics.com/conference/dealing-with-online-and-blended-education-in-modern-challenging-times-1520045 |
The ecology of Nigeria’s public administration and employee motivation in the plateau state civil service (2004-2014).
Date2016
Author
Umoh, Nanji Rimdan.
MetadataShow full item record
Abstract
From a general perspective, workers’ motivation gained prominence with the abolition of the slave trade and the advent of the industrial revolution. The latter was to be anchored on legitimate trade as opposed to illegitimate trade that was characterised by the commodification of the people of African descent who were enslaved in the Americas and Europe. This new development led to the proposition of several theories by various Western scholars attempting to rationalize workers behaviour or misbehaviour in industrial settings. Thought processes alongside other factors are upheld as common denominators responsible for positively or negatively affecting workers morale, work ethic and productivity within the workplace. This is the belief and common practice across the globe. Within the broader context outlined above, the primary objective of this research was to examine the ecology of Nigeria’s public administration to determine the possibility of its effect on employee motivation. To achieve this goal, the Plateau State civil service was investigated and raw data generated for analysis. While not disputing the validity of the existent content and process organizational motivation theories, this study specifically evaluated the extent to which the output of the Plateau State civil service staff was affected by factors extraneous to their immediate workplace environment and unaddressed by the theories. The research highlighted the influence of prevalent phenomena and diversities in the socio-cultural environments of a developing society like Nigeria that challenge the tenability of the major motivation theories in wholly explaining public sector workers motivation. It drew from the postulations of Riggs’ fused-prismatic-diffracted model with focus on the non-administrative criteria present in the environments of most developing (prismatic) societies and from the primary notion of the contingency theorists that there is ‘no one-best-way’ in administration. These constituted the theoretical bases on which the re-evaluation of the motivation theories in the light of the inherent characteristics of Nigeria’s public administrative ecology was carried out. The research relied on data derived from primary and secondary data sources and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (Version 20) and thematic content analysis respectively. The results show that Nigeria’s ecology has an effect on employee motivation. Based on the findings of this research, target-oriented strategies for enhancing the Plateau State civil service employees’ motivation and quality of work life were proffered. The dissertation report was concluded with suggestions for further research beyond the selected case study of Plateau State for clarity on the impact of a country’s ecology on employee motivation. | https://ukzn-dspace.ukzn.ac.za/handle/10413/14761 |
16 Mar What’s your stress mindset? Do you see it as enhancing or debilitating?
Happiness…most see it as a positive emotion. Which it obviously is.
But happiness is also the management of so-called “negative emotions” such as stress.
And stress…well, it depends on whether you think it’s good for you or bad!
Read on…
via Psychology Today via Sarah-Nicole Bostan
An abundance of literature has pointed toward a clear link between stress and performance. This association is critical for understanding the contextually-dependent nature of testing, diagnosis, and assessment, which can be influenced by such intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Research in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) suggests that cognitive reappraisal, or the ability to change one’s thoughts in the presence of emotionally-charged stimuli, can improve responses to stressful situations such as test-taking. However, this body of work does not adequately address the role of stress mindset, or how one views the nature of stress itself and whether thoughts need to be changed in the first place.
A recent study (Crum, Akinola, Martin, & Fath, 2017) suggests that one’s overall mindset about the nature of stress is related to differential patterns of hormoneproduction, emotional experience, attention biases, and cognitive flexibility. The initial findings of the study were published on January 27 in the journal Anxiety, Stress, & Coping. | https://www.drhappy.com.au/2017/03/16/whats-your-stress-mindset-do-you-see-it-as-enhancing-or-debilitating/ |
Image: © Broomberg & Chanarin, Switzerland, 2016
Taking inspiration from Paul Auster’s tale of a mountain explorer found preserved in ice Adam Broomberg & Oliver Chanarin began to look at recovered objects that had been ‘rejected’ by receding glaciers. Exploring the notion of the glacier as a form of memory bank. The process was an ‘excavation of chance’: documenting preserved artefacts that have been revealed naturally as the glaciers diminish. Initial research has found that glacial archaeology is, in the wake of climate change, uncovering artefacts at an unprecedented rate. This is happening around the world but in the Swiss alps there are teams dedicated to excavating remains and documenting the archeological finds so it was a perfect place to commence this project.
“We treated the glaciers as an archive which as a result of global warming are suddenly revealing artefacts that have for millennia been perfectly preserved in the stable, frozen mass. The objects reveal remarkable and intimate details of individual lives lived long ago but they also speak about the end of the fucking world in the very near future.”
See their work and more @ the When Records Melt exhibition Westergasfabriek, Unseen Amsterdam 21-23 of September. | https://www.project-pressure.org/broomberg-chanarin/ |
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Deathloop received a fix for the PC on Tuesday to address a wide range of stuttering issues.
Patch notes for new updates Addresses stutter that can occur when using the mouse to move the camera in-game. The patch notes also state that the developers are aware of stutter at high frame rates and are working to fix the problem.
“This hotfix addresses an issue that some players on PCs experience, where mouse-based camera movements can give the appearance of a’stutter’,” the patch note read. “We are also investigating another related issue that we have identified as a potential cause of stuttering at high frame rates. We will update this further as more details become available.”
The problem of stuttering on the PC has been widespread since the game was released on September 14th. Testers have pointed out that it could be another issue related to frame rate, but many have blamed the in-game Denuvo anti-piracy software. When.
Have you ever played Death Loop?
Yesnumber
Deathloop itself has received positive feedback from the gaming community and critics, including enthusiastic 10/10 reviews from IGN, but there are some criticisms of the game. Gamers with disabilities are calling attention to Deathloop’s disappointing button customization and menu navigation.
Best PS5 game
11 image
About the author
I am good at playing various of games such GTA, FF and others. I love to share my gaming knowledge to each of you! Let's find out more fun in playing video games! | https://xijigame.com/deathloop-stuttering-issue-addressed-in-new-update/ |
PCT No. PCT/AU85/00107 Sec. 371 Date Feb. 24, 1986 Sec. 102(e) Date Feb. 24, 1986 PCT Filed May 15, 1985 PCT Pub. No. WO85/05518 PCT Pub. Date Dec. 5, 1985.A method of characterizing a modulated carrier signal by generating electrical signals which represent arithmetic ratios and which can be used to construct a histogram indicative of the quality of the modulated carrier signal. For a digitally modulated carrier signal, time spaced samples of in band amplitude dispersion of the signal are generated and first counts are made of the number of occurrences of particular values of in band dispersion, over a range of such values. The error ratio of the decoded modulated carrier signal is also monitored and seconds counts are accummulated, of the numbers of occurrences of respective values of in band amplitude dispersions which at least substantially coincide with the value of said error ratio crossing a predetermined level. The ratio of each second count to each corresponding first count is then taken and these ratios are then representative of the probability that, at the respective in band amplitude dispersion value, the value of the error ratio will cross the predetermined level. When practicing the method with analogue modulated carrier signals, values of the signal to noise ratio are employed instead of the values of error ratio. A method of the invention permits construction of a histogram which pictorially represents the quality of the modulated carrier signal. | |
The magnetic water has been used in different fields like agriculture, health care, constructions, dairy production, and oil industries. Concrete mixes designed were prepared using tap water (TW) and another set of concrete mixes designed of the same proportions were also prepared using magnetized water (MW) in the laboratory to prepare the testing specimens. Assessment of the Concrete strength was performed to determine the effect of using magnetized water. The compression parameters included the mechanical properties and the consistency of fresh concrete. The change in water surface tension and the positive results of the concrete evaluation is evidence of the positive effect of using magnetized water in preparing concrete.
Durability of concrete can be defined as the ability to perform satisfactorily in the exposure condition to which it is subjected over an intended period of time with minimum of maintenance while maintaining its desired engineering properties. No material is inherently durable; as a result of environmental interactions the microstructure and, consequently, the properties of materials change with time. A material is assumed to reach the end of service life when its properties under given conditions of use have deteriorated to an extent that the continuing use of the material is ruled either unsafe or uneconomical. Concrete ingredients, their proportioning, interactions between them, placing and curing practices, and the service environment determine the ultimate durability and life of the concrete. The present work is carried out to investigate the effect of Magnetic Water on the Durability of magnetic water concrete (M30 grade and M40 grade). Effect of magnetic water on acid immersion and freezing & thawing of magnetic water concrete are studied. It is observed that, in most cases, concrete made with magnetic water has superior durabilitythan those of normal water concrete although there is no significant difference in its composition.
Full Text:PDF
Copyright (c) 2017 Edupedia Publications Pvt Ltd
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. | https://journals.pen2print.org/index.php/ijr/article/view/8923 |
Featuring an extraordinary atmosphere of grace and antique, the Chinese restaurant offers the authentic Taiwanese food and banquet cuisine made by superb cooking skills, bringing guests a royal dining experience.
-
2F
Bon appetit Buffet Restaurant
Featuring a wide range of exotic cuisines, from Italian food, Japanese BBQ, Chinese pan-fried cuisine, to seasonal sashimi and seafood, fruits and vegetables, and desserts, the buffet restaurant offers customers a multi-layer dining experience.
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2F
Carrara Restaurant
Due to the adjustments, the Carrara Restaurant will be closed from 1st March 2021 until further notice.
-
1F
Lobby Bar
Located in the corner of the lobby, the coffee shop features a modern fashion with the light softly penetrating the glass window. Coffee, light meals, and desserts are offered in the daytime; at night, the coffee shop becomes a lobby bar offering diverse choices and an extraordinary dining environment. | https://banqiao.caesarpark.com.tw/en/dining/ |
The extraordinary and thrilling true story of four friends living an ordinary existence—until they brazenly attempt to execute one of the most audacious art heists in US history. Not everything is as it seems, and, as the daring theft unfolds through each of their perspectives, each of them start to question whether their attempts to inject excitement and purpose into their lives is simply a misguided attempt at achieving the American Dream.
Scott Lang is grappling with the consequences of his choices as both a Super Hero and a father. As he struggles to rebalance his home life with his responsibilities as “Ant-Man,” he’s confronted by Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym with an urgent new mission. Scott must once again put on the suit and learn to fight alongside “The Wasp”—as the team works together to uncover secrets from the past.
The unlikely pairing of a human detective and his canine partner, who has to go undercover at the world’s most exclusive dog show to solve his biggest case yet.
Former FBI Hostage Rescue Team leader and U.S. war veteran Will Sawyer now assesses security for skyscrapers. On assignment in China, he finds the tallest, supposedly-safest building in the world suddenly ablaze, and he’s been framed for arson. A wanted man on the run, Will must find those responsible, clear his name and somehow rescue his family who is trapped inside the building...above the fire line.
Two free spirits’ chance encounter leads them first to love, and then to the adventure of a lifetime. As the two avid sailors set out on a journey across the ocean, Tami Oldham and Richard Sharp don’t anticipate that they’ll be sailing directly into one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in recorded history. In the aftermath of the storm, Tami awakens to find Richard badly injured and their boat in ruins. With no hope for rescue, Tami must find the strength and determination to save herself and the only man she has ever loved.
After heroically defeating both the Snow Queen and the Snow King, Gerda still cannot find peace. Her dream is to find her parents, who were taken away by the North Wind, and finally reunite the family. Gerda and her friends start out on a difficult journey to find her parents, and they encounter new challenges along the way. When they discover an ancient magical artifact of the trolls, the Stone of Fire and Ice, things start going off-plan. Will Gerda be able to tame the mighty forces of the magical elements and get her family back?
There's something out of place in the cover image. Can you find it? Spoiler quotes please if you do.
Microsoft took so long to reveal their games with gold titles for July it almost felt like it's never coming but its finally here along with the PS PLUS titles for Playstation players. | https://ink.mostepic.win/most-epic-movie-releases-for-this-week-25th-may-2018-2/ |
Seminole Nation provides ongoing support to children and caregivers
The Seminole Tribe of Florida provides ongoing support to children and youth in out-of-home care and their caregivers, including initial assessments; ongoing case management; health, behavioral, and educational support for children and youth; and parenting classes.
This is one of 31 profiles that appears in Support Matters: Lessons from the Field on Services for Adoptive, Foster, and Kinship Care Families.
Publication date: 2015
Population served
- Children and youth who are not living with their birth parents and who have an open case with the Florida Department of Children and Families. These children and youth are sometimes in formal foster care placements or permanent guardianships. Most are in the care of relatives.
- Each year, the Seminole Tribe serves about 70 to 100 children and youth.
Theory of change
By providing comprehensive wraparound services delivered by culturally responsive staff, the Seminole Tribe of Florida can keep children and youth safe within their tribe.
Provider
Services are provided by the Family Preservation Program of the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Family Services Department. The tribe serves six reservations in six counties, with staff in each county. Efforts are coordinated with both the state and county child welfare departments and the local private community-based care agency.
Role of public child welfare agency
- Services are provided by the tribe’s Family Services Department.
- The Florida Department of Children and Families and local public child welfare agencies refer eligible children and youth and remain engaged in the case.
Key service components
When a Seminole child or youth is under child protective services investigation, the Family Services Department provides the full continuum of care — from investigation, to home study of a potential family, to ongoing work with the child, the birth parents, and the new caregivers. Children and youth who are in out-of-home care, and their caregivers, receive wraparound services including:
- Assessments — When a child or youth enters care, the Family Services Department conducts bio-psycho-social assessments for older children and youth, and collaborates with the tribe’s Children’s Center for Diagnostics and Therapy, which conducts developmental assessments for younger children to identify any challenges and need for ongoing services.
- Children’s services — If a child or youth has service needs, the Family Services Department teams with the Seminole Tribe’s Education Department and Health Department to provide responsive services, such as psychiatric care; counseling and other mental health services; behavioral health services; speech therapy; occupational therapy; and educational support such as transferring records, updating individualized education programs; and supporting learning disabilities. Depending on the child’s needs, services can be provided in the home. For example, if the family is struggling with a child’s challenging behavior, a behavioral therapist can work with the child and family at home.
- Enhanced case management — In addition to the county or private agency’s required once-a-month visits, Family Preservation staff visit families two to three times per month. During these visits, caseworkers discuss children’s and youth’s needs, seek solutions to any issues, help caregivers understand and set boundaries with birth parents, and make referrals for needed services. The child or youth will have the same worker from investigation through the home study until the case is closed so there is a strong relationship between both the child and the worker and the family and the worker. Caseloads are very small, with each worker serving only four or five families at a time. If a child exits care to a permanent guardianship, caseworkers will continue to visit periodically to offer support and services.
- Parenting classes — Caregivers have the opportunity to attend training using the National Indian Child Welfare Association’s Positive Indian Parenting curriculum, which provides culturally grounded and responsive parenting skills. In-home sessions have been added to the curriculum to help families implement the skills learned in classroom sessions. These classes are offered on all six reservations.
Outreach efforts
Families are connected with the Family Preservation program by state, county, or private agencies when a child abuse or neglect report involves a Seminole child or youth. The Family Services Department’s Family Preservation Program then makes contact with the child’s or youth’s caregivers and birth parents.
Staffing and training
The program has 12 staff spread over the six different reservations served:
- 10 social workers — most with bachelor’s degrees in social work (or a related degree); some with master’s degrees
- 2 administrative staff
All new staff members receive training on the Indian Child Welfare Act. Staff receive ongoing training on key issues such as ethics, boundaries, family engagement, and risk assessment, and one-on-one supervision and education. Staff also attend one major conference each year, such as the National Indian Child Welfare Association’s annual conference.
Evaluation and outcomes
The Seminole Tribe uses electronic records to track children’s placement status, placement moves and stability, and the length of time children remain in the system. The tribe is very successful at keeping Seminole children and youth in the tribe — placing them with relatives, clan relatives, or other tribal members.
The tribe also does cost-benefit analysis of the services it offers. For example, in the past it was outsourcing the work now done by the Family Services Department’s child psychologist. The analysis showed that, given the high demand for services, it would be more cost effective for the tribe to offer those services itself.
Budget and funding
The support services are an integral part of the overall department services so a specific budget cannot be identified.
All services are funded using tribal funds designated to the Family Services Department, with a small amount of funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Partnerships required or recommended
- The Seminole Tribe partners closely with the Florida Department of Children and Families, as well as local child welfare departments and the private community-based care agency assigned to the child or youth. Children remain on the other government’s caseload while also receiving services from the Seminole Tribe Family Services Department.
- Because the tribe does not yet have its own tribal court, Family Services Department staff work closely with court personnel at the state dependency courts to ensure referral of Seminole children and adherence to the Indian Child Welfare Act.
- Within the tribe, the Family Services Department partners closely with the Education Department, the Health Department, the Seminole Police Department, the Seminole Preschool, and tribal schools to ensure seamless services for children, youth, and their families.
Challenges and future directions
- Because they serve children on six reservations in six counties, there are many and varied government-to-government relationships to maintain — staff must work with state, local, and private agency staff as well as the state courts.
- As the program has grown over time, the Family Services Department is seeking to become more formal without adding too many unnecessary complications or complexities.
The Seminole Tribe is in the process of replacing its existing electronic records system with a new electronic records system to improve data gathering and analysis. The tribe is also in the process of developing a mandatory training for Native foster parents and relative caregivers that will provide information about children’s issues and how caregivers can assess and respond to problems.
Learn more
Shamika Beasley, family preservation administrator, Family Services
Department, Seminole Tribe of Florida: 954-964-6338, ext. 10372
Source
Kristi Hill, interview, March 26, 2014. | https://professionals.adoptuskids.org/seminole-nation-provides-ongoing-support-to-children-and-caregivers/ |
The EU building directive 2018 (EBD2018) from May 2018 describes the new „smart readiness indicator" (SRI) that will be used to measure the capacity of buildings to use information and communication technologies and electronic systems to adapt the operation of buildings to the needs of the occupants and the grid and to improve the energy efficiency and overall performance of buildings.
Experts fromCleopa, from industry, academia and policy makers will discuss the SRI, what this means in practical terms, in aspects of research and for new business models around smart services. Partners from Greece, Italy, Scandinavia and Czech Republic will join the international conference. | https://eusew.eu/energy-days/smart-readiness-indicator-sri-practice-and-research |
From his small island of Cuba, the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro faced down the United States and made them blink.
“The world marks the passing of a brutal dictator who oppressed his own people for nearly six decades,” said Donald Trump in a statement.
Not only does Avlon try to drive a silver stake through Castro's black heart, he despises and demonizes anyone ever naïve enough to think Castro was anything but a selfish tyrannical dictator. It's the idiom of Trumpian bombast, not reasoned discourse.
Avlon condemns Castro's politics and methods but ignores the Cuban strongman’s tactical genius, immense courage, and his decades-long political balancing act -- as well as the many advances Cuba was able to make in health care and education, even in the face of a cruel and stupid U.S. blockade that began decades ago and continues today. That blockade imposed hardship and suffering on the Cuban people, but never threatened the Castro regime.
Castro's example electrified Latin America. From his small island he had faced down the almighty gringos and made them blink first. That was his greatest threat to the United States. Castro inspired many people in various countries living under U.S.-supported despotic regimes -- who until then considered their situations inevitable and intractable -- to rise up against inequality and injustice.
Fidel was the godfather of Latin America's leftist turn: in Nicaragua, Honduras, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, and Brazil. The populist spirit has always been embattled in Latin America. Fidel proved it could triumph. He survived the regimes of 10 U.S, presidents, each of whom figured to crush him and none of whom could.
Fidel Castro was the Road Runner to the USA's Wile E. Coyote. He withstood decades of intrigue against him by the United States, including assassination attempts, a naval blockade and military invasion. He played the Cold War superpowers off against each other in a high-stakes gamble for his nation's survival. Trump and Avlon's defamatory anger bespeaks their frustration with a smarter, braver political opponent. Millions around the world loved the show.
Latin America: "Castro: No Saint, But Was a Giant" | https://www.ihavenet.com/Latin-America/Fidel-Castro-No-Saint,-But-Was-a-Giant.html |
Good Measuring Practice in roofing industry - Part 2
As in Good measuring Practice in Contruction – part 1 , the aim of this article is to promote ‘measurement awareness.’ It also gives an insight into the other areas affecting effective construction measurement such as calibration.
Calibration
ISO 9001:2008 Quality management systems - requirements : Clause 7.6 Control of monitoring and measuring devices states that, where necessary to ensure valid results, measuring equipment shall :
“…a) be calibrated or verified at specified intervals, or prior to use, against measurement standards traceable to international or national measurement standards; where no such standards exist, the basis used for calibration or verification shall be recorded;
b) be adjusted or re-adjusted as necessary;
c) be identified to enable the calibration status to be determined;
d) be safeguarded from adjustments that would invalidate the measurement result;
e) be protected from damage and deterioration during handling, maintenance and storage.
In addition, the organization shall assess and record the validity of the previous measuring results when the equipment is found not to conform to requirements. The organization shall take appropriate action on the equipment and any product affected. Records of the results of calibration and verification shall be maintained…When used in the monitoring and measurement of specified requirements, the ability of computer software to satisfy the intended application shall be confirmed. This shall be undertaken prior to initial use and reconfirmed as necessary...”
For more information see ‘Calibration’
Ensure the instrument is in good condition
All instruments such as pull testers should be prepared before starting a test.
- The general condition of the instrument and its accessories should be checked to ensure they are good with no oil marks or damaged lifter feet.
- Battery condition should be checked
- The last calibration date should be noted to confirm when annual recalibration is due.
Operate in suitable external conditions
Be aware of the weather conditions that may affect displayed values and hence measurement results. Pull testers are only designed to be used for construction measuring in the 40°F - 100°F external temperature range.
Measurement operational sequence
Refer to the instrument’s operating manual prior to use to establish the required measurement operational sequence to be taken, and in the case of a pull-tester, perform the steps outlined here:
Before Testing
- Ensure the base of the pull tester is in a stable position.
- Ensure the lifter foot is well adjusted on the sample.
- Return to zero, either by pressing the zero key or by placing the red needle at zero.
During Testing
- Pull slowly with constant pressure and check that the force is still in a vertical position.
- If you notice either lifter foot not gripping a sample correctly, or a sample is slipping out, stop pulling and start the test again.
- Each time, carefully record the value read in a test report.
After Testing
- When a test is complete put the unit in its dedicated carrying case (do not use standard luggage).
- COM-TEN foam-lined pull tester carrying cases protect a unit during travel, protecting it against life-long transportation hazards.
- Check the next calibration date and anticipate the pull tester unit being shipped to and from COM-TEN well ahead of the day it is needed. To send it to COM-TEN, disassemble the gauge from the frame as per the manufacturer’s instructions, keep the frame and the carrying case and send the gauge by itself, reporting any detectable damage.
See ‘Pull tester operating manual’ for further information.
COM-TEN technicians will send an instrument diagnostic before carrying out recalibration work, the decision to instruct recalibration remains yours – only you know the importance of the results, or conversely, what effect a pull tester force value error will have, either from a safety, construction or financial point of view - but as a rule of thumb, based on international standards, expect a need to recalibrate annually. | https://www.pull-test.com/blog/26_Good-Measuring-Practice-test-roofing-industry |
Dr Vivek Y Reddy (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, US) discusses pulsed field ablation for pulmonary vein isolation - lesion durability and chronic safety.
Filmed on-site at HRS 2019 by Radcliffe Cardiology.
Questions:
1: Can you tell us about the concept of pulsed electric field (PEF) ablation?
2: What are the potential benefits of PEF over thermal-based approaches?
3: What are the challenges facing this novel technology?
4: Would you describe your study findings to date?
5: What further research is needed? | https://www.radcliffecardiology.com/gallery/hrs-2019-pulsed-field-ablation-pvi-dr-vivek-y-reddy |
The issue of professionalism in the training of medical students has become a major focus within the field of medical education. For years, the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has measured the quality of osteopathic medical students (DO students) interpersonal and communication skills through SP (SP) encounters in which SPs rate the DO students relative to eight criteria (items) which, in aggregate, are known as the Professionalism Assessment Rating Scale (PARS). These criteria are linked in the literature to patient outcomes, patient adherence, patient satisfaction, and malpractice. This study investigated the psychometric properties of the PARS, based on data from the SP encounters of 205 osteopathic medical students from a PCOM class during their first three years of medical school. Results showed the PARS to be comprised of a single, highly reliable factor. This single factor accounted for between 58.25-72.92% of the variance across 13 separate SP encounters for which the total scale coefficient alpha ranged from .84-.95. Results of an analysis of variance indicated that performance significantly improved across each of the three years (M Year 1 = 6.30, SD = .45; M Year 2 = 6.40, SD = .44; M Year 3 = 6.48, SD = .58) and that the DO students improved consistently over the 3 years. A positive linear correlation was found between Year 1 and Year 2 (r = .46, r2 = .22), Year 2 and Year 3 (r = .42, r2 = .18) and Year 1 and Year 3 (r = .36, r2 = .13). PARS scores were shown to correlate significantly with Clinical Clerkship Evaluations (CCEs) in three of the 39 SP encounters. Educational and clinical implications of these findings are discussed, and additional suggestions for future research are put forward.
Recommended Citation
Olivetti, Jennifer K., "The Psychometric Properties of the Professionalism Assessment Rating Scale" (2015). PCOM Psychology Dissertations. 335. | https://digitalcommons.pcom.edu/psychology_dissertations/335/ |
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If you're into quantum physics, prepare to have your mind blown. Well, whether or not you're into quantum physics, prepare to have your mind blown.
At least a little bit. Because below I've shared an excerpt from physicist Carlo Rovelli's amazing new book, "Helgoland: Making Sense of the Quantum Revolution."
The excerpt doesn't do justice to the entire book, but it will give you a feel for Rovelli's relational take on quantum physics -- which makes so much sense, it's hard to understand how anyone could disagree with it (though I'm sure many do).
I'll have more to say about the book in additional blog posts. I wanted to share this lengthy excerpt to provide a foundation for those other posts, one of which will be about how Rovelli finds echoes of the Buddhist thinker Nagarjuna in quantum physics.
I've read many books about quantum physics. Rovelli presents a way of looking at quantum phenomena that's so compellingly clear, those other books seem confusing by comparison. Every sentence of what follows has a lot of meaning, so read it slowly.
In a physics laboratory, where we study a small object such as an atom or a photon of Zeilinger's lasers, it is clear who the observer is: it is the scientist who prepares, observes, and measures the quantum object, who deploys their instruments of measurement, detecting the light emitted from the atom or the place where the photons arrive.
But the vast world is not made up of scientists in laboratories, or instruments of measurement. What is an observation, when there is no scientist observing? What does quantum theory tell us, where there is no one measuring? What does quantum theory tell us about what happens in another galaxy?
The key to the answer, I believe, and the keystone of the ideas in this book, is the simple observation that scientists, and their measuring instruments as well, are all part of nature. What quantum theory describes, then, is the way in which one part of nature manifests itself to any other single part of nature.
At the heart of the "relational" interpretation of quantum theory is the idea that the theory does not describe the way in which quantum objects manifest themselves to us (or to special entities that do something special denoted "observing"). It describes how every physical object manifests itself to any other physical object. How any physical entity acts on any other physical entity.
We think of the world in terms of objects, things, entities (in physics, we call them "physical systems"): a photon, a cat, a stone, a tree, a boy, a village, a rainbow, a planet, a cluster of galaxies... These do not exist in splendid isolation. On the contrary, they do nothing but continuously act upon each other. To understand nature, we must focus on these interactions rather than on isolated objects.
A cat listens to the ticking of a clock; a boy throws a stone; the stone moves the air through which it flies, hits another stone and moves that, presses into the ground where it lands; a tree absorbs energy from the sun's rays, produces the oxygen that the villagers breathe while watching the stars, and the stars run through the galaxies, pulled by the gravity of other stars... The world that we observe is continually interacting. It is a dense web of interactions.
Individual objects are the way in which they interact. If there was an object that had no interactions, no effect upon anything, emitted no light, attracted nothing and repelled nothing, was not touched and had no smell... it would be as good as nonexistent. To speak of objects that never interact is to speak of something -- even if it existed -- that could not concern us. It is not even clear what it would mean for us to say that such objects "exist."
The world that we know, that relates to us, that interests us, what we call "reality," is the vast web of interacting entities, of which we are a part, that manifest themselves by interacting with each other. It is with this web that we are dealing.
...The discovery of quantum theory, I believe, is the discovery that the properties of any entity are nothing other than the way in which that entity influences others. It exists only through its interactions. Quantum theory is the theory of how things influence each other. And this is the best description of nature that we have.
It is a simple idea, but it has radical consequences that open the conceptual space required to understand quanta.
...The properties of an object are the way in which it acts upon other objects; reality is this web of interactions. Instead of seeing the physical world as a collection of objects with definite properties, quantum theory invites us to see the physical world as a net of relations. Objects are its nodes.
The first radical consequence is that to attribute properties to something when it does not interact is superfluous and may be misleading. It is talking about something that has no meaning, for there are no properties outside of interactions.
This is the significance of Heisenberg's original intuition: to ask what the orbit of an election is when it is not interacting with anything is an empty question. The electron does not follow an orbit because its physical properties are only those that determine how it affects something else, for instance, the light that it emits when it is interacting. If the electron is not interacting, there are no properties.
This is a radical leap. It is equivalent to saying that everything consists solely of the way in which it affects something else. When the electron does not interact with anything, it has no physical properties. It has no position; it has no velocity.
The second consequence is even more radical
Suppose that you are the cat in Schrodinger's thought experiment. You are shut in a box and a quantum mechanism has a one in two probability of releasing the sleeping drug. You perceive whether the drug has been released or not released. In the first case, you sleep; in the second, you remain awake. For you the drug was delivered or it was not delivered. There are no doubts. As far as you are concerned, you are asleep or you are awake. You are certainly not both at once.
I, on the other hand, am outside the box and do not interact either with the bottle of sleeping draught or with you. Later on, I can observe interference phenomena between you-awake and you-asleep: phenomena that would not have been produced if I had seen you asleep, or if I had seen you awake. In this sense, for me you are neither asleep nor awake. This is what it means to say that you are "in a superposition of sleeping and waking."
For you, the soporific is released or not, and you are asleep or awake. For me, you are neither awake nor asleep. For me, "there is a quantum superposition." For you, there is the reality of being awake, or of not being so. The relational perspective allows both things to be true: each relates to interactions with respect to distinct observers -- you and me.
Is it possible that a fact might be real with respect to you and not real with respect to me?
Quantum theory, I believe, is the discovery that the answer is yes. Facts that are real with respect to an object are not necessarily so with respect to another. A property may be real with respect to a stone, and not real with respect to another stone. | https://hinessight.blogs.com/church_of_the_churchless/2021/06/relational-view-of-quantum-theory-reeks-of-truth.html?cid=6a00d83451c0aa69e20282e106b76b200b |
This column contains a correction.
The $2 trillion stimulus package passed by Congress last week includes critically needed funding that will help America’s students, from preschool through postsecondary education, as the United States reckons with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including shuttered schools from coast to coast and a potentially severe recession. Unfortunately, the roughly $43 billion targeted for early childhood education, K-12, and higher education will only make a dent in addressing the long-term crisis for education funding.
Congress has a great deal more work to do to ensure that all children and students, from cradle to career, are equitably supported. To that end, federal lawmakers should immediately begin work on a fourth stimulus package that includes significant funding for education stabilization, even as it considers additional long-term educational needs.
Access to quality educational opportunities are deeply inequitable in this country. Now, this unprecedented new epoch risks further widening the gap, placing children and students from families with low incomes as well as children and students of color at an even greater disadvantage. States about to face grave budget pressures from this pandemic will be unable to solve these challenges without additional federal support. Minimizing and overcoming the damage posed to millions of students by fallout from the novel coronavirus is a task that will have vast implications for the next generation and American prosperity for decades to come.
The significant education-related provisions in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act include:
- $3.5 billion for the Child Care Development Block Grant to support access to early childhood education for essential workers.
- $750 million for Head Start, including up to $500 million for supplemental summer programs.
- $8.8 billion for child nutrition programs, so that students can receive meals while schools are closed.
- $3 billion for a Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund providing emergency support to child care, early childhood, and K-12 systems as well as institutions of higher education significantly affected by the coronavirus.
- $13 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, which is distributed through states to school systems based on relative shares of Title I aid. These funds can be used for a range of educational purposes that are already authorized under current federal programs. Funds can also be used for a variety of other purposes, including closing access gaps to technology; providing assistive technology and adaptive equipment for students with disabilities; meeting the needs of English learners, students experiencing homelessness, and foster care youth; providing mental health services; and deep-cleaning schools as they prepare to reopen.
- $14 billion for a higher education stabilization fund distributed to institutions.* 90 percent of these dollars will be allocated based on a formula that recognizes the greater needs of colleges serving low-income students. Of the funding dedicated to that formula, three-quarters will be distributed based on the percentage of Pell Grant recipients, and the remaining quarter will be distributed based on enrollment of non-Pell students. The formula excludes students enrolled exclusively online from the calculation, which the Center for American Progress estimates will result in half a billion more to public colleges compared with earlier versions of legislation. Half of money going to an institution must be passed through to students as emergency grant aid. Minority-serving institutions may use prior awards, in addition to the higher education emergency relief funds, to respond to the pandemic.
- Temporary relief to borrowers with direct loans and Federal Family Education Loans owned by the U.S. Department of Education—by suspending federal student loan payments for six months, eliminating interest accrual, ensuring that borrowers are still on track toward loan forgiveness, and halting involuntary collections on defaulted borrowers.
While these are all good and prudent first steps, much more must be done going forward in the immediate, medium, and long term in order to meet the significant COVID-19-related challenges facing early education, K-12 schools, and higher education. The effects of school closures, financial insecurity, and the coronavirus itself will not be felt evenly across communities, and Congress will need to prioritize equity as it considers additional education recovery investments.
Next steps to help students cope with this crisis
Immediate- and short-term policies
Early education and K-12
States and school systems have launched herculean efforts in short order to respond to the immediate challenges of the novel coronavirus. They have worked to provide child care to health workers and first responders, sought waivers to design new meal program strategies to distribute food when schools are closed, deployed creative solutions such as using buses as Wi-Fi access points in neighborhoods where families may lack broadband connectivity, developed virtual pre-K resources, and worked through the challenges to provide services and supports to students with disabilities when schools are closed.
But prolonged closures this spring, and possible closures through summer programs and into the fall, will place additional demands on education systems in the immediate, medium, and long term.
Immediately, schools will need to invest time and resources to close gaps in access to devices and broadband connectivity, provide professional development to teachers on how to plan for and support students learning remotely, provide services and supports to English learners and students with disabilities, and address the social and emotional needs of children directly affected by COVID-19. In addition, K-12 school systems are confronting an array of challenges related to state assessments and accountability. States are facing the immediate decision of whether or not to continue their annual testing programs in reading, math, and science. Many states have already made the prudent decision to cancel those assessments.
The immediate challenges provide opportunities for Congress to take the following actions to support early and K-12 education
Congress must administer additional emergency funding targeted to school systems in order to meet the immediate needs of all students, including those in state preschool programs. Additional funding should also be directed to learning about the effect of sudden school closures on students—for example, investing in research that looks at learning loss and trauma. In addition, Congress should oversee the recently announced waiver process allowing states to cancel testing in order to ensure that it is indeed streamlined and simple to request, and not indiscriminately broad. Finally, Congress should oversee the Department of Education’s work monitoring the delivery of educational services to students, ensuring that they comply with federal requirements to provide continuity in learning and any required services.
Higher education
While the stimulus bill addresses the emergency needs of currently enrolled college students and defaulted borrowers and suspends payments on federally held student loans, more must be done to protect student loan borrowers, who comprise one-sixth of the U.S. population older than 18. This represents 43 million adult Americans who owe a total of more than $1.5 trillion in federal student loans, not to mention private debt.
What Congress should do immediately and in the short term for student loan borrowers
The stimulus neglects 1.9 million borrowers with Perkins loans and 7.9 million borrowers with commercially held Federal Family Education Loans. Therefore, Congress should include these borrowers in future legislation or, at minimum, allow for the consolidation of direct loans and commercially held Federal Family Education Loans in a way that does not restart the clock on loan forgiveness programs or cause interest to capitalize. Congress should ensure that borrowers receiving temporary relief through suspended payments are not subject to capitalization on interest when they return to regular payment. It should also ensure that halting collections on defaulted loans applies to these borrowers. Until Congress acts, the secretary of education could place borrowers benefiting from the CARES Act in a status that would not trigger interest capitalization so that they are not footing a large bill in September.
Looking ahead to squeezed state budgets
Medium-term policies
Even with the passage of the stimulus package, the massive surge in unemployment claims and demands for increased health care spending related to the coronavirus will put extreme downward pressure on state funding available for pre-K, K-12, and higher education. Just to maintain service levels, Congress must prepare for long-term demands of a recession on state budgets and, therefore, on education funding. Congress must also absorb the lessons of the Great Recession, when federal stimulus measures delayed but did not forestall cuts that continue to harm students more than a decade later. While some of those cuts may have been difficult to avoid during the recession, a number of states reduced income tax rates and prolonged the squeeze on education funding.
It is also critical that future stimulus legislation provides dedicated funding and maintenance-of-effort provisions specifically to each part of the education system, so that funding is not directed to one part at the expense of another.
Early education
The 2008 recession led to significant decreases in budgets for state pre-K programs. Prior to 2008, state pre-K funding had been increasing each year. However, from 2010 through 2013, state spending declined by as much as $548 million per year. When funding fell, so did enrollment and funding per child, meaning more children and families missed out on the educational and financial benefits of high-quality preschool. With most state pre-K programs targeted to children from low-income families, this decline fell primarily on the children who most benefit from the additional support provided by a year of preschool prior to entering kindergarten. While several states have been investing in early learning programs in recent years, past recessions indicate that these programs are likely at risk due to state budget shortfalls, making it more important than ever for the federal government to provide funding to support access to high-quality early education.
K-12
Funding for K-12 education was also greatly affected by the 2008 recession. In the 2017 school year, according to an analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, inflation-adjusted state and local funding for K-12 education in seven states was still down more than 10 percent compared with prerecession levels. The national average of state and local funding per pupil finally recovered by 2017, but that masks the fact that the recovery was driven by increases in locally derived revenue large enough to offset a small decline in state funding. This is particularly problematic given that school districts with higher poverty levels tend to be more reliant on state funding to meet the needs of their students—and that, nationwide, predominantly white districts receive approximately $23 billion more than predominantly nonwhite districts. These cuts and the inequitable distribution of funding they exacerbated are particularly concerning given that researchers have found that funding cuts have negative impacts on assessment scores and college-going rates.
Higher education
The last recession led to significant cuts to higher education funding as state budgets were stretched thin. That was despite a $48.6 billion state stabilization fund in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that included maintenance-of-effort provisions. States dedicated just $8.3 billion for higher education—$2 billion more than the CARES Act provides after accounting for funds dedicated to emergency grant aid. Of 48 states that participated in the fund, 23 still ended up cutting higher education funding. These cuts resulted in higher tuition, increased debt, and greater racial and economic inequity. While state funding partially rebounded in the following years, it still remains lower than prerecession levels.
Congress will need to do more to prop up the higher education budgets of states and state colleges, such as through a state-federal partnership that covers immediate need while encouraging long-term state investment. Moreover, Congress should not grant states complete discretion over how these moneys are spent. It is critical that investment flows to schools that are already underresourced and serve high volumes of low-income students and students of color, who would bear a larger brunt of any cuts. Otherwise, there is the risk that declines in affordability and college quality will lead to more people dropping out or choosing not to enroll in college at all, leaving many of these individuals at a significant disadvantage in the workforce—and, in the case of students dropping out, being more likely to default on their student loans.
What Congress should do in the medium term to make up for state budget shortfalls at all levels of education
Congress must provide the funding necessary for states to maintain access to high-quality early, K-12, and higher education as their budgets are pinched by the effects of this crisis. It should also insist that states do not use federal stimulus money as an opportunity to make budget cuts in the long term or beyond what is necessary in the face of reduced state revenue. In addition, Congress must stringently oversee how the Department of Education administers these funds, through the department’s development of nonregulatory guidance, and how it monitors states’ usage of these funds.While the stimulus bill appears to include a mechanism to prevent states from making budget cuts for K-12 and higher education, this can easily be undermined by the Trump administration because it also provides broad waiver authority allowing the secretary of education to weaken this safeguard. Under the legislation, states must maintain their public investment throughout fiscal year 2020-2021 at a level of average funding over the past three fiscal years. However, the legislation allows the secretary to waive the requirement if there has been a precipitous decline in financial resources, which is all but guaranteed. Future legislation should limit this waiver authority.
Long-term dedication will be essential
Mitigating the immediate disruptions of extended shutdowns and stabilizing state budgets during this time of economic upheaval will not fully offset COVID-19’s impacts on America’s education systems. There are additional considerations that members of Congress should begin thinking about now in order to ensure that the next generation has the educational opportunities that will allow the United States to prosper in the decades to come.
Early education
While 44 states and the District of Columbia have some form of state pre-K, these programs serve only about one-third of 4-year-olds and less than 6 percent of 3-year-olds. Moreover, many of these programs only provide half-day education. While the expansion of state pre-K programs has had significant benefits for children and families, research shows that the greatest gains come from a full-day, well-funded program.
What Congress should do to support robust pre-K in the long term
To ensure that all students have the chance to enter kindergarten ready to learn, Congress should incentivize states to provide access to full-day pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds. Congress should take up the Child Care for Working Families Act. This bill not only includes this incentive for pre-K, but would also provide funding to help families access affordable high-quality infant and toddler child care—and would increase pay for early educators. These measures would help develop a robust early learning system for all children, from birth to kindergarten entry.
K-12
Despite the heroic actions of countless educators to put in place remote learning plans in a matter of days and weeks, millions of students are nonetheless going to struggle to master the material necessary to be prepared for success in future grades and courses. In fact, research from Argentina, where there were extended and unexpected school shutdowns in the 1980s and 1990s, found that there were long-lasting effects on rates of graduation from high school and college as well as on employment and earnings. To avoid these sorts of long-term outcomes and to support students’ social-emotional needs both now and when it is safe to reopen schools, investments must go beyond spending levels that were in place before the coronavirus crisis.
The cancelation of annual testing in many parts of the country will decrease the understanding of what students have mastered thus far this academic year and how the effects of closings may differ across lines of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic, disability, and English language proficiency status. Furthermore, this gap in data and understanding of student learning will carry into future years since school report cards and accountability systems rely on multiple years of data.
What Congress should do to ensure that K-12 schools continue to improve in the long term
Congress—along with the Department of Education—must consider what specific waivers states may need in the coming school years to meet federal requirements for school accountability. To address the gap in understanding that the widespread cancelation of testing will create, Congress should dedicate funding to research the impact on student learning and future outcomes due to the coronavirus crisis.
Higher education
The economic recession of 2008, coupled with the domino effect of state budget cuts and tuition hikes, exacerbated the student debt crisis. The looming economic recession could throw already vulnerable and struggling student loan borrowers into economic turmoil. And the bigger the shortfall in funding for public colleges and college affordability, the more student loan defaulters there will be in future years.
What Congress should do to support higher education and student loan borrowers in the long-term
Offering robust support for higher education that averts cuts, encourages investment, and directs dollars toward underresourced public colleges must be the primary goal for Congress. In addition, Congress should provide relief to borrowers by passing student debt cancelation legislation that is particularly targeted toward borrowers with a high risk of defaulting and toward borrowers of color. The negotiations for the third stimulus package revealed strong support among legislators for student debt cancelation proposals to forgive $10,000 or more for each borrower.
Conclusion
It is heartening that members of Congress were able to overcome partisan differences to coalesce around a desperately needed stimulus bill that will provide meaningful assistance to millions of students and borrowers. Crucially, such an unprecedented crisis leaves no time to turn attention away from the needs of vulnerable students and student loan borrowers across the nation. Above all, equity for underserved communities should be the foremost goal as Congress considers its next step in meeting this crisis.
Viviann Anguiano is an associate director for Postsecondary Education at the Center for American Progress. Marcella Bombardieri is an associate director of Postsecondary Education at the Center. Neil Campbell is the director of innovation for K-12 Education Policy at the Center. Antoinette Flores is the director for Postsecondary Education at the Center. Steven Jessen-Howard is a research assistant for Early Childhood Policy at the Center. Laura Jimenez is the director of standards and accountability on the K-12 Education Policy team at the Center. Simon Workman is the director of Early Childhood Policy at the Center.
* Correction, April 3, 2020: This column has been updated to clarify that higher education money goes directly to institutions.
To find the latest CAP resources on the coronavirus, visit our coronavirus resource page. | https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education-k-12/news/2020/04/02/482497/congress-needs-ensure-educational-equity-wake-coronavirus-pandemic/ |
This thesis investigates the existence of a Euclidean Algorithm in cubic fields with complex conjugates. This investigation is made using the following methods. The first method is a modification of a result of Cassels which states that no field of discriminant less than [equation] possesses a Euclidean Algorithm. By using the modification it is possible to show that some fields of discriminant greater then the above bound, but close to it, also do not possess a Euclidean Algorithm. A second method is to choose an algebraic integer which is a divisor, where is the fundamental unit of the field in question and n is a rational integer. We then determine whether there are any residue classes modulo p which do not contain an integer of norm of absolute value less than the absolute value of the norm. The next method is an adaptation of a method of Barnes and Swinnerton-Dyer for the real quadratic fields, modified here for the fields in question. This method aims to isolate the points with minimum at least 1. An indirect method, which is used as the final step of the last method described, is to determine the minimum of numbers of the form [equation], where [alpha] is an integer of the field in questionand n is a positive rational integer. In addition to existing results, 37 fields have been shownto possess a Euclidean Algorithm and it has been established that there is no Euclidean Algorithm in 289 fields. For some fields the inhomogeneous minimum has been determined. The numerical results obtained are given in the last chapter of this work. The listings of the computer programs used for the above methods are in the appendix to this thesis. | https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.474653 |
251 firms found violating mid-day break rule
MUSCAT: A total of 251 companies have been found with violating the mid-day break rule announced by the ministry of manpower.
According to Omani law, workers should be not employed at construction sites between 12.30 and 3.30pm during the peak summer months of June, July and August.
The ministry officials visited 1,003 companies and found 251 of them violating the rule. The Ministry has not given any indication relating to the penalty to be imposed on the erring companies.
The law stipulates that private sector establishments should not be deploying workers in construction sites or open places with high temperature.
Still, depending on the nature of the work that requires to be carried out during the break periods for technical reasons are exempted from the banned hours.
According to reports, temperature has already started hovering almost near to 50 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country.
Reports said that Mahout in Oman recorded the highest temperature last week, with the mercury touching 50 degrees Celsius.
Qurayat too touched 50 degrees while Bidiya recorded 49.9.
According to the Article 118 of the Oman Labour Law, violators can be penalised with fines ranging from RO 100 to RO 500, or a jail term of not more than one month, or both.
The penalty will be doubled for repeat violations. | http://www.omanobserver.om/251-firms-found-violating-mid-day-break-rule/ |
3 edition of Poems of Wordsworth. found in the catalog.
Published
1854
by C. S. Francis & co. in New York
.
Written in English
|Classifications|
|LC Classifications||PR5850 .E54|
|The Physical Object|
|Pagination||xix, -356, -9, x-xiv, -340 p.|
|Number of Pages||356|
|ID Numbers|
|Open Library||OL24194870M|
|LC Control Number||25024326|
Poetry of William Wordsworth; full-text poems of William Wordsworth (Complete Poetical Works), at William Wordsworth was one of the founders of English Romanticism and one its most central figures and important intellects. He is remembered as a poet of spiritual and epistemological speculation, a poet concerned with the human relationship to nature and a fierce advocate of using.
William Wordsworth (–) produced some of the greatest English poems of the late s and early s. In contrast to the decorum of much 18th-century verse, he wanted to relate “situations from common life” in “language really used by men,” embodying “the spontaneous overflow of feelings recollected in tranquility. welcome to wordsworth editions For well over twenty-five years we have been making great literature available at a price that all can afford. It all began back in when we created the £1 classic paperback and ever since then we have stuck to one simple principle: to produce the best quality books that we can at the lowest possible price.
Lyrical Ballads is a collection of poems by William Wordsworth and his friend and contemporary Samuel Taylor Coleridge. A hugely influential work, Lyrical Ballads is generally acknowledged to have started the Romantic movement in English literature-a period marked by a departure from the stiff and unapproachable poetry of earlier times, and by a focus on readable, /5(5). William Wordsworth’s great long autobiographical poem in blank verse, The Prelude, has many great passages, and this is one of the best, from the first book of the poem, describing the poet’s schooldays and his time among description of the hill looming up as a young Wordsworth rows his boat – finding freedom on the open water – comes close to that key Romantic concept of.
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I bought this book for my undergraduate dissertation, needing an edition of Wordsworth with a wide range of his poetry including lesser known pieces. This book did not disappoint, featuring poems I would not have found in other, more cherry-picked collections, but without the tiresome necessity of having to lug around larger editions/5().
Seamus Heaney was born in County Derry in Northern Ireland. Death of a Naturalist, his first collection of poems, appeared inand was followed by poetry, criticism and translations which established him as the leading poet of his he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, and twice won the Whitbread Book of the Year, for The Spirit Level () and Beowulf ()/5(15).
The best Wordsworth poems selected by Dr Oliver Tearle. Auden said of Edward Lear that ‘he became a land’. William Wordsworth () became ‘Romanticism’, in many ways: he came to embody the starting-point of English Romanticism through his early collaboration with Samuel Taylor Coleridge on Lyrical Ballads () and his famous preface, published two years later in the.
21 rows William Wordsworth, who rallied for "common speech" within poems and argued against the. Read all poems of William Wordsworth and infos about William Wordsworth.
Wordsworth, born in his beloved Lake District, was the son of an attorney. He went to school first at Penrith and then at Hawkshead Grammar school before studying, fromat St John's College, Cambridge - all of which periods were later to be described vividly in The.
A host of actors and celebrities have jumped at the chance to record their favourite Wordsworth poems to mark the th anniversary of his birth, with the poet’s descendants now appealing to.
Here, collected in this volume, are Wordsworth’s finest works, some of the most beautiful poems ever written: from the famous lyrical ballads, including “The Tables Turned” and “Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey,” to the sonnets and narrative poems, to excerpts from his magnum opus, The Preludes.
By turning away from Brand: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. The greatest of the Romantic poets and a founder of modern verse, William Wordsworth is also the most accessible major poet of his period.
Despite more than two centuries passing since he first penned his poems, they remain fresh, relatable and joyful to read; their enduring popularity borne out by the fact that so many are instantly recognisable.
William Wordsworth was one of the founders of English Romanticism and one its most central figures and important intellects. He is remembered as a poet of spiritual and epistemological speculation, a poet concerned with the human relationship to nature and a fierce advocate of using the vocabulary and speech patterns of common people in poetry.
Selected Poetry of William Wordsworth represents Wordsworth's prolific output, from the poems first published in Lyrical Ballads in that changed the face of English poetry to the late "Yarrow Revisited." Wordsworth's poetry is celebrated for its deep feeling, its use of ordinary speech, the love of nature it expresses, and its representation of commonplace things and/5(90).
Selected Poems (Wordsworth, William) by William Wordsworth, Stephen Gill (Introduction) Paperback $ 16 This book presents much of Wordsworth's poetic output from the last three decades of his life. Approximately two hundred poems are featured, including On the Power of Sound, the sequence of Evening Voluntaries, and the poet's tributes 5/5(1).
William Wordsworth's The prelude: with a selection from the shorter poems, the sonnets, The recluse, and The excursion and three essays on the art of poetry William Wordsworth $ First edition of a Folio Society collection of poems by Wordsworth selected and edited by George Mallaby with wood engravings by Thomas Bewick.
Hardback, quarter leather, brown buckram covered boards, size: 5" wide x ", p, contained within a plain card slipcase. Chapter Summary for William Wordsworth's Poems of William Wordsworth (Selected), the prelude book 1 summary.
Find a summary of this and each chapter of Poems of William Wordsworth (Selected). COVID Resources. Reliable information about the coronavirus (COVID) is available from the World Health Organization (current situation, international travel).Numerous and frequently-updated resource results are available from this ’s WebJunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus.
Book Fifth-Books poem by William Wordsworth. WHEN Contemplation like the nightcalm feltThrough earth and sky spreads widely and sends deepInto the soul its tranquillising power. Page/5. Summary. Book 2 deepens the story of Wordsworth's education.
He came to greatly value time spent in solitude as a way of gaining knowledge and depth at the same time as he joined other boys in boisterous and often very physical explorations of the beauties of nature in the lakes and mountains.
William Wordsworth: The Poems, Vol. 2 (English Poets) by John O. Hayden and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at Free download or read online The Works of William Wordsworth (Wordsworth Collection) pdf (ePUB) book.
The first edition of the novel was published in January 1stand was written by William Wordsworth. The book was published in multiple languages including English, consists of pages and is available in Paperback format. The main characters of this poetry, classics story are.
William Wordsworth (7 April – 23 April ) was an English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication Lyrical Ballads ().
Wordsworth's magnum opus is generally considered to be The Prelude, a semi-autobiographical poem of his early years that he revised and expanded a number of times. InWordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge jointly published Lyrical Ballads, with a Few Other Poems, a collection of verses each had written book became hugely popular and was published widely; it is generally considered a herald of the Romantic movement in English literature.
In it, Wordsworth aimed to use everyday language in his compositions as set out in the preface to.Buy The Collected Poems of William Wordsworth (Wordsworth Poetry) (Wordsworth Poetry Library) New edition by William Wordsworth (ISBN: ) from Amazon's Book Store.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible s: More editions of The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth Volume 3: The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth, Volume III: ISBN () Hardcover, BiblioLife, ; The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth Volume 3: ISBN () Softcover, Echo Library, | https://bopemykadery.ogmaexpo.com/poems-of-wordsworth-book-13198np.php |
A woman in her teens with no relevant medical history was brought to the hospital for personality changes, headache, and decreased vision bilaterally. Review of systems was remarkable for concomitant hearing loss and vertigo for 1 month. She was alert but confused and disoriented, and she manifested gait imbalance and ataxia. White blood cell count was elevated at 14 600/μL (to convert to ×109 per liter, multiply by 0.001). Results from computed tomography of the head were normal, but magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed multifocal punctate areas of restricted diffusion. A lumbar puncture showed lymphocytosis (80%), normal glucose levels, and protein levels greater than 125 mg/dL. Results from cerebrospinal fluid polymerase chain reaction were negative for herpes simplex virus, varicella zoster virus, and cytomegalovirus. Results from laboratory tests for hypercoagulable states, antinucleolar antibodies, antineutrophilic cytoplasmic antibodies, human immunodeficiency virus, Lyme disease, and tuberculosis were unrevealing.
Reddy AK. Retinal Vascular Changes in a Young Woman. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2017;135(5):497–498. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2016.4816
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The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (“MBTA”) was first adopted in 1918, and for most of its existence the Department of the Interior (“DOI”) interpreted it to prohibit any taking or killing of migratory birds, intentional or not. That policy changed in late 2017 when the DOI issued a memorandum opinion designated M-37050 (the “M-Opinion”), which reversed the Department’s interpretation and declared that the MBTA’s prohibitions apply only to affirmative actions that “have as their purpose the taking or killing of migratory birds, their nests, or their eggs.” This reversal was significant, as it removed a threat of enforcement that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (“USFWS”) used to influence companies to minimize risks to migratory birds from facilities such as oil and gas reserve pits, power lines, and wind turbines. On August 11, 2020, in response to a challenge to the M-Opinion brought by several environmental organizations, a federal district court in the Southern District of New York vacated the M-Opinion.1 The decision is significant, but it is fair to question whether it will have any practical effect. This QuickStudy will provide a brief overview of the MBTA, the M-Opinion and the court’s reasoning for vacating it, before considering the short and longer-term implications of the ruling.
Background of the MBTA and M-Opinion
Section 2 of the MBTA makes it “unlawful at any time, by any means or in any manner, to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill, attempt to take, capture or kill . . . any migratory bird . . . .” On January 10, 2017, in the final days of the Obama Administration, the DOI Solicitor issued an M-Opinion, M-37041, reaffirming the Department’s long-standing interpretation that this prohibition includes incidental take. The DOI issued this initial M-Opinion largely in response to recent court decisions that had cast doubt on that principle, most notably the Fifth Circuit’s decision in United States v. CITGO Petroleum Corp.,2 in which the Fifth Circuit held that the MBTA prohibits only intentional acts, not omissions, that kill migratory birds directly, rather than indirectly or accidentally.
Less than one month later on February 6, 2017, just days after the Trump Administration took office, the new Solicitor suspended M-37041 pending review. In December of that same year, in one of the first of the Trump Administration’s now many moves to reduce environmental regulatory burdens, the new Principal Deputy Solicitor, Daniel Jorjani, withdrew M-37041 and issued the new M-Opinion, followed several months later by new guidance from the USFWS on how it would implement such a significant reversal of long-standing policy. In reversing the interpretation set forth in the previous M-Opinion, Jorjani observed that the threat of strict, criminal liability under the MBTA hung like “the sword of Damocles over a host of otherwise lawful and productive actions.” In defending the M-Opinion, DOI cited the significant circuit split on the question of the MBTA’s applicability to incidental take and the absurd results that ensure when lawful, everyday actions that incidentally result in the death of migratory birds become a source of misdemeanor criminal liability.
The Jorjani M-Opinion stated that the interpretation it announced, that the MBTA’s prohibitions “apply only to affirmative actions that have as their purpose the taking or killing of migratory birds, their nests, or their eggs” was “consistent with the text, history, and purpose of the MBTA.” The M-Opinion thus limited the application of the MBTA prohibition to “direct and affirmative purposeful actions that reduce migratory birds, their eggs, or their nests, by killing or capturing, to human control.” The subsequent USFWS guidance on the M-Opinion clarified that a person’s knowledge that an activity will result in the killing of migratory birds is not relevant to a take analysis under the statute – the only relevant factor is whether a person undertakes the action for the specific purpose of killing migratory birds.
The Court’s Opinion of the M-Opinion
The court took a very dim view of the reasoning contained in the M-Opinion, and that of the DOI in defending it. It began its analysis by noting that under the Administrative Procedures Act (“APA”), agency decisions may be set aside if they are “arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law.” It also noted that because it was not a formal agency action, the M-Opinion was not entitled to full Chevron deference, but rather to the lesser standard of Skidmore deference, under which the court must defer to the M-Opinion to the extent that it has the “power to persuade,” based on factors including the agency’s expertise, the care it took in reaching its conclusions, the formality with which it promulgated its interpretation, the consistency of its views over time, and the ultimate persuasiveness of its views. Based on those factors, the court determined that the M-Opinion did not warrant any deference, noting that it was an informal pronouncement that appeared to have been made without the benefit of input from the USFWS, represented a complete reversal of long-standing USFWS policy, and was, for a number of reasons, quite unpersuasive to the court. Therefore, the court undertook its own analysis of the MBTA’s prohibition, and in so doing provided one of the most thorough discussions of the MBTA in any court opinion on the subject.
The court first asserted that the DOI had greatly overstated the extent of the split between circuit courts on the issue of the MBTA’s applicability to incidental take. The DOI argued that the Fifth, Eighth and Ninth Circuits have held that the MBTA does not apply to incidental take, but the court disagreed, reading the relevant cases from the Eighth and Ninth Circuits as holding only that destruction of habitat that leads indirectly to migratory bird deaths does not amount to take under the MBTA. Even the Fifth Circuit’s CITGO decision, the court noted, interpreted the term “take” in the Act’s prohibition but not the less ambiguous term “kill,” and that following the CITGO decision DOI had promptly reaffirmed its long-standing interpretation of the prohibition in the previous M-Opinion.
Analyzing the M-Opinion itself, the court observed that by limiting the MBTA’s prohibition to “direct and affirmative purposeful actions,” the M-Opinion imposes both a mental state requirement in the form of intent and purpose, and a proximate cause requirement in the form of directness, neither of which are actually present in the statutory language. In defending its interpretation, DOI relied upon a canon of statutory interpretation that calls for reading a term in accordance with its surrounding words. Thus, it argued that the term “kill” should be read in the context of the terms “pursue,” “hunt” and “capture,” all of which reference activities directed at birds. Therefore, it’s reasoning continued, “kill” must also be understood as applying only when the act is similarly intentional.
The court staunchly disagreed with DOI’s application of this interpretive canon, noting that it is a tool to be used only to resolve ambiguity, and the term “kill” is not ambiguous. This is particularly so, the court noted, in light of the preceding language in the statute which says that taking or killing is unlawful “at any time, by any means, or in any manner,” not just by means or in a manner specifically directed at birds. Reading the language in that way would, in the court’s view, actually deprive the term “kill” of any independent meaning.
The court similarly rejected DOI’s use of the “absurd results” canon, noting that “there is nothing absurd about an interpretation of the MBTA that broadly criminalizes killing migratory birds as a misdemeanor.” That had been the law of the land for decades prior to the M-Opinion, and USFWS has long used appropriate discretion to avoid unreasonable results. Thus, the court concluded that the M-Opinion was not a necessary or persuasive interpretation of the MBTA, but rather “a solution in search of a problem.”
Finally, and perhaps most notably, the court addressed DOI’s argument, one that has been voiced frequently over the years, that the MBTA was aimed at curbing hunting and the trade in feathers, the primary threats to bird populations in 1918, and was not intended to cover incidental take. The court opined that the fact a statute can be applied in situations not expressly anticipated by Congress does not demonstrate ambiguity, it demonstrates breadth, and we are ultimately governed by “the provisions of our laws rather than the principal concerns of [the] legislators” who adopted them. In this sense, as well the court’s reliance on the “by any means or in any manner” language to reject DOI’s use of various interpretive canons, the court’s opinion reads very much like one that might have been drafted by a conservative textualist rather than a liberal activist. If the expected appeal of the decision were to reach the more conservative Supreme Court, it would be interesting to see how Court’s conservative members would react to a textualist interpretation that resulted in broader applicability of the statute.
After thoroughly rejecting the interpretation and rationale embodied in the M-Opinion, the court determined that vacatur of the opinion was the appropriate remedy and issued its order to that effect.
Implications of the Court’s Decision
As definitive as the court’s opinion is, the practical effect in the short term may be minimal. While the court vacated the M-Opinion and remanded it to DOI, it did not vacate the USFWS guidance that implemented the M-Opinion, nor did it restore the previous M-Opinion that had been issued by the Obama Administration but withdrawn when the Jorjani M-Opinion was released. As a result, the current status is essentially similar to the situation that existed prior to the issuance of the previous M-Opinion. Although the court’s decision provides new guidance on the scope of the MBTA and the applicability of its prohibition to incidental take, that aspect of the opinion (as opposed to the vacatur of the M-Opinion itself) is only binding within the Southern District of New York. Thus, the CITGO decision remains intact and controlling within the Fifth Circuit’s jurisdiction, and the same is true of previous decisions in other circuits.
The court’s opinion and the vacatur of the M-Opinion notwithstanding, it remains highly unlikely that the Trump Administration, even if unsuccessful in reversing the decision on appeal, would commence enforcement of incidental take of migratory birds that occurred indirectly or even as a foreseeable result of legitimate business activity. However, it is possible that the USFWS may resume its prior practice of using the threat of enforcement to cajole project developers into adopting more robust take avoidance and minimization measures. Field office staff may be more likely to do so in the course of project consultations and the provision of technical assistance than DOI political appointees or even USFWS management may prefer. This issue bears watching, as does whether the USFWS will issue any new or updated guidance to staff on this topic.
Regardless of how the USFWS responds to this decision, it does mean that MBTA liability is once again a risk for any project that may unintentionally take or kill migratory birds. If the November elections bring a change in Administrations, a Biden Administration would almost certainly restore the previous M-Opinion and revert to the previous, long-standing policy. While that policy did involve broad enforcement discretion, the risk of enforcement would certainly be greater than what industry has become accustomed to over the past several years. Thus, for projects seeking outside financing, third-party lenders and investors may insist on a higher level of avoidance and minimization to reduce potential exposure under future administrations, whether in 2021 or further down the road.
A question that is foremost in the mind of many is how the court’s decision will affect the proposed rule that the USFWS has been developing to codify the interpretation set forth in the M-Opinion. While the court’s decision clearly undermines the basis for such a rule, DOI can find sufficient support for its interpretation in CITGO and other cases to justify the proposed rule. If anything, DOI may be more likely now to publish the rule and potentially even finalize it before the election to ensure its interpretation becomes law. Although the rule would be immediately challenged, a final rule adopted in accordance with the APA would be entitled to greater deference than the M-Opinion received, and if DOI addresses some of the more glaring deficiencies cited by the court in the final rule, it is certainly conceivable that the rule could survive a legal challenge where the M-Opinion did not.All things considered, the court’s decision was a major victory for environmental advocates, but its practical effect in the short term is likely to be minimal and the question of how broadly the MBTA will be applied remains far from resolved. If the Trump Administration can finalize a rule codifying the interpretation of the M-Opinion prior to the election or a change in administrations, it may have a greater and more lasting effect than the court’s decision in this case. But in any event, a Biden Administration would likely make it a priority to restore the previous interpretation even if that meant repealing such a rule. So as with so many other issues in the current regulatory landscape, the impact of this decision won’t really be clear until November.
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1. Nat. Res. Defense Council, et al. v. U.S. Dep’t. of the Interior, 1:18-cv-04596-VEC, 8/11/20
2. 801 F.3d 477 (5th Cir. 2015).
Sign up for our newsletter and get the latest to your inbox. | https://www.lockelord.com/newsandevents/publications/2020/08/locke-lord-quickstudy-mbta-m-opinion-vacated |
Pax3 functions in cell survival and in pax7 regulation.
In developing vertebrate embryos, Pax3 is expressed in the neural tube and in the paraxial mesoderm that gives rise to skeletal muscles. Pax3 mutants develop muscular and neural tube defects; furthermore, Pax3 is essential for the proper activation of the myogenic determination factor gene, MyoD, during early muscle development and PAX3 chromosomal translocations result in muscle tumors, providing evidence that Pax3 has diverse functions in myogenesis. To investigate the specific functions of Pax3 in development, we have examined cell survival and gene expression in presomitic mesoderm, somites and neural tube of developing wild-type and Pax3 mutant (Splotch) mouse embryos. Disruption of Pax3 expression by antisense oligonucleotides significantly impairs MyoD activation by signals from neural tube/notochord and surface ectoderm in cultured presomitic mesoderm (PSM), and is accompanied by a marked increase in programmed cell death. In Pax3 mutant (Splotch) embryos, MyoD is activated normally in the hypaxial somite, but MyoD-expressing cells are disorganized and apoptosis is prevalent in newly formed somites, but not in the neural tube or mature somites. In neural tube and somite regions where cell survival is maintained, the closely related Pax7 gene is upregulated, and its expression becomes expanded into the dorsal neural tube and somites, where Pax3 would normally be expressed. These results establish that Pax3 has complementary functions in MyoD activation and inhibition of apoptosis in the somitic mesoderm and in repression of Pax7 during neural tube and somite development.
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Dir: Renée Edwards | Featuring: Clarke Peters (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Dr John, Kermit Ruffins, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Irma Thomas, Hot 8 Brass Band | US Doc | 95 mins.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans traditional jazz musicians gather together to play and talk about the soul of their city which celebrates its 300th Anniversary in 2018.
Renée Edwards’ paean to these Louisiana musicians is a labour of love that’s been nine years in the making. Four of these were spent following a small number from different genres, as they came to terms with their changed city, musical landscape and life. Intertwined are their musical and health stories, as they frequent the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic, a lifeline and comfort, that simultaneously had its own struggles, whilst aspiring to fulfil a mission to ‘keep the music ALIVE’. Without these guys the city would lose its soul, not to mention the thousands of tourists who come to join in the fun.
ONE NOTE AT A TIME 2018 marks the 300th anniversary of the founding of New Orleans. | https://filmuforia.com/tag/new-orleans/ |
Waste is generated in every facility. The quantity of waste generated increases as the number of activities increases. As the number of occupants increases for residential apartments, the waste also generated increases. Waste might be in the form of solid, liquid, gas or a mixture of any three. The generated waste may also be organic or inorganic.
Waste generated in a facility must be appropriately disposed of. The conventional disposal method engaged is to use the waste for landfills. Due to the pollution, alternative means of treatment, recycling and reusing wastes have continuously been developed, including waste incineration.
This article aims to give a general overview of waste incineration, focusing on non-hazardous waste. Typical components of fixed hearth incinerator will be discussed.
This article aims to give a general overview of waste incineration, focusing on non-hazardous waste. Typical components of fixed hearth incinerator will be discussed.
2 Waste
The definition of waste can vary depending on the context. Waste can be summarily described as a substance unsuitable for its original use. Materials and substances intended to be recycled may be termed waste by the holder, while the recycler may term them as materials to produce other materials.
Waste is generally categorized as hazardous and non-hazardous waste.
2.1 Hazardous Waste
Waste that has the potential to cause harm to the environment and human are termed hazardous waste. Hazardous waste is mostly generated from industrial production and activities. They require special handling and different treatment from non-hazardous waste.
The treatment and recycling of these types of waste are a function of their physical and chemical properties. The main characteristics of hazardous waste are toxicity, corrosiveness, ecotoxicity, flammability and explosiveness.
Hazardous liquid and powder waste require special treatment, handling and packaging to avoid dispersal of the waste.
A possible method of treating hazardous waste includes incineration or high-temperature treatment, recovery and recycling, Chemical treatment and safe storage. The focus of this article is on waste incineration. Below are some of the hazardous waste
2.1.1 Medical waste
These types of waste usually consist of medicines, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, bandages, body parts, body fluids, etc. Medical waste is very dangerous and can be infectious, containing harmful microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi, including organisms that may be drug-resistant. These types of waste are usually incinerated at a very high temperature beyond which no microorganism can survive. Medical waste incineration is not performed inhabitable areas; they are usually incinerated in dedicated isolated areas to reduce contact with the waste.
2.1.2 E-Waste
E-waste may also be referred to as E-scrap, electronic waste. These terms describe all wastes associated with used electronics that have reached or neared the end of their useful life. They are usually appropriately discarded or recycled. Most electronics waste is supposed to be recycled, reused or refurbished to reduce the chances of ending up in landfills or improperly disposed of.
Unsafe handling of E-waste can harm human health and the environment. For example, open disposal and burning of electronic materials and components can result in harmful materials leaching into the environment and exposing people to high-level contaminants, including lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium, leading to various degrees of health complications, including cancer.
2.1.3 Hazardous Industrial Waste
These are waste resulting from industrial activities such as production activities. These types of waste are very common in oil and gas production and storage facilities. Usually, they contain a high quantity of hydrocarbon, which can be very harmful to people and the environment. A typical example of this type of waste is sludge recovered from liquid hydrocarbon storage tanks. This waste is recovered in large quantities and must be appropriately disposed of according to established regulations and procedures.
2.1.4 Radioactive Waste:
Radioactive waste is one of the most dangerous waste with the ability to cause complicated medical and genetic effects. The treatment, handling, and storage of radioactive waste are more complicated and, therefore, not covered in this article.
2.2 Non-Hazardous Waste
All waste that has not been classified as hazardous is called non-hazardous waste. These waste may include organic waste, beverage cans, plastics, papers etc. it should be noted that solid non-hazardous waste can have health and environmental impact if not properly collected, stored, treated and recycled. The major bulk of non-hazardous waste is categorized under municipal waste, which includes the following.
2.2.1 Organic Waste
A higher percentage of non-hazardous waste is organic waste.
Organic waste is waste resulting from biodegradable materials and comes from either a plant or an animal. Organic waste can be broken into carbon dioxide, methane or simple organic molecules. Typical examples of organic waste include food waste, food-soiled papers, green waste, wood waste etc. Most organic wastes are usually incinerated.
2.2.2 Packaging Waste
This waste results from packaging materials. The most common source of this is single-use food packaging, including plastic bottles, takeaway packs, disposable cups, disposable carrier bags, etc. A high volume of the materials is made of inorganic compounds. Packaging waste constitutes a menace in our environment, blocking drainages, water channels, etc. There has been a significant effort to reduce the number of packaging waste by encouraging recycling and reusing these materials.
Though packaging waste can be incinerated, the most efficient way of managing packaging waste is the reuse and recycling of packaging materials
2.2.3 Other Materials
Other waste non-hazardous waste include metals, glass etc. these materials though might t is not harmful to health they, constitute an environmental menace if not properly stored or disposed
3 WASTE INCINERATION
Incineration is a waste treatment process that entails combusting waste material at a very high temperature. Incineration and other waste treatment processes that entail high temperature are also termed thermal treatment of waste. At the end of the combustion, the waste is converted into ash, flue gas and heat. The ash may be in the form of solid lumps or carried as particulates in the flue gas.
Before flue gas are released into the atmosphere, the gaseous and particulate pollutants must be removed before being disposed into the atmosphere. International and local regulations guide the installation and control of emissions from incinerators and gas exhaust sources. Some of these guidelines include EPA (the United States Environmental Protection Agency), Nigeria Federal Environmental Protection Agency Standard, Nigeria Federal Ministry of Environment Guidelines etc.
The heat energy from incineration can be recovered and used to generate electricity or heating. The conversion of the heat generated from incineration to other forms of energy is termed waste to energy.
At the end of the waste combustion, the solid mass of the waste may be reduced by about 80% to 85%, and the volume may be reduced to about 95% to 96% of the originally compressed volume by the garbage trucks. After combustion, leftover ash implies that incinerators do not automatically replace landfilling; it only significantly reduces the volume of waste.
Though there have been concerns and arguments about the environmental effect of incinerators resulting mostly from the exhaust gasses, modern incinerators have been equipped with emission treatment and monitoring units to minimise the actual amount of harmful gasses released into the environment. The emission monitoring and reduction system are also complemented by implementing waste segregation by ensuring that waste with a tendency to release more harmful chemicals is removed from the materials to be incinerated.
The benefits of incineration are even more for treating medical waste, which may contain pathogens and microorganisms that can cause health issues. These types of waste cannot be used in landfills and must be burnt in a controlled environment provided by incinerators.
3.1 Activities Associated with Waste Incineration
Before burning the waste in the incinerator, other activities are performed to achieve an efficient combustion process and reduce the release of harmful gasses into the atmosphere. The below section describe typical activities that are performed:
3.1.1 Waste Transportation
The waste is collected from all the facilities and transported to a dedicated segregation facility. In some cases, the waste might be segregated from the source, thereby eliminating transportation to segregation facilities. The waste is transported directly to the incinerating plant.
3.1.2 Waste segregation
Depending on the strategy employed by the incinerator operators, waste segregation is performed to remove materials that should be recycled, reused, or released harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. Segregation might also be performed to separate waste by the amount of moisture contained, the possible amount of heating value etc. Liquid waste should be separated from solid waste. Most medical waste and harmful waste are segregated from sources to minimise multiple waste handling, which might expose workers to more harm.
3.1.3 Waste Compaction
Compaction is performed to reduce the volume of the waste. Most garbage trucks are equipped with a compressor which significantly reduces the volume of the waste. Also, at the incinerator site, compactors may further reduce the volume of the waste before they are fed into the incinerator.
3.1.4 Waste Incineration
Incineration is the actual combustion of the waste generating ash, flue gas and heat as already described.
3.2 What Type of Waste Can be incinerated
Below is a list of waste that can be incinerated; however, note that not all hazardous waste can be incinerated; some require special disposal, e.g. radioactive waste.
- Animal Carcasses
- Medical Waste
- Hazardous Waste
- Mining Waste
- Camp Waste
- Plastic
- Waste Water
3.3 Types of Incinerators
Over the years, different types of incinerators have been built; however, the incinerators built in recent times from 2000 are more advanced than the previous. Though incinerators can be built and tailored to client needs, below are the types of incinerators
- Rotary Kiln.
- Fluidized Bed.
- Moving Grate.
- Liquid Injection.
- Multiple Hearth.
- Catalytic Combustion.
- Waste-Gas Flare.
- Fixed Grate / Direct-Flame.
Among the listed types of incinerators above, the rotary kiln incinerator is very popular in municipal waste treatment.
3.4 Components Description of an Incinerator
This section will briefly describe the components of a small to medium-sized fixed hearth incinerator suitable for camps, residential apartments, hospitals etc. These units can handle waste treatment up to 400 kg/hr.
Fixed hearth incinerators are controlled air, starved air, or pyrolytic incinerators. As the rotary kiln incinerator, they employ a two-stage combustion process.
They can utilise natural gas, diesel or appropriate liquid hydrocarbon as fuel and can be operated continuously or intermittently. They may also be equipped with an automatic feeder system, however, due to their small size, most systems are manually fed with waste.
Note that some of the components described here are optional and may not be found in all units; also, process parameters stated here might vary depending on requirements and vendor offered technology.
Below are the components of a standard incinerator.
3.4.1 Primary Combustion Chamber
Combustion of the waste material occurs in the primary combustion chamber. Controlled amount of air and fuel is introduced into the chamber to commence combustion of waste and ensure low environmental impact.
The combustion temperature can be over 800oC to ensure the waste is completely reduced to ash. The primary chamber is mostly manufactured from steel plates and steel bracing of appropriate thickness.
The chamber may be provided with a simple access door, pneumatic or hydraulic ram loader, etc., through which the waste is introduced.
The chamber may be equipped with a single or double burner. The primary combustion chamber design temperatures may exceed 1400oC
The chamber is lined with the appropriate thickness of castable refractory material.
3.4.2 Secondary Combustion Chamber
After combustion in the primary chamber, the smoke passes into the heavy-duty secondary combustion chamber fitted with burners. The secondary chamber is mounted on top of the primary chamber. Complete combustion of the smoke and emission from the primary chamber is performed in the secondary chamber. To ensure complete combustion, the secondary combustion chamber operating temperature may be over 1100oC, while the design temperature may exceed 1500oC. Note operating the chamber at high temperature may be limited to about 1300oC to minimize nitrogen oxides production and lengthen equipment life. On the lower limit the chamber should be operated at a minimum temperature of about 850oC to achieve stabilized reaction rate needed to complete the combustion process. Note burners may be natural gas-fired or liquid fuel-fired, the same for the primary combustion chamber. The temperature of the chamber is controlled by controlling the quantity of air injected into the system. The chamber should be designed to ensure that the residence time for the smoke and emission in the secondary chamber may range from 0.5 to 2 seconds, depending on the statutory regulation. Like the primary combustion chamber, the secondary chamber is mostly made of steel of appropriate thickness with appropriate refractory material lining.
3.4.3 Refractory materials
The refractory material can withstand temperatures over 1500oC. The typical thickness of refractory material used for primary and secondary combustion chambers is about 100mm. The refractory material used must be chemically and physically stable at high temperatures.
Common materials used in the manufacturing of refractories depending on the service temperature are the oxides of aluminium (Alumina), magnesium (Magnesia) and Silicon (Silica). Amongst the mentioned, Alumina is very prominent and used in many incinerators. It can withstand temperatures exceeding 1400oC.
The refractory material lining serves the following purpose
- Thermal barrier between a hot medium and the steel plate wall of the chamber
- Ensure efficient combustion
- Withstand physical stresses and prevent erosion of steel plate due to the hot combustion temperature
- Protecting against corrosion
- Providing thermal insulation
3.4.4 Burners
Each chamber is equipped with a burner that may be gas-fired or liquid fuel-fired. Also, some systems may have more than one burner depending on the thermal capacity required, the type of waste and the nature.
The burners are automatically ignited to commence waste combustion after turning on the system. Some of the components of a typical gas burner include a monoblock with (filter, governor, gas pressure switch, pressure gauge, safety valve etc.) relay and UV supervisor, ionization electrode, gas burner control, burner motor, air pressure switch, ignition transformer and solenoid valve.
3.4.5 Fuel Source
Gas-fired incinerators must be connected to a gas supply source. Note the supplied gas pressure must not exceed that required by the incinerator. Some incinerators may be ordered with an inbuilt gas pressure regulator, or the customer shall make this provision before the gas is connected to the equipment. Incinerators using liquid fuel should be provided with fuel tanks connected to the burners. The customer shall provide all fuel piping to the incinerator.
3.4.6 Combustion Air Blowers (Forced Draft)
For combustion to occur, oxygen is required to complete the fire triangle. The connected FD centrifugal fans provide the required quantity of combustion air in the primary and secondary chambers. The combustion air supplied to the chambers is controlled to aid proper combustion in the two chambers and minimize particulate entrainment and carryover.
3.4.7 Ash Door
The primary and the secondary combustion chamber should be provided with an ash door to remove ash from the system. An auto de-ashing system may also be provided for larger units where continuous operation is desired
3.4.8 Observation Port with Protective Glass
Internal combustion activities in the incinerator can be observed using this port. The observation port is mostly provided for the primary combustion chamber and may also be provided for the secondary combustion chamber.
3.4.9 Chimney
After combustion, the flue gas is sent into the atmosphere through the exhaust stack or chimney. Typical chimney height is a function of the regulatory requirements and building height within the vicinity of the incinerator. The stability of the chimney is also a factor to consider because small size incinerators are equipped with self-supported chimneys. A typical 100kg/hr incinerator may have a chimney of about 15m in height. The chimney should be considerably higher than the tallest building close by; otherwise, exhaust gas may find its way into the building. Also, medical and hazardous waste incinerators have higher chimneys than incinerators used for non-hazardous waste.
Chimney installed on a system with wet scrubbers should be lined with appropriate materials such as hard thick natural rubber or refractory to avoid corrosion due to oxygen and acids in the flue gas.
3.4.10 Optional Components
The optional components are provided to automate, safeguard the system, and ensure that exhaust gas quality does not exceed the values stipulated by the required regulations.
3.4.10.1 Emergency Stack
An incinerator with exhaust abatement devices installed may be equipped with an emergency stack to exhaust hot gas directly into the atmosphere when a power failure occurs. This ensures that the hot gas bypasses the gas scrubber preventing it from being damaged. The stack should be refractory lined with appropriate material. Also, water from an emergency water tank may be directed simultaneously into the scrubbers to cool down the temperature as the hot gas flows through the emergency stack.
3.4.10.2 Gas Scrubbing System
Depending on the emission regulation and the quality of exhaust gas desired, there are different gas scrubbers or flue gas treatment equipment. There are dry, semi-dry and wet scrubbing units. These units are usually tailored to requirements or proposed by the incinerator vendor. A typical flue gas scrubbing system may have the following units.
3.4.10.2.1 Saturator
The saturator is the first scrubbing device. Flue gas from the secondary chamber travels into the saturator, reducing the gas temperature to about 250oC and also performing initial gas scrubbing.
3.4.10.2.2 Wet Venturi Scrubber
The flue gas exits the saturator and enters the venturi scrubber, using water and caustic soda as a scrubbing medium. Particulate matter is removed, and the venturi scrubber also removes pollutants like HCL and SO2. Also, the temperature of the flue gas is brought down to about 80oC
3.4.10.2.3 Mist Eliminator
The Mist eliminator removes moisture from the scrubbed gas from the wet Venturi scrubber. It is essential to ensure the moisture is removed and not carried into the induced draft fan.
3.4.10.3 Tanks
There are various optional tanks associated with the scrubbing system.
These tanks include
- Caustic soda tank
- Recirculation water tanks
- Emergency water tank.
3.4.10.4 Scrubber Water Pump
Wet scrubbing systems should have at least two pumps; usually, centrifugal installed for water re-circulation. One is running while the other is on standby.
3.4.10.5 Induced Draft Fan
The induced draft fan, usually centrifugal, draws out the scrubbed gas into the chimney and discharges it into the atmosphere.
3.4.10.6 Auto De-Ashing System
This unit allows the incinerator to be operated for indefinite periods without requiring a shutdown for manual cleaning. The introduction of this unit reduces the frequency of start-up and burn-down cycles and associated increased use of fuel.
3.4.10.7 Heat Recovery System
This optional unit, when installed, recovers heat from waste gasses and use for pre-heating. This recovery unit increases fuel efficiency and ensures complete combustion due to more stable high temperatures, with decreased fuel usage.
3.4.10.8 Emission Monitoring System
Due to regulations requirements, all gases expelled from the incinerator are continuously monitored by installing an emission monitoring system. The emission constituent expelled must not exceed those stipulated by regulations. Gasses and properties monitored include Carbon monoxide (CO), smoke opacity etc.
When ordering an incinerator, request the Vendor the guaranteed emission limits and review against the regulatory requirements. Alternatively, you can provide the Vendor with the emission limits required.
Some of the emission limits to be provided by the Vendor include
3.4.10.9 Electrical and Control System
Modern incinerators are automated. Parameters such as combustion temperature, the quantity of fuel and air can be automatically adjusted. Also, the incinerator can automatically shut down when combustion is complete. Key automation in a modern incinerator detects an unwanted quantity of flue gas, generating an alarm and shutting down the system.
5 References
FEPA / FMENV S.1.15: National Environmental Protection Management of Solid and Hazardous Wastes Regulations, 1991. | https://epcmholdings.com/waste-incineration-basics/ |
Diven Halai, a 37-year-old professional, is celebrating a major milestone this week after he became the first to complete the London Marathon on oxygen tanks over the weekend.
It is no mean feat given that in 2020 Halai was diagnosed with interstitial lung disease (ILD), a rare condition that made it challenging for him to breathe and let oxygen into his bloodstream. Ironically, it was probably the fittest he’d ever been when he first noticed the symptoms of his lung condition, having even run a half marathon earlier that year.
A keen runner, London Marathon had always been on his bucket list. So, he decided to overcome his constraints and worked with the oxygen team to help him get through it. Halai is determined that he won’t let lung disease beat him and hopes to inspire and motivate others never to give up.
Here, iGlobal catches up with the inspiring runner to reflect upon his achievement and his message for others who may be toying with the idea of getting more active.
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How does it feel to complete the London Marathon?
I felt just a massive sense of accomplishment. It meant that I had given hope and inspiration to people with and without health conditions who want to do things but don't have the confidence to keep trying or even attempt to be active.
I overcame the odds with the support of a big team. Although I had said to myself it's not about the time it takes me to finish, I had set myself a target of eight hours. However, due to a few stops to get physiotherapy attention I ended up finishing with a time of eight hours, 20 minutes, which I'm still very proud of.
What is your message for others considering getting more active?
No matter the situation, whatever goals you have you can achieve them. Sometimes you have to take a different route but don’t lose hope and definitely keep trying.
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What's next on your mission?
I'm not sure yet what the next mission will be, but the London Marathon is definitely not the last one. My family and friends and even my consultants and respiratory team are all super proud of me and what I have achieved – the first man to do the marathon with the use of oxygen. | https://www.iglobalnews.com/icommunity/profiles/british-indian-runner-first-to-complete-london-marathon-on-oxygen-tanks |
The British 5000m star will race on the roads in Trafford this weekend.
Andy Butchart is among a top field announced for the rescheduled Trafford 10k on Sunday (September 2). The Scottish athlete was forced to miss the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast after breaking his foot running in February.
The fast Trafford 10k was rescheduled from March due to adverse weather conditions and race organiser Dave Norman hopes this new September date will be more suitable to fast times. Athletes can come off a fast summer on the track and have shiny new 10k road PBs to start the autumn.
Fast Fields
Butchart leads a pack of 10 men who have previously run under 30 minutes for the distance. Marc Scott, fresh from his blistering run at Mid Cheshire 5k, will also challenge for the win and actually has the fastest 10k mark (28:07) in the field.
Scott Overall (28:49/13:28) and Nick McCormick (29:04/13:18) complete the four men who have run under 30 minutes and 14 minutes for 10km and 5km respectively.
McCormick is fresh from setting a season’s best 14:46 at the Podium 5k this Bank Holiday Monday.
The women’s field has Jessica Piasecki (32:41/15:29) with the quickest times and the only runner to have broken 33 minutes. Like McCormick, Piasecki was also victorious at the no frills Podium 5k. The 28 year-old former British half marathon champion ran 15:55 in Barrowford and starts as a favourite in the women’s race.
There will be six sub 34-minute women chasing for the win, including the ever improving Elsey Davis who has had a cracking 2018 so far.
Kendal’s Rebecca Robinson (33:09/15:48) has the second fastest set of PBs in the field so look out for the mountain runner featuring in the top 10. Juliet Potter (33:27/15:27) has the quickest 5k PB of the women’s field but her 10k best was back in 2008.
Former 800/1500m runner Charlene Thomas is also an exciting prospect for the race, having run her 33:27 PB this year at the Brighton 10km.
Fast times
The weather forecast for Sunday looks to be perfect for fast times and the move to September will hopefully pay dividends. Last year only five runners broke 30 minutes, but in 2016 it was 28.
Yet even in the tough conditions of 2017, which saw Chris Thompson run a solo 28:55 for the win, 126 runners broke 33 minutes. Tough times brings out tough people and the speed of the pack will show again this weekend.
The race is organised by Dave Norman, someone at the heart and soul of British distance running. After running 15:29 at Podium 5k this week, the Altringham runner warmed down with Piasecki and is excited to see how the two 5k winners run this weekend.
A fountain of running information Norman said: “Nick McCormick is entered and after retiring in 2014, he has competed in three hometown races this year ‘for fun’, but is now training for the New York Marathon where he hopes to run 2:25.”
Related: McCormick and Piasecki winners at Podium 5k
Related: Butchart to miss Commonwealth Games
Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patreon. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you. | https://www.fastrunning.com/running-athletics-news/great-britain/andy-butchart-to-make-injury-return-at-competitive-trafford-10k/18951 |
Kata Tjuta, meaning many heads to the Australian Aborigines, is a group of more than 30 rounded red conglomerate masses of rock rising out of the desert plain in the Northern Territory of Australia. Some of the rocks are bunched close together with only narrow precipitous crevices between. Others, rounded and polished by the wind, are more spaced apart. The highest is called Mount Olga (1500 feet).
The rocks, also known as the Olgas (named after the Queen of Spain in 1872, when the rocks were first explored by a white man), like their nearby neighbour, Uluru (Ayers Rock), have been sacred to the Aborigines since time immemorial and figure prominently in their legends about the Dreaming, the time of creation.
The Aborigines identify Mount Olga as the home of the snake Wanambi who, during the rainy season, stays curled up in a waterhole on the summit. During the dry season he moves down to the gorge below. He also uses the various caves on Mount Olga. The hairs of his beard are the dark lines on the eastern side of the rock. His breath is the wind which blows through the gorge; when he gets angry it can become a hurricane.
The domed rocks on the eastern side are identified with ancestors known as the mice women; food prepared for them are two large rocks near the end of Mount Olga.
Rocks in the south-western portion are where the poisonous snake men, the Liru, make their camp before setting out to attack the harmless carpet snakes at Uluru.
The pointed rocks on the east is Malu, a kangaroo man, who is dying of wounds inflicted by dingoes. Malu leans on a rock which is his sister, Mulumura, a lizard woman, who cradles him in her arms.
Also present are the stone bodies of the Pungalunga, giant cannibals.
Bibliography:
- Josephine Flood, Archaeology of the Dreamtime : The Story of Prehistoric Australia and its People, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1990. | http://www.ugg-australia.org/AustraliaPopulation/sacred-place-in-australian |
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit denied the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association’s (OOIDA) challenge to the Department of Transportation’s rule mandating electronic logging devices on commercial trucks.
OOIDA had asked the court to vacate the rule arguing that: ELDs will not record enough information automatically; the rule fails to protect drivers sufficiently from harassment; fails to protect the confidentiality of personal data collected, and violates the Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. The group also argued that benefits will not outweigh costs.
In denying the challenge, a three judge panel of the Appeals Court wrote that the group's "reading of the statute seeks to pit one statutory requirement against another rather than allow the agency to balance competing policy goals endorsed by Congress."
The judges also wrote that FMCSA sought comment from a range of sources when defining "harassment" in the rule and "ultimately provided a reasonable definition of the term."
OOIDA said it is reviewing next steps so that it can continue its challenge against the regulation.
FMCSA on Dec. 10, 2015, issued its Final Electronic-Logging Device Rule (ELD), mandating the use of technology by commercial drivers to log their hours of service (HOS) data effective December 2017.
Drivers who begin using an ELD will no longer be required to keep and maintain paper logs, but will be required to maintain supporting documentation – such as shipping documents and fuel purchase receipts -- for carriers or owner-operators to keep on file. It is estimated that about 3 million drivers will be impacted.
The rule applies to all trucks operating in interstate commerce and subject to the hours-of-service regulations, except for pre-2000 model year trucks. Carriers that install a compliant advanced onboard recording device (AONRD) prior to the compliance date have the option to continue using that device for an additional two years following the December 2017 compliance deadline.
The use of ELDs has long been a divisive issue for the trucking industry as fleets and owner-operators disagreed over the merits of switching to automated log books from paper and pencil. Unlike OOIDA, which views the rule as regulatory over-reach, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) thinks the rule will further enhance industry safety.
OOIDA has long held that electronic logs will allow dispatchers to pressure drivers to stay on the road. OOIDA challenged the Department of Transportation’s 2010 final rule mandating electronic onboard recorders in a federal appeals court and won in 2011.
In issuing the final rule, FMCSA said it provides both procedural and technical provisions designed to protect commercial truck drivers from harassment resulting from information generated by ELDs.
The ELD rule sets technology specifications detailing performance and design requirements for ELDs so that manufacturers can produce compliant devices and systems.
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Obligations to your staff
A workplace free from discrimination, sexual harassment and bullying is not just good for business, it is the law. Unlawful behaviour will cost you time and money, damage morale, reduce productivity and undermine your reputation. Organisations that understand their obligations towards staff will create a positive and healthy place to work, improving productivity and reputation.
Why does equal opportunity matter?
Employers have a vital role in making equal opportunity a reality for Victorians. We know this because the majority of complaints made to the Commission are about workplace behaviour.
In 2020-21, 46% of discrimination complaints and a staggering 80% of sexual harassment complaints we received stem from employment.
As an employer, your responsibilities are set out in the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 and the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001.
The Commission can help you make sure you are meeting your obligations.
What are my obligations?
Employers have a responsibility to recruit staff in a non-discriminatory way and maintain a workplace that is safe and free from discrimination.
They also have a responsibility to make sure their workplace is safe and free from sexual harassment or victimisation.
While a person is responsible for their own unlawful behaviour, employers can also be held responsible.
Employers can be held legally responsible for workplace incidents of:
Employers also have responsibilities under federal anti-discrimination laws.
The positive duty
Equal opportunity is about more than just fixing issues as they arise. Genuine equal opportunity means creating an environment where unfair treatment and problem behaviour is unlikely to happen in the first place.
Under the Equal Opportunity Act 2010, organisations have a positive duty to eliminate discrimination, sexual harassment and victimisation as far as possible. This means that positive action should be taken to prevent these behaviours – regardless of whether someone has made a complaint.
Victoria is unique in having a positive duty, which creates an opportunity to prevent unlawful behaviour. It helps organisations put a healthy workplace culture in place, just as occupational health and safety laws require employers to take appropriate steps to ensure injuries don’t occur.
To ensure they are complying with the positive duty, organisations should also put measures in place to ensure that complaints are responded to swiftly and appropriately when they do arise.
The positive duty is about addressing the systemic causes of discrimination, sexual harassment and victimisation.
Meeting your positive duty towards staff might include:
- ensuring policies and procedures are in place and understood by staff
- training all staff on acceptable workplace behaviour
- making sure polices and procedures applied
- reducing workplace stressors and risks
- using inclusive leadership styles
- making sure leaders role model appropriate workplace behaviour and recognise inappropriate behaviour.
Who do my obligations apply to?
All stages of employment are covered by the Equal Opportunity Act, including:
- recruiting staff
- negotiating flexible work
- managing return to work after illness or parental leave
- making adjustments for disability
- volunteering
- dismissal.
See our Employee rights and workplace hub for information about these topics and more.
Does the Charter apply?
The Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act (the Charter) is a Victorian law that sets out the basic rights, freedoms and responsibilities of all people in Victoria. It is about the relationship between government and the people it serves.
The Charter requires public authorities, such as Victorian state and local government departments and agencies, and people delivering services on behalf of government, to act consistently with the human rights in the Charter.
If you work for a public authority you can find more about your responsibilities under the Charter in the For public sector section of our website.
How can the Commission help?
The Commission has a range of tools and services to help businesses, employers and organisations meet their responsibilities under the Equal Opportunity Act.
We provide tailored education services, including support to organisations to develop equality action plans.
We can carry out organisational reviews to strengthen policies, processes and systems to improve workplace safety.
Our reviews are suitable for organisations of all sizes and across all industries. We always tailor the size and scope of the work to meet an organisation’s needs and budget. We also have experience in major organisational review that reflects our expertise, for example see our Independent Review into sex discrimination and sexual harassment, including predatory behaviour, in Victoria Police.
Contact us
We welcome calls from businesses, organisations and employers who would like more information about how we can help them meet their obligations under the Equal Opportunity Act.
Contact our Enquiry Line on 1300 292 153, chat with us online or email [email protected].
You might also be interested in
Human rights and equality courses
We are the experts in Victoria’s Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities (2006), the Equal Opportunity Act (2010) and the Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Act (2021). Our courses can help you and your organisation develop, adopt and drive leading practice on equal opportunity and human rights, and prevent discrimination. | https://www.humanrights.vic.gov.au/for-organisations/obligations-to-your-staff/ |
People's preferences for redistribution are a key component of redistributive policy design, yet how to elicit these preferences is still a matter of debate. We recruited a nationally representative sample of more than 5000 US respondents. We used an approach based on principles of justice to elicit people's preferences for redistribution across different domains. We compared people's preferences for the distribution of wealth, good educational resources, and good health status. We found that people have different preferences across domains: they accept higher inequality in wealth whereas they prefer more equal distributions in education and health. These preferences are consistent across different demographic groups. We discuss policymaking implications: when designing redistributive policies, policymakers should take this approach into account to trigger more favorable reactions to such policies.
|Publication Type:||Article|
|Additional Information:||This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Macchia, L. & Ariely, D. Eliciting preferences for redistribution across domains: A study on wealth, education, and health. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy. 2021; 21: 1141– 1166 https://doi.org/10.1111/asap.12279, which has been published in final form at This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.|
|Subjects:||B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
|
H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform
R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine
|Departments:||School of Health & Psychological Sciences > Psychology|
|
Text
- Accepted Version
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This document is not freely accessible until 28 October 2022 due to copyright restrictions. | https://openaccess.city.ac.uk/id/eprint/27997/ |
While it has become increasingly possible to identify rare mutations that cause “genetic” diseases such as cystic fibrosis or haemophilia, it is much harder to pinpoint the polymorphisms that influence multifactorial traits such as drug responses and conditions like diabetes or heart disease. Polymorphisms are “normal” genetic variants, typically changes of single bases known as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Haplotypes − combinations of closely linked SNPs − describe patterns of common genetic variation between individuals. The International Haplotype Map Project is a collaborative effort to catalogue the most useful SNPs in genomes from different human populations, allowing researchers to link genetic variants with specific traits and responses (see Resources). Cancer is in many respects a form of genetic disease, in that loss of normal regulation of cellular growth and replication is driven by the accumulation of certain mutations within a normal cell. The Cancer Genome Project, another important initiative, is mapping the genes and mutations involved in different cancers (see Resources).
Ultimately, these and other postgenomic research efforts will yield new insight into the labyrinthine function of the human genome in health and disease, and this emerging knowledge will have a huge clinical impact. What, then, will the implications be for hospital pharmacy practice? Although realising the full potential of the HGP will take many years – probably much longer than a working lifetime – applications are already appearing and many have significance for pharmacists, notably in the area of pharmacogenomics.(2)
Pharmacogenomics, the way in which multiple inherited genetic variants across the genome influence drug metabolism and response, has two broad areas of application. The first is drug development, where drug companies are routinely using knowledge of which metabolic pathways and drug targets are subject to significant genetic variation to streamline drug pipelines, excluding candidates likely to risk reduced efficacy or increased toxicity. Genomic research is also suggesting new drug targets, as understanding of disease mechanisms deepens.
The second application is tailoring treatments to individual patients. Personalised medicine is one of the ultimate goals of postgenomic research; proponents envision a world where clinicians routinely use genetic analysis to select the optimum type and dose of therapeutic for each patient, maximising efficacy and preventing adverse drug responses. While this sort of scenario remains firmly in the future, some aspects of personalised medicine are beginning to emerge.
Pharmacogenetic testing is already a reality for a few medicines where isolated genetic polymorphisms are known to have a significant effect on drug disposition or action. For example, variants in the TPMT gene are known to reduce thiopurine methyltransferase activity; individuals with reduced activity require lower doses of thiopurine drugs to avoid haematological toxicity.(3–5)
However, even currently available pre-prescription genetic testing is rarely used; it can only be justified where drugs are sufficiently costly, or the potential adverse reactions severe. The prime example of this is cancer, a disease serious enough to merit the use of relatively toxic medication, where the potential impact of non-efficacy or major side-effects on prognosis and quality of life is significant. Rising rates of cancer diagnosis across Europe are expected to strain healthcare systems, so cost-efficacy will become increasingly important.(6) A new generation of therapeutic agents for cancer is specifically targeting tumour cells by exploiting their unique genetic characteristics, increasing efficacy and minimising toxicity; genetic testing of tumour samples is an essential prerequisite to the use of targeted biologics such as trastuzumab (Herceptin®) and imatinib (Glivec®). Similar agents are likely to emerge soon as understanding of the distinct genetic profiles of different types and subtypes of cancer increases. Hospital pharmacists are therefore likely to encounter pharmacogenetic testing before their counterparts in the community, and especially in oncology.
A development worth watching is the use of high-density DNA-chip or microarray technology, which exploits the capacity of single strands of complementary DNA sequences to bind specifically to each other (see Figure 1). Sample DNA is fluorescently labelled and passed over a regular array of between several hundred and many thousands of short (known) DNA sequences on a solid platform; complementary sequences bind, and the position and amount present can be determined by the position and intensity of each fluorescent signal. Microarrays lend themselves to high-throughput analysis and are being used increasingly by hospital genetics laboratories to interrogate DNA samples for the presence of mutations or to determine cancer gene expression profiles for diagnosis and prognosis.
[[HPE33_fig1_26USE]]
Roche’s Amplichip® CYP450 test uses the same approach to analyse which common variations in the CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 genes for cytochrome P450 enzymes are present and classifies subjects as poor, intermediate, extensive or ultra-rapid metabolisers on this basis, with correspondingly adjusted recommended drug doses.(7)
The currently high cost of this particular pharmacogenetic test, coupled with the relatively low cost of many prescription drugs metabolised via the relevant CYP450 enzymes (eg, antidepressants, beta blockers, etc), limits clinical use.
However, similar tests based on simultaneous analysis of multiple genetic variants could enter future practice, especially as array costs fall. Similarly, microarrays may be used to analyse tumours prior to the use of genetically targeted therapeutics or to predict the best choice of drug based on genetic features of the tumour.8
As researchers begin to dissect the complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors, disease and therapeutics, the key message for pharmacists is the increasing need for awareness of the importance of genomics in health and the development of novel genome-based diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.
Basic genomic literacy will become essential for the current generation of hospital pharmacists as their role expands to encompass the handling of new (and for hospitals with research programmes, experimental) agents.
References
1. Evans WE, McLeod HL. Pharmacogenomics: drug disposition, drug targets and side-effects. N Engl J Med 2003;348:538-49.
2. O’Shaughnessy KM. HapMap,
pharmacogenomics, and the goal of personalized prescribing. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2006;61(6):783-6.
3. Yates CR, Krynetski EY, Loennechen T, et al. Molecular diagnosis of thiopurine S-methyltransferase deficiency: genetic basis for azathioprine and mercaptopurine intolerance. Ann Intern Med 1997;126:608-14.
4. Otterness D, Szumlanski C, Lennard L, et al. Human thiopurine methyltransferase pharmacogenetics.
Clin Pharmacol Ther 1997;62:60-73.
5. Evans WE, Hon YY, Bomgaars L, et al.
Preponderance of thiopurine S-methyltransferase deficiency and heterozygosity among patients
intolerant to mercaptopurine or azathioprine.
J Clin Oncol 2001;19:2293-301.
6. Ferlay J, Autier P, Boniol M et al. Estimates of the cancer incidence and mortality in Europe in 2006.
Ann Oncol 2007;18(3):581-92.
7. Jain KK. Applications of AmpliChip CYP450.
Mol Diagn 2005;9(3):119-27.
8. Brennan DJ, O’Brien SL, Fagan A et al.
Application of DNA microarray technology in determining breast cancer prognosis and therapeutic response. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2005;5(8):1069-83.
Resources
DNA from the Beginning.
An animated primer on the basics of DNA, genes and heredity
W: www.dnaftb.org
Focus on Pharmacogenetics.
A collection of freely available reviews and perspectives from the Nature Publishing Group, 2004
W: www.nature.com/reviews/focus/pgx/index.html
PHG Foundation. | https://hospitalpharmacyeurope.com/news/editors-pick/pharmacy-in-the-postgenomic-era-prospects-and-challenges/ |
TNN | Posted on Wednesday, September 25,2019 17:20
To hone the skills of aspiring candidates and human resource (HR) professionals, an online Post Graduate Certificate Course in Talent Analytics has been launched. The programme will provide comprehensive knowledge and skillsets to HR and talent managers, and general management executives working with medium to large-scale organisations.
Experts from the academia and industry will deliver the online sessions on weekend for the six-month
Divided in four modules, the programme covers the fundamentals of workforce analytics and analytical frameworks that help drive insights through techniques that help with talent metrics, cost-benefit analysis and strategic decision-making across HR functions.
Through this course, the participants will gain expertise in visualization, narration and interpretation of HR Data as well as know-how on futuristic applications in talent analytics.
“This course will train HR professionals to resolve the issues that needs insights and tools with them to understand and recommend strategic inputs to the management and make decisions and recommendations to optimise people productivity and enhance overall organizational performance,” said Asish K Bhattacharyya, director, IMT Ghaziabad.
The participants need to pay Rs 60,000 as course fee. They will be offered learning material, online sessions, access to learning management system, campus visit and certification.
The registrations for the first batch will close on September 30. Post-Graduates/graduates seeking a career in advanced HR Metrics, Talent Analytics, and other working professionals are also eligible to apply for this course. | https://www.educationtimes.com/article/65780307/71295161 |
---
abstract: 'Motivated form recent string theoretic results, a tachyonic potential is constructed for a spatially homogeneous and anisotropic background cosmology.'
author:
- 'P.K.Suresh'
title: 'Tachyonic potential in Bianchi type-I universe '
---
Introduction
============
Particles with velocities greater than the speed of light, popularly known as tachyon, has been received much attention in cosmology recently [@1; @2]. Though the subject of tachyon is still speculative, its various properties has been studied [@3]. Recently, Sen [@4] has shown that a rolling tachyonic condensate can be studied with the help of the energy density and pressure of an effective fluid. Following these lines, Finstein [@5] has obtained an exact solution for a spatially flat isotropic universe in terms of tachyonic potential. Using the tachyonic condensate, Padmanabhan [@6]has studied the possibility of expanding universe driven by tachyonic matter. Cosmological inflation driven by the rolling tachyon in the context of the brane world scenario is also investigated [@7; @8]. Sami has constructed tachyonic potential which can implements power-law inflation in the brane world cosmology[@9]. The possibility of tachyonic inflation with exponential also studied[@11]. These studies indicate, the evolution of the tachyon condensate can have cosmological significance and may be useful to understand various cosmological issues. The aforementioned tachyonic condensate has explored in the context of isotropic Friedman-Robertson-Walker (FRW) cosmological model.
The observed large scale isotropy of the universe have been established for times after the era at which the universe become transparent to radiation, and can successfully account by FRW model. This does not mean that the extrapolation to earlier times the model is equally suitable to describe the very early unverse, especially near the Planck scale or string scale. There exist a wide class of anisotropic cosmological models, which also often studying in cosmology, due to various reasons [@11]. There are theoretical arguments that sustain the existence of an anisotropic phase that approaches an isotropic case[@12]. Also, anisotropic cosmological models are found a suitable candidate to avoid the assumption of specific initial conditions in FRW models. The early universe could also characterized by irregular expansion mechanism. Therefor, it would be useful to explore cosmological models in which anisotropic, existing at early stage of expansion, are damped out in the course of evolution. Interest in such models have been received much attention since 1978[@13]. Among the anisotropic models, the Bianchi type - I cosmological model is the simplest one, which is an anisotropic generalization of the Friedman model with Euclidean spatial geometry, and that contains special isotropic cases and allows arbitrary small anisotropy levels [@14]. Since present universe is isotropic, it makes an appropriate candidate for studying the possible effects of anisotropy in the early universe on present-day observations. There is evidence that the dynamics of the early universe may have been profoundly influenced by the presence of spatial anisotropie just below the Planck or string scale [@15]. Also the solution of the low-energy string cosmological effective action are by their nature anisotropic[@16; @17]. Therefor it would be useful to study the role of tachyonic field in Bianchi type -I cosmological model.
Usually, scalar field potential is used to drive the expansion of the universe. Since there exist a mapping between tachyonic and scalar field potentials directly [@6], it is reasonable to expect that tachyonic potential can also be used to drive the expansion of the universe. Thus, to study the expansion of the universe, driven by tachyonic source, it is instructive to determine the tachyonic potential in a specific cosmological model under consideration. The present work is to obtain the tachyonic potential in Bianchi type -I unverse.
For the present work we take $c=1$.
Perfect fluid and scalar field in Bianchi type-I metric
========================================================
Consider spatially homogeneous, anisotropic, and topologically three - torus or Euclidean background metric $$\label{1}
dS^{2}= -dt^{2}+ \sum _{i=1}^{3} R_{i}^{2}(t)\left(dx^{i} \right)^{2},$$ where $ R_{1}, R_{2}, $ and $ R_{3} $ are the scale factors in $x,y,$ and $ z$ directions respectively. The metric (\[1\]) is an anisotropic generalization of the Friedman model with Euclidean spatial geometry. The three scale factors are determined vis Einstein equations.
Next, we consider certain procedure to construct some useful relations and can be used to obtain potential for scalar field and tachyonic field in Bianchi type-I spacetime. For this, assume that the spacetime (\[1\]) filled with a perfect fluid. Investigations of Bianchi type-I spacetime filled with a perfect fluid has studied by many authors [@18; @19; @20]. The energy -momentum tensor for the perfect fluid can be written as $$\label{2}
T_{\mu \nu }= -p g_{\mu \nu }+ (\varrho+p)v^{\mu} v_{\nu},$$ where $p$ and $\rho$ are respectively known as pressure and energy density for the perfect fluid. Thus for metric (\[1\]) Friedman equations becomes: $$\frac{ \dot{R}_{1} \dot{R}_{2}} { R_{1} R_{2} } + \frac{
\dot{R}_{2} \dot{R}_{3}} { R_{2} R_{3} }+ \frac{ \dot{R}_{1}
\dot{R}_{3}} { R_{1} R_{3} }= 8 \pi G \rho ,$$ $$\begin{aligned}
\nonumber-2 \left(\frac{\ddot{R}_{1}}{R_{1}}+ \frac{\ddot{R}_{2}}{R_{2}}
+ \frac{\ddot{R}_{3}}{R_{3}}\right)-
\frac{\ddot{R}_{1}R_{2}}{R_{1}R_{2}} \\
-\frac{\ddot{R}_{2}R_{3}}{R_{2}R_{3}}-
\frac{\ddot{R}_{1}R_{3}}{R_{1}R_{3}}
=24 \pi p G, \end{aligned}$$ Thus $$\label{3}
\sum _{i=1}^{3}\frac{{\ddot{R_{i}}}}{R_{i}}= - 4\pi G\left(\rho +
3p \right).$$
It is convenient to define a parameter $$\begin{aligned}
\omega (t)\equiv \frac {p \left(t \right)}{\rho \left(t
\right)}.\end{aligned}$$
The equation of motion for the present situation can be written as $$\begin{aligned}
d\left( \rho R_{1} R_{2} R_{3}\right)= - \omega \rho d\left( R_{1} R_{2} R_{3}\right),\end{aligned}$$ which leads to $$\begin{aligned}
\frac{{\dot{\rho}} }{\rho }= - \sum _{i= 1}^{3} H_{i}\left(t
\right) \left(\omega \left(t \right) + 1\right).\end{aligned}$$ In the anisotropic background metric (\[1\]), one can write $ \rho
\propto (H_{1}H_{2}+ H_{2}H_{3} +H_{1}H_{3})$, so that $$\begin{aligned}
\frac{\dot{\rho }}{\rho
}= \frac{\dot{\cal{H}}}{\cal{H}},\end{aligned}$$ where $$\begin{aligned}
\label{4}
{\cal{H}}=H_{1}H_{2}+H_{2}H_{3}+H_{1}H_{3}.\end{aligned}$$ and $$\begin{aligned}
\dot{\cal{H}}&=& \dot{H_{1}}H_{2}+\dot{H_{2}}H_{1}+\dot{H_{2}}H_{3}+ \\ \nonumber
&& \dot{H_{3}}H_{2}+
\dot{H_{1}}H_{3}+\dot{H_{3}}H_{1} .\end{aligned}$$
Therefor $$\begin{aligned}
\label{6}
\omega + 1=
- \frac{1}{\sum _{i= 1}^{3} H_{i}}\frac{\dot{\cal{H}}}{\cal{H}}.\end{aligned}$$
The procedure of computing the above relation will be useful for further study.
Since there exist a mapping between the scalar field potential and tachyonic potential [@6], it would be useful to compare both potentials in Bianchi type-I cosmological model. Thus, we first obtain the potential for the scalar field.
Consider a $k=0$ universe with a scalar field as the source and its Lagrangian is given by $$L= \frac{1}{2}\partial _{\alpha }\varphi\partial ^{\alpha }\varphi- U_{\varphi}(\varphi).$$
Therefor the equation of motion for the scalar field for the metric (\[1\])becomes $$\ddot{\varphi} + \sum_{i=1}^{3} H_{i}\dot{\varphi}= - \frac{dU_{\varphi}} {d \varphi}.$$
Assume that the evolution of the universe is already specified so that $ R_{i}$, (i=1,2,3), $H_{i}= \frac { \dot{R_{i}}} {R_{i}
}$.. etc, are known functions of time and we need to determine $U_{\varphi} $, Since the motion under consideration is spatially homogeneous,i.e., $
\varphi (t,x)= \varphi (t) $, the energy density and pressure of the scalar field are respectively given by $$\label{5}
\rho _{\varphi}= \frac{1}{2} \dot{\varphi }+ U_{\varphi};
\hspace{1cm} p_{\varphi}= \frac{1}{2} \dot{\varphi } - U_{\varphi}.$$
From the definition of $ \omega $ and (\[5\]), it follows that $$\frac{\dot{\varphi}^2}{U_{\varphi}}= \frac{\left( 1+ \omega_{\varphi} \right)}{\left(
1- \omega_{\varphi} \right)}\equiv Q(t) ,$$ say. Thus $ {\dot{\varphi}}^2 = 2 Q U_{\varphi}$, differentiating with respect to time and using (\[6\]) we get $$\frac{\dot{U_{\varphi}}}{U_{\varphi}}= - \frac{\dot{Q} + 2 Q \sum_{i=1}^{3}
H_{i}}{1+Q}.$$ Integrating this expression and using the definition of $Q(t)$ and adopt the method of obtaining (\[6\]) for the scalar field, we find $$\begin{aligned}
U_{\varphi}(t)=\frac{\cal{H} }
{8 \pi
G} \left(1+
\frac{1}{2}\frac{\dot{\cal{H}}}
{\sum_{i=1}^{3}H_{i}(\cal{H})}\right).\end{aligned}$$ Substituting back in the expression $ {\dot{\varphi}}^2 = 2 Q U_{\varphi}$, we find [$$\varphi(t)= \int dt \sqrt{- \frac{\mathcal{H}}{4 \pi
G}\frac{\left(\frac{\dot{\mathcal{H}}}{\sum_{i=1}^{3}H_{i}\mathcal{H}}\right)}
{\left(2+\frac{\dot{\mathcal{H}}}{\sum_{i=1}^{3}H_{i}\mathcal{H}}\right)}
\left(1+\frac{\dot{\mathcal{H}}}{2\sum_{i=1}^{3}H_{i}\mathcal{H}}\right)}$$]{} where $\mathcal{H}$ is given by (10). Eqs (18) and (19) completely solve the task of obtaining a potential $
U_{\varphi}$, which will lead to a given set of $ R_{1}, R_{2}$, and $R_{3}$. These equations determine $\varphi(t)$ and $U_{\varphi}(t)$ in terms of $ R_{1}, R_{2}$, and $R_{3}$ thereby implicitly determine $U_{\varphi}$.
Tachyon field in Bianchi type-I metric
======================================
Our next aim is to obtain the tachyonic potential in the Bianchi type - I universe. The action for tachyonic field coupled with Einstein gravity in the low energy limit is given by [@21]
$$\begin{aligned}
\label{20}
S= \int d^{4}x\sqrt{-g}\left( \frac{R}{16 \pi G}- U_{\top}(\top) \sqrt{1+\partial_{\mu} \top \partial^{\nu}\top}\right).\end{aligned}$$
Where $g $ is the determinant of the metric $g_{\mu \nu}$ and $R$ its scalar curvature. Since (\[20\]) has a potential function $U_{\top} $, one could expect that cosmological evolution can be obtained with tachyonic field as the source by an approximate potential taken in a convenient form.
The tachyon field under our consideration is assumed as spatially homogeneous, i.e,$ \top(x,t)=\top(t)$, then its energy density $\rho _{\top}$ and pressure $p_{\top} $ respectively are given by \[4\] $$\begin{aligned}
\label{21}
\rho_{\top} = \frac{U_{\top}} { \sqrt{1- {\dot{\top}}^2} }.\end{aligned}$$ and $$\begin{aligned}
\label{22}
p_{\top}=-U_{\top} \sqrt{1- {\dot{\top}}^2}.\end{aligned}$$ Consider a universe with $k=0$ for the spacetime (\[1\]) filled with a spatially homogeneous tachyon field. The equation of motion of tachyon field in the spacetime (\[1\]) takes following form $$\begin{aligned}
\frac{\ddot{\top}}{1-\dot{\top}^{2}} + \sum_{i=1}^{3} \frac{\dot{R}_{i}}{R_{i}} \dot{\top}+ \frac{U_{,\top}}{U_{\top}}=0.\end{aligned}$$
For the tachyonic field with (\[21\]) and (\[22\]), we get $$\omega_{\top}+1= {\dot{\top}}^{2}.$$ Again the method of obtaining (12) can be used to compute $ \omega_{\top}$ and applying the result in (24), we get $${\dot{\top}}^{2}= -
\frac{\dot{\mathcal{{H}}}}{{\mathcal{H}}\sum_{i=1}^{3}H_{i}}.$$ Thus it follows $${\top}= \int dt \sqrt{ -
\frac{\dot{\mathcal{{H}}}}{{\mathcal{H}}\sum_{i=1}^{3}H_{i}} }.$$
The Friedmann equation for the tachyon field can be written by using (\[21\]) as $$\frac{ \dot{R}_{1} \dot{R}_{2}} { R_{1} R_{2} } + \frac{
\dot{R}_{2} \dot{R}_{3}} { R_{2} R_{3} }+ \frac{ \dot{R}_{1}
\dot{R}_{3}} { R_{1} R_{3} }= 8 \pi G \rho_{\top}.$$
Thus, we get $$\begin{aligned}
U_{\top} &= & \frac{\cal{H} }{8 \pi G}
\left( 1+
\frac{\dot{\cal{H}}} {{\cal{H} }\sum_{i=1}^{3}H_{i}}
\right)^{1/2}\\ \nonumber
& =&\left(- \omega_{\top} \right) ^{1/2} \rho_{\top} . \end{aligned}$$ Equations (26) and (28) completely solve the problem of determine $U_{\top}$ and $\top (t)$, for a given set of $ R_{1}$, $R_{2}$ and $R_{3}$.
Consider a universe with power-law expansion $
R_{1}=t^{n_{1}},R_{2}=t^{n_{2}}, $ and $ R_{3}=t^{n_{3}}$, thus, from (25), the complete solution can be obtained as $$\begin{aligned}
\top = \left(\frac{2}{n_{1}+ n_{2}+ n_{3}} \right)^{1/2} t+
\top_{0},\end{aligned}$$ and $$U_{\top}=\left( \frac{n_{1}n_{2}+ n_{2}n_{3}+n_{1}n_{3}} {8 \pi
G}\right) \left(1- \frac{2}{n_{1}+ n_{2}+ n_{3}} \right)^{1/2}
\frac{1}{t^{2}}.$$ Combining (29) and (30), we find the potential is $$\begin{aligned}
U_{\top}&=& \frac{ 1} {4 \pi G }\left( \frac{n_{1}n_{2}+
n_{2}n_{3}+n_{1}n_{3}} {n_{1}+n_{2} +n_{3}}\right)\\
&&\times \left(1-
\frac{2}{n_{1}+ n_{2}+ n_{3}} \right)^{1/2} \frac{1}{(\top -
\top_{0})^{2}}. \nonumber\end{aligned}$$ Thus $$U_{\top}\propto \frac{1}{\top^{2}}.$$
The rapid expansion is possible for the potential (31) with large values of $n_{i}$, as in the case of isotropic FRW model. Also the potential has reasonable behavior of $U_{\top}\rightarrow
0$ as $\top\rightarrow \infty$ though its form for small and intermediate values of $\top$ is not supported by string theory. Comparing the potentials between the scalar field (18) and tachyonic field (28) in Bianchi type - I background metric, it shows that the forms of the both potentials exhibit similar behavior.
To see the asymptotic form of the evolution of the solutions found above, assume that the late time behavior of $\top $ is given by $$\begin{aligned}
\nonumber\top&=&\left(\frac{2}{n_{1}+n_{2}+n_{3}}\right)t+ \alpha
e^{-\beta
t} \\
&=&\left(\frac{2}{n_{1}+n_{2}+n_{3}}\right)t+{\mathcal{O}}(e^{-\beta
t })\end{aligned}$$ where $n_{1},n_{2},n_{3},\alpha$ and $\beta$ are constants with 2$\leq n_{1}+n_{2}+n_{3}$.
The value of $n_{1}+n_{2}+n_{3}$ is restricted to 2 because $\top(t)$ to grow proportional to $t$ asymptotically with exponentially small corrections. Thus the asymptotically (late times) behavior of the potential can be written as $$\begin{aligned}
U_{\top}&\approx &\frac{ 1} {4 \pi G }\left( \frac{n_{1}n_{2}+
n_{2}n_{3}+n_{1}n_{3}} {n_{1}+n_{2} +n_{3}}\right) \\
\nonumber && \times \left(1-
\frac{2}{n_{1}+ n_{2}+ n_{3}} \right)^{1/2} \top^{-2} \left[ 1
+ {\mathcal{O}}(\frac{e^{-\beta t }}{t})\right]. \nonumber\end{aligned}$$
If we restrict the total value of $ n_{1},n_{2}$ and $n_{3}$, such that $$\sum_{i=1}^{3}n_{i}\leq 2,$$ then the potential can have values depending on the values of $n_{i}$’s. The potential give non-zero value only whenever two n are non-zeros. When $ R_{1}= R_{2}= R_{3}= R $ and $n_{1}= n_{2}= n_{3} =
n$, then the result (30) is consistent with the isotropic case [@6].
Conclusions
============
In this brief work, we considered a tachyonic field as the source of gravity in the Bianchi type-I background metric and obtained the tachyonic potential. It is noted that for a large values of $n_{i}$’s, the potential behaves power-law expansion as in the case of isotropic FRW cosmological model. For a given set of scale factors, $ R(t)_{i}$, it is always possible to obtain a potential, $U_{\top}$ such that it result in a cosmological evolution. Thus the tachyonic potentials can be also used as a possible candidate to drive the expansion of anisotropically expanding universe, described by the metric(\[1\]). The asymptotic nature of the potential is also discussed. We also obtained potential of scalar field in the Bianchi type-I cosmological model. The present study can account for the tachyonic potential for the Bianchi type-I cosmological model and is found consistent with isotropic FRW cosmological model when $n_{1}$=$n_{2}$=$n_{3}$=$n$.\
I thank Prof.Bindu A Bambah for useful discussion. I wish to thank the Director,IUCAA,Pune for warm hospitality and library facilities extended to me and acknowledge the Associateship of IUCAA.
[99]{} G.W.Gibbons, hep-th/0204008. M.Fairbairn and M.H.G.Tytgat, hep-th/0204070. Recami, Classical Tachyons and Possible Applications, [*La Rivista del Nuovo Cimento della Societa Hallana di Fisica*]{} (1986). A.Sen,hep-th/0203211;hep-th/0203265; hep-th/0204084. A.Feinstein,hep-th/02024140. T.Padmanabhan, hep-th/0204150. S.Mukohyama,Phys.Rev.D**66**,024009 (2002)\[hep-th/0204084\] M.C.Bento,O.Bertolami and A.A.Sen, Phys.Rev.D **67**,063511(2003)\[hep-th/0208124\] M.Sami, Mod.Phys.Lett.A **18**,691(2003)\[ hep-th/0205146\] M.Sami,P.Chingangbam and T.Qureshi,Phys.Rev.D**66**,043530 (2002)\[ hep-th/0205179\] C.W.Misner, K.S.Thorne, and J.A.Wheeler, *Gravitation*(W.H.Freeman: New York). C.W.Misner, Astrophysics.J **151**,431(1968). B.L.Hu and L.Parker, Phys.Rev.D **17**,933(1978). K.C.Jacob, Astrophysics.J **153**,661(1968). M.A.H.MacCallum, *in General Relativity- An Einstein Centenary Survey*, edited by S.W.Hawking and W.Israel ( Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England (1979). G.Veneziano, Phys.Lett.B **265**,287(1991). M.Gasperini and G.Veneziano, Astropart.Phys.**1**,317(1993). J.D.Barrow, Nature(London),**272**,211(1978). V.A.Belinskii and I.M.Khalatnikov, Sov.Phys.JETP **36**,591(1978). O.Heckmann and E.Schucking, *in Gravitation: An Introduction to Current Research*, edited by L.Witten(Wiley, New York,1952). A.Frolov, L.Kofman and A.Starobinsky,hep-th/0204187.
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What are key findings from history in a 5 yo pt. with nephrotic syndrome?
Periorbital swelling, Recent upper respiratory infection, Fatigue, No fever, poor appetite, abdominal distention, negative past medical history
What are key physical exam findings in a 5 yo pt. with nephrotic syndrome?
Weight gain, normal vitals, periorbital edema, negative cardiothoracic exam, ascites, pedal edema
What is on the differential diagnosis for nephrotic syndrome?
First network: -Sinusitis, allergy -Congestive heart failure (CHF) -Nephrotic syndrome -Acue glomerulonephritis -Hepatic failure Second network: -Nephrotic syndrome -CHF -Acute glomerulonephritis -Hepatic failure
What are key findings from testing for nephrotic syndrome?
Proteinuria, Low albumin, Elevated lipids, Hyponatremia
What is primary nephrotic syndrome?
Loss of protein due to specific kidney disease, such as:
- Minimal-change nephropathy
- Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis
- IgA nephropathy
What is secondary nephrotic syndrome?
Secondary causes of nephrotic syndrome include:
- Collage vascular diseases (eg, Systemic lupus erythematosis [SLE])
- Infectious etiology such as a recent group A strep infection (post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis), hepatitis B, and HIV
- Henoch-Schonlein purpura
What is the epidemiology of nephrotic syndrome?
- Minimal-change disease is most common cause of nephrotic syndrome in children (90 percent of cases under the age of 10 years)
- Can occur at any age but is most common between the ages of 18 months and 5 years
- Affects boys more often than girls
What are the signs of nephrotic syndrome?
- High levels of protein in the urine (proteinuria)
- Low levels of protein in the blood
- Swelling resulting from buildup of salt and water
- Less frequent urination
- Weight gain from excess water
What is the histology associated with nephrotic syndrome?
- Appearance of the glomeruli is normal or with a minimal increase in mesangial cells and matrix
- Characteristic finding on electron microscopy is fusion and diffuse effacement of the epithelial cell foot processes.
- As implied in the name, the nephron appears relatively normal on light microscopy.
What is the pathophysiology of hypoalbuminemia in nephrotic syndrome?
Major loss of albumin in the urine due to leaking through the defective capillary basement membrane and problems with renal tubular reabsorption/metabolism and decreased synthesis of the protein in the liver.
What is the pathophysiology of hyperlipidemia in nephrotic syndrome?
In reaction to the decreased albumin, the liver is stimulated to make lipoproteins as well as albumin, which leads to hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia. There is also decreased lipid clearance from circulation.
What is the pathophysiology of generalized edema in nephrotic syndrome?
The fall in serum albumin concentration due to proteinuria results in a lowering of plasma colloid osmotic pressure. Fluid moves out of the vascular compartment into the interstitial space, and hypovolemia develops. Hypovolemia activates volume sensors and extra renal neurohumoral and hemodynamic mechanisms that signal the kidney to retain salt and water through increased renin-angiotensin-aldosterone, catecholamines, ADH and depressed natriuretic factor, leading to edema.
What is the pathophysiology of hyponatremia in nephrotic syndrome?
Due to fluid overload caused by excessive sodium and water retention.
What is the pathophysiology of pseudohyponatremia?
May also exist (dependent on lab process). Pseudohyponatremia will occur only if the lips are high enough to cause the blood to have a milky appearance.
What is the prognosis for nephrotic syndrome?
- Although relapses are common, the long-term prognosis is excellent for children diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome due to minimal-change disease.
- They may have repeated relapses until the disease resolves spontaneously toward the end of the second decade of life, but there is no long-term renal damage.
What is anasarca?
Severe generalized edema.
- Best seen in scrotal region of a male or labial region of a female
- Pitting edema
What is a fluid wave?
Determines presence of ascites.
- With pt. lying supine, have an assistant place her hand and forearm firmly across the vertical midline of the abdomen (needed to prevent transmission of the fluid wave through adipose tissue)
- Place your hands on either side of the abdomen
- Tap on side of the abdomen firmly with your fingertips
- If ascites is present, you may feel a fluid wave hit your other hand.
Enlarged tonsils in a child with nephrotic syndrome:
- Common in children 4-6 yrs of age because of peak growth of lymphoid tissue and frequent viral upper respiratory infections in children of this age.
- If no erythema or exudates, pharyngitis is unlikely.
What are the most likely diagnoses for Periorbital swelling?
Allergy, URI, Sinusitis, Acute glomerulonephritis, Nephrotic syndrome, CHF, Hepatic failure
What is a less likely diagnosis for periorbital swelling?
Periorbital cellulitis
Periorbital swelling:
The most common causes are conjunctivitis, URI, and sinusitis. The swelling is usually painless and thought to result from the obstruction of venous drainage from periorbital structures into veins that pass through the sinuses because the veins are partially blocked by inflamed tissues in the sinuses.
Allergy - cause of periorbital swelling:
- Abrupt onset and often accompanied by urticarial rash
- May also be swelling of other parts of the face, including the lips, tongue and other oropharyngeal structures
- If periorbital swelling is due to allergic conjunctivitis, will also find conjunctival injection
- May also find associated sneezing, itchy nose, and clear rhinorrhea, allergic shiners (dark circles under the eyes), Dennie’s lines (extra crease below the lower eyelid), and cobblestoning of the conjunctiva (fine bumps on the conjunctival mucosa)
Upper respiratory infection (URI) cause of periorbital swelling:
- Acute duration
- May occur without redness as a result of inflammatory edema
- Associated cough or runny nose
Sinusitis cause of periorbital swelling:
- Painless periorbital swelling and redness from ethmoid, frontal or maxillary sinusitis
- Duration can be more prolonged
- Associated nasal congestion, HA, cough, fever
Acute glomerulonephritis cause of periorbital swelling:
- Most common presenting sign: Gross hematuria (tea-colored urine)
- Periorbital swelling (due to hypoalbuminemia)
- Abdominal distention
- Frequently follows a URI
- Usually presents with intravascular fluid overload leading to HTN
Nephrotic syndrome cause of periorbital swelling:
- Periorbital swelling (often first sign of hypoalbuminemia) that improves when pt. is upright
- Edema becomes more generalized and leads to pitting edema and ascites
- Edema due more to interstitial fluid accumulation (as opposed to intravascular fluid overload), hence blood pressure usually normal (in severe cases, may become hypotensive)
- Increasing tiredness and decreased appetite due to interstitial fluid accumulation
Congestive heart failure (CHF) cause of periorbital swelling:
- Although common in adults with heart failure, edema is not often seen in children with heart failure
- Shortness of breath is common and may be difficult to distinguish from fatigue.
- Hepatomegaly common in CHF and may present as abdominal distention.
- An S3 gallop would indicate an overloaded left ventricle, suggestive of CHF.
Hepatic failure cause of periorbital swelling:
- Can cause generalized edema due to decreased production of albumin
- Fatigue, abdominal distention, and jaundice would also be expected
- Rare in an otherwise healthy child
What is periorbital cellulitis?
- Usually unilateral
- Hx of a local insect bite, trauma or infection
- May also extend from another site of infection, such as sinusitis
- Most often caused by pneumococcal Moraxella catarrhalis or by non-typable Homophilus influenza (incidence of Homophiles influenza type B has dropped markedly since the introduction of the Hib vaccine).
What is on the differential diagnosis for ankle edema?
Arthritis involving the ankles, systemic allergic reaction, serum sickness, henoch-schonlein purpura.
Arthritis involving the ankles:
Swelling localized to the ankle joint and other signs of ankle inflammation, such as limitation of range of motion and redness.
Systemic allergic reaction:
Associated with urticarial rash
Serum sickness:
Serum sickness can cause arthritis or periarticular swelling, but is also associated with an urticarial rash.
Henoch-Schonlein Purpura:
A form of vasculitis that classically has a palpable purpuric rash of the lower extremities and abdominal pain associated with arthritis. Occasionally, joint swelling or abdominal pain can precede the rash.
What is proteinuria?
Any disease causing inflammation of the renal parenchyma or nephritis can cause proteinuria.
What is on the differential for proteinuria?
Nephrotic syndrome, Pyelonephritis, Acute glomerulonephritis
What does NOT cause significant proteinuria?
Interstitial nephritis, Vesicoureteral reflux
Pyelonephritis - proteinuria cause:
WBC and white blood cell casts would be seen with a urinary tract infection, causing a positive leukocyte esterase test on the dipstick.
Acute glomerulonephritis - cause of proteinuria:
To a lesser degree than in nephrotic syndrome. Would also see red blood cells and red blood cell casts (positive heme test on the dipstick)
Interstitial nephritis:
- Can be associated with red and white blood cells in the urine, but not a massive degree of proteinuria
- Rare in children and usually caused by medication- such as methicillin (no longer avail. in US), NSAIDs, penicillins, cephalosporins, rifampin, sulfonamides - or infection
Vesicoureteral reflux:
Does not cause significant proteinuria unless the patient also has significant renal parenchymal scarring
What studies help to determine whether hypoalbuminemia is a result of loss of albumin in the urine, or lack of production in the liver?
Electrolytes, BUN, creatinine, AST, ALT, cholesterol, albumin, triglycerides and urinalysis.
Urinalysis in children:
Children normally may excrete 1+ to 2+ (30-100 mg/dL) of protein during a fever or after significant exertion, which clears after resolution of the fever or exertion.
What is orthostatic proteinuria?
A frequent finding in adolescents and does not signify renal disease. (There may be as much as 1500 mg/1.73 m2/24 hours, but protein excretion occurs when the patient is standing, not while recumbent. And when the first morning urine is checked it should be negative for protein.)
What are the two mainstays of treatment for nephrotic syndrome?
- Albumin infusion followed by IV furosemide
2. Corticosteroids
Albumin infusion followed by IV furosemide for nephrotic syndrome:
- If needed to relieve discomfort of dyspnea and edema or to reduce scrotal edema that may compromise testicular perfusion
- NEVER treat with furosemide alone because it could lower intravascular volume to dangerously low levels, precipitating shock and increasing risk for venous thrombosis.
- Treatment with albumin alone could lead to pulmonary edema if the blood volume expands too rapidly
Corticosteroids for nephrotic syndrome:
- Most children between the ages of 1-10 years without gross hematuria and with a normal serum complement level should receive a trial of corticosteroids because the diagnosis is most likely minimal-change disease. Response to steroid divides patients into three groups:
- Steroid responsive (greater than 95 percent of children)
- Steroid resistant
- Relapsing, or steroid-dependent
What is the diet for a child with nephrotic syndrome?
- The average American child’s diet already contains 1.5 grams more protein per day than is recommended, compensating for what is lost in the urine; adding more protein to the diet is not necessary.
- Current guidelines recommend sodium restriction to a level of 1500-2000 mg daily
- When in remission, child may have unrestricted diet
What immunizations should a child with nephrotic syndrome have?
Give when in remission:
- Polyvalent pneumococcal vaccine
- Varicella vaccine
- Annual influenza vaccine
What are the main complications associated with nephrotic syndrome?
- Bacterial infections
- Spontaneous peritonitis
- Pneumonia
- Cellulitis
- Urinary tract infection
- Venous thrombosis
Bacterial infections:
A high index of suspicion, prompt evaluation (including cultures of blood and peritoneal fluid), and early treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics to cover gram-positive and gram-negative organisms are critical in preventing life-threatening illness. Higher risk of infection is due to the following:
- Decreased immunoglobulin levels
- Edema fluid acting as a culture medium
- Protein deficiency
- Decreased leukocyte bactericidal activity
- Immunosuppression from steroids
- Decreased splenic perfusion due to hypovolemia
- Urinary loss of a complement factor (properdin factor B) that opsonizes certain bacteria
Spontaneous peritonitis:
- Frequent complication of nephrotic syndrome
- Insidious presentation of fever and minimal other findings
- Untreated, can lead to overwhelming sepsis and death, especially while patient is on steroids
- Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common pathogen causing peritonitis, but gram-negative bacteria can also be found.
Venous thrombosis:
- Patients with nephrotic syndrome are predisposed to venous thrombosis involving any of the large veins of the body, including the sagittal sinus and pulmonary arteries.
- Renal venous thrombosis is a relatively frequent complication in adults
- Factors predisposing to venous thrombosis include: | https://www.brainscape.com/flashcards/case-31-5629119/packs/8453415 |
Report on Merapi (Indonesia) — 18 November-24 November 2020
Smithsonian / US Geological Survey Weekly Volcanic Activity Report,
18 November-24 November 2020
Managing Editor: Sally Kuhn Sennert
Please cite this report as:
Global Volcanism Program, 2020. Report on Merapi (Indonesia). In: Sennert, S K (ed.), Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 18 November-24 November 2020. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.
Merapi
Indonesia
7.54°S, 110.446°E; summit elev. 2910 m
All times are local (unless otherwise noted)
BPPTKG reported that during 13-23 November sometimes dense white emissions from Merapi rose as high as 200 m above the summit. Avalanches of material traveled down the flanks, as far as 2 km in the Lamat drainage (W flank) at 0615 on 14 November. A comparison of photos taken on 11 and 19 November showed morphology changes in the summit area from a collapse of part of the 2018 dome and rockfalls from parts of the crater rim. Seismicity was higher than the previous week. A notable rockfall from the inner N crater rim was recorded by the webcam at 0650 on 22 November. Electronic Distance Measurement (EDM) data continued to measure a distance shortening between points in the NW at a deformation rate of 9 cm per day during 13-19 November, though on 23 November the rate was 11 cm per day. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 1-4).
Geological Summary. Merapi, one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes, lies in one of the world's most densely populated areas and dominates the landscape immediately north of the major city of Yogyakarta. It is the youngest and southernmost of a volcanic chain extending NNW to Ungaran volcano. Growth of Old Merapi during the Pleistocene ended with major edifice collapse perhaps about 2,000 years ago, leaving a large arcuate scarp cutting the eroded older Batulawang volcano. Subsequent growth of the steep-sided Young Merapi edifice, its upper part unvegetated due to frequent activity, began SW of the earlier collapse scarp. Pyroclastic flows and lahars accompanying growth and collapse of the steep-sided active summit lava dome have devastated cultivated lands on the western-to-southern flanks and caused many fatalities. | https://volcano.si.edu/showreport.cfm?doi=GVP.WVAR20201118-263250 |
Pregnancy photos in Florence
After a long time, I turned on my camera to take a pregnancy photoshoot in Florence.
I don’t deny that staying away from people because of the pandemic for so long had created for me what psychologists call “hut syndrome“. That feeling of anxiety about the idea of leaving home again after a prolonged period of isolation and social distancing.
Inside I felt the happiness of going out to take a pregnancy photoshoot in Florence, a very intimate moment for a couple that I particularly like, but I also felt a kind of discomfort.
But that actually lasted until I rang the doorbell of Mirco and Beatrice’s house. I was very happy to have met a couple of really nice guys and in love. A very special and beautiful house, two super affectionate kittens.
Pregnancy photoshoot in Florence
I like taking pregnancy photos at the couple’s home. I don’t like studio photos in a rigid pose because you lose the naturalness and intimacy that you create in a known environment.
I know how difficult it is to feel comfortable in front of a camera (I prefer to be on the other side in fact 🙂 so I think that a pregnancy photoshoot in your home, is the best way to make people comfortable.
On the other hand, it is not always easy to find the right light inside the houses to take beautiful pregnancy pictures. Not knowing the environment, as soon as I enter the houses, I carefully appraise the best spots and I wing it.
It is not always possible to find that light that I love very much, which creates that contrast between light and shadows that makes the photo very intimate. But I adapt and invent.
As in the case of this pregnancy photoshoot in Florence, where direct sunlight entered the bedroom but could not completely illuminate Mirco and Beatrice, making it impossible to take photographs.
Then I lowered the shutter and played with the rays of light that crossed the crevices. I used the shadow areas but I also used the light of a window door in the living room to create more contrasting photos.
I am very happy with how this pregnancy photoshoot in Florence was, especially when Mirco said he was right to choose to do this photo shoot because for 1 hour of their time they were together, relaxing, touching the belly, and really enjoying this moment of expectation. That in the frenzy of everyday life, it is not easy to find.
I leave you to a small preview of the pregnancy photoshoot in Florence, with the hope that it can be of inspiration to you.
Could I be your photographer? | https://laurabarberaphotography.com/en/pregnancy-photoshoot-in-florence/ |
A key column (or a combination of columns) is used to uniquely identify rows in table and database table elements during comparison. For this purpose, the key values must be different in each row. Usually, the key columns hold some unique identifiers, such as the employee IDs or SSNs. In the image below, the column that holds the customer IDs is chosen as the key:
If columns in the tabular control or the database do not have unique values, it is possible to choose two or more key columns. Values within one column may be duplicated, but the combination of values from all columns must still be different in each row. For instance, in the following image, the “Order ID” column does not provide a unique identification, because it contains duplicate values. However, the combination of values in the “Order ID” and “Product” columns is different in each row, so these two columns were chosen as the keys:
The absence of key columns in the retrieved recordset effects how TestComplete compares the table or database table element’s data with the data of the underlying recordset (see How Comparison Works). Key columns can be useful if the records’ order in the tested control or database are different from test to test. For example, if the control data is sorted, TestComplete will still be able to match records in the table element and the control, because it will identify the records by key values rather than by their visual order.
Below are some notes on choosing keys for table and database table checkpoints: | https://support.smartbear.com/testcomplete/docs/testing-with/checkpoints/key-columns.html |
A special education teacher in a resource setting has a very difficult job, meeting the needs of a variety of students and covering a multitude of subject matters in a single class period. Being able to properly structure your class and effectively manage class time will help you meet the needs of all students and not become overwhelmed. Adding several strategies and accommodations to your teaching repertoire will also increase your efficacy in the classroom.
For this assignment, assume the role of a first-year special education teacher who has been assigned to the resource room to assist students who are working at the ninth grade level for both English and math. Read the “Class Profile” to obtain specific information about the needs of the students in this class. In addition to the students, you have a paraprofessional in the classroom to assist you. Students meet with you for 50 minutes each day to get help with homework, finish their classwork, study for tests, and get extra support in each subject area. You will need to structure the class so you can address individual student needs in both subject areas and help students develop their cross-curricular skills.
Part 1: Teacher Inquiries
After reviewing the “Class Profile, address the following in a 250-500 word response;
- Describe questions you would have about your teaching assignment before it begins, including any requests for additional information.
- Describe questions you would have for fellow teachers and administration.
- Identify additional information you would like to have before the end of the first week of school.
- Provide a rationale for each inquiry by citing both the “Class Profile” and a minimum of two additional scholarly resources in your responses.
Part 2: Classroom Environment
In 500-750 words compose a response for the following:
- Describe a minimum of three possible ways to structure the classroom setting to meet the needs of the students from the “Class Profile.”
- Describe a minimum of two possible ways to structure a class period.
- Describe a minimum of three instructional strategies and materials, including accommodations and/or assistive technology, that could be employed to meet the curricular content needs of your students in both the English language arts and math classes.
- Describe two collaboration strategies to use when working with the classroom paraprofessional assisting you in meeting the needs of the students in the resource room setting.
- Provide support for your responses by citing both the “Class Profile” and a minimum of two additional scholarly resources in your responses.
While APA format is not required for the body of the assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA documentation guidelines, which can be found in the Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center
This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.
Other samples, services and questions:
When you use PaperHelp, you save one valuable — TIME
You can spend it for more important things than paper writing. | https://courseherounlocks.net/fd565c6ab3ac0a75/resource-teacher |
The Good Food Institute (GFI) is an international nonprofit working to improve the food system by developing and promoting plant- and cell-based alternatives to animal products.
GFI’s mission is to “[develop] the roadmap for a sustainable, secure, and just protein supply.” The organisation works to “identify the most effective solutions, mobilize resources and talent, and empower partners across the food system to make alternative proteins accessible, affordable, and delicious.” GFI believes that “with plant-based meat, cultivated meat, and fermentation, we can mitigate the environmental impact of our food system, decrease the risk of zoonotic disease, and ultimately feed more people with fewer resources.”
To that end, GFI:
Good Food Institute meets our criteria to be top-rated because one of our trusted evaluators, Animal Charity Evaluators, has conducted an extensive evaluation highlighting its cost-effectiveness.
They found that:
For more information on the Good Food Institute, we recommend reading Animal Charity Evaluators' detailed review. | https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/charities/good-food-institute |
Roads and bridges that are deficient, congested or lack desirable safety features cost Oklahoma motorists a total of $4.9 billion statewide annually – $2,242 per driver in the Oklahoma City urban area – due to higher vehicle operating costs, traffic crashes and congestion-related delays. Increased investment in transportation improvements at the local, state and federal levels could relieve traffic congestion, improve road, bridge and transit conditions, boost safety, create jobs and support long-term economic growth in Oklahoma, according to a new report released by TRIP, a Washington, D.C.-based national transportation organization.
The TRIP report, “Oklahoma Transportation by the Numbers: Meeting the State’s Need for Safe, Smooth and Efficient Mobility,” finds that throughout Oklahoma, 28 percent of major locally and state-maintained roads are in poor condition and another 42 percent are in mediocre or fair condition. Despite recent improvements, nearly a quarter of Oklahoma’s bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. The state’s major urban roads are becoming increasingly congested, with drivers wasting significant amounts of time and fuel each year. And an average of 684 people were killed annually in crashes on Oklahoma’s roads from 2010 to 2014.
Driving on deficient roads costs each Oklahoma City area driver $2,242 per year in the form of extra vehicle operating costs (VOC) as a result of driving on roads in need of repair, lost time and fuel due to congestion-related delays, and the costs of traffic crashes in which roadway features likely were a contributing factor. The TRIP report calculated the cost to motorists of insufficient roads in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa urban areas.
While the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) revenue has increased in recent years, allowing for significant improvements to the transportation system, the state now faces potential cuts to transportation investment due to decreased state revenues.
This has reduced appropriations to ODOT and other state agencies by seven percent during the current fiscal year (FY2016). These reductions will cut $30.8 million from ODOT’s budget for future construction projects in the Eight-year Plan. Prior to the latest budget cut due to reduced state general revenue, ODOT had experienced $190 million in budget reductions since FY 2010. Despite the progress made in recent years, Oklahoma still has approximately $11 billion in backlogged bridge and roadway projects.
The Federal Highway Administration estimates that each dollar spent on road, highway and bridge improvements results in an average benefit of $5.20 in the form of reduced vehicle maintenance costs, reduced delays, reduced fuel consumption, improved safety, reduced road and bridge maintenance costs, and reduced emissions as a result of improved traffic flow. And for every $1 million spent on urban highway or intermodal expansion, an average of 7.2 local, long-term jobs were created and an additional 4.4 jobs were created outside the local area.
“As an economic development professional, I can tell you from firsthand experience that transportation infrastructure is one of the most important factors when a company is determining whether to locate in a community,” said Roy Williams, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber president and CEO. “Transportation infrastructure truly is the veins and arteries of a healthy community’s economic success and quality of life.”
The TRIP report finds that 81 percent of major roads in the Oklahoma City urban area are in poor or mediocre condition, costing the average motorist an additional $917 each year in extra vehicle operating costs, including accelerated vehicle depreciation, additional repair costs, and increased fuel consumption and tire wear.
Traffic congestion in the Oklahoma City urban area is worsening, causing 49 hours of delay a year for the average motorist and costing each driver $1,110 annually in lost time and wasted fuel.
A total of 23 percent of Oklahoma’s bridges show significant deterioration or do not meet modern design standards. Sixteen percent of Oklahoma’s bridges are structurally deficient, with significant deterioration to the bridge deck, supports or other major components. An additional seven percent of the state’s bridges are functionally obsolete, which means they no longer meet modern design standards, often because of narrow lanes, inadequate clearances or poor alignment. In the Oklahoma City urban area, ten percent of bridges are structurally deficient and 16 percent are functionally obsolete.
Increased state funding has allowed the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) to reduce the number of structurally deficient state-maintained bridges from an all-time high of 1,168 bridges in 2004 to 339 at the end of 2015. If funding remains stable, ODOT is on track to have one percent or fewer of all state-maintained bridges rated structurally deficient by the end of the decade.
Traffic crashes in Oklahoma claimed the lives of 3,419 people between 2010 and 2014. Oklahoma’s overall traffic fatality rate of 1.40 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel significantly higher than the national average of 1.08 and is the eleventh highest in the nation. The state’s rural roads have a traffic fatality rate that is nearly three-and-a-half times higher than the rate on all other roads in the state (2.67 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel versus 0.77).
The Federal surface transportation program is a critical source of funding in Oklahoma. Signed into law in December 2015, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, provides modest increases in federal highway and transit spending, allows states greater long-term funding certainty and streamlines the federal project approval process. But the FAST Act does not provide adequate funding to meet the nation’s need for highway and transit improvements and does not include a long-term and sustainable funding source. | https://rockproducts.com/2016/04/06/oklahoma-road-conditions-cost-motorists-big-money/ |
Massachusetts produces nuclear electricity and renewable energy as its two main sources of energy. MA relies heavily on imports as it hosts 3 natural gas liquefying plants. However, renewable energy is beginning to grow in the state. In 2016, solar panel installation made for 88% of new energy generation in Massachusetts.
Sources for Massachusetts
Massachusetts produces energy from a variety of sources. Here are the state’s current energy sources and energy production trends.
- National gas accounts for 2/3 of electricity generation in MA
- 1/8 of all energy produced in Massachusetts come from renewable sources
- There are no fossil fuels in Massachusetts
- 1/6 of electricity comes from the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plants
Featured VideoAt Compare Electricity, we are dedicated to bringing you all the latest videos to keep you informed about Massachusetts’s energy sources, energy production, electricity rates and more. Here is the latest video on Massachusetts energy sources.
Locations
Looking for a specific city in Massachusetts? Check out our featured cities below for more specific energy usage information.
Research
Compare Electricity is dedicated to keeping you current and up to date with industry leading research. View all the latest news, articles and videos for your location below: | https://compareelectricity.com/energy-sources/MA/ |
Like all good things in life, thread can’t last forever. Though it may look fine, thread can get too old to work properly, leading to breakage and uneven coloring. However, there is no set expiration date for every spool of thread.
How many years does sewing thread last?
When it comes to the shelf-life of sewing thread, it’s safe to say that a good-quality thread manufactured today will probably last for about 50 years.
Does thread deteriorate over time?
Because cotton is a natural fiber, it will degrade over time. … As for polyester thread, the color may fade over the years with exposure to sunlight, but there is no evidence that the thread deteriorates like cotton threads, so it’s safe to say that synthetic fibers will last longer.
How do you revive old sewing thread?
My mom’s suggestion? She told me to take the thread and tuck it into a re-sealable baggie along with a wet paper towel. I was then to place this in my fridge or freezer for a few hours and let the thread soak up some of the moisture. And so I did!
How can you tell if a thread is good quality?
Hold a strand of thread up to a light and inspect how many fibers fan out from the strand. A good quality thread will be tightly spun together so that few fibers deviate from the strand. It’s not like a string of steel; you’ll always see SOME loose fibers (kind of like rope).
Is it OK to use old thread?
Though it may look fine, thread can get too old to work properly, leading to breakage and uneven coloring. However, there is no set expiration date for every spool of thread.
What can I do with old spools of thread?
13 Fun Ways to Reuse Spools of Thread
- DIY Picture Holder – A little washi tape and hot glue transform an old thread spool into a cute picture holder for your shelf.
- Drawer Pulls – Wooden spools of thread add character to a piece of revamped furniture when you use them as drawer pulls.
Is it OK to quilt with polyester thread?
The short answer is no, polyester thread is safe to quilt with and won’t damage your fabric. However, this question is raised because polyester from many decades ago used to do this, which is why some quilters prefer to use cotton.
Are wooden spools worth anything?
Antique wooden thread spools value: They are unique, well built and seem to last forever. A good wood spool doesn’t lose its value once the thread is gone. At one collectible store, you can pick up wood spools and their accessories for between $27 and $200.
Is cotton or polyester thread stronger?
Cotton thread is a little bit stronger than polyester thread and a lot softer. This makes it ideal for visible seams in your projects. The lack of stretch in cotton thread also makes it ideal for quilting projects because they won’t lose their shape.
What is 12 weight thread used for?
Use 12wt for bold machine quilting, big stitch hand quilting, thread painting, decorative stitching, hand embroidery, sashiko, big stitch hand quilting, crafts, and even hemming jeans. When using it on the machine the thicker thread will stand up from the fabric giving you a wonderful textural effect.
Are plastic thread spools recyclable?
Plastic thread spools are made of polypropylene which is a recyclable plastic product. You can toss empty spools right into your recycling bin! The shrink wrap packaging around your new spanking spools- that stuff is made from PET (the same thing as recyclable soda bottles) and can always be recycled.
What is the strongest thread to sew with?
With a high strength to weight ratio, nylon is one of the strongest threads available, making it a great choice for stitching upholstery, leather, and vinyl. This bonded 3-ply nylon thread has been specially treated to decrease friction while sewing at high speeds, resulting in smooth stitches.
What’s the best thread to use on a sewing machine?
100% polyester threads are great to use when sewing synthetic fabrics and fabric with stretch. Polyester has a small amount of stretch to it, so it’s also great for sewing seams. Furthermore, it’s less likely to shrink than cotton threads. Blended thread is made from a polyester core wrapped in cotton.
Do sewing machines need special thread?
Although an all-purpose polyester thread will work well on most material, if you’re working with a slightly different fabric, such as stretch or heavyweight, then the general rule is to use the same type of thread as the fabric. | https://threadbeargarments.com/needlework/does-sewing-thread-ever-go-bad.html |
The Jovian System
Jupiter is the largest planet in our Solar System with a diameter of 43,441 miles, almost 11 times larger than Earth. The Jovian system also has more moons than any other world, with an estimated 79 satellites. Many of these moons appear to be captured asteroids as Jupiter orbits close to the asteroid belt and shares its orbit with Trojan minor planets. These small bodies share Jupiter’s orbit at its Lagrangian points. Lagrangian points along Jupiter’s orbit are measured at precisely 60º in front of and behind Jupiter. Of Jupiter’s moons, the four Galilean moons are some of the most well-known moons of our Solar System since they are easily identifiable with just a telescope. Galileo (whom they were named after) discovered them in 1609.
Being a gaseous planet, Jupiter also has the most massive planetary atmosphere of our Solar System, with 3,000 miles in altitude. Jupiter is believed not to have a surface. This tremendous atmosphere consists of hydrogen and helium with traces of methane, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and water. How are these elements and compounds held together if Jupiter has no surface?
A rocky or solid core is not required for gravity to hold a gaseous planet together. Our Sun doesn’t have a rocky core. The hydrogen of Jupiter is not necessarily the same as “gases” we are familiar with here on Earth. Jupiter is in a state of liquid metal. I know that’s hard to conceive. Paul Butter discusses this bizarre state of matter in What in the World Is Metallic Hydrogen?
It may be helpful to note that Scientists believe Jupiter’s dense core consists of a mixture of elements, a layer of liquid metallic hydrogen, helium, and an outer layer composed of molecular hydrogen. You can think of Jupiter’s center as a highly pressurized gas compressor with pressure 10,000 times greater than the bottom of the ocean and 10 billion times greater than water at the Earth’s surface.
History of Jupiter
Jupiter has been observed as far back as the 7th century BC by Babylonian astronomers. Along with these early astronomers, the Chinese were also the first to observe the planet. In 1610, the four largest moons that orbit Jupiter were discovered by Galileo. These four moons are now more commonly referred to as the Galilean moons, Ganymede, Io, Europa, and Callisto. A day later, another astronomer discovered these same moons but did not publish his findings for four more years. A fifth moon Amalthea was discovered in 1892 by E.E. Barnard at Lick’s Observatory in California.
As seen in many famous photographs of Jupiter, the Great Red Spot was first discovered in 1664. There were several times when astronomers were unable to see the Red Spot until it became incredibly noticeable in 1878. Since that time, it has been seen to have faded and reappeared several times.
The Pioneer missions took place in 1973 and 1974 and were the first to capture first-hand information from planets other than Earth. with the Pioneer 10 space probe being the first to send back essential data about Jupiter and its moons. Pioneer 11 visited the planet exactly one year later focused on studying the Great Red Spot as well as calculating the mass of the Galilean moon, Callisto.
The Galileo probe was the first to orbit this planet back in 1995. It remained in orbit for more than seven years. When the planetary probe completed its mission in 2003, it was sent to die a sad, vaporizing death by plunging into the atmosphere of Jupiter. Weirdly, this effort was similar to the Prime Directive in Star Trek. Scientists wanted to ensure the probe didnt crash into Europa, destroying or possibly contaminating life if it exists on the moon.
The Voyager program took place in 1979. Voyager 1 visited Jupiter in March 1979, followed by Voyager 2 in July 1979. The first probe remained on the planet for a couple of days, sending back numerous close-up images of Jupiter. Voyager 2 discovered the rings of Jupiter, found plate tectonics on Ganymede, volcanoes on Io, and many different craters on Callisto. These spacecraft discovered additional, smaller moons, Metis, Adrastea, and Thebe.
The Cassini probe was heading to Saturn when it visited the planet in 2000. It took roughly 26,000 images of the planet as it passed by. Cassini also found another significant spot near the north pole of Jupiter and sent back photos of the moon, Himalia.
The New Horizons probe was heading to Pluto when it flew by Jupiter in 2007. It studied one of Jupiter’s outer moons, Elara. It also studied a small storm, the Little Red Spot, which has been growing over time.
The latest mission to Jupiter was the Juno Mission in 2016. It is expected to conduct nearly 40 orbits in just under two years. Juno’s primary mission is to study the gravity field, atmosphere, magnetic field, polar magnetosphere, and possible composition of Jupiter. We have received some of the most beautiful photos of Jupiter as Juno orbits the planet in the process.
There are two future missions also being planned. One is called JUICE, which stands for Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer, which will be conducted by the European Space Agency. The next NASA mission will occur in 2025 and will be expected to observe Europa.
Finding Jupiter in the Nighttime Sky
Jupiter is the fourth brightest object in the night sky, coming in at an apparent magnitude of -2.2. For reference, the apparent magnitude of the Sun is -26.7, the Moon is -1.5, and the brightest star, Sirius, is -1.5. Only the Sun, Moon, and Venus are brighter than Jupiter.
Since Jupiter orbits the Sun further out than Earth, the planet reaches a position for optimum viewing via a telescope every thirteen months, during “opposition.” “Opposition” for a planet within our Solar System occurs when the planet appears opposite the Sun in the sky or celestial sphere. During this time, the Sun, Earth, and the planet form what we call a “syzygy” or straight line astronomically speaking.
During the same thirteen-month time period, or 398 days, the Earth also catches up to and passes Jupiter. As this occurs, Jupiter appears as though the planet moves backward across the sky in comparison to everything else. This “movement” in the sky is called “retrograde motion.” This retrograde motion lasts for about four months or around 121 days.
Hint: “Astronomically” refers to how astronomical objects such as the Moon, Sun, Earth, other planets, and stars as they are in space. “Celestial” refers to how these same objects appear in our skies. Syzygy and orbits are astronomical terms, while retrograde motion, apparent magnitude, and celestial sphere are celestial terms.
Jupiter's Physical Features
Jupiter is a giant amongst planets in our solar system, being 120 times the size of Earth, over two times larger than all of the other planets in our Solar System combined, and 1/10th the size of the Sun.
Jupiter’s atmosphere is thought to be the largest in the Solar System, spanning up to 5,000 miles. In comparison, Earth’s atmosphere as we know it expands to 62 miles where it meets the “Kármán line” or the division between our atmosphere and space.
The upper atmosphere of Jupiter is comprised mainly of hydrogen and helium, with frozen ammonia making up the outer layer of the atmosphere. Scientists believe that the chemical composition of Jupiter’s atmosphere and its pressurization may produce precipitation of helium and other elements within Jupiter’s atmosphere.
There is a clear division between our atmosphere and the ground we are on Earth. Things aren’t the same on Jupiter. Jupiter’s enormous atmosphere gradually transitions to a highly compressed liquid interior. The core is thought to be rocky, with a layer of metallic hydrogen wrapped in another layer of molecular hydrogen.
Jupiter’s most predominant feature is the Great Red Spot. The Great Red Spot is a continuous storm over 10,000 miles wide (1.3 times the diameter of Earth) that has raged for at least 357 years. Although the storm has been going on for hundreds of years, it is slowly shrinking and slowing down.
The Galilean Moons of Jupiter
The Galilean Moons are the most well-known group moons of the Solar System. They are also the largest planetary bodies in the solar system, with only the Sun and the eight planets being larger. The names of these four moons are Io, Ganymede, Europa, and Callisto. They were discovered by Galileo. All of these moons were names given from Greek as different names of lovers that belonged to Zeus. Io is the fourth-largest moon located within the solar system and has over 400 active volcanoes. It even has mountains that are larger than Mount Everest.
Europa is one of the most fascinating places in our Solar System. It’s slightly smaller than the Moon and has the smoothest surface of any known solid object in the Solar System. Europa is thought to have liquid water located underneath the frozen exterior, making it the best place to look for life outside of Earth in our Solar System.
It has a very thin atmosphere composed primarily of oxygen. Its surface is striated by cracks and streaks, whereas craters are relatively rare. In addition to Earth-bound telescope observations, Europa has been examined by a succession of space probe flybys, the first occurring in the early 1970s.
Ganymede is the largest moon in our Solar System and the only moon known to have a substantial magnetosphere. The magnetic field causes auroras in regions circling the moon’s north and south poles, much like the auroras here on Earth. Like Europa and a few moons, Ganymede is thought to have an atmosphere and subterranean ocean, overlying a liquid iron and nickel core that is believed to generate Ganymede’s magnetic field.
Images from Voyager indicate the moon has had a complex geological history. Ganymede’s surface is a mixture of two types of terrain. 40% of Ganymede’s surface is highly cratered dark regions, and the other 60% is covered by a light grooved terrain that forms intricate patterns across Ganymede. These patterns or grooves in its surface are described as “sulcus,” meaning a groove or burrow.
Callisto is the second-largest moon of Jupiter and the third-largest moon in the Solar System. Callisto orbits about 1,170,000 miles from Jupiter, taking about 17 Earth days to complete one orbit of Jupiter. Callisto’s surface is the most heavily cratered in our Solar System. Along with craters, Callisto’s surface is covered with small, sparkly, frost-like deposits at the tips of high spots, surrounded by a low-lying, smooth blanket of dark material. Interestingly Callisto does not show any signs of subterranean processes such as plate tectonics or volcanism. This may be because Callisto is the only Galilean moon that is not in orbital resonance. Thereby, it’s not subjected to the same tidal heating as the other Galilean moons. Callisto also orbits slightly outside Jupiter’s violent magnetosphere, further saving it from structural stress due to external forces.
Io is the innermost of the Galilean moons as well as the smallest. Io has some very unique features. It has the highest density of Galilean moons and the least amount of water of any known object in our Solar System. But the most exciting part of Io is that it has over four hundred active volcanoes making it the most geologically active object in the Solar System.
This extreme geologic activity results from tidal flexing from friction generated within Io’s interior as it is tugged on between Jupiter and the other Galilean satellites. Most volcanoes produce plumes of sulfur and sulfur dioxide that climb as high as 300 miles above the surface. Its surface comprises extensive plains coated with sulfur and sulfur dioxide and dotted with hundreds of mountains that have been uplifted by extensive compression at the base of Io’s silicate crust.
Io and other Galilean moons are bright enough to be viewed from Earth with binoculars but can easily be made out individually with a telescope. The moons have an apparent magnitude that ranges between 4.6 and 5.6 when Jupiter is at opposition and are about one unit of magnitude dimmer when Jupiter is in conjunction. You may have difficulty observing the moons since the moons are so close to Jupiter, and you are obscured by its brightness. The moons are separated by 2 to 10 arcminutes from Jupiter, close to the limit of human visual acuity. Ganymede and Callisto, at their maximum separation, are easiest to point out.
Irregular Moons of Jupiter
The vast majority of Jupiter’s moons are irregular. “Irregular” means the moon follows a distant, inclined, and often eccentric and retrograde orbit.
Of the irregular moons, Jupiter has five distinct families of satellites with two moons who do their own thing, Carpo and Themisto. The five groups are Himalia, Carme, Ananke, Pasiphae, and Amalthea.
The Himalia Group contains the fifth largest moon orbiting Jupiter, named Himalia. The other members of the family include Leda, Elara, Dia, Lysithea, Jupiter LXXI, and Jupiter LXV. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) reserves names for moons of Jupiter ending in -a for the moons in this group to indicate retrograde motions relative to Jupiter.
It is believed that the group is a remnant of the break-up of an asteroid from our Solar System’s asteroid belt. The radius of the parent asteroid is theorized to be around 89 km, slightly larger than that of Himalia, which retains approximately 87% of the mass of the original body.
The Carme Group consists of eleven moons, Carme, Taygete, Eukelade, Jupiter LVII, Chaldene, Isonoe, Kalyke, Erinome, Aitne, Kale, Pasithee, and S/2003 J9. These moons orbit Jupiter relatively close to each other, separated by less than 700,000 km in semi-major axis and less than 0.7° in inclination.
This orbital dispersion suggests that the entire Carme group may once have been a single body that was broken apart by a major impact.
The Ananke Group consists of Ananke, Praxidike, Iocaste, Harpalyke, Thyone, and Euanthe. As with the other Jovian satellite families, this family is believed to be the remnants of an asteroid collision with Ananke accounting for more than 90% of the mass.
The Pasiphae Group consists of Pasiphae, Sinope, Callirrhoe, Megaclite, Autonoe, Eurydome, and Sponde. You notice that the moons of this group end with an “e”. That’s because the International Astronomical Union (IAU) reserves names ending in -e for all retrograde moons, including this group’s members. Pasiphae and Sinope are the largest moons in this group, nearby receiving the nod for symbols.
The Amalthea Group is another set of moons found around Jupiter. This group is also made up of four moons. These moons are Thebe, Andrastea, Metis, and Amalthea. These moons help make up the rings of Jupiter. Metis is the closest moon to Jupiter. Adrastea is the next closest moon and is the smallest. Amalthea is the third closest moon and has water ice on its surface. It has many other unknown elements and may contain many different craters and ridges. Thebe is the last inner moon and has many craters and mountains on its surface.
Ananke is a retrograde irregular moon of Jupiter discovered by Seth Barnes Nicholson at Mount Wilson Observatory in 1951. Ananke received it’s name from the mythological Ananke, the personification of Necessity, and the mother of the Moirai (Fates) by Zeus. Upon discovery, Ananke’s original name was Jupiter XII, but was later named in 1975.It is believed that Ananke formed from the destruction of an asteroid which produced the Ananke group of satellites. Ananke is the largest of the Ananke satellites with a radius of around 14 km and orbits Jupiter at a distance of around 21.3 million miles. The satellite takes about 630 Earth days to complete one orbit.
Sinope has a highly-eccentric and inclined retrograde orbit. These orbits are continuously changing due to and planetary perturbations. Although Sinope belongs to the Pasiphae group, Sinope could be also an independent object, captured independently, unrelated to the collision and break-up at the origin of the group. Sinope is also known to be in secular resonance with Jupiter, similar to Pasiphae. However, Sinope can drop out of this resonance and has periods of both resonant and non-resonant behavior in time scales of 10 years.
Pasiphae is a retrograde, irregular satellite of Jupiter discovered in 1908 by Philibert Jacques Melotte. Pasiphae was named after the mythological Pasiphaë, wife of Minos and mother of the Minotaur from Greek legend. Pasiphae was discovered on a plate taken at the Royal Greenwich Observatory on a winter night in 1908. It received the provisional designation 1908 CJ, as it was not clear whether it was an asteroid or a moon of Jupiter. It was confirmed to be a moon of Jupiter later that year. Pasiphae is a part of a larger group of satellite that orbit Jupiter at distance around 23 million km from Jupiter. | https://thesolarrepublic.com/jupiter/ |
Although this vacancy announcement expires on March 31, 2019, the announcement may be closed at any time if a selection is made. This assignment is for a period of at least 14 months, beginning in or about April, 2019, with the possibility of extension, contingent on the availability of funding. Appointment to this position will be effected by reimbursable detail appointment.
The mission of the Criminal Division's Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training (OPDAT) is to develop and administer technical and developmental assistance designed to enhance the capabilities of foreign justice sector institutions and their law enforcement personnel. This assistance is administered in order to enable those institutions and their personnel to more effectively combat terrorism, organized crime, corruption, financial crimes and other types of crime in a manner consistent with the rule of law. The assistance is also administered to enable those institutions and their personnel to more effectively cooperate regionally and with the United States in combating such crime. http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/opdat.
The Resident Legal Advisor (RLA) will represent the U.S. Department of Justice and OPDAT in the implementation of OPDAT justice sector technical assistance activities in order to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the U.S. and Kenya on criminal justice matters and to raise Kenya’s level of compliance with international anti-crime norms and obligations, particularly in matters involving terrorism, financial crimes and money laundering. During his or her tenure, the selected attorney will work closely with local law enforcement and government officials, including prosecutors, judges, parliamentarians, and others to develop, implement and strengthen an effective money laundering and counterterrorism regime. This could involve analysis of and advice on pending counterterrorism legislation, money laundering laws, asset forfeiture proposals and other related and potentially affected criminal statutes, codes, laws, and regulations. The RLA would also be expected to assist in developing legal and judicial assistance in areas that might include freezing/seizing assets, financial fraud, public corruption, organized crime, and extradition. The RLA may also be called upon to support regional training efforts. Regional travel may be required.
Preferred: Preferred applicants have a thorough understanding and practical knowledge of DOJ and other USG approaches and policies involving major criminal cases (for example, terrorism cases or transnational crime cases) and security and justice sector development issues, including training and institution-building.
Extensive travel to/from Kenya and within the country will be required.
While this vacancy announcement expires on March 31, 2019, the announcement may be closed at any time if a selection is made. The Application Package must be received by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time, on the closing date of this announcement. | https://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/job/resident-legal-advisor-kenya-3 |
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